A so-called Hunting Sword, in the style of Hans Sumersperger (late XVth century).
Made after a well- known model in the Worcester museum, but drawing inspiration from other famous examples, notably the gorgeous Messer of Maximilian on display at the Viennese Armouries (Accessing Number D 11).
Spring Steel blade, single edge save for the last third near the point, with a fuller running along the back on each side. The forged and fileworked cross was given finials shaped like lions - very much XVth century style ones, that is. Customer wanted it fire-blued.
The pommel is brass, chiseled with custom inscriptions and silver plated and patinated.
Grip is horn and bone, with fileworked decorative steel nails.
OAL 1124 mm, with a 933 mm blade (38 mm wide). Weight is 1190 g, and PoB is 13 cm from cross.
The Worcester model which served as the main basis for this piece is an intriguing one ; the pommel seems to be a copy of the Viennese Messer, imitating the barely decypherable prayers to the Virgin Mary and the beast-shaped quillon finials. But while on the Viennese Messer the cross is a regular “glorified” bolster, put in place from the blade end, the Worcester cross could only have been inserted from the tang end ; plus, it doesn’t show the scale tang construction of neither the Viennese knife nor the NY Met example (Accessing Number 29.158.704), questioning the sense of the nails on the grip. Furthermore, there is no nail joining the cross to the blade….
Still, it was a very interesting piece to make, most challenging to my skills, and a learning experience.
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