How do some providers compare with each other?

[GaryGrzybek]

I agree, flexibility is not too much of an issue provided it's in the right place. Most windlass blades I've handled wobbled too much near the forte. This problem is really felt when the blade fails to track in the cut and is pushed aside by an opposing blade.

[Jeffrey Hull]

Here is how I did it:

Like I have written, the Windlass longsword in Atlanta Cutlery catalog can be made into a really well serving weapon. But it does take some work.

I realised that there was a lot of little details and steps to explain. I hope a somewhat simplistic summary would be good enough. To explain all would take a lengthy article. But here goes:

I unscrewed the pommel and took it, the grip, and cross off. I marked items in an unobtusive manner (like make a little divit with nail-tap) so I could reassemble again later properly. I inspected tang and so forth, noting any idiosyncrasies for later assembly.

I chose to completely strip polyeurethane coating from all metal surfaces. You can skip that if you prefer.

Again you could skip this part if you like, but I recommend this very highly: Ripped stitches and stripped leather. I took grip and inspected to make sure that it had no worse than little cracks at most. Then sanded all remainder of glue from wood. Then washed grip with turperntine. Then rolling-soaked grip in mix of half turpentine and half epoxyresin in mud-pan for 15 minutes. Wear vinyl gloves while doing this. Then set up to dry overnight. Sand to bring forth smooth finish with wood exposed again to allow linseed oiling. Add metal ferrules if you like to ends of grip if you like (one thing I did not, but it is probably a good idea).

Now, before rehilting, I did all the sharpening, and I recommend Lindholm & Johnsson description in Ringeck book. Which meant I clamped sharpened and flipped blade to opposite sides of work table to sharpen final bevel of edge to between 30 to 50 degrees (as per L & J) -- which basically means that the band of final bevel around the girth of edge shall be no more than like 1/16 inch broad. This took a long time and I counted strokes carefully. How differentiated? Mark out thirds with masking-take tabs on flats of blade. I left like the first third from shoulders untouched. I then sharpened middle third somewhat with mill-bastard file and fine file. And then I sharpened last third to point quite well with same files. Note: Your "thirds" may not be of equal length, as you may find, as I did, that considerations for half-swording grip and center of percussion may modify the proportions. Remember to keep cool, to count strokes, brush the files between flips, and wear farmer-rancher leather gloves for safety -- step back now and then to look at it. Use a little oil if you like to keep filing smooth. Use a chefs-steel and/or leather to strop. Be careful and refer to advice of L & J for better details and clarity.

Okay, clean tang and everything else with turpentine. Use two-ton epoxyresin or better to remount cross, grip and pommel. Use trupentine soaked rag to help clean mess of epoxyresin during and after this process. Let dry and set overnight.

That is basically it. I may have forgotten some details, so my apologies. And you may realise things that help you which I did not mention.

All this is at your own risk, and any of these things make the weapon nonreturnable to AC, of course.

So good luck!

JH

[Shane Smith]

I handled Hugh Long's(Hugh is the Washington DC Study group Leader) Atlanta cutlery Longsword in training yesterday. It was not unduly whippy although the grip was fatter than I like. Even the hilt was tight on his example.For about the same price as the Chen swords, I'd have to say the Windlass handled well and seems to be the better deal. What's the tang like Jeffrey(I can't comment as I haven't seen one dis-mounted)?

The blade also looked like it would sharpen well enough.

[Joey Marmorato]

I'm not sure if Corey intended this thread to stay on the discussion of MRL swords (if so, I'm sorry), but can any of you speak from experience on Arms & Armor pieces (out of minneapolis)? I believe I've heard good things a few places, and I have read good reviews on myarmoury, but it seems kind of like they give everything a pretty good review, even the windlass stuff. Can anyone give input from experience or other reliable sources?

Thanks a lot

Joey
ARMA ATL

[Jeffrey Hull]

SS:

The tang was substantial and tapered nicely to a well blended 3/8 in. threaded bolt-end for the pommel-mounting.

Incidentally, the thing about the epoxyresin & turpentine soak-mix may seem strange, and at first I was unhappy with it (as you may have read elswhere a couple months ago), but I finally worked it out and realised its value as a strengthening infusion, and so recommend it highly.

Again, remounting the whole hilting with some ueber-epoxyresin is a must, if I did not already stress that enough.

And yes, the blade did sharpen well enough using high-quality mill-bastard files and chef-steel to finish.

JH

[Jeffrey Hull]

JM:

I have gotten to handle an A&A "Rheinlander" greatsword that never saw production, but which a friend of mine bought somehow from them. (It is comparable to their #156 15th Century Two Hander.) My friend's sword is really flexible and tough, and he has done some extreme cutting with it as I have witnessed. He dismounted the hilting and it too has a substantial tang which blends well into a heavy threaded bolt, and a really sturdy tight-fitting leather-covered wooden grip. (Some A&A may have peened ends instead, but I have only seen this one.) It seemed decently sharp to me, though my friend had sharpened it himself since original purchase. It still serves him well.

JH

[Jeffrey Hull]

One last thing so it goes not unsaid:

One other option for regripping one of those Atlanta Cutlery swords is to totally regrip it -- that is, build an entirely new grip of hardwood, custom-fit and shaped, and set with the ueber-epoxy-resin, of course.

More info for Armateers about how to do this well can be found in the appropriate article at the Armaria.

JH