Early medieval sword on ebay

[GaryGrzybek]

Very nice!

It is amazing to see the fuller extent right into the tang. One of those extra details rarely seen in modern repro's.

Dam, if only I were rich <img src="/forum/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" />

[Derek Wassom]

I'll lend you some money Gary <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

[George Turner]

The pommel is in suspiciously good shape, compared to the rest of the metal, and doesn't seem to fit tightly at one of the ends, so maybe it has another story behind it. Other than that, a very interesting specimen. The tang, on top of being fullered into an I-beam, doesn't use straight taper, but more like a parabolic taper profile, which I think is mechanically superior. Very interesting.

George Turner
ARMA in KY

[Jake_Norwood]

The pommel is made of bronze, which may explain its excellent condition. Maybe (I'm not a metallurgist).

[GaryGrzybek]

Thanks Derek!

I'll send you my mailing address <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

[GaryGrzybek]

True, once bronze forms a nice crusty patina it remains well preserved. We can see that in many fine artifacts much older than this.

[GaryGrzybek]

There's also the possability that the blade was rehilted some time during it's life.

[Jake_Norwood]

Sean-

What a great observation. I wondered about the tang being fullered, but didn't worry about it too much. That would explain a few things, like the shape of the tang, the fuller in the tang, and even the newer looking pommel (when it was re-hilted). It even seemed to me that the cross was a little off-kilter, but that may have been due to a trick of the camera.

[GaryGrzybek]

Yes, this could definately be the case. Why waste a good blade when you can grind in another tang and add some new fittings. I recall seeing other examples of fullers running through the tang but I cannot remember the sources. Let me do some checking.

[Guest]

Sorry, but I don't buy the "re-ground tang" theory. Fullers extending up the tang are a common enough feature. If you check photos in e.g. Oakeshott's books, you will see plenty of them. The pic I've attached here is of the Wallace Collection A.459, where the fuller is extremely prominent.

[GaryGrzybek]

Excellent Bjorn!

I was thinking about emailing PeterJohnsson about this plus I had another question for him.

Thanks,

[George Turner]

Looking at the picture Bjorn provided, or the sword on E-bay, I'd say that those tangs wouldn't ever break. The breakage problems seem to be a product of our modern thin and narrow rat-tail tangs.