 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 Top of sword -- pommel, handle guard, scabbard |
 Close-up of pommel - inlaid work |
 Close-up of pommel - inlaid work |
 Close-up of pommel - inlaid work |
 Close-up of pommel - inlaid work |
 Close-up of hilt/scabbard - inlaid work |
 Close-up of hilt/scabbard - inlaid work |
 Close-up of scabbard bottom |
 Close-up of scabbard bottom |
Discussion:
From an email dated March 6, 2007:
"The West Kingdom Great Sword of State was originally a higher quality sword specifically ordered
and imported by me from Toledo, Spain, after personally visiting and inspecting the forge and shop
of the manufacturer. It was then offered for sale by me to it's original purchaser. Subsequently
it was given to the Crown of The West as a gift and was declared to be the Kingdom's Great Sword of
State. At that point it had acquired a new massive brass wheel pommel with two round inset
cabhocon green (jadeite?) stones and a hexagonal brass bar crossguard. The handle was covered
with green leather and a twisted wire overbinding, which crossed the handle in an open "X" style,
with each wire crossing being secured by a fence post wire fastening type rounded "U" shaped staple.
The mountings were not only excessively heavy, but not period in style. These may have been made
by Master Beverly Hodgehead, OL, but I don't know for sure.
"I felt a more period style mounting was preferable and secured the King's (King Paul of Bellatrix, as I recall) permission to remount the Great Sword of State in a more suitable and period fasion. I designed the hilt fittings and consulted with former Kingdom Master of Sciences, Master Brian Drittar An Con, OL, who designed the scabbard fittings for the Great Sword of State. I took a Sculpture course at College of Marin, where I cast all the bronze metal fittings and forged the steel pommel for the Great Sword of State. Sir Mark von dem Falkensfenn, OL, made the original enameled heater shield shaped pommel inserts in the Great Sword of State hilt, and Mistress Diane de Winchester, OL, made the enameled disc inserts in the crossguard of the Great Sword of State. (Subseqent damage during the reign of Radnor and Esmirelda required replacement of one (or more?) enameled pommel insert, that may also have been made by Mistress Diane de Winchester). I assembled the hilt fittings on the Great Sword blade and made a leather scabbard to fit the sword's blade. The bronze scabbard fittings were finished from the raw castings and made to fit the scabbard and blade, mostly by Lady Kathleen Treanor, with the final touches and assembly by me.
"I should like to point out that the design of the scabbard of the Great Sword of State was specifically for bearing and not for wearing as a personal weapon. Therefore no belt fittings or accomodations for any were provided.
"The theme of the design of the Great Sword of the Kingdom of the West's Hilt and Scabbard, reflects the major element in the King of the West's Crown, Oak Leaves and Acorns. Besides being more period in style, the entire hilt is designed to be dismountable from the sword blade's tang, so it can be carried safely separately from the blade and scabbard. This also allows any repairs to the sword or hilt fittings to be more easily accomplished, should there be need. The Sword's pommel is made to look like an acorn with it's cap (which unscrews from the blade's threaded tang end and holds the pommel and handle and crossguard securely in place). The scabbard decoration is made from real oak leaves (again taken from the oak tree in San Anselmo overlooking the San Francisco Theological Seminary Tournament site) which were used in the Lost Wax process to cast bronze replica decorated fittings. The handle is made from African Ebony wood, in two halves. The halves were glued together originally, but due to the wood's inherent oily nature, the glue bond has loosened somewhat. Cast bronze end bands support the grip at the pommel and crossguard . A solid bronze band, was intended to encircle the middle of the handle, but due to technical limitations this was omitted. Perhaps it will be done in the near future, now that I have discovered how to do it." -- Henrik of Havn
The West Kingdom History Website was created by and is maintained by Hirsch von Henford (mka Ken Mayer).