Any Pirates Here? How about an HI Cutlass?

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Mar 2, 2010
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I am a real fan of the Cutlass. One of my favorite swords I have run across. So I was sitting here this weekend thinking one of the Kamis would be able to make me/us a really fine Cutlass. Here is what I have in mind, pardon my rough drawing as I am not the best at this sort of thing. :eek:

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This would entail a roughly 26" Blade with an OAL of 31" (because of the size of my hands actually as a 4 " handle isn't gonna allow my hand behind the guard). There would be a fuller running along almost the full length of the blade as pictured to lighted this up a bit. I can see this in either a horn or wood handle myself and either a chiruwa (as pictured) or a non-chiruwa tang though I am sure it would sell better and possibly be easier to balance with a full or chiruwa tang. Then there is the guard, made of brass, oval shaped and cupped to cover the fisted hand clenching the handle. I also think it would be nice to have a Skull and Crossbones engraved on the guard so when you smash your opponent with it, you leave a "Pirate" mark on them. ARRR!

So what about it me mateys! Would ye be in fer a cutlass? ARRR! What self respectin' Pirate wouldn't be ye land lubbers so join me! YAR! Let's ask for a Cutlass come the New Year an' start the thing off right! AYE! :D
 
I'm not big on HI swords (or any swords generally), but that could work. 26 inch blade is hella big though, but the kamis should be able to make a sword that long that can be wielded without too much strain on the shoulder. Wonder what kind of sheath too?
 
Not the typical scabbard they make for the Khukuris though I am trying to see if I can sketch this out as well.
Maybe someone else can jump in on this part, was thinking something a bit more Pirate for this blade.
Also, I am willing to adjust the blade's dimensions as well. These were what spring to mind first blush.
I don't have much experience with "real" Cutlasses other than the Cold Steel one.
 
I was thinking about how piratical the Annapurna Bowie is in design, looks like something one of the undead from Pirates of the Carribean would be waving around on the Black Pearl, and how HI could easily pull off a cutlass and a few other designs (I was watching Raiders of the Lost Ark last night, when Indie shoots that Punjab waving around that massive sword... hmmm, HI could pull that off!) I'd love to see their take on an Ulu as well.
 
Years ago there was a sword-ish thing on deal of the day. It didn't grab me, but I photoshop realigned it in 3 pieces to make a potential cutlass-ish design.
Bura-Cutlass.jpg


With India nearby and its history of Talwars, you would think the kamis would make Talwars and variations like cutlasses more often.
 
A pirate cutlass would be cool. Most were just thicker, broader, shortened sabers for naval hand-to-hand fighting...
But ya know its an often glorified time period... I'm sure (if the kamis made it well) the cutlass will have its fan base.

With India nearby and its history of Talwars, you would think the kamis would make Talwars and variations like cutlasses more often.

Yes and no... no demand then no supply... and yet they make "katanas"... why? Cause people like and want katanas... but Nepali tulwars, khandas, and koras would be more welcome in my opinion.
 
I could stand a Kora, Khanda or Tulwar as well but this is about the Cutlass. :)

I was actually looking at a Tarwar when it all occurred to me to ask about the Cutlass.
I am thinking a fullered Tarwar with more belly and a guard like the one I drew.
The blade also needs a but more of an upsweep, like a Panga-style Machete.

I was also considering that rather than engrave the Skull & Crossbones into the guard, it might be embossed instead.
Picture it sticking out of the guard a bit, right on the crest of the curve of the guard.
Putting the Skull right above the crestline and the Crossbones right below it.
I could also stand to let the Kami go a bit wild in the embellishment area on the guard as long as the Skull & Crossbones is incorporated.

I have no Photoshop (I use GIMP) type skills so going from one of my Tarwars and altering that is beyond me.
The best I can do is describe what I am seeing in my head and do simple drawings like the one I posted.

I hope that more of the "viewers" of this thread find this as worthwhile as we all did the Farmer's Knife.
I really do want to see at least one of these made, if only the one I have made for me.
The over all cost of this blade I would also hope to keep at least as low as a basic Tarwar or so.
This would allow me and most others to be able to afford it and make it a lot more popular IMO.
 
depending on the price I think I'd put money down on it too. As long as the blade isn't increduously thick. An embossed Jolly Rodger would be amazing. You've got a good brain on you, Warty, I like where this is going. Nickel Silver and horn or Brass and Satisal.... man I'm getting shivers.
 
put a fuller on the one mPsi posted and fix the guard and that is close, also need to loose that chunk of stuff at the base of the blade...

See, I was thinking maybe either to emboss the Jolly Roger on the guard or make one and solder it on it. You could have a brass guard and make the Skull & Crossbones out of Nickel and this would make it stand out better. I also think it would look better in horn, at least the prototype but a wood one in Saatisal later would also be fantastic. Either way though I was seeing the same guard on it, though now that you have mentioned it perhaps the horn version could have a Nickel Guard with a Brass Jolly Roger and the satisal would then have the reverse as you say. Just thinking out loud here... :rolleyes:

On either guard I can see some cross hatching that forms diamonds engraved all over it for a bit of style. I also see this one as a hidden tang which I know isn't going to be as popular. Which is getting hard for me to understand since it is clear that HI make a rugger blade either way. NO FINGER GROOVES PLEASE! These NEVER work out for me and I wish they would just stop doing them all together.

I also am hoping for something less than a big heavy blade here. Not too thick and hopefully with the fuller nice and light and balance like the Bale Blade. If you were to put something like that blade on this idea and straighten it out and make it a cutlass blade, meaning make it handle like the Bale, I would likely pee myself. :eek: OK, I wouldn't do that but I WOULD sure be excited to have one. :cool:
 
Agreed, I was thinking a thinner blade to myself... there's a couple ways to do the embossing, even on the blade... the kamis seem to be pretty exceptional at it, though this is a bit detailed I've seen hand engraved dragons and such..... I think black horn would look good both ways-nickel and brass. Man if I had to choose I'm not sure what I'd do. I'll think on it tonight when I should be doing Biology and Criminal Justice homework :D It's OK, a pot of coffee, a few vodka-ginger ale-sherbet floats and I'll get it all done... don't have class til 12 anyway :D I have to figure out how to incorporate the Hudson Bay Point Blanket design into my Hudson Bay Camp Knife sheath from Culbertson, too...
 
I would like to leave the blade plain myself, no engraving on it at all.
The guard is the part to be embellished and only the guard.
I can also see a satin finish on the blade rather than the black forge scale or a high polish look.
Mostly because this is what I wind up doing to 90% of my High Polish blades anyway, especially those I will be using somehow.

Two reasons, first is this keeps the cost a LOT lower. All the engraved blades I have seen to date are the ones that go for $250+.
Second is that it is more of the style I had in mind, meaning strictly for personal taste reasons. :D
 
I think there are shops better suited to things like that.

We do have the Hauswehr that DannyinJapan designed, which is similar to the cutlass concept.
 
I don't think other shops could pull off that hand hammered and hand ground look, not to mention the mirror finish on that 5160 and ornate brass/nickel silver handle elements... might as well be HI.
 
Thank you for your input Esav, it isn't something you personally have to endorse nor purchase. :)

I think HI is perfect for what I am proposing and I don't think the Hauswehr, which I also have Danny's personal version of, is anything like a Cutlass. The Hauswehr s a much broader and thicker blade than what I am proposing here, it is so broad two large fullers fit on the blade plus it is a very heavy and in my opinion unwieldy piece of hardware that I am sorry I ever bought. (though this is my own personal preference here and I know it too has followers and people who find it to be a great blade)

If HI can make a Parang or a Katana or any of the other nontraditional Nepali blade types, I can't see why they would be unsuited to make a Cutlass as well.
 
Really? 165 views and just the two of us, Payette and I, doing the bulk of they sussing on this one? I guess it wasn't as good of an idea as I had thought it was going to be. The Farm Knife was like wild fire in comparison to this bit of smoldering coals. Maybe things will pick up as we near the sharking hour... hope so as I would hate to see this one simply die a premature death just because Esav says it should. I really thought a Cutlass would be a lot more popular of an idea that it seems to be. All those people talking like Pirates and no one wants a Cutlass? Who'da thunk it? :rolleyes:
 
Well, I'm not really into pirate stuff (other than Vikings), so I don't have much to add.

Just wanted to say that for the Salty Sea Dog look, IMO the "true villager" blade with the forge scale left on, but fit and finish on the handle and guard as if it were a top-rung piece would look the best.
 
Well I'm sure they could pull it off and if you gave them a detailed enough drawing they would probably do a one off for you at least...My problem is I simply can not afford HI swords, they are great, they look great but they are just so far out of my price range that they aren't even a dream anymore. I own a 25 in Kobra I bought years ago from Uncle Bill, and a DOTD blem Short Tibetan I got for my girl and that's the extent of my sword buying from HI until I hit the lottery, and honestly as much as I love HI kurkri's I maybe can afford one a year and usually only if it's a blem and since I'm out of work not even that. I'm really happy for you folks that can indulge you HIV but it just ain't me.
 
That was me a month ago... things are much better now. I couldn't even forsee change this nice happening, but it did. You'll get there Harpersgrace.
 
well, this one is still born. :(

See, a one off winds up costing me a lot more so I suppose I will simply try something else.
I have a number of other ideas for blades, maybe one of them will click with folks better.
 
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