Byzantine Heavy Infantry Spathion

[Bill Blake]

Hi All,

I just finished this bad boy and thought I'd share, it's also available for sale in the classifieds if you're interested.

Stats:

5.4mm 1075AISI 50RWC Hardened and tempered by an Industrial Guillotine Maker
31 inches approximately overall
A beautifully balanced 1.5kg/3.14lb
8cm at widest
Brass hilt furniture
Vegetable tanned kangaroo leather grip wrap - hand dyed with alcohol dye
Under wrap of vegetable tanned goat leather
Tasman Oak Grip
Balanced Cold Peened Counter Sunk Type R Pommel
Non linear distal taper
Matte Satin (Gray Scotch Brite) Finish
Extremely sharp parabolic cutting edge

I've put together the largest collection of images of Byzantine Swords available in one place online at: http://sword-site.com/thread/2/byzantine-swords for interested parties.

All the best,

Bill

 

[David Stifle]

Very very nice! You did an excellent job. Bet it cuts like a laser.

 

[Bill Blake]

Thanks David!

I haven't used it to cut because it's for sale, but I've tested the blade shape / edge geometry with the same steel on a different sword and it cut like a dream.

 

[Triton]

Hello Bill,

Can I say that I am finding your site extremely interesting? I agree with your initial post that suggest that the weaponry of Byzantium has been largely ignored by the modern sword enthusiast, and I am going to spend a bit of time perusing your site to learn more. I have read a reasonable amount about Byzantine history, which is truly remarkable. I am familiar with Peterson's, Geibig's and Oakeshott's typologies but I had no idea that anyone had put one together for Byzantium. I'm going to go see if there are any books by Hoffmeyer available.

I'm also going to have to dig through and see what sort of other swords you have done, I have to admit that the one above isn't really my cup of tea (not a big fan of spatulate tips) although it appears to be well done. That doesn't mean that something else might not catch my attention though.

Either way, I'm excited that you posted this, it's the first truly historically informative thing (with some small exceptions) that I have seen posted here in some time.

Thanks!

 

[Bill Blake]

Thanks Triton! Please do sign up to SwordSite if you haven't already we'd love to have you on board!

Yes, the above sword was a creative risk for me. The market isn't screaming out for lenticular, unfullered swords, but I wanted to do it all the same, because there are so few out there. Over time as people see more and more Byzantine Swords coming onto the market (especially out of my workshop) there will develop a taste for them I think.

I'm going to keep producing Byzantine designs, there's alot of source material, and so few have been attempted. Some of them are a bit jarring to the modern eye because nothing much like them has been made since the 15th century, while others are very familiar looking.

I really love history, and going to the originals for inspiration, but I have to say one of the things I find so liberating about Blade Forums is that the knives and swords on show here often aren't all hung up on being 'historically accurate', and it's really nice because it allows people to design organically without restriction.

Byzantine History is fascinating, and ultimately ended because of the Fourth Crusade (it was an event Byzantium never could recover from), and then what was left was systematically erased by the Turks. It is a shame. On the other hand letting history stir too much emotion is usually not a good thing as it takes one's mind away from the present, and unfairly places upon our shoulders the problems of the past. Nonetheless what Byzantium has left us, what still survives, is a source of constant amazement to me!