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A faithful recreation of an historical sword named after the city
where it now resides, in the Museo Civico L. Mazzoli in Brescia,
Italy.
This
long sword is referred to as "spadona da una mano e mezza" or
longsword of one hand and a half and dates from the mid 1400's.
It is born from a meeting between great sword manufacturing areas.
The blade was forged by one of the masterful swordsmiths in the
renowned workshops of Passau, in southern Germany. From here it
was exported to a north Italian sword cutler who mounted the blade
according to his and his customers ideals. The beautifully proportioned
hilt is of Italian manufacture in a style that was popular during
the first half of the15th century. The well-forged cross combines
graceful shape with sturdy construction, and the pommel is octagonal
with its upper faces hollowground for an elegant appearance and
deadly effect in close quarter combat. The sword could be described
as an Oakeshott type XVIIIa or possibly a XVIa as described in
"The Sword in the Age of Chivalry".
During
a visit to the museum, swordsmith Peter Johnsson had the opportunity
to handle and carefully document this splendid weapon. It is very
well preserved showing interesting signs of wear. The edges have
been resharpened during its period of use and still retain most
of their original sharpness. The original has obviously seen some
use but has also been well cared for. Balance and heft is such
that the handling character belies its actual weight. The sword
is perfectly adapted for the advanced fencing techniques of the
master Fiore deŽLiberi. The slim but very stiff point responds
effortlessly to every move and feint while the mass of the sword
and its well formed edges allows for very decisive cutting.
The
sword as recreated in the workshops of Albion is very close to
the original, not only in dimensions and details, but also demonstrates
the same exquisite handling characteristics. The aim of this reconstruction
is to present the sword as it was when delivered from the Italian
cutler's shop some 550 years ago. The slight unevenesses of the
edges are filled out and the point reestablished. A careful recreation
such as this will present sword enthusiasts and students of historical
swordsmanship with unique insights and hands on experience of
an outstanding late medieval longsword.
The
blades are hand-ground and finished to a high satin finish and
sharpened like the original sword: the edge bevels run gradually
to the keen cutting sharpness. Each blade is individually heat
treated in Albion's Forge Shop for maximum flexibility and cutting
performance. The wooden core of the grip is bound with cord for
extra strength and covered with leather. The cross with its down-turned
ends and its faceted pommel are all hand finished and mounted
to fit individual blades.
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