The Armour Archive

Two more.............

You da Man !

Thanks for the pics, definitely going to save them.

I wish I had noticed that you (or other archive members) were in Tucson. I just got back from a week long conference at the Westin La Paloma, the week before Super Bowl Weekend. I've been coming out there for several years, to the same conference. Unfortunately, next year its being moved to Phoenix. Beautiful country.

One project I've been contemplating is a short varient Katzbalger with the sharp point, the complex three bar basket (as in the pics we've posted), and around a 24-26" blade length.

If I only had the skills to produce what my mind designs.

To everyone,
I am back from Estralia war and had a great time! It was good meeting a few folks from the AA. Those that got hilts from me please post feed back here (good, bad, Ugly) so all can see and I can address any problems that may come up.
I also look for any ideas you folks out here have. I might not use them all but it helps me to refine the product for you out there.
So some points brought up to me at the war:
Use spell check…….LOL will do!
Two sizes for center sockets ……..I will offer them in 1 ¼ and 1 ½ inner diameter for you that like larger sticks.
A slight oval on the center socket to help prevent spinning of the hilt on the stick……I will address this on the larger cross hilts with 3 ways to help with this, a slight oval, small tab to tape over, room on top of socket to press with a vice……This last has worked for the last 8 years or so but I like the other ideas as well.
The Katz hilt is Ok with the Atenvedlt Kingdom Marshal as a one handed weapon hilt as the gantlet is a main factor to prevent entry in to a legal helm grill.
I Will have pay pal set up by next week and I hope to start getting hilts and baskets out to you that contacted me at hesseniron@gmail.com in about two weeks.
Order soon if you want these as with the volume of orders I have received I need to crunch the numbers for pricing on production of these items. I will not change any price on these until Gulf Wars….and I might not if the numbers work out for me. Just a heads up for you all. The simple items should not change much but the baskets and more complex hilts are the ones that really eat my time.
Thanks every one!
Stefhan

Stefhan wrote:Two more.............

Personaly I want the current Katzbalgers on offer for my backup weapon when great weapon fighting and one for my War Sword.

That and you see them in almost every wood cut.

For tournament fighting I use shield and a sword with a basket. Yes its not screamingly Landskenct I know.

Okay I am not an armour so I have a question.
Can you mix stainless steel and mild steel when welding?

Can you blacken the mild and keep the stainless at a high polish?

If you can blend metals. You could build Katz-baskets! Copy the style of the semi-basketed Katzbalger style and add in black the rest of the needed cage.

My wife made me a prototype basket that covered my finger side well and was very open on the side that my demi-gauntlet covered. It was a very right handed basket but it is great.

You could do something like that with a katz-basket setup.

What do people think?
-Dietrich

Dietrich,
As far as I know you can weld mild to stainless. The only thing I would worry about in a basket hilt is the metal at the weld might have funky things going on with it and be brittle due to alloys in the stainless. I cannot say for sure that would be a problem. The only other thing is rusting due to the mild at that spot but who cares at that point as you are going to have that problem on the mild any way.
On another note there are full basket hilts with a katz style in them. They are late….if I remember say 1560’s or later. Check out the photos, again from the Royal Army Museum, Brussels. My photos so sorry for the crappy shots…..not all came out that well. Hint hint……let me know if you might want one styled after these……
Stefhan

Stefhan,
Get with me after your Gulf War crunch. I have someone here that wants a Katz.
Domingo

Domingo,
No problem.....if you could e mail me at my gmail to remind me and get on the tracking list.....
Thanks!
Stefhan

Stefhan the basketkatzs are ubercool.

Did you set a price for stainless or twisted stock here?

Karl,
Not yet. I am going to get the orders filled that are there right now and work on a katz pommel first. The twisted bar will come quick and mabey as an option in the next run. But need to do a few to crunch the numbers for a price. Stainless is not there yet. Give me a bit to work on that and I will post here with what I come up with. I wont make the mistake of getting ahead of my self trying to get too much done to soon.
On the other hand keep the ideas comming as I am taking notes of what you all would like..........
Thanks!
Stefhan

For those that were not at Estrella to see these hilts they are great. I bought three and my knight bought one as well. I have to also say that Stefan was very understanding and lugged these hilts all the way across camp several times for me to be able to see them even though we kept missing each other. I will post reviews and info as soon as I get them mounted and start to play. For those who were wondering they are that good.

Daithi'

Bump!

Stefhan,

Where did you find the balls? I've searched high and low and can't find any.

Vermillion,
I find them here. Look on pp 198....online in the forged & cast steel collars......
Drop me a line if you have problems......
Stefhan
http://www.kingmetals.com/Default.aspx?Page=Home

Much appreciated !

Did you see this one? It would look great with the twisted rod.

Just a note to say that I got the first of the hilts I bought on the rattan last night and started the shaping so I should have pics and a full review up later. I will state that it is a TIGHT fit to get them on and I do not see them going anywhere. This one had an oval shape to the socket and was a 1 1/4" socket being placed on a nearly 1 1/2" stick for a long sword. It came out great but took a lot of effort and a hand held sledge to make it work but I don't see it coming off and if the sledge couldn kill it I don't think anything will. It will get a fresh coat of paint tonight before I finish shaving the handle and add the leather wraping. Now to find some true silver tape (not duct tape) at a decent price.

Daithi'

Vermillion,
Those look good but i do not use them for weight. What I use is hollow to start with. I have to cut the item to get the size pice I want but it saves on the finished weight. That plays more factor with the full cross hilts but theses are going to add up when I get the pommel done.
I will have proto type pommels sunday and I will post them here. I will start a new thread for them.

Daithi',
Please check the welds really good for me. Just in case...........Thanks!
I need to get the online directions for mounting done and posted. As there are a few tricks that might have helped. A block of waste wood on the hilt to hammer on to keep the stress of hammering directly on the hilt low.
Another is to use a weight lifting plate 25 lbs or more, put the handle side in the center hole with the tip end on the ground. then lift and slam down driving the hilt into position. These tips are for the other hilts you bought when you go to mount them.
I do have 1 ½â€

Well I am still getting them all together nice and pretty before I can really tell how the balance is.

I will speak a word of warning to those thinking about ordering from kings metal as I put in an order for 6 pieces from them totalling about $16. Well the website doesn't allow you to chose shipping options and says they will chose the best method. Well that method brought my order up to 46.95 and they had already shipped it and charged my card before they let me know this and even with a note on my order requesting the use of an $8 flat rate box. All in all I am not happy with them and am waiting on thier response to my e-mail.

Daithi'

Daithi',
Thats sucks about Kingmetals. I have had great service for years here,but I think that has more to do with being in the lower 48. Mabey it would be cheeper to have me order it and ship it flat rate.......lol
I hope they make it good for you....
Looking forward to seeing the Greatswords done.
Take care!
Stefhan

For those of you who have e mailed me for the katz hilts I will be contacting you soon with compleated hilts. For those of you who wanted pommels and/or greatsword hilts as well I will let you know when all items are done to ship at one time.
Thanks
Stefhan

so - anybody want to build a basket hilt that looks like the katz with a knuckle duster? I'd love to see it!

Hans

Graf Hans wrote:so - anybody want to build a basket hilt that looks like the katz with a knuckle duster? I'd love to see it!

Hans

I've always like that style, looks neat. Here is another one.

In the works......just a few weeks tell I can get to it.....lol