Years ago I had had the pleasure of handing a very fine blade while at the Park Lane Arms Faire in London. One of the dealers, Ralph Parr, had acquired a blade that has been at times attributed to Edward III (most recently and thoroughly by Ewart Oakshott, Records of the Medieval Sword, 1990). Having actually held the blade in the late 80s, marvelling at its outstanding quality and surgical precision, I did some research and found it mentioned in Sir Guy Laking's cornerstone treatise, European Arms and Armour Through Seven Centuries. Finding the blade in a Paris antique dealer's shop (the same one who sold the fine Gothic harness for horse and man currently the centerpiece of the Wallace Collection), Sir Guy came to the conclusion that the blade may have been authentic, but the hilt was a reproduction. Mr. Oakshott puts forward a strong case for its legitimacy in his book, spending some pages in deep analysis. I suspect Sir Guy of being right in the matter, if only because the hilt is in such fine condition; though I must admit insufficient data to make a real conclusion, and will continue to watch the debate as it grows over the years.

The massive research provided by Mr. Oakshott documented this project nicely. I forwarded a copy of the work to Tom, who went through painstaking effort to forge the blade from spring steel, turn the pommel and grind the hilt from bronze. The small rosettes were then cut from brass and soldered into place. The hilt and pommel pieces were then sent out for gold plating (satin), though I would've preferred to find someone who used the gold wash technique detailed by Cellini (this is hardly done in modern times, since it involves making a mercury-gold amalgum and then burning off the mercury, leaving behind the gold).

The blade was then passed to an engraver. Mr. Terry Wallace of Vallejo, California reproduced the artwork beautifully. When complete, the plated parts and blade were returned to Tom, who carefully heat-treated the blade and assembled it for the final time.

One interesting point is the thickness of the pommel. Most swords pictured in books offer only one view, so it is very easy to believe that the pommel is only 3/4" or so in thickness. This one is nearly 2" thick, but together with the cross balances the blade to perfection. Many people have commented on the magical spirit that seems to move the blade without hinderance when put through all the standard combat maneuvers as practiced both from SCA experience and in looking at Fechtbuchs or manuscripts. This blade moves like a skater on ice. It weighs less than three pounds, the perfect balance between maneuverability and weighty effectiveness. A classical blade of the mid-14th century.

Mr. Griffen has been in the business of making quality swords and knives for more than eight years, and he is an accomplished glassblower as well. His backlog tends to be in the ~1 year range, but the wait is worth it--I would eagerly commission more work from him.