another sword for id

[fernando]

Originally Posted by machinist

...There are just so many neat, parallel lines and surfaces in its construction and the fullers especially look like they were done on a milling machine...

Agreed

[thinreadline]

Absolutely .... plus the inscription is very crude indeed with the markings looking almost Oriental or some strange otherwordly script .. Klingon or Elvish perhaps ? Perhaps made for a LARP enthusiast .

[kronckew]

it looks like an attempt to emulate a katzbalger type sword.

[A Senefelder]

I did a quick google search on HA KU BO and got several references to HAKUBO meaning something like " aunt " in I believe it was Japanese. This particlaur piece was made relatively recently. While the blade itself may have been forged ( hard to tell from the pics ) the " fullers " were definitely machined in, it appears by something like a metal router ( you can see the circular marks from the bit in the close up of the end of the fullers at the forte of the blade ). The decorative motif of the hilt is done entirely with files, not that files weren't used in period but the manner of execution is intended to creat the effect of more complex methods of construction ( ie. the progressively small round file work on the quillions is meant to make them look like the were twisted while hot, giving a " braided " appearence to the steel ). This is at least loosely inspired by a katzbalger as others have mentioned. Based purely on the proprotions of the photos this looks to be pretty heavy. My guess is its made in the last hundered years.

[thinreadline]

Originally Posted by A Senefelder

I did a quick google search on HA KU BO and got several references to HAKUBO meaning something like " aunt " in I believe it was Japanese. This particlaur piece was made relatively recently. While the blade itself may have been forged ( hard to tell from the pics ) the " fullers " were definitely machined in, it appears by something like a metal router ( you can see the circular marks from the bit in the close up of the end of the fullers at the forte of the blade ). The decorative motif of the hilt is done entirely with files, not that files weren't used in period but the manner of execution is intended to creat the effect of more complex methods of construction ( ie. the progressively small round file work on the quillions is meant to make them look like the were twisted while hot, giving a " braided " appearence to the steel ). This is at least loosely inspired by a katzbalger as others have mentioned. Based purely on the proprotions of the photos this looks to be pretty heavy. My guess is its made in the last hundered years.

Would agree .... I too thought HAKUBO was Japanese for aunt ... I would love to know if in fact the oriental style script on the blade is actually Japanese ... do we have any members who can look into that ? I strongly feel that this is a LARP piece of recent manufacture ... they often have mysterious ( usually meaningless ) inscriptions on the blade often in oriental, fantasy or ancient scripts , which bear little or no connection to the supposed period or ethnic origin of the weapon. .

[David R]

Chinese made perhaps!