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Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SW Arizona
Posts: 11
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As requested, here is the reproduction.
This was handforged from one piece of Spring Steel and the dimensions were based on an actual one shown in the other attachments. The blade tempered using traditional methods. The total length was 65 inches and weighed approximately 3 pounds (but not over). The shank is 20 inches and slightly rounded for better holding. The owner wrapped it with flat leather cord. The 4 inch, 2 piece bone "grip" is riveted like the original. Apparently some records say the grip material was wood, bone or horn. So it was decided bone would make a good contrast. The blade is slightly curved inward but not enough to prevent it from being used in a thrusting manner and the owner honed the inside edge quite sharp. Although some records say the Thracians carried this on or over their shoulders (a few finds show a hole near or on the "finger guard" for a carrying thong), the scabbard makes far more common sense for carrying purposes and storage.....especially knowing how sharp it is. Modern cars not withstanding. It is made so he can carry it across his back. The flat leather wrapping, it was felt would have gave the Rhomphaia better handling and less slippage from blood and/or water. Would protect your hand from being burned gripping it on a hot day or freezing to it during winter. Or anything else that would cause the hands not to have a good grip. Kirby and the customer talked about this at great length as to whether or not this would have been done. All the finds show nothing, but then any such material could have been destroyed during the ritual "killing" and burning as the original was (was just a twisted,tangled "ball" carefully straightened out) As I mentioned in the "Thracian Dagger" thread, the customer is a huge Macedonian/Thracian collector with a sizeable library and also makes some of his own gear for living history purposes. A friend of his is a Great Sword devotee and showed just how awesome this weapon would have been in a Thracian warrior's hands. Extremely quick and well balanced. I included an attachment showing the scabbarded Rhomphaia being held up by my husband in the shop. This to give you an idea of it's length next to a human. As the full length photo (against the tree) does not give you a comparison. He stands 5' 11" and some of the Thracians were rather tall to begin with. The others show the leather cording, engraved blade to match the one on the Macheria and the bone grip. You can read the discussion about this piece, and about Thrace/Rhomphaiae in general, in this "MyArmoury.com" thread |
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