Visit with Tom Kaczor

ariel · 3rd September 2018, 03:54 AM

Yesterday my son Jonathan, his dog Dante and me drove to London , Ontario to visit with Tom Kaczor, by far the best sword restorer I know.
Old timers among us know Tom and still remember his late wife Ursula (may she rest in peace!).

Tom re-creates old swords out of genuinely old blades (many of which are gorgeous wootz) and hand-made everything else. His forte is Polish and Cossack swords, but he does Turkish, Persian and Indian examples, too. He makes his own scabbards, leatherwork, crossguards, handles, decorations in exactly correct ethnic and era-wise style. The quality, authenticity, sophistication and the artistic levels of his creations is mind-boggling. Any 16-18th century magnate would be glad to get his sword in exchange for 3-5 villages.

He also does armour: one of the pic shows Jonathan fully dressed as a Polish hussar complete with hauberk and " bekhterets" and wielding a Polish Karabela. I was allowed to practice cutting Tom's hibiscus with a Turkish Kilij. I succeeded right away:-)

Both Jonathan ( who grew up surrounded by sword books and swords ) and myself were truly astonished by the quality of Tom's work. I have seen his creations on the web, but to see them " live" and to handle them was an unforgettable experience. The artistic level of his creation can be matched only by his personality and hospitality! He is one of the nicest people I have ever encountered.

Here are several pics from the trip.

Enjoy!

ariel · 3rd September 2018, 04:05 AM

Batch #2

Battara · 3rd September 2018, 04:33 PM

Nice and unique stuff! (and you look the same as you did years ago!)

fernando · 3rd September 2018, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

...(and you look the same as you did years ago!)...

You mean handsome ?

.

ariel · 3rd September 2018, 06:19 PM

Jose and Fernando,

You should see my portrait in the attic...

Nathaniel · 3rd September 2018, 09:52 PM

Thank you Ariel for sharing! Fantastic to see Tom and his amazing work! I still have a Burmese dha he made a replacement pommel for! Highly recommended! God bless Ursala, I remember she was the one who handled my order 🙏🏼

A. G. Maisey · 3rd September 2018, 11:45 PM

Superb skill.

mariusgmioc · 4th September 2018, 10:22 AM

Thamk you for sharing this!

ArmsAndAntiques · 6th September 2018, 04:35 AM

Tom is a wonderful guy, a gentleman, and truly an artist.

It's great to see that he's still going strong.

3rd September 2018, 03:54 AM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Visit with Tom Kaczor Yesterday my son Jonathan, his dog Dante and me drove to London , Ontario to visit with Tom Kaczor, by far the best sword restorer I know. Old timers among us know Tom and still remember his late wife Ursula (may she rest in peace!). Tom re-creates old swords out of genuinely old blades (many of which are gorgeous wootz) and hand-made everything else. His forte is Polish and Cossack swords, but he does Turkish, Persian and Indian examples, too. He makes his own scabbards, leatherwork, crossguards, handles, decorations in exactly correct ethnic and era-wise style. The quality, authenticity, sophistication and the artistic levels of his creations is mind-boggling. Any 16-18th century magnate would be glad to get his sword in exchange for 3-5 villages. He also does armour: one of the pic shows Jonathan fully dressed as a Polish hussar complete with hauberk and " bekhterets" and wielding a Polish Karabela. I was allowed to practice cutting Tom's hibiscus with a Turkish Kilij. I succeeded right away:-) Both Jonathan ( who grew up surrounded by sword books and swords ) and myself were truly astonished by the quality of Tom's work. I have seen his creations on the web, but to see them " live" and to handle them was an unforgettable experience. The artistic level of his creation can be matched only by his personality and hospitality! He is one of the nicest people I have ever encountered. Here are several pics from the trip. Enjoy! Attached Images

3rd September 2018, 06:19 PM	#5
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Jose and Fernando, You should see my portrait in the attic... Last edited by ariel; 3rd September 2018 at 11:52 PM.

3rd September 2018, 04:05 AM	#2
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	#2 Batch #2 Attached Images

3rd September 2018, 04:33 PM	#3
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	Nice and unique stuff! (and you look the same as you did years ago!)

3rd September 2018, 09:52 PM	#6
Nathaniel Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 865	Thank you Ariel for sharing! Fantastic to see Tom and his amazing work! I still have a Burmese dha he made a replacement pommel for! Highly recommended! God bless Ursala, I remember she was the one who handled my order 🙏🏼

3rd September 2018, 11:45 PM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,892	Superb skill.

4th September 2018, 10:22 AM	#8
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,903	Thamk you for sharing this!

6th September 2018, 04:35 AM	#9
ArmsAndAntiques Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 80	Tom is a wonderful guy, a gentleman, and truly an artist. It's great to see that he's still going strong.