Windlass tetrarch spatha

[Franklin]

I haven't seen anyone mention this spatha before so I thought I'd post a pic. I think it looks like so much tripe, but I'm thrilled that somebody's at least taking a stab (pun intended) at recreating this weapon. Produced by Windlass Steelcrafts at windlass.com. Thoughts?

[AntonivsMarivsCongianocvs]

Salve

Okay, according to Windlass.com:

This sword is based on the eagle-hilted sidearms portrayed on the statues of the Tetearchs in Venice.

That 'sword' looks NOTHING like the swords in the statue below...



I spent less than $30.00 and picked up a hardwood eagle's head cane for my Deepeeka gladius... not to boast but, I really think mine totally blows away the Windlass 'sword' and looks more like original statues with eagle's head swords below. To match the original statue above, I would have had to cut the handle twice as long and change the plates on the scabbard but... seriously, you could make this too. Just buy a quality sword from Deepeeka and change the handle and you're half way there.

Topic: Inexpensive way to add an Eagle Head handle to a gladius
link from old RAT

[Chuck Russell]

ya windlass looks like the prima chicken of cors 4 or something hehehe

[Magnus]

Bahahahahahahah!

[Celer]

Kentucky-fried Spatha!

Urgh!

Celer.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

WOW, what an amazing piece of craft's manship! I am totaly blowen away!
Just awesome..
must have it....
how much is it...
when can I get one...
who sells it
...I'm realy good looking
I have a physique like adonis.....
girls beat a path to my door........
I am the richest man on earth............

[Robert Vermaat]

Thnaks Franklin, for posting that one. Like you said, it looks awful but it's apparently the first attempt to do a late spatha. Now if they would want to change it....

[brennivs - tony drake]

Sorry no good 4 TH AD in a 1st AD ?????? scabbard and I mean ??? on that . Blade no good as well
Regards Brennivs

[Franklin]

On a serious note, do we think this blade in period would have had a single edge, as Windlass has chosen to portray it? The tetrarch statue shows them in scabbards so that's not really much help.

[Robert Vermaat]

I hadn't noticed that. So it's even worse.. No, I would not expect a single edge on this blade.

[Et tu brute]

On another note, should the blade not have groove/grooves in it?

[Publius Aelius Lucius]

look at this 8) dated between 200-300 A.D.

www.ubi-erat-lupa.org/site/datenblatt/image.asp?nr=4004&pix=F4004%5FG1%2Ejpg%3B4004%2D2%2Ejpg%3B4004%2D3%2Ejpg&bildna=5%3B5%3B5&bildnadet=2000%3B2006%3B2006&bildnu=2

www.ubi-erat-lupa.org/site/datenblatt/image.asp?nr=4004&pix=F4004%5FG1%2Ejpg%3B4004%2D2%2Ejpg%3B4004%2D3%2Ejpg&bildna=5%3B5%3B5&bildnadet=2000%3B2006%3B2006&bildnu=1

www.ubi-erat-lupa.org/site/datenblatt/image.asp?nr=4004&pix=F4004%5FG1%2Ejpg%3B4004%2D2%2Ejpg%3B4004%2D3%2Ejpg&bildna=5%3B5%3B5&bildnadet=2000%3B2006%3B2006&bildnu=0

[Franklin]

I'm interested in more opinions on the real spatha's construction. What about the hilt? Do we think it might have been carved wood? Ivory? Copper alloy? A combination? Would the grip and pommel have been carved (or cast) together or separately? And what about the scabbard? Do we think the pattern on the scabbard is just embossed leather? Or appliqued decoration? Jewels even, perhaps?

I guess it's all conjecture here since we have only sculptural evidence. I'm interested to know people's thoughts, though.

[AntonivsMarivsCongianocvs]

I'm interested in more opinions on the real spatha's construction. What about the hilt? Do we think it might have…

Salve,

As for real construction, and I can only speculate but, I would presume the following:

The scabbard would be based in wood, wrapped in leather, and there would be brass plates added over the top. The brass plates could be either solid and embossed, as most older Gladius’ were, or they could be plates with carved out relief that would show the leather through, as sparthas.

The handle strikes me as unique, in that it’s extra long, and it appears to have been designed to be swung with two hands. (presuming that it truly existed, it could be a creation of the artist).
The eagle handles I would presume would either be of hardwood or bone but since this is a higher end sword, possessed by a very wealthy Roman/officer/Emperor… I’d lean toward ivory.

As for the blade, most likely it would have dual edge, like most Roman Swords were. I would presume it would be rather straight and spartha like but… if this was a natural progression of the much shorter Parazonium from a few hundred years earlier, the blade ‘could’ be more leaf shaped.

I would not presume "Jewels" were added, only becuase I haven't seen examples of that in Museums on original swords. (that doesn’t mean there aren’t jeweled sword scabbards, it just means I have not seen them)

****************************

As for speculation, I’m working on a Parazonium of Germanicus Caesar now, the one he’s holding in his statue that was found in 1963, I am copying it as closely as possible but, there is still some speculation as to it’s construction, the routing of the scabbared and disk, how the brass work would be added, etc.

The scabbard might have been routed out, just like the hilt and disk at the bottom, or it could be just folded over brass trim.... I'm not sure which way I'll do it yet.

Heck, Parazoniums never have baldric/belt rings or attachments, they were either held or you’d have to tie a strip of leather or linen around it and slip the baldric thru, like Germanicus apparently did.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Well, to be honest, it looks a lot like a greek sword to me in those pics, Anthony! :?