Slinging.org Forum - Picenian short sword I just finished.

curious_aardvark Slinging.org Administrator Offline Taller than the average Dwarf Posts: 9101 Midlands England Gender:	Re: Picenian short sword I just finished. Reply #30 - Jul 15^th, 2012 at 2:13pm looks a lot better with the handle attached. So are you going to round and smooth the handle down or just leave it 'raw' ? Here's the whole pic
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Dan Interfector Viris Spurii SlingingGuide Moderator Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 3434 Gender:	Re: Picenian short sword I just finished. Reply #31 - Jul 15^th, 2012 at 3:52pm That blade deserves a nice handle, you better get a really nice stain and finish for that handle. Good looking work. Are you going to make the point 'pointier' and work on the edge or is this a reinactment battle blade?
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Mauro Fiorentini

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Re: Picenian short sword I just finished.
Reply #32 - Jul 15^th, 2012 at 4:40pm

Nope, to tell the truth, I'm going to remove the sharpening soon Cry

Unfortunately the Italian law is really strict on this kind of weapons, and since I'm going to show this one a lot in the next events, I'd like to avoid any trouble... which is a pity because a good quarter of the blade got a very nice quench and became steel Angry

So let me do a couple of tests against a wooden target, and the sharpening is gone Cry

By the way: a preview for my friends here - the Picenian slinger!!

Now that my hypothetical reconstruction is done, I'm writing an abstract for an English magazine that showed some interest in it.
So I took these pics this morning for the article, and am currently writing about it - I'll need a helping hand to correct my English! Cheesy

And our forum will be mentioned in the article too Wink

I'm on an archaeological site in that picture - I found flint points and Roman stuff last time I was there. It's one of the most beautiful places around here; you can see Mount Conero in the background. It's really nice to sling there and there're tons of pheasants too, for when I'll improve my skills Grin

Greetings,
Mauro.

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Mauro Fiorentini Slinging.org Moderator Offline Forge your future with the hammer of your mind! Posts: 3076 Ancona, Italy. Gender:	Re: Picenian short sword I just finished. Reply #33 - Jul 15^th, 2012 at 4:44pm About the handle: I'll leave it as is, because I don't have any evidence of rounded handles right now. Picenians were really rough and naff regarding these things, you should see some ancient bone handles... huge, heavy and square Greetings, Mauro.
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Bill Skinner Slinging.org Moderator Forum Moderator Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 1417	Re: Picenian short sword I just finished. Reply #34 - Jul 15^th, 2012 at 10:48pm For a blade that is to be used in a fight, square or actually rectangular is good. If you get smacked in the head and are seeing double or if it is dark, a rectangular handle will let you orientate the edge of the blade by feel. A round handle will not.
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Re: Picenian short sword I just finished.
Reply #35 - Jul 16^th, 2012 at 12:55am

Mauro, before you go publishing articles internationally...put some pants on! Wink

Just kidding. The sword looks really cool. Is there any evidence that the sheathes were specifically hardened? Since it's doubling as protection and the technology was around, it sounds plausible that it would too. Or would this just make the sheath uncomfortable to carry?

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jlasud

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Re: Picenian short sword I just finished.
Reply #36 - Jul 16^th, 2012 at 4:13am

Very good Mauro!
The little statue shows a higher position of the sword,which to me,seems more practical than the one you showed on you Picenean Slinger picture.If you had to run with that setup it seems to me,that the sword in the scabbard would keep hitting you in the stomach\or in the nuts Cheesy

.If you put it higher,you could also use the small chest armor's(forgot it's name) leather straps to hold the scabbard unto you chest,without flip-flopping around.You put on the scabbard and then the armor ,so the straps hold it down.Similar how the romans put on the sword,then use the balteus ,the belt to hold the scabbard from flip-flopping around. Just a thought,i may not be right.You might have a better insight on this,as you have first hand experience.

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curious_aardvark

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Re: Picenian short sword I just finished.
Reply #37 - Jul 16^th, 2012 at 1:46pm

you sure that's an authentic picenian hat ?

Don't want to be rude, but it does make you look somewhat like a pixie Wink

Wasn't talking about making the handle round, bill. Just finishing it off. Sand off the hard edges, smooth it down so it's more comfortable to hold, and maybe walnut oil to soak in a bit and give it some weather proofing.

Wouldn't take long

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Dan

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Re: Picenian short sword I just finished.
Reply #38 - Jul 16^th, 2012 at 2:47pm

curious_aardvark wrote on Jul 16^th, 2012 at 1:46pm:

you sure that's an authentic picenian hat ?

Don't want to be rude, but it does make you look somewhat like a pixie Wink

Wasn't talking about making the handle round, bill. Just finishing it off. Sand off the hard edges, smooth it down so it's more comfortable to hold, and maybe walnut oil to soak in a bit and give it some weather proofing.

Wouldn't take long

I agree, both with the hat and the handle. I think a finish on the handle would really dress up the sword, and it's totatly legal!

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Mauro Fiorentini

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Re: Picenian short sword I just finished.
Reply #39 - Jul 16^th, 2012 at 3:11pm

Here I am guys, thanks for the replies!
It's inelegant, but I'm going to answer you individually (it's easier for me!).

Bill: I never thought about that, but I agree a square handle has this advantage. Actually, Picenians adopted cylindrical handles on a different kind of sword, a sort of long dagger made for stabbing. My one, and the later machaira (a kind of falx) were intended for slashing instead. I wonder if they could stab someone with the same effectiveness, no matter how they gripped the dagger?

Kid: no pants, what if I've got an urgency!? Cheesy

About the sheath, unfortunately we have no evidences that they hardened them, for what's left of that era's scabbards are their iron frames. I therefore tend to believe that their scabbards were rigid, but I haven't hardened mine so much: just a quick burn with boiling water to strengthen it a bit, and to prepare a better background for the decoration.

Jlasud: the statue is more than 2 meters tall Grin

But your objection is intelligent, and I still have to test my reconstruction while running. What I hope is that, since my sword lies horizontally and the statue's hangs vertically, it will not hit my precious jewelry Grin

C_A & Dan: absolutely sure that funny cone is a Picenian hat. More, it was used in all Central Italy and Southern Germany too - they also found an original one there, made of linen and dating to circa 760 b.C Cool

And here's a copper one found near Venice:
http://politicainrete.it/forum/religioni-filosofia-e-spiritualita/paganesimo-e-p...
But it IS funny. It seems that they had a knack for funny hats during the Iron Age: I can't show you the dozens of images I have on my books right now, but google "Aruspici Etruschi" and you'll see even funnier hats Cheesy

As for the handle, I actually smoothed it with sandstone, but I never thought about walnut oil! And I work at a shipyard!! Gotta steal some bottles tomorrow Cheesy

Greetings,
Mauro.

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LukeWebb Funditor Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 792 New Brunswick Canada Gender:	Re: Picenian short sword I just finished. Reply #40 - Jul 16^th, 2012 at 8:05pm Doesn't the sling ever hit your pointy hat? I have often found I can't sling with an overhead style in a hat like a cowboy hat because of the height and especially the brim. Nice sword by the way, a leather wrap on the handle would dress it up a lot!
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Mauro Fiorentini

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Re: Picenian short sword I just finished.
Reply #41 - Jul 19^th, 2012 at 6:11am

Hallo Luke, thanks for your reply, very appreciated!
You know what, I'm seeing how quickly these handles wear out, with powerful hits. Perhaps the next one will have that leather strapping, to strengthen it a bit.... Roll Eyes

As for the sling vs. hat, never thought about that (I do sidearm)! But will take it into account while writing the article!!!
Thanks for the idea!
Mauro.

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Lugh-Lamhfada Descens Offline A slinger is only as good as his last stone Posts: 230 An Mhi, Ireland Gender:	Re: Picenian short sword I just finished. Reply #42 - Jul 20^th, 2012 at 6:03pm Nice one! Pectoral disc armour, very Oscan right? Im currently trying to learn about this and slightly later periods in Italian history, the peoples who Rome came to dominate. Awesome to see what they looked like!
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Mauro Fiorentini

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Re: Picenian short sword I just finished.
Reply #43 - Jul 21^st, 2012 at 5:13am

Hallo Lugh!
It's nice to see another enthusiast of the Iron Age; and yes that kind of armor was originally Osco-Umbra, and later adopted by almost everyone in Central Italy.
This period was the subject of my thesis, which is the final work a student has to write before he graduates at the university.
I analyzed the anthropological and archaeological evidences of ironsmithing between the Bronze and Iron Age, and then I described my reconstructions of some plausible forges of that era. The whole project engaged me for 2 years and the thesis was 180+ pages long, when an usual one barely reaches 50 pages.
I'm willing to share my knowledge and I'm currently helping a French and an English historians, so PM or email me whenever you like to discuss about this matter

I don't know that much about Etruscans, Samnites or Sabines but I have access to the library at the Archaeological Superintendance and I specialized on the Picenians, people living on the East coast between actual Region Marche and Region Abruzzo.

EDIT:
you can find more about the forge here http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1304866605 if you have the patience to read 4 pages

and here we've been discussing about hardening leather, which comes in handy making armors: http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1320507527/0

Greetings!
Mauro.

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Lugh-Lamhfada Descens Offline A slinger is only as good as his last stone Posts: 230 An Mhi, Ireland Gender:	Re: Picenian short sword I just finished. Reply #44 - Jul 21^st, 2012 at 1:54pm Balkanic axe, wow never heard of it before. Awesome, nice research. So the Picenians eventually adopted the Machaira, interesting seeing as it is curved just like their native weapon. What is the Picenian sword called?
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