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G. Scott H.




Location: Arizona, USA
Joined: 22 Feb 2005

Posts: 410

PostPosted: Tue 01 Mar, 2005 2:36 pm    Post subject: Opinions on MRL's Towton?         Reply with quote

This was split from This Post and moved here to better help the question get answered.

Chad Arnow wrote:
From one Towton owner to another, welcome!

Enjoy your time here. There are lots of cool pics in the albums, good reviews and articles to check out, too.

Again, welcome!



Soon-to-be Towton owner. Laughing Out Loud Now that I look at it, I could have phrased that better. I should have written: I currently have a Windlass Drac. I have also just ordered a Towton and a dagger from MRL. Laughing Out Loud

I'm really looking forward to their arrival.

How do you (or any other Towton owners) like the sword? Happy
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Chad Arnow
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PostPosted: Wed 02 Mar, 2005 8:46 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

G. Scott H. wrote:
How do you (or any other Towton owners) like the sword? Happy


It's a good buy, especially for under $200 from 888knivesrus.com. Worth every penny and then some.

Happy

ChadA

http://chadarnow.com/
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Bruce Wilson




Location: London
Joined: 28 Feb 2005

Posts: 102

PostPosted: Wed 02 Mar, 2005 9:35 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hi - apologies if I seem to be hijacking your thread but I haven't really intrduced myself since I registered and this looked to be a great opportunity. I'm in London and I've been a bit of a geek about all things arms and armour since I was a kid - Greek, Roman, migration Saxon/Viking, early-high-late mediaeval - I find the cultural significance, the technical development and the aesthetics of weapons and armour during all of these periods fascinating!

I love the look of the Towton and have seriously considered getting one as a starting point (importing into the UK could be a pain though). 15thC cut and thrust hand and a half swords definitely appear towards the centre of my interest in mediaeval swords but I'm in two minds about where to begin. If I had the finances to hand at the moment, I'd love to get my hands on Albion's Ringeck but I'll have to see how things are when they are released.

For those of you who are Towton owners, are they worth getting? It seems like a reasonable deal at that price (especially those that can be found for under $200 - but what is the build quality like and how do they handle?

Thanks!
B
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Andrew Fox




Location: S.F. Bay Area
Joined: 25 Jan 2004

Posts: 50

PostPosted: Wed 02 Mar, 2005 1:30 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

There have been a few discussions about this sword here. I recently acquired one and for the money it's a very nice sword. A great starter sword, and really one of the better Windlass pieces that I've handled. Apparently Windlass's quality control can vary, but mine is very nicely put together. IMO It has a nice "historical" look to it that many of the other Windlass swords lack--they tend to look rather machine-made and a bit too "clean" in their design. I still have yet to strip all the protective lacquer off my blade, but what's underneath appears to be a typical high-polish Windlass blade. It has a little waviness on its surface, but nothing too bad.

On the down side, the grip on my sword seems to be a little off-center, and the otherwise nicely-done leather grip wrap is spoiled by a row of big, ugly stitching up the side, which is also a little uncomfortable. Again, considering the price these problems can be overlooked.

I've only really dry handled the thing, but it seems reasonably quick, though a bit blade-heavy. It responds very nicely to a two-handed grip.

Hope this helps. Happy
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G. Scott H.




Location: Arizona, USA
Joined: 22 Feb 2005

Posts: 410

PostPosted: Wed 02 Mar, 2005 4:47 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Is it just the grip itself or the whole tang that appears to be off center? I hope it's just the grip. Eek! Happy
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Andrew Fox




Location: S.F. Bay Area
Joined: 25 Jan 2004

Posts: 50

PostPosted: Wed 02 Mar, 2005 9:00 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

G. Scott H. wrote:
Is it just the grip itself or the whole tang that appears to be off center? I hope it's just the grip. Eek! Happy


I think it's just the grip. I can't imagine the tang being off center, and since the pommel appears to be peined on I'm not too inclined to dismantle it and find out. It's one of those annoying things that's just *barely* noticeable, so much so that I began to wonder if it was just a figment of my imagination. A ruler confirms that it's off-center by only about a millimeter, so. I'm probably just nitpicking it too much.

I'm thinking this sword might be a good candidate for a "home improvement" project to replace the clunky stitched grip with a nice cord-under-leather setup. Happy
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Bruce Wilson




Location: London
Joined: 28 Feb 2005

Posts: 102

PostPosted: Thu 03 Mar, 2005 7:11 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thanks for the feedback, guys - keep it coming though!! Wink

I think you may have sold me on this sword as a starting point; now I just need to suss out the import issues

Thanks,
B.
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G. Scott H.




Location: Arizona, USA
Joined: 22 Feb 2005

Posts: 410

PostPosted: Thu 03 Mar, 2005 10:53 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Andrew, I was under the impression that the Towton's tang was threaded, rather than peened. That sure looks like a nut at the end of the pommel. Question I guess they could have threaded the tang through the nut and then peened the end, but that seems kinda strange.... Question Question Question I guess I'll find out when it gets here. In any case, I know a lot of people redo the grips on their Windlass swords, so there's plenty of info out there on how to do it. I'm starting to feel the urge to do some grip work on my "Drac". Laughing Out Loud Hey! that could be a new marketing term! Forget "Battle Ready". Windlass should start calling their swords "Project Ready"! Laughing Out Loud
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Chad Arnow
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PostPosted: Thu 03 Mar, 2005 11:00 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

G. Scott H. wrote:
Andrew, I was under the impression that the Towton's tang was threaded, rather than peened. That sure looks like a nut at the end of the pommel. Question I guess they could have threaded the tang through the nut and then peened the end, but that seems kinda strange.... Question Question Question


That's how mine is done: threaded and peened. Manufacturers have been known to do this from time to time.

Happy

ChadA

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G. Scott H.




Location: Arizona, USA
Joined: 22 Feb 2005

Posts: 410

PostPosted: Thu 03 Mar, 2005 11:07 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Quote:
That's how mine is done: threaded and peened. Manufacturers have been known to do this from time to time.


So, is it possible to grind or file off the peened section without taking too much off the nut? Question
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Andrew Fox




Location: S.F. Bay Area
Joined: 25 Jan 2004

Posts: 50

PostPosted: Thu 03 Mar, 2005 11:16 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Many Windlass swords have threaded tangs and the Towton probably does, too, but it is definitely peened in place, as evidenced by the rather prominent cylindrical pommel nut in which you can see the peened part of the tang complete with hammer marks. I actually like the look of the pommel nut on the Towton, even though it's a bit crude. A few swords in the MRL catalogue seem to have a similar setup, and I think the pommel nut looks a little awkward on a lot of them.
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Sean Flynt




Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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PostPosted: Thu 03 Mar, 2005 12:18 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

You might be able to remove the nut with a pair of locking pliers. They'd bite deep into the nut, but might provide enough leverage to unscrew the nut over the peening, pushing the metal up as it goes. Even if that destroys the nut, it's a standard thread size, and would cost you only pennies to replace. I had to replace the pommel nut of an MRL rapier, and that project worked out just fine. details of the new nut are here:

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=34845#34845

You could also use a wing nut as I did, but right-side up to form a conical nut profile that might be more attractive than the original cylindrical nut.



 Attachment: 66.12 KB
download.jpg


-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
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G. Scott H.




Location: Arizona, USA
Joined: 22 Feb 2005

Posts: 410

PostPosted: Thu 03 Mar, 2005 12:53 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Sean! You da man! Laughing Out Loud Thank you for your fantastic response. You even answered a question I hadn't thought to ask, regarding Windlass tang threads being a standard size. That's good to know. The ground and polished wing nut is a great idea. Great suggestion too about getting the factory nut off. I think I'll give that a try.

Thanks,

Scott Happy
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Sean Flynt




Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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PostPosted: Thu 03 Mar, 2005 1:02 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

By the way, save the final polishing of the new nut for AFTER you re-assemble the piece as you're likely to gouge it during tightening. You can use a piece of thin cardboard to shield the top of the pommel as you file/sand/polish away flaws in the nut.
-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
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Bruce Wilson




Location: London
Joined: 28 Feb 2005

Posts: 102

PostPosted: Mon 07 Mar, 2005 8:08 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Well, I finally gave in and, on something of a whim, I've ordered this sword from 888KnivesRUs. Even including the shipping to the UK it comes in at less than the RRP/competitors prices so I guess that's not too bad. I have no doubt that HM Customs & Excise will command a hefty duty when it arrives Eek! but I don't suppose that can be avoided. If I suddenly find a UK dealer, however, I'll be pretty upset though!! Worried

Do any of the regular posters from the UK have any experience of importing swords? Any problems you've come across...?

Oh well, at least I won't feel like a complete fraud for joining this forum anymore! Wink

B.
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G. Scott H.




Location: Arizona, USA
Joined: 22 Feb 2005

Posts: 410

PostPosted: Thu 17 Mar, 2005 7:14 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Well, I ended up cancelling the Towton. Eek! I still like it, but I've seen a couple of other swords that are more in line with my taste. I did still get the Scottish Dagger from MRL. It's typical Windlass: pretty darn nice blade, and the cross and pommel are actually very well done, but the grip (wood covered with leather) is way oversized (internally, that is. The channel cut through the wood is much bigger than the tang.). Nothing a little PC-7 or JB Weld can't fix, though. This is going to be a perfect "project" blade. Laughing Out Loud I've got the metal parts coated with Strypeeze as we speak, to remove the infamous Windlass clear laquer. Wink
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Bruce Wilson




Location: London
Joined: 28 Feb 2005

Posts: 102

PostPosted: Fri 18 Mar, 2005 2:00 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hi! Could you let me know how you get on with the laquer stripping? Thanks!
- I'm in two minds as to whether I should simply use a chemical stripper or just elbow grease and steel wool.

My Towton is likely sitting with HM Customs as I write (or at least I hope it is!). It's likely to become a bit of a project too, beginning with the removal of the laquer and scrubbing the gloss off the leather of the grip and the scabbard. A full re-grip with some work on the core and then cord and chamois, in line with Sean's techniques, is likely to follow - when I have the time.

I was toying with the idea of taking a whetstone to the blade too but I think I'll be better off keeping it dull for now. Overall, I'm hoping I can turn it into something pretty interesting - which I guess I'll be pleased with, given that I realise I'm starting with a what is essentially a budget weapon.
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G. Scott H.




Location: Arizona, USA
Joined: 22 Feb 2005

Posts: 410

PostPosted: Fri 18 Mar, 2005 3:04 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Quote:
Hi! Could you let me know how you get on with the laquer stripping? Thanks!


Bruce,

The first thing you want to get is a good varnish and laquer remover. I use Strypeeze by a company here in the U.S. called Savogran. I used the same product on my Windlass Medieval Short Sword. Lay a thick coating of the stuff on the blade and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. After this amount of time, the laquer will simply bubble up and can be wiped away with a damp coarse rag or sponge. There's usually a few bits left here and there that need to be recoated. After completing the process, wipe down the blade with a coarse rag soaked in hot, soapy water to make sure all of the stripper is neutralized and wiped away, and then with a dry rag. Finally, wipe the whole thing down with the oil of your choice. Both the sword and the dagger came out beautifully. I bought some 0000 steel wool, but I didn't even need it. You'll also want a pair of chemical resistant gloves and a cheap paintbrush.

I guess you could steel wool the laquer off, as it is an extremely thin coating, if you don't want to go the chemical route, but I don't think the stripper will hurt the steel, if that's your concern. It is largely absorbed by the peeling laquer and is only on for a short time anyway. Happy
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Bruce Wilson




Location: London
Joined: 28 Feb 2005

Posts: 102

PostPosted: Fri 18 Mar, 2005 3:53 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thanks - when the darn thing finally arrives ( WTF?! !) I'll give it a go! Big Grin

By the way, what the heck time is it in Arizona right now??!! Eek!
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G. Scott H.




Location: Arizona, USA
Joined: 22 Feb 2005

Posts: 410

PostPosted: Fri 18 Mar, 2005 4:42 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Bruce Wilson wrote:
Thanks - when the darn thing finally arrives ( WTF?! !) I'll give it a go! Big Grin

By the way, what the heck time is it in Arizona right now??!! Eek!


Laughing Out Loud Laughing Out Loud Laughing Out Loud It was about 4AM when I wrote that! Eek! I am so skilled in the art of insomnia that I have often thought of doing it professionally! Laughing Out Loud Laughing Out Loud Laughing Out Loud
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