This beautiful Tessack with its broad, curved blade and hand-carved Sinclair style hilt, is inspired by an extant early 16th-century tessack.
Chris spent a lot of time on the weight and balance, ensuring that it remained nimble despite its long, wide blade and full protective basket. He chose a hollow pommel to help maintain a central balance.
Its movement is between that of a cutlass and a talwar, rotating smoothly around the center. This makes it ideal for the close fight, allowing the wielder to close in fast with the blade as protection and gain the opposing blade.
The hilt features complex hand filed and chiselled details to the guard and pommel, resulting in a striking checkerboard pattern which reminded us of a harlequin's motley. Please see our pricing structure for an idea of what a similar sword would cost.
∴ Specs ∴
Total length: 94.5cm
Blade length: 75cm
Blade width at base: 4.5cm
Blade stock: 6mm
Grip length: 9.5cm
Grip and pommel: 14cm
Grip to guard space: 5.5cm
Quillon span: 26cm
Weight: 1400g
Point of Balance: 13cm
Right-handed
Blunt edges
Rounded tip
Fencing flex
∴ Notes ∴
The hand-forged and heat-treated guard and pommel are polished to a satin finish.
The guard features a full basket, with round sectioned barwork that swells decoratively to the centres and terminals. The front of the guard features a triangular plate with hand-filed and chiselled chequerboard detailing. This carving is repeated on the spherical pommel.
The oak grip is wrapped in strands of braided steel and brass wire, and finished to the top and bottom with Turk's head knots.
The curving single-edged blade features two fullers to the spine and a false edge to the tip.
∴ Gallery ∴
∴ A Fool's Errand ∴
A flock of pigeons takes to the air in front of you as you round the corner of a cobbled street into the market square. The evening sun lights their bellies as they glide upward in formation, making them look almost gilded, despite their disarray.
Beyond the avian display, you glimpse a slight figure atop a crate in a chequered coat of gold and grey. A slim mask in a matching motif covers her eyes, but a sharp smile shines out underneath it as she spins and capers, drawing a curious crowd.
You find yourself smiling as you brush through the fringe of the gawking gaggle. The fool has charisma, but you daren't be late for your studies by staying to watch.
Then you feel a tap on your shoulder, sharp and exaggerated.
Turning, you almost collide with the young harlequin, who takes a capering leap backwards to avoid you, her overplayed outrage drawing laughter from the crowd. Then she peels a grey kidskin glove from her delicate hand, and throws it to the cobbles between you.
You freeze in surprise as the laughter stops, the crowd uncertain as to how you will respond. You tilt your head to the fool and raise an eyebrow, questioning. Her eyes only glitter in response.
Then she throws back her chequered cape to reveal a long, curved blade, crowned by a chequer-carved guard that matches her garb. She draws it with a flourish and falls into guard, her movements catlike and sharp.
"Your move," her silent smile seems to say.