STORTA! Italian falchion 

Lots of fun doing this Tod, as always!

It always makes my day when Tod shows off another sword he made and chats it up with Matt I just love these two gents!

The customer who commissioned these swords is one lucky person with excellent taste in weapons

A simply magnificent sword. You really did it justice with this collaboration. And a warm greeting from the homeland of that beauty 🇮🇹😁

I think Matt had it on the nose, comparing it to the cinquedea. Nobody NEEDED a sword like this in the 15-16th centuries, but that wide blade gives plenty space for fancy decoration. I can picture a group of florentine merchants, comparing executive swords, like the business card scene in 'American Psycho'. "Oh my god, he has gold filigree lions, and an inlayed Latin prayer, and a hunting season calander!"

Beautiful sword Tod. The reason they wanted big pommels is because they had to rest their hand and hold it all day when they walked. Simple really. I like everyone hate a sharp small pommel digging into my palm when I run or walk. It’s the difference between painful and comfortable. 👍

I would be interested in a film about those cartridge covering swords you mentioned Tod, even if it’s just in front of a chalkboard.

I’ve always loved Falchions, mostly because they seem quite brutal. But that one is gorgeous!

storte (italian plural for storta) were OMNIPRESENT in Italian reinassance art, from late 15th to 17th century. You can find them in every biblical representation, on the side of roman soldiers. No historical research in those times, it seems. Great video, cheers from the northwestern border of the duchy of Milan!

I love that Tod admits that he messed up doing one thing and did another and then had to replicate it, only to have it turn out wonderful

Fancy falchions remind me of those people who have insane murals and bling and intricate bodywork on something like a Transit Van; a workhorse that someone has gone to a hell of a lot of effort to make look dazzling, almost to the point of absurdity. imo a falchion is a brutally efficient, no nonsense, "I'm going to cut various parts on and off you until you're long dead" type of weapon, and yet you see examples of them so exquisitely furnished! Xzibit truly is a modern day reincarnation of 16th century Pimp My Blade smiths

Thank you, Tod and Matt - singly but especially together like in this video - for giving me so muh pleasure while also reaching me about swords , bows, spears, maces: all things I didn't have a clue about unless Lockdown started. And now I've become an aficionado of your videos ...

I would love to ad that this looks really similar to my uncles traditional hunting sword. The tradition od using those to finish deer is still alive here in Czechia. I do strongly believe it is connected to those, since the tradition of giving one of those to the huntmaster as a gift can be tracked to 17th century,as far as I know

Sword looks beautiful. The size made it very wearing friendly. Short, but not too short, easy to wear, easier to use in small space.

Love the pair of you two, you guys are a great duo!

That's a sharp looking blade! Pun mostly not intended.

You are both clearly experts, yet also are exemplars of humility. It is so refreshing to see people freely admit, celebrate even, the limits of their knowledge. Well done.

Was just watching a scholagladiatora vid. Found this here. Matt AND Todd, what a treat.

Please Tod during the next or couple Lockdown Cross Bow films wear this Falchion so we can see how it hangs. Nice to see Mat and the discussion. You might sell more if we can see it. Thank you for your consideration.

I can already see Metatron drooling all over this beauty! What a beautiful sword 😍

That sword is sick AF... beautiful.... a true work of art!!

- What sorta sword is it? - Storta - I'm asking what sort of sword is it...

Imagine fighting someone with this sword in battle. Screaming over the noise “hey once we’re finished can I get a look at that thing? Obviously I don’t want to see it swinging into my skull right now, but once we’re finished”

As a german guy, fluent in english and learning italian for fun, these Videos always are a treasure trove of pronunciation :P

The pommels were made large as a warning to would be attackers to show just how rightly you could end them.

It's fun to see that I can now start to pick out small "Tod Cutler" trademark details. And I feel this is something that is quite important to note. All artisans back in the day would have had their own style of doing things. Both for marketing and becouse they all did things a little bit different. And it's still an important thing for artisans today to have a style that is easily distinguishable. It's most importantly so that people (or potential customers) can say "that's a really nice sword there, is that a Tod Cutler sword? I should get myself one of those" Doing simple generic stuff.. well.. that's for the common muck blacksmiths working on volume stuff for common soldiers.. But even they would have had some individual details.

This Falchion is a piece of art.

Its a Storta beautiful sword there. Always nice to see Mat come on and give his thoughts.

I have to point out that most of the surviving Chinquedea were Embellished. Some time after they were made (Or are historical reproductions) and they made fancier ones in Venice at the time. However, the fanciest ones survived, and the less fancy ones were embellished, to raise their value. I conject that the pizza slice blade made a great surface for embellishment, but I also believe that there were much simpler ones, that weren't as valuable. Since their period, and range was so limited, we only have the surviving pieces to go bye, but it's basically a sword for back alley knife fights.

Tod + Matt = Instant like.

I wonder who the one person is that doesn't like Mat and Tod's video.

Gorgeous piece as always Tod. The more folks that learn about storta the better!

More of this guy please

Absolutely beautiful sword, and I love the shape and details! One of my favorite types and especially the way Tod puts them together gives it an extra step up in coolness

Not even a 30 seconds in and man is that pretty. And then tangent of shell and rain guard. Great work and knowledge gentlemen.

That's such a hell of a beautiful sword ! I love all this short one-edged stuff.

Todd is by far the best sword and weapons maker I've ever seen!

1:24 They went out of falchion for a time, but them they came into falchion again later

That's a real beauty Tod ... and so interesting to hear your, and Matt's, thoughts on it. Your client is a very lucky person!

15:32 You just really wouldn't want to get into a swordfight with Matt lol

Piece of art!

Should have tried a few practice swings at that cloud of bloody gnats!

Damn Matt looks deadly flourishing and cutting and parrying with that sword....

I love your craftsmanship. Shoutout from Germany!

What a beautiful weapon! Amazing work! Well done!

I think this sword would match a pirate perfectly; the color and ornamentation match the image of pirates I have (even the stereotype) better than a plain cutlass. It’s a flashy and charismatic sword, even in the scabbard, which fits the image of a swashbuckler to me.

Thank you gentlemen for sharing this with us. Has to be one of my favorite swords Tod has made

Another stunning piece. Well done sir.

I haven’t watched in a little while. Thanks for the always enlightening video. Good job to both of you fellows.

I saw this little beauty in the background of the other video and wanted to check it out

Majestic blade ! Thanks for sharing

It's just screaming "money" at you, I wonder what the cost of original would've been

Form ever follows function. A beautiful blade, but like all the best blades it's very functional as well

Beautiful piece 👍👍

Man I wish I could afford something with that level of craftsmanship. Very interesting history as well. Great video as always. Thanks.

What an incredibly beautiful sword. Very nice work.

No surprise that the falchion type persisted through the 16th and even into the 17th century. Before the bayonet, arquebusiers and musketeers needed an edged weapon to back up using their firelock as a club. A short sword with effective cut and thrust capability against enemy foot and even horse would have been an ideal sidearm.

love when these two guys collaborate.

Beautiful work!

Gorgeous blade and wonderful presentation! Thank you both for sharing.

Beautiful workmanship.

Hey your workmanship isnt waisted. i think we all appreciate the work you put in and we can see the pride you have. awesome.

Very nice collaboration video!

We need more videos like this!!!

My teacher use to say anything can be art, it all depends how good you are at it. You could hang tods work on a wall with a frame around it. Beautiful work

About the scabbard: it really looks similar to a so called "Fuhrmannsdussack" which is a Dussack for cart drivers who had some powder and shot stored in their sword scabbard. There are some top quality examples in the Landeszeughaus in Graz, Austria

I've always found these wonderfully decorated late period falchions or stortas interesting pieces, particularly in a period where straight blades and complex hilts were more en vogue for the upper classes, and at least one master of fence referred to single-edged blades as designs of antiquity (Manciolino, iirc). Certainly the upper classes did little without considering the political message, particularly in fractious Italy, and I have to think there was a particular conservative or populist-agrarian statement made by wearing a blade form associated to peasant knives and olden days (though obviously dressed up to the wealth and station of the owner and opulence of the modern style), possibly a renunciation of foreign or cosmopolitan influence... or perhaps simply a nod to provincial idylls, as was sometimes fashionable. I recall Charles V set a short-lived fashion in kriegsmessers after wearing an elegant example. As per the comment on "pirate" cutlasses using 18th/19th century hilts too early, I have some questions... Certainly I've seen hangers and cuttoes (both of new and old world) by the mid-1600s with fairly developed guards, sometimes using flat steel rather than the bars of earlier "Sinclair" designs, but for anything nautical I find historic reference can be pretty dodgy until we get into established official patterns of swords in the 1800s. Curious what else you've seen @scholagladiatoria as I think you have better museums locally than I do.

This channel is great. Very entertaining and educational.

Absolutely gorgeous! 😍

I love your teamwork. Please keep on. Greetings from Germany

Cant stop watching all the flies.

Beautiful sword. You would definitely take notice of someone wearing that.

That’s a gorgeous weapon.

Fantastic!!

Surprised no one has compared it yet to the Skalchion (Fallagrim).

What a gorgeous sword

Nothing better than Matt, Tod and a falchion.

It looks a very beutifully exotic sword with a great degree of intricate workmanship . I'd love to see even a glimpse of the swords you make being worked from raw materials Tod.

14:20 a rare physical demonstration by Matt !

Great video man

Probably the most important light infantry weapon of the period.

4:54 yeah, it's not Na(i)gel. :D We still pronounce vowels as they should be. 😂 ✌🏻

That sword is truly beautiful.

Beautiful storta Tom!! Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

Omg so beautiful!

This Collab is so good tho' 😆💪🏻

From a land clearing workers perspective: I'd see a use for that for traipsing through a forests underbrush. Cutting through soft vegetation, thin saplings, vines and tall weeds. Those soft vegetations tend to bend around straight edges, so you either need a kept up sharp edge, put extra speed into every cut, and/or add a drawing motion to your cut. However, that slight curve helps you work longer on soft vegetation between sharpenings and with less energy used per swing because every cut becomes a draw cut. Managing energy per swing is such a big deal. A sword is still too heavy for brush clearing.. but if I had to carry any sword through underbrush, it'd be the falchion blade style. Blazing a trail through spring and summer undergrowth would, by the end of the day, be a breeze compared to a straight edged sword.

Wonderful.

Very nice sword !

I have often thought that a relatively short, wide but still pointed blade would be idle at close to medium range.

Best cross over

Watching Matt handle that blade is frankly terrifying. As Mick Dundee once said... "That's not a knife..."

That is a damn good looking sword!

Nice video as always Tod! Anyone caught what the book's named that Tod shortly talked about? Couldn't make it out :/ you guys just complement each other very well and I would like more videos like the last ones! ;)

More Witcher content I would lap up like your other Witcher videos. Glad I found your channel enthusiasm knowledge and craftsmenship. Bravo

Very informative video! :)

Thx 🙏

gorgeous

I like history but not as much and the craftsmanship that he is doing on all these it’s crazy and he can and does do everything and from what I can see a damn good job of it I would love to but a custom peace

Sweet blade.