Reproducing Cromwells sword
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- Опубликовано: 6 авг 2024
- Oliver Cromwell was an extraordinary man in British history; controversial? Abosolutely; but undoubtedly extraordinary . Rising from fairly ordinary beginnings he became ruler of Britain as ‘Lord Protector’ in just a few years during the English Civil wars of the 1640’s and 50’s. I now have the privilege of reproducing one of his swords as closely as possible.
The film talks about the sword, the man and how I plan to reproduce it. The forms and sizes of the hilt will be recorded using a technique called photogrammetry, this will be tidied up with 3d sculpting software in virtual reality, 3d printed to create a form and then the details will be hand sculpted onto the forms and then the investment casting process will be used to create fully detailed castings of the hilt.
Oliver Cromwells story is complex and the times and causes were complex and of course our interpretation of the morals and practices of the time are seen through a lens looking back 400 years. Both he and his story and especially his role in Ireland still cause heated debates, but nothing is simple, so if you want a truly balanced view, visit the extraordinary Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon.
Stuart Orme the curator very kindly took part in this film and more particularly gave me access to the sword with the aim of reproducing it and once I have done so, the plan is to bring it back in for a later film, so watch out for that in a few months. For every sword I do eventually reproduce, I will be making a donation to the museum.
The Cromwell museum can be found here www.cromwellmuseum.org
Their You tube channel can be found here / cromwellmuseum and a much longer version of this film will be going up there in due course.
If you would like to support this channel, visiting my sites really helps as does signing up to the news letter on the websites, either one is fine.
Production replica weapons are available here todcutler.com
And T shirts and Merch todsworkshop.creator-spring.com
Custom pieces are available here todsworkshop.com
I love the variety on this channel. In one video Todd is making weird weapons for Matt Easton to try out, in the next he's playing around with his trebuchet and then you get to see an extraordinary piece like this close up and in detail that is explained so clearly and expertly. This one was a real treat and I'd love it to become a series of videos showing each stage of the project. Fascinating.
Thanks - that is very generous of you and basically I have a few interests and an enquiring mind and very fortunately an outlet for my activities
@@tods_workshop You are a very fortunate man. Thru a keen mind and a lot of hard work and study, you have mastered your art to the point living your dream. No matter how tired you might get, you don't "work" a day of your life. I envy you, sir. Thank you for allowing us into your life.
Completely agree, nice mix of topics, obvious high level of skill and a very sympathetic presenting persona
The "corner cutting" reaffirms my believe that the greatest skill for a master in any field is knowing when not to bother.
So very true
Certainly for painters I've heard this is a big problem. Leonardo da Vinci was famous for doing the opposite, that is hanging on to his paintings all his life!
As a metal artist, I'd say truer words could not be said. There's the micro lens stuff fellow craftsmen and real enthusiasts will see. Then there's what the general public notices. Very much like Tod pointed out, looking at something in a case from a meter away and actually having in your hand. Joe Average just sees the broad strokes.
I love how quickly and casually Tod says his zombie apocalypse weapon is a falchion.
you can tell he's put thought into it already.
@@sinisterthoughts2896 Hasn't everyone? And, of course, decided that pollaxe is the only way to go :D
@@MrGrimsmith how about a long spear?
Mine would be chainmail/armour of a sort they can't bite through... I don't have eyes in the back of my head and when they can't bite me, i'm safe to use whatever i can get my hands on. edit: (motorcycle gear would probably work well too.)
Falchion would be good, but I think I'd go for a cutlass. And instead of regular mail armor, a shark suit.
Great to see you and Stuart on screen!
Hej look who´s here! 🙂Any updates on training your mule for war?
@@martialme84 nothing I've filmed yet!
@@ModernKnight You´re a legend and your content is straight up 11/10.
Thanks Jason and I loved filming with Stuart, he was great and a lovely, lovely guy.
@@tods_workshop He is great, and so very knowledgeable about the ECW timeline too.
As a former photogrammetrist (mostly architecture and industry, but also archaeology) from the latter 90s up to 15 years ago, seeing the results from a commercial digital camera NOT on stabilized and accurately leveled supports, elaborated through - I guess - a relatively simple end user software for compositing and 3D meshing, is at the same time disheartening and absolutely enthralling.
Can't wait to see the results!
There are even photogrammetry apps now, the progress that technology has made is insane
@@ArkhBaegor I learned the basics on a Wild T2, and used a Wild-Heerbrug large format metric camera plus a Leica TC1000 total station. Which feels like fighting dinosaurs barehanded!
Archarologist here, that technology allows us to document far more and with quality data without relying on specialists. It is a great blessing on the whole field.
It’s a bit fancy for the leader of a Puritan ruling bloc !
Rotgolem - it is an amazing technique, but this is the first time I used it and I messed up a bit so the detail is not quite there, but thankfully for what I am intending to do I actually dont need the detail. I should also add that all the IT stuff is by my friend Mike
Seeing how you take the measurements and build a sort of blueprint for it is fascinating!
Thanks and glad it is interesting
what blows me away about this kind of work is the guard was most likely made from a single sheet of metal then cut ,chased and formed to the sword making the finished piece seem light but opened out as a single sheet would be massive . I can't wait to see what you make of it and also you have my condolences it's going to be a bear to make a copy of this
Forming the guard is not bad at all, but chasing it would be a very time consuming job and I too cannot wait to see how it turns out
@@tods_workshop do you think the chasing would have been done primarily with carving chisels (or burins(?), i forget which one the metal worker use) or would it be done with hand files?
I'd love to see this done with one of my favourite swords, Sir Francis Drake's broad sword.
one at a time please!
What a fantastic piece, the craftsmanship put into the sword is just outstanding.
Really? I thought it was historically significant because it belonged to Cromwell but the sword itself is not that impressive. (6:08)
As the curator himself explain, it was manufactured during a civil war when there was no craftsmanship available to work on the level of detail you might expect in peacetime.
@@Trucmuch I was a bit confused about that. How was it manufactured during a civil war if the sword was made in Germany? The video only mentioned the civil war which Cromwell was involved in, but obviously that wasn't in Germany. A quick search online makes me wonder if they meant the Thirty Years War.
@@lauravivanco You're missing the point. It's not important why the sword is not impressive. What is important is that it's not regardless of the reason.
But to answer your question, no they're not talking about the thirty-year war. Rule of thumb, if someone mentions both Cromwell and a civil war... they're talking about the English civil war. It doesn't matter where the sword is made. During a war, you need a big amount of swords quickly so can't spend on each sword as much resource as during peace. That resource being either time if your blacksmiths make the swords themselves or gold if you buy them from elsewhere. It doesn't matter.
The craftsmanship is very good indeed, but the point I was making is that there are better and as the man who rules the country I would have expected the very best and it is very good, but not the best.
The blade was made in Passau, Germany and then exported to England where it had a guard fitted. This exporting/importing of blades was very common, particularly from Germany, but also Spain and was often a status symbol which I guess is why the marks are often so prominent.
@@tods_workshop Cromwell's relatively humble sword could come from his puritan beliefs since they didn't like excessive vanity and showing off
The mention of photogrammetry, 3D sculpting in VR (my specialty!), 3D printing, and the CG render at the end were all music to my ears. Very glad to hear them leveraged as part of your work.
Really can't wait to see the finished product. I've never been to see this in person but its one of my favorites from the images I've seen. What an exciting opportunity
Oh, that 3d recreation at the end there was fantastic to see, when it was mentioned I was hoping we'd get to see the result of those photos.
It should be better, but I messed up the pics a bit.
Fascinating! I’d love to see more about the sword that appears in the painting too
Thanks for bringing us along for this part of the process in what I hope is the start of joining you on this year-long journey of seeing this replica come to be.
Getting to actually handle history like that is awesome! I’m very envious. Great video.
I remember this idea being floated way back when I was nerding out over this sword with Stuart. Great to see it happening!
I'm absolutely stoked for this set of videos! What a fantastic, interesting idea.
How cool!!!! So great you got to handle that piece. It's gorgeous. Great video again Tod!
I'd love to see you reproduce George Washington sword, I believe examples were made and sold for the centennial celebration of America's Independence as well as the bicentennial if I remember correctly, I saw one in a very well stocked knife shop in the middle of nowhere (he sadly had to close the shop because tourists driving through the forest do not often buy $500 Bowie knives) and the proprietor was very proud of his
Could have gotten a better model with better lighting condtions and photographing into the corners from more weird angles than just going around. But it turned out nice enough. I wonder how well that will print.
Having someone who really understood the process would help too, but it was my first time and Mike stitched the hilt together very well and there is enough detail for my intended purpose
@@tods_workshop If you plan on doing this more often, it would be worth getting a very bright ring light/flash and putting polarising film on it, as well as a polariser on the camera. The ring light eliminates shadows, and by matching the polarisation angle between the light and camera you can eliminate most of the specular reflections and get the true colours of the object. Also photographing with the object in front of a very dark background (eg black velvet placed a few metres behind) can simplify the reconstruction process.
Tod is once again showing just some of the work going into these pieces. Really appreciate the look inside the process. Looking forward to eventual updates.
Thanks and I will try to update you all as I go along and I hope it will be interest
Thank you for showing the 3d model from the photogrammetry at the end.
Looking forward to seeing you work on making such a strong peace. I'll be watching every single video. Cheers.
Wow... That was interesting to watch. I will certainly like to see the follow ups on this project.
What a treat this channel is! I enjoy these videos just as much as the trebuchet ones.
Looking forward to see the build process and the finished product, it will be amazing I am sure! Thanks Tod!
You are absolutely insane Todd. What an undertaking! I wish I could be a fly on the wall while you work this one out.
My great.......great grandfather, fought under Cromwell and actually commanded the battle of Naseby. He earned the title/insult of "Thomas the Regicide" as one of the signers of Charlies I's death warrant, and died of dysentery during the invasion of Ireland some years later. I have always been fascinated by this period of military history as the transition from primarily melee weapons to gunpowder weapons is one of those eras in which you witness people grappling with a new and powerful technology in real time. The idea of pike and shot or the tercio is at once antiquated and brilliant as a technology and corresponding strategy evolve in tandem and under duress. While it is easy to look back and say "well, clearly the right answer is a Lee-Enfield or a Vickers or an M60", we find ourselves in much the same situation with regard to space based weapons or hypersonic missiles.
Archaeology is far more than sifting through the dirt, and artisans who are willing to interact with history within the challenges that the actors faced are doing a real service to our understanding of the past. Thanks!
Oh wow... That is a absolutely GORGEOUS sword!! I am super excited to see this build!
Wow! I can't wait to see the process as you move forward to the final product!!!!
Hullo Tod! Thanks a million for your time, knowledge and experience, and your wonderful enthusiasm. I love watching you learn and have fun and I know many others agree.
Thanks
Fair Dinkum Tod this was a blast to see and I very much look forward to when you complete the replication of one of Cromwell's Swords !! Good on you mate 😁
Fantastic see a glimpse 'behind the scenes' of your process.
Unique and wonderful content. Thank you for sharing, I am excited for you!
That really is such a beautiful sword. It's crazy the detail that old makers were able to put into work like that so long ago. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Photogrammetry is such a wonderful tool for documenting seldom accessed objects. I think it turned out well given the shininess that can interfere with the scan; there's a technique of painting or priming such a surface but that obviously can't be done to this artefact.
Thank you for sharing this.
2 quick questions if I may.
1. Given the noted deformation of the guard on the original and the method you have used for acquiring it's dimensions, how (or will) you correct that side bar dent before or during the printing phase?
2. What type of falchion do you choose for the Zomb-pocalypse? Thorpe? Conyers? Maciejowski Cleaver?
What sort of hilt arrangement will you be sporting? Crossguard? Half Basket?
And when will Todd's Zombie re-Deader be available at your store?
Ok. You got me. I too, want a Tod's Zombie Re-Deader. And I want that engraved, sloppily on the blade. LOL. This would make me extra happy.
1. This is what I was wondering too!
2. Tricky. Thorpe is the prettiest. But the badass style of the Maciejowski can't be denied...
Veridian. I will correct it and my falchion choice would be a reverse style
@@hairyneil maciejowski might be overkill given they're most likely based off tool/weapon type blades from the piedmont and Lombardy regions. They're kinda like machete. I'd wager given modern clothing and such a Conyers or similar type falchion with the thin wide blades would work best.
Potentially a non historically accurate version. Slightly modified blade. Clip the point for thrusting. Make it a tad stiffer. Hand and a half full width tang Messer hilt. Big nagel a knucklebow and deff extra length in the blade. Keep that kinda thin with a almost complete blade with fuller though. Just thicker spine. Given how light those early falchion were you'd probably still end up with something very reasonably weighted.
Absolutely awesome! An amazing artefact and can’t wait to see the reproduction 👍.
What an honor, Tod. Can't wait to see what you make.
My goodness, that's gorgeous. I can't wait to see your take on it!
Looking forward to the result of this tricky project, but also to the process. I hope you give us progress reports along the way. Good luck with the task.
Thanks and I will try to
Excellent video! Can not wait for the big reveal of the replica.
Amazing Tod ! What an amazing thing to see ! I would love to go visit this museum .
You should and its a great place
...and I've always been thinking that Cromwell was a type of tank.
Who knew... never too old to learn something new about the history of our neighbors.
Greetings from the Netherlands!
Looking forward to see the progress on this unique piece of history
That 3D model of it was amazing! The colour grading of it made it look like a really nice sword in an old videogame haha. I cannot wait to see the final piece!
Love this, I just woke up one day wondering about arrows and armor and ended up going deep into this channel lol.
That was really cool, and I can't wait to see the side by side in the future.
There's a statue of Oliver Cromwell in Warrington as well as an old black and white, timber frame building which was a resteraunt at one point where he supposedly stayed during his campaign.
This sword is just gorgeous! Can't wait to see the final product.
That's beatiful sword!
But that hi-tech image at the end blew my mind! =)
Just give this man access to all museums already!
I did not imagine you would use photogrammetry for something like this, very cool.
Watching you measure the sword is fascinating. I’m envious of your skill.
I know what you meant, but I'm still chuckling a little at the silly idea that you're actually envious because you're not sure how a tape measure works.
The curator of on the the most famous museums, standing in front of one of the most iconic weapons of history... What is he talking about? The capabilty of killing zombies! Priceless!!! I would NOT believe it, if it wasn't on record!!! :D :D :D
We all have a human side......
Oh, this is going to be a fascinating project to follow.
Todd we need to see a video of you and Matt and this sword when you complete it!!
Oh what a task. Best of luck to ya. I would love to see a video on how you plan and choose which techniques to replicate with MUCH sooner than a year though! (techniques to actually MAKE it, as you obviously have shown the measurement process)
Truly incredible video. So glad that the RUclips algorithms directed me to this video.
amazing to see great grandfathers sword.... thank you for sharing.
Tod, you have an uncanny knack for doing fantastic stuff about quite specifically my favorite things. I love mortuary hilted swords and have gazed longingly at this very blade for a long time, I cannot wait to see how this goes.
Thats what happens when I stalk you
How absolutely privileged we are, that we can be gifted FREE this interesting work of historical import.
Thank you, Tod. You legend.
6:50 the way tod was holding the sword there was giving me a little anxiety, at Times. 😅 But anyways. Beautyfull sword and I'm very happy that you got this opportunity. I'm now gonna continue the Video... :D
This was VERY interesting to listen to! Great video!
Thanks
Just in this particular instance the hiltwork would seem to undercut the 'it just has to look good from a distance when he's waving it around' bit. The detail on the handle alone is exquisite, let alone the guard filigree (is that a filigree? IANAMW).
This would appear to be a sword made for taking out and staring at for whole minutes at a time. The kind of weapon someone might carry to remind themselves that they are a sensitive, complicated individual with an eye for detail, even if it might appear in the big picture view that you're a guy who breaks churches and cancels christmas.
Hi Todd, can you provide an update for this sword. I am so excited to see what you and your team have made.
that 3D modelling is really cool! I wouldn't have thought that you can get such good results with such a rudimentary technique.
It may seem rudimentary, but the software combining hundreds of images effectively recreates a three-dimensional object from the estimated positions of pictures... themselves unsteady, with the main difference being changes in perspective across the two-dimensional images.
Why is a given pixel, right next to the sword, not part of the sword? Nothing in that single image tells you this apart from the colour change. Now move the camera a bit - that same pixel, right next to the sword, is not even in the same space in the image (UV coordinates have changed). That sword pixel may not even be there. The pixel outside of the sword now shows a completely different object (colour) in the background as the perspective made it shift in relation to the sword.
To combine these properly is the culmination of (as RotGolem commented above) decades of progress in the field!
Looking forward to seeing your version Tod, of Tod's workshop 😀
Incredible piece and you were fortunate enough to actually hold it. Now you’re commissioned to make another and talented enough to make one, most likely better than the original. I look forward to watching you create. Thank you.
Cheers
…will you shoot for an exact copy or a “version” that improves on the imperfections, creating the sword it could have been? Intriguing…
Cheers
The process will be fun to see!
Now this will be a fun project to watch progress.
That is going to be a great piece of work when finished.
I can't wait to see the finished product!!
I'm from Wythenshawe and regularly visited the hall and the giant Oliver Cromwell statue outside it in wythenshawe Park. Great video new sub
Thanks - welcome
Whatever company makes those type of folding tables must make a fortune, I travel a lot and see them pretty much everywhere in the country.
Hi there I can't wait to see how you are going to represent this wonderful sword
What an incredible job you have before you. I hope you detail the major steps and as many minor ones as you can. I bet it was thrilling to be able to hold that sword and an honor to be making another one just like it. I wonder if the deformation of the guard is the result of a punch to an armored knight's head?
What a fantastic piece, although with the 3d model you really see what you mean when you say some of the work is really rough! My god it is rough as the blazes, but I understand why that is given that it's steel as a medium. It's really interesting seeing an object like that, because more than anything it shows us that a person made that, there's a story behind that artifact.
Good luck reconstructing this. I look forward to the end result.
I can't wait to see your work, which I suspect will be even better than the original.
Thank you, but that I doubt!
I can't wait to see what you do with this!
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with
I admire your ambition in taking on such a project.
Great video! Yet, I was really hoping you would show the stats for the sword in the video or put them in the description.
I don't know about the blade, but that basketwork and hilt is impressive.
I have a massive amount of respect for Oliver Cromwell. While certainly not perfect, and extraordinarily short-lived, his movement served as a check and set the English on a path that opened the way for the Glorious Revolution, the English Bill of Rights, and the precedent for the American Founding Fathers and the Constitution. His influence cannot be underestimated and it is a real privilege to watch this video and see his legacy given due respect.
Super interesting piece and super fascinating video.
Thanks
Oh I can't wait to see this project stages!
Beautiful piece of art
Thanks Todd and Stuart for the interesting piece. Looking forward to seeing how the replica turns out. I also found it interesting that in Todd's eyes it wasn't supreme quality work. It would be fascinating to compare the quality of the craftsmanship to one of their other swords in the collection that was known to belong to Cromwell that Stuart mentioned. Maybe he wasn't a fussy "lord protector"
My gut instinct is that when you're making a really big fuss about not wanting any kings around, it's a pretty bad look for the top dog to be strutting around with a sword that's fit for a king. Some rush work and flawed details might make a big political statement.
Crafting swords...Amazing!
I have to invite a musuem expert once myself!
It's funny to think, that depending on the situation, you either treat such a piece with the humility needed, when being observed, like Tod is doing in the video, or have fun playing with it, as Stuart for sure has done, ago giving his best Cromwell or even Zorro imitation, when no one was watching xD
"Have at you, you common dandies!" *Swings sword, blade snaps off*
ElMariachi - between you and me, I am sure he has!
@@tods_workshop OK, I knew it! let's keep it a secret!
@@shockwave6213 That's so evil! I can feel the heat running down my cheeks, followed by a very cold wave, just imagining that.
@@tods_workshop Sadly not... I know the insurance value so it would terrify me to do so!! ;)
Fascinating.
It would be an amazing educational tool to be able to take that photogrametry and 3D print it. Students from the other side of the world could have a hands on experience with a very accurate reproduction of a piece of history.
Tod, you can be proud to get that job. Looking forward to the prozess.
I misread Cromwell as Cornwell and thought it was a sword for Bernard Cornwell, one of my favorite historical fiction writers. I'm still really happy to have been able to watch you make a more 'modern' sword.
To be fair I would probably be giddier with making a sword for Cornwell....
You'll do good on this piece even if it's not your typical time period. Interestingly enough I know someone who's actually a descendant of Cromwell. Sent them this video.
Also given your level of respect for these types of projects. I may have to use you for a project I have planned. Nobles and royals in my ancestry. Want a sword or 2 in the collection to represent that with coat of arms and stuff. Probably doesn't hurt you have much better access to originals in the UK then I do here.
Tod, congratulations on receiving this commission on such a historical piece of history. You should consider it both an honor and an indication of your reputation. Trust to "faithfully" reproduce such an item is not easily earned. Such an honor.... with great respect... Joe
Thank you - those are very kind words
As a computer scientist (working with VR technologies), I've worked on a similar project. Working with the Amber Museum in Gdańsk, we scanned an amber cabinet made in 1724 by Johan Georg Zernebach. The goal was to make a digital copy, not a physical one, but from our perspective it was mostly a technological (software) challenge, because photogrammetry, 3D laser scanning, and similar techniques don't work well with transparent and semi-transparent surfaces (transparency fools depth-measurements, and reflections cause a lot of false data points), and our goal was to improve those algorithms, or find workarounds. Another item we scanned was a lizard embedded in a piece of amber (which is a bit of a misnomer - the lizard is long decomposed, and what is left is a lizard-shaped hole in the piece of amber). In this case, we got the best results by performing a CT scan. Great detail, too bad it can't be used on the cabinet since it contains metal parts.
Looking forward to seeing the final product..
WOW! Just simply, WOW! To actually touch, handle, and measure a piece of history for reproduction must be humbling, honoring, AND challenging... all at the same time! WOW again!
Wow, thank you!