Visit with Tom Kaczor
Yesterday my son Jonathan, his dog Dante and me drove to London , Ontario to visit with Tom Kaczor, by far the best sword restorer I know.
Old timers among us know Tom and still remember his late wife Ursula (may she rest in peace!).
Tom re-creates old swords out of genuinely old blades (many of which are gorgeous wootz) and hand-made everything else. His forte is Polish and Cossack swords, but he does Turkish, Persian and Indian examples, too. He makes his own scabbards, leatherwork, crossguards, handles, decorations in exactly correct ethnic and era-wise style. The quality, authenticity, sophistication and the artistic levels of his creations is mind-boggling. Any 16-18th century magnate would be glad to get his sword in exchange for 3-5 villages.
He also does armour: one of the pic shows Jonathan fully dressed as a Polish hussar complete with hauberk and " bekhterets" and wielding a Polish Karabela. I was allowed to practice cutting Tom's hibiscus with a Turkish Kilij. I succeeded right away:-)
Both Jonathan ( who grew up surrounded by sword books and swords ) and myself were truly astonished by the quality of Tom's work. I have seen his creations on the web, but to see them " live" and to handle them was an unforgettable experience. The artistic level of his creation can be matched only by his personality and hospitality! He is one of the nicest people I have ever encountered.
Here are several pics from the trip.
Enjoy!
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