Lindberg Model kits: Mystery Sword Tool
As we dive deeper in to the Lindberg/Hawk tooling collection there is occasional a tool that we can find no information on. This one is stumping me more than normal. We have a MYSTERY SWORD!
At first glance the tool looks like one of the 1:1 gun kits from Pyro (also released by Life-Like). Part of it looked like a rifle barrel however the gunstock was missing. Test shots revealed that it was a sword. It is very decorative with an eagle-shaped pommel, armor on the chape, a knight and lion head on the scabbard, a knight and axes on one side of the cross-guard, and an AOUW Shield on the other. There are several places where gems would attach. So far in our research I have found Lindberg and Hawk kits previously released under O-lin, Pyro, Life-Like, Eagle/Eaglewall, Palmer, IMC, and a few others. I can not find any sword model kits release under Lindberg or any of those brands.
While I have not found any evidence of the model being released as a kit I have found the real life sword it was patterned after. And here. The AOUW on the cross-guard is for the Ancient Order of United Workmen, a fraternal organization founded by John Jordan Upchurch, a Mason, after the Civil War in 1868. Swords like this would have be used during ceremonies and given to a member of the society often with his name scribed on the blade. This info, while interesting, has not help me track down the origin of the kit. So I call out to you, modellers, and your vast knowledge of vintage kits. If this seems familiar or you know any of its history, let us know in the comments.
UPDATE 3/4/2016
Thanks to Craig Bennett for this. The sword was released as Palmer Jeweled Renaissance Sword & Scabbard. I am not sure what year. The box design is done in the style of some of the cannons. I found this small image.
I don’t have a clear answer on this question,but I have the The Collectors Value Guide
for Scale Model Plastic Kits 7th edition ,1999 by John Burns .In the listing for Palmer
is listed 4 kits.
Ibo Tribal Mask
Senfu Tribal Mask Visble Frog
Jeweled Renaaissance Sword and Scrabbard .
Perhaps Lindberg/Hawk bought the molds after Palmer went out of business and did a test shot and decided not to produce it.
Craig Bennett
Craig nice find! Palmer Jeweled Renaissance Sword and Scabbard is a match. Thanks. I had not seen the masks before.
Good glad to have helped .
Craig Bennett
Re-release it!
Cool kit!
Very neat.
I don’t know if you have the tooling for the Studebaker Champ pickup that Palmer did? Or maybe Premier’s 60’s car kits? Thanks!
I have not come across any of those.