Dynasty Forge Euro, XI Review
Apr 2, 2010 19:48:50 GMT
Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2010 19:48:50 GMT
There has been some curiosity about the new DF line. Since I have one of them I'll have a go at reviewing it for the members.
INTRODUCTION; My reasons for buying this sword; pretty simple. I did not own a single hand Euro type blade and wanted one. I was also curious about the new line and thought I would take a chance.
HISTORICAL; In this area I am sorely lacking in knowledge so lets just say this is a modern production piece loosely based on the type XI cutting blade.
INIT. IMPRESSION; I ordered the sword from Wiwingti Sword Supply. Service was above average and the sword arrived securely packaged in multiple layers of bubble wrap and triple boxed.
STATISTICS;
Overall length, 37 3/8 "
Blade, 30.5 "
Weight, 2lb 7oz
Width at guard, 1 5/8 "
Width at tip, 1 1/8 "
Grip length, 4 3/4 "
POB, ? I balanced this sword out level on a fulcrum 1/8" thick at 6" from the guard. ??
Steel, 1060 high carbon
COMPONENTS;
Blade; Clean straight lines, prominent fuller very even on both sides. Not a glossy mirror finish but very smooth, no scratches scuffs or irregularities. No secondary bevel on the edge.
Hilt; The hilt feels very solid; well put together. Everything is symmetrical and well made.The guard is fitted well with one minor scuff. The blade is centered where it fits through. The pommel is very solid and again symmetrical. The etching is pleasing but could be a little cleaner, little rough here and there.The handle is wrapped in black leather with a seam down one edge. There are 3 wide risers toward the guard and 1 near the pommel. The seam may detract a little from the aesthetics of the hilt.
Scabbard; Basic and well made with black leather and metal fittings. The metal is cut away from the throat where the blade slides in.
HANDLING; I don't have anything to compare this to but in dry handling it feels well balanced and agile. It does have some weight to it however and I would not call it a fast sword. The hilt does not interfere with the hand at all.
CUTTING; From the test cutting I did it is evident that I need lots more practice w/ this type of sword however I wanted to post cutting w/ the edge straight out of the box as this is what you get when you buy it. I was inconsistent with small bottles, cutting one clean, batting the next one away,... The edge does need a touch up but I believe it is just a hair away from where it should be. The sword cut the easy targets very well. I aborted the mat cutting after a couple of cuts. I was able to power through but I will sharpen it then post a proper mat cutting vid in the future.
CONCLUSIONS; This is a very attractive sword that performs well and seems very solid. In my opinion the blade outshines the hilt but I find this common to DF swords. Although the edge needs some work I feel they did a good job and further sharpening will be short work.
PRO/CON;
Con; I would have preferred a different hilt assembly, something that makes it easier to take down and inspect the tang,...Also, this IS a new line, untested/ untried. Time will tell.
Pro; Very attractive sword. The blade is above average IMO. The sword feels good when handled; performs well.
BOTTOM LINE; At 399$ I feel that this sword is a very good buy.
INTRODUCTION; My reasons for buying this sword; pretty simple. I did not own a single hand Euro type blade and wanted one. I was also curious about the new line and thought I would take a chance.
HISTORICAL; In this area I am sorely lacking in knowledge so lets just say this is a modern production piece loosely based on the type XI cutting blade.
INIT. IMPRESSION; I ordered the sword from Wiwingti Sword Supply. Service was above average and the sword arrived securely packaged in multiple layers of bubble wrap and triple boxed.
STATISTICS;
Overall length, 37 3/8 "
Blade, 30.5 "
Weight, 2lb 7oz
Width at guard, 1 5/8 "
Width at tip, 1 1/8 "
Grip length, 4 3/4 "
POB, ? I balanced this sword out level on a fulcrum 1/8" thick at 6" from the guard. ??
Steel, 1060 high carbon
COMPONENTS;
Blade; Clean straight lines, prominent fuller very even on both sides. Not a glossy mirror finish but very smooth, no scratches scuffs or irregularities. No secondary bevel on the edge.
Hilt; The hilt feels very solid; well put together. Everything is symmetrical and well made.The guard is fitted well with one minor scuff. The blade is centered where it fits through. The pommel is very solid and again symmetrical. The etching is pleasing but could be a little cleaner, little rough here and there.The handle is wrapped in black leather with a seam down one edge. There are 3 wide risers toward the guard and 1 near the pommel. The seam may detract a little from the aesthetics of the hilt.
Scabbard; Basic and well made with black leather and metal fittings. The metal is cut away from the throat where the blade slides in.
HANDLING; I don't have anything to compare this to but in dry handling it feels well balanced and agile. It does have some weight to it however and I would not call it a fast sword. The hilt does not interfere with the hand at all.
CUTTING; From the test cutting I did it is evident that I need lots more practice w/ this type of sword however I wanted to post cutting w/ the edge straight out of the box as this is what you get when you buy it. I was inconsistent with small bottles, cutting one clean, batting the next one away,... The edge does need a touch up but I believe it is just a hair away from where it should be. The sword cut the easy targets very well. I aborted the mat cutting after a couple of cuts. I was able to power through but I will sharpen it then post a proper mat cutting vid in the future.
CONCLUSIONS; This is a very attractive sword that performs well and seems very solid. In my opinion the blade outshines the hilt but I find this common to DF swords. Although the edge needs some work I feel they did a good job and further sharpening will be short work.
PRO/CON;
Con; I would have preferred a different hilt assembly, something that makes it easier to take down and inspect the tang,...Also, this IS a new line, untested/ untried. Time will tell.
Pro; Very attractive sword. The blade is above average IMO. The sword feels good when handled; performs well.
BOTTOM LINE; At 399$ I feel that this sword is a very good buy.