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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Sept 10, 2009 23:07:25 GMT
A while back I ordered a replacement EMSHS blade from Marc at wiwingti sword supply and mounted it with a Valiant Armory AT303 cross guard and pommel. I had heard a lot about these swords and I wanted to see one myself but I didn't like the grip they came with or the scabbard so I decided to go custom. it was a lot of work but fun. STATS: after my work which shortened the blade a little more than an inch to make room for my peened hilt components Blade Length: 30 1/2 inches Grip Length: 3 7/8 inches pommel to cross guard: 6 inches Center of Gravity: 4 3/4 inches from cross guard Center of Percussion: 21 1/2 inches from cross guard Weight: 2 pounds 6 Ounces THE BLADE: there was a lot of talk about how Hanwei can't put a good edge on a European blade. I immediately could tell that the edge was pretty good. the geometry was also very good. the odd thing is that the blade was only sharp on the half nearest the tip. starting from the cross guard the blade is extremely blunt for about 8 inches and would be very hard to sharpen by hand. with a little work hand sharpening using sand paper I was able to make the blade sharp all the way up to about 9-10 inches from the cross guard. to sharpening further I'll need to use my belt sander and a fairly coarse grit belt to sharpen that area. when I say blunt here's what I mean: HILT: I wanted a tough and rugged looking sword like a grizzled veteran might carry. tough, hard used, but well taken care of I think I got it about right. here's the tang after I ground off the threaded part my seam turned out ok even though I don't have all the right tools. the grip turned out fatter than I expected but not too fat. I like the feel of it. it is very grippable. the peened end: I had a hard time with this part and ended up doing it twice. HANDLING AND CUTTING: With the balance point nice and close to the hand and the swords only weighing 2lbs 6 oz it is very fast and handy but still has lots of oomph for the authoritative cut one expects from a type XII sword. the first test I did was with the factory edge right out of the box the only work I had done was to mount the hilt on. next I cleaned up the edge a little bit with hand polishing using 400 and 600 grit sand paper. then I cut tatami: discussion on distal taper of the sword and slow motion chop to a brick to show flex on impact. Conclusions: I like this sword a lot but I don't know how it compares to the swords as done by hanwei. as a project blade it was pretty easy to make work and it was very forgiving of my inexperienced touch. Pros: 1 Price. nice cheap project blade 2 well designed so they are hard to screw up even when you're new. 3 great blade geometry makes for a really good cutter. 4 good sharp edge right out of the box Cons: 1 blunt near the cross guard so if you want that part sharp you have a lot of work to get it there. (I like it the way it is but I'm one of the few from what I hear) 2 hard to find part that fit right. it wasn't INTENDED to be a project blade so there aren't any parts out there made for it that you can swap in and out easily. still working out these problems is why customizing is so much fun! 3 not enough things to complain about. these realy are good blades and I can't think of any other con that has to do with the blade and not my work. Bottom line: Hanwei has done the DIY-er a HUGE favor by offering these replcement blades at such a good price. if you are into doing your own custom mounting these are a great thing, go get one! if you want to read more about the process of custom mounting this blade read here: /index.cgi?board=swordcustom&action=display&thread=12163
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2009 23:48:03 GMT
You say that you only touched it up a little? That thing cuts like a lightsaber! The tatami cuts reminded me of those silly anime cartoons where the person cuts through someone and then a few seconds later they fall apart. I like the rugged look of the hilt too.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Sept 10, 2009 23:52:17 GMT
yup I have less than one hour of work on the edges. it's the geometry of the blade that makes it pass so silently. it is a THIN and very smooth oval-elipse shape.
I said it was a good blade!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2009 23:58:06 GMT
If I had faith in my abilities as a sword customizer I would buy the bare blade, but since I lack the needed tools and skills I will just buy the Norman.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Sept 11, 2009 1:44:08 GMT
Well Jonathan if you read enough of the tutorials and how-to threads here and buy the tools you need before you ever try it you'll find that you are better armed than you think. this was my first ever try at grip wraping and almost my first ever try at grip core making (my second). I have done a lot of peening in my day though, just not on stuff this hard.
if the Norman is anything like my EMSHS you'll love it, and I think you will love it.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2009 1:54:20 GMT
I just ordered the Norman tonight, so we shall see.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2009 3:01:55 GMT
Hot DAMN. That's a helluva cutter. Or, I suppose, you are one helluva cutter. That was...performance art. Mind you, the aesthetics of the hilt are not my favorite, but it sure looks way better than what I could have done. I'd prefer a smaller guard and thinner grip if it were my project, but you definitely got the rugged look down. The standard Hanwei grip seems a bit too thin tho, Haha. Somewhere between the Hanwei Grip and yours would be about perfect to me. A project well done, Tom. And EXTREMELY impressive cutting.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Sept 11, 2009 3:05:30 GMT
thanks Lunaman, I was aiming for a little bit thinner grip but I'm not unhappy with the thickness it is. in about two months I should be revealing my next custom work and it WILL have a shorter guard.
it's a good cutting sword, but I'll be happy to take some of the credit. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2009 3:15:25 GMT
in about two months I should be revealing my next custom work and it WILL have a shorter guard. Oh ho! Color me curious...Let the eager waiting begin.
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Post by shadowhowler on Sept 11, 2009 3:18:37 GMT
yup I have less than one hour of work on the edges. it's the geometry of the blade that makes it pass so silently. it is a THIN and very smooth oval-elipse shape. I said it was a good blade! Awesome review Tom, a +1 from me and a VERY cool project. I bet the sword feels that much better when it has been worked that much by you. However, your above statment still troubles me. Less then an hour of sharpening work on the blade from someone like yourself who knows what they are doing is still like 3 hours or more from someone like myself who does NOT know what he is doing. I still wanna see Hanwei get these edges sharp and cutting right out of the box, like VA's new stuff and Gen 2 swords I have had. Grrrrrrr. Anyway, +1. BTW, I love the idea you have of dropping the mats of your deck and soaking them in the lake! Awesome... to bad something attacked your mats. Was it a Bever?!?
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Sept 11, 2009 3:25:19 GMT
i have no idea what it was that chewed at the mats but it happened on the underwater side and it didn't do a lot of damage so I'm thinking a fish.
when I say I have less than an hour working on it I mean that I put some sandpaper on a sanding block and idly strocked it while watching TV with the family and the sword in my lap. really all I managed was to take the burr off a little bit. it is nicely sharp but not wow sharp. it was pretty decent to begine with. don't overestimate me that much
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Post by shadowhowler on Sept 11, 2009 3:35:45 GMT
don't overestimate me that much Compared to myself and, I suspect, a lot of the collecting public, you have mad skills Tom. Thats just a fact.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Sept 11, 2009 3:46:12 GMT
sure, if I do it right. but sitting in the living room with it on my lap? I'm lucky I didn't cut myself.
for the record I did cut myself once while building this. I had got the point stuck in a board while peening the hilt and was trying to pull it free by the blade and grabbed too low (read the sharpened area) and that sucker cut right through the hand towel I had wrapped like 3-4 times around the blade and into my finger. I'm just glad I had that towel or it might have been ugly. the cut I got was not too bad, but embarrassing. I super glued it closed and it's just a scar and a memory now. still if you want to smite me for being dumb than I understand. *hangs head in shame*
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2009 3:54:36 GMT
sure, if I do it right. but sitting in the living room with it on my lap? I'm lucky I didn't cut myself. for the record I did cut myself once while building this. I had got the point stuck in a board while peening the hilt and was trying to pull it free by the blade and grabbed too low (read the sharpened area) and that sucker cut right through the hand towel I had wrapped like 3-4 times around the blade and into my finger. I'm just glad I had that towel or it might have been ugly. the cut I got was not too bad, but embarrassing. I super glued it closed and it's just a scar and a memory now. still if you want to smite me for being dumb than I understand. *hangs head in shame* No way, sir. In fact, +1 for sharing the story as a reminder to keep safety first when sharpening and using swords. Hah!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2009 11:05:05 GMT
You super-glued your cut? Are you sure that super glue one cuts is healthy?
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SlayerofDarkness
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"Always give everyone the benefit of the doubt."
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Sept 11, 2009 14:48:15 GMT
I'm guessing that he used a special kind of medical glue that you can get at a pharmacy. Although I have heard of people using regular glue, or even regular superglue, to seal cuts with no further problems. I have always wondered if it's adviseable or not, though... Anyway, great review of a great sword, Tom! +1 Cool customizations as well... I'm not a big fan of the grip rewrap, personally, but that's just due to the style. As for it being your first ever attempt at such, you did a GREAT job. ;D -Slayer
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Sept 11, 2009 14:54:23 GMT
thanks guys. as for super glue in cuts. . . well that's what it was made for. Super glue is just the civilian name for what battlefield medics have called "liquid stitches for some time. yup I just used the regular glue-your-stuff-together super glue. I've never had any trouble with it.
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Post by Eaglehawk on Sept 11, 2009 14:58:56 GMT
Superglue is what they use when they de-claw cats.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Sept 11, 2009 15:08:45 GMT
see? if it's good enough for semprini. . . cats then why not me too? hmmm not sure that really makes my point buuuuut I think I'll continue using it. sure beats the heck out of a bandaid
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2009 15:12:51 GMT
Superglue was originally designed as a surgical adhesive. Great vids, Tom! Thanks for posting them. Though I wish that for comparison you had tried the mats with the factory edge...
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