ATrim Maker's Mark Type XVI Prototype
Nov 25, 2009 16:50:42 GMT
Post by ShooterMike on Nov 25, 2009 16:50:42 GMT
ATrim Maker's Mark Type XVI Prototype
The sword under review here is a prototype built by Angus Trim as a possible candidate for Gus and Christian Fletcher's Maker's Mark or Prestige Line of offerings. I understand now that it will likely appear as an offering in the Maker's Mark line, and as a blade platform for custom Christian Fletcher offerings.
The Type XVI blade is thought to have been developed in the high middle ages to combat the growing prevalence of plate armor on the battlefield. The older Type XII and XIV blades tapered to a serviceable point for thrusting. However, their main focus was still toward the cut, with their broad and fairly flat blades of mostly lenticular cross section. The Type XVI on the other hand, was engineered to provide excellent thrusting capabilities while maintaining good cutting performance as well. This was accomplished by retaining the fairly broad blade or the Type XII at the top, but tapering in profile to a much more acute point. To make the point strong and stiff as is needed for thrusting into hard targets, the point of Type XVI swords was of a reinforced diamond cross section.
This blade is a bit of a departure for the ATrim line. It is much beefier and more rigid than any other ATrim sword I have handled. It's feel can best be described as extremely rigid, like it could be used to pierce and pry open a suit of armor. It has a very "workmanlike" feel with respect to a fighting implement. It's very much a thrusting sword for poking holes and possesses a stiff enough blade to be used as a pry bar once armor has been penetrated or the tip has been worked into an opening.
The basic stats are:
Blade length: 30.5 inches
Grip Length: 4 inches
Overall length: 37 inches
Weight: 2.4 lbs.
Point of Balance: 5.25 inches from the guard
Center of Percussion: 18 inches from guard
The Hilt
The hilt has been modified by me to fit into my ideal of what a Type XVI might have looked like in period. If this sword becomes part of the Maker's Mark line it will likely have the standard ATrim grip and one of the new guard and pommel designs Christian Fletcher has been working on.
The guard started as a standard ATrim Style 6 guard and was forged and ground into the shape you see here. The guard is not recessed for the blade, though that will likely be the case on the production sword when it's offered.
On this example is a simple Type J pommel. New pommels are being designed that will have more of a historic flare, and I can hardly wait to see them. But I personally like this one quite well.
The Blade
When the sword arrived and I first removed it from the shipping box I was immediately struck by how different it was from any other ATrim sword I'd handled. It didn't float. It wasn't like waving around a light saber. It was obvious from the first moment I picked it up that it was a brutally efficient fighting tool.
The geometry is a bit different in this blade than in other ATrim blades I have examined. The distal taper is a long convex curve toward the reinforced tip, whereas most other ATrim cutting blades have more of a concave curve. This blade is 0.230" at the guard. Halfway down the fuller it is still 0.210". At the end of the fuller it is 0.180". An inch behind the tip it's 0.115" and at the tip it is 0.060". If I could draw a picture of this geometry it would look like a convex wedge shape, much like an elongated "appleseed edge" we all discuss so much. This is a complete departure from most of the cutting swords Gus has made over the years. I would say this blade exhibits only about 35-40% distal taper. But the profile taper balances out the picture to result in a sword that feels very powerful, yet handles quickly in hand.
The polish on the blade was the typical ATrim satin with straight grind marks from hilt to tip. The fuller has a very attractive taper that matches the profile taper of the edges. It just looks "right" in a way that's hard to describe. The fuller still shows evidence of machining marks. But it is, after all, just a shop prototype. Hopefully when this sword goes production the polish of the blade, and especially the fuller, will get more attention.
I really like the way this blade was designed. The only problem was... Gus forgot to sharpen it before shipping it to me. DOH! Since this was a prototype for Christian Fletcher to approve, it had been sent to CF unsharpened, as it wasn't really finished yet. Just a first stab at getting the lines right. No problem, I got to work and had it sharp after spending a bit of time and elbow grease.
As is obvious from this photo, the tip is strongly reinforced and is of flattened diamond cross section.
The Scabbard
No scabbard. Unless you order it separately from Christian Fletcher.
TESTING
Here is where the sword really shines. Though it is obviously designed with the thrust uppermost in mind, the cutting performance is what I consider to be really good. I expected this to be a great thruster and a so-so cutter. And it IS a great thruster, with its 5.25" PoB the tip is very easy to control and put exactly where you want it. But as usual with Gus Trim's designs, the cutting really shined too.
Bottle Cutting
I started the testing as usual, by cutting some plastic bottles filled with water. Nothing unusual here. Just that I was surprised by how effortless it was to cut bottles with this sword.
Rolled Tatami Mats
Here is where I got a bit of a surprise. After the performance on plastic bottles I knew the sword could cut. But I was still quite surprised by how easy it is to cut with the false edge. I have not experienced this before. Wrap cuts and other cuts with the false edge simply sailed through the cutting media.
Handling/Performance Video
I will point out that this sword has been sharpened to the point that it will barely slice printer paper. It is by no means scary sharp. It just has what I consider to be a good service/fighting edge.
Bottom Line
I LOVE it. It could use a little more cosmetic attention, and if I really cared about that I would spend the time to make it beautiful. But I love it as-is. It is one of the handful of swords that I will never sell. Anyone who is looking for a sturdy and powerful representation of a high medieval single hand fighting sword could hardly go wrong choosing this blade as a basis for a high-end custom piece. And anyone who wants the same properties in a high-performance cut&thrust piece would have to go a long way to find something any better on the performance end.
Historical Accuracy: 3/5 due to hex nut construction which will likely change on production models
Fit and Finish: 3/5 (but hey, it's a shop prototype)
Handling: 5/5
Structural Integrity: 5/5
Value for Money: Not sure how to rate this. Let's wait to see a final production piece