Windlass Pirate's Companion Sword - Review
May 3, 2009 15:31:11 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2009 15:31:11 GMT
Review of the Windlass Pirate's Companion Sword, ID#500180
by Marc Pengryffyn (aka Marc E Poohze), Canberra, Australia, May 2009
Introduction
I started exhibiting the symptoms of cutlass fever almost a year ago. At first I'd just glance at them while looking at other basket hilted swords. But soon the examinations became more lingering, and then I started actually seeking them out. Eventually I found myself entering the word "cutlass" into search engines, and even... watching pirate movies .
Really, I don't know why cutlasses have become such an interest for me recently. Part of the attraction is probably that I like to train in a two-sword style- cutlasses are a good length and weight for this- and I like complex and basket-hilted swords. Beyond that, 'cutlass fever' is as good an explanation as any!
I've been particularly interested in the Windlass offerings because they have 26" blades, whereas most of the others readily available here in Australia are at least 1.5" shorter. None of the Aussie vendors seemed to carry them, however, and I was about to make some other purchases. Then I discovered that at least two vendors in New Zealand carried a good range of Windlass products, and coincidentally my wife and daughter were making a trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud over easter. Emails were sent, payment made, and the wait began.
Hayden Blackburn, of WarGod, was very helpful and informative. He was offering free shipping within New Zealand, so I had the swords sent to my wife's relatives in Christchurch. They hadn't arrived a couple of weeks after the e-check cleared so I contacted him and he replied within hours. It turned out that the NZ post had misdirected the parcel, and he immediately sent replacement swords, which arrived within two days. Excellent customer service, and I'd have no hesitation in dealing with him again.
I'd contacted Australian customs beforehand, and determined that there was no duty or GST payable, my wife had a printout of the PayPal invoice to prove the purchase price, and passage through customs was uneventful.
I paid $285 NZD, with free shipping within New Zealand.
Historical Overview
Caveat- I'm a sword-history tyro! My research has been done almost wholly on the 'net, so take it with salt.
Although labeled a pirate sword, this cutlass seems to be based on a French model naval cutlass introduced in 1833 , which in turn is derived from an earlier 1801 pattern.
French 1833 Pattern Cutlass
These were copied by many nations (the US 1860 pattern cutlass is an example), and remained in use for almost a century. The French examples I've seen all seem to have blackened steel guards and shells, but others often use brass, as is the case with this sword. The blade on the original sword pictured is 28.5", but blade lengths seem to have varied somewhat, and most of the examples I've found listed on auction sites quote a 26" blade. I've never examined an original sword of this type, and online resources are lacking in details such as weight, POB and distal taper. I'm unable to judge how accurately this sword represents original weapons.
Although primarily naval weapons, and dating over a century after the Golden Age of Piracy, swords such as this are commonly associated with pirates in popular culture and Windlass' name reflects that, I imagine. However, this sword probably wouldn't be too out-of-place in the hands of an early 19th century privateer.
Initial Impressions
No pics, but my wife tells me that the swords were packed very well, individually wrapped in bubble wrap and secured firmly inside the box. Of the two swords I'd bought (the other is the Pirate Captain Hanger, review to follow), this was the one for which I had the least expectations. I'd heard a couple of stories about loose grips and poor finish on the guard. I bought it with the idea of re-hilting a prominent possibility. I was pleasantly surprised. My first impressions were of an attractive sword with a good feel and a very nice blade. It was very shiny! The only negative point was a ridge on the 'butt plate' [the brass fitting over the end of the grip where the pommel would be if there was one]. This ridge dug into the heel of my hand quite uncomfortably. It would have to go! The blade was nicely polished, almost to a mirror finish, with no waves or grind-marks noticeable. One or two minor cosmetic blemishes were to be seen, but nothing to bother me unduly. There was certainly authority in the blade presence, but in no way did it feel unwieldy. I was happy.
Statistics- Shortlist
-Blade length 664mm / 26.14"
-Grip length 110mm / 4.3"
-Overall length 807mm / 31.8"
-POB 147mm / 5.75" from guard
-PoP~ 475mm / 18.75" from guard
Statistics- Detailed
Overall Length
= 807mm / 31.8" without scabbard
= 830mm / 32.7" with scabbard
Blade
length 664mm / 26.14"
width @ basket 41mm / 1.6"
width @ termination of fuller 34mm / 1.33"
thickness @ basket ~ 4.5mm / 0.177"
thickness @ termination of fuller ~ 3mm / 0.118"
curve (sori) ~ 14mm / 0.55"
Fuller
begins 10mm /0.39" from basket
finishes 164mm / 6.45" from tip
extends 490mm / 19.3"
width tapers from 30mm - 25mm / 1.18" - 1"
Unsharpened edge ~ 0.5mm /0.02" and less
False edge ~ 150mm / 6"
Hilt
140mm / 5,5", end of tang button to front of basket
110mm / 4.3" grip [inside of basket to knucklebow terminus]
79mm / 3.1" side of grip to inside of basket
52mm / 2" bottom of grip to inside of knucklebow
~ 4.5mm / 0.18" thick 'crossguard'
grip 29x22mm at guard, tapering to 24x20mm at the knucklebow terminus
tang button 8.5mm / 0.33" long x 11mm / 0.43" diameter
tang 3/16" (~ 4.76mm)
Scabbard
overall - 686mm / 27" long
throat - 50mm / 2" wide, 17mm / 0.7" thick, 50mm / 2" long
chape - 87mm / 3.4" long
Weight
with scabbard - 1.17kg / 2.6lb
without scabbard - 944g / 2.1lb
POB = 147mm / 5.75" from guard
POP ~ 475mm / 18.75" from guard
Components
The Blade
At first glance, I thought there was no distal taper to this blade, but the measurements show otherwise. The taper is slight but it is there, and probably does affect the handling of the sword. The profile is gradually tapered to the end of the fuller, and then sweeps more sharply to the point. The curve is even throughout the blades length.
The fuller is broad, covering the entire width of the blade from back to bevel. The unfullered foible ("pointy end") possesses a false edge and is lenticular in section, terminating in a strong but wicked point. The not-quite-mirror finish is even and well executed. There are a couple of minor flaws in the polish, but you have to look hard to find them. The blade flexes to the limit of my strength, about 4" from true, and returns to straight. I purchased the sword unsharpened, and it arrived with what I gather is the typical Windlass edge, about 0.5mm. The blade was the thing I primarily bought this sword for, and it exceeded my expectations.
The Handle
The grip is an unidentified hardwood, with a nice but unspectacular grain pattern. If there is any finish it's of the 'soak-in' variety. The surface is smooth but not gloss. Slipping doesn't seem to be an issue, for me at least. The profile is a bevel-edged rectangle, and tapers smoothly in both dimensions to the butt-plate. It feels good in my hands, but might be a bit big for those with smaller mitts. I've heard a few stories about these grips being loose, but mine has shown no sign of movement so far.
The Guard
I'd heard from one vendor that he was no longer stocking these swords because of "gold paint" flaking off the guard, so I was curious to see how mine would be. The color is more polished-brass than gold, but the guard is coated in a thick lacquer. It's pretty well done, on my sword at least, and it actually took me a while to determine that it was in fact a thick-ish color-coat, and not just a thin, clear gloss-coat. It certainly shows no signs of flaking off, though a bit of rough-and-tumble use could change that. It's very, very shiny, and not really to my taste. It'll probably not be too hard to remove, if that's what I decide to do. Under the lacquer, the guard is brass, with the oval crossguard and t-section knucklebow molded as one, and the side-shell riveted to them. This seems to be the same construction as on the originals. I don't have calipers to determine the thickness of the side shell- to my fingers it feels about 16 gauge. The outer edge of the shell is strengthened by a 4mm turn-out. I can find no flaws in the construction or molding. Everything is tight and immovable.
The Pommel
These swords don't have a pommel, as such. The terminal end of the grip is fitted into an angled brass sleeve, of the same section as the grip. The closed end of this sleeve, the "butt plate", has a 2mm rim or flange. The end of the knucklebow slots into this sleeve, but without disassembling the hilt, I don't know if it attaches to the tang. The tang itself protrudes through the end of the of the sleeve and the whole is fixed by a substantial screw-on tang-button, which I assume is also brass. The tang-button is cylindrical, and I can't imagine how it was tightened, or how I'll take it off if/when I decide to, but the whole assembly is quite firm for the moment.
The Scabbard
The scabbard is 4mm leather, and seems to be vegetable tanned from the color. It's dyed black on the outside, with two embossed lines on each side as the only decoration. The stitching is very even and tight. The brass throat and chape are unadorned and coated with the same lacquer as the guard. Overall, plain and utilitarian, but not unattractive. The fit to the blade is ok, but as one expects with a leather scabbard not overly secure.
Please forgive the pictures. My camera is old and cheap, as is its owner!
i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr15/Poohze001/Pirate%20Companion%20Sword/ID500180-001.jpg[/img]
Handling
As mentioned above, the flange on the butt-plate of the 'pommel sleeve' dug uncomfortably into the heel of my hand on initial handling, but once removed this sword again exceeded my expectations. It's not a light or quick weapon for its length, but it's not a crowbar either. It moved well in drills, with enough blade presence to suggest decent cutting performance once sharpened. Not a sword for subtle finger and wrist work (unless you have fore-arms of steel!), but one that responds well when used as it was designed. I think I'd be happier if the POB were about an inch closer to the hilt, but maybe that would diminish its cutting ability.
As an aside, the side-shell doesn't interfere in the slightest with left-handed use. Using the sword left-handed looks weird but feels just fine.
Test Cutting
I'm not able to post any vids just yet (old decrepit camera and lack of time), but will add them later if I get the chance.
This is the first sword I've cut with, so I've got little with which to make any comparisons. The blade certainly takes a decent edge, and I'm quite pleased with its performance. I tried it out on 1-liter milk bottles (very thin PET), 1.5-liter soft-drink bottles (slightly thicker PET) and 1-liter UHT cartons (laminated paper-foil-plastic), all water-filled. I obtained good, clean cuts on all these targets, and even managed to leave some of the carton's bases on the stand (which is only 1.75" x 2.75 ").
That's the way it landed!
The broad, curved blade seems an efficient design for achieving a good cut, and even inexperienced as I am, I had little trouble keeping the edge tracking correctly. There were no marks left on the blade by these light targets.
Thrusting through the cartons was effortless, as you'd expect, and I found the point quite easy to control, as long as I didn't try anything too fancy.
One thing that surprised the heck out of me is the sound this blade makes as it cuts. I'm not able to make any direct comparisons yet, but having watched a lot of cutting vids, the only other sword I can recall that made such a sweet ringing noise in a cut was one of Ricwilly's (iirc?). As I experience cutting with more swords, I'll be able to judge how unusual this is, but it's a really nice feature of the weapon. If I can post a vid later, I'll try to capture the sound as well.
The ones that left their bases on the stand for a second cut
Recycling carnage!
Conclusions
This sword exceeded my expectations. I bought it with more than half a mind to rehilting the blade, but I'm quite pleased with it as it is, and may just leave it that way. So far, I haven't had any problems with loose grips or guards, as others seem to have. Cutlasses and other swords of this type are sometimes called 'short sabers', and the curved blade of this weapon suits that description particularly well, with it's broad fuller and wicked point. The guard is basic and functional, as befits a naval cutlass, with a high-gloss color-coat that will probably chip off with use, and is startlingly shiny. The grip is attractive and comfortable, if plain. The scabbard is nothing special to look at and leather, but well-made for what it is. I'm satisfied with the sword's handling and performance.
Pros
Very nice blade
Tight construction (on mine, at least)
Nice feel and good cutting performance
Beautiful ringing in the cut!
Cons
Leather scabbard
Glossy color-coat on hilt
Flange on butt-cap interferes with handling (with my enormous paws, anyway)
Screw-held tang, if that bothers you
The Bottom Line
Windlass seem to be discontinuing this sword, which makes it even cheaper than usual in the close-out sale. If you like short-saber type swords, and want a fun little cutter at a minimal price, or a really nice blade for re-hilting, I would recommend this weapon highly. It's not pretty or fancy, but it's a lot of fun to use!
Thanks! This is my first review, so constructive criticism is more than welcome.
Cheers
Marc E
by Marc Pengryffyn (aka Marc E Poohze), Canberra, Australia, May 2009
Introduction
I started exhibiting the symptoms of cutlass fever almost a year ago. At first I'd just glance at them while looking at other basket hilted swords. But soon the examinations became more lingering, and then I started actually seeking them out. Eventually I found myself entering the word "cutlass" into search engines, and even... watching pirate movies .
Really, I don't know why cutlasses have become such an interest for me recently. Part of the attraction is probably that I like to train in a two-sword style- cutlasses are a good length and weight for this- and I like complex and basket-hilted swords. Beyond that, 'cutlass fever' is as good an explanation as any!
I've been particularly interested in the Windlass offerings because they have 26" blades, whereas most of the others readily available here in Australia are at least 1.5" shorter. None of the Aussie vendors seemed to carry them, however, and I was about to make some other purchases. Then I discovered that at least two vendors in New Zealand carried a good range of Windlass products, and coincidentally my wife and daughter were making a trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud over easter. Emails were sent, payment made, and the wait began.
Hayden Blackburn, of WarGod, was very helpful and informative. He was offering free shipping within New Zealand, so I had the swords sent to my wife's relatives in Christchurch. They hadn't arrived a couple of weeks after the e-check cleared so I contacted him and he replied within hours. It turned out that the NZ post had misdirected the parcel, and he immediately sent replacement swords, which arrived within two days. Excellent customer service, and I'd have no hesitation in dealing with him again.
I'd contacted Australian customs beforehand, and determined that there was no duty or GST payable, my wife had a printout of the PayPal invoice to prove the purchase price, and passage through customs was uneventful.
I paid $285 NZD, with free shipping within New Zealand.
Historical Overview
Caveat- I'm a sword-history tyro! My research has been done almost wholly on the 'net, so take it with salt.
Although labeled a pirate sword, this cutlass seems to be based on a French model naval cutlass introduced in 1833 , which in turn is derived from an earlier 1801 pattern.
French 1833 Pattern Cutlass
These were copied by many nations (the US 1860 pattern cutlass is an example), and remained in use for almost a century. The French examples I've seen all seem to have blackened steel guards and shells, but others often use brass, as is the case with this sword. The blade on the original sword pictured is 28.5", but blade lengths seem to have varied somewhat, and most of the examples I've found listed on auction sites quote a 26" blade. I've never examined an original sword of this type, and online resources are lacking in details such as weight, POB and distal taper. I'm unable to judge how accurately this sword represents original weapons.
Although primarily naval weapons, and dating over a century after the Golden Age of Piracy, swords such as this are commonly associated with pirates in popular culture and Windlass' name reflects that, I imagine. However, this sword probably wouldn't be too out-of-place in the hands of an early 19th century privateer.
Initial Impressions
No pics, but my wife tells me that the swords were packed very well, individually wrapped in bubble wrap and secured firmly inside the box. Of the two swords I'd bought (the other is the Pirate Captain Hanger, review to follow), this was the one for which I had the least expectations. I'd heard a couple of stories about loose grips and poor finish on the guard. I bought it with the idea of re-hilting a prominent possibility. I was pleasantly surprised. My first impressions were of an attractive sword with a good feel and a very nice blade. It was very shiny! The only negative point was a ridge on the 'butt plate' [the brass fitting over the end of the grip where the pommel would be if there was one]. This ridge dug into the heel of my hand quite uncomfortably. It would have to go! The blade was nicely polished, almost to a mirror finish, with no waves or grind-marks noticeable. One or two minor cosmetic blemishes were to be seen, but nothing to bother me unduly. There was certainly authority in the blade presence, but in no way did it feel unwieldy. I was happy.
Statistics- Shortlist
-Blade length 664mm / 26.14"
-Grip length 110mm / 4.3"
-Overall length 807mm / 31.8"
-POB 147mm / 5.75" from guard
-PoP~ 475mm / 18.75" from guard
Statistics- Detailed
Overall Length
= 807mm / 31.8" without scabbard
= 830mm / 32.7" with scabbard
Blade
length 664mm / 26.14"
width @ basket 41mm / 1.6"
width @ termination of fuller 34mm / 1.33"
thickness @ basket ~ 4.5mm / 0.177"
thickness @ termination of fuller ~ 3mm / 0.118"
curve (sori) ~ 14mm / 0.55"
Fuller
begins 10mm /0.39" from basket
finishes 164mm / 6.45" from tip
extends 490mm / 19.3"
width tapers from 30mm - 25mm / 1.18" - 1"
Unsharpened edge ~ 0.5mm /0.02" and less
False edge ~ 150mm / 6"
Hilt
140mm / 5,5", end of tang button to front of basket
110mm / 4.3" grip [inside of basket to knucklebow terminus]
79mm / 3.1" side of grip to inside of basket
52mm / 2" bottom of grip to inside of knucklebow
~ 4.5mm / 0.18" thick 'crossguard'
grip 29x22mm at guard, tapering to 24x20mm at the knucklebow terminus
tang button 8.5mm / 0.33" long x 11mm / 0.43" diameter
tang 3/16" (~ 4.76mm)
Scabbard
overall - 686mm / 27" long
throat - 50mm / 2" wide, 17mm / 0.7" thick, 50mm / 2" long
chape - 87mm / 3.4" long
Weight
with scabbard - 1.17kg / 2.6lb
without scabbard - 944g / 2.1lb
POB = 147mm / 5.75" from guard
POP ~ 475mm / 18.75" from guard
Components
The Blade
At first glance, I thought there was no distal taper to this blade, but the measurements show otherwise. The taper is slight but it is there, and probably does affect the handling of the sword. The profile is gradually tapered to the end of the fuller, and then sweeps more sharply to the point. The curve is even throughout the blades length.
The fuller is broad, covering the entire width of the blade from back to bevel. The unfullered foible ("pointy end") possesses a false edge and is lenticular in section, terminating in a strong but wicked point. The not-quite-mirror finish is even and well executed. There are a couple of minor flaws in the polish, but you have to look hard to find them. The blade flexes to the limit of my strength, about 4" from true, and returns to straight. I purchased the sword unsharpened, and it arrived with what I gather is the typical Windlass edge, about 0.5mm. The blade was the thing I primarily bought this sword for, and it exceeded my expectations.
The Handle
The grip is an unidentified hardwood, with a nice but unspectacular grain pattern. If there is any finish it's of the 'soak-in' variety. The surface is smooth but not gloss. Slipping doesn't seem to be an issue, for me at least. The profile is a bevel-edged rectangle, and tapers smoothly in both dimensions to the butt-plate. It feels good in my hands, but might be a bit big for those with smaller mitts. I've heard a few stories about these grips being loose, but mine has shown no sign of movement so far.
The Guard
I'd heard from one vendor that he was no longer stocking these swords because of "gold paint" flaking off the guard, so I was curious to see how mine would be. The color is more polished-brass than gold, but the guard is coated in a thick lacquer. It's pretty well done, on my sword at least, and it actually took me a while to determine that it was in fact a thick-ish color-coat, and not just a thin, clear gloss-coat. It certainly shows no signs of flaking off, though a bit of rough-and-tumble use could change that. It's very, very shiny, and not really to my taste. It'll probably not be too hard to remove, if that's what I decide to do. Under the lacquer, the guard is brass, with the oval crossguard and t-section knucklebow molded as one, and the side-shell riveted to them. This seems to be the same construction as on the originals. I don't have calipers to determine the thickness of the side shell- to my fingers it feels about 16 gauge. The outer edge of the shell is strengthened by a 4mm turn-out. I can find no flaws in the construction or molding. Everything is tight and immovable.
The Pommel
These swords don't have a pommel, as such. The terminal end of the grip is fitted into an angled brass sleeve, of the same section as the grip. The closed end of this sleeve, the "butt plate", has a 2mm rim or flange. The end of the knucklebow slots into this sleeve, but without disassembling the hilt, I don't know if it attaches to the tang. The tang itself protrudes through the end of the of the sleeve and the whole is fixed by a substantial screw-on tang-button, which I assume is also brass. The tang-button is cylindrical, and I can't imagine how it was tightened, or how I'll take it off if/when I decide to, but the whole assembly is quite firm for the moment.
The Scabbard
The scabbard is 4mm leather, and seems to be vegetable tanned from the color. It's dyed black on the outside, with two embossed lines on each side as the only decoration. The stitching is very even and tight. The brass throat and chape are unadorned and coated with the same lacquer as the guard. Overall, plain and utilitarian, but not unattractive. The fit to the blade is ok, but as one expects with a leather scabbard not overly secure.
Please forgive the pictures. My camera is old and cheap, as is its owner!
i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr15/Poohze001/Pirate%20Companion%20Sword/ID500180-001.jpg[/img]
Handling
As mentioned above, the flange on the butt-plate of the 'pommel sleeve' dug uncomfortably into the heel of my hand on initial handling, but once removed this sword again exceeded my expectations. It's not a light or quick weapon for its length, but it's not a crowbar either. It moved well in drills, with enough blade presence to suggest decent cutting performance once sharpened. Not a sword for subtle finger and wrist work (unless you have fore-arms of steel!), but one that responds well when used as it was designed. I think I'd be happier if the POB were about an inch closer to the hilt, but maybe that would diminish its cutting ability.
As an aside, the side-shell doesn't interfere in the slightest with left-handed use. Using the sword left-handed looks weird but feels just fine.
Test Cutting
I'm not able to post any vids just yet (old decrepit camera and lack of time), but will add them later if I get the chance.
This is the first sword I've cut with, so I've got little with which to make any comparisons. The blade certainly takes a decent edge, and I'm quite pleased with its performance. I tried it out on 1-liter milk bottles (very thin PET), 1.5-liter soft-drink bottles (slightly thicker PET) and 1-liter UHT cartons (laminated paper-foil-plastic), all water-filled. I obtained good, clean cuts on all these targets, and even managed to leave some of the carton's bases on the stand (which is only 1.75" x 2.75 ").
That's the way it landed!
The broad, curved blade seems an efficient design for achieving a good cut, and even inexperienced as I am, I had little trouble keeping the edge tracking correctly. There were no marks left on the blade by these light targets.
Thrusting through the cartons was effortless, as you'd expect, and I found the point quite easy to control, as long as I didn't try anything too fancy.
One thing that surprised the heck out of me is the sound this blade makes as it cuts. I'm not able to make any direct comparisons yet, but having watched a lot of cutting vids, the only other sword I can recall that made such a sweet ringing noise in a cut was one of Ricwilly's (iirc?). As I experience cutting with more swords, I'll be able to judge how unusual this is, but it's a really nice feature of the weapon. If I can post a vid later, I'll try to capture the sound as well.
The ones that left their bases on the stand for a second cut
Recycling carnage!
Conclusions
This sword exceeded my expectations. I bought it with more than half a mind to rehilting the blade, but I'm quite pleased with it as it is, and may just leave it that way. So far, I haven't had any problems with loose grips or guards, as others seem to have. Cutlasses and other swords of this type are sometimes called 'short sabers', and the curved blade of this weapon suits that description particularly well, with it's broad fuller and wicked point. The guard is basic and functional, as befits a naval cutlass, with a high-gloss color-coat that will probably chip off with use, and is startlingly shiny. The grip is attractive and comfortable, if plain. The scabbard is nothing special to look at and leather, but well-made for what it is. I'm satisfied with the sword's handling and performance.
Pros
Very nice blade
Tight construction (on mine, at least)
Nice feel and good cutting performance
Beautiful ringing in the cut!
Cons
Leather scabbard
Glossy color-coat on hilt
Flange on butt-cap interferes with handling (with my enormous paws, anyway)
Screw-held tang, if that bothers you
The Bottom Line
Windlass seem to be discontinuing this sword, which makes it even cheaper than usual in the close-out sale. If you like short-saber type swords, and want a fun little cutter at a minimal price, or a really nice blade for re-hilting, I would recommend this weapon highly. It's not pretty or fancy, but it's a lot of fun to use!
Thanks! This is my first review, so constructive criticism is more than welcome.
Cheers
Marc E