Review - Valiant Armory / Atrim I-Beam trainer
Jul 8, 2009 2:23:13 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2009 2:23:13 GMT
Valiant Armory / Atrim I-Beam longsword trainer (Take II)
by Bill Goodwin - Roanoke,Va
I have been in the market for some time for another blunt longsword trainer. After much flip-flopping on other swords, research, sleepless nights and finally reading the initial review by Odingaard, I chose the Valiant Armory / Atrim I-Beam trainer. With the growth of our longsword study group and my personal growth with leading the group, I felt the need for a blunt longsword a bit better than the Hanwei Practical hand and a half I've been using for so long. My budget didn't allow a Albion or Arms & Armour, so the V-A / Atrim fit well into that sub-$300 mark. I had to actually sell one of my antique swords to fund this venture. Ordered from Ryan @ KOA , it arrived in quick time (as usual) and packed well.
FIRST IMPRESSION:
Well right out of the box I was pleased with the weight. After close inspection and the initial flex test, I noticed some cosmetics boo-boo's (which I'll get too later). After dash to the backyard and a few swings, first handling was nice.
STATISTICS:
Weight: 2.8 lbs
Overall length: 46 3/8"
Blade: 35"
Blade width: 1 1/2" to 3/4"
Grip: 9 1/8"
Guard: 8 1/2"
Pommel: 1 3/4" dia.
P.O.B. : 4 3/4"
C.O.P. : 24"
BLADE:
The unique blade of this sword and the deep single fuller is for the most part very well done. The squared edges were a bit too squared and actually a bit sharp, but some 80 grit emery cloth and 10 minutes later, they are now more workable and IMO safer for partner drills and sparring. The well rounded tip is a big plus for safety in my book.
A couple of minor aesthetic problems consisted of a small scratch in the black enameled fuller and the ending of the fuller on one side not too even. I'm not placing too much emphasis on these being that the performance is the meat of this sword in the long run.
GRIP:
Another set of aesthetic mis-haps here. The leather at the ends of the grip are a bit "clumpy" and the stitching is a little un-even. Again not going to gruff about those much. The length and feel of the grip fits my taste well. The wooden/cord under leather wrapped grip at first feels a bit like plastic because its wrapped / glued so tight. Going through solo drills and a good day at longsword study group it's really held up well and feels better the more time using it.
GUARD:
The brushed finish of the steel guard is well done and the length is another aspect I like about this sword, plus it helps accent the look of the whole sword.
POMMEL:
Though considerably smaller than the Hanwei Practical h & h I've been used to using, it too, is another feature of this sword I truly like. The allen nut screw which holds the whole hilt in place is a grand thing. The ease of break-down and re-assembly is refreshing and studier than I expected. (a scent stopper or fish-tail pommel would be really cool in my book)
SCABBARD: N/A
HANDLING:
This is where the V-A / Atrim I-Beam shines. Initial handling suggested a bit tip heavy, but after more workout time with it doing both solo drill work-outs and a hefty go at practice, it has been grand. The edges suffered next to no damage with edge to edge and flat to edge contact. Tip response is nice and the overall sword reaction in strikes , thrusts, and slice movements are executed with little effort. The flex of the blade is a real treat for me. Having handled the Hanwei practical, a Albion Meyer, a A & A Spada da Zogho and a Hanwei / Tinker blunt longsword, I feel this is a great medium offering from V-A.
TEST CUTTING: N/A
CONCLUSION:
The Valiant Armory Atrim I-Beam is a great value ($189.00 from KOA), very nice handling, well made (for the most part)low / medium level longsword blunt trainer. For anyone starting / wanting to learn medieval longsword and for those of intermediate / advance stages of study, I would greatly recommend this sword. It offers the quailty and handling of more higher end trainers while being more user freindly and price savvy for those on a budget.
COMPARISON
Just a comparison photos of the trainers I use for different aspects of my WMA / HES longsword studies.
PROS:
sub$300 price tag (really sub $200)
good handling qualities
good quality / function of the blade
CONS:
Again, the leather wrap / gathering at the ends of the grip could have been a bit more tiddy.
the un-even endings of the fuller.
the extremely squared edges are not real suitable for unarmored drills or sparring, but I guess that's where the "I-Beam" title derives from.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I am , overall, very pleased with with sword. Being my first sword from Valiant Armory it has solidified what others have been saying about the swords coming from them. The function of this sword was / is my main concern and I don't think I'll be let down by it and look forward to a growing relationship with it and possibly other swords from Valiant Armory.
by Bill Goodwin - Roanoke,Va
I have been in the market for some time for another blunt longsword trainer. After much flip-flopping on other swords, research, sleepless nights and finally reading the initial review by Odingaard, I chose the Valiant Armory / Atrim I-Beam trainer. With the growth of our longsword study group and my personal growth with leading the group, I felt the need for a blunt longsword a bit better than the Hanwei Practical hand and a half I've been using for so long. My budget didn't allow a Albion or Arms & Armour, so the V-A / Atrim fit well into that sub-$300 mark. I had to actually sell one of my antique swords to fund this venture. Ordered from Ryan @ KOA , it arrived in quick time (as usual) and packed well.
FIRST IMPRESSION:
Well right out of the box I was pleased with the weight. After close inspection and the initial flex test, I noticed some cosmetics boo-boo's (which I'll get too later). After dash to the backyard and a few swings, first handling was nice.
STATISTICS:
Weight: 2.8 lbs
Overall length: 46 3/8"
Blade: 35"
Blade width: 1 1/2" to 3/4"
Grip: 9 1/8"
Guard: 8 1/2"
Pommel: 1 3/4" dia.
P.O.B. : 4 3/4"
C.O.P. : 24"
BLADE:
The unique blade of this sword and the deep single fuller is for the most part very well done. The squared edges were a bit too squared and actually a bit sharp, but some 80 grit emery cloth and 10 minutes later, they are now more workable and IMO safer for partner drills and sparring. The well rounded tip is a big plus for safety in my book.
A couple of minor aesthetic problems consisted of a small scratch in the black enameled fuller and the ending of the fuller on one side not too even. I'm not placing too much emphasis on these being that the performance is the meat of this sword in the long run.
GRIP:
Another set of aesthetic mis-haps here. The leather at the ends of the grip are a bit "clumpy" and the stitching is a little un-even. Again not going to gruff about those much. The length and feel of the grip fits my taste well. The wooden/cord under leather wrapped grip at first feels a bit like plastic because its wrapped / glued so tight. Going through solo drills and a good day at longsword study group it's really held up well and feels better the more time using it.
GUARD:
The brushed finish of the steel guard is well done and the length is another aspect I like about this sword, plus it helps accent the look of the whole sword.
POMMEL:
Though considerably smaller than the Hanwei Practical h & h I've been used to using, it too, is another feature of this sword I truly like. The allen nut screw which holds the whole hilt in place is a grand thing. The ease of break-down and re-assembly is refreshing and studier than I expected. (a scent stopper or fish-tail pommel would be really cool in my book)
SCABBARD: N/A
HANDLING:
This is where the V-A / Atrim I-Beam shines. Initial handling suggested a bit tip heavy, but after more workout time with it doing both solo drill work-outs and a hefty go at practice, it has been grand. The edges suffered next to no damage with edge to edge and flat to edge contact. Tip response is nice and the overall sword reaction in strikes , thrusts, and slice movements are executed with little effort. The flex of the blade is a real treat for me. Having handled the Hanwei practical, a Albion Meyer, a A & A Spada da Zogho and a Hanwei / Tinker blunt longsword, I feel this is a great medium offering from V-A.
TEST CUTTING: N/A
CONCLUSION:
The Valiant Armory Atrim I-Beam is a great value ($189.00 from KOA), very nice handling, well made (for the most part)low / medium level longsword blunt trainer. For anyone starting / wanting to learn medieval longsword and for those of intermediate / advance stages of study, I would greatly recommend this sword. It offers the quailty and handling of more higher end trainers while being more user freindly and price savvy for those on a budget.
COMPARISON
Just a comparison photos of the trainers I use for different aspects of my WMA / HES longsword studies.
PROS:
sub$300 price tag (really sub $200)
good handling qualities
good quality / function of the blade
CONS:
Again, the leather wrap / gathering at the ends of the grip could have been a bit more tiddy.
the un-even endings of the fuller.
the extremely squared edges are not real suitable for unarmored drills or sparring, but I guess that's where the "I-Beam" title derives from.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I am , overall, very pleased with with sword. Being my first sword from Valiant Armory it has solidified what others have been saying about the swords coming from them. The function of this sword was / is my main concern and I don't think I'll be let down by it and look forward to a growing relationship with it and possibly other swords from Valiant Armory.