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Post by ShooterMike on Apr 25, 2007 23:30:55 GMT
Generation 2 Halfling I've had a thing for the Generation 2 Halfling sword since I first saw it on the Imperial Weapons website. I had always intended to order one when I first began collecting swords last year. Unfortunately, they were a limited run item and were all gone before I got a chance to order one. I did get around to calling to order a Halfling but unfortunately Clyde Hollis, the owner of Imperial Weapons and manufacturer of the Generation 2 line of swords, imparted the sad news that he didn't have any left and didn't know of any vendors who had any either. While Clyde Hollis and I were talking I mentioned Scarborough Faire being near my home, only an hour and a half away. He said one of his oldest dealers had a permanent building on the ground...sort of a big rock structure. Their name being Wild Wolf Forge. As luck would have it, someone at work gave me two free passes to Scarborough Faire. One of the first places I went looking for was Wild Wolf Forge. To say they had a "big rock building" was an understatement! These guys are living history reenactors of a group of Landsknechts who occupied Rome for a number of years, then after a long story ended up settling on the border of England and Scotland, in the employ of the English kings. Their building is a recreation of a Landsknecht's hold (a small castle for a small group to defend) that was built in England! And it is a beauty. So...while I was standing around chatting with this fellow about all kind of Landsknecht history and really getting a deep lesson on what it was like to be a Landsknecht, I spied a familiar-shaped object sitting on a side shelf on top of a bunch or misc. armor and such. HEY! THAT'S A GEN2 HALFLING SITTING THERE!!! And it was too. So quick as a wink, while listening to my ardent new friend telling me about all kinds of interesting and cool Landsknecht stuff, I whipped out my tired and overly abused credit card and SNATCHED UP this little Halfling sword. For just under $200 I think I even got a good deal. SpecsBlade: 15" Hilt: 7" Overall: 22" Guard Height: 5.5" POB: 0.0" from where blade meets guard COP: N/A as it cuts just about anywhere HiltThe grip is bare, stained wood with a mix of black and dark brown grain. I don't usually care for bare wood grips on a sword, but I really like the way this hilt feels in the hand. In fact, it would be perfect for just about any single-hand sword as long as the pommel was weighted properly. It feels that good. The size is just right, and the cross section exhibits a perfect oval-ish shape with some very minor ridges and flat spots in just the right places for control. I think I must be part Hobbit 'cause this thing seems like it was made just for me. ;D The guard is an interesting affair, with stepped sides that form sort of a leaf-shaped appearance. In hand, it just feels "right." BladeThe Halfling has a blade style called an "Elven Leafblade" which is shaped like a...leaf. The blade has a diamond cross section and measures .250" at the guard end. It has a distal taper of about 40% in 14 inches, so that the cross sectional thickness one inch behind the tip is .150". The distal taper and the curving lines of the edges make this a pretty complex blade to manufacture. And as we shall see, it adds up to performance far beyond what I expected from a blade of only 15 inches length. ScabbardThe scabbard is a very nice piece. I would rate this scabbard far above any other scabbard I have seen with a Generation 2 sword. The lines are very tasteful and the metal fittings border on works of art. The curving lines and swirls are obvious in the photos. And the tip chape is something I wish came on all Generation 2 scabbards. It is truly a beauty and reminds me of something from Tritonworks scabbards. All the details are done well, even the cord riser in the middle of the scabbard, which works to hold the scabbard securely in your belt when you draw the sword. This scabbard is something you would expect to buy separately and pay a significant price for. NOTE: Clyde, please make any new swords with scabbards like this. The chape alone would give them considerable added cachet. CuttingI didn't really think this would be much of a cutting sword since it is so short. I figured, hey this is a mean little stabber. If it was really sharp it would probably slice pretty well. But cut with power? Nah. I decided to give it a try anyway. First I tested it on an ancient Elven blade testing technique... waterbottleshigiri. Waterbottleshigiri testingSatisfied that it could hold it's own against waterbottleorcs I proceeded to an old favorite with forumites...the gallon milk jug. Please forgive the dorky and overly-theatrical nature of this video. And the small size, as I couldn't get it under 100Mb otherwise. Gallon Jug CuttingLastly, I felt I had to really give this little short sword a chance to show what it could do. I setup a Swordfodder Master target on the Swordfodder cutting stand and gave it a run. Just a word of introduction on these targets. The folks who own Swordfodder.com are dedicated tamishigiri and WMA practitioners. They were searching for a close replacement for tatami omote that didn't require the pre-cutting time to soak and the wet mess to clean up. I really like the synthetic material they settled on. It is easy to setup and a breeze to clean up. They sell two types of target, the student target and the master target. I had originally intended to use a student target for testing the Halfling as it is easier to cut, but I ran out and all I had left was a couple of master targets. Besides the ease of setup and cleanup, there are two things I really like about these targets. The first is the way they provide immediate feedback on your technique. If you cut properly, with proper edge alignment and draw, you will be rewarded with a cut that is straight and clean. However, it your edge alignment is off it will look like you "batted" the target. And if you stop drawing the sword during the cut the target will "grab" your blade. Since I am not a great cutter, you will of course see both these things happen to varying degrees in this shortened version of the video. Halfling Cutting Swordfodder Master TargetConclusionAs you may have guessed, I like this short sword a lot. Not only am I glad I bought it, if I ever see another at a good price I would probably buy it too. I recommend this sword without reservation to anyone.
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Post by rammstein on Apr 26, 2007 0:07:34 GMT
now THAT is a dern pretty sword. I don't know what to say, but it looks like we've discovered yet another Jewel from gen2, huh ?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2007 0:22:50 GMT
Is it really flattened diamond cross-section? It looks hollow-ground in the pics... or is that just an illusion?
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Post by jpfranco on Apr 26, 2007 0:23:22 GMT
On some of the pictures the blade seems to have been blued!?!?!?! Has it? Anyway, that is a beatiful little sword!
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Post by ShooterMike on Apr 26, 2007 1:47:37 GMT
Is it really flattened diamond cross-section? It looks hollow-ground in the pics... or is that just an illusion? I see what you mean in the photos, but yeah, it's flattened diamond with a very minor secondary bevel. The central rib is very sharp and pronounced. I think that's what gives it that hollow-ground look. On some of the pictures the blade seems to have been blued!?!?!?! Has it? Anyway, that is a beatiful little sword! It began as highly polished, but it's been kicking around with WWF for a couple of years. It had some minor scuffs and a bit of corrosion when I bought it, so I did a very quick rough polish with 400 grit before photographing it. It still needs a good polishing with 600 grit and then steel wool/oil compounding. In the vertical picture, the dark color on the blade is the reflection of an oak tree. And thank you, I like it very much! ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2007 2:20:34 GMT
Where can i buy one of these beuties online? its a very nice blade.
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Post by ShooterMike on Apr 26, 2007 2:56:55 GMT
Where can i buy one of these beuties online? its a very nice blade. I wish I knew. Before I found this one, I did a little internet searching and had no luck. I guess the fallback plan could be to check out ebay a couple of times each week, maybe?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2007 2:57:17 GMT
Shootermike is mean - you CAN'T get one of these beauties online anymore, unless you get really lucky on ebay, but I doubt it'll happen.
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Post by ShooterMike on Apr 26, 2007 3:08:10 GMT
Yeah, I kinda have a mean streak. I thought about just keeping this to myself. But I just couldn't. It handles so sweet I just had to yakkity-yak about it. And I got a "last year's display model" video camera for like 60% off so, well....you know.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2007 21:12:02 GMT
On some of the pictures the blade seems to have been blued!?!?!?! Has it? Anyway, that is a beatiful little sword! Halfling swords are made of a special elven alloy which glows blue in the presence of orcs ;D
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2007 15:50:36 GMT
On some of the pictures the blade seems to have been blued!?!?!?! Has it? Anyway, that is a beatiful little sword! Halfling swords are made of a special elven alloy which glows blue in the presence of orcs ;D one more mistake the lord of the rings movies made, they forgot that Glamdring glows near orcs as well as Sting P.S. this alloy will also shoot lighting at nearby balrogs
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Post by YlliwCir on Aug 24, 2007 19:18:39 GMT
Mike, another great review as always. I'm not a big fan of this sword, which is supprizing to me cause I like the shorties usually, maybe it's because I'm put off by hobbits. I am impressed with the blades cutting ablity at any case. You make it look so easy.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2007 17:06:17 GMT
Quick FYI, there is a person on ebay selling a bunch of the UC Musuem Collection Sting swords, they go for about $100-$125. Same dimensions as the Gen 2, looks almost the same, bit more ornate, wt is 1lb 4.4oz. People question its construction, but I am holding one and it really is a nice looking weapon, good price, blade is nice. I haven't taken it out and cut anything, not sure I will with this sword, but for those who like the looks of the Gen 2 and the Carbon Steel blade for a great price and don't mind it may not be as durable as the Gen 2 (but heh, maybe it is), take a look. This is Nov 2007, not sure if anyone will be checking this old thread, but the seller has a few dozen so probably will be selling them a while.
Matt
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2007 22:24:38 GMT
If it is a UC Sting it is stainless steel and is a danger to cut with.
If it is not a UC it is probably a cheap rip off and is still a danger to cut with.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2007 1:04:45 GMT
nice review. i think gen2 need to remake this sword.
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Post by randomnobody on Nov 14, 2007 1:07:28 GMT
I actually had the opportunity to play with this while visiting Mike during my trip to Texas. I have to agree with everything he said, though I never cut with it, it handled very well. I'd put it on par with my Norman dagger, but prettier. Maybe a touch bigger.
If Gen2 decided to reintroduce these, I'd have to find a way to get one.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2007 2:31:56 GMT
UC did make Carbon Steel Stings and Glamdrings, charged alot of money for them (3000 stings were made 1000 glamdrings). The Sting sword was my first sword and got me interested in learning more. I have no idea how good a fully functioning sword it actually is, but it looks great, handles pretty well. I would not abuse it simply cause it is so attractive and I won't dream of saying it is more durable than the Gen 2 model, but for those that like the look, and the price is certainly right it may interest some. here is a short write up:
The Lord of the Rings Museum Collection is a limited edition treasury of high quality, fully functional, movie prop reproductions from United® Cutlery, makers of high quality adult collectibles. Each piece is finished and distressed to precisely match the used and worn look of the actual movie prop, to properly convey the rich history the movie producers intended. Each piece is individually hand-distressed, making no two alike. The tempered, full tang blades are forged from high carbon Toledo spring steel, made in Spain. The hilts are crafted utilizing precious metals, high quality woods, and top grain leathers. Each piece is a one-of-a-kind heirloom quality collectible.
Anyway, just a heads up, all I can say is that it is NOT Stainless, and is very attractive. The handle is a nice dark wood inlaided with real silver. If you can't find a Gen 2, than this is just an option to explore.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2007 2:57:32 GMT
Sorry, for the price I figured it was one of the stainless steel models. If you managed to get one forged of carbon steel at that price you did very well!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2007 17:24:52 GMT
Such an exquisite scabbard...
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