Windlass Beowulf Sword Review
Jan 4, 2008 18:53:13 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2008 18:53:13 GMT
Hello all...new here, but thought I'd kick things right off with a review of the Windlass Beowulf sword.
Windlass Beowulf Sword Review, from Joel Youngblood, New Jersey, USA
INITIAL EYE CANDY PHOTO
Well having had a love affair for some time with viking blades (though I typically go for medieval longswords) as well as having been a big fan of the epic poem Beowulf, I got pretty interested when I saw this outing from Windlass. This was before I even saw the film (Gerard Butler = great Beowulf, but otherwise forgetful movie, why can't they just do the damn story right?). The look of this thing is great, although, it is admitadly just a bastardized Vendel-period sword. That being said, I think why I bought this sword is fairly obvious. It was christmas season, and dammit, I didn't want socks this year. Instead, I got this sword, as well as the Gen2 River Whitham (which I believe enough has been said about, to which, I fully agree). Sorry about the photos - they were taken in poor light, so I did the best I could.
Blade length: 30.5"
Hilt length: 6.5"
Overall: 37"
POB: 4.5"
COP: roughly 20" from the guard
Weight: 2.3 lbs
DESIGN, FIT & FINISH
The Blade
The blade is definately asthetically pleasing, and falls IMHO nicely into Oakeshott's Type Xa with it's long, narrow fuller. There are some of the typical defects that you will find in swords in this price-range; minor scuffs, some slight waver in the fuller, etc., etc., but on a whole, this is one of the nicer swords I've seen from Windlass. The mirror polish on this sword is also very nice, when I smile at her, she smiles right back ; )
The Grip
Wood grip. Feels nice in hand, looks good too. Honestly, none of the pictures I've seen do it justice; i'm not sure what type of wood it is exactly, though it's nothing to fancy. But it's well made, and there are no defects in mine. It's also a bit darker than what you see on the web pictures - but this matches much more nicely with the color scheme of the sword.
The Pommel
What can I say? This is a beauty; on mine, the castings are perfect. The detail is great, and holds up very nicely even to very close inspection. The whole pommel is very well executed, and is metal (though I know not what kind). The ring is well done too - in fact, so much so that when I first handle it, I almost felt as if something was loose on the sword, because it clanks about a bit! But on a whole a beaut - my only problem, with both the pommel and the gaurd, is that the white "bone" bits, are actually plastic. eh, what are you gonna do for 230 dollars?
The Guard
Also very nice, well done, fit's with the rest of the sword very nicely. Mine had some minor cosmetic damage to the white plastic bits; some spurs where it looked like it had been damaged in shipping, and the plastic was chipped and raised. I took a file and some light sandpaper to this, and scuffed it out, then took it to the rest of the plastic in the gaurd; it actually looks better now (not shown in pictures) as it looks a little more worn, and less new and well, "plasticy."
The Scabbard
The fittings on the scabbard are beautiful; they are antiqued, and the cast parts came out great, with no visible defects. The scabbard is not a wood core, however, just leather (I was under the impression it was a wood core, but it's definately not). The baldric is also fairly well done; it's a little on the chincy side (i'm tall, and with the belt adjusted all the way down, the pommel of the sword is up to my chest). but the castings on this are nice as well. I plan to scrap the scabbard and make a real wood-core fleece-line scabbard soon, but I will take all the cast bits from the scabbard, as they are very nice.
TESTING
This sword is quite light, a good representation of the swords of the age. It feels great in hand, and sings nicely through the air! As soon as I unwrapped it, I couldn't help but whipping it around, and it tracks nicely, being so light. The COP is a little low IMHO opinion - another inch or two, and I think it would be perfect. That being said, this is NOT a heavy-duty chopper like the Gen2; it's a much more refined sword. But, so far, I've been quite pleased with it.
Cutting
Well not long after I got this sword, I sharpened it (also not shown in the photos) using Paul's accusharp method. The edge came out nice, if a little bit uneven - some parts are almost razor sharp, and other parts are at best, adequate. However, this didn't stop me from promptly destroying every single cardboard box in the house. Against these light targets, this sword is beautiful. Clean cuts, though not overly poweful. There were quickly a pile of sliced up cardboard sitting in the recycling pile on account of this thing .
Against water bottles, I've had mixed results, though i think this is mostly do to my own lack of technique. It is not a heavy sword, as stated, but the control is so good, that it tracks nicely into the cut. However, against heavier bottles (gatorade, the like) it tends to lose momentum (again, due to poor technique, as well as the weight of the sword). however, many of my cuts have gone quite nicely, and there is a decent pile of chopped up bottles to join the cardboard. However, none of these cuts have been particularly "clean." I blame this on my sharpening job, and technique. If you have a good hand with a sword, and a fine edge, I have no questions about the absolute plastic-lethality of this thing.
Thrusting (if applicable)
Actually, this sword has a great point for thrusting. Light water bottles I've been able to pluck from my stand with little to no effort. Actually scary just how good of a thruster this thing is.
CONCLUSION and SBG Ratings
Here it is next to the Gen2 Whitham for comparison...
I definately like this sword...I like it alot actually. In my opinion, it is the coolest looking sword that Windlass offers right now, and for a price (I got mine from kultofathena.com, for 238 dollars, and it arrived two days later) like this, you are getting a fair bit. So far it has held up nicely to all my tests, no edge damage, and in a bend test, it went to over 6" and sprang back to true. I've even "accidentally" hit it on some harder targets; the wood of my stand for cutting, for example, which is a couple of 2x4's; the sword bit, and stopped about a 1/2 inch in, with absolutely no damage to the blade, and this was a full force swing. Definately a recomendation if you like the look of the sword, or are interested in Migration era viking swords/Vendal period weapons.
Historical Accuracy: 2/5 - Close, but no cookie. More accurate to the movie. Look up a real Vendal period sword/Ring hilt sword, and you'll see what I mean.
Fit and Finish: 4/5 - Some minor problems, but for a windlass, I think it's a real stunner.
Handling: 4/5 - Again, great. My problems with it mostly stem from being used to heavier blades, but this thing feels very agile and free in the hand.
Structural Integrity: 3/5 - I don't doubt this sword, or feel it is unsafe; however, the pommel is not peened (tsk tsk if you ask me).
Value for Money: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Windlass Beowulf Sword Review, from Joel Youngblood, New Jersey, USA
INITIAL EYE CANDY PHOTO
Well having had a love affair for some time with viking blades (though I typically go for medieval longswords) as well as having been a big fan of the epic poem Beowulf, I got pretty interested when I saw this outing from Windlass. This was before I even saw the film (Gerard Butler = great Beowulf, but otherwise forgetful movie, why can't they just do the damn story right?). The look of this thing is great, although, it is admitadly just a bastardized Vendel-period sword. That being said, I think why I bought this sword is fairly obvious. It was christmas season, and dammit, I didn't want socks this year. Instead, I got this sword, as well as the Gen2 River Whitham (which I believe enough has been said about, to which, I fully agree). Sorry about the photos - they were taken in poor light, so I did the best I could.
Blade length: 30.5"
Hilt length: 6.5"
Overall: 37"
POB: 4.5"
COP: roughly 20" from the guard
Weight: 2.3 lbs
DESIGN, FIT & FINISH
The Blade
The blade is definately asthetically pleasing, and falls IMHO nicely into Oakeshott's Type Xa with it's long, narrow fuller. There are some of the typical defects that you will find in swords in this price-range; minor scuffs, some slight waver in the fuller, etc., etc., but on a whole, this is one of the nicer swords I've seen from Windlass. The mirror polish on this sword is also very nice, when I smile at her, she smiles right back ; )
The Grip
Wood grip. Feels nice in hand, looks good too. Honestly, none of the pictures I've seen do it justice; i'm not sure what type of wood it is exactly, though it's nothing to fancy. But it's well made, and there are no defects in mine. It's also a bit darker than what you see on the web pictures - but this matches much more nicely with the color scheme of the sword.
The Pommel
What can I say? This is a beauty; on mine, the castings are perfect. The detail is great, and holds up very nicely even to very close inspection. The whole pommel is very well executed, and is metal (though I know not what kind). The ring is well done too - in fact, so much so that when I first handle it, I almost felt as if something was loose on the sword, because it clanks about a bit! But on a whole a beaut - my only problem, with both the pommel and the gaurd, is that the white "bone" bits, are actually plastic. eh, what are you gonna do for 230 dollars?
The Guard
Also very nice, well done, fit's with the rest of the sword very nicely. Mine had some minor cosmetic damage to the white plastic bits; some spurs where it looked like it had been damaged in shipping, and the plastic was chipped and raised. I took a file and some light sandpaper to this, and scuffed it out, then took it to the rest of the plastic in the gaurd; it actually looks better now (not shown in pictures) as it looks a little more worn, and less new and well, "plasticy."
The Scabbard
The fittings on the scabbard are beautiful; they are antiqued, and the cast parts came out great, with no visible defects. The scabbard is not a wood core, however, just leather (I was under the impression it was a wood core, but it's definately not). The baldric is also fairly well done; it's a little on the chincy side (i'm tall, and with the belt adjusted all the way down, the pommel of the sword is up to my chest). but the castings on this are nice as well. I plan to scrap the scabbard and make a real wood-core fleece-line scabbard soon, but I will take all the cast bits from the scabbard, as they are very nice.
TESTING
This sword is quite light, a good representation of the swords of the age. It feels great in hand, and sings nicely through the air! As soon as I unwrapped it, I couldn't help but whipping it around, and it tracks nicely, being so light. The COP is a little low IMHO opinion - another inch or two, and I think it would be perfect. That being said, this is NOT a heavy-duty chopper like the Gen2; it's a much more refined sword. But, so far, I've been quite pleased with it.
Cutting
Well not long after I got this sword, I sharpened it (also not shown in the photos) using Paul's accusharp method. The edge came out nice, if a little bit uneven - some parts are almost razor sharp, and other parts are at best, adequate. However, this didn't stop me from promptly destroying every single cardboard box in the house. Against these light targets, this sword is beautiful. Clean cuts, though not overly poweful. There were quickly a pile of sliced up cardboard sitting in the recycling pile on account of this thing .
Against water bottles, I've had mixed results, though i think this is mostly do to my own lack of technique. It is not a heavy sword, as stated, but the control is so good, that it tracks nicely into the cut. However, against heavier bottles (gatorade, the like) it tends to lose momentum (again, due to poor technique, as well as the weight of the sword). however, many of my cuts have gone quite nicely, and there is a decent pile of chopped up bottles to join the cardboard. However, none of these cuts have been particularly "clean." I blame this on my sharpening job, and technique. If you have a good hand with a sword, and a fine edge, I have no questions about the absolute plastic-lethality of this thing.
Thrusting (if applicable)
Actually, this sword has a great point for thrusting. Light water bottles I've been able to pluck from my stand with little to no effort. Actually scary just how good of a thruster this thing is.
CONCLUSION and SBG Ratings
Here it is next to the Gen2 Whitham for comparison...
I definately like this sword...I like it alot actually. In my opinion, it is the coolest looking sword that Windlass offers right now, and for a price (I got mine from kultofathena.com, for 238 dollars, and it arrived two days later) like this, you are getting a fair bit. So far it has held up nicely to all my tests, no edge damage, and in a bend test, it went to over 6" and sprang back to true. I've even "accidentally" hit it on some harder targets; the wood of my stand for cutting, for example, which is a couple of 2x4's; the sword bit, and stopped about a 1/2 inch in, with absolutely no damage to the blade, and this was a full force swing. Definately a recomendation if you like the look of the sword, or are interested in Migration era viking swords/Vendal period weapons.
Historical Accuracy: 2/5 - Close, but no cookie. More accurate to the movie. Look up a real Vendal period sword/Ring hilt sword, and you'll see what I mean.
Fit and Finish: 4/5 - Some minor problems, but for a windlass, I think it's a real stunner.
Handling: 4/5 - Again, great. My problems with it mostly stem from being used to heavier blades, but this thing feels very agile and free in the hand.
Structural Integrity: 3/5 - I don't doubt this sword, or feel it is unsafe; however, the pommel is not peened (tsk tsk if you ask me).
Value for Money: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5