Strongblade Warspike Review
Mar 6, 2008 19:59:10 GMT
Post by septofclansinclair on Mar 6, 2008 19:59:10 GMT
Strongblade Tempered Warspike Review
I am a big fan of hand-and-a-half swords. Most of you on the forums have probably heard me affectionately talk about my “Irish bastard.” This is not, in fact, a love child of mine that I had during my trip to the UK, but the Generation 2 Irish hand-and-a-half sword. It was my first bastard sword and set in my mind a picture of what they should be like. Without a doubt, the bastard sword is my favourite type of European sword – unfortunately, they are usually very expensive! I didn’t find one for under 200, making them cost-prohibitive for many enthusiasts. Indeed, this is a problem for many European sword collectors – there are alot of Japanese katana for 150 or less, but few European sword makers can match those prices.
Enter Strongblade. For a few years now they have been producing a line of swords for their customers. These swords were carbon steel and full tang, but untempered. This led to some negative press for them in the past (see their page on the SMG). Working with their customer’s requests, they have released tempered versions of some of their most popular swords. One of these swords is the Warspike – billed as a “hybrid” hand-and-a-half, it has a tapered blade that is incredibly long (39 inches), and a long (2/3) fuller, with a very period-accurate guard. It caught my eye, and so did the price - $154! Pretty much the cheapest functional bastard sword on the market. Within a few short days of flicking back to their website, I decided to arrange for one to find its way to the (currently) snowy wastelands of Canada and then to my doorstep. I figured that someone should see what this new offering was like – if it was poor, no harm done – the price was only $154. If it was good, then there was a competitive new manufacturer on the market, and this could be a flagship piece that would find its way into collections of budget collectors around the world.
Arrival
The sword was shipped to my doorstep via UPS. After signing for it, I took it inside and opened the box. The Warspike was strapped down to a cardboard insert that also held the scabbard and a little jar of sword oil. It also came with a one-page “How to care for your new sword” sheet, which covered everything a new sword owner would need to know about keeping their sword in good condition – a welcome addition for anyone who is a newcomer to the sword collecting market, or anyone who just hasn’t picked up some of the necessary skills to take care of their swords.
Upon unpacking, I was at first concerned – it was very, very shiny. It reminded me of some of the stainless steel swords I’d seen at House of Knives and some other SLO retailers, just because it was so mirror bright. But when I inspected it further, I realized that it was the sword I had ordered – it just had flawless finish. I inspected the blade up and down, and there were no scuff marks, scratches or other imperfections that I’d seen in other swords. Holding it to the light you could see the hammer marks and swells, but they didn’t mar the finish. Later, Roberto from Strongblade would tell me that before they sent each sword out, they’d hand polish any of the imperfections out. This, as far as I know, is a unique selling point in the market.
Here’s some figures:
Length: 46”
Blade Length: 39”
Width: 9”
Weight: Just over 3 pounds
POB: 5.5”
The Blade
As mentioned before, the finish on this blade is positively pristine. There are hammer marks, for sure, and definitely the fuller is not as straight as it is on some swords I own. But I have always thought that those minor imperfections give a sword “character” – after all, they would have likely been present in historical swords made by smiths who didn’t have access to the equipment that we have today. These imperfections would be fine in a DSA or a Gen2, and they are more than acceptable here.
The Guard
The guard is plain steel, with attractive upturned ends. The only complaint here is a gap between the guard and the blade, similar to many Windlass models. There does not, however, seem to be any structural issues with this, and Strongblade has informed me that this is something they will be working on in the future.
The Handle
The handle is a bit short for a true hand-and-a-half sword. I could fit two hands on it comfortably, but SBG Forum member Fatecaller could only get one hand on it (he still said it was comfortable for him to swing – he is a very big dude, by the way). However, since this is a “hybrid” hand an a half and done intentionally, it is understandable. Strongblade will be coming out with longer-handled swords in the future. The material of the handle, though, was very slick, and when even a small amount of sweat was present became very slippery. Strongblade is going to be working on some new grips in the future, but for now I just distressed the leather myself and with 5 minutes of work it was much better.
The Pommel
Plain steel, screw on with a nut underneath for added security. It’s fairly comfortable to grip. More than adequate for the piece.
The Scabbard
Nothing really to write home about here, except that for this price point the scabbard beats the heck out of any Windlass I have. Leather wrapped over wood, when a plain leather for this price is the norm. The sword doesn’t fit in very tightly, but at this price I have no complaints.
Testing - Handling
As mentioned before, the slickness of the leather handle (until I distressed it) was an issue. Now, though, it felt just fine to my hands (though someone larger would have a bit more of an issue taking a two-handed grip). At 39” the blade was the longest I had ever used. Surprisingly, though, it is not whippy at all – a Windlass 6 inches shorter would be as floppy as a fresh fish, but this sword remained very stiff.
Testing - Cutting
I know that this is Strongblade’s first attempt at tempering, so I was anticipating the presence of issues. However, the blade flexed 8” in either direction with no set taken at all. I performed an unsharpened test on the box it came in – the top cut is from the Warspike, the bottom from a sharpened Windlass.
The geometry of this thin blade is very good. It cut almost halfway through the box, as opposed to my sharpened Windlass Excalibur, which cut only a quarter of the way through. I took this sword where I take all my unsharpened swords - to Fatecaller, forum member and blacksmith extrordanaire. Using a combination of files and sandpaper, he put a rough edge on it before cleaning it up and making it paper-cutting sharp. When we sharpened it, we discovered that not only did the blade have good flex but it was very hard steel. The tempering process must have done a good job.
Here are two cutting attempts: first, the milk jug test-
That went well, even though my form is as awful as always. Next, the test I was concerned about (and the one that caused my Masahiro to take a set): the coke bottle test-
It cut all the way through after a 20 minute sharpening session, and the blade was still in great condition. A few more cuts later (and a flubbed cut that didn’t make it into the video where I was SURE the blade would be bent) and the Warspike was still in great shape. Looks like it could be a capable light-medium duty cutter. If I knew what I was doing a bit more I’d try to take on a tameshigiri, but without training I’m sure I’d wreck any sword doing that.
Conclusion:
I give full marks for customer service to Strongblade. Not only did they work with me to get this sword here as fast as possible, but they did their best to make sure that their product was the best it could be before sending it out. The “How to care for your new sword” sheet was a great addition, and written with some decent humour, too. For the price, I don’t think you could find a sword that looks as good. It may not be as “indestructible” as some of the swords that cost almost twice as much, but it will stand up to some light cutting and possibly more for the better-trained fighter. I don’t see any reason to “pick nits” in this price range – minor issues that I would find annoying on a higher-priced sword are acceptable here. For a sword that looks amazing and doesn’t break the bank – even in the sub-300 market – I think this would be a great addition to any collection. Bottom line - check these guys out.
The Strongblade Warspike – Recommended.
Historical Accuracy – 3.5
Fit and Finish – 4.5
Structural Integrity - 3.5
Handling - 3
Value for Money - 5
Overall – 4
I am a big fan of hand-and-a-half swords. Most of you on the forums have probably heard me affectionately talk about my “Irish bastard.” This is not, in fact, a love child of mine that I had during my trip to the UK, but the Generation 2 Irish hand-and-a-half sword. It was my first bastard sword and set in my mind a picture of what they should be like. Without a doubt, the bastard sword is my favourite type of European sword – unfortunately, they are usually very expensive! I didn’t find one for under 200, making them cost-prohibitive for many enthusiasts. Indeed, this is a problem for many European sword collectors – there are alot of Japanese katana for 150 or less, but few European sword makers can match those prices.
Enter Strongblade. For a few years now they have been producing a line of swords for their customers. These swords were carbon steel and full tang, but untempered. This led to some negative press for them in the past (see their page on the SMG). Working with their customer’s requests, they have released tempered versions of some of their most popular swords. One of these swords is the Warspike – billed as a “hybrid” hand-and-a-half, it has a tapered blade that is incredibly long (39 inches), and a long (2/3) fuller, with a very period-accurate guard. It caught my eye, and so did the price - $154! Pretty much the cheapest functional bastard sword on the market. Within a few short days of flicking back to their website, I decided to arrange for one to find its way to the (currently) snowy wastelands of Canada and then to my doorstep. I figured that someone should see what this new offering was like – if it was poor, no harm done – the price was only $154. If it was good, then there was a competitive new manufacturer on the market, and this could be a flagship piece that would find its way into collections of budget collectors around the world.
Arrival
The sword was shipped to my doorstep via UPS. After signing for it, I took it inside and opened the box. The Warspike was strapped down to a cardboard insert that also held the scabbard and a little jar of sword oil. It also came with a one-page “How to care for your new sword” sheet, which covered everything a new sword owner would need to know about keeping their sword in good condition – a welcome addition for anyone who is a newcomer to the sword collecting market, or anyone who just hasn’t picked up some of the necessary skills to take care of their swords.
Upon unpacking, I was at first concerned – it was very, very shiny. It reminded me of some of the stainless steel swords I’d seen at House of Knives and some other SLO retailers, just because it was so mirror bright. But when I inspected it further, I realized that it was the sword I had ordered – it just had flawless finish. I inspected the blade up and down, and there were no scuff marks, scratches or other imperfections that I’d seen in other swords. Holding it to the light you could see the hammer marks and swells, but they didn’t mar the finish. Later, Roberto from Strongblade would tell me that before they sent each sword out, they’d hand polish any of the imperfections out. This, as far as I know, is a unique selling point in the market.
Here’s some figures:
Length: 46”
Blade Length: 39”
Width: 9”
Weight: Just over 3 pounds
POB: 5.5”
The Blade
As mentioned before, the finish on this blade is positively pristine. There are hammer marks, for sure, and definitely the fuller is not as straight as it is on some swords I own. But I have always thought that those minor imperfections give a sword “character” – after all, they would have likely been present in historical swords made by smiths who didn’t have access to the equipment that we have today. These imperfections would be fine in a DSA or a Gen2, and they are more than acceptable here.
The Guard
The guard is plain steel, with attractive upturned ends. The only complaint here is a gap between the guard and the blade, similar to many Windlass models. There does not, however, seem to be any structural issues with this, and Strongblade has informed me that this is something they will be working on in the future.
The Handle
The handle is a bit short for a true hand-and-a-half sword. I could fit two hands on it comfortably, but SBG Forum member Fatecaller could only get one hand on it (he still said it was comfortable for him to swing – he is a very big dude, by the way). However, since this is a “hybrid” hand an a half and done intentionally, it is understandable. Strongblade will be coming out with longer-handled swords in the future. The material of the handle, though, was very slick, and when even a small amount of sweat was present became very slippery. Strongblade is going to be working on some new grips in the future, but for now I just distressed the leather myself and with 5 minutes of work it was much better.
The Pommel
Plain steel, screw on with a nut underneath for added security. It’s fairly comfortable to grip. More than adequate for the piece.
The Scabbard
Nothing really to write home about here, except that for this price point the scabbard beats the heck out of any Windlass I have. Leather wrapped over wood, when a plain leather for this price is the norm. The sword doesn’t fit in very tightly, but at this price I have no complaints.
Testing - Handling
As mentioned before, the slickness of the leather handle (until I distressed it) was an issue. Now, though, it felt just fine to my hands (though someone larger would have a bit more of an issue taking a two-handed grip). At 39” the blade was the longest I had ever used. Surprisingly, though, it is not whippy at all – a Windlass 6 inches shorter would be as floppy as a fresh fish, but this sword remained very stiff.
Testing - Cutting
I know that this is Strongblade’s first attempt at tempering, so I was anticipating the presence of issues. However, the blade flexed 8” in either direction with no set taken at all. I performed an unsharpened test on the box it came in – the top cut is from the Warspike, the bottom from a sharpened Windlass.
The geometry of this thin blade is very good. It cut almost halfway through the box, as opposed to my sharpened Windlass Excalibur, which cut only a quarter of the way through. I took this sword where I take all my unsharpened swords - to Fatecaller, forum member and blacksmith extrordanaire. Using a combination of files and sandpaper, he put a rough edge on it before cleaning it up and making it paper-cutting sharp. When we sharpened it, we discovered that not only did the blade have good flex but it was very hard steel. The tempering process must have done a good job.
Here are two cutting attempts: first, the milk jug test-
That went well, even though my form is as awful as always. Next, the test I was concerned about (and the one that caused my Masahiro to take a set): the coke bottle test-
It cut all the way through after a 20 minute sharpening session, and the blade was still in great condition. A few more cuts later (and a flubbed cut that didn’t make it into the video where I was SURE the blade would be bent) and the Warspike was still in great shape. Looks like it could be a capable light-medium duty cutter. If I knew what I was doing a bit more I’d try to take on a tameshigiri, but without training I’m sure I’d wreck any sword doing that.
Conclusion:
I give full marks for customer service to Strongblade. Not only did they work with me to get this sword here as fast as possible, but they did their best to make sure that their product was the best it could be before sending it out. The “How to care for your new sword” sheet was a great addition, and written with some decent humour, too. For the price, I don’t think you could find a sword that looks as good. It may not be as “indestructible” as some of the swords that cost almost twice as much, but it will stand up to some light cutting and possibly more for the better-trained fighter. I don’t see any reason to “pick nits” in this price range – minor issues that I would find annoying on a higher-priced sword are acceptable here. For a sword that looks amazing and doesn’t break the bank – even in the sub-300 market – I think this would be a great addition to any collection. Bottom line - check these guys out.
The Strongblade Warspike – Recommended.
Historical Accuracy – 3.5
Fit and Finish – 4.5
Structural Integrity - 3.5
Handling - 3
Value for Money - 5
Overall – 4