Gen2 Henry V Sword
Apr 30, 2008 4:58:36 GMT
Post by ShooterMike on Apr 30, 2008 4:58:36 GMT
[glow=red,1,500]Henry V Sword[/glow]
From Generation 2
From Generation 2
It has long been discussed around the sword forums that Clyde Hollis, the owner of Imperial Weapons and the Generation 2 line of swords was in a business arrangement with the late Hank Reinhardt up until his death. Mr. Reinhardt was designing a number of swords for the Generation 2 line. The subject of this review is one that Hank had a passion for, and it is the first design to be released after his unfortunate passing.
I never met Hank Reinhardt, but I have discussed him with several who knew him. And I think he would have been happy with this sword. And after lengthy negotiations and review by the Reinhardt Estate, they approved this as the first design to be posthumously released.
I've had this sword for three weeks at this writing. It is one of the few preproduction models brought into the U.S. Hopefully, this review can do it justice without being unduly influenced by its association with Hank Reinhardt's legacy. What follows are my observations on this sword prototype, keeping in mind that while I have the greatest respect for Mr. Reinhardt I will attempt to judge this sword solely on its merits.
The Henry V sword is one of the two most famous and best preserved swords from Medieval Europe. It is a centerpiece of the Oakeshott typology. It is a premier example of Ewart Oakeshott's Type XVIII swords and is known as XVIII. 1, appearing on pages 172-173 of Records of the Medieval Sword. Ewart Oakeshott was fortunate enough to be invited to clean and preserve this sword in 1951. In Records, he described it as "...one of the most beautiful medieval swords to handle I have ever known. It is very light (about 2lbs 3ozs) and balanced like a good fishing-rod."
The specs for the Gen2 prototype are as follows.
Specs:
Blade: 27.5 inches
Grip: 3.75 inches
Overall: 34 inches
Guard Height: 8 inches
POB: 3.75 inches from base of guard
COP: 16-18 inches from base of guard with a "long sweet spot"
Weight: 2 lbs. 14 ozs.
THE BLADE
As mentioned, this is a Type XVIII sword, which calls for a flattened diamond cross section, sometimes with a slight to pronounced hollow grind in evidence.
The blade is 0.275" thick at the guard. That's significantly thicker than most heavy swords that are built of 0.250" stock that is then ground down into a sword. It tapers to 0.210" halfway down the blade. then tper to 0.125" about an inch behind the tip. That is roughly 65-70% distal taper in a convex curve. For those who aren't familiar with sword blade geometry, that is a very sophisticated design executed to high standards. I've never seen that kind of work on a sub $300 sword blade.
This sword is also one of the rare inexpensive swords I have found that displays what a hollow ground blade should be like. While the hollow grind is fairly slight and nowhere near as pronounced as on a few higher end swords I've owned or examined, it is still a very nice touch. And it is certainly a rarity in today's market.
The hollow grind works to both make the blade lighter by removing material on each side of the central rib, and it allows the central rib to be thicker to impart more rigidity. The result is a very rigid blade that only quivers when the pommel is struck forcefully. This is a very nice blade for thrusting into hard targets.
This also makes it difficult finding the forward vibration node, sometimes referred to as the Center of Percussion (CoP) or "sweet spot" for cutting. An added benefit is that the hollow grind allows for a thick sword to have a very thin edge without being at all fragile.
THE HILT
The hilt on this prototype is very close to the original. The grip size and length seems just about right. It is tapered on the ends and thicker in the middle, and is barely flattened on the sides to create a slightly oval cross section.
The leather covering is the standard Gen2 black leather with dye that starts to wear off on the hand under sustained use with sweaty hands. In the following pictures, you can notice where some dye and surface cover has worn away.
The pommel is very close to the original in diameter and thickness. It even includes the four-leaf flower designed peen block that the blade tang is peened into.
In looking at closeup pictures of the original pommel, I note that the raised portions around the center seem to be about one-third as thick as on the original and are flattened in a much more "machined" appearance.
Where I note a departure form the original hilt is in subtle parts of the guard. Not that it's unattractive, it's just different . The guard on this prototype seems a bit more detailed than the original, with a much more pronounced cusp protruding down the blade and more pronounced incised lines running parallel to the blade.
Overall, I think this hilt is very nice. And at a sub $300 price point it is outstanding.
THE SCABBARD
The scabbard is standard fare for the Generation 2 line. It's wood core with a metal "muzzle plug" at the point end and a metal locket at the mouth. Then the length of the scabbard is covered with the same black leather that's used for the grip.
I don't find these scabbards attractive, but they are functional and extremely durable. At this price point, they continue to be more than sword buyers should realistically expect. So I consider them to be a bonus.
HANDLING
While the weight is off from the original sword by about 9 ozs. and the handling can't be described as "like a good fishing rod" I feel it has a distinct and pleasing personality of its own. This may not be an exact replica of the original Henry V sword. But it is a darned nice handling sword.
The first time I picked up this sword, I was impressed with its power and control. It isn't a light sword, but it handles quickly and turns well, not something most heavy swords can do. It seems to have a good balance of power and subtlety.
As it came from the box, it didn't feel particularly sharp. And after talking to Cylde I wasn't expecting spectacular results in the cutting tests. After all, hollow ground Type XVIII swords aren't known as power cutters and this one is short to boot.
What these swords are designed for is a balance of reasonable cutting performance along with superior thrusting into hard targets. They were designed to be wedged into the openings in an opponent's armor, then forced through maille or padding to impale or rip open that opponent's body. At the same time, they were designed to perform adequately in the cut against unarmored opponents.
The grip is only 3.75 inches long. Some users may find that a bit short for their comfort, especially if they like longer grips. But as for me, I have come to like a grip that really fits my hand. The pommel should be large enough to provide shelf that butts up against the heel of the palm to for a pivot point during reaching cuts. This swords seems to fit me perfectly in the hammer grip.
Then when reaching out for a cut, it rotates around the pommel into a natural handshake grip, and at the same time staying securely in my grasp without any conscious effort.
CUTTING
I cut quite a few plastic bottles with the Henry V prototype when it first arrived. But the video camera battery wasn't charged up. However, when I got around to rolling and soaking some tatami mats I made sure to get some video.
Let me preface this by saying Clyde cautioned me that I should not expect this sword to be a "great cutter" as it's designed with a prejudice toward the thrust. I told him not to worry. If it just wouldn't cut at all, I wouldn't show it... Yeah right!
In this video you can see if the sword can cut mats. These are 4 feet wide by 76 inches long. And the grass is very thick and stiff. Single mats make a roll that's about 6-7 inches in diameter by 4 feet tall, and to me they are about 40-50% more difficult to cut than Mugen Dachi tatami omote.
Judge for yourself whether the little 27 inch blade sword can cut...
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
I am starting to fall in love with this sword. I told another forumite that when I pick it up, I get a feeling that I should be wearing full battle armour, tromping across a muddy field in medieval France, moving into close quarters combat with armoured opponents and using this sword to perform various "can opener" routines against my hapless opponents.
There's something that's difficult to describe about how well this sword feels to me. It just seems to be more than the sum of its parts and measurements. At least for me.