Valiant Armoury Duke of Exeter review
Jul 3, 2008 14:37:38 GMT
Post by code on Jul 3, 2008 14:37:38 GMT
Valiant Armoury Duke of Exeter review by L. Tjessem, Norway
Originally when I ordered this sword I was looking for something small, light and quick. The Duke of Exeter looked like it could be all three, and I had some money burning a hole in my pocket so I ordered it.
I ordered it from Kult of Athena, and other then some strange looks at the post office for getting a package from a "kult", there were no problems with shipping. The sword cost $135.95 (USD) and shipping was $47.50 with USPS.
The outer packaging looked to be in good condition, but there was a big hole in the box inside (VA's box)
I could see part of the guard and it looked to be scratched up a bit. Upon unpacking the sword though I found that the finish was just bad, all the fittings looked like that.
Click for larger images
The first thing I noticed was the grip. It looked huge! And it looked like some kind of nasty black rubber, after cleaning it up a bit I found that it was wood though. The guard also looks a bit "fat" for this kind of sword.
In-hand and comparison to Strongblade's hand-and-a-half Warspike
Click for larger images
The second thing I noticed was how much this beast weighed. 4 lbs. 1 oz. for a 35.5" overall sword is overdoing it a bit I think. Dry handling this thing felt more like a mace then a sword. It's slow to bring up to speed, and very hard to stop once its moving. I have to use my left hand on the pommel when swinging it for safety. Those 4 lbs. are pretty well balanced with the COB being very close to the guard, but its still 4 lbs.
The finish, as stated earlier, isn't great. The guard and pommel have scratches and dents on them, and seem a little sloppy.
The blade itself is finished to what looks to be 400-600 grit which I prefer, however the finish is very uneven at places.
Click for larger images
The blade did come sharp, with a noticeable secondary bevel. It's not really that sharp, I can kind of tear paper, but the edge does do its job nicely. The blade is very stiff, and I had to use a lot of force to bend it. It returned true every time though, and this blade is straight as an arrow.
Click for larger image
The scabbard is made of thick leather, and fits very, very tightly. Perhaps a little too tightly, as it scratches the blade and is very hard to put in and pull out. Still, it looks pretty good I think, and I'm betting it will loosen its tight grip over time.
Click for larger image
Now on to the cutting.
I tried to avoid cutting with one hand as the weight of this sword makes it very difficult to control. It cut very well, though I'm not used to cutting with this kind of sword I did do a lot of batting.
Thrusting is where this thing really excels, clean, easy and smooth.
The verdict:
Fit and Finish: 2/5 - The fittings looked pretty sloppy and scratched up, and the finish on the blade is inconsistent. The blade and guard meet nicely though.
Handling: 2/5 - 4 lbs. 1 oz. is a lot of weight for a one-handed short sword, though the point of balance being very close to the guard helps somewhat, it still feels like a crowbar.
Structural Integrity: 3/5 - I've made plenty of bad cuts, chopped wood and generally abused this guy, no signs of loosening. I think this sword can take a beating and come back for more.
Update, lowered score because of broken tang, I don't beleive this happened under cutting because of the location of the break though
Value for Money: 3/5 - Can't really go wrong at $135, I'll be using this sword for strength training
OVERALL: 2.5/5 - Overall I think this sword would be a good choice for either a very strong person, or someone looking to train strength. Had I been able to handle it beforehand I probably would not have bought it.
Originally when I ordered this sword I was looking for something small, light and quick. The Duke of Exeter looked like it could be all three, and I had some money burning a hole in my pocket so I ordered it.
I ordered it from Kult of Athena, and other then some strange looks at the post office for getting a package from a "kult", there were no problems with shipping. The sword cost $135.95 (USD) and shipping was $47.50 with USPS.
The outer packaging looked to be in good condition, but there was a big hole in the box inside (VA's box)
I could see part of the guard and it looked to be scratched up a bit. Upon unpacking the sword though I found that the finish was just bad, all the fittings looked like that.
Click for larger images
The first thing I noticed was the grip. It looked huge! And it looked like some kind of nasty black rubber, after cleaning it up a bit I found that it was wood though. The guard also looks a bit "fat" for this kind of sword.
In-hand and comparison to Strongblade's hand-and-a-half Warspike
Click for larger images
The second thing I noticed was how much this beast weighed. 4 lbs. 1 oz. for a 35.5" overall sword is overdoing it a bit I think. Dry handling this thing felt more like a mace then a sword. It's slow to bring up to speed, and very hard to stop once its moving. I have to use my left hand on the pommel when swinging it for safety. Those 4 lbs. are pretty well balanced with the COB being very close to the guard, but its still 4 lbs.
The finish, as stated earlier, isn't great. The guard and pommel have scratches and dents on them, and seem a little sloppy.
The blade itself is finished to what looks to be 400-600 grit which I prefer, however the finish is very uneven at places.
Click for larger images
The blade did come sharp, with a noticeable secondary bevel. It's not really that sharp, I can kind of tear paper, but the edge does do its job nicely. The blade is very stiff, and I had to use a lot of force to bend it. It returned true every time though, and this blade is straight as an arrow.
Click for larger image
The scabbard is made of thick leather, and fits very, very tightly. Perhaps a little too tightly, as it scratches the blade and is very hard to put in and pull out. Still, it looks pretty good I think, and I'm betting it will loosen its tight grip over time.
Click for larger image
Now on to the cutting.
I tried to avoid cutting with one hand as the weight of this sword makes it very difficult to control. It cut very well, though I'm not used to cutting with this kind of sword I did do a lot of batting.
Thrusting is where this thing really excels, clean, easy and smooth.
The verdict:
Fit and Finish: 2/5 - The fittings looked pretty sloppy and scratched up, and the finish on the blade is inconsistent. The blade and guard meet nicely though.
Handling: 2/5 - 4 lbs. 1 oz. is a lot of weight for a one-handed short sword, though the point of balance being very close to the guard helps somewhat, it still feels like a crowbar.
Structural Integrity: 3/5 - I've made plenty of bad cuts, chopped wood and generally abused this guy, no signs of loosening. I think this sword can take a beating and come back for more.
Update, lowered score because of broken tang, I don't beleive this happened under cutting because of the location of the break though
Value for Money: 3/5 - Can't really go wrong at $135, I'll be using this sword for strength training
OVERALL: 2.5/5 - Overall I think this sword would be a good choice for either a very strong person, or someone looking to train strength. Had I been able to handle it beforehand I probably would not have bought it.