Strongblade/Paul Chen Stardust/Tristan's Sword
Aug 11, 2008 19:43:03 GMT
Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2008 19:43:03 GMT
Hello again all, Robert Betts from Valley, AL finally back with another review. Today I'm reviewing my long awaited Strongblade's Sword of Tristan (from the movie Stardust).
**
**
I'm a big fan of the movie, and I consider it to be probably the best in its genre since the Princess Bride. So back in March when Strongblade announced they'd be releasing a Limited edition certified replica of this sword I just had to take the plunge.
**
**
Now I had never dealt with Strongblade before, and when browsing their website considered most of their offerings at the time to be nothing more than glorified wall hangers- so this was a serious leap of faith for me to front the cash for this piece. The deciding factor was Paul offering a coupon in the Digest - which basically covered the price of the shipping. Total up front costs- a few cents shy of $333.00.
**
**
My experiences with the order were extremely frustrating. The initial ad for the sword stated that the piece would be shipped in late March.
*
Well, late March came and went. I made three calls to Strongblade, all of which were answered by their sales people and were forwarded to their customer service department- where they promptly fell into a black hole and were ignored.
*
*
I kept calling, and eventually received an email stating that expected delivery date had been pushed back a couple of months. AND due to unexpected cost overruns, the scabbard originally offered in the purchase price would no longer be offered... However since I had pre-ordered they would still honor my original order and provide a belt/scabbard at a later date- or I could pay a lower price of $299.00 for just the sword alone. They also mentioned that the company producing the sword would be Hanwei/Paul Chen- which made me hopeful that the sword, if and when it arrived, would be a good one.
*
Well, being somewhat stubborn, I opted to stay with my original order- sword, belt, scabbard for $333.00.
*
April and May came and went, no update on the sword. A couple of more, also ignored, emails to Strongblade ensued, and I was getting quite frustrated by the total lack of customer service exhibited by the company.
*
So I decided to write Hanwei and ask if they indeed did have a contract to produce this sword and if they wouldn't mind giving me an update since Strongblade wouldn't. Our fellow forumite Bpouge was very helpful regarding this- kudos to you brother!
*
I waited another couple of weeks, then contacted Strongblade again. More of the same- and I let the salespeople know exactly how I felt about the company and the situation surrounding my order.
*
Shortly after this I received an email from Strongblade, from a nice lady named Kate Burns specifically, addressing my concerns regarding the order and the status of the sword. Kate took me in hand, so to speak, and gave me her number to call should I need to check on the status on the sword. She also gave me a semi-firm delivery date of the last week in July.
*
Well, that week came- no sword. So I contacted Strongblade, and Kate, again. It seemed at the time there were licensing issues with the movie's production company- so the package would be delayed yet again. However, Kate offered to ship the sword, which had just arrived, alone- to be followed as soon as possible by the the certificate of authenticity, (showing which production number the sword is- I have no clue a present), the issue box, scabbard, and belt. I balked a bit on this, because my gut feeling is that I may never see any of the above if its shipped separately- but Kate sounded so harried by the whole thing I let her go ahead and ship the sword.
*
So, end of story, right? Not quite. The day the sword was to be delivered I called Strongblade to check on the shipment status. Turns out UPS delivered the sword to wrong address... ARG!!!!
*
Several very angry calls to UPS later I finally had my sword delivered. (I mean, come on, they deliver packages for a living- you'd think they could read street addresses.) Kate, by the way, contacted me to offer her help in getting the sword to the right place- which was much appreciated, though thankfully not needed.
*
Kate single-handedly made me revise my opinion of Strongblade- if any of the people in charge there read this, give her a raise- she deserves it. Would I buy from them again? No, not unless I feel the need to have an ulcer, but I wont tell people to AVOID buying from them either- and they can thank Kate for that .
*
I'll update the post later on to let you know when/if the "missing" items arrive.
*
On to the sword...
It came double boxed: standard brown shipping box, then a plain sturdy white inner shipping box. Inside was a (quite nice) cleaning cloth, a one-use Flitz metal polish and cleaner, and Strongblade's care and feeding instructions (nice touch- and well laminated so it will survive a while).
*
First impressions.
The sword isn't quite an exact replica of the movie piece. There are several small differences that struck me- enough that I went back and watched the movie frame by frame in all the scenes that showed close ups of the original movie props. In re-reading Strongblade's ad, there was a disclaimer that the sword shown in the ad was a prototype, and the actual piece might vary slightly- which it does. The production sword is close mind you, but not quite there.
*
The most noticeable difference is the large clearly defined false back edge to the production piece. The prototype picture, and the prop pieces seem to have a more gradual taper, leading to a more graceful appearance.
*
*
The second thing that jumps out, so to speak, is the pieces knuckle bow (probably not the correct term, but apt for this piece). In the movie prop, the ball of the bow terminates adjacent to the beak of the hawk's head pommel. In the production piece it extends 5/8's of an inch beyond it.
*
*
Thirdly, the brass ribbed back extends further on the production piece than on the prototype (and is completely missing in a least one of the movie props swords).
All these things, however, are minor variances- but together contribute to the "not quite right" feel of piece (shoot me, I'm a perfectionist ).
On to the details...
Dry handling: Well, initial impression? For a one-hander, Heavy. It isn't what I would call a lively sword, but it definitely has presence.
Weight: 3lbs, 8 oz.
Length, overall: 28 5/8" (from tip of knuckle bow to sword point)
Length, blade: 22"
Width, at widest point (guard): 3 1/4"
Width, at widest point (blade): 2 1/2"
Point of Balance: 4 1/2"
Other details:
The blade is brass backed, married very well to the steel with minimal spaces visible along the seam. I'm sure the brass is cast in "hand tooled" pattern (as opposed to being actually tooled). Regardless, it adds a nice overall effect to the sword. were this intended as a "practical" sword, it would be fluff, as it adds un-needed weight.
*
*
*
The scroll work plates along the blade are of washed steel, as is the guard, knuckle bow, and pommel. The designs are distinct, well cast, and from what I can tell very true to the movie props. Unfortunately, well, they're kind of bland. I expected the sword to utilize the "Stardust" theme, with the designs of moons, comets, star bursts, etc.., but instead its simple scroll work and flowers.
*
The handle is made of wooden scales that are brass riveted to the tang. Just an opinion, but aesthetically the sword would have been better served with darker wooden scales and washed/weathered steel rivets.
*
*
*
Testing:
As much as I enjoy testing my pieces, I'm passing on this one. Since its (supposedly) a 1 of 1000 limited edition, I guess I'll keep it pristine. My gut feeling is that it would be a devastating cutter. Its very solidly constructed with a lot of heft. No wobble, rattle or looseness noted anywhere in the construction.
*
*
Ratings:
Movie accuracy 4/5
Fit and Finish: 5/5
Handling: 3/5
structural Integrity: 5/5 (impression, untested- very soundly put together)
Value for Money: 3/5
Overall: 4/5
Would I do it all over again? NO, too much hassle, and the payoff, while unique, just wasn't worth it to me. Will I sell it? Nope- too much aggravation invested in the damn thing
**
**
I'm a big fan of the movie, and I consider it to be probably the best in its genre since the Princess Bride. So back in March when Strongblade announced they'd be releasing a Limited edition certified replica of this sword I just had to take the plunge.
**
**
Now I had never dealt with Strongblade before, and when browsing their website considered most of their offerings at the time to be nothing more than glorified wall hangers- so this was a serious leap of faith for me to front the cash for this piece. The deciding factor was Paul offering a coupon in the Digest - which basically covered the price of the shipping. Total up front costs- a few cents shy of $333.00.
**
**
My experiences with the order were extremely frustrating. The initial ad for the sword stated that the piece would be shipped in late March.
*
Well, late March came and went. I made three calls to Strongblade, all of which were answered by their sales people and were forwarded to their customer service department- where they promptly fell into a black hole and were ignored.
*
*
I kept calling, and eventually received an email stating that expected delivery date had been pushed back a couple of months. AND due to unexpected cost overruns, the scabbard originally offered in the purchase price would no longer be offered... However since I had pre-ordered they would still honor my original order and provide a belt/scabbard at a later date- or I could pay a lower price of $299.00 for just the sword alone. They also mentioned that the company producing the sword would be Hanwei/Paul Chen- which made me hopeful that the sword, if and when it arrived, would be a good one.
*
Well, being somewhat stubborn, I opted to stay with my original order- sword, belt, scabbard for $333.00.
*
April and May came and went, no update on the sword. A couple of more, also ignored, emails to Strongblade ensued, and I was getting quite frustrated by the total lack of customer service exhibited by the company.
*
So I decided to write Hanwei and ask if they indeed did have a contract to produce this sword and if they wouldn't mind giving me an update since Strongblade wouldn't. Our fellow forumite Bpouge was very helpful regarding this- kudos to you brother!
*
I waited another couple of weeks, then contacted Strongblade again. More of the same- and I let the salespeople know exactly how I felt about the company and the situation surrounding my order.
*
Shortly after this I received an email from Strongblade, from a nice lady named Kate Burns specifically, addressing my concerns regarding the order and the status of the sword. Kate took me in hand, so to speak, and gave me her number to call should I need to check on the status on the sword. She also gave me a semi-firm delivery date of the last week in July.
*
Well, that week came- no sword. So I contacted Strongblade, and Kate, again. It seemed at the time there were licensing issues with the movie's production company- so the package would be delayed yet again. However, Kate offered to ship the sword, which had just arrived, alone- to be followed as soon as possible by the the certificate of authenticity, (showing which production number the sword is- I have no clue a present), the issue box, scabbard, and belt. I balked a bit on this, because my gut feeling is that I may never see any of the above if its shipped separately- but Kate sounded so harried by the whole thing I let her go ahead and ship the sword.
*
So, end of story, right? Not quite. The day the sword was to be delivered I called Strongblade to check on the shipment status. Turns out UPS delivered the sword to wrong address... ARG!!!!
*
Several very angry calls to UPS later I finally had my sword delivered. (I mean, come on, they deliver packages for a living- you'd think they could read street addresses.) Kate, by the way, contacted me to offer her help in getting the sword to the right place- which was much appreciated, though thankfully not needed.
*
Kate single-handedly made me revise my opinion of Strongblade- if any of the people in charge there read this, give her a raise- she deserves it. Would I buy from them again? No, not unless I feel the need to have an ulcer, but I wont tell people to AVOID buying from them either- and they can thank Kate for that .
*
I'll update the post later on to let you know when/if the "missing" items arrive.
*
On to the sword...
It came double boxed: standard brown shipping box, then a plain sturdy white inner shipping box. Inside was a (quite nice) cleaning cloth, a one-use Flitz metal polish and cleaner, and Strongblade's care and feeding instructions (nice touch- and well laminated so it will survive a while).
*
First impressions.
The sword isn't quite an exact replica of the movie piece. There are several small differences that struck me- enough that I went back and watched the movie frame by frame in all the scenes that showed close ups of the original movie props. In re-reading Strongblade's ad, there was a disclaimer that the sword shown in the ad was a prototype, and the actual piece might vary slightly- which it does. The production sword is close mind you, but not quite there.
*
The most noticeable difference is the large clearly defined false back edge to the production piece. The prototype picture, and the prop pieces seem to have a more gradual taper, leading to a more graceful appearance.
*
*
The second thing that jumps out, so to speak, is the pieces knuckle bow (probably not the correct term, but apt for this piece). In the movie prop, the ball of the bow terminates adjacent to the beak of the hawk's head pommel. In the production piece it extends 5/8's of an inch beyond it.
*
*
Thirdly, the brass ribbed back extends further on the production piece than on the prototype (and is completely missing in a least one of the movie props swords).
All these things, however, are minor variances- but together contribute to the "not quite right" feel of piece (shoot me, I'm a perfectionist ).
On to the details...
Dry handling: Well, initial impression? For a one-hander, Heavy. It isn't what I would call a lively sword, but it definitely has presence.
Weight: 3lbs, 8 oz.
Length, overall: 28 5/8" (from tip of knuckle bow to sword point)
Length, blade: 22"
Width, at widest point (guard): 3 1/4"
Width, at widest point (blade): 2 1/2"
Point of Balance: 4 1/2"
Other details:
The blade is brass backed, married very well to the steel with minimal spaces visible along the seam. I'm sure the brass is cast in "hand tooled" pattern (as opposed to being actually tooled). Regardless, it adds a nice overall effect to the sword. were this intended as a "practical" sword, it would be fluff, as it adds un-needed weight.
*
*
*
The scroll work plates along the blade are of washed steel, as is the guard, knuckle bow, and pommel. The designs are distinct, well cast, and from what I can tell very true to the movie props. Unfortunately, well, they're kind of bland. I expected the sword to utilize the "Stardust" theme, with the designs of moons, comets, star bursts, etc.., but instead its simple scroll work and flowers.
*
The handle is made of wooden scales that are brass riveted to the tang. Just an opinion, but aesthetically the sword would have been better served with darker wooden scales and washed/weathered steel rivets.
*
*
*
Testing:
As much as I enjoy testing my pieces, I'm passing on this one. Since its (supposedly) a 1 of 1000 limited edition, I guess I'll keep it pristine. My gut feeling is that it would be a devastating cutter. Its very solidly constructed with a lot of heft. No wobble, rattle or looseness noted anywhere in the construction.
*
*
Ratings:
Movie accuracy 4/5
Fit and Finish: 5/5
Handling: 3/5
structural Integrity: 5/5 (impression, untested- very soundly put together)
Value for Money: 3/5
Overall: 4/5
Would I do it all over again? NO, too much hassle, and the payoff, while unique, just wasn't worth it to me. Will I sell it? Nope- too much aggravation invested in the damn thing