CAS Iberia Single Hand Scottish Sword
Mar 2, 2009 18:49:07 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2009 18:49:07 GMT
It snowed today in southern America. Snowed a great deal more than it has in a while. So, lots of us here in North Carolina find ourselves at home with nothing to do.
So, having just recently bought a sword from Brightblades, I decided a review was in order!
This is the CAS Iberia version of the Scottish 15th century single hand sword.
I've been looking at pretty much all the other versions, besides the Gen2, which I already own and reviewed (/index.cgi?action=display&board=swordreviews&thread=5685&page=1) so I thought I'd try this one. It was a bit cheaper than the Valiant Armory version (which will be next on my list unless something better catches my eye).
I've been wanting something more of a backyard beater I wont feel bad about scratching up and wearing out. This one seemed to fit my desires. The brass is not as attractive as Valiant's steel fittings, but it's less hassle to clean, and less likely to rust.
From Brightblade, this sword was 139. Which is a little lower than most of the other sellers I found. I imagine this sword is not in production anymore, so you are somewhat limited in your choice of vendors.
It arrived quickly, but I wasn't terribly impressed with the packing. I don't have pictures, but the plain black packing box CAS put it in is probably what it was shipped in. When the FedEx dude handed me the box, the point of the blade was sticking through the bottom of the cardboard, and probably had been for some time, as the tip was black from contact with the dyed outside of the box and the elements. There was the tiniest bit of rust beginning to show.
Also, on the manufacturers side, I couldn't help but notice a slight "twist" in the blade:
Not major, but if this were a more expensive sword, I would expect more. I was disappointed anyway.
Compared to the Gen2, which is longer and wider, this sword is actually heavier, and not as well balanced. It weighs right at about 4 pounds, which is a pound more than the Gen2. The quillons aren't as long either, which is what attracted me to the Gen2 first. The Gen2 looks like a mini-claymore. This looks like the flea market version of a claymore.
The blade's cross-section is somewhere between lenticular and a diamond shape. It starts to taper towards the end, but the blade's thickness remains about the same all the way down. There's a small fuller towards the hilt.
I didn't even bother photographing the "scabbard". It's one of those big leather deals; heavy, cumbersome. Doesn't fit terribly well. Pretty much like something that would come with a Pakistani flea market sword. I threw it in a back room and haven't touched it since.
The brass hardware's ok. Nothing special, but it gets the job done. The blade fits in pretty snugly, with no wobble or looseness.
The handle is a little less than great. It has some small holes (termites?) in the wood, as well as a damaged portion near the crossguard:
The two black dots are the holes. The rough spot where the handle meets the hilt is the damaged part
This sword came with a hollow grind sort of edge, but wasn't really sharp. I ran an accusharp over it a couple dozen times, but it didn't do terribly much to it.
I tried taking down 2 water filled soda bottles with the slight edge I did get, with horrible results:
It managed a minor cut. I'm going to have to work with this sword to get it where I want it.
So, conclusion:
The Stats:
Overall length: 37 1/2"
Blade length: 30"
Handle length: 7 1/2"
Weight: 4lb
Historical Accuracy: 2/5.
The Gen2 is more accurate, I think.
Fit and Finish: 2/5.
The wood on the handle has holes in it from insects, and a small damaged spot.
Handling: 2/5. You can whip it around easy enough, but it should be lighter. Much lighter
Structural Integrity: 4/5. Seems pretty solid. I don't know how the pommel's attached though. I don't think it's peened.
Value for Money: 3/5. You could do better, but you could also do a lot worse.
OVERALL: 2.75/5
It's a backyard beater. Which is what I wanted, but it's not a great sword, and I have a feeling the Valiant Armory version of this sword might be much better. Overall, I'm actually a little disappointed.
So, having just recently bought a sword from Brightblades, I decided a review was in order!
This is the CAS Iberia version of the Scottish 15th century single hand sword.
I've been looking at pretty much all the other versions, besides the Gen2, which I already own and reviewed (/index.cgi?action=display&board=swordreviews&thread=5685&page=1) so I thought I'd try this one. It was a bit cheaper than the Valiant Armory version (which will be next on my list unless something better catches my eye).
I've been wanting something more of a backyard beater I wont feel bad about scratching up and wearing out. This one seemed to fit my desires. The brass is not as attractive as Valiant's steel fittings, but it's less hassle to clean, and less likely to rust.
From Brightblade, this sword was 139. Which is a little lower than most of the other sellers I found. I imagine this sword is not in production anymore, so you are somewhat limited in your choice of vendors.
It arrived quickly, but I wasn't terribly impressed with the packing. I don't have pictures, but the plain black packing box CAS put it in is probably what it was shipped in. When the FedEx dude handed me the box, the point of the blade was sticking through the bottom of the cardboard, and probably had been for some time, as the tip was black from contact with the dyed outside of the box and the elements. There was the tiniest bit of rust beginning to show.
Also, on the manufacturers side, I couldn't help but notice a slight "twist" in the blade:
Not major, but if this were a more expensive sword, I would expect more. I was disappointed anyway.
Compared to the Gen2, which is longer and wider, this sword is actually heavier, and not as well balanced. It weighs right at about 4 pounds, which is a pound more than the Gen2. The quillons aren't as long either, which is what attracted me to the Gen2 first. The Gen2 looks like a mini-claymore. This looks like the flea market version of a claymore.
The blade's cross-section is somewhere between lenticular and a diamond shape. It starts to taper towards the end, but the blade's thickness remains about the same all the way down. There's a small fuller towards the hilt.
I didn't even bother photographing the "scabbard". It's one of those big leather deals; heavy, cumbersome. Doesn't fit terribly well. Pretty much like something that would come with a Pakistani flea market sword. I threw it in a back room and haven't touched it since.
The brass hardware's ok. Nothing special, but it gets the job done. The blade fits in pretty snugly, with no wobble or looseness.
The handle is a little less than great. It has some small holes (termites?) in the wood, as well as a damaged portion near the crossguard:
The two black dots are the holes. The rough spot where the handle meets the hilt is the damaged part
This sword came with a hollow grind sort of edge, but wasn't really sharp. I ran an accusharp over it a couple dozen times, but it didn't do terribly much to it.
I tried taking down 2 water filled soda bottles with the slight edge I did get, with horrible results:
It managed a minor cut. I'm going to have to work with this sword to get it where I want it.
So, conclusion:
The Stats:
Overall length: 37 1/2"
Blade length: 30"
Handle length: 7 1/2"
Weight: 4lb
Historical Accuracy: 2/5.
The Gen2 is more accurate, I think.
Fit and Finish: 2/5.
The wood on the handle has holes in it from insects, and a small damaged spot.
Handling: 2/5. You can whip it around easy enough, but it should be lighter. Much lighter
Structural Integrity: 4/5. Seems pretty solid. I don't know how the pommel's attached though. I don't think it's peened.
Value for Money: 3/5. You could do better, but you could also do a lot worse.
OVERALL: 2.75/5
It's a backyard beater. Which is what I wanted, but it's not a great sword, and I have a feeling the Valiant Armory version of this sword might be much better. Overall, I'm actually a little disappointed.