Windlass Polish Sword
Apr 22, 2009 14:43:12 GMT
Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2009 14:43:12 GMT
I just recently purchased this Windlass Polish Sword as a special order from KOA.
Thought I'd give my impressions of it in a sort of mini-review.
I saw this come on on MRL in thier "Last Chance" section for $139. I had been wanting a sword that was more "knightly" with more of a cruciform look than my other swords, which are mostly Scottish and have sloped quillons.
Rather than order from MRL I decided to stick with the tried and true and have Kult Of Athena order it for me and match the price.
It took about a week for the sword to come in, and about another week to arrive.
No pictures of the unpacking, but it was snugly wrapped in brown packing paper and a plastic bag. Also had a liberal coating of grease that took a while to remove.
Is it historically accurate? As far as I can tell, yes and no.
I couldn't find any pictures of this exact sword, but the hilt is a style similar to the Polish sabers used by Winged Hussars, and other polish swords as well.
Compare:
to
I suppose in earlier times they could have been using a similar hilt style on their medieval swords which was carried on into the recent past.
Statistics from the manufacturer:
Overall 40 1/4"
Blade 30" long,
2 1/8" wide,
3/16" thick,
Wt.-3 lbs. 2 oz. (I'm guessing with the scabbard)
Fit And Finish:
Solidly made, well polished, moderately well balanced. Stitching on the grip is done well. Everything fitted snugly. Not at all "whippy" as I have heard some Windlass swords described; but then, this one is not a two-hander.
One con was the scabbard. The throat didn't allow the blade to fit in properly, which in the end was not a problem at all, because the first time I pulled the blade out of the scabbard the throat came with it.
I ended up removing the glue and blacking the area, then wrapping a leather cord over most of the spot where the throat had been. After the throat was gone, the sword fit fine.
The grip takes a little getting used to. The curved section closest to the hilt is not quite large enough for your whole hand, so you end up putting the "point" in the middle into your palm. No biggie.
I don't know that I'm going to sharpen this sword, so probably no cutting tests. I might keep it as a carry-around for Renn Faires and the like.
In situations where you're going to be letting lots of people handle a sword it's best that it isn't razor sharp....It also means I wont feel apprehensive about smacking friends across the back of the legs with it!
Pro's and Cons:
Pro: A steal at $139, well made, attractive look, moderately well balanced.
Con: You might get a scabbard with a crappy throat, you might not like getting used to the grip.
Overall: For $139, you could do much, much worse.
Thought I'd give my impressions of it in a sort of mini-review.
I saw this come on on MRL in thier "Last Chance" section for $139. I had been wanting a sword that was more "knightly" with more of a cruciform look than my other swords, which are mostly Scottish and have sloped quillons.
Rather than order from MRL I decided to stick with the tried and true and have Kult Of Athena order it for me and match the price.
It took about a week for the sword to come in, and about another week to arrive.
No pictures of the unpacking, but it was snugly wrapped in brown packing paper and a plastic bag. Also had a liberal coating of grease that took a while to remove.
Is it historically accurate? As far as I can tell, yes and no.
I couldn't find any pictures of this exact sword, but the hilt is a style similar to the Polish sabers used by Winged Hussars, and other polish swords as well.
Compare:
to
I suppose in earlier times they could have been using a similar hilt style on their medieval swords which was carried on into the recent past.
Statistics from the manufacturer:
Overall 40 1/4"
Blade 30" long,
2 1/8" wide,
3/16" thick,
Wt.-3 lbs. 2 oz. (I'm guessing with the scabbard)
Fit And Finish:
Solidly made, well polished, moderately well balanced. Stitching on the grip is done well. Everything fitted snugly. Not at all "whippy" as I have heard some Windlass swords described; but then, this one is not a two-hander.
One con was the scabbard. The throat didn't allow the blade to fit in properly, which in the end was not a problem at all, because the first time I pulled the blade out of the scabbard the throat came with it.
I ended up removing the glue and blacking the area, then wrapping a leather cord over most of the spot where the throat had been. After the throat was gone, the sword fit fine.
The grip takes a little getting used to. The curved section closest to the hilt is not quite large enough for your whole hand, so you end up putting the "point" in the middle into your palm. No biggie.
I don't know that I'm going to sharpen this sword, so probably no cutting tests. I might keep it as a carry-around for Renn Faires and the like.
In situations where you're going to be letting lots of people handle a sword it's best that it isn't razor sharp....It also means I wont feel apprehensive about smacking friends across the back of the legs with it!
Pro's and Cons:
Pro: A steal at $139, well made, attractive look, moderately well balanced.
Con: You might get a scabbard with a crappy throat, you might not like getting used to the grip.
Overall: For $139, you could do much, much worse.