Windlass, Stromloswords sabers as training weapons

Here are a few reviews on WeaponEdge products:

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Yes Stromloswords, I have contacted you before. I am back from the holiday so we could proceed.

With Windlass I have understood that they are "almost sharp". That could make them a little dangerous as training weapons if you dont blunt them by taking off material from the edge. How is the sharpness with blunt Weaponsedge swords, do they need further blunting to be considered "safe"? Of course, when training with steel you allways need good controll.

I would like to know what kind of tangs the Windlass sabers have. I have read the reviews and seems that they are well built, if not really historically correct. Has there been lately cases of Windlass sabers failing in normal use, cutting tatami or while training with them?

One thing speaks for Windlass where I live, we have a shop selling their products here in Finland, www.rautaportti.fi/ Prices are reasonable and if I buy from them I can avoid the whole circus of customs and taxes. Also I dont have to use my credit card or get a Paypal account. If the products are not what they should be I can contact the shop and return products easily. They also have gambesons and other protective gear.

Thanks Hotspur for your advice. I study historical fencing under a very competent teacher. So far I have trained smallsword and singlestick, also some rapier.

Thats a Nashville Plow Works saber you have in those pictures? Very elegant saber and one choise for me. The lenght is suitable for fencing, 35-36 inch blades are a bit long for that even though I am a tall person. How is the balance of this saber? I could also get the 1840 Heavy cavalry saber as a project and shorten it slightly, maybe to 33 inches.

Mine is quite similar in look to the Nashville Plow, as this College Hill reproduction was of the same time and place in history. Indeed the two manufactories shared the original castings. It was my size/shape thoughts exactly in getting this one and was in looking for substitute to playing with my origina spadroons. Those are a good bit lighter and yet still a tad shorter. I'm sure singlestick is what I should be involved in for spadroon excercise, while letting this sabre of mine fill a simpler reach and cutting experience of my own.

The distal properties related in some of the swords (such as that listed as proprietary to Weapon Edge) do seem a little more thought out than some of the other India productions.

The British 1821 cavalry reproduction is a good size in comparison to mine visually. My sword has a bit of distal but not a great deal of it. It has been more a matter of getting accustomed to a specific sword than worrying too much that it will never handle like my period hussar or a larger 1840 type (mle1822 French) cavalry sword. My period sabres are a whole different feel than what I have had with reproductions, so it will always seem wrong to compare them entirely.

There are the Hanwei fencing sabres that some have been quite delighted with but will hardly relate exact similarities with broader and heavier swords of any type. I do agree that the more moderate lengths and straightness of several models will lend better to play on foot.

While I do feel my sabre could be a lot better in handling, it really isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. I know Paul Macdonald and others modify production mortuary swords in further grinding and I continue to shave the foible of mine with a file yet more. The Hanwei Practical Mortuary might be another for you to consider.

Going to futher blunting of some of these India productions should help feel a bit. Concentrate on reducing mezzo and foible sections a little in mass and just maybe an ounce or two from the right places can make for a big difference. Filing down mine a bit has helped a little but it could be as well simply becoming more familiar with it.

Cheers

Hotspur; I would look for all the foot officer swords, even the new spadroons from Weapon Edge but those spadroons got a bit of a negative reaction in a collector used to originals

I bought my College Hill from Blockade Runner in the summer of 2006.

www.blockaderunner.com/Catalog/catpg8.htm

I am fairly certain one of the models from Legendary Arms is going to be the exactly the same. Ironically (or not) I had selected mine expecting it to be a straight blade. However, it grew on me quite quickly and has been a lot of fun since then.

It has been mentioned here at SBG that the Legendary offerings are indeed brought in through Windlass. Keep in mind that Windlass is an exporter. I do not believe everything they sell and export is made specifically in their shops. They may have some control of the shops. It is not unlike WKC insisting their katana line is of their direct manufacture. Without more due speculation, I would still trust the wares of Legendary Arms as being quite similar to a great many of the India produced swords.

Blockade Runner is another of similar Civil War sutlers that will quite clearly show economy and higher priced cutlery/sword items. their light cavalry swords, for an example. The higher price is going to reflect the value. A good many re-enactor groups mention to not spend on the higher priced swords but cutting and use differences will be apparent to an enthusiast. We have shown that with the Loyalist Arms 1796 and other analogies.

I continue to be of interest in the market of reproductions and have still considered a buy through Stromlo. It has simply been ill timed with other outlayed that have concentrated on affordable originals.

Take a $175 period Russian military kindjal as an example of what I track and would spend on right now if really itchy. I'm just not saying where that one is ;D Never mind, someone found it and bought yesterday CSAarms, a good seller.

Cheers

Hotspur; Even the recent great rapier bargain from MRL is that $100 less I have left to play with.

Shown here with last year's exhibition and my motley crew. The striped effect is the canopy reflection. It is shown here next to a Windlass Patton and an assortment of my old stuff.

After a lot of thought I am torn between two Windlass models, the 1860 light cavalry (cheap, but after reading the reviews I believe it is a solid weapon) and the Nashwille Plow (somehow I like its looks more and its slight curvature and moderate lenght). Both have the brass handguard, which is a minus. It is relatively difficult to find a model with steel handguard if you want to cover more than the knuckles. A difficult decision.

I am still making progress with my D'Auvergne blade. The 5 mm tang was a nasty surprise, but after grinding the stronger part of the tang a bit down the blade I have a 33 inch blade with sufficiently strong tang. First version of the handguard was a failure, artillery-proof but ugly and too heavy so it is going to be discarded. Besides the handle was too long. I will make a new guard of a more sensible material. Balance was guite nice though, about 4 inches from the handguard, but the weight made it handle like an iron bar ;D

Jonathan: have you bought from stromloswords? I tried contacting them months ago requesting information about their weapons and never got a reply. I don't actually know anyone who has done a review of anything bought from them.

Hi Anders (and all),

Happy to answer any questions or queries. Yes the webpage contact info was set up by someone else and all the mandatory fields are annoying. I need to change it.

Just drop me a line here or email stromloswords@sbcglobal.net

Cheers,

Rob
Stromlo Swords