Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2009 20:14:08 GMT
Salut! I normally don't really like longswords or medieval swords to much, but Windlass seems to make better looking, more historical ones than everyone else. I don't really mind that Windlass' swords are dull since I don't really cut anything, but are they really as flexible as everyone seems to think? I like the look of some of their swords, but I'm just worried that they're to wavy, does anyone here have any experience with windlass? Thanks!
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SlayerofDarkness
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"Always give everyone the benefit of the doubt."
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Oct 15, 2009 20:18:55 GMT
Every model is diferent... For example, the Windlass Type XIV is a GREAT sword, while the Windlass Blacksword is barely more than an SLO.
When it comes to MRL/Windlass, most are junk, some are great. I've owned two of the good ones; the Type XIV and the Verneuil.
-Slayer
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2009 20:31:25 GMT
I've owned a number of Windlass blades over the years...I've not had any complaints with the most of the ones I've had. The Windlass Crecy war sword is one of the later ones I picked up, along with the Raptor. The Crecy is whippy, long and light- I'm in no way enamored with it so I've not put any effort into making it better. The Raptor is a good sword out of the box- although it has a fantasy look to it, it is a wicked little cutter with a stiff, single edged blade.
Check the Reviews section here on SBG- a good many Windlass swords have been reviewed and it'd be very informative for one such as yourself. Happy reading!
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Post by shadowhowler on Oct 15, 2009 21:16:46 GMT
Yup... its hit and miss with Windlass... They make a LOT of swords, and have a lot of options, and are often reasonably priced... so if you don't cut with them they are likely a decent option for you. For cutting... sometimes they make good ones (The Ulfberht, Raptor, XIV, German Bastard Sword...) but a lot more of them are 'meh'. Like Ebon said... sift the reviews... see if anyone has anything to say about a sword you might be interested in.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2009 21:43:00 GMT
The two I like best from windlass (going by their descriptions) are their English two handed sword and their "longsword"(the one without the big handle things on it. : ) Does anyone have any experience with either of these I wonder?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2009 1:45:17 GMT
Here's a link to a review of their longsword. I remember seeing a more positive review of it elsewhere but I can't find it now. I haven't heard anything about the English two-hander sword before, but it looks pretty nice. Huge sword, but the stats for it on Kult of Athena show it as being pretty well balanced. I think I remember hearing good things about their 15th century longsword as well.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Oct 16, 2009 3:31:10 GMT
Apropos of nothing.
I own a few Windlass blades, nothing like what you're describing. I own the kindjal, the qama, the American Revolution saber. All were ordered with the sharpening option, and all were ordered from KOA. The following comments are only my impressions, and I am a noob, a nugget, a FNG (Fresh, yes, Fresh New Guy) and so don't know much.
My impressions are as follows: temper is good, aesthetics are passable if you squint, and distal taper is mostly imaginary. Long Windlass blades have the reputation of being a little floppy---but floppiness is not necessarily a-historical, depending upon the blade. Windlass blades are forged and finished to a blunt-ish level, but most of our preferred vendors offer sharpening services (probably from the US jobber or the factory).
Windlass offers a fairly interesting, and frequently changing, variety of European blades. Some of their swords have received rave, rave reviews, like the Type XIV. Windlass does not care, however, about SBG, but about what sells, and it seems that their really competent, decent blades tend to not sell well, and thus go the way of all flesh. (I.e., die, i.e., be discontinued.)
From the standpoint of SBG-level European swords, I regard Windlass as the standard. I've heard enough bad word about Hanwei's entry-level European swords---poor edges, sometimes hollow plastic hilts---that I am cautious about Hanwei line (although the Hanwei Tinker collaborations get pretty good reviews). I see the Gen 2 and KC blades as being very much niche, although structurally sound and "from the box" sharp.
As I say, I am new to the sword scene, I am still learning and growing, I could be entirely wrong about everything I'm saying here. With that disclaimer, if I was interested in a sword offered by Windlass, I would go ahead and order it. I would order it from a reputable vendor (check the Sword Manufacturer's Guide for "SBG-approved" shops) with a good return policy, and I would dance around with my chosen sword when it arrived, hefting and swinging and pretending I knew what I was doing, until I had a feel for it.
I've never returned a sword, but esteemed members who post here (like RicWilly) have returned swords to KOA just because the sword in hand differed from the image they'd had of the sword in their mind. I take comfort in knowing that option is available.
We live in a relatively golden age for European sword reproductions. Slowly but steadily, the market is driving the products forward, they're getting better, prettier, sharper, stouter. Hanwei is working with Tinker Pearce, Valiant is working with Angus Trim and Christian Fletcher and John Lundemo. Compared with those collaborations, I see Windlass as a good, solid example of "last generation" swords. It's the Xbox, not the Xbox360, it's the PS2 not the PS3. It's not as spiffy, it's not as accurate, it's still hit or miss, but it's probably cheaper and still solid.
There are better and there are certainly more expensive options out there, but I have a lingering fondness and enthusiasm for Windlass Steelcrafts. I'm pretty sure that my Valiant Armoury AT303S is a vastly better sword than any of my Windlass blades, but that's no real knock against the qama, kindjal or saber. I've chopped 2x4s (end-on) with the saber, and thumb-thick branches with the saber, qama and kindjal, and they're still stout and tight. (The qama and kindjal are both full tang of construction, and the saber is peened.)
If I was hepped up for a Windlass longsword, I'd ask questions, then go to a reputable vendor, then order it and try it out, no cutting, just practice swinging. I'd expect to get a good, solid blade from them. Remember, my advice is worth what you paid for it!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2009 4:56:43 GMT
I have two Windlass swords and am extremely happy with both of them. My first was the Oakshott Type XIV, the second was a Maintz Gladius. Both are value items for their price. The XIV is a sleeper at $189. I got the Gladius from MRL on a half price sale that made pretty much of a "gimme".
Have fun, Dxr
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2009 5:31:06 GMT
I have a windlass pirate hanger, and I love it for what it is. It was dirt cheap, and it is quite solid and good-looking for the price. The handle of makes it hard to get a tactile feel for the edge alignment, but despite this it is still one of the best-cutting swords I own, once I sharpened it. I also spent a lot of time using on of their Greek Hoplite swords for a production of "The Odyssey" I was in, and I was very impressed by that model as well, perhaps moreso. It is a very substantial weapon for its size, yet it easily moves quickly and powerfully.
I can only speculate about their longer blades, but from my experiences it seems that Windlass sets the standard for entry-level blades that are REAL swords and deserve respect. There is not much fancy about the fit and finish, you can't be quite sure about the handling characteristics from sword to sword, but they are sturdy, they are real, and they are very reasonably priced. They make so very many different models that for sure, many might not be worth your time, but there also are several 'Gems"that can't be beat for the price.
Windlass swords may not be perfect, but they are perfect for the purpose they serve.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2009 9:59:24 GMT
Yes Windlass can be a hit or miss thing, but I guess I've been very forunate in that of all the Windlass swords I have or owned only one didn't stay in my collection. Of what I have now, the 15th c. longsword and the Verneuil see alot of use. Don't get sucked into the whole "whippiness-phobia" deal......unless it's a true rapier or katana....swords were meant to flex. After giving it a proper edge, the 15th c. longsword is a favorite cutter of mine.
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Post by brotherbanzai on Oct 16, 2009 14:24:30 GMT
Hi xerxes, I have three long blades from Windlass, all are overly flexible. They make decent swords for the money but I would go with a Tinker/Hanwei or an ATrim/VA if that's your price range.
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Oct 16, 2009 15:47:17 GMT
Ive only checked out a couple. They were sufficiently built. And had reasonable fit and finish. They aren't bad. But I find the steel is on the soft side, the blades are bumpy. The hilts are drab. But at least they aren't dangerous or sloppily made. They just aren't works of art. If you only want to spend under $200 I would say 'yes', get one of the recommended models. You could do worse for a first sword. They won't break your heart. But do choose a single hander - blade under 31" - type X to XIV - as mentioned they are meant to be thin flexible blades; that will work. Do not choose a longsword or a thruster - they just don't work - too floppy once you go over 30 odd inches.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2009 17:15:53 GMT
I normally don't really like longswords or medieval swords to much, but Windlass seems to make better looking, more historical ones than everyone else... What other products have you looked at? The reason I ask is because there are tons of better looking, more historically-accurate sword makers out there.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2009 22:29:08 GMT
I disagree about the whippyness for the most part. I'm certain that some of their longer sword are too flexible, but I have their War Sword and while it does have a decent amount of flex to it it still works just fine and I'm quite happy with it, so it would seem that at least some of their longer swords have acceptable blades. As far as appearance and historical accuracy go they certainly aren't perfect, but they do have some pieces that are pretty nice. I don't know of any company that can compete with Windlass in the sub-200$ price range. At the $200 mark you get a few more options like the valiant armory practical series, but that's pretty limited as far as your choices go.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2009 22:33:19 GMT
By "everyone else" I was mostly refering to deepka and Hanwei's cheaper medieval swords. (which seem to be ok except I think thay're to plain and modern looking...) I'd prefer a somewhat more historical sword, as I don't really use them for much except display, but a blade as floppy as some people describe on several windlass' would probably annoy me, lol!
And I'm sure some people are going to disagree with me here, but I don't think historical swords were overly flexible, I saw an article on ARMA saying swords tended to have relatively rigid blades. Also a swordsmith wouldn't have intentionaly made a sword so flexible that it interfered cutting and thrusting, as some people seem to say about windlass' longsword. : )
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2009 20:47:08 GMT
I have the English 2 Hand sword, one of my earlier buys. There are some things I like about it but the blade is very thin and flexible, not at all suitable for thrusting, probably not for cutting either. I do have fun doing ' air drills ' with it though. This is just my untrained opinion.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2009 14:45:56 GMT
Hey
How about the Windlass Steelcrafts Swedish Viking Sword? Looks cool … but how's the grip?
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Oct 18, 2009 18:50:13 GMT
I like some of Windlass' stuff but the big problem I see with them isn't really that they are whippy but that they really don't seem to get distal taper anything close to right. the fact that their blades seem to be of random thickness doesn't help. just from looking at specs I see several examples of similar swords that should have similar thicknesses being nothing alike in thickness.
so it's not that they flex too much but rather that they flex wrong from my point of view.
of course there are some of their swords that are really nice; mostly the discontinued ones . . .
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2009 19:52:09 GMT
ive owned a couple Windlass swords and yes the longer blades are fairly whippy, but cut about 6 inches off my Windlass type XII and redid the hilt and it works great, and handles better. But while the blades are whippy, the temper isnt bad. For the money most Windlass swords are fairly good
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