Windlass Hewing Spear: another take
Mar 27, 2010 5:51:59 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2010 5:51:59 GMT
Hello all,
For my first review here I intended to talk about the Windlass Hewing Spear... I know that it has just been reviewed by a fellow forumite, but if you'll allow me, I'll do another take. The more the merrier, right ?
I ordered mine through Kult of Athena. It's cheap (35$) and it arrived to me quickly and without any problem, even though I live in Europe. As has been explained before, it arrived dull. But I quickly sharpened it...
It is also sold without the shaft (thank the gods - else, the shipping would've been...). I selected my own. I had some trouble getting the spearhead to stop wobbling, but it's entirely my fault. When the shaft is correctly shaped, the two holes provided for screws or nails are quite sufficient to hold the spearhead in place.
History and historical accuracy
This is huge question mark. This weapon is sold as "Viking". I have studied the question quite a bit, and stumbled upon this helpful Wikipedia entry. There are mentions of various polearms that seem to be used for cutting in the Norse sagas (that are all posterior to the Viking era). But while Windlass' attempt is possibly historical, no weapon was ever found (that I'm aware of) giving any indication about what exactly these "Viking polearms/halberds" were like...
Specs
According to KoA, specs are :
Overall Length: 25 In
Blade: 16 In Long x 2 1/4 In Wide
1 lb 7 oz
I'll add that the socket is, at its widest point, 28mm (1 inch 1/8) in internal diameter.
The Thing
Here are some photos. PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN AFTER SEVERAL BOUTS OF CUTTING AND QUITE MUCH HANDLING. ANY SCRATCHES SEEN HERE SHOULD NOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE VENDOR OR SHIPPING COMPANY !
The blade. I love its shape.
I especially love how the blade spreads out from the socket...
Here is the socket, held in place with two screws.
Here's the blade seen from the side, with the sharpened edge.
Here you can see the blade's diamond cross-section, with a discreet but quite present central spine.
Personnally, I find this weapon pretty good-looking ! Finish and polish were all right out of the box for me (I don't like mirror polishes). Only small gripe: the "holographic" Windlass sticker. At least it can easily be removed, and then the blade is mark-less, but still... Looks a bit stupid. Oh well.
Also, I'm not really sure about it, but it does seem that the blade is not exactly symmetrical, at the point where it "spreads out" from the socket. But that's minor.
Handling
With the selected shaft (2m long, bringing the weapon to a whole 2m20), handling is very good with two hands, but rapidly tiring and a bit difficult with one hand.
As the historicity of this weapon is unsure, I don't know how it was used, if it ever was. Clearly, you can't "hew" with a one-handed grip, so this weapon calls for two hands anyway. The spearhead is not really heavy, but in a one-handed grip and without any counterweight at the other end, its weight is quickly felt (at least by me). So, on the whole, the traditional Viking spear/shield combination is not possible with this one. It's not really surprising since, again, you can't correctly "hew" with one hand anyway. But it can still briefly be used in one hand for stabbing, and if you're more muscular than me you might pull it off for longer...
When held in two hands, though, it really shines. Any sensation of weight disappears. As any spear, it is capable of quick, fearsome thrusts. But it also "hews", so on to...
Cutting !
I haven't tried water bottles. But I did try it against wood (light planks and posts).
In the thrust department, it performs well enough. The blade is actually a bit thicker at the point (I assume it's for solidity), but it's still quite acute, and while I don't think it performs as well as a dedicated thrusting spear, I'm quite sure that a strong two-handed thrust delivered with this one would be quite lethal.
The interesting point (pun intended), though, is the cutting. And it does cut ! I was actually a bit surprised at how well it performed. Even with a round spear shaft, blade alignment is easy. Against a plank that was tied to a tree branch with a single rope (and thus, not fixed in place), I got 1cm-2cm deep penetration easily. It stills does not cut as well as a dedicated cutting sword, or an axe, of course, because it lacks the weight and balance for that, I think. But I also think that someone more trained in its use than me could get pretty good cuts out of it.
The blade held up all right from the cutting. It feels very solid, and in fact I don't really see a way it could be damaged, what with this diamond cross-section. Thrusting into hard targets didn't bend the point, either.
Verdict
Ratings:
Historical Accuracy: maybe 5/5, maybe 0/5... no way to know. But credible, IMHO.
Fit and Finish : 4.5/5
Handling : 4/5
Structural Integrity: 5/5
Value for Money: 5/5
Overall 4.5/5
Pros :
- Polearms can offer serious bang-for-the-buck, and this original piece is no exception. It opens a whole set of possibilities and new experiences for just $35 !
- Kudos to Windlass for giving this "Viking polearm" thing a try. I feel it's a very honest, credible attempt.
- Quite pretty
- Durable
Cons
- Thrusting with one hand is difficult with this one (but it's certainly not how it's meant to be used)
- Some cosmetic aspects could be perfected
Conclusion
I'd definitely recommand it. It's a safe, tough value, and it's cheap fun (again... $35 !). It may not perform as well against cutting targets as a sword would, but I still think it's a fun experience for the "backyard cutter". It's something new to try for just a few bucks. And it can be seen as a dare to the master cutters out there : make good cuts with this very cut-capable, but not cut-optimized, weapon.
For my first review here I intended to talk about the Windlass Hewing Spear... I know that it has just been reviewed by a fellow forumite, but if you'll allow me, I'll do another take. The more the merrier, right ?
I ordered mine through Kult of Athena. It's cheap (35$) and it arrived to me quickly and without any problem, even though I live in Europe. As has been explained before, it arrived dull. But I quickly sharpened it...
It is also sold without the shaft (thank the gods - else, the shipping would've been...). I selected my own. I had some trouble getting the spearhead to stop wobbling, but it's entirely my fault. When the shaft is correctly shaped, the two holes provided for screws or nails are quite sufficient to hold the spearhead in place.
History and historical accuracy
This is huge question mark. This weapon is sold as "Viking". I have studied the question quite a bit, and stumbled upon this helpful Wikipedia entry. There are mentions of various polearms that seem to be used for cutting in the Norse sagas (that are all posterior to the Viking era). But while Windlass' attempt is possibly historical, no weapon was ever found (that I'm aware of) giving any indication about what exactly these "Viking polearms/halberds" were like...
Specs
According to KoA, specs are :
Overall Length: 25 In
Blade: 16 In Long x 2 1/4 In Wide
1 lb 7 oz
I'll add that the socket is, at its widest point, 28mm (1 inch 1/8) in internal diameter.
The Thing
Here are some photos. PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN AFTER SEVERAL BOUTS OF CUTTING AND QUITE MUCH HANDLING. ANY SCRATCHES SEEN HERE SHOULD NOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE VENDOR OR SHIPPING COMPANY !
The blade. I love its shape.
I especially love how the blade spreads out from the socket...
Here is the socket, held in place with two screws.
Here's the blade seen from the side, with the sharpened edge.
Here you can see the blade's diamond cross-section, with a discreet but quite present central spine.
Personnally, I find this weapon pretty good-looking ! Finish and polish were all right out of the box for me (I don't like mirror polishes). Only small gripe: the "holographic" Windlass sticker. At least it can easily be removed, and then the blade is mark-less, but still... Looks a bit stupid. Oh well.
Also, I'm not really sure about it, but it does seem that the blade is not exactly symmetrical, at the point where it "spreads out" from the socket. But that's minor.
Handling
With the selected shaft (2m long, bringing the weapon to a whole 2m20), handling is very good with two hands, but rapidly tiring and a bit difficult with one hand.
As the historicity of this weapon is unsure, I don't know how it was used, if it ever was. Clearly, you can't "hew" with a one-handed grip, so this weapon calls for two hands anyway. The spearhead is not really heavy, but in a one-handed grip and without any counterweight at the other end, its weight is quickly felt (at least by me). So, on the whole, the traditional Viking spear/shield combination is not possible with this one. It's not really surprising since, again, you can't correctly "hew" with one hand anyway. But it can still briefly be used in one hand for stabbing, and if you're more muscular than me you might pull it off for longer...
When held in two hands, though, it really shines. Any sensation of weight disappears. As any spear, it is capable of quick, fearsome thrusts. But it also "hews", so on to...
Cutting !
I haven't tried water bottles. But I did try it against wood (light planks and posts).
In the thrust department, it performs well enough. The blade is actually a bit thicker at the point (I assume it's for solidity), but it's still quite acute, and while I don't think it performs as well as a dedicated thrusting spear, I'm quite sure that a strong two-handed thrust delivered with this one would be quite lethal.
The interesting point (pun intended), though, is the cutting. And it does cut ! I was actually a bit surprised at how well it performed. Even with a round spear shaft, blade alignment is easy. Against a plank that was tied to a tree branch with a single rope (and thus, not fixed in place), I got 1cm-2cm deep penetration easily. It stills does not cut as well as a dedicated cutting sword, or an axe, of course, because it lacks the weight and balance for that, I think. But I also think that someone more trained in its use than me could get pretty good cuts out of it.
The blade held up all right from the cutting. It feels very solid, and in fact I don't really see a way it could be damaged, what with this diamond cross-section. Thrusting into hard targets didn't bend the point, either.
Verdict
Ratings:
Historical Accuracy: maybe 5/5, maybe 0/5... no way to know. But credible, IMHO.
Fit and Finish : 4.5/5
Handling : 4/5
Structural Integrity: 5/5
Value for Money: 5/5
Overall 4.5/5
Pros :
- Polearms can offer serious bang-for-the-buck, and this original piece is no exception. It opens a whole set of possibilities and new experiences for just $35 !
- Kudos to Windlass for giving this "Viking polearm" thing a try. I feel it's a very honest, credible attempt.
- Quite pretty
- Durable
Cons
- Thrusting with one hand is difficult with this one (but it's certainly not how it's meant to be used)
- Some cosmetic aspects could be perfected
Conclusion
I'd definitely recommand it. It's a safe, tough value, and it's cheap fun (again... $35 !). It may not perform as well against cutting targets as a sword would, but I still think it's a fun experience for the "backyard cutter". It's something new to try for just a few bucks. And it can be seen as a dare to the master cutters out there : make good cuts with this very cut-capable, but not cut-optimized, weapon.
)
