Holy Cr@p! It's Here!

So what all did you get?

Wow. All I can say is wow. Hve fun cutting.

Do remember: second opinions are good to have.

Hey Stizzorm,
I did a review on the Hvy Cav sabre here some time back, at least I think it did.
Freebooter

Hey Stizzorm,
Found my old review of it. Here it is:
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My new Cold Steel 1860 Hvy Cav Sabre!
« Thread Started on Mar 21, 2007, 10:40am »

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Hello all,
I received my new Cold Steel 1860 Cav Sabre (U.S. Civil War era)! It is a beautiful sword and extremely well made and heavy duty as is its scabbard! It is well balanced and feels wonderful in my hand. It is $379.00 or so on their website but when I called a gal told me it would be $300.00 so that is what I sent them. It is so well made and all I think it is worth it.

While I am no expert on either swords or proper terminology of parts, etc., I will do the best I can at a review. So here goes:
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COLD STEEL'S U.S. 1860 CAV SABRE:
What a fine sabre! And it came with an envelope marked; “British Proof Test Certificate”. I will add that as well at the bottom. The sword fits very, very snugly into scabbard and will not just fall out even if held upside down. But on the second day I had it I pulled the sabre out of the scabbard and a small square sticky block was stuck to the tip of my blade. I removed that and re-scabbarded my sword and the resistance within felt different. When I pulled it forth there was another piece of sticky stuff, a small square, stuck to it and to it was a two foot piece of white plastic about an inch wide. I tried to put it back but it tore up and now my sabre slides in more easily, almost can be just dropped in, and falls out if held upside down. I see now that there is still about an inch or two piece of the plastic on either side of the inside of the scabbard, which is mounted to the inside throat piece. I reckon that plastic had something to do with the nice snug grip the scabbard had on the sword. It definitely would not fall out if held upside down before this happened. I was so put out about this! Otherwise the scabbard is a superbly made heavy piece of nice work and is so well made and heavy duty it could be a weapon in itself! Plus there was one imperfection in the blade I didn’t like (see below). After I typed up this review I sent it back to Cold Steel for a refund or another one. They are making good on it and are going to send me another one. More of this below.

Anyway, the sabre is superbly made. Actually it looks more like a copy of the U.S. 1840 Heavy Cav Sabre in my opinion. The guard is slightly different and the handle has the swell of the U.S. 1860 Lt. Cav Sabre, but slightly angled to blade like the 1840 Heavy Cavalry Sabre and I think the blade is definitely the 1840s or at least more like it. It definitely has the flat back of the blade like the 1840. You people with more knowledge and experience on the 1840 and 1860 U.S. cav sabres can figure out which it is closest to. Also, in a small plastic pack came a precut and slotted piece of quality leather which is slid down the blade to act as a cushion for when the scabbard meets the guard. That is more like originals. The last 1860 Lt. Cav. Sabre I ordered from Ames Sword Co, the original company that made the originals, had a plastic thing instead of a leather cussion.

Even though the scabbard guts came out I will still go on with my review as best I can. Forgive me for my lack of experience and knowledge in such things but at least I can give you an idea of what the sabre is like:

WEIGHT: Weighed on old bathroom scales, so best I can tell: in its well made heavy steel scabbard; about four lbs. Alone; abt 2 lbs. or maybe a hair more.

O.A. LENGTH: In scabbard, from tip of drag to end of pommel; 44". Just sword, straight from point to pommel, not following curve: 41 3/8".

BLADE:
Blade is superbly made, flexes nicely, with no discernable grind or file marks. But if you look along the edge there is a sunken spot a couple of inches long as if they ground the edge there too much. The blade is very sharp from about 18” from point, from there back it is not very sharp.

LENGTH: Straight from point to guard, not following edge or curve; 35 3/8".

THICKNESS: 5/16" at guard (the back of the blade is flat like the 1840 Hvy model). It is 3/16” thick in middle of blade, and narrowing to 2/16” (1/8”) at spot where it rapidly goes inward to form beginning of false back edge, about 10 ½" from point. False edge is about a hair under 2/16” and goes to nothing to the point. And a hard, deadly point it is!

WIDTH: 1¼” at guard. 1 1/8” at center of blade. 1” about six inches from point, then slopes on towards point.

P.O.B.: Abt 7 7/8” from guard.

“SWEET SPOT”: I am not sure what you call this spot or how to describe it. But when I tapped the edge on something, the best feeling spot with least vibration or strange feeling was about 12 3/8” from point. Felt more like a solid hit.

FULLER:
L: Beginning with squared end abt 1 1/8“ from guard, as does the edge, to rounded end 10” from point.
W: 15/16” wide at center of blade, beginning at back of blade to 5/16” from edge all along. The little groove along the sides near back of blade is 15 ½” long and starts 9 ¼” from guard and ends almost at end of main fuller.

HANDLE:
GUARD: Well made solid brass with no mold or grind marks. Typical CW type Cavalry guard, although I don’t think the outer branch of the guard quite flares backward enough as the originals.

GRIP: Heavy duty and well made, black leather with brass twisted wire wrapped with ¼” between wraps or strands. On end of pommel cap, which is about like originals, instead of being one piece covering a peened end like originals it is open with a slotted nut or head with the tang end on which it is screwed visible, but flush with back or end of pommel. It is very smooth and well done and finished.

SCABBARD: Heavy duty and very well made (other than the plastic guts, which came out). The rings are solid, heavy rings. You could use it as a weapon in its own right!

“BRITISH PROOF TEST CERTIFICATE”
In an envelope which was in the box, marked with the above, is the proof test certificate.
On this piece of paper are diagrams and drawings of swords in various positions on a block of wood, the first four showing blades laying at various angles across the block, the last two showing it standing up and being flexed:

Test 1: Hit the cutting edge of the sword or saber HARD on a heavy wood block. The blade must remain straight and the handle, guard and tang, etc, must all remain rigidly in place with no bending, loosening, rattling, twisting, or turning at all or the sword fails.

Test 2: Hit the back of the blade HARD on a heavy wood block. The blade must remain straight and true and the handle, guard and tang, etc, must all remain rigidly in place with not bending, loosening, rattling, twisting, or turning at all or the sword fails.

Test 3: Hit the flat side of the blade hard on the wooden block and the blade must not bend. The blade must recover and come back truly straight. If it bends or takes a “set” other than straight it must be rejected.

Test 4: Same as test #3 except the other side of the blade is to be struck.

Test 5: Set the point of the sword on a heavy wood block and flex the blade 5” to the left. It must recover to truly straight. If the blade bends or takes a set other than straight I must be rejected.
Test 6: Same as #5 but the blade is flexed to the right.


[This message has been edited by Freebooter (edited 03-14-2007).]
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Now as far as Cold Steel and the return goes;
As I said above I had to send my sabre back to Cold Steel last Friday and called them Monday about my Sabre. The gal I talked to was nice as could be and very appreciative and helpful. I explained to her all about what happened with the sabre's scabbard and the dip in the blade and how and when I sent it back. She told me I should have called her before I sent it bacause Cold Steel would have covered it. They cover all S&H on any returns.

I told her that it was a magnificant, well made and well balanced sabre and that rather than a refund as I had originally asked I would rather just have another sabre and scabbard, minus the ground down spot in the edge and bad scabbard of course. She said she would personally inspect the sabre and scabbard and the parts I sent when it gets there (just sent it Friday regular U.S. Parcel Post) and send me a new sabre and scabbard and she said that because my original "2 Day" delivery order was messed up by them and took a week or so to get to me then she would see to it that my new sword was expidited. I told her that was fine and thanked her.

You know what y'all, I could not ask for any better service, courtesy and consideration. That makes two or three times I have spoken with Cold Steel people on the phone, and two or three times I have e-mailed them back and forth. In each and every instance they were very professional, helpful, and very courteous and friendly.

So I will give y'all a hollar the replacement gets here. Also, I ordered a light cavalry sabre from Ames Sword which should get here in a couple of weeks. I am looking foward to that as well! I will post a review of it too.
Take care,
Freebooter