XIIa.4 ATrim Munition Grade War Sword Prototype
Oct 1, 2010 4:56:16 GMT
Post by TomK on Oct 1, 2010 4:56:16 GMT
XIIa.4 ATrim Munition Grade War Sword Prototype
A review by Tom Kinder
Full Disclosure:
UPDATE: Since Hiroshi and I have opened Tried and True Armory and become the primary dealer of ATrim swords this section's information is no longer strictly accurate. Yes I sell these swords (this model in fact, would you like one?), and yes I make money when I do sell them. Yes I have a vested interest in seeing these sell. I would like to take this opportunity to state that I sell ATrim swords because I love them, I would never have started a business venture that needs me to work as hard as I do for it in order to sell something I don't love. I am going to do my very best to keep every review I do of any sword ATrim or not, neutral and unbiased. if I'm honest I can help people find the sword that is right for them. If I sell them a sword that isn't right for them through subterfuge they will be displeased and not return as my customer. there aren't enough of you lovely sword-buying people out there for me to succeed if I can only get a single transaction from each of you. so I will try to help you find the sword that is right for you in hopes that you will return to me the next time you need a fix.
A little while ago I was contacted by Gus who wanted to know if I’d be interested in reviewing a new sword line for him. Ummm heck, yes! The plan got slowed down by the fact I had to move to a new home and getting settled but before long things were rolling and Gus started telling me about the swords he wanted to send me. So it is my pleasure and privilege to introduce a not-so-new, new line of ATrim swords.
As most European sword fans know, Gus and Christian Fletcher have stepped up the quality on the Maker’s Mark line with better finish, better fittings, Permanent hilt assembly, and design improvements that yield better performance. With the new Chimera line hitting the streets, and Christian’s Prestige line still fairly new, Gus has been making more swords faster than in a long time. With this higher output and increased quality standard there are, inevitably, some swords that come out just fine but for one reason or another cannot be sold as Maker’s Mark, Prestige, or Chimera line swords. Thus the birth of the Munition Grade line. While Gus has not yet made a sword specifically to be a munition grade sword, he does have plans to do so if the early offerings are well received.
I was shipped three swords that represent various possibilities for Munition line swords. This second one is the prototype for the Chimera line Austrian War Sword. Unlike the other two swords Gus shipped me this one has no flaws. There were some design elements that Gus and Christian decided they wanted to change for the production run of the Austrian War Sword, including the VA furniture, softer lines in the geometry, and permanent assembly of the hilt (this one is set up for the Gus Trim hex nut). These design elements, while not making the sword less of a performer meant that this sword could not be made into Chimera line sword but since it is very obviously the Chimera line Austrian War Sword blade Gus and Christian didn’t want to make it into a regular Maker’s Mark either, so it became a one-off Munition Grade sword. This sword represents the higher end of the Munition Grade swords that will be available from time to time and will retail at a slightly higher price, most likely $400-$450 since this sword is on par with or better than the old (pre permanent assembly) maker’s mark line.
I received this sword from Gus Trim for the purpose of review and feedback. The deal I get is that after I review the sword/s Gus sends me I am allowed to purchase any, all, or none of them at a discount price, those I do not choose to purchase I send back to Gus. It is no secret that I have spoken to Gus quite a bit since I started working with him. I enjoy talking to Gus and have come to like him personally. I have handled and cut with other high end production swords, though not as many that were not made by Gus as those that were. in general, I like Gus' swords better than any other mid to high end maker I have experienced, but that won't stop me from being honest about it if one of his swords has a problem. If I gloss over a problem I don't help Gus and I don't help the community. If I find a problem Gus can fix it before the sword goes into full production.
First Impressions:
This sword, upon first glance, screams of power. Picking it up instantly informs you that you were quite mistaken about your power estimate from the first glance and assures you that the power level, in reality, is much, much more than you thought. If you like powerful swords this one will send a shiver down your spine; it did mine. This sword is very obviously the big brother of the Antioch from Christian’s Prestige line which was built on the ATrim XII.4.
Isn’t that cute? It’s like a European daisho.
Initially, I was a bit worried that this sword would be too heavy for me and that it might tire me out or just be to slow.
Historical Overview:
Type XIIa longswords or great swords seem to be developed out of the standard XII supposedly in an attempt to bring more power to the fight and be able to better defeat the improving armor of the times. As with the type XII there is a lot of variety in this sword type. This particular sword illustrates the heavier end of the type, probably intended for use on the battlefield against mail clad opponants.
Vital stats:
Weight: 3 pounds 4 ounces.
Over-all length: 45.75 inches
Blade Length: 35 inches
Blade Width @ Cross: 2 3/8 inches
Fuller length: 23.25 inches
Grip length: 8 inches
Cross Guard length: 8 1/8 inches
COP ~about 1/3 the length of the blade starting a few inches behind the point. (shall be discussed in cutting video)
Point of balance: 5"
The Blade:
The blade on this sword is very well polished, very much like my AT1557 and Antioch. There are some detectable machine tracks in the bottom of the fuller as can be seen on most ATrims but this is unlike the Antioch and probably the Austrian will have them polished away. Still the finish is very nice
It is wide and thick and stiff and is of definite flat hex cross section. It is very similar to the Antioch blade in shape but the Antioch is less hexagonal and more oval-with-a-flat-center.
To my knowledge this is one of the things that is getting softened for the Austrian War Sword. So the Austrian will probably be less hexagonal. This doesn’t bother me but some don’t like it.
The point comes together cleanly and no secondary bevels can be found on the edges even right at the tip (which usually where they get left). In the picture above there is a slight glare/reflection, do not mistake that or a secondary bevel. The blade came serviceably sharp but with remnants of a bur edge that I cleaned up by hand. Once the bur edge fell off the edge was clean and sharp, it only took me about 10 or 12 strokes down each side of each edge with 600 grit paper to knock the bur off; all said about 10 minutes work anyone could do with equal results. It is now about the same sharpness as the VA performance cutter line, AKA pretty darn sharp.
The fuller termination is very well done and shows much improvement over some of the older Atrim designs that have a visible corner in the floor of the fuller right where it starts to narrow to the terminal point. The point of the fuller is also much longer and not as short and stubby as some of the older model Atrims. I like this style much better.
Hilt/Parts and pieces
The pommel is something half way between a G and an H depending how you look at it.
The cross is a style 2 with a slight escutcheon in the center.
The grip is a very simple affair with a butted and glued seam. This grip style was seen on some of Gus’ older swords and this is one of the last grips of this type remaining.
This basic furniture makes the sword seem simple but the cross and blade hint at more elegant possibilities just dying to be let out. I think the Chimera line Austrian will be a stunning sword to look at. Almost makes me wish I hadn’t bought this one so I could get one of those. I’m sure Gus and Christian will both point out that I could still buy one of the Austrians and enjoy a nice direct comparison or something. Well nice try boys I think I’ll keep this one as a single so it doesn’t get jealous of its high-class cousin. Don’t get me wrong, I love the way this sword looks, it just very obviously would be happy with some customization.
The hilt assembly is held together by the familiar and trusted ATrim hex-nut system and is easy to disassemble for maintenance or customization.
Removing the hilt reveals a nicely healthy tang, no issues here.
Gus’ new swords are being fit into recesses in the guards. This one is pretty well fit but Gus talks about the tolerances getting even tighter and the fits even better as he gets his process for this perfected.
Handling and Cutting:
Some swords tell you right away exactly what they are as soon as you pick them up, others fool you a little bit. Well this one fooled me some. I was right about the sword being powerful, there was no mistake there, but from the first I was worried that this sword would handle a little slow or that it might be tiring. I was amazed at how little effort it took to move this sword through cuts and guards. I kept things simple in the cutting tests because I haven’t cut much in a few months because it has been raining constantly for a very long time, but I managed to knock the rust off pretty fast when it came to this sword. Yes, it is still kind of heavy, no amount of good engineering magic in the world can change that, but this sword flows smoothly through the paces and hits hard. Even when my edge alignment was not so good it cut eagerly. This sword is a lot more fun to swing than I was expecting.
When you want to talk about cutting power and god harmonics, this is really the only sword you need to talk about. Gus himself said that this is one of the best big swords he has ever made and I believe it. The sweet spot on this blade is, I kid you not, about 1/3 of the total length of the blade. At the end of my cutting video I demonstrate the sweet spot, just watch how hard the blade bites into the stand from only dropping it the short distance I do. that says a lot about how it hits its target. The less bounce the more energy goes straight into cutting the target instead of getting wasted and reflected back down the blade.
IN CONCLUSION:
Pro's: Superb handling, easy maintenance and customizing thanks to the take-down hilt, it's nice to look at, cutting power is off the charts in the good direction, awesome harmonic balance, and most importantly PRICE! Atrims can be affordable again.
Cons: as of right now Munition grade swords are not being made on purpose so availability is limited and catch-as-catch-can, some people still hate the hex nut, they aren’t perfect and will have known flaws, they come with no scabbard and no options: take it “as is” or leave it.
The Bottom line:
Are you kidding me? I think anyone who wants a performance based sword should snap any and all of these up as they become available, if it is a style you like grab it before it is gone. For a $350- $450 range sword these just will not be beaten in handling, cutting and overall performance even considering the minor imperfections they are going to have. For being a great sword that won’t break the bank this line of ATrims carries my highest recommendation. I have bought two already and will likely have more soon.
A review by Tom Kinder
Full Disclosure:
UPDATE: Since Hiroshi and I have opened Tried and True Armory and become the primary dealer of ATrim swords this section's information is no longer strictly accurate. Yes I sell these swords (this model in fact, would you like one?), and yes I make money when I do sell them. Yes I have a vested interest in seeing these sell. I would like to take this opportunity to state that I sell ATrim swords because I love them, I would never have started a business venture that needs me to work as hard as I do for it in order to sell something I don't love. I am going to do my very best to keep every review I do of any sword ATrim or not, neutral and unbiased. if I'm honest I can help people find the sword that is right for them. If I sell them a sword that isn't right for them through subterfuge they will be displeased and not return as my customer. there aren't enough of you lovely sword-buying people out there for me to succeed if I can only get a single transaction from each of you. so I will try to help you find the sword that is right for you in hopes that you will return to me the next time you need a fix.
A little while ago I was contacted by Gus who wanted to know if I’d be interested in reviewing a new sword line for him. Ummm heck, yes! The plan got slowed down by the fact I had to move to a new home and getting settled but before long things were rolling and Gus started telling me about the swords he wanted to send me. So it is my pleasure and privilege to introduce a not-so-new, new line of ATrim swords.
As most European sword fans know, Gus and Christian Fletcher have stepped up the quality on the Maker’s Mark line with better finish, better fittings, Permanent hilt assembly, and design improvements that yield better performance. With the new Chimera line hitting the streets, and Christian’s Prestige line still fairly new, Gus has been making more swords faster than in a long time. With this higher output and increased quality standard there are, inevitably, some swords that come out just fine but for one reason or another cannot be sold as Maker’s Mark, Prestige, or Chimera line swords. Thus the birth of the Munition Grade line. While Gus has not yet made a sword specifically to be a munition grade sword, he does have plans to do so if the early offerings are well received.
I was shipped three swords that represent various possibilities for Munition line swords. This second one is the prototype for the Chimera line Austrian War Sword. Unlike the other two swords Gus shipped me this one has no flaws. There were some design elements that Gus and Christian decided they wanted to change for the production run of the Austrian War Sword, including the VA furniture, softer lines in the geometry, and permanent assembly of the hilt (this one is set up for the Gus Trim hex nut). These design elements, while not making the sword less of a performer meant that this sword could not be made into Chimera line sword but since it is very obviously the Chimera line Austrian War Sword blade Gus and Christian didn’t want to make it into a regular Maker’s Mark either, so it became a one-off Munition Grade sword. This sword represents the higher end of the Munition Grade swords that will be available from time to time and will retail at a slightly higher price, most likely $400-$450 since this sword is on par with or better than the old (pre permanent assembly) maker’s mark line.
I received this sword from Gus Trim for the purpose of review and feedback. The deal I get is that after I review the sword/s Gus sends me I am allowed to purchase any, all, or none of them at a discount price, those I do not choose to purchase I send back to Gus. It is no secret that I have spoken to Gus quite a bit since I started working with him. I enjoy talking to Gus and have come to like him personally. I have handled and cut with other high end production swords, though not as many that were not made by Gus as those that were. in general, I like Gus' swords better than any other mid to high end maker I have experienced, but that won't stop me from being honest about it if one of his swords has a problem. If I gloss over a problem I don't help Gus and I don't help the community. If I find a problem Gus can fix it before the sword goes into full production.
First Impressions:
This sword, upon first glance, screams of power. Picking it up instantly informs you that you were quite mistaken about your power estimate from the first glance and assures you that the power level, in reality, is much, much more than you thought. If you like powerful swords this one will send a shiver down your spine; it did mine. This sword is very obviously the big brother of the Antioch from Christian’s Prestige line which was built on the ATrim XII.4.
Isn’t that cute? It’s like a European daisho.
Initially, I was a bit worried that this sword would be too heavy for me and that it might tire me out or just be to slow.
Historical Overview:
Type XIIa longswords or great swords seem to be developed out of the standard XII supposedly in an attempt to bring more power to the fight and be able to better defeat the improving armor of the times. As with the type XII there is a lot of variety in this sword type. This particular sword illustrates the heavier end of the type, probably intended for use on the battlefield against mail clad opponants.
Vital stats:
Weight: 3 pounds 4 ounces.
Over-all length: 45.75 inches
Blade Length: 35 inches
Blade Width @ Cross: 2 3/8 inches
Fuller length: 23.25 inches
Grip length: 8 inches
Cross Guard length: 8 1/8 inches
COP ~about 1/3 the length of the blade starting a few inches behind the point. (shall be discussed in cutting video)
Point of balance: 5"
The Blade:
The blade on this sword is very well polished, very much like my AT1557 and Antioch. There are some detectable machine tracks in the bottom of the fuller as can be seen on most ATrims but this is unlike the Antioch and probably the Austrian will have them polished away. Still the finish is very nice
It is wide and thick and stiff and is of definite flat hex cross section. It is very similar to the Antioch blade in shape but the Antioch is less hexagonal and more oval-with-a-flat-center.
To my knowledge this is one of the things that is getting softened for the Austrian War Sword. So the Austrian will probably be less hexagonal. This doesn’t bother me but some don’t like it.
The point comes together cleanly and no secondary bevels can be found on the edges even right at the tip (which usually where they get left). In the picture above there is a slight glare/reflection, do not mistake that or a secondary bevel. The blade came serviceably sharp but with remnants of a bur edge that I cleaned up by hand. Once the bur edge fell off the edge was clean and sharp, it only took me about 10 or 12 strokes down each side of each edge with 600 grit paper to knock the bur off; all said about 10 minutes work anyone could do with equal results. It is now about the same sharpness as the VA performance cutter line, AKA pretty darn sharp.
The fuller termination is very well done and shows much improvement over some of the older Atrim designs that have a visible corner in the floor of the fuller right where it starts to narrow to the terminal point. The point of the fuller is also much longer and not as short and stubby as some of the older model Atrims. I like this style much better.
Hilt/Parts and pieces
The pommel is something half way between a G and an H depending how you look at it.
The cross is a style 2 with a slight escutcheon in the center.
The grip is a very simple affair with a butted and glued seam. This grip style was seen on some of Gus’ older swords and this is one of the last grips of this type remaining.
This basic furniture makes the sword seem simple but the cross and blade hint at more elegant possibilities just dying to be let out. I think the Chimera line Austrian will be a stunning sword to look at. Almost makes me wish I hadn’t bought this one so I could get one of those. I’m sure Gus and Christian will both point out that I could still buy one of the Austrians and enjoy a nice direct comparison or something. Well nice try boys I think I’ll keep this one as a single so it doesn’t get jealous of its high-class cousin. Don’t get me wrong, I love the way this sword looks, it just very obviously would be happy with some customization.
The hilt assembly is held together by the familiar and trusted ATrim hex-nut system and is easy to disassemble for maintenance or customization.
Removing the hilt reveals a nicely healthy tang, no issues here.
Gus’ new swords are being fit into recesses in the guards. This one is pretty well fit but Gus talks about the tolerances getting even tighter and the fits even better as he gets his process for this perfected.
Handling and Cutting:
Some swords tell you right away exactly what they are as soon as you pick them up, others fool you a little bit. Well this one fooled me some. I was right about the sword being powerful, there was no mistake there, but from the first I was worried that this sword would handle a little slow or that it might be tiring. I was amazed at how little effort it took to move this sword through cuts and guards. I kept things simple in the cutting tests because I haven’t cut much in a few months because it has been raining constantly for a very long time, but I managed to knock the rust off pretty fast when it came to this sword. Yes, it is still kind of heavy, no amount of good engineering magic in the world can change that, but this sword flows smoothly through the paces and hits hard. Even when my edge alignment was not so good it cut eagerly. This sword is a lot more fun to swing than I was expecting.
When you want to talk about cutting power and god harmonics, this is really the only sword you need to talk about. Gus himself said that this is one of the best big swords he has ever made and I believe it. The sweet spot on this blade is, I kid you not, about 1/3 of the total length of the blade. At the end of my cutting video I demonstrate the sweet spot, just watch how hard the blade bites into the stand from only dropping it the short distance I do. that says a lot about how it hits its target. The less bounce the more energy goes straight into cutting the target instead of getting wasted and reflected back down the blade.
IN CONCLUSION:
Pro's: Superb handling, easy maintenance and customizing thanks to the take-down hilt, it's nice to look at, cutting power is off the charts in the good direction, awesome harmonic balance, and most importantly PRICE! Atrims can be affordable again.
Cons: as of right now Munition grade swords are not being made on purpose so availability is limited and catch-as-catch-can, some people still hate the hex nut, they aren’t perfect and will have known flaws, they come with no scabbard and no options: take it “as is” or leave it.
The Bottom line:
Are you kidding me? I think anyone who wants a performance based sword should snap any and all of these up as they become available, if it is a style you like grab it before it is gone. For a $350- $450 range sword these just will not be beaten in handling, cutting and overall performance even considering the minor imperfections they are going to have. For being a great sword that won’t break the bank this line of ATrims carries my highest recommendation. I have bought two already and will likely have more soon.