Generation 2 Ranger Sword
Feb 2, 2007 4:31:47 GMT
Post by ShooterMike on Feb 2, 2007 4:31:47 GMT
Generation 2 Ranger Sword
I purchased this Ranger Sword & Dagger set from Imperial Weapons for review, and to add to my collection. This is an attractive pair of blades. I think a number of SBG members and visitors may find them interesting.
The Ranger Sword is part of the Imperial Weapons Generation 2 line of swords referred to as the ProSword Line. This line includes both fantasy and historically based swords. This particular sword is intended as a "loose interpretation" of what might be a sword belonging to a Ranger character from the first Lord of the Rings movie. It is not an exact copy of the sword carried by the Strider character from the movie, though there are many similarities.
When I unpacked this sword from the shipping box my first thoughts were something along the line of "Holy cow! This is a massive sword!" While the blade only measures 34 inches, the perception is of something along the line of a Great Sword or a large War Sword. I think the initial impressions were driven by the very large, long hilt. This is definitely no hand-and-a-half sword.
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During my initial dry handling, I experienced the feeling of a large, heavy sword. My digital fish scale bounces back and forth between 4.1 and 4.2 lbs with this sword. The "grip area" is 10 inches from rear of guard to beginning of pommel swell. This includes the front grip section, the middle band, the rear grip section, and the rounded gripping area of the pommel. The four-sided tapering portion of the pommel is 3 long. Coupled with the blade and guard this results in a 47.5 inch overall length. The stats look like this:
Blade: 34"
Hilt: 13.5"
Overall: 47.5"
Guard Height: 8"
POB: 2.5" from base of guard
COP: 12.5" behind tip
The Blade
As the sword came from the box, it's pretty sharp. It cuts paper cleanly. It will not shave. I would class it as fitting within Angus Trim's "paper sharp sword" category. It certainly isn't in Angus' "stupid sharp sword" category, but no large sword should have an edge that will shave hair easily, as that is much too fragile for a big sword like this. The term "razor sharp" is frequently used to represent swords that are anywhere from just "sharp" to actually capable of shaving hair. The use of this term causes a lot of confusion in the sword world. To my way of thinking "razor sharp" should mean that a blade will actually shave hair easily, just like a...well...razor. And that just isn't appropriate for a heavy sword.
I find the blade on this Ranger sword to be by far the most interesting blade I have seen on a Generation 2 sword. I took some measurements with my dial calipers. The numbers I found most interesting are thickness of blade just behind the fuller on the ricasso, which measures .305", and the thickness of the blade at one inch before the tip, which measures .150". I believe that works out to a bit more than 50% distal taper. In profile it goes from 1.950" at the guard, to 1.650" at the beginning of the fuller (in 2.5 inches) then proceeds in a uniform taper to .900" at about two inches behind the tip, just before the radical tapering curve of the tip begins. My admittedly poor math skills lead me to see that as about a 40% profile taper? Anyone please feel free to correct my math.
That is a pretty historically consistent and sophisticated sword blade for something that sells at well under $300. I am very impressed with the dimensions of this blade and think it should be the basis for several other Generation 2 swords.
The point of balance on my sample is exactly on the point that protrudes from the guard. If this sword were a bit lighter in the hilt, I think I would be referring to it as a Low Polar Moment sword. It doesn't handle exactly like a LPM sword, but it's pretty close.
The Grip
I found the grip area of the sword to be very...well..."un-sword-like" in handling. The diameter of the front portion of the grip is 1.520" measured vertical (along the axis of the guard) and 1.257" measured horizontal (perpendicular to the guard). This extremely small difference between the height and width of the grip tends to create the feeling of something almost like a baseball bat handle. It's very large for even a large sword, though it's still comfortable. The real problem is that it definitely makes edge control a challenge.
I also found the center ring, which separates the front grip from the rear grip, to be a noticeable drawback. The purpose of hilt rings is to help hold the front hand near the guard. This prevents the dominant hand from sliding down the long grip, thus losing control of the sword. However, on the Ranger the diameter of the ring is smaller than the gripping surfaces. This actually encourages the forward hand to slide back an inch or so to rest in the smaller diameter groove. Again, this is something that can be corrected by proper technique. But it's something that should be changed about this sword.
The covering of both grip sections is leather and is very well executed. It is glued in place and the seam is very difficult to even locate, let alone feel. Can you find it in this picture? It's there, running along the top of the grip, but even knowing it's there I can't find it. This is a top notch hilt covering.
The Pommel
I found the pommel to be quite interesting. It is long and graceful, and allows a pommel grip for even more leverage. And it's comfortable either bare-handed or with gauntlets. It's three inches long, but on a sword of this size it is a perfect fit.
The Guard
The guard has just the right amount of curve to be perfectly at home on a sword of this type. At first, I didn't care for the pronounced tips of the guard, thinking they made it heavier than necessary, and didn't serve a purpose. However, as I began working on the pell and against a pine 2x2 inch board (representing an opponent's sword) I came to value these tips for their ability to catch and hold an opponent's blade, thus allowing for superior leverage during winding maneuvers. On the downside, the guard is quite a bit wider than necessary. This width both adds unnecessary weight and detracts from the ability to catch a sword blade with the tip protrusions. I would like to see this guard modified to be about a third as wide by sculpting away about one third of the width from each side.
TESTING
I put this sword through a pretty vigorous test regimen. The testing involved cutting about 20 plastic bottles, several milk jugs, a strand of rope, and various 1/4 to 1/2 inch limbs from a Cedar tree. This was followed by an extended session of pell strikes intended to replicate a few of the stresses combat would place on the sword. Lastly, the sword was given a flex test to determine the degree of temper in the blade.
Cutting
I began with my standard cutting test to determine sharpness of blade. It involves cutting one 20 ounce plastic soda bottle. I was concerned that it might be a problem getting this heavy sword up to speed for such a light target, but that was not the case, as it passed this test with flying colors.
Next was a test involving three of the same soda bottles. The Ranger sword worked well with these light targets. The cuts through all three targets were smooth and straight.
Then it was time for what I call "downing a six pack." This calls for a six pack of water filled soda bottles still in the plastic bottle holder.
These bottles stay together well, but they have a tendency to twist around and jump if the cut isn't just right. I feel this is a pretty good test of a sword's cutting potential, as well as the cutter's ability to concentrate on follow through and execute the complete cut. And this is where the shape of the grip let me down. The edge went straight through the first two bottles, but torque caused the almost completely round grip to twist in my hands. This resulted in me totally losing the edge alignment. The six pack was launched across the grass, without a scratch on the remaing three bottles.
I continued the bottle cutting to see how consistently the grip could be handled. I cut about a dozen other bottles, completing most cuts cleanly. A lot of concentration was required to keep the edge aligned properly. For this reason I have strongly urged Imperial Weapons to change the grip to a configuration that makes the width approximately 70% of the height. I think this change will alleviate the difficulties in edge control all together.
I cut several milk jugs, an exercise that I think a lot of people misunderstand. Milk jugs are extremely easy to cut with a decently sharp sword. They just require a bit of blade speed. However, the real value to cutting jugs is in developing accuracy. You should strive to focus on the exact spot you want to cut and try to cut slivers off the jug with as many cuts as possible on each jug.
I also tested the Ranger by cutting four sections off a free hanging piece of double-strand grass rope. This was ridiculously easy with this sword. By now I had really gotten a good feel for the sword and it's "sweet spot" so these little pieces of rope were no challenge at all.
At the end of my cutting session, I was attacked by a renegade cedar tree that felt it should grow into my road and inflict scratches on the side of my pickup truck. Lucky for me, my familiarity with the Ranger sword allowed me to defend my vehicle by cleanly severing the numerous offending limbs from this beast. These limbs were from 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter, and were severed cleanly and with a minimum of effort.
Pell Testing
By the time I was ready for the pell portion of the testing I was really warming up to this big beauty. At first I really didn't care for the long hilt, thinking that it might get in the way or be clumsy. As it turned out, that couldn't be further from the truth.
I started with basic overhand strikes from above. This sword is heavy, at just over four pounds, but it acelerates very quickly. Striking with it gives a feeling of devastating power. I proceeded into some of my favorite drills. This involves the use of the tire pell with a long pine 2x2 inserted through the tires to simulate an opponent striking down Vom Tach or "from the roof." The response is to attack the attack and "set aside" the opponent's cut with the diagonal or flat of your blade, and in the same motion use the power of the deflection to drive home your own diagonal cut to the neck or head. The 2x2 is not solidly fastened, so the "setting aside" strike causes the 2x2 to deflect a bit. The degree of deflection and the amount of force necessary can be used to judge the power and authority of the blade. In the case of the Ranger sword, setting aside an opponent's blade is very easy and the momentum is quickly redirected into the counter-cut. Here you can see a view of the pell from the rear. Note the eight foot long 2x2 protruding at an upward angle at the front.
I practiced winding techniques with the Ranger and the 2x2 to test the leverage and function of the guard. The tip protrusions on the guard work fairly well at grabbing and holding an opponent's blade while you exert leverage to overpower the opponent's defense. However, the wide base and overall taper of the guard mostly prevent the technique from working as well as it could if the guard were sculpted into a more narrow shape.
After fighting the pell for almost 30 minutes, I came to like this sword very much. With the exception of the diameter and roundness of the grip, and the width of the guard, I am very happy with the way this Ranger sword handles. Nothing has even hinted at becoming loose or "rattly" in the hilt. The structural integrity is solid and the sword feels just like new. There are a lot of scratches on the blade now. But there are no other signs of the the many forceful impacts with both edge and flat of the blade against wood and tire.
After all this use (not abuse) most areas on the edges will still cut paper, though not as cleanly as when the blade was fresh from the manufacturer. The areas that have seen the most use won't cut paper any longer. But they still grab the paper, indicating they are still "sword sharp" and more than capable of rendering good service.
Flex Test
Clyde performed a flex test before sending me the blade. It flexed 5 inches each way and returned to true. After doing all the cutting and pell work, I performed my own flex testing. My test was a bit more demanding, flexing it to 6 inches or so. It flexed to the right and returned to true. However, when I flexed it about the same amount to the left it took a set. The temper seems marginal on this example. At least as far as what I would like in a super-durable sword. However, I’m the first to admit that I may be a bit more demanding than most users.
No company can guarantee zero defect quality control. The Generation 2 guarantee would have gotten me a free replacement with no questions asked. I emailed Clyde at Imperial Weapons about this, and he promptly offered to send me another sword as a replacement.
However, I am always up for a learning experience. I recalled a previous conversation with Clyde about what I considered insufficient temper in two sword blades from another manufacturer. Clyde had suggested a technique for re-tempering sword blades, and now I was eager to try it.
I clamped the blade into a padded vise, and pushed the bent tip back into alignment. Being able to simply push the bend out suggested to me that this was probably a soft or unsufficiently tempered spot in the blade.
I then used the suggested process to re-temper the blade in my kitchen. Here is the same sword after the temper correction, undergoing its second flex test since re-tempering. You can note that the blade is bent about 5 inches out of straight. It will go further if I use two hands. I have flexed it to about 6-7 inches, but these pictures show all the force I could exert on the sword with one hand and snap the camera with the other. This blade seems to have gotten a bit stiffer since re-tempering as well. Which I like very much!
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Thanks to Clyde's advice, I was able to correct this problem myself. This process allowed me to correct a blade of possibly marginal temper, get the sword back into service and avoid return shipping costs and a wait for a new sword. This is another example of Imperial Weapons being positively involved with the sword consumer community, and I for one greatly appreciate it.
So, do I like the Ranger? Yes, thank you. I am planning on changing the diameter of the grip, and I also plan on narrowing the guard. Other than that, it's staying just like it is and it's going to have a long life of cutting, pelling and other sword-like activities. And who knows, maybe sometime I will polish up the blade back to brand new looking and hang it on a wall. Just don't expect it to stay there for long.