CF/Atrim Venetian Bastard Sword
Oct 4, 2010 5:49:24 GMT
Post by Lunaman on Oct 4, 2010 5:49:24 GMT
Chimera Line Venetian Bastard Sword by Angus Trim and Christian Fletcher
Review by Zachary J. Luna -- May 2010
A few months ago, Christian Fletcher posted an announcement here on SBG about a new line of swords between himself and long-time collaborator and sword-maker extraordinaire Angus Trim, with an option to tie-in related scabbards and belts by the good folks at Valiant Armoury. It’s called the Chimera Line. I was immediately intrigued, as these were true Atrim legacy line blades with hilts that had been beautified by Christian, but still at prices less than the new Atrim Maker's Mark line. Once I saw the sneak peak at the Venetian bastard sword, I knew it would haunt my dreams. Almost the minute I had funds that were freed up I contacted Christian Fletcher and placed an order.
Historical Overview
In Oakeshott’s typology, this sword is a type XVIIIc blade with a type V1 pommel and a style 9 guard, all of which were historical elements on 15th century swords and reflect a fittingly Italian aesthetic for the sword’s name. Although this sword is not a reproduction of any particular sword, it is most definitely a historically plausible example in its form and appearance.
Of all of Oakeshott’s blade types, only two classifications—the type XV and the type XVIII—were without fullers. The type XVIII was the later innovation, called “the return of the true cut and thrust sword,” differentiated by its convexly tapering edges. By the late medieval period where it came into use, the wide presence of plate armor on the field was beginning to decline somewhat, and a warrior needed a sword that could still probe the gaps in armor with a stiff and acute point, but also fare well against lightly armored opponents by delivering a devastating cut. The versatile type XVIII and its subtypes rose to the challenge and became "the most widely used swords between c. 1410 and 1510 all over Europe" according to Ewart Oakeshott. The XVIIIc was a hand-and-a-half variation of the basic type that included a particularly wide cutting blade.
www.myarmoury.com/feature_spotxviii.html
First Impressions
When I contacted Christian Fletcher to inquire about the Venetian Bastard Sword he replied (mere hours later) to let me know that he did have one in stock that only waited for the grip to be dyed, which would require about a week to dry before shipping (unless I wanted to send it to Valiant Armoury for a scabbard and/or belt).
I placed my order through Christian Fletcher’s website and about 10 days later the sword was at my door—extremely fast service. It was packed in a sturdy cardboard box, suspended between 4 pieces of compressible foam, similar to the way Albions are packed and shipped. As I released the sword from the foam, protective paper sheath and tip protector, I lifted it as it flashed in the light and I had my first opportunity to examine my treasure. All I could think was, “WOW.”
Specifications
OverAll Length:------------------- 43.5”
Blade Length:---------------------- 34”
Hilt Length:------------------------ 9.5”
Grip Length:------------------------ 6” (7.75” w/ pommel base)
COG (Center of Gravity):--------- 4”
COP (Center of Percussion:------ 21” (Percussive “sweet spot” spans about 6 inches)
Forward Pivot Point--------------- 1” from the tip
Weight:----------------------------- 3 lbs 02 oz
Hilt, Aesthetics, Fit & Finish
The entire sword is finished to an impressive level.
As far as I know, the main difference between the Chimera Line offerings and the CF Prestige Line is the fittings. While the prestige sword fittings are hand finished by Mr. Fletcher and crafted from mild steel, those on the Chimera Line are cast in stainless steel. These are molded from Christian Fletcher originals from swords he has designed in the past, namely the Valiant Armoury signature series swords. The drawback of this system is that the hilts will not age and patina like mild steel and will not readily take to chemical bluing, but the significant advantage is that they require next to no maintenance for rust protection and retain all the beauty of CF’s designs in form. This can either be a pro or a con depending on your interests—I see it as a fairly neutral feature and very much appreciate the savings in cost it represents.
Whether or not we’ve seen them before, these fittings are beautiful. They have been polished to a silky sheen and are well-constructed; I have scoured the surfaces and could only find one casting flaw that was so tiny as to be impossible to photograph. The incised lines on the guard and pommel have a rougher texture within that adds a nice bit of visual detail.
The first time I saw the Valiant Armoury Signature Bristol sword I fell in love the look of the hilt but thought, “With that tapered grip and those flowing lines, this needs to be made as a hand-and-a-half sword!” With the Chimera Line Venetian Bastard sword, my dream has come true. The graceful curves of the pommel and guard have room to work their visual magic and the raised central ridges on both perfectly complement the shape of the blade. It just looks right.
The fit of the components is absolutely solid.
……………………………………………………………………
The style 9 guard arcs in a graceful downward curve and terminates with each end turned over in a small roll. It tapers distally along the quillions as well, and is solidly constructed without feeling blocky, elegant without feeling delicate.
The fit of the guard is excellent.
……………………………………………………
The type V1 pommel is just as graceful as the guard, but appropriately robust for a secondary weapon. The flared shape allows for more room for your second hand (the leather-wrapped grip is 6 inches long, but the shape of the pommel allows for nearly 8 inches of total room grip room without grabbing the pommel outright).
The sword is of peened construction. The peen is substantial and well-finished.
………………………………………………………
The grip tapers in profile towards the pommel, as well as subtly tapering toward the guard. Buyers have the option of six different hand-dyed grip colors; I went with the “Dark Antique Red.” A sense of the color can be seen in some of the photos, but it is a deep rich crimson that has shown up too bright and ‘candy-like’ in several of the pictures.
(Like this next one)
The traditional cord-marked leather grip is glued over a carved poplar core that is a rounded and flattened hexagon in cross-section, with a slightly raised central ridge like the blade and fittings. The grip includes three small risers, at the thickest portion below the hand and at each end of the grip. It is extremely comfortable in one hand or two, and does not feel the least bit cramped. It’s just right, with a bit of extra wiggle room for those with large hands.
The seam is unobtrusive.
…………………………………………………………………………
The Blade
The hilt is beautiful, but the blade has impressed me the most. The AT-1432 blade is of a flattened diamond cross-section and is straight, sharp, and deadly.
The edges taper to a vicious point in a long beautiful curve that allows the blade to retain impressive breadth at the cutting area, and the lines are executed nearly flawlessly.
The blade is polished to satin glory, and while the edge has clearly been ground at a stronger angle than the thin primary bevel, the transition between the two has been smoothed and rounded out to an almost “apple-seed” cross-section. If this is what Angus Trim calls a “secondary bevel” then I am sold, because this edge is strong, smooth, and frighteningly sharp. Splitting figurative hairs about terminology aside, this is a spectacular edge. It cleanly slices paper and I would not surprised if it could shave.
I have spent a lot of time looking at this blade and almost as much trying to capture this next phenomenon on camera through the polish. If you look closely or adjust the angle of your monitor, you can see two wavy lines coursing up the blade on either side of the central ridge. I have cleaned and used and re-examined the blade from both sides, and the only thing I could imagine these to be were temper lines, marking the transition in hardness between edges and the central ridge.
*Update*
Tom K. was kind enough to shed some light on these ghostly lines by way of information from Angus Trim himself. Gus is of the opinion that they are not temper lines, but a by-product of the method he uses to polish the swords and they have shown up on some of his other blades. Gus works with an aeronautics heat treater with state-of-the-art technology to create the highly precise heat treat on his swords, which produces a blade that is almost completely martensite with nearly no pearlite or retained austenite. Since the crystal structure is extremely fine, tight, and homogenous throughout the piece there is really nothing to make temper lines with.
Polishing by-product or not, they do look spooky and marvelous, and it's nice to know that the steel is is a lovely balance of resilient and hard the whole way through.
Did I mention the point on this sword is brutal?
…………………………………………………………………………
Handling Characteristics
Handling an Atrim is an eye-opening experience, and this sword is no exception.
Beyond discussion of balance points and overall weights and the like, there is always the factor of what a sword resembles when held in your hand. Some feel like toys, some feel like specialty tools, some feel like movie props. This sword, more than most I have held, feels like a weapon.
This is not a heavy sword, but it’s no featherweight either. When held still, you can really feel the amount of steel in your hand, waiting. Every ounce seems optimized to put power in your stroke or control in your hands, and more often than not, both. When put into motion, words fail me to describe the experience properly. It is magical.
The sword is a joy to swing. In one hand it is power incarnate, but still dances and sings through the air with grace. In two hands, it defines agility and speed—you feel like you could out-maneuver a Jedi with this thing. It is FAST.
Call it proper harmonic tuning, call it careful mass distribution to create a low polar moment of inertia, call it expert control of non-linear distal taper, call it whatever. This sword feels alive. And it’s out for blood.
Cutting Tests
Unfortunately I still have no video camera, as I tend to spend my money on adventures and swords instead of gadgets, so no cutting video. However, I have been putting the sword through its paces against light targets like water bottles and milk jugs over the past week or so and I can only describe the performance of the Venetian Bastard as stunning. Put simply, this weapon cuts better than any other sword I have ever used. If you’ve ever seen a video of the cutting power of the compact AT-1557, imagine it with the leverage and reach of hand-and-a-half size and you’ll have a good picture of how this beautified AT-1432 cuts. It’s almost terrifying.
And as one would suspect from the blade shape, it IS a fearsome thruster as well.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
-Drop-dead Gorgeous
-Outstanding fit of all components
-Peened construction
-Custom grip color included
-Authentic Atrim Legacy Line blade
-Flawless polish
-Superb handling
-Incredible cutting AND thrusting performance
-Built-in option to buy matching scabbard, matching belt from Valiant Armoury
Cons:
-Not dismountable (I’m reaching here)
-Cost is not “entry level” or sub-$300.
Conclusions
This sword has met and exceeded all of my expectations. Bottom line: this is the best-looking, best-handling, best-cutting sword I have ever held. It is without doubt the new favorite of my collection.
This sword does too many things too well; it feels selfish to own one. It handles with agility and authority, and does so in one hand or two. It is an amazing thruster and cuts even better, and it’s not too shabby to look at either. To top it all off, one can be had for less than $600 USD.
Pieces this impressive for this kind of price are rare indeed. I give it my highest recommendation.
Thanks for reading.
Review by Zachary J. Luna -- May 2010
A few months ago, Christian Fletcher posted an announcement here on SBG about a new line of swords between himself and long-time collaborator and sword-maker extraordinaire Angus Trim, with an option to tie-in related scabbards and belts by the good folks at Valiant Armoury. It’s called the Chimera Line. I was immediately intrigued, as these were true Atrim legacy line blades with hilts that had been beautified by Christian, but still at prices less than the new Atrim Maker's Mark line. Once I saw the sneak peak at the Venetian bastard sword, I knew it would haunt my dreams. Almost the minute I had funds that were freed up I contacted Christian Fletcher and placed an order.
Historical Overview
In Oakeshott’s typology, this sword is a type XVIIIc blade with a type V1 pommel and a style 9 guard, all of which were historical elements on 15th century swords and reflect a fittingly Italian aesthetic for the sword’s name. Although this sword is not a reproduction of any particular sword, it is most definitely a historically plausible example in its form and appearance.
Of all of Oakeshott’s blade types, only two classifications—the type XV and the type XVIII—were without fullers. The type XVIII was the later innovation, called “the return of the true cut and thrust sword,” differentiated by its convexly tapering edges. By the late medieval period where it came into use, the wide presence of plate armor on the field was beginning to decline somewhat, and a warrior needed a sword that could still probe the gaps in armor with a stiff and acute point, but also fare well against lightly armored opponents by delivering a devastating cut. The versatile type XVIII and its subtypes rose to the challenge and became "the most widely used swords between c. 1410 and 1510 all over Europe" according to Ewart Oakeshott. The XVIIIc was a hand-and-a-half variation of the basic type that included a particularly wide cutting blade.
www.myarmoury.com/feature_spotxviii.html
First Impressions
When I contacted Christian Fletcher to inquire about the Venetian Bastard Sword he replied (mere hours later) to let me know that he did have one in stock that only waited for the grip to be dyed, which would require about a week to dry before shipping (unless I wanted to send it to Valiant Armoury for a scabbard and/or belt).
I placed my order through Christian Fletcher’s website and about 10 days later the sword was at my door—extremely fast service. It was packed in a sturdy cardboard box, suspended between 4 pieces of compressible foam, similar to the way Albions are packed and shipped. As I released the sword from the foam, protective paper sheath and tip protector, I lifted it as it flashed in the light and I had my first opportunity to examine my treasure. All I could think was, “WOW.”
Specifications
OverAll Length:------------------- 43.5”
Blade Length:---------------------- 34”
Hilt Length:------------------------ 9.5”
Grip Length:------------------------ 6” (7.75” w/ pommel base)
COG (Center of Gravity):--------- 4”
COP (Center of Percussion:------ 21” (Percussive “sweet spot” spans about 6 inches)
Forward Pivot Point--------------- 1” from the tip
Weight:----------------------------- 3 lbs 02 oz
Hilt, Aesthetics, Fit & Finish
The entire sword is finished to an impressive level.
As far as I know, the main difference between the Chimera Line offerings and the CF Prestige Line is the fittings. While the prestige sword fittings are hand finished by Mr. Fletcher and crafted from mild steel, those on the Chimera Line are cast in stainless steel. These are molded from Christian Fletcher originals from swords he has designed in the past, namely the Valiant Armoury signature series swords. The drawback of this system is that the hilts will not age and patina like mild steel and will not readily take to chemical bluing, but the significant advantage is that they require next to no maintenance for rust protection and retain all the beauty of CF’s designs in form. This can either be a pro or a con depending on your interests—I see it as a fairly neutral feature and very much appreciate the savings in cost it represents.
Whether or not we’ve seen them before, these fittings are beautiful. They have been polished to a silky sheen and are well-constructed; I have scoured the surfaces and could only find one casting flaw that was so tiny as to be impossible to photograph. The incised lines on the guard and pommel have a rougher texture within that adds a nice bit of visual detail.
The first time I saw the Valiant Armoury Signature Bristol sword I fell in love the look of the hilt but thought, “With that tapered grip and those flowing lines, this needs to be made as a hand-and-a-half sword!” With the Chimera Line Venetian Bastard sword, my dream has come true. The graceful curves of the pommel and guard have room to work their visual magic and the raised central ridges on both perfectly complement the shape of the blade. It just looks right.
The fit of the components is absolutely solid.
……………………………………………………………………
The style 9 guard arcs in a graceful downward curve and terminates with each end turned over in a small roll. It tapers distally along the quillions as well, and is solidly constructed without feeling blocky, elegant without feeling delicate.
The fit of the guard is excellent.
……………………………………………………
The type V1 pommel is just as graceful as the guard, but appropriately robust for a secondary weapon. The flared shape allows for more room for your second hand (the leather-wrapped grip is 6 inches long, but the shape of the pommel allows for nearly 8 inches of total room grip room without grabbing the pommel outright).
The sword is of peened construction. The peen is substantial and well-finished.
………………………………………………………
The grip tapers in profile towards the pommel, as well as subtly tapering toward the guard. Buyers have the option of six different hand-dyed grip colors; I went with the “Dark Antique Red.” A sense of the color can be seen in some of the photos, but it is a deep rich crimson that has shown up too bright and ‘candy-like’ in several of the pictures.
(Like this next one)
The traditional cord-marked leather grip is glued over a carved poplar core that is a rounded and flattened hexagon in cross-section, with a slightly raised central ridge like the blade and fittings. The grip includes three small risers, at the thickest portion below the hand and at each end of the grip. It is extremely comfortable in one hand or two, and does not feel the least bit cramped. It’s just right, with a bit of extra wiggle room for those with large hands.
The seam is unobtrusive.
…………………………………………………………………………
The Blade
The hilt is beautiful, but the blade has impressed me the most. The AT-1432 blade is of a flattened diamond cross-section and is straight, sharp, and deadly.
The edges taper to a vicious point in a long beautiful curve that allows the blade to retain impressive breadth at the cutting area, and the lines are executed nearly flawlessly.
The blade is polished to satin glory, and while the edge has clearly been ground at a stronger angle than the thin primary bevel, the transition between the two has been smoothed and rounded out to an almost “apple-seed” cross-section. If this is what Angus Trim calls a “secondary bevel” then I am sold, because this edge is strong, smooth, and frighteningly sharp. Splitting figurative hairs about terminology aside, this is a spectacular edge. It cleanly slices paper and I would not surprised if it could shave.
I have spent a lot of time looking at this blade and almost as much trying to capture this next phenomenon on camera through the polish. If you look closely or adjust the angle of your monitor, you can see two wavy lines coursing up the blade on either side of the central ridge. I have cleaned and used and re-examined the blade from both sides, and the only thing I could imagine these to be were temper lines, marking the transition in hardness between edges and the central ridge.
*Update*
Tom K. was kind enough to shed some light on these ghostly lines by way of information from Angus Trim himself. Gus is of the opinion that they are not temper lines, but a by-product of the method he uses to polish the swords and they have shown up on some of his other blades. Gus works with an aeronautics heat treater with state-of-the-art technology to create the highly precise heat treat on his swords, which produces a blade that is almost completely martensite with nearly no pearlite or retained austenite. Since the crystal structure is extremely fine, tight, and homogenous throughout the piece there is really nothing to make temper lines with.
Polishing by-product or not, they do look spooky and marvelous, and it's nice to know that the steel is is a lovely balance of resilient and hard the whole way through.
Did I mention the point on this sword is brutal?
…………………………………………………………………………
Handling Characteristics
Handling an Atrim is an eye-opening experience, and this sword is no exception.
Beyond discussion of balance points and overall weights and the like, there is always the factor of what a sword resembles when held in your hand. Some feel like toys, some feel like specialty tools, some feel like movie props. This sword, more than most I have held, feels like a weapon.
This is not a heavy sword, but it’s no featherweight either. When held still, you can really feel the amount of steel in your hand, waiting. Every ounce seems optimized to put power in your stroke or control in your hands, and more often than not, both. When put into motion, words fail me to describe the experience properly. It is magical.
The sword is a joy to swing. In one hand it is power incarnate, but still dances and sings through the air with grace. In two hands, it defines agility and speed—you feel like you could out-maneuver a Jedi with this thing. It is FAST.
Call it proper harmonic tuning, call it careful mass distribution to create a low polar moment of inertia, call it expert control of non-linear distal taper, call it whatever. This sword feels alive. And it’s out for blood.
Cutting Tests
Unfortunately I still have no video camera, as I tend to spend my money on adventures and swords instead of gadgets, so no cutting video. However, I have been putting the sword through its paces against light targets like water bottles and milk jugs over the past week or so and I can only describe the performance of the Venetian Bastard as stunning. Put simply, this weapon cuts better than any other sword I have ever used. If you’ve ever seen a video of the cutting power of the compact AT-1557, imagine it with the leverage and reach of hand-and-a-half size and you’ll have a good picture of how this beautified AT-1432 cuts. It’s almost terrifying.
And as one would suspect from the blade shape, it IS a fearsome thruster as well.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
-Drop-dead Gorgeous
-Outstanding fit of all components
-Peened construction
-Custom grip color included
-Authentic Atrim Legacy Line blade
-Flawless polish
-Superb handling
-Incredible cutting AND thrusting performance
-Built-in option to buy matching scabbard, matching belt from Valiant Armoury
Cons:
-Not dismountable (I’m reaching here)
-Cost is not “entry level” or sub-$300.
Conclusions
This sword has met and exceeded all of my expectations. Bottom line: this is the best-looking, best-handling, best-cutting sword I have ever held. It is without doubt the new favorite of my collection.
This sword does too many things too well; it feels selfish to own one. It handles with agility and authority, and does so in one hand or two. It is an amazing thruster and cuts even better, and it’s not too shabby to look at either. To top it all off, one can be had for less than $600 USD.
Pieces this impressive for this kind of price are rare indeed. I give it my highest recommendation.
Thanks for reading.