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Post by Anuan on Oct 8, 2011 11:55:55 GMT
Hm. I've spoken to Mr and Mrs Esford face to face. I get discounts for being part of a reenactment group. I'm not sure where they get their damascus stuff, but nearly everything else they sell are Deepeeka imports.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2012 18:43:01 GMT
Sounds stupid, but I've been looking for a replica Kilij ever since I saw the episode of Deadliest Warrior featuring Vlad the Impaler. I just can't seem to find anything out there that looks like that sword. The Hanwei Scimitar looks sort of similar, but does anyone know if it's any good? (with some sharpening of course).
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Jan 3, 2012 23:24:31 GMT
Not really. It's good spring steel; I shortened and reversed the blade and sharpened it, making a kind of "sica." But I wouldn't use it as hilted and its length, the tang is wimpy; and the blade is machete-thin. For what anyone has to do to make it reasonable it's definitely at least twice the price it should be!
Still, if you're game to try (and have a learning experience whether it works to your satisfaction or not) here's a suggestion. Remove all the existing hilt, and shorten the blade from the tang end at least three inches to beef that tang up. Then get sheet steel, probably 16 gauge, and create sandwich "scales" that don't merely go to the guard, but extend at least halfway up the blade. Epoxy them to the blade. (The khanda concept again, albeit on the sides rather than the spine, to create "artificial distal taper." I'd even have thin leather between each scale and the blade: old foundational concept, mix "hard" and "soft.") Then hilt it up.
A lot of work, and as I said the blade is overpriced for it. But I've considered it over the years, so I thought I'd suggest it. So, if you do try it, show and tell us the results!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2012 23:43:39 GMT
Thanks for that advice LeMal, sounds like one I'll probably stay away from! I'm surprised to hear how thin the blade is with the weight at around 3 pounds!
I'll probably stick with a Windlass or cold steel shamshir for my next blade then. Probably the CS, since I hear they come really sharp.
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Jan 4, 2012 0:30:09 GMT
Excellent choice! If you enjoy yours even half as much as I enjoy mine you might be far too busy in the backyard for us to hear from you for a while.
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Post by MOK on Jan 5, 2012 12:02:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2012 12:13:27 GMT
oh man, that blade is so fricking awesome. if one was available under 400, i would buy one immediatly. in fact i even think that this is my favorite blade style ever.
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Post by MOK on Jan 5, 2012 12:25:08 GMT
Yeah, totally, and the fittings and blade features are simple enough you could quite probably produce a design almost exactly like this well within the SBG price range, too. Incidentally, I also love the kilij, and for a very specific reason: this kind of sword is what I think of when I think of the Sword of Welleran. "What art thou, thou beautiful thing? Lights shimmer in thee, thou art restless. It is the sword of Welleran, the curved sword of Welleran!" (Seriously, the most spot-on story about how beautiful and terrible swords are that I've ever read, the climax and end choke me up every time. Dunsany understood.)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2012 14:23:43 GMT
I'll second what sinuvesule said, that sword is awesome! It just looks like a mean chopper!
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jan 5, 2012 23:06:19 GMT
That's a good looking kilij, indeed. I'd be down for one, almost certainly.
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Post by ShooterMike on Jan 12, 2012 19:36:56 GMT
That is exactly like the sword I have had in my mind for several years, since seeing the one Vince Evans did that won Sword of the Show at the 2007 Blade Show. I can't say how many times I've thought of having a high-end custom piece done like that. Price is all that's kept me away. If I could get that for less than $1,000 I'd want one. If it was under $600 I'd definitely have one.
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Post by ShooterMike on Feb 1, 2012 17:37:58 GMT
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Post by bigpaul57 on Feb 25, 2012 22:12:41 GMT
I was just looking at the "New Items" section of Kult of Athena, and saw a Turkish Kilij recently added. Nice looking sword, very similar to the one used by Vlad the Impaler on the Warrior show. Link follows. www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... kish+Kilij
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Feb 26, 2012 0:12:16 GMT
Someone's gonna have to bite the bullet and try this one.
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Post by Dave Kelly on Feb 26, 2012 0:24:22 GMT
Nice details on the blade and damascened. Looks pretty awesome. DO it KC...
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jhart06
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Slowly coming back from the depths...
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Post by jhart06 on Feb 26, 2012 0:29:31 GMT
I just burned up my sword budget (what little there was) and likely more for the year already, or I might have. Pretty blade.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Feb 26, 2012 4:52:52 GMT
If I hadn't recently gotten "all sabered up" . . . .
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Post by Krasus23 on Mar 1, 2012 20:25:47 GMT
Now they come out with a turkish kilij that isn't thousands of dollars and I just bought a Tori. Dammit!
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Post by ShooterMike on Mar 14, 2012 13:34:09 GMT
For that kind of money I want to see some more pictures from several angles. Real Kilij have slab grips and the tang is the full size and shape of the grip. Maybe it's just the picture on KOA, but it looks like a one piece wooden grip. That doesn't bode well for structural integrity or historic accuracy for the type. Hope I'm wrong.
And BTW, I've been looking into getting a custom Kilij done. They aren't nearly as expensive as you might think. Less than $2,000 in all cases, several even including a nice scabbard. Even from some of the most well known custom smiths.
Looking back through some old pictures, John Lundemo made at least one very nice one a few years back.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Mar 15, 2012 15:06:22 GMT
The thing that makes this one stand out, I think, is the pattern welded steel; I don't know if it's crucible steel but I imagine it would cost quite a bit more in that case. The grip isn't so much of an issue for me. What really bugs me is the guard; for some reason it looks cheap.
Good to know custom making can probably hit a similar price, though...
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