Windlass German Hunting Sabre Review
Oct 31, 2010 7:41:01 GMT
Post by Ceebs on Oct 31, 2010 7:41:01 GMT
Windlass German Hunting Sabre Review (updated 31 October 2010) by Chris Boorman
This is an update of the initial review I did on the old SBG site.
I've always wanted some kind of sabre regardless of its origins as long as it was readily availabe and reasonably priced. The Windlass German hunting sabre seemed to fit the bill. www.superiorsteel.co.nz/ had this in stock for under 300 NZD (very reasonable). Within a week it was at my door with no fuss or hassle whatsoever (ah the joys of short distance postage ;D).
It arrived well packed and ready to go.
Historical Overview
This description is taken from MRL
"Although the European Hunting Swords of this age were generally fitted with 12" to 24" long blades, the Germans seemed to have a preference for big blades. In Medieval times there was rarely any difference between swords used for war or the hunt and this later period full length sword carries out that tradition. Boar and large deer hunting was a passion of the rich for centuries, but by the 1600's hunting was open to most classes, and this attractive sword would do to dispatch large prey as well as defend one from brigands. This well-balanced, well-tempered sword comes with a scabbard and will make a worthy addition to any collection. Can be seen in the book: "A Collectors Guide To Swords, Daggers, And Cutlasses" by Gerald Weland
I agree with there being very little difference between this sword and a sword of war. It could easily "do the business" if required.
With regards to historical accuracy one comes to the conclusion that this is a loosely based replica as these pictures will show
(second from the left - note the different blade shape)
Cheers to Hotspur and Alvin for that . More hunting swords can be found Here
(cheers again hotspur)
Initial Impressions
Now, in my previous review of this sword on the old forum I wrote that this sword was ill balanced. My reasoning for this was that I didn’t have another Sabre to compare it to. Now I have the CS 1796 LC as well as some knowledge on Sabre drill. I would say that upon picking it up you find that she has authority in the hand and is reasonably well-balanced.
Statistics
Overall-39 1/8" Blade-33 1/2" long, 1 1/4" wide 3/16" thick Wt.-2 lbs. 10 oz, POB 5 3/8"
The handle is approximately 5.4" long. If you had large hands this would definitely be a problem.
Components
Begin the pic storm!!
The Blade
Nice and stiff with decent flex. Compared to Windlass’s larger two-handed Euros this sword doesn’t suffer from over flexing or anything of the sort. Someone on myarmoury described it as rather "katana like". I agree. The blade shape and curve differ from the original (see pictures above). Secondary bevel of course, but nothing too unsightly.
The fullers are also shallower and thinner then it's historical counterpart
The Grip
As you can see, the grip is one half wood and one half metal. This stays true to the original. Having said that, I'm sure the original grip is slightly longer than the MRL one. One small problem I find with this setup is that the oils from my hand leave the metal part of the grip ripe for rust, so a light polish after handling is needed.
The Guard
As you can see, the hand is well protected from naughty animals and brigands alike. I find this to be the most attractive part of the piece.
The Pommel
It's a tad blurry but yup, it's been peened. Looseness hasn’t been an issue nor am I afraid to cut heavier targets (as has been the case with other Windlass swords I have owned).
The gap between blade and guard isn't the greatest. Rather sloppy.
Scabbard
I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the scabbard. Leather, nicely stitched, matched well with the sword. A pity it doesn't have a wooden core.
The innards
About 2 mils of blade can be seen sticking out the top of the scabbard. Not a big deal though. For a windlass I'm just surprised that it fits snugly!
Handling characteristics
Over time I've come to appreciate the blade presence of this sword. Compared with the CS 1796 LC she is quite responsive in guard transitions (more than I would have thought!) and handles reasonably in the wrist and full arm cuts.
Test Cutting
I won't lie folks. This is the first and last time I used an accusharp on a sword. Not that the accusharp didn't do a good job, I just prefer to use a good ol' whetstone and put a bit more effort into getting a decent edge. This is a fearsome cutter. I've managed to chop milk bottles in half while the bottom half remains filled with water. There’s nothing wrong with its cutting ability that's for sure.
Conclusions
I have to say I don't have any buyer’s remorse for this sword. Although different from the original I find it to be an attractive piece. Who buys swords in this price range expecting massive amounts of historical accuracy?
Pros
Reasonably priced
Good cutter
Decent scabbard
Attractive
Cons
Fit and finish sloppy, but expected in this price range
Very loosely based on original
The Bottom Line
Would I recommend this? Yes, yes I would. Although it suffers from lack of historical accuracy and other minor things (as most swords of this price range seem to suffer from) it is an interesting looker at the very least. For those of you who love cutting targets and the like, once you get used to the characteristics it will serve you well
If anyone has any questions, queries or problems don't hesitate to ask.
Cheers
Chris B
This is an update of the initial review I did on the old SBG site.
I've always wanted some kind of sabre regardless of its origins as long as it was readily availabe and reasonably priced. The Windlass German hunting sabre seemed to fit the bill. www.superiorsteel.co.nz/ had this in stock for under 300 NZD (very reasonable). Within a week it was at my door with no fuss or hassle whatsoever (ah the joys of short distance postage ;D).
It arrived well packed and ready to go.
Historical Overview
This description is taken from MRL
"Although the European Hunting Swords of this age were generally fitted with 12" to 24" long blades, the Germans seemed to have a preference for big blades. In Medieval times there was rarely any difference between swords used for war or the hunt and this later period full length sword carries out that tradition. Boar and large deer hunting was a passion of the rich for centuries, but by the 1600's hunting was open to most classes, and this attractive sword would do to dispatch large prey as well as defend one from brigands. This well-balanced, well-tempered sword comes with a scabbard and will make a worthy addition to any collection. Can be seen in the book: "A Collectors Guide To Swords, Daggers, And Cutlasses" by Gerald Weland
I agree with there being very little difference between this sword and a sword of war. It could easily "do the business" if required.
With regards to historical accuracy one comes to the conclusion that this is a loosely based replica as these pictures will show
(second from the left - note the different blade shape)
Cheers to Hotspur and Alvin for that . More hunting swords can be found Here
(cheers again hotspur)
Initial Impressions
Now, in my previous review of this sword on the old forum I wrote that this sword was ill balanced. My reasoning for this was that I didn’t have another Sabre to compare it to. Now I have the CS 1796 LC as well as some knowledge on Sabre drill. I would say that upon picking it up you find that she has authority in the hand and is reasonably well-balanced.
Statistics
Overall-39 1/8" Blade-33 1/2" long, 1 1/4" wide 3/16" thick Wt.-2 lbs. 10 oz, POB 5 3/8"
The handle is approximately 5.4" long. If you had large hands this would definitely be a problem.
Components
Begin the pic storm!!
The Blade
Nice and stiff with decent flex. Compared to Windlass’s larger two-handed Euros this sword doesn’t suffer from over flexing or anything of the sort. Someone on myarmoury described it as rather "katana like". I agree. The blade shape and curve differ from the original (see pictures above). Secondary bevel of course, but nothing too unsightly.
The fullers are also shallower and thinner then it's historical counterpart
The Grip
As you can see, the grip is one half wood and one half metal. This stays true to the original. Having said that, I'm sure the original grip is slightly longer than the MRL one. One small problem I find with this setup is that the oils from my hand leave the metal part of the grip ripe for rust, so a light polish after handling is needed.
The Guard
As you can see, the hand is well protected from naughty animals and brigands alike. I find this to be the most attractive part of the piece.
The Pommel
It's a tad blurry but yup, it's been peened. Looseness hasn’t been an issue nor am I afraid to cut heavier targets (as has been the case with other Windlass swords I have owned).
The gap between blade and guard isn't the greatest. Rather sloppy.
Scabbard
I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the scabbard. Leather, nicely stitched, matched well with the sword. A pity it doesn't have a wooden core.
The innards
About 2 mils of blade can be seen sticking out the top of the scabbard. Not a big deal though. For a windlass I'm just surprised that it fits snugly!
Handling characteristics
Over time I've come to appreciate the blade presence of this sword. Compared with the CS 1796 LC she is quite responsive in guard transitions (more than I would have thought!) and handles reasonably in the wrist and full arm cuts.
Test Cutting
I won't lie folks. This is the first and last time I used an accusharp on a sword. Not that the accusharp didn't do a good job, I just prefer to use a good ol' whetstone and put a bit more effort into getting a decent edge. This is a fearsome cutter. I've managed to chop milk bottles in half while the bottom half remains filled with water. There’s nothing wrong with its cutting ability that's for sure.
Conclusions
I have to say I don't have any buyer’s remorse for this sword. Although different from the original I find it to be an attractive piece. Who buys swords in this price range expecting massive amounts of historical accuracy?
Pros
Reasonably priced
Good cutter
Decent scabbard
Attractive
Cons
Fit and finish sloppy, but expected in this price range
Very loosely based on original
The Bottom Line
Would I recommend this? Yes, yes I would. Although it suffers from lack of historical accuracy and other minor things (as most swords of this price range seem to suffer from) it is an interesting looker at the very least. For those of you who love cutting targets and the like, once you get used to the characteristics it will serve you well
If anyone has any questions, queries or problems don't hesitate to ask.
Cheers
Chris B