MRL Scimitar Review
Dec 11, 2010 4:24:54 GMT
Post by Freebooter on Dec 11, 2010 4:24:54 GMT
Hello all,
I just got my new MRL Scimitar by UPS today. I was thrilled when I got it. It is a beauty. I have been wanting to buy one from them for a few years, ever since seeing it in their catolog. I grew up on Sinbad the Sailor, Jason and the Argonauts, movies etc and always loved those curved scimitars and shamshir type swords. This one is, as far as I know with my limited knowledge on swords of the Middle East, is a pretty good copy of one of those types, but more of a Shamshir type than a scimitar. I have always thought they were so graceful and beautiful works of art and just had to have one.
Man, just getting the box from UPS is always exciting. I jumped in my truck and went to a buddy's who is a fellow sword enthusiast to open it. When it came to light of course it was wrapped, sword side by side with scabbared, in that bubble wrap plastic. Even like that its grace and beauty struck me! When I unwrapped and handled it, I was understandably excited. Now while it was still a first class sword, I do want to say I do believe there has been some subtle changes to this sword over at the Windless factor or whoever makes it. I handled one at MRL's showroom a couple of years ago. Seems to me it was a tad lighter and much quicker and easier to whip around than this one, the older one with a slightly thinner blade. This one is just ever so slightly blade heavy, not as light and easy as the one I handled. Do you reckon they're making the blades a bit thicker? Seems like it. But it has been a couple years since I handled it and maybe it is indeed the same, just my mistake
Anyway, I am not sure if a revew of the MRL Scimitar has been done or not, but here goes:
PRICE: $235.00 in Museum Replicas Ltd's catolog (Catolog # 113, Pg.57). Tax, S&H and all I paid $264.00 for it. I got it this afternoon and ordered it night before last.
STASTISTICS
Weight: Catolog says 1 lb, 8 oz. I have no scales so can't say yea or nea.
Overall Length: Cat says 36". I measure, straight from point to pommel: 35 3/4". Did not follow blade, just straight from point to pommel.
Blade L: 30 1/2"
Blade W: At hilt 1 3/16", Mid-blade: 1 1/8" and tapers on to the point.
Blade Thickness & Distal Taper: At hilt between 3/16ths. At mid-blade: Between 3/16ths and 5/32" and distally tapers to needle sharp point. Good, sturdy feeling blade.
Handle L: Fr ctr of guard to butt of pommel 5". Underside of Grip to pommel ball (from guard to ball): 3 3/8"
Grip: Side view near guard, 1 1/4". At narrow point at rear pommel or ball: 7/8"--1". Top view at guard: 5/8", At ball: 1/2"
Guard L or W: 5 5/8". Guard thickness: Abt 3/4" at thickest area around blade.
POB: 9" from center of guard and abt 22 1/8" from point.
COP: 10 3/4--11" from point. Very nice feel when you something with that spot!!
ComponentsI have no camera so I will have to post some pics of it that I copied a long time ago and have in my swords folder and you can look at it and view the following parts, descriptions, etc..
The Blade: The blade is a well made and sturdy in my opinion. As I said earlier in this post I almost believe it is better made than when I held one two or three years ago. It bends and springs right back nicely. This blade would kill easily and quickly! It has a nice curve to it with a small channel running from hilt to 5 1/2" fr point and 1/4" fr back. The back of the blade is flat, not rounded or anything.
The Handle: The handle is solid wood, no metal visible, not even a tang nut or whatever. The tang is inside the handle. Two brass pins going through handle and tang are visible on both sides, the ends flush with the wood. The grip part is not very thick atall and feels good in the hand.
The Guard: The guard is silver metal, pewter or something with knurled ends with sort of small knobs on ends. The center of the guard flairs out into points or ends, one inbedded in the wood grip and the other over blade. This one fits into aperture in metal throat of scabbard.
The Pommel: The pommel is just a rounded downward splaying knob of the solid wooden handle or grip.
The Scabbard: The scabbard is a work of art in itself. I think it is a beautiful, well made scabbard. It is made of heavy, thick, good smellin' leather with some kind of metal parts which look like pewter. The rings on the throat and center piece are good, solid rings with no crack visible. The sword fits very snugly into the scabbard and will not fall out even if you hung it upside down.
Handling Characteristics
This sword handles nicely, although it is ever so slightly blade heavy to me, not like the one I handled a couple of years ago. But it still handles good and fairly welll balanced.
Test Cutting
Just got it and it is not sharpened, although it is close enough to be sharp. Just a bit of sharpening would be all you would need to put a nice edge on this.
Conclusions
I love this sword. It is well made, elegant, and beautiful. About the only thing I would do or have done to it would be perhaps it would be better if the handle were a bit bigger or beefier, just a bit, to balance it on out and make it easier to handle. But that is for me. A smaller man might like it like it is. I am 6' and weigh around 300lbs with big hands so the grip is almost too narrow or thin for me. I might try wrapping the grip in leather and see how that feels.
Pros
Wooden grip has nice finish, sturdy and well made, scabbard too is very nice and well made and grips the sword, which is a must for me. Nothing worse than bending over or picking it up at an angle and the sword just falls out. But this one won't do that. It is in there until you pull it forth! The blade is a beautiful but deadly blade with a needle like point!
Cons
As I said above, the only thing is I personally would want the handle a bit thicker and larger. Little like it is it seems to have an ever so slightly blade heavy feeling. But I still like it. I would not hesitate to fight for my life with it if I had to.
The Bottom Line
I would definatley reccomend this sword to someone. It is a fiine, well made, sturdy, and beautiful weapon. It is just sho'nuff "purdy"!! But besides its fine looks it is quick and deadly. The way the curve is and thus position of the point is so that seems to me it would just whip, lash. dart, and wasp at the slightest movement of your hand and wrist. And the price is not too bad either.
-----------------------------------------
I hope this review was alright. I have not done one in a blue moon and am no expert either. But I do love a fine edged weapon!
Later,
Freebooter
I just got my new MRL Scimitar by UPS today. I was thrilled when I got it. It is a beauty. I have been wanting to buy one from them for a few years, ever since seeing it in their catolog. I grew up on Sinbad the Sailor, Jason and the Argonauts, movies etc and always loved those curved scimitars and shamshir type swords. This one is, as far as I know with my limited knowledge on swords of the Middle East, is a pretty good copy of one of those types, but more of a Shamshir type than a scimitar. I have always thought they were so graceful and beautiful works of art and just had to have one.
Man, just getting the box from UPS is always exciting. I jumped in my truck and went to a buddy's who is a fellow sword enthusiast to open it. When it came to light of course it was wrapped, sword side by side with scabbared, in that bubble wrap plastic. Even like that its grace and beauty struck me! When I unwrapped and handled it, I was understandably excited. Now while it was still a first class sword, I do want to say I do believe there has been some subtle changes to this sword over at the Windless factor or whoever makes it. I handled one at MRL's showroom a couple of years ago. Seems to me it was a tad lighter and much quicker and easier to whip around than this one, the older one with a slightly thinner blade. This one is just ever so slightly blade heavy, not as light and easy as the one I handled. Do you reckon they're making the blades a bit thicker? Seems like it. But it has been a couple years since I handled it and maybe it is indeed the same, just my mistake
Anyway, I am not sure if a revew of the MRL Scimitar has been done or not, but here goes:
PRICE: $235.00 in Museum Replicas Ltd's catolog (Catolog # 113, Pg.57). Tax, S&H and all I paid $264.00 for it. I got it this afternoon and ordered it night before last.
STASTISTICS
Weight: Catolog says 1 lb, 8 oz. I have no scales so can't say yea or nea.
Overall Length: Cat says 36". I measure, straight from point to pommel: 35 3/4". Did not follow blade, just straight from point to pommel.
Blade L: 30 1/2"
Blade W: At hilt 1 3/16", Mid-blade: 1 1/8" and tapers on to the point.
Blade Thickness & Distal Taper: At hilt between 3/16ths. At mid-blade: Between 3/16ths and 5/32" and distally tapers to needle sharp point. Good, sturdy feeling blade.
Handle L: Fr ctr of guard to butt of pommel 5". Underside of Grip to pommel ball (from guard to ball): 3 3/8"
Grip: Side view near guard, 1 1/4". At narrow point at rear pommel or ball: 7/8"--1". Top view at guard: 5/8", At ball: 1/2"
Guard L or W: 5 5/8". Guard thickness: Abt 3/4" at thickest area around blade.
POB: 9" from center of guard and abt 22 1/8" from point.
COP: 10 3/4--11" from point. Very nice feel when you something with that spot!!
ComponentsI have no camera so I will have to post some pics of it that I copied a long time ago and have in my swords folder and you can look at it and view the following parts, descriptions, etc..
The Blade: The blade is a well made and sturdy in my opinion. As I said earlier in this post I almost believe it is better made than when I held one two or three years ago. It bends and springs right back nicely. This blade would kill easily and quickly! It has a nice curve to it with a small channel running from hilt to 5 1/2" fr point and 1/4" fr back. The back of the blade is flat, not rounded or anything.
The Handle: The handle is solid wood, no metal visible, not even a tang nut or whatever. The tang is inside the handle. Two brass pins going through handle and tang are visible on both sides, the ends flush with the wood. The grip part is not very thick atall and feels good in the hand.
The Guard: The guard is silver metal, pewter or something with knurled ends with sort of small knobs on ends. The center of the guard flairs out into points or ends, one inbedded in the wood grip and the other over blade. This one fits into aperture in metal throat of scabbard.
The Pommel: The pommel is just a rounded downward splaying knob of the solid wooden handle or grip.
The Scabbard: The scabbard is a work of art in itself. I think it is a beautiful, well made scabbard. It is made of heavy, thick, good smellin' leather with some kind of metal parts which look like pewter. The rings on the throat and center piece are good, solid rings with no crack visible. The sword fits very snugly into the scabbard and will not fall out even if you hung it upside down.
Handling Characteristics
This sword handles nicely, although it is ever so slightly blade heavy to me, not like the one I handled a couple of years ago. But it still handles good and fairly welll balanced.
Test Cutting
Just got it and it is not sharpened, although it is close enough to be sharp. Just a bit of sharpening would be all you would need to put a nice edge on this.
Conclusions
I love this sword. It is well made, elegant, and beautiful. About the only thing I would do or have done to it would be perhaps it would be better if the handle were a bit bigger or beefier, just a bit, to balance it on out and make it easier to handle. But that is for me. A smaller man might like it like it is. I am 6' and weigh around 300lbs with big hands so the grip is almost too narrow or thin for me. I might try wrapping the grip in leather and see how that feels.
Pros
Wooden grip has nice finish, sturdy and well made, scabbard too is very nice and well made and grips the sword, which is a must for me. Nothing worse than bending over or picking it up at an angle and the sword just falls out. But this one won't do that. It is in there until you pull it forth! The blade is a beautiful but deadly blade with a needle like point!
Cons
As I said above, the only thing is I personally would want the handle a bit thicker and larger. Little like it is it seems to have an ever so slightly blade heavy feeling. But I still like it. I would not hesitate to fight for my life with it if I had to.
The Bottom Line
I would definatley reccomend this sword to someone. It is a fiine, well made, sturdy, and beautiful weapon. It is just sho'nuff "purdy"!! But besides its fine looks it is quick and deadly. The way the curve is and thus position of the point is so that seems to me it would just whip, lash. dart, and wasp at the slightest movement of your hand and wrist. And the price is not too bad either.
-----------------------------------------
I hope this review was alright. I have not done one in a blue moon and am no expert either. But I do love a fine edged weapon!
Later,
Freebooter