Review of Windlass Historical Excalibur
Oct 4, 2007 15:26:42 GMT
Post by septofclansinclair on Oct 4, 2007 15:26:42 GMT
Review of Windlass Steelcraft Historical Excalibur Sword by Daniel D. of Manitoba, Canada.
Retailing at $214.99 CAD at Reliks.
I’ve been a passingly-interested student of Arthurian legend for more than 10 years, so every “the REAL story of King Arthur” movie that comes out fills me with dread. Typically, the newer renditions of the tale cast Arthur as a Roman, which offends me on every possible level. So when I saw this offering by Windlass Steelcrafts – a Dark Age “Excalibur” that was not Roman or Medieval in design – I was intrigued. Here is the official description:
“If King Arthur actually existed many historians place him as a war leader seeking to halt the invasion of the Saxons after the fall of Rome There are many indications that England did, after a time of much strife, have a brief period of peace and prosperity in what is now called "The Dark Ages". The functional Excalibur sword is of a type that was widely in use during this period and would be what a hard fighting warrior would prefer.”
The antiqued bronze look really did it for me. The shape of the grip was intriguing. I liked the idea of adding another Dark Ages sword to my collection. So, with some SBG vouchers in my pocket I decided to go for this piece, even if it was more of a “historical-type” than a strict historical model (After viewing the picture, forum member Rammstein pointed out several glaring historical discrepancies at great length, expressing his disdain for the sword and all who contributed to its conception – when told that I had already ordered it, he added that “it seemed nice”). I shipped it from Reliks and – what the heck – I got the sharpening option as well. It arrived in record time, to my wife’s cries of “Another one?” I opened up the box and pulled out the sword, shipped in its leather scabbard and wrapped tightly in plastic. When I unwrapped it – well, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.
The sword seemed heavy – too heavy for the advertised weight of 2 pounds 12 ounces. I stuck it on my scale and, after figuring out how to convert metric to imperial (don’t want to leave the Americans behind), weighed it in at just over 3 pounds. It was more than slightly unwieldy, and when measured the point of balance was at 6.5 inches from the guard – even more than my hand and a half sword. And the fittings seemed less beefy than they were in the picture – while still attractive, the word my wife used was “dainty” – which is more than a little distressing in a sword!
Here are some numbers:
Blade length: 31”
Handle Length: 4”
Overall: 37”
Hilt width: 5.5”
Pommel width: 2.5”
POB: 6.5” from guard
Weight: Just over 3 lbs
The Blade
The blade is this sword’s best feature. A deep, wide, even fuller is quite attractive, and flexes just the right amount. Windlass’ awesome tempering let me test it past what I thought was smart and returned to true. The only complaint I have was that the first 2 inches of blade from the guard were not only unsharpened, but an unattractive square chunk of steel from which the blade emerged. This is neither historically accurate nor a pleasant feature to look at. -1 Fit and Finish points. According to some I’ve asked it is also a structural weak point, so I’ll have to drop a Structural Integrity point as well.
The Hilt
The hilt seems smaller than in the original pictures. And it does not seem to be solid bronze – it is more than likely bronze plated. While fine from a “keeping the price down” point of view, it makes the hilt feel more fake and plastic than real bronze. I’ll admit it grows on you after a while, but the initial impression is poor.
The Pommel
The pommel is an unusual design that extends down halfway into the handle, ending in a ring. I actually quite like it; it is reminiscent of the Type III and IV Viking pommels. In addition, it is peened, giving the sword considerable strength and durability.
The Scabbard
The scabbard has a plastic quality to it that makes it feel like a toy. The bronze fittings are very attractive, but the scabbard itself is fake looking. Add to that the fact that when the sword is pulled free, a scraping noise can be heard, and fine scratches appear near the tip of the blade. These scratches can be polished out for the most part, but some do remain. I have heard that this can be a problem with Windlass scabbards. The scabbard also has a noticeable gap between it and the hilt when sheathed, which leads to a -1 Fit and Finish point.
The Handle
The handle is uncomfortable at first in a hammer grip, but adjusting to a handshake grip makes up for that. The slight tapering at the middle is comfortable for smaller hands (like mine), but makes no difference for people with larger hands (as Fatecaller was to learn). However – the leather wrapping was coming loose even as it arrived, revealing the wood beneath. Some epoxy will fix that, but it is still a shame and a loss of 1 Fit and Finish point.
Cutting Tests
Handling
The handling of this sword is poor. For a smaller guy like me, I prefer my POBs’ to be closer to the guard – 4-5 inches is ideal, closer is even better if it’s a later age sword (like my Cut and Thrust sword). The loose leather wrap does affect the grip, and overall the sword can feel very awkward in your hand while swinging. -2 Handling points.
Tests
The Reliks edge was, simply put, not up to par. Having experience with Gen2’s edges and secondary bevel on other swords, I was very disappointed at the result of their work. You can’t beat their customer service, but I can’t recommend their sharpening. It failed to cut milk jugs, the lightest target that I put my swords through. After a few disappointing attempts, I headed to Fatecaller’s Batcave to have it sharpened.
Fatecaller put a rough edge on it with a fine grade bastard file, and then I went to town. Here are the results (forgive the editing, I shortened it and removed a missed swing that was rather embarrassing):
Much better. It demolished coke bottles as well. The blade is quite serviceable with a good edge on it. Fatecaller and I are going to buff out some scratches and make the edge really shine. I have confidence that this sword could do quite well as a backyard cutter. It is quite solid.
Conclusion
After having this sword for a few weeks, it's grown on me. But the glaring defects suggests to me that this is not one of Windlass' better offers. I doubt it will remain in production for much longer - so if you're looking for an interesting "historical type" Dar Age sword, or are just a King Arthur fan, you should move quickly. Otherwise, I'd say pass on this one.
Final Numbers:
Historical Accuracy: 2/5
Fit and Finish: 2
Handling: 3
Structural Integrity: 4
Value for Money: 2
Overall: 2.75 - Average
Recommended for King Arthur fans for medium to occasional heavy cutting.
Retailing at $214.99 CAD at Reliks.
I’ve been a passingly-interested student of Arthurian legend for more than 10 years, so every “the REAL story of King Arthur” movie that comes out fills me with dread. Typically, the newer renditions of the tale cast Arthur as a Roman, which offends me on every possible level. So when I saw this offering by Windlass Steelcrafts – a Dark Age “Excalibur” that was not Roman or Medieval in design – I was intrigued. Here is the official description:
“If King Arthur actually existed many historians place him as a war leader seeking to halt the invasion of the Saxons after the fall of Rome There are many indications that England did, after a time of much strife, have a brief period of peace and prosperity in what is now called "The Dark Ages". The functional Excalibur sword is of a type that was widely in use during this period and would be what a hard fighting warrior would prefer.”
The antiqued bronze look really did it for me. The shape of the grip was intriguing. I liked the idea of adding another Dark Ages sword to my collection. So, with some SBG vouchers in my pocket I decided to go for this piece, even if it was more of a “historical-type” than a strict historical model (After viewing the picture, forum member Rammstein pointed out several glaring historical discrepancies at great length, expressing his disdain for the sword and all who contributed to its conception – when told that I had already ordered it, he added that “it seemed nice”). I shipped it from Reliks and – what the heck – I got the sharpening option as well. It arrived in record time, to my wife’s cries of “Another one?” I opened up the box and pulled out the sword, shipped in its leather scabbard and wrapped tightly in plastic. When I unwrapped it – well, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.
The sword seemed heavy – too heavy for the advertised weight of 2 pounds 12 ounces. I stuck it on my scale and, after figuring out how to convert metric to imperial (don’t want to leave the Americans behind), weighed it in at just over 3 pounds. It was more than slightly unwieldy, and when measured the point of balance was at 6.5 inches from the guard – even more than my hand and a half sword. And the fittings seemed less beefy than they were in the picture – while still attractive, the word my wife used was “dainty” – which is more than a little distressing in a sword!
Here are some numbers:
Blade length: 31”
Handle Length: 4”
Overall: 37”
Hilt width: 5.5”
Pommel width: 2.5”
POB: 6.5” from guard
Weight: Just over 3 lbs
The Blade
The blade is this sword’s best feature. A deep, wide, even fuller is quite attractive, and flexes just the right amount. Windlass’ awesome tempering let me test it past what I thought was smart and returned to true. The only complaint I have was that the first 2 inches of blade from the guard were not only unsharpened, but an unattractive square chunk of steel from which the blade emerged. This is neither historically accurate nor a pleasant feature to look at. -1 Fit and Finish points. According to some I’ve asked it is also a structural weak point, so I’ll have to drop a Structural Integrity point as well.
The Hilt
The hilt seems smaller than in the original pictures. And it does not seem to be solid bronze – it is more than likely bronze plated. While fine from a “keeping the price down” point of view, it makes the hilt feel more fake and plastic than real bronze. I’ll admit it grows on you after a while, but the initial impression is poor.
The Pommel
The pommel is an unusual design that extends down halfway into the handle, ending in a ring. I actually quite like it; it is reminiscent of the Type III and IV Viking pommels. In addition, it is peened, giving the sword considerable strength and durability.
The Scabbard
The scabbard has a plastic quality to it that makes it feel like a toy. The bronze fittings are very attractive, but the scabbard itself is fake looking. Add to that the fact that when the sword is pulled free, a scraping noise can be heard, and fine scratches appear near the tip of the blade. These scratches can be polished out for the most part, but some do remain. I have heard that this can be a problem with Windlass scabbards. The scabbard also has a noticeable gap between it and the hilt when sheathed, which leads to a -1 Fit and Finish point.
The Handle
The handle is uncomfortable at first in a hammer grip, but adjusting to a handshake grip makes up for that. The slight tapering at the middle is comfortable for smaller hands (like mine), but makes no difference for people with larger hands (as Fatecaller was to learn). However – the leather wrapping was coming loose even as it arrived, revealing the wood beneath. Some epoxy will fix that, but it is still a shame and a loss of 1 Fit and Finish point.
Cutting Tests
Handling
The handling of this sword is poor. For a smaller guy like me, I prefer my POBs’ to be closer to the guard – 4-5 inches is ideal, closer is even better if it’s a later age sword (like my Cut and Thrust sword). The loose leather wrap does affect the grip, and overall the sword can feel very awkward in your hand while swinging. -2 Handling points.
Tests
The Reliks edge was, simply put, not up to par. Having experience with Gen2’s edges and secondary bevel on other swords, I was very disappointed at the result of their work. You can’t beat their customer service, but I can’t recommend their sharpening. It failed to cut milk jugs, the lightest target that I put my swords through. After a few disappointing attempts, I headed to Fatecaller’s Batcave to have it sharpened.
Fatecaller put a rough edge on it with a fine grade bastard file, and then I went to town. Here are the results (forgive the editing, I shortened it and removed a missed swing that was rather embarrassing):
Much better. It demolished coke bottles as well. The blade is quite serviceable with a good edge on it. Fatecaller and I are going to buff out some scratches and make the edge really shine. I have confidence that this sword could do quite well as a backyard cutter. It is quite solid.
Conclusion
After having this sword for a few weeks, it's grown on me. But the glaring defects suggests to me that this is not one of Windlass' better offers. I doubt it will remain in production for much longer - so if you're looking for an interesting "historical type" Dar Age sword, or are just a King Arthur fan, you should move quickly. Otherwise, I'd say pass on this one.
Final Numbers:
Historical Accuracy: 2/5
Fit and Finish: 2
Handling: 3
Structural Integrity: 4
Value for Money: 2
Overall: 2.75 - Average
Recommended for King Arthur fans for medium to occasional heavy cutting.