Scorpion Swords - Black Asp Review
Jan 25, 2011 17:05:07 GMT
Post by ghost on Jan 25, 2011 17:05:07 GMT
Scorpion Swords - Black Asp
-Pic taken from Chris site: traditionalarcherybows.com/handm ... rd_p9.html
__________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Scorpion Swords is a relatively new competitor in the sword market that specializes in ancient weaponry (greco-roman, persian, etc.) and movie/fantasy elements. That being said, Chris Palmer has set a really great price range from $180 - $450 for his swords, and a bit less for his knives. What really catches the eye, is that Chris is a US smith, who takes custom orders at superbly low prices. Each of his existing swords are actually customs, as prices vary for the same sword on Kult of Athena. Even better, Chris produces quality pattern welded blades at a fraction of what they normally cost.
Historical overview
While a large portion of Scorpion Swords are historical, the Black Asp is a fantasy design based on the Kopis by D. Toalster.
Here is Chris excerpt:
"The Asp Snake was used by Cleopatra to bring about her demise. Slow moving but aggressive, the asp is very dangerous. Their poison is a systematic one that clots the blood and destroys the lining of the blood vessels."
traditionalarcherybows.com/handm ... rd_p9.html
Full Disclosure
I am not a salesman for Scorpion Swords nor do I have any bias towards the company. I am merely a sword connoisseur who has high standards. In this review, I will try to expose the pros and cons of my product in an objective manner.
Initial Impressions
Upon opening the package, I was stunned by the beautiful wooden grip slabs sandwiching the tang. I personally asked Chris to round out the grips to make them more comfortable for practical use. He did a fantastic job. The snake hand -engraved snake on the side is great touch. I also requested a maker's mark, which Chris obliging did - "SCORPION" spelled out in an arc on the opposite side. It is even more wicked than I initially imagined it (which is why I purchased it in the first place) and I can only imagine what comments will arise when people view this sword in my collection.
Statistics
"5160 Spring Steel cut out and Normalized @ 1500 degrees until non magnetic, three times, to remove stresses and align crystals. Heat Hardened until blade became nonmagnetic, then quenched in 125 degree quality oil. Tempered the blade to a straw hardness @ 425 degrees for 1 hour, letting it air cool and repeating once more." -Scorpion Swords
Total Length = 27 1/8 “ Blade Width = 3”
Blade Length = 20 ¾ “ Widest Point Blade Thickness = 3/16 “
Handle Length = 6 3/8 “ Handle: Hickory w/ Gunstock & Black Cherry Stain
Handle Width = 1 1/16” Weight = 2 lbs, 14 oz
POB (Point of Balance): Mine is 5.25" in front of the grip.
Components
The Grip:
Hickory slabs are stained in a gunstock/black cherry stain and held together by 5 steel pins. The grip is 6.5" long and has a bulge to fill in the hollow of your palm. It is well fitted and very comfortable for my large hands. It is definitely a tactical design- the steel tang is as wide as the wooden slabs throughout the grip. The steel pins are flush with the wood...very attractive.
The Blade:
The blades is beautiful but has a very rough polish. The grinder marks are evident though evenly done (think HT blades) to a grit of around 250. Note that the blade and handle are dirty -> simply because I was dry handling it; I had to repair a few things which had nothing to do with Chris or Scorpion Swords. USPS bent the tip over 30 degrees while shipping it (mailman told me even before he let me touch the package). I simply torch -bent it back in the table vice and ground out some bumps on the belt sander.
The snake is hand engraved and done well -> it is not continually smooth (like a stamp) but shows bouncing as if done with a dremel. This gives it a personal touch which I appreciate.
The Scabbard: There is a pretty leather/snakeskin scabbard that I did not purchase along with the sword.
Handling Characteristics
The sword handles fantastic and feels fast for such a heavy and wide blade. One reason why it feels so good is that the base of your hand locks right into the back of the grip, so that you can really swing with all your might...no reservations of the grip slipping in your hand. It has quite a lot of blade presence...well the kopis like design says it all. Of course, I asked Chris to modify the grip to be more roundish than the blockish slabs that are usually present. Chris also has removed the steel guard on mine, giving it even greater cutting ability.
Test Cutting
- no video camera...last one died whitewater rafting on lvl 3 rapids
Bottles however are dying by the cases.
Note: The blade needed to be sharpened a slight bit more near the upper jutting portion of the blade, the convex section - it had a steep secondary bevel like an HT. The lower concave half was sharpened very nicely. These pics were taken after 3 hours of sanding with 320 grit waterproof sandpaper. It was followed up by some Mothers.
A pic comparison with the G2 Pompeii Gladius to give a size reference.
Conclusions
I love the blade, period. I would not mind swinging it at branches and trees like a machete because it is built very tough. The sword is a bit heavy but very quick in the hands. It has a lot of cutting power and has wicked edge geometry. Ascertaining the COP is hard on this blade...but it's not hard to imagine where the sweet spot might be. This would be my blade of preference for wilderness treks (yea...imaginary), jungle romping, and zombie slaying when I'm not fleeing.
Pros
- beautiful and comfy grip; sturdy (5! steel pins) tactical construction
- weight is well balanced and distributed;
- well shaped blade with pretty engravings
- Made in the USA well within SBG price range
-custom / customizable -> just pm Chris for alterations
-fantastic customer service on Chris Palmer's part; He is always answering emails with a friendly and passionate touch.
-time to make: 2-3 weeks (fast)
Cons
- may have a secondary bevel
- finish is medium rough; likely will require a bit of sanding/polishing on consumer's part
The Bottom Line
Chris' work is of top-notch quality and frankly could fetch a lot more than he charges. I would definitely recommend purchasing from him - I certainly will be doing so again in the near future. He is one of the very few American makers, if not the only, to produce swords in this price range. He accepts custom orders and new designs, while imposing a short time-line upon himself to get his swords shipped.
Finally, his customer service goes far and beyond what is expected. Correspondence with Chris is enjoyable and quick. This was fantastic buying experience on my part and I would wholly recommend that others take advantage his reasonable prices while they last.
-Pic taken from Chris site: traditionalarcherybows.com/handm ... rd_p9.html
__________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Scorpion Swords is a relatively new competitor in the sword market that specializes in ancient weaponry (greco-roman, persian, etc.) and movie/fantasy elements. That being said, Chris Palmer has set a really great price range from $180 - $450 for his swords, and a bit less for his knives. What really catches the eye, is that Chris is a US smith, who takes custom orders at superbly low prices. Each of his existing swords are actually customs, as prices vary for the same sword on Kult of Athena. Even better, Chris produces quality pattern welded blades at a fraction of what they normally cost.
Historical overview
While a large portion of Scorpion Swords are historical, the Black Asp is a fantasy design based on the Kopis by D. Toalster.
Here is Chris excerpt:
"The Asp Snake was used by Cleopatra to bring about her demise. Slow moving but aggressive, the asp is very dangerous. Their poison is a systematic one that clots the blood and destroys the lining of the blood vessels."
traditionalarcherybows.com/handm ... rd_p9.html
Full Disclosure
I am not a salesman for Scorpion Swords nor do I have any bias towards the company. I am merely a sword connoisseur who has high standards. In this review, I will try to expose the pros and cons of my product in an objective manner.
Initial Impressions
Upon opening the package, I was stunned by the beautiful wooden grip slabs sandwiching the tang. I personally asked Chris to round out the grips to make them more comfortable for practical use. He did a fantastic job. The snake hand -engraved snake on the side is great touch. I also requested a maker's mark, which Chris obliging did - "SCORPION" spelled out in an arc on the opposite side. It is even more wicked than I initially imagined it (which is why I purchased it in the first place) and I can only imagine what comments will arise when people view this sword in my collection.
Statistics
"5160 Spring Steel cut out and Normalized @ 1500 degrees until non magnetic, three times, to remove stresses and align crystals. Heat Hardened until blade became nonmagnetic, then quenched in 125 degree quality oil. Tempered the blade to a straw hardness @ 425 degrees for 1 hour, letting it air cool and repeating once more." -Scorpion Swords
Total Length = 27 1/8 “ Blade Width = 3”
Blade Length = 20 ¾ “ Widest Point Blade Thickness = 3/16 “
Handle Length = 6 3/8 “ Handle: Hickory w/ Gunstock & Black Cherry Stain
Handle Width = 1 1/16” Weight = 2 lbs, 14 oz
POB (Point of Balance): Mine is 5.25" in front of the grip.
Components
The Grip:
Hickory slabs are stained in a gunstock/black cherry stain and held together by 5 steel pins. The grip is 6.5" long and has a bulge to fill in the hollow of your palm. It is well fitted and very comfortable for my large hands. It is definitely a tactical design- the steel tang is as wide as the wooden slabs throughout the grip. The steel pins are flush with the wood...very attractive.
The Blade:
The blades is beautiful but has a very rough polish. The grinder marks are evident though evenly done (think HT blades) to a grit of around 250. Note that the blade and handle are dirty -> simply because I was dry handling it; I had to repair a few things which had nothing to do with Chris or Scorpion Swords. USPS bent the tip over 30 degrees while shipping it (mailman told me even before he let me touch the package). I simply torch -bent it back in the table vice and ground out some bumps on the belt sander.
The snake is hand engraved and done well -> it is not continually smooth (like a stamp) but shows bouncing as if done with a dremel. This gives it a personal touch which I appreciate.
The Scabbard: There is a pretty leather/snakeskin scabbard that I did not purchase along with the sword.
Handling Characteristics
The sword handles fantastic and feels fast for such a heavy and wide blade. One reason why it feels so good is that the base of your hand locks right into the back of the grip, so that you can really swing with all your might...no reservations of the grip slipping in your hand. It has quite a lot of blade presence...well the kopis like design says it all. Of course, I asked Chris to modify the grip to be more roundish than the blockish slabs that are usually present. Chris also has removed the steel guard on mine, giving it even greater cutting ability.
Test Cutting
- no video camera...last one died whitewater rafting on lvl 3 rapids
Bottles however are dying by the cases.
Note: The blade needed to be sharpened a slight bit more near the upper jutting portion of the blade, the convex section - it had a steep secondary bevel like an HT. The lower concave half was sharpened very nicely. These pics were taken after 3 hours of sanding with 320 grit waterproof sandpaper. It was followed up by some Mothers.
A pic comparison with the G2 Pompeii Gladius to give a size reference.
Conclusions
I love the blade, period. I would not mind swinging it at branches and trees like a machete because it is built very tough. The sword is a bit heavy but very quick in the hands. It has a lot of cutting power and has wicked edge geometry. Ascertaining the COP is hard on this blade...but it's not hard to imagine where the sweet spot might be. This would be my blade of preference for wilderness treks (yea...imaginary), jungle romping, and zombie slaying when I'm not fleeing.
Pros
- beautiful and comfy grip; sturdy (5! steel pins) tactical construction
- weight is well balanced and distributed;
- well shaped blade with pretty engravings
- Made in the USA well within SBG price range
-custom / customizable -> just pm Chris for alterations
-fantastic customer service on Chris Palmer's part; He is always answering emails with a friendly and passionate touch.
-time to make: 2-3 weeks (fast)
Cons
- may have a secondary bevel
- finish is medium rough; likely will require a bit of sanding/polishing on consumer's part
The Bottom Line
Chris' work is of top-notch quality and frankly could fetch a lot more than he charges. I would definitely recommend purchasing from him - I certainly will be doing so again in the near future. He is one of the very few American makers, if not the only, to produce swords in this price range. He accepts custom orders and new designs, while imposing a short time-line upon himself to get his swords shipped.
Finally, his customer service goes far and beyond what is expected. Correspondence with Chris is enjoyable and quick. This was fantastic buying experience on my part and I would wholly recommend that others take advantage his reasonable prices while they last.