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Post by Northern Wanderer on Feb 7, 2011 9:29:07 GMT
Hello people, sorry to say that you have yet another utter novice joined your ranks.
Having perused this site and others for a couple of months now i am still having trouble choosing my first REAL blade, having owned only wallhangers up to now. I am facinated with history, and norse culture in particular, and have settled on a choice of three potential viking swords, but cannot make up my mind between them.
The first two are from windlass, the sticklestad, and the five lobed viking, these do satisfy my requirements of being light, durable, and historically sound, they are also available from a UK vendor, which means its cheaper for me and avoids the import hassle.
The one i really want though, for obvious reasons, is the Valiant armoury signature series hedemark, but once import VAT and customs duty, plus shipping is factored in, the price shoots up to over $500 :shock: . which is lots. Im basically just looking for opinions, is the hedemark that much better a sword compared to the windlass, plus the hex nut assembly bothers me, is it just sword snobbery that leads to the opinions that it is inferior - if it is mechanically sound then im not really bothered about it, the sword is still beautiful. but is it worth nearly $300 more ?
alternativly, does anyone know a UK vendor for valiant products ? any feedback would be greatly appreciated, im at my wits end trying to decide. thank you.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Feb 7, 2011 14:54:32 GMT
The Hedemark is probably one of the better Viking swords out there; my understanding is that most Valiant Armoury products are the best for their price range. I would almost certainly go with it over a Windlass.
As for UK vendors for VA? I fear I haven't the slightest. I would PM Sonny Suttles directly; he's a member here. He could be able to set you up with something.
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ghost
Member
Posts: 1,331
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Post by ghost on Feb 7, 2011 16:52:37 GMT
One potential alternative, provided you can handle the wait time, is jellindragon over in the UK. I have heard their scabbards are exceptionally beautiful and that their viking fittings are very intricate. Anyways, the package deal is very customizable and the price on par with importing the VA Hedemark Here's the link; www.jelldragon.com/sharp_viking_swords.htm |
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Post by N Schiff on Feb 7, 2011 18:28:26 GMT
Another option, once you get to that price range, is some of the Squire Line vikings available from Albion Europe: www.albion-europe.com/swords/swo ... iking.aspx |
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Greg
Senior Forumite
Posts: 1,800
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Post by Greg on Feb 7, 2011 18:48:17 GMT
Even if he went with Albion-Europe, he wouldn't be getting the full sword package.
Wanderer: If I were you, I'd think about finding the physical location of the windlass distributor and seeing if you could actually handle some pieces. I'm not incredibly familiar with the windlass viking swords, but the company is on the very entry level of functional swords.
Then again, maybe that's what you need. Just something to feel how a viking sword swings and see if it works for you.
If I were you, I'd go with the 5-lobe viking from windlass. The Sticklestad's pommel looks like it would be prone to digging into your wrist when you swing it. Granted, if you don't intend to swing it, then it's another story all together.
Just remember, once you buy your first sword, it's really hard to stop. Think of the 5-lobe as a gateway sword that will get you addicted and lead to the higher end blades.
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Post by ShooterMike on Feb 7, 2011 19:37:25 GMT
Just my thoughts, and others will probably disagree...
If having a scabbard and sharpening is not an issue, you will be hard pressed to find anything more historic and durable sword than the Albion Squire line offerings. If the scabbards and sharpened edges are important, and you're willing to cap the hex nut after semi-permanent assembly with blue loctite threadlocker, the VA Hedemark is a very nice option.
Hex nut assembly is as robust as peening, if done well. And the ATrim/Valiant Armoury method is certainly robust. I heard that Christian Fletcher was considering selling hex nut cappers that make swords with this feature look much more historic. It's basically a plug that looks like a peen. I can't seem to find any reference to them on his website. But like much of what he offers, you may realize more benefits by emailing an inquiry to him than looking on his website.
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Post by Northern Wanderer on Feb 8, 2011 10:04:42 GMT
Thanks for the enthusiastic response, evidently this forum is a little more friendly than some ive been on.
the jelldragon site was a good find, ill definitely keep them in mind for scabbards to accompany any future additions to my collection, the "damascus" blade caught my eye also, certaintly worth considering, well done, you may have spent my next paycheque.
as im sure most newcomers do when they find that bladesmithing is alive and well i was drawn directly to albion and killed many keyboards via drooling for many hours over offerings such as the gaddhjalt and the valkyrja (sold out now - :cry: ), the squire line has caused me to pause for thought, but im thinking that if i pay that sort of price, i may as well get a scabbard, plus im my opinion the VA hedemark looks better than the viking offering in the squire line (hides to avoid the pelting rocks)
if it is as you say that the hex nut is as robust as a peen, then the hedemark has won more favor. it may just be that i have to save up a little longer.
if anyone has any wildcard suggestions then all to keep in mind is:
1. historical - weight and grip length preferably correct for the period, it doesnt matter so much about the construction method, pretty sure that the viking were not using CNC milling machines in the 9th century
2. Sharp - preferably avoiding the secondary bevel
3. Proven - this blade will not rest forver on my display stand, it will be used to smite bottles and tatami as thor intended, i would not like to have a lovely pattern welded work of art snap off and fly into my neighbors garden, or my leg.....
thanks for the info.
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