ATrim XIV.2 -Mercenary Grade
Apr 4, 2011 5:08:46 GMT
Post by Greg on Apr 4, 2011 5:08:46 GMT
Introduction:
Well, it is with my great pleasure that I am able to present to you the Angus Trim XIV.2
Recently I was asked, by Tried and True Armory, to take up the very arduous task of having swords sent to me so that I can play with them and tell others about them. I would like to take this opportunity of the review to assure you, the consumer, that I have no financial interest in the success or profitability of Tried and True Armory (TTA). What this means is that I am not receiving payment of any sort for these reviews and that my opinions of the blades that I review are not influenced by my relationship with TTA. If I say a blade has certain desirable qualities, it is not because I'm delivering a sales pitch.
Ok, so with the disclaimer type of schpeel out of the way, I can go on to say that this blade is INCREDIBLE! I'm not even kidding around here folks. At first glance the XIV.2 doesn't look like much. Sure you can tell it should excel in thrusting, but it's ability to cut doesn't really jump out at you.
Even when you pick the blade up, it just feels SO maneuverable that you really start to question if it can cut at all. As I was doing some drying handling with it, I started wondering if the XIV.2 really was more maneuverable then the 1557 I have on the wall. Sure enough, I took the 1557 down at it actually felt slow and awkward in comparison. That isn't to say that the 1557 is slow or awkward, but that the XIV.2 is ridiculously fast. A little later in the review I'll post the video portion. Pay special attention to the first tatami mat and watch out easily I stop the blade mid swing, I even impressed myself on the playback.
Alrighty... lets see, lets take a look at it's character sheet:
Statistics
Total Weight: 2.07 lbs
Total Length: 36.875"
Blade Length: 30.25"
Grip Length: 4.25"
Guard Width: 8.375"
Blade Width: (Base=2.0625") (CoP=1.125")
Blade Thickness: (Base=0.25") (CoP=.125") (Tip=0.0625")
Point of Balance: 4"
Percussion Node (CoP) Bladeside: 19-20" (Usable CoP 3 inches in either direction)
Percussion Node Gripside: 0.5" down from guard (right under the index finger)
Tip Weight: 4.9oz (Tip Weight Table: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3651)
Sword Parts
Blade:
As we can see from the stats above, this blade was meant to stab. It's distal taper starts getting aggressive halfway between tip and guard. This, paired with a similar profile taper, buts a good bit of the weight back towards the hilt and allows for it's absolutely incredible tip speed and control.
The geometry of the blade is hexagonal but bordering on lenticular. I'm not entirely certain if this was done on puropse, or if the final geometry would be lenticular after the polish in increased to above mercenary level.
This particular model sports a very handsome double fuller which is expertly executed just before the percussion node:
The tip just begs to separate whatever is in front of it.
Hilt:
No surprises here. 4.25" of gripable area with a leather wrap more in line with the new standard of merc wraps.
As we can see above, the seam on the wrap does not have any noticeable overlap with only a slight gap towards the guard-side.
Below is a complete breakdown of all the hilt components. Again, no surprises here. The shoulders are properly rounded and there is ample material on the tang.
Also, I would like to point out that Gus managed to recess the nut in the pommel to keep it hidden from casual view.
Looks like we are sporting a Type J1 here. Since this is a mercenary line blade, there wasn't any great efforts taken to hide the machining marks. Obviously on the standard line, these marks won't be as prevalent.
Again, I hate to keep mentioning that this is a mercenary line, but the guard also suffers from the lesser version of itself.
Notice the two small wider spots in the recess. Not a deal breaker, but there they are. (Also, take note of the standard unsharpened ricasso above)
The Awesome Part:
Ok, thanks for reading all the stuff above. Except for you... you know who you are. Now kick back and relax and enjoy the featured presentation:
Conclusions and Whatnots
So lets first talk about the Pros and Cons,
Pros:
HOLY Zippidy-Do-Da this blade is fast. Not only is it fast, but it thrusts effortlessly. Did you see the multiple stab on a single .5L bottle in the video? If you didn't, go back and watch. Not only is it a champion thruster, but it is a strong contender in the cutting arena as well.
Cons:
Well, it's a little on the light side.While it does cut lighter targets, I don't think I'd try any double tatami with a bamboo core. It just doesn't have the blade presence to compete as a "heavy" cutter.
Aside from the mercenary finish, there really isn't any glaring shortcomings of this blade. If you enjoy the aestetics of the type and are looking for a light to medium cutter that excels at thrusting, then this is the blade to get.
Would I buy it again?
Ok, well, I didn't exactly buy this blade in the first place. But if I'm allowed to pretend... like I have been for the past week, then absolutely yes. I'd buy this blade in a heart beat. In fact, if it weren't for another member having their eye on the blade, I would be half tempted to just keep it... but only half, I have to start being picky about which blades I buy now.
So if speed is your thing, then so is the XIV.2