Angus Trim Mercenary Grade XIII-1326
Apr 9, 2011 22:34:27 GMT
Post by chuckinohio on Apr 9, 2011 22:34:27 GMT
INTRODUCTION-
I first developed an affinity and a lust in my heart for the 1326 upon viewing a sword christened ‘EGO MEMOR’ owned my SBG member ‘Enkidu’
For those unfamiliar with this sword, I encourage you to go to the member collections thread and view the goodness.
The Angus Trim line of swords until recently were available from Christian Fletcher and he offered the 1326 under his ‘design your own Atrim’ line. I was unable to swing the purchase of one at the time, and Christian relinquished the line to TriedandTrue Armory so as to focus on his custom work.
Once I saw the 1326 pop up on the TriedandTrue Armory inventory, I immediately sprang into action. Through some deft keyboard manipulation, and a prompt transfer of funds, I got one of my very own.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW-
The 1326 is an Oakeshott type XIII sword.
For those not familiar with the type XIII, or for those who are not familiar with the Oakeshott typology period, I recommend that you read this Spotlight Topic published on MyArmoury.com
www.myarmoury.com/feature_spotxiii.html
While the 1326 is not representative of any single example shown in the article, it does fit the general description of the physical characteristics displayed by the type.
The 1326 displays a bit more profile taper than is the norm for the type, judging from photos and descriptions, but in other aspects fits nicely into this classification.
DISCLOSURE-
I purchased this sword with my own funds from TriedandTrue Armory, and was afforded no discounts.
I am not sponsored, compensated, enabled, abeted, or cheered on by TriedandTrue Armory, and they could probably give a rats patootie whether I do a review or not.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS-
Ahhhhh, a stout little Hand and a Half with a backbone. Triple fullered goodness with a slashy cutty blade that has some heft behind it.
The grippy part of the blade. A simple chamfered disc pommel, and a guard that are both in a satin finish. Much preferred in my book to a super shiny polished look on the furniture. The duller finish lends a more business like aspect to the blades overall appearance
The triple fullers that set this model apart from other blades of this type.
You may notice that the ridges dividing the fullers vary in width along the length of the fullers. They slim down in the middle of the fullered section while being somewhat flared at the guard and towards the termination end. Whether done on purpose, or as an accident, I can not say, but the effect is somewhat pleasing as it lends a bit of flair to the fullers.
The fullers are left black as part of the Mercenary Grade treatment in order to keep labor costs down and provide a blade at a lower price point. They look good in black, and I wouldn’t have them any other way.
The termination of the fullers, and the profile of the blade body.
Readily apparent is the uneven termination of the blade fullers. I believe that this is due to the fullers being left rough and not polished out. When finishing out the blade to a higher polish it would be quite easy to even them up. Not a deal breaker for me, but some may take exception so be advised.
The blade body in the above photo appears to have a hexagonal profile, but such is not the case. What you are seeing is the blade section finished in facets working towards a lenticular cross section. Once again, if this blade was polished out to a higher degree, the faceting would not be apparent, and what you would have would be a true ovoid cross section.
The tip section, showing the broad tip designed for shearing cuts with the end of the blade.
Once again, there is a central ridge present that is very very slight. A higher dgree of polish would remove this entirely, but still leave the tip supported by a substantial cross section.
In hand, showing the fit of the guard to the blade. The guard fits tightly to the body of the blade over the fullers, but has a bit of excess space where the blade edges seat. The guard itself is tightly fit to the tang and exhibits no lateral play when the assembly is tightened. There is no guess work to centering the guard to the blade when reassembling.
In hand showing the grip and riser placement.
The riser is really superfluous where it is placed on the grip, as it does not serve as a positive indicator of hand placement.
I would have preferred it to rest between my middle and ring finger, or perhaps where the bottom of my pinky finger comes to rest.
Nicely done, but the placement seems odd.
The riser in the above photo is placed at 4-1/8 inch from the base of the guard to the top edge of the riser.
When choked up on the grip, it does not contact my hand outside of the heel of my palm when swung. When my grip is relaxed, not choked up clear to the guard, the riser does serve as a positive stop for my pinky finger.
I need to cut with the sword again using the riser as a positive stop for my pinky to render a decision as to how it affects the swords handling. The results will be posted here once accomplished.
Updated to comment on the grip riser placement-
Using a grip that does not choke my hand up on the guard, and using the riser as a positive stop for my pinky does work for me. It slightly affects the handling and feel of the blade in use, as in it adds a bit of difficulty in reversing the blade, but it does help in my edge alignment.
SPECS AND DETAILS-
Overall length- 40-3/8
Blade length- 30-7/8
Weight- 2lbs 11oz
Grip length- 7-¼
Guard width- 8-¼
Point of balance- 4-½ from front of guard
Center of Percussion- 19 inches from front of guard
Gus pulled another rabbit out on this one. The sweet spot on this sword extends from15-½ inches out to 23-½ inches. Assuming that I do my part, the blade exhibits very little feedback. It’s sweet!!!!
Blade width-
At guard 2-¼
Midblade 1-5/8
1” from tip 1-1/8
Blade thickness-
At guard .240
Midblade .145
1” from tip .095
Disassembly shot showing the components that come together to make the magic happen.
Evident is the substantial tang, and the radiused juncture of tang to blade shoulders. Also apparent is the radiused edges of the tang itself. Sharp edges create stress risers, and can lead to problems down the road with a possible tang failure. Not here though.
The 1326 I ordered came with recessed hex nut construction. While not historically accurate, it lends itself to easy take down for cleaning, or if one has an eye for customizing their sword.
Milled recesses in the pommel and guard for the blade tang. Cleanly done and tightly fit on both counts. The fittings exhibit no lateral play even before tightening them up. There is no guess work or finagling to line the furniture up on this sword.
Ye olde grippe.
This grip is exceptionally well done, and quite a pleasant surprise on a Mercenary Grade sword. I suspect that it is a leftover Christian Fletcher field grade grip from when he gave up doing the Atrim line. The seam is neat even and very unobtrusive.
My only problem with it is the riser placement, but I already covered that.
Updated to add that I have been informed by Tom of TriedandTrue Armory, that the grip is not a leftover Christian Fletcher Grip. It was done by an Associate of Gus Trim whos name is Eric Blacksmith. My compliments to Eric on a fine job.
HANDLING AND CUTTING-
Expect no videos. My camera skills are rudimentary, and to be honest I don’t know how to take video with the camera I have, so there you go.
The 1326 is quite a unique animal in its handling.
Starting out, I was batting bottles around like a kid playing T ball. I then relaxed a bit and focused on what was going on when I came to these conclusions.
This blade, at least for me. Will not tolerate being limp wrested or handled delicately. It demands, and rewards, firm, positive control at all times. I had to firm my grip up a bit and pay more attention to how I rolled my wrist when cutting with it.
I believe that the broad profile of this blade also lends itself to the leading edge wanting to rise going into a cut. I can’t swear to it, but it almost seems to be acting like it generates lift much as an aircraft does.
Once the characteristics of the blade were figured out, no problems were apparent as long as I did my part. The tip even cut well once I figured out what I was doing wrong.
While this blade is not designed to perform in the thrust, it can be powered through a soft target. The blade body supports the tip very well, but due to its spatulate profile, it does not really shine as a thruster.
Updated to add-
My problems with edge alignment were due to the fact of how I was breaking my wrist when cutting, not due to the blade wanting to roll upwards as I first surmised above.
This sword, despite being light and agile is very deceiving in its handling. It wants to be firmly controlled and directed going into a cut. The way that I was breaking my wrist forward to snap the blade into the cut was allowing the front edge of the blade to rise slightly going in. The snapping technique is not necessary with this blade, nor is it desirable as far as I am concerned.
Once I got my technique diagnosed, and could keep the blade lined up correctly, this sword will cut with the tip as well as one could wish for. There was very little feedback through the blade when tip cuts were executed cleanly. When they were not executed cleanly, the 1326 lets you know right away with a vibration and a rebound from the target.
CONCLUSIONS-
Pros-
The 1326 rewards one who takes the time to figure out its characteristics
Triple fullers are dead sexy
Compact Hand and a Half that would be devastating in a melee
It’s an Angus trim sword
Cons-
One must take time to learn how to handle this sword
Mercenary Grade treatment may leave some unthrilled
Grip riser placement is not functional
Could intimidate those of weak constitution
Overall I am very pleased with this sword. I knew what I was getting into with it, and was already familiar with the Mercenary Grade treatment as applied to Angus Trim swords.
If one wants a compact sword that can deliver a hell of a punch, then this sword is right up your alley, assuming that you are willing to put in some work to learn its idiosyncrasies.
That is all.
I first developed an affinity and a lust in my heart for the 1326 upon viewing a sword christened ‘EGO MEMOR’ owned my SBG member ‘Enkidu’
For those unfamiliar with this sword, I encourage you to go to the member collections thread and view the goodness.
The Angus Trim line of swords until recently were available from Christian Fletcher and he offered the 1326 under his ‘design your own Atrim’ line. I was unable to swing the purchase of one at the time, and Christian relinquished the line to TriedandTrue Armory so as to focus on his custom work.
Once I saw the 1326 pop up on the TriedandTrue Armory inventory, I immediately sprang into action. Through some deft keyboard manipulation, and a prompt transfer of funds, I got one of my very own.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW-
The 1326 is an Oakeshott type XIII sword.
For those not familiar with the type XIII, or for those who are not familiar with the Oakeshott typology period, I recommend that you read this Spotlight Topic published on MyArmoury.com
www.myarmoury.com/feature_spotxiii.html
While the 1326 is not representative of any single example shown in the article, it does fit the general description of the physical characteristics displayed by the type.
The 1326 displays a bit more profile taper than is the norm for the type, judging from photos and descriptions, but in other aspects fits nicely into this classification.
DISCLOSURE-
I purchased this sword with my own funds from TriedandTrue Armory, and was afforded no discounts.
I am not sponsored, compensated, enabled, abeted, or cheered on by TriedandTrue Armory, and they could probably give a rats patootie whether I do a review or not.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS-
Ahhhhh, a stout little Hand and a Half with a backbone. Triple fullered goodness with a slashy cutty blade that has some heft behind it.
The grippy part of the blade. A simple chamfered disc pommel, and a guard that are both in a satin finish. Much preferred in my book to a super shiny polished look on the furniture. The duller finish lends a more business like aspect to the blades overall appearance
The triple fullers that set this model apart from other blades of this type.
You may notice that the ridges dividing the fullers vary in width along the length of the fullers. They slim down in the middle of the fullered section while being somewhat flared at the guard and towards the termination end. Whether done on purpose, or as an accident, I can not say, but the effect is somewhat pleasing as it lends a bit of flair to the fullers.
The fullers are left black as part of the Mercenary Grade treatment in order to keep labor costs down and provide a blade at a lower price point. They look good in black, and I wouldn’t have them any other way.
The termination of the fullers, and the profile of the blade body.
Readily apparent is the uneven termination of the blade fullers. I believe that this is due to the fullers being left rough and not polished out. When finishing out the blade to a higher polish it would be quite easy to even them up. Not a deal breaker for me, but some may take exception so be advised.
The blade body in the above photo appears to have a hexagonal profile, but such is not the case. What you are seeing is the blade section finished in facets working towards a lenticular cross section. Once again, if this blade was polished out to a higher degree, the faceting would not be apparent, and what you would have would be a true ovoid cross section.
The tip section, showing the broad tip designed for shearing cuts with the end of the blade.
Once again, there is a central ridge present that is very very slight. A higher dgree of polish would remove this entirely, but still leave the tip supported by a substantial cross section.
In hand, showing the fit of the guard to the blade. The guard fits tightly to the body of the blade over the fullers, but has a bit of excess space where the blade edges seat. The guard itself is tightly fit to the tang and exhibits no lateral play when the assembly is tightened. There is no guess work to centering the guard to the blade when reassembling.
In hand showing the grip and riser placement.
The riser is really superfluous where it is placed on the grip, as it does not serve as a positive indicator of hand placement.
I would have preferred it to rest between my middle and ring finger, or perhaps where the bottom of my pinky finger comes to rest.
Nicely done, but the placement seems odd.
The riser in the above photo is placed at 4-1/8 inch from the base of the guard to the top edge of the riser.
When choked up on the grip, it does not contact my hand outside of the heel of my palm when swung. When my grip is relaxed, not choked up clear to the guard, the riser does serve as a positive stop for my pinky finger.
I need to cut with the sword again using the riser as a positive stop for my pinky to render a decision as to how it affects the swords handling. The results will be posted here once accomplished.
Updated to comment on the grip riser placement-
Using a grip that does not choke my hand up on the guard, and using the riser as a positive stop for my pinky does work for me. It slightly affects the handling and feel of the blade in use, as in it adds a bit of difficulty in reversing the blade, but it does help in my edge alignment.
SPECS AND DETAILS-
Overall length- 40-3/8
Blade length- 30-7/8
Weight- 2lbs 11oz
Grip length- 7-¼
Guard width- 8-¼
Point of balance- 4-½ from front of guard
Center of Percussion- 19 inches from front of guard
Gus pulled another rabbit out on this one. The sweet spot on this sword extends from15-½ inches out to 23-½ inches. Assuming that I do my part, the blade exhibits very little feedback. It’s sweet!!!!
Blade width-
At guard 2-¼
Midblade 1-5/8
1” from tip 1-1/8
Blade thickness-
At guard .240
Midblade .145
1” from tip .095
Disassembly shot showing the components that come together to make the magic happen.
Evident is the substantial tang, and the radiused juncture of tang to blade shoulders. Also apparent is the radiused edges of the tang itself. Sharp edges create stress risers, and can lead to problems down the road with a possible tang failure. Not here though.
The 1326 I ordered came with recessed hex nut construction. While not historically accurate, it lends itself to easy take down for cleaning, or if one has an eye for customizing their sword.
Milled recesses in the pommel and guard for the blade tang. Cleanly done and tightly fit on both counts. The fittings exhibit no lateral play even before tightening them up. There is no guess work or finagling to line the furniture up on this sword.
Ye olde grippe.
This grip is exceptionally well done, and quite a pleasant surprise on a Mercenary Grade sword. I suspect that it is a leftover Christian Fletcher field grade grip from when he gave up doing the Atrim line. The seam is neat even and very unobtrusive.
My only problem with it is the riser placement, but I already covered that.
Updated to add that I have been informed by Tom of TriedandTrue Armory, that the grip is not a leftover Christian Fletcher Grip. It was done by an Associate of Gus Trim whos name is Eric Blacksmith. My compliments to Eric on a fine job.
HANDLING AND CUTTING-
Expect no videos. My camera skills are rudimentary, and to be honest I don’t know how to take video with the camera I have, so there you go.
The 1326 is quite a unique animal in its handling.
Starting out, I was batting bottles around like a kid playing T ball. I then relaxed a bit and focused on what was going on when I came to these conclusions.
This blade, at least for me. Will not tolerate being limp wrested or handled delicately. It demands, and rewards, firm, positive control at all times. I had to firm my grip up a bit and pay more attention to how I rolled my wrist when cutting with it.
I believe that the broad profile of this blade also lends itself to the leading edge wanting to rise going into a cut. I can’t swear to it, but it almost seems to be acting like it generates lift much as an aircraft does.
Once the characteristics of the blade were figured out, no problems were apparent as long as I did my part. The tip even cut well once I figured out what I was doing wrong.
While this blade is not designed to perform in the thrust, it can be powered through a soft target. The blade body supports the tip very well, but due to its spatulate profile, it does not really shine as a thruster.
Updated to add-
My problems with edge alignment were due to the fact of how I was breaking my wrist when cutting, not due to the blade wanting to roll upwards as I first surmised above.
This sword, despite being light and agile is very deceiving in its handling. It wants to be firmly controlled and directed going into a cut. The way that I was breaking my wrist forward to snap the blade into the cut was allowing the front edge of the blade to rise slightly going in. The snapping technique is not necessary with this blade, nor is it desirable as far as I am concerned.
Once I got my technique diagnosed, and could keep the blade lined up correctly, this sword will cut with the tip as well as one could wish for. There was very little feedback through the blade when tip cuts were executed cleanly. When they were not executed cleanly, the 1326 lets you know right away with a vibration and a rebound from the target.
CONCLUSIONS-
Pros-
The 1326 rewards one who takes the time to figure out its characteristics
Triple fullers are dead sexy
Compact Hand and a Half that would be devastating in a melee
It’s an Angus trim sword
Cons-
One must take time to learn how to handle this sword
Mercenary Grade treatment may leave some unthrilled
Grip riser placement is not functional
Could intimidate those of weak constitution
Overall I am very pleased with this sword. I knew what I was getting into with it, and was already familiar with the Mercenary Grade treatment as applied to Angus Trim swords.
If one wants a compact sword that can deliver a hell of a punch, then this sword is right up your alley, assuming that you are willing to put in some work to learn its idiosyncrasies.
That is all.