Angus Trim Tac-Brutus review
Apr 29, 2011 18:10:03 GMT
Post by f.m. on Apr 29, 2011 18:10:03 GMT
Introduction
The Atrim Tac-Brutus is a gladius style sword in a “tactical” format. I ordered it from Tried and True Armory about a week ago, and it arrived today. I liked the idea of a massive sturdy tang on an equally solid gladius blade..there's a deadly elegance about ancient designs like the gladius, and it's a very good fighting pattern, great little cutter and thruster. The modern steel construction/proportions only improves these qualities.
Historical overview
The Gladius design is based off of celt and iberian region bronze short swords. Some were straight and some were leaf-bladed, and these double edged weapons were adopted by the roman empire where they rose to the level of fame and popularity previously unheard of in a sword. This style of sword, along with good battle formations, spears, and shields, was the sidearm that conquered half the known world, so it's a combat proven design of bladed sidearm to say the least. I think this is why it appeals to me the most.
Full Disclosure
I have no connections with T&TA, Tom, or Hiroshi but I am very grateful they got together and started this. US made genuine angus trim blades for $300-400 were previously unheard of, and truly you're getting a ton of sword for the money-regarless of what you get from there. Heck, you can now get the real thing for the same price as the valiant armory made signature series, I think that says a lot about what this does for the sword community!
Initial Impressions
It came packaged not in a cardboard box, but wrapped in a piece of cardboard tightly and taped. This is an ok system and saves some bulk. The first thing I noticed is the thickness of the blade along the hilt and spine..one word..BEAST. I'll go into this futher later. The edge to be perfectly honest leaves a little to be desired, but that's not to say most people would be happy with it. Think like a high quality machete, just enough to cut paper cleanly, with good consistency. The fit and finish wasn't bad, but it needed more grease for shipping because the guard/pommel area were a little rusty. Nothing a little 300 grit sandpaper and 5 minutes didn't fix though. It has a fairly even matte finish, but it had a few little scratches here and there..this might have been a “floor model” i.e. the one tom cut with in the review video? Not sure but the edge isn't damaged at all, i'll get into the steel/heat treat later.
Statistics
machined out of ¼ inch 5160 bar stock it appears, marquenched and tempered to around 53-55 hrc at the edge..i can already tell this is a hard, tough, edge retentive blade.
Blade/Nagasa Length: 18.5 inches..feels long and short at the same time, but averages out into good
Handle/Tsuka Length: about 4.5 of grippable area, with a cut out guard and “pommel”.
Overall Length:about 24 inches
Guard/Tsuba Width:about 2.75-3 inches, very “tactical” look and feel” here especially.
POB (Point of Balance): about 3 inches out, with a wonderful level of blade presence.
COP (Center of Percussion): as seen in Tom's video, the sword doesn't have any truly bouncy/wiggly places..it has a very solid feel in the swing compared to the small amount of flex you feel in an arming sword. This might be because it really doesn't flex or vibrate much at all
Weight:1.5 lbs, this is beautiful for this style of sword. It's enough to where you feel like you have a solid cutter in your hand, but it changes direction with almost no resistance and has deceptively good point control. You can get a scary amount of blade velocity up given all this though, and it whistles a short beautiful tune to reward edge alignment and a loud whoosh to gently remind you if it's wrong. The wide blade actually seems to aid you here.
Components
thick ¼ inch spine almost all the way down, gladius shaped blade but nice thin diamond cutting geometry, gentle consistent secondary bevel that arrived just sharp enough to cut paper. Came with a paracord wrap on the handle, the wrap was very tight and consistent but i'll get someone to put some exotic wood or micarta scales and set screws on it at some point in the next couple years. The handle actually came with 3 perfect holes in it for that very purpose.
The Blade/Nagasa
again, it's a gladius with a nice diamond cross section that will cut very well once I touch up the edge and bring it up to 1200 grit, pop the hair off, cut unsupported paper sharp it also is what I can only describe as a scary good stabber, it has excellent point control and the stiff blade and semi-spatualte yet pointy tip stab a very brutal wide track in it's target with little effort.
The Handle/Tsuka
it comes wrapped with a paracord wrap, which actually offers a pretty nice utilitarin grip. Feels totally different from a leather or wood grip but not in a bad way.
The Guard/Tsuba
cut out of the bar stock and left at its full ¼ inch, the pics of it do most of the talking..it feels exactly the way it looks.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
again, a somewhat refined shape cut out of the stock and left nice and meaty. It has a very small bevel ground into the edges to keep it from cutting into your skin..but i'd like it more rounded or beveled off for a little more comfort and fit/finished look. which I will improve, probably before I send it off when the mood strikes me to get a very nice scale grip set. Maybe some exotic wood or micarta, with set screws like a high end RAT, TOPS, etc tactical piece.
The Scabbard/Saya
It did not come with a scabbard, so I made a knife block style one out of poplar myself with belt loop.
Handling Characteristics
so because of the proportions of the hilt area and the thickness of the blade, it handles imho exactly like it should..it has a good amount of momentum through the cut and the 1 ½ lb weight means you can make up the blade velocity and recovery rate in your handling. As you can see in Tom's video, it will cut tatami, which means it is an impressive cutter anyway, let alone for a gladius sized blade. It annihilates water bottles and can nearly STAB a half liter one IN HALF(something I loved doing with my windlass spartan sword back in the day) Like I said, a combat proven, deadly sidearm to say the least.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
Again, this sword has that “i'm a solid, durable cutter that loves to be picked up and used” feel to the max. I can see why short, wide, double edged swords are common in military history, especially against lightly armored opponents where you need to go in fast and get the cutting and stabbing job done efficiently. Here's some assorted targets getting breezed through. I'm having similar experiences with water bottles, newspaper, and small green vines.
Conclusions
So, to be perfectly honest the level of fit and finish(the paracord wrap, slight rust, edge quality, the grit and consistency of the grind and bevelings, etc) do leave a little to be desired..this feels very utilitarian like say, a high quality machete. However, with the $400 price tag an additional few minutes on the sander for a finer, more even finish would go a long way..as for the grip, since the mercenary grade euros have grips and fittings, it'd be awesome to see some wood or micarta grips coming at least optional on these, I think it would really “make” these tacticl swords. However, the one thing that remains that makes this worthy of the title “$400 angus trim tactical-gladius” is the quality of the steel, and quality of the heat treatment..this is one hard, tough sword and will gladly take any non-abusive target you throw at it without having to worry about babying the edge along.
Pros
- again, amazing steel and heat treatment.
- good proportions, good weight, very “handy”, begs to be picked up, swung, and thrust feel. Excellent momentum, presence, and blade velocity.
-looks intimidating, feels like a quality weapon the minute you pick it up.
Cons
- edge could have been sharper
- fit and finish overall could have used literally 10 more minutes or so of attention to bring it up to “sword” quality. I can do it myself no problem though.
- needs more oil on it for shipping/storage, it got to me with some rust on it.
-not a big issue, but would LOVE to see some actual grip scales as an option.
The Bottom Line
so, if I traveled back in time and had it to do again, would I do it again? In a word, yes, but only based on the piece of steel I was getting. For the fit and finish, cord wrap, and sharpness, $400 could have seen a little improvement but i'm being nitpicky for the people who aren't willing or unable to sand, polish, and sharpen a blade themselves. As it stands now, I would recommend one of these to anyone who likes gladii, and wants one that ..rambo would be proud to have if he liked gladii lol. Tough, simple(even if it had real grips) and great as a blade..like I said, i'm being a little picky but the fit and finish is the only thing that left some to be desired for me.
The Atrim Tac-Brutus is a gladius style sword in a “tactical” format. I ordered it from Tried and True Armory about a week ago, and it arrived today. I liked the idea of a massive sturdy tang on an equally solid gladius blade..there's a deadly elegance about ancient designs like the gladius, and it's a very good fighting pattern, great little cutter and thruster. The modern steel construction/proportions only improves these qualities.
Historical overview
The Gladius design is based off of celt and iberian region bronze short swords. Some were straight and some were leaf-bladed, and these double edged weapons were adopted by the roman empire where they rose to the level of fame and popularity previously unheard of in a sword. This style of sword, along with good battle formations, spears, and shields, was the sidearm that conquered half the known world, so it's a combat proven design of bladed sidearm to say the least. I think this is why it appeals to me the most.
Full Disclosure
I have no connections with T&TA, Tom, or Hiroshi but I am very grateful they got together and started this. US made genuine angus trim blades for $300-400 were previously unheard of, and truly you're getting a ton of sword for the money-regarless of what you get from there. Heck, you can now get the real thing for the same price as the valiant armory made signature series, I think that says a lot about what this does for the sword community!
Initial Impressions
It came packaged not in a cardboard box, but wrapped in a piece of cardboard tightly and taped. This is an ok system and saves some bulk. The first thing I noticed is the thickness of the blade along the hilt and spine..one word..BEAST. I'll go into this futher later. The edge to be perfectly honest leaves a little to be desired, but that's not to say most people would be happy with it. Think like a high quality machete, just enough to cut paper cleanly, with good consistency. The fit and finish wasn't bad, but it needed more grease for shipping because the guard/pommel area were a little rusty. Nothing a little 300 grit sandpaper and 5 minutes didn't fix though. It has a fairly even matte finish, but it had a few little scratches here and there..this might have been a “floor model” i.e. the one tom cut with in the review video? Not sure but the edge isn't damaged at all, i'll get into the steel/heat treat later.
Statistics
machined out of ¼ inch 5160 bar stock it appears, marquenched and tempered to around 53-55 hrc at the edge..i can already tell this is a hard, tough, edge retentive blade.
Blade/Nagasa Length: 18.5 inches..feels long and short at the same time, but averages out into good
Handle/Tsuka Length: about 4.5 of grippable area, with a cut out guard and “pommel”.
Overall Length:about 24 inches
Guard/Tsuba Width:about 2.75-3 inches, very “tactical” look and feel” here especially.
POB (Point of Balance): about 3 inches out, with a wonderful level of blade presence.
COP (Center of Percussion): as seen in Tom's video, the sword doesn't have any truly bouncy/wiggly places..it has a very solid feel in the swing compared to the small amount of flex you feel in an arming sword. This might be because it really doesn't flex or vibrate much at all
Weight:1.5 lbs, this is beautiful for this style of sword. It's enough to where you feel like you have a solid cutter in your hand, but it changes direction with almost no resistance and has deceptively good point control. You can get a scary amount of blade velocity up given all this though, and it whistles a short beautiful tune to reward edge alignment and a loud whoosh to gently remind you if it's wrong. The wide blade actually seems to aid you here.
Components
thick ¼ inch spine almost all the way down, gladius shaped blade but nice thin diamond cutting geometry, gentle consistent secondary bevel that arrived just sharp enough to cut paper. Came with a paracord wrap on the handle, the wrap was very tight and consistent but i'll get someone to put some exotic wood or micarta scales and set screws on it at some point in the next couple years. The handle actually came with 3 perfect holes in it for that very purpose.
The Blade/Nagasa
again, it's a gladius with a nice diamond cross section that will cut very well once I touch up the edge and bring it up to 1200 grit, pop the hair off, cut unsupported paper sharp it also is what I can only describe as a scary good stabber, it has excellent point control and the stiff blade and semi-spatualte yet pointy tip stab a very brutal wide track in it's target with little effort.
The Handle/Tsuka
it comes wrapped with a paracord wrap, which actually offers a pretty nice utilitarin grip. Feels totally different from a leather or wood grip but not in a bad way.
The Guard/Tsuba
cut out of the bar stock and left at its full ¼ inch, the pics of it do most of the talking..it feels exactly the way it looks.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
again, a somewhat refined shape cut out of the stock and left nice and meaty. It has a very small bevel ground into the edges to keep it from cutting into your skin..but i'd like it more rounded or beveled off for a little more comfort and fit/finished look. which I will improve, probably before I send it off when the mood strikes me to get a very nice scale grip set. Maybe some exotic wood or micarta, with set screws like a high end RAT, TOPS, etc tactical piece.
The Scabbard/Saya
It did not come with a scabbard, so I made a knife block style one out of poplar myself with belt loop.
Handling Characteristics
so because of the proportions of the hilt area and the thickness of the blade, it handles imho exactly like it should..it has a good amount of momentum through the cut and the 1 ½ lb weight means you can make up the blade velocity and recovery rate in your handling. As you can see in Tom's video, it will cut tatami, which means it is an impressive cutter anyway, let alone for a gladius sized blade. It annihilates water bottles and can nearly STAB a half liter one IN HALF(something I loved doing with my windlass spartan sword back in the day) Like I said, a combat proven, deadly sidearm to say the least.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
Again, this sword has that “i'm a solid, durable cutter that loves to be picked up and used” feel to the max. I can see why short, wide, double edged swords are common in military history, especially against lightly armored opponents where you need to go in fast and get the cutting and stabbing job done efficiently. Here's some assorted targets getting breezed through. I'm having similar experiences with water bottles, newspaper, and small green vines.
Conclusions
So, to be perfectly honest the level of fit and finish(the paracord wrap, slight rust, edge quality, the grit and consistency of the grind and bevelings, etc) do leave a little to be desired..this feels very utilitarian like say, a high quality machete. However, with the $400 price tag an additional few minutes on the sander for a finer, more even finish would go a long way..as for the grip, since the mercenary grade euros have grips and fittings, it'd be awesome to see some wood or micarta grips coming at least optional on these, I think it would really “make” these tacticl swords. However, the one thing that remains that makes this worthy of the title “$400 angus trim tactical-gladius” is the quality of the steel, and quality of the heat treatment..this is one hard, tough sword and will gladly take any non-abusive target you throw at it without having to worry about babying the edge along.
Pros
- again, amazing steel and heat treatment.
- good proportions, good weight, very “handy”, begs to be picked up, swung, and thrust feel. Excellent momentum, presence, and blade velocity.
-looks intimidating, feels like a quality weapon the minute you pick it up.
Cons
- edge could have been sharper
- fit and finish overall could have used literally 10 more minutes or so of attention to bring it up to “sword” quality. I can do it myself no problem though.
- needs more oil on it for shipping/storage, it got to me with some rust on it.
-not a big issue, but would LOVE to see some actual grip scales as an option.
The Bottom Line
so, if I traveled back in time and had it to do again, would I do it again? In a word, yes, but only based on the piece of steel I was getting. For the fit and finish, cord wrap, and sharpness, $400 could have seen a little improvement but i'm being nitpicky for the people who aren't willing or unable to sand, polish, and sharpen a blade themselves. As it stands now, I would recommend one of these to anyone who likes gladii, and wants one that ..rambo would be proud to have if he liked gladii lol. Tough, simple(even if it had real grips) and great as a blade..like I said, i'm being a little picky but the fit and finish is the only thing that left some to be desired for me.