Kris Cutlery Teutonic Sword
Jun 2, 2011 21:46:35 GMT
Post by Curtis_Louis on Jun 2, 2011 21:46:35 GMT
Introduction
Hello fellow forum members. I spend quite a bit of time reading over the review section of this forum and decided to give it a "stab" myself.
This is the current version of the Kris Cutlery Teutonic sword as purchased from Kult of Athena. I purchased the sword over the counter at the Elgin, Illinois store. I paid $299 plus sales tax and got to smudge up just about every medieval sword Ryan had on display. I had every intention of purchasing a sword that day, but was not sure exactly what I wanted. I knew I wanted a sword for backyard cutting adventures, but I also wanted it to be lighter and more responsive than my two DSA cutters. I love my DSAs, but the sword bug was biting so I figured "go for it". I was pretty sure that I wanted a two handed sword or hand and a half, but I wasn't locked into anything in particular.
The Teutonic was one of the very first swords that caught my eye on my initial scan of the swords on display. I recognized the pommel from the pictures on the KoA site, but the grip and guard have been lengthened considerably giving the sword a more striking appearance in my opinion. After about an hour and a half, I committed to my relationship with the KCTeutonic. Of all the swords I handled (under $400) The Teutonic just felt right for me.
I took the sword home and handled it extensively. Every time I took a hard look at it, I became more and more impressed with the quality of this sword. The blade itself came from the factory "paper slicing" sharp. Although this version of the sword is meant to be a two handed sword, it feels equally fine in one hand because of its light weight and excellent balance.
Historical overview
This sword's historical "parent" is a 15th century English sword on display as part of the "Wallace Collection". From the photos I've seen of the original, this review sword does a decent job recreating its appearance now that the grip and guard have been extended. The original sword has a massive blade that is much longer than this KC depiction. Overall, not an exact replica but closer than some out there. I consider myself a novice sword admirer and at quick glance at the original, I can easily identify the KC as its intended "double".
Full Disclosure
I purchased this sword from KoA as stated above at their full sale price (no discount) plus tax. I don't have any pre conceived bias towards this sword. I will be using it for backyard cutting sessions, so as I become more experienced with the sword and the "newness" has worn off, the level of care taken to keep it unblemished will disappear just as it did with my other sword purchases. In other words, it was never intended to be a wall hanger or placed on display in my home.
Initial Impressions
Since I purchased this sword over the counter and got to handle it prior to the purchase, I have nothing to say about shipping experiences. However, Ryan and staff, at KoA were a pleasure to do business with. Everyone was extremely friendly and happy to answer all of my questions. I can highly recommend KoA and plan on doing more business with them in the future.
My initial impressions of the sword were mentioned above, but once again, I think this sword is indeed visually striking and sets itself apart from any of the other swords in this price range. It is also very quick in my hand and nicely balanced. I love the blued furnishings on this sword and believe that to be another factor that sets this sword apart from all others.
Statistics
Blade Length: 33"
Handle Length: 7 1/2" (Grip) 11 3/4' (With Pommel)
Overall Length: 45"
Guard Width: 10"
POB (Point of Balance): 3 3/4"
Components
The Blade: The blade is one of my favorite aspects of the sword. No fuller, polished, very sharp with no noticeable secondary bevel.
The Handle: Cord wrapped with some thin layer of coating (laquer maybe). Oval side profile with a slight taper towards the pommel. Extremely comfortable and sure gripping.
The Guard: The guard is 10" long and is highly polished, tapered then ending in balls. The center of the guard has a nipple that extends out towards the blade about a 1/2".
The Pommel: My absolute favorite part of the sword. Highly polished and blued, it is unique among swords of this price. The pommel has many complex angles and bevels and is smoothed out to provide a comfortable gripping area beyond the grip cord.
The Scabbard: Nothing special. All leather with two eyelets for attachment to a belt. It serves its intended purpose to protect the blade, but it is nothing more than that. An upgraded scabbard will be coming in the future for this blade.
Handling Characteristics
Please keep in mind that I have minimal sword handling experience. I can only compare this sword to my current collection of swords (DSA 100 Years Sword, DSA Claymore, Hanwei Celtic, and a sword built on a Hanwei medieval single hand replacement blade that has been shortened and peened to the pommel). I also purchased a Windlass Heron Mark sword that I don't intend to cut with just yet.
I am 6'1" and 220 lbs. In my hands, the sword feels considerably lighter than my 100 YWSand a feather-weight compared to the Claymore. I have no means of weighing any of my swords, but the KoA site says that the sword weight is 3 lbs 4 oz. (Keeping in mind that is with the short grip, so this one is probably slightly more). The sword certainly does not "feel" over 3 lbs. It balances so well that sometimes it actually seems to float. (I know that sounds hokey, but it is the best way I know to describe it).
My first two cuts were down right comical. I batted both of the water bottles about 10' from my stand and retrieved them unscathed. I'm glad nobody was watching. Third time is the charm however and the following cuts were all "good" and sliced through the bottles nicely. I think it is interesting to note that my first two failed cuts attest to the integrity of the blade and its tempering. I thought for sure that the second swing bent the blade based on the force I felt on contact with the bottle before it went sailing across the yard. I was afraid to look, but to my glee, the blade was unharmed and straight as an arrow. (No set thank goodness).
As usual, the twelve bottles that I had on hand for cutting were sliced in the blink of an eye. (Or so it seems. Several hundred bottles still wouldn't be enough). I would consider this sword to be an excellent cutter based on my very limited experience. It is as good, or better than my other swords and feels excellent in hand. (Both single and two handed).
I am planning an extended cutting session over the July 4 holiday weekend, so I will be able to add more cutting analysis as well as some photos later.
Conclusions
Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase. I would like to do a side by side comparison of the earlier versions with the shorter grip. I have seen three of the Kris Cutlery medieval swords first hand (Teutonic, Medieval War and Viking) and all three were very impressive swords. The quality for the money is outstanding. In fact, I would say not many come close for this price point when you consider the attention to detail of the fittings and the degree of sharpening this sword (and the other KC swords) displayed. Not to mention the handling characteristics if you do plan on cutting with this sword.
Pros
-excellent quality even compared to swords double the price.
-nice fit and finish overall.
-very good handling characteristics for a "larger" sword.
-excellent factory sharpening job.
Cons
-no leather wrap covering the cord grip. (could be a con for some).
-scabbard leaves much to be desired for such a well executed sword.
-the blade would have to be about 30" longer to be more "accurate" to the museum piece as well as more detailed work on the guard.
The Bottom Line
I would absolutely recommend this sword to someone looking for a nice visually appealing, well built and designed sword for cutting or displaying. The sword does cost slightly more than most of its intended competition, but keep in mind that there is no additional fee for sharpening because the factory edge is suitable for cutting right out of the box.
I plan on having lots of fun with this sword and upgrading the scabbard next.
Thanks for your time and patience on my first review. I hope it will be helpful.
Hello fellow forum members. I spend quite a bit of time reading over the review section of this forum and decided to give it a "stab" myself.
This is the current version of the Kris Cutlery Teutonic sword as purchased from Kult of Athena. I purchased the sword over the counter at the Elgin, Illinois store. I paid $299 plus sales tax and got to smudge up just about every medieval sword Ryan had on display. I had every intention of purchasing a sword that day, but was not sure exactly what I wanted. I knew I wanted a sword for backyard cutting adventures, but I also wanted it to be lighter and more responsive than my two DSA cutters. I love my DSAs, but the sword bug was biting so I figured "go for it". I was pretty sure that I wanted a two handed sword or hand and a half, but I wasn't locked into anything in particular.
The Teutonic was one of the very first swords that caught my eye on my initial scan of the swords on display. I recognized the pommel from the pictures on the KoA site, but the grip and guard have been lengthened considerably giving the sword a more striking appearance in my opinion. After about an hour and a half, I committed to my relationship with the KCTeutonic. Of all the swords I handled (under $400) The Teutonic just felt right for me.
I took the sword home and handled it extensively. Every time I took a hard look at it, I became more and more impressed with the quality of this sword. The blade itself came from the factory "paper slicing" sharp. Although this version of the sword is meant to be a two handed sword, it feels equally fine in one hand because of its light weight and excellent balance.
Historical overview
This sword's historical "parent" is a 15th century English sword on display as part of the "Wallace Collection". From the photos I've seen of the original, this review sword does a decent job recreating its appearance now that the grip and guard have been extended. The original sword has a massive blade that is much longer than this KC depiction. Overall, not an exact replica but closer than some out there. I consider myself a novice sword admirer and at quick glance at the original, I can easily identify the KC as its intended "double".
Full Disclosure
I purchased this sword from KoA as stated above at their full sale price (no discount) plus tax. I don't have any pre conceived bias towards this sword. I will be using it for backyard cutting sessions, so as I become more experienced with the sword and the "newness" has worn off, the level of care taken to keep it unblemished will disappear just as it did with my other sword purchases. In other words, it was never intended to be a wall hanger or placed on display in my home.
Initial Impressions
Since I purchased this sword over the counter and got to handle it prior to the purchase, I have nothing to say about shipping experiences. However, Ryan and staff, at KoA were a pleasure to do business with. Everyone was extremely friendly and happy to answer all of my questions. I can highly recommend KoA and plan on doing more business with them in the future.
My initial impressions of the sword were mentioned above, but once again, I think this sword is indeed visually striking and sets itself apart from any of the other swords in this price range. It is also very quick in my hand and nicely balanced. I love the blued furnishings on this sword and believe that to be another factor that sets this sword apart from all others.
Statistics
Blade Length: 33"
Handle Length: 7 1/2" (Grip) 11 3/4' (With Pommel)
Overall Length: 45"
Guard Width: 10"
POB (Point of Balance): 3 3/4"
Components
The Blade: The blade is one of my favorite aspects of the sword. No fuller, polished, very sharp with no noticeable secondary bevel.
The Handle: Cord wrapped with some thin layer of coating (laquer maybe). Oval side profile with a slight taper towards the pommel. Extremely comfortable and sure gripping.
The Guard: The guard is 10" long and is highly polished, tapered then ending in balls. The center of the guard has a nipple that extends out towards the blade about a 1/2".
The Pommel: My absolute favorite part of the sword. Highly polished and blued, it is unique among swords of this price. The pommel has many complex angles and bevels and is smoothed out to provide a comfortable gripping area beyond the grip cord.
The Scabbard: Nothing special. All leather with two eyelets for attachment to a belt. It serves its intended purpose to protect the blade, but it is nothing more than that. An upgraded scabbard will be coming in the future for this blade.
Handling Characteristics
Please keep in mind that I have minimal sword handling experience. I can only compare this sword to my current collection of swords (DSA 100 Years Sword, DSA Claymore, Hanwei Celtic, and a sword built on a Hanwei medieval single hand replacement blade that has been shortened and peened to the pommel). I also purchased a Windlass Heron Mark sword that I don't intend to cut with just yet.
I am 6'1" and 220 lbs. In my hands, the sword feels considerably lighter than my 100 YWSand a feather-weight compared to the Claymore. I have no means of weighing any of my swords, but the KoA site says that the sword weight is 3 lbs 4 oz. (Keeping in mind that is with the short grip, so this one is probably slightly more). The sword certainly does not "feel" over 3 lbs. It balances so well that sometimes it actually seems to float. (I know that sounds hokey, but it is the best way I know to describe it).
My first two cuts were down right comical. I batted both of the water bottles about 10' from my stand and retrieved them unscathed. I'm glad nobody was watching. Third time is the charm however and the following cuts were all "good" and sliced through the bottles nicely. I think it is interesting to note that my first two failed cuts attest to the integrity of the blade and its tempering. I thought for sure that the second swing bent the blade based on the force I felt on contact with the bottle before it went sailing across the yard. I was afraid to look, but to my glee, the blade was unharmed and straight as an arrow. (No set thank goodness).
As usual, the twelve bottles that I had on hand for cutting were sliced in the blink of an eye. (Or so it seems. Several hundred bottles still wouldn't be enough). I would consider this sword to be an excellent cutter based on my very limited experience. It is as good, or better than my other swords and feels excellent in hand. (Both single and two handed).
I am planning an extended cutting session over the July 4 holiday weekend, so I will be able to add more cutting analysis as well as some photos later.
Conclusions
Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase. I would like to do a side by side comparison of the earlier versions with the shorter grip. I have seen three of the Kris Cutlery medieval swords first hand (Teutonic, Medieval War and Viking) and all three were very impressive swords. The quality for the money is outstanding. In fact, I would say not many come close for this price point when you consider the attention to detail of the fittings and the degree of sharpening this sword (and the other KC swords) displayed. Not to mention the handling characteristics if you do plan on cutting with this sword.
Pros
-excellent quality even compared to swords double the price.
-nice fit and finish overall.
-very good handling characteristics for a "larger" sword.
-excellent factory sharpening job.
Cons
-no leather wrap covering the cord grip. (could be a con for some).
-scabbard leaves much to be desired for such a well executed sword.
-the blade would have to be about 30" longer to be more "accurate" to the museum piece as well as more detailed work on the guard.
The Bottom Line
I would absolutely recommend this sword to someone looking for a nice visually appealing, well built and designed sword for cutting or displaying. The sword does cost slightly more than most of its intended competition, but keep in mind that there is no additional fee for sharpening because the factory edge is suitable for cutting right out of the box.
I plan on having lots of fun with this sword and upgrading the scabbard next.
Thanks for your time and patience on my first review. I hope it will be helpful.