Review of the Hanwei German Main Gauche
Aug 5, 2011 7:11:05 GMT
Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2011 7:11:05 GMT
Hanwei German Main Gauche (SH2194)
Introduction
When I first saw this parrying dagger I thought it was an interesting piece. Even though it is more ornate than the weapons I usually collect, I decided to pick one up because of the unusual mechanism it employs in its' design and because it was a fairly accurate reproduction of an actual museum piece.
Historical overview
Trident daggers were a specialized type of parrying dagger (an off-hand dagger used with a rapier or small sword). The blade is made into three parts, the central blade and two side blades. When activated the side blades spring outwards to aid in trapping the opponents blade more securely.
This is a reproduction of a dagger found in the Dresden Historical Museum. Even though Hanwei has named it the German Main Gauche the historical dagger this is reproduced from is Italian. The original dagger was made in approximately 1585 and was a gift from Herzogs Vinzenz the first from Mantua to Kurfuersten Christain the first from Saxony. The original weighed 15.5 ounces and is 17.3 inches long, with a blade length of 12.2 inches and width of .98 inches.
There is a Spotlight Article, Combination Weapons, on myArmoury.com that shows the actual museum piece. It can be seen under the edged weapons category, eigth picture down.
www.myarmoury.com/feature_spot_combo.html
Full Disclosure
I have no connection to either Hanwei or Wholesale Knives and Swords. I received no incentive to review this dagger. Admittedly my experience with this type of dagger is limited, but I do have a lot of other types of edged weapons and am fairly knowledgeable about them. So I believe I'm qualified enough to review this piece accurately.
Initial Impressions
I found this for sale on eBay from Wholesale Knives and Swords stores.ebay.com/wholesaleknivesandswords
The seller was a pleasure to deal with and kept in contact with me through the transaction. Highly recommended.
Shipped from Canada, it arrived from the retailer in about ten days. The box was very nicely wrapped in brown paper and was undamaged.
When first handling it my impression was that it was an attractive and sturdy piece.
Statistics
Overall length: 17 3/4"
Blade length: 12 3/4"
Blade width at the ricasso: 1 1/16"
Blade width at the at the side blade tips: 5/8"
Blade width one inch from the tip: 5/16"
Blade thickness at the ricasso: 11/32"
Blade thickness at the side blade tips: 13/64"
Blade thickness one inch from the tip: 1/8"
Handle length (top of the guard to the top of the pommel): 4 1/16"
Guard width: 3 1/2"
Point of balance (from the bottom of the guard): 1 3/4"
Weight: 1lb 6oz (advertised weight)
The blade cross sectional shape is a flattened hexagon from the bottom of the ricasso to one inch before the side blade tips, then diamond shaped to the tip.
Components
The Blade
The blade has a nice even satin finish. It is very rigid and strong just as you would expect a dagger to be. The side blades line up very nicely with the central blade. This is due in part to the strong pivot points on the hinge and to the addition of alignment pins located at both sides of the central blade. The pins engage with holes located in the side blades. Since this is a parrying dagger the edges are not sharp and the edge thickness ranges from 3/32" at the bottom of the ricasso to 3/64" at the side blade tips.
The grip/pommel
The grip and pommel appear to be one solid piece of metal. The metal is non magnetic so it isn't made from carbon steel. Hanwei describes it as steel so my guess is stainless steel. The handle is decorated nicely to look like the original. A pommel nut is used to hold it on the tang. It isn't a very functional grip (the steel is kind of slick), but it isn't uncomfortable either. It feels a little to small in girth to get a good grip.
The Guard
The guard is finished in the same style and metal as the handle. It feels very tight and I can't get it to move at all. Of course I haven't used it to parry any sword blows, but since blade appears to fit the guard pretty well (no large gaps) I don't expect it to loosen. There is also a single side ring on the front of the guard that feels quite strong. The only criticism I have is that one quillions is about 1/16" closer to the ricasso than the other. It isn't very noticeable though.
The Scabbard
The scabbard appears to be made from a synthetic material covered in leather. The stitching is on the backside and is even and well done. The locket and chape are non magnetic metal, probably stainless steel. The locket is decorated on the front and back with the same images on the end of the quillions, nice touch. The locket also has a cutout to clear the release button. It is lined with leather to prevent the blade from getting scratched. The blade fits snugly in the scabbard, not to tight, but tight enough so when the scabbard is inverted the dagger doesn't fall out. Overall Hanwei did a nice job.
The Release Switch/Mechanism
Now the fun part. The side blades are released by pulling back on a rounded button on the back of the ricasso. The tension is enough so that it is unlikely that the side blades would inadvertently be released, but still easy enough to allow quickly releasing the side blades. The pivots on the side blades are very well made and there is very little play in them. The blades are put back in the locked position by simply pushing them towards the central blade until they snap into place. The mechanism is well made.
Handling Characteristics
Not really much to say about the handling except it feels like a dagger. I like the fact that it feels a little blade heavy. This should aid in deflecting blows from a sword.
Conclusions
This parrying dagger is well made and strong enough to be used for its' intended purpose. I can't imagine the original being any stronger. How useful a trident dagger would be in a sword fight is hard to say. I suspect that in reality it isn't that useful. It is however an historically accurate weapon that would make an interesting addition to any collection.
Pros
Historically accurate.
Strong blade and mechanism
Nice finish on the blade
Hilt is solid and nicely detailed
Scabbard looks good and fits the blade properly
Good value for the price
Cons
Quillions aren't equidistant from the ricasso
The Bottom Line
I recommend this to anyone interested in unusual weaponry.
The price was only $59.99 which is a great deal considering the list price is $229.00.
I believe this piece has been discontinued (or out of stock, not sure which) by Hanwei so keep this in mind if you are considering purchasing one.
Introduction
When I first saw this parrying dagger I thought it was an interesting piece. Even though it is more ornate than the weapons I usually collect, I decided to pick one up because of the unusual mechanism it employs in its' design and because it was a fairly accurate reproduction of an actual museum piece.
Historical overview
Trident daggers were a specialized type of parrying dagger (an off-hand dagger used with a rapier or small sword). The blade is made into three parts, the central blade and two side blades. When activated the side blades spring outwards to aid in trapping the opponents blade more securely.
This is a reproduction of a dagger found in the Dresden Historical Museum. Even though Hanwei has named it the German Main Gauche the historical dagger this is reproduced from is Italian. The original dagger was made in approximately 1585 and was a gift from Herzogs Vinzenz the first from Mantua to Kurfuersten Christain the first from Saxony. The original weighed 15.5 ounces and is 17.3 inches long, with a blade length of 12.2 inches and width of .98 inches.
There is a Spotlight Article, Combination Weapons, on myArmoury.com that shows the actual museum piece. It can be seen under the edged weapons category, eigth picture down.
www.myarmoury.com/feature_spot_combo.html
Full Disclosure
I have no connection to either Hanwei or Wholesale Knives and Swords. I received no incentive to review this dagger. Admittedly my experience with this type of dagger is limited, but I do have a lot of other types of edged weapons and am fairly knowledgeable about them. So I believe I'm qualified enough to review this piece accurately.
Initial Impressions
I found this for sale on eBay from Wholesale Knives and Swords stores.ebay.com/wholesaleknivesandswords
The seller was a pleasure to deal with and kept in contact with me through the transaction. Highly recommended.
Shipped from Canada, it arrived from the retailer in about ten days. The box was very nicely wrapped in brown paper and was undamaged.
When first handling it my impression was that it was an attractive and sturdy piece.
Statistics
Overall length: 17 3/4"
Blade length: 12 3/4"
Blade width at the ricasso: 1 1/16"
Blade width at the at the side blade tips: 5/8"
Blade width one inch from the tip: 5/16"
Blade thickness at the ricasso: 11/32"
Blade thickness at the side blade tips: 13/64"
Blade thickness one inch from the tip: 1/8"
Handle length (top of the guard to the top of the pommel): 4 1/16"
Guard width: 3 1/2"
Point of balance (from the bottom of the guard): 1 3/4"
Weight: 1lb 6oz (advertised weight)
The blade cross sectional shape is a flattened hexagon from the bottom of the ricasso to one inch before the side blade tips, then diamond shaped to the tip.
Components
The Blade
The blade has a nice even satin finish. It is very rigid and strong just as you would expect a dagger to be. The side blades line up very nicely with the central blade. This is due in part to the strong pivot points on the hinge and to the addition of alignment pins located at both sides of the central blade. The pins engage with holes located in the side blades. Since this is a parrying dagger the edges are not sharp and the edge thickness ranges from 3/32" at the bottom of the ricasso to 3/64" at the side blade tips.
The grip/pommel
The grip and pommel appear to be one solid piece of metal. The metal is non magnetic so it isn't made from carbon steel. Hanwei describes it as steel so my guess is stainless steel. The handle is decorated nicely to look like the original. A pommel nut is used to hold it on the tang. It isn't a very functional grip (the steel is kind of slick), but it isn't uncomfortable either. It feels a little to small in girth to get a good grip.
The Guard
The guard is finished in the same style and metal as the handle. It feels very tight and I can't get it to move at all. Of course I haven't used it to parry any sword blows, but since blade appears to fit the guard pretty well (no large gaps) I don't expect it to loosen. There is also a single side ring on the front of the guard that feels quite strong. The only criticism I have is that one quillions is about 1/16" closer to the ricasso than the other. It isn't very noticeable though.
The Scabbard
The scabbard appears to be made from a synthetic material covered in leather. The stitching is on the backside and is even and well done. The locket and chape are non magnetic metal, probably stainless steel. The locket is decorated on the front and back with the same images on the end of the quillions, nice touch. The locket also has a cutout to clear the release button. It is lined with leather to prevent the blade from getting scratched. The blade fits snugly in the scabbard, not to tight, but tight enough so when the scabbard is inverted the dagger doesn't fall out. Overall Hanwei did a nice job.
The Release Switch/Mechanism
Now the fun part. The side blades are released by pulling back on a rounded button on the back of the ricasso. The tension is enough so that it is unlikely that the side blades would inadvertently be released, but still easy enough to allow quickly releasing the side blades. The pivots on the side blades are very well made and there is very little play in them. The blades are put back in the locked position by simply pushing them towards the central blade until they snap into place. The mechanism is well made.
Handling Characteristics
Not really much to say about the handling except it feels like a dagger. I like the fact that it feels a little blade heavy. This should aid in deflecting blows from a sword.
Conclusions
This parrying dagger is well made and strong enough to be used for its' intended purpose. I can't imagine the original being any stronger. How useful a trident dagger would be in a sword fight is hard to say. I suspect that in reality it isn't that useful. It is however an historically accurate weapon that would make an interesting addition to any collection.
Pros
Historically accurate.
Strong blade and mechanism
Nice finish on the blade
Hilt is solid and nicely detailed
Scabbard looks good and fits the blade properly
Good value for the price
Cons
Quillions aren't equidistant from the ricasso
The Bottom Line
I recommend this to anyone interested in unusual weaponry.
The price was only $59.99 which is a great deal considering the list price is $229.00.
I believe this piece has been discontinued (or out of stock, not sure which) by Hanwei so keep this in mind if you are considering purchasing one.