Empire Costume Vendemiaire An XII
Oct 10, 2011 18:24:31 GMT
Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2011 18:24:31 GMT
Today on the 10th of october not only do I ''celebrate'' my birthday but I also get to submit you my very first review.
I bought a couple of swords from Empire-Costume & thought you might like some feedback of their products. I will cover one of their An XII Staff Officer sword. Enjoy!
Introduction
The Napoleonic Wars are one of my favorite eras in History and pretty much everything related to swords and sabers from that time fascinates me. I had the chance and opportunity to handle several swords made by Weapon Edge, Windlass and Cold Steel but somehow something was lacking when compared to authentic models and thus neither of them satisfied me. When I saw the ‘’New Wave’’ of swords from Empire Costume and their new line of blades I really wanted to test their quality and see if I could handle a more accurate Napoleonic reproduction.
Disclaimer
Empire/Antik Costume is a French based company that makes and sells various items for re-enactment (mainly French stuff): aside from swords, you can buy uniforms, books, pins, accessories and clothing. From what I have heard this company doesn’t make the swords they sell but it seems they have special contracts with sword makers around the world (I think mainly in India). As such they have to order more blades or swords from these makers and until they announce it on their website, you cannot order them directly.
One must not be confused with yet another French sword seller, Armae, which happens to offer similar swords but with some different features and at a cheaper price. I can’t say if the quality of their swords is the same as with Empire.
Last thing but very important is the modification I made with the blade which has been ‘’upgraded’’ with a blued blade as to give it a more pertinent look. The swords sold by Empire Costume are not blued.
Historical overview
The pattern of the general officer’s sabre under the Empire was subject to the regulations of 1st Vendémiaire, An XII (24 September 1803). These swords were mainly used by high ranked officers of the French Revolutionary and then Imperial armies (staff officers, adjudants-commandants and generals). As such they were very lavishly decorated and were subject to personal modification.
The An XII design however remains similar in its form, closely resembling the hussars & infantry officer swords with its knuckle bow hand guard. In general, its mountings of bronze-gilt were made of a single knuckle-bow forming a cross-piece and rejoined to the pommel by a palm-leaf molding, framed and pierced right through. A rectangular shoulder bore a trophy and, below, two half langets in shield form bore flower motifs or Medusa heads. The hilt was often of ebony cut into scales.
more pics: ww2.ru/eng/store/element.php?SEC ... T_ID=45801
Initial Impressions
I was surprisingly amazed when I got this out of the box. The sword itself was well packed and just as beautiful as the pictures in the website but when I took it out of the scabbard I immediately knew I was holding something superior to other reproductions.
Statistics
Blade Length: 33 ½ inches
Handle Length: 5 ½ inches
Overall Length: 41 inches
POB (Point of Balance): 9 inches
Weight: with scabbard it is close to 3 pounds, without scabbard it’s weight is closer to 1.7 to maybe 1.5 pounds. I don’t have a good balance so I can only say what I feel is the weight of the sword.
Components
The Blade
Empire Costume said that their new swords are much more practical for fencing due to the fact that their blades are lighter and flexible. In some ways it is true, the blade bends easily without being too whippy (it still is but to a lesser extent) and allows for a better handling control. The looks of it are very close to what it should be, if not a bit wider than an original. This one is not sharpened nor did I ask if they offer sharpening service so I will skip the cutting test.
There are engravings on both sides of it, depicting the usual motifs of flowers, flags and drums.
What I like about these engravings is that they are simple and do not take too much space in the blade.
The Handle
Checkered black plastic (resin or Bakelite) handle as opposed to ebony handles on originals. Wasn’t too impressed here, feels kind of cheap but then again I prefer that over leather.
The Guard
Following the regulations, this model has the correct rectangular shoulder which bears a trophy scene of helmets + generic stuff and two half langets in shield form with flowers.
The Scabbard
Darkened steel scabbard with brass and with three brass fittings: two bands decorated with military decorations of helmets and swords and the long toe (lyre shaped boutrolle) with leaf ornaments.
One thing I really did not like was the lack of scabbard chape. As a result, it gets hard to sheath back the blade, because it kind of jams near the end and you have to push to get it completely inside the scabbard. This is the major letdown.
Handling Characteristics
This is where it gets high marks. The fact that the blade is lighter and more flexible allows it to handle easily without breaking one’s wrist. Thrusting is no problem and quick slashing and return doesn’t take much effort either. It is lighter and easier to wield than any Cold Steel or Windlass by 50% although it is not perfect as it remains heavier than an original period sword.
Conclusions
I do not regret buying this sword despite the costly fees to ship overseas and the waiting time (around 1 month). Finding an original is pretty hard & getting one at good price (less than 4000$) is a lot harder so here we are offered with a nice piece at a fraction of the price. It is by no means perfect but you get something that is attractive and very efficient for fencing. With the right corrections, this could definitely be one of the best swords in the market for Napoleonics.
Pros
- Historically accurate
- Superior weight & handling
- Beautiful & flexible blade
Cons
- Difficulty when sheathing back. They ought to remodel the scabbard throat and add a chappe
-Expensive for overseas buyer
I bought a couple of swords from Empire-Costume & thought you might like some feedback of their products. I will cover one of their An XII Staff Officer sword. Enjoy!
Introduction
The Napoleonic Wars are one of my favorite eras in History and pretty much everything related to swords and sabers from that time fascinates me. I had the chance and opportunity to handle several swords made by Weapon Edge, Windlass and Cold Steel but somehow something was lacking when compared to authentic models and thus neither of them satisfied me. When I saw the ‘’New Wave’’ of swords from Empire Costume and their new line of blades I really wanted to test their quality and see if I could handle a more accurate Napoleonic reproduction.
Disclaimer
Empire/Antik Costume is a French based company that makes and sells various items for re-enactment (mainly French stuff): aside from swords, you can buy uniforms, books, pins, accessories and clothing. From what I have heard this company doesn’t make the swords they sell but it seems they have special contracts with sword makers around the world (I think mainly in India). As such they have to order more blades or swords from these makers and until they announce it on their website, you cannot order them directly.
One must not be confused with yet another French sword seller, Armae, which happens to offer similar swords but with some different features and at a cheaper price. I can’t say if the quality of their swords is the same as with Empire.
Last thing but very important is the modification I made with the blade which has been ‘’upgraded’’ with a blued blade as to give it a more pertinent look. The swords sold by Empire Costume are not blued.
Historical overview
The pattern of the general officer’s sabre under the Empire was subject to the regulations of 1st Vendémiaire, An XII (24 September 1803). These swords were mainly used by high ranked officers of the French Revolutionary and then Imperial armies (staff officers, adjudants-commandants and generals). As such they were very lavishly decorated and were subject to personal modification.
The An XII design however remains similar in its form, closely resembling the hussars & infantry officer swords with its knuckle bow hand guard. In general, its mountings of bronze-gilt were made of a single knuckle-bow forming a cross-piece and rejoined to the pommel by a palm-leaf molding, framed and pierced right through. A rectangular shoulder bore a trophy and, below, two half langets in shield form bore flower motifs or Medusa heads. The hilt was often of ebony cut into scales.
more pics: ww2.ru/eng/store/element.php?SEC ... T_ID=45801
Initial Impressions
I was surprisingly amazed when I got this out of the box. The sword itself was well packed and just as beautiful as the pictures in the website but when I took it out of the scabbard I immediately knew I was holding something superior to other reproductions.
Statistics
Blade Length: 33 ½ inches
Handle Length: 5 ½ inches
Overall Length: 41 inches
POB (Point of Balance): 9 inches
Weight: with scabbard it is close to 3 pounds, without scabbard it’s weight is closer to 1.7 to maybe 1.5 pounds. I don’t have a good balance so I can only say what I feel is the weight of the sword.
Components
The Blade
Empire Costume said that their new swords are much more practical for fencing due to the fact that their blades are lighter and flexible. In some ways it is true, the blade bends easily without being too whippy (it still is but to a lesser extent) and allows for a better handling control. The looks of it are very close to what it should be, if not a bit wider than an original. This one is not sharpened nor did I ask if they offer sharpening service so I will skip the cutting test.
There are engravings on both sides of it, depicting the usual motifs of flowers, flags and drums.
What I like about these engravings is that they are simple and do not take too much space in the blade.
The Handle
Checkered black plastic (resin or Bakelite) handle as opposed to ebony handles on originals. Wasn’t too impressed here, feels kind of cheap but then again I prefer that over leather.
The Guard
Following the regulations, this model has the correct rectangular shoulder which bears a trophy scene of helmets + generic stuff and two half langets in shield form with flowers.
The Scabbard
Darkened steel scabbard with brass and with three brass fittings: two bands decorated with military decorations of helmets and swords and the long toe (lyre shaped boutrolle) with leaf ornaments.
One thing I really did not like was the lack of scabbard chape. As a result, it gets hard to sheath back the blade, because it kind of jams near the end and you have to push to get it completely inside the scabbard. This is the major letdown.
Handling Characteristics
This is where it gets high marks. The fact that the blade is lighter and more flexible allows it to handle easily without breaking one’s wrist. Thrusting is no problem and quick slashing and return doesn’t take much effort either. It is lighter and easier to wield than any Cold Steel or Windlass by 50% although it is not perfect as it remains heavier than an original period sword.
Conclusions
I do not regret buying this sword despite the costly fees to ship overseas and the waiting time (around 1 month). Finding an original is pretty hard & getting one at good price (less than 4000$) is a lot harder so here we are offered with a nice piece at a fraction of the price. It is by no means perfect but you get something that is attractive and very efficient for fencing. With the right corrections, this could definitely be one of the best swords in the market for Napoleonics.
Pros
- Historically accurate
- Superior weight & handling
- Beautiful & flexible blade
Cons
- Difficulty when sheathing back. They ought to remodel the scabbard throat and add a chappe
-Expensive for overseas buyer