Talwar -Cold Steel
Dec 30, 2011 23:43:07 GMT
Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2011 23:43:07 GMT
Talwar -Cold Steel
Introduction
I like movies with sword fights and video games with sword fighting (who doesn't though). I recently started reading some about swords and sword history and decided to do some shopping with the intent of finding a sword.
I did some online study, including this site's review section.
I purchased a Talwar made by Cold Steel online from Katerno via Amazon.
The form of the Indian style brass hilt appealed to me and as for the blade, all information pointed to the same blade as the Light Calvary Sword, which seems to receive enough praise.
History
The talwar originated alongside other curved swords such as the Arab saif, the Persian shamshir, the Turkish kilij and the Afghan pulwar, all such swords being originally derived from earlier curved swords developed in Turkic Central Asia.
Disclosure
I'm new to the forum and to swords. I have only ever handled a mechete, so what I expect from a sword is durability and usefulness with good looks being a bonus, to be used for slashing and hacking.
Initial and Final Impression
The sword arrived via UPS. A larger box with the smaller factory box packed inside with fill paper surrounding. I opened the factory box to find the Talwar in scabbard, paper over the scabbard, plastic over the hilt, suspended in the box with cardboard spacers. I removed the plastic and paper and found the advertised "dish shaped pommel bent" (yikes). The factory box was damaged at the spot where the pommel contacted it. I pressed up on the bent spot with my thumbs and straightened the pommel. I withdrew the sword from the scabbard. It had light packing grease the length of the blade and a significant amount of powdery white substance near the hilt. I wiped that off with a rag. Wow, the blade looked very sturdy with a nice polish, very sharp out towards the point, a little duller back towards the hilt with and unsharpened section nearest the hilt. Then I looked back to the pommel and hilt. The pommel wasn't quite trued up and I realized the hilt and pommel were held on by a nut, a cap nut, with the pommel being a wide washer to press the hilt forward onto the shank to tighten the hilt to the blade. I removed the cap nut, washer and hilt and found a lot of the white powdery stuff which I then realized was left over from the casting of the bronze. I flicked most of it out of the hollow hilt with a thin stick and wiped everything down again only to find hidden corrosion on the blade (yikes). The packing grease must have been applied after the hilt was attached. Forward of the hilt/crossgaurd are bronze protrusions that align the sword in the scabbard that prevented full access to the blade for greasing and hid the corrosion from site. I rubbed on the corrosion and I think it would buff out. I put the sword back together and looked the sword over again. I found the knuckle guard was bent slightly. I repositioned the knuckle guard by pressing with thumbs and upon close inspection noticed hairline cracks forming at the spot of the bend, the same on the bent pommel. At this point I filed a complaint via Amazon. The next day I received a phone call from Katerno, they offered a free replacement, the person on the phone was apologetic and friendly. I thought about it and decided to get my money back minus $8 shipping. It seemed likely that the same problems would exist with the next Talwar.
Components, Pros, Cons and Conclusion
The one piece hollow bronze hilt/crossgaurd seems like trouble.
The blade was impressive with nothing but utilitarian machetes to compare it too.
I am going to go with 1796 Light Calvary Saber.
Handling Characteristics
While holding the sword at rest and swinging the sword the dish shaped pommel dug into my wrist. There must be a specific way to hold and swing this sword that is more of a drawing motion that allows the sword to remain nearly perpendicular to the swordsman's locked wrist and forearm.
The Bottom Line
I think that a person trained or willing to train central Asia's swords and that has experience with other like swords could more definitively determine how well this version could stand up to the test of time. I came to the conclusion that it is not the sword for me and that I wouldn't recommend it to a novice for hacking and slashing stuff due to durability concerns and the pommel digging into the wrist area. I don't think the hilt would stand up very long if used for clearing blackberry bushes, but the blade definitely would.
Feedback please
Thank you
Damoncles11
IMG_3607.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3609.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3610.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3613.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3614.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3632.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3621.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3635.JPG[/attachment]
Introduction
I like movies with sword fights and video games with sword fighting (who doesn't though). I recently started reading some about swords and sword history and decided to do some shopping with the intent of finding a sword.
I did some online study, including this site's review section.
I purchased a Talwar made by Cold Steel online from Katerno via Amazon.
The form of the Indian style brass hilt appealed to me and as for the blade, all information pointed to the same blade as the Light Calvary Sword, which seems to receive enough praise.
History
The talwar originated alongside other curved swords such as the Arab saif, the Persian shamshir, the Turkish kilij and the Afghan pulwar, all such swords being originally derived from earlier curved swords developed in Turkic Central Asia.
Disclosure
I'm new to the forum and to swords. I have only ever handled a mechete, so what I expect from a sword is durability and usefulness with good looks being a bonus, to be used for slashing and hacking.
Initial and Final Impression
The sword arrived via UPS. A larger box with the smaller factory box packed inside with fill paper surrounding. I opened the factory box to find the Talwar in scabbard, paper over the scabbard, plastic over the hilt, suspended in the box with cardboard spacers. I removed the plastic and paper and found the advertised "dish shaped pommel bent" (yikes). The factory box was damaged at the spot where the pommel contacted it. I pressed up on the bent spot with my thumbs and straightened the pommel. I withdrew the sword from the scabbard. It had light packing grease the length of the blade and a significant amount of powdery white substance near the hilt. I wiped that off with a rag. Wow, the blade looked very sturdy with a nice polish, very sharp out towards the point, a little duller back towards the hilt with and unsharpened section nearest the hilt. Then I looked back to the pommel and hilt. The pommel wasn't quite trued up and I realized the hilt and pommel were held on by a nut, a cap nut, with the pommel being a wide washer to press the hilt forward onto the shank to tighten the hilt to the blade. I removed the cap nut, washer and hilt and found a lot of the white powdery stuff which I then realized was left over from the casting of the bronze. I flicked most of it out of the hollow hilt with a thin stick and wiped everything down again only to find hidden corrosion on the blade (yikes). The packing grease must have been applied after the hilt was attached. Forward of the hilt/crossgaurd are bronze protrusions that align the sword in the scabbard that prevented full access to the blade for greasing and hid the corrosion from site. I rubbed on the corrosion and I think it would buff out. I put the sword back together and looked the sword over again. I found the knuckle guard was bent slightly. I repositioned the knuckle guard by pressing with thumbs and upon close inspection noticed hairline cracks forming at the spot of the bend, the same on the bent pommel. At this point I filed a complaint via Amazon. The next day I received a phone call from Katerno, they offered a free replacement, the person on the phone was apologetic and friendly. I thought about it and decided to get my money back minus $8 shipping. It seemed likely that the same problems would exist with the next Talwar.
Components, Pros, Cons and Conclusion
The one piece hollow bronze hilt/crossgaurd seems like trouble.
The blade was impressive with nothing but utilitarian machetes to compare it too.
I am going to go with 1796 Light Calvary Saber.
Handling Characteristics
While holding the sword at rest and swinging the sword the dish shaped pommel dug into my wrist. There must be a specific way to hold and swing this sword that is more of a drawing motion that allows the sword to remain nearly perpendicular to the swordsman's locked wrist and forearm.
The Bottom Line
I think that a person trained or willing to train central Asia's swords and that has experience with other like swords could more definitively determine how well this version could stand up to the test of time. I came to the conclusion that it is not the sword for me and that I wouldn't recommend it to a novice for hacking and slashing stuff due to durability concerns and the pommel digging into the wrist area. I don't think the hilt would stand up very long if used for clearing blackberry bushes, but the blade definitely would.
Feedback please
Thank you
Damoncles11
IMG_3607.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3609.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3610.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3613.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3614.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3632.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3621.JPG[/attachment]IMG_3635.JPG[/attachment]