Odinblade Longship Line Landlord
Feb 8, 2012 3:45:25 GMT
Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Feb 8, 2012 3:45:25 GMT
OdinBlades Longship Line Landlord Sword
Sean O Stevens, Grovetown GA
Introduction
It was not so long ago that John Lundemo (Owner/Creator of Odinblades AKA 'the Odin Dude') announced that he was going to do a line of semi-production swords, with cast bronze fittings as opposed to his typical hand carved steel. Many of us began frothing at the mouth at the prospect. I, for one, had advocated before to him that he should just keep some swords in stock as opposed to making them on a commission by commission basis... because I know many collectors who would love to own an Odin Blade... but don't like the wait associated with custom swords. They want it and they want it now. I was sure anything he kept stocked would not last long because those sort of buyers would jump on them.
Still... a semi-production line of swords was even an even cooler concept then that. '
John Partnered with James Fang for the Longship Line... and the infamous 'GreyBeard' (John Downham) made the bronze fittings. cast off originals carved by Mr. Lundemo himself. The goal being to create a line with a large but limited run that customers could buy from, knowing exactly what they were getting beforehand. Also, with the fittings being cast John could produce them more quickly... which is good news for impatient collectors.
Already having a couple Odinblades... I knew i would be wanting some of the new Longship line. Also... I knew this would be VERY big for the sword collecting community, as it made owning an Odinblade easier and accessible to more people then before. I wanted to be a part of it... so I grabbed a handful of the first batch to review.
This sword, the Landlord, I wanted very much. I tend to prefer single handed swords a bit over two handed swords. I saw what looked like a prototype for this sword awhile back, with the fishtail pommel, and I thought it was a VERY sexy looking sword. I decided I wanted to get this, and the Steerboard Longsword as a matched pair... so I ordered them both with the upturned guard and fishtail pommel... and of coarse, in green.
Historical overview
Tho I don't think John makes his swords with Oakeshott's typologies in mind or as a guide... this sword most resembles a type XII. Its has the look of the archetypical Knightly arming sword. The blade itself seems as it would be at home in a broad swath of time during the Middle Ages... tho with the fittings it might look somewhat fancy.
Full Disclosure
I bought this sword with my own money... and received no consideration or influence in regards to this review. I have bought swords from John before... and have had correspondence with him via e-mail many times.
Initial Impressions
The first thing you notice about this, or any Odinblade, is the packaging. Just take a look...
He builds a wooden create for his swords! Having bought from him before, this was not a surprise... but it still impresses me. The swords are packed in there so solidly that even the ham-handed USPS would be hard pressed to damage them. I've noticed this level of care with shipping is something custom makers tend to do... and its one of the many reasons going custom is so appealing. When someone puts so much care into crafting something... they want to make sure it makes it to its new owner intact.
After I pulled the Landlord free of its bubble wrap and tape... I was startled to feel how BEEFY the sword is. It had a wider blade then I expected... and a lot more heft then I thought it would. Putting it in motion it felt VERY powerful... but I was unsure of the weight. I'm not accustomed to heavier, more 'blade present' swords... I prefer lighter more blade neutral blades that I can move very quickly.
Still, despite the weight it had a good balance and feel, the quality was obviously apparent, and I thought it was a striking blade to look at. The Upturned guard and fishtail pommel looked amazing on the Landlord.
Also interesting is that the Longship Line is going to come with certificates of authenticity. These state which sword your Longship blade is, what number in the limited run they are, and are signed and dated by John Lundemo.
Statistics
Weight: 2.8lbs - 3lbs *
Overall Length: 36 & 1/2 inches
Blade Length: 30 inches
Grip Length: 4 inches
Blade Width (At Base): 2 & 1/2 inches
Blade Width (One inch from tip): 14/16ths an inch
Center Of Balance: 4 & 3/4ths inches
* My scale is not good enough to give a good reading here.
Components
The Blade
This blade is STOUT. Its thick and very wide at the base... making a slow and even taper one its way to the point. the edge is sharp and blended well as with all of John's swords. Its a striking looking blade, I've seen swords with a similar profile... but not many that start out so wide... so the whole appearance is one of great strength.
The Guard
The guard is made of darkened bronze, and is well cast. It is fitted to both the grip and the blade very well without any rattle. The upturned quilions are very elegant and attractive to me.
The Pommel
The pommel is a very well done Fishtail, in darkened cast bronze like the guard. The same pommel as on my Verrimus and Steerboard... a family of Odinblades. The peen is visible, steel over bronze. As with the guard everything is solid and well fit.
The Grip
This grip is perfect for me. 4 inches is my ideal single handed grip size... my big paws feel right at home, the thickness is just right also. The seem is clean, you can't feel it in hand. Of coarse... a beautiful dark green. Almost like a pine.
Handling Characteristics
The Landlord is certainly going to take some getting used to. Of my Longship line swords... this one has been the trickiest for me as far as handling... which surprised me as I have a preference for single handed blades. However, as I mentioned in my 'First impressions' section... I have particular tastes in single handed swords... and the Landlord is very different.
Good, but different.
Cuts with the Landlord have authority... but I have difficulty changing direction and stopping the blade when movie due to its mass, which is more then I'm used to. This causes me to under power or under speed my cuts, for fear of losing control. Once i learn the blade a bit more and understand its balance and how to swing it, I have no doubt It will be one of if not the hardest cutting sword I've used... I can feel the potential there... but I have to get used to a different form of handling it first.
Test Cutting
As you can see... I swat a few bottles and I over extend a few times as well. This is due to me being less used to and comfortable with a sword with this much blade presence. I under power some swings for fear of not being able to recover.. and then fail to recover some swings where I didn't pull back enough. With time I'm sure I'll do better... when it connects right you feel the power of the sword... it won't be denied.
Also, point control and thrusting of this sword is TOP NOTCH. It feels awesome in that arena.
Conclusions
The Longship line is a VERY exciting venture... and i think a lot of people who might not have had the chance to own an Odinblade before will get to now. All of those who are a bit leery of going custom will hopefully be able to buy a Longship Line sword when they have some in stock... and they will get to see just what an amazing sword smith like John Lundemo can do.
I have a few mixed feelings about the Landlord... thus it has turned out, while a great sword, to be my least favorite of the new Longship Line. Its a striking sword to look at, with he fat blade at the base and gobs of profile taper... a very attractive sword. Also, a POWERFUL sword and well balanced as such... a heavy cutter. Durable, super well made as all the Longship Line swords have proven to be.
It is just not *MY* kind of sword. Its not floaty and nimble... its strong and aggressive. I would love to get this sword into the hands of someone like TomK... who I know prefers swords with more blade presence then me. He and I have talked about this at length... and when it comes to single handed arming swords he does not like the swords that I like, and I don't like the swords that he likes.
I think he would LOVE this sword... as would anyone who favors a powerful, heavy hitting arming sword with blade presence.
I'm going to work with this sword more to learn to 'feel' it and control it better. I'll update then.
Pros
Amazing Odinblade quality with a slightly smaller price.
Options... you can mix guards, pommels, grip color, make small changes in blade length in some cases.
Top notch service... from packing and shipping to James keeping in touch.
For those Leary of custom work unknowns, the Longship Line gives you a strong sense of what you will get.
Unique looking blade profile, very cool.
Cons
The a good value in custom blades, the price is higher then some can afford for a sword.
Bronze fittings might not appeal to everyone.
Heft and Blade Presence a bit more then those who like quicker swords might like.
The Bottom Line
I think the Longship Line is one of the best ideas to hit the sword collection community in some time. Right up there with What Sonny Suttles did with Valiant Armory and the Custom Sword Shoppe, and Tried and True Armory for atrims, the Longship Line is going to make amazing Odinblade quality swords available to a much larger group of collectors then was possible before... and that is a VERY good thing.
Tho the Landlord and I did not bond as much as I would have liked... the amazing quality of the sword is still very impressive... and I'm in love with the looks of the blade. In my experience, more people prefer swords the way TomK does to the way I do... my tastes are a little particular... so I think the Landlord will appeal to a LOT of people looking for a powerful Knightly XII arming sword.
If that's you, buy it.
Thanks for Reading!
Sean O Stevens, Grovetown GA
Introduction
It was not so long ago that John Lundemo (Owner/Creator of Odinblades AKA 'the Odin Dude') announced that he was going to do a line of semi-production swords, with cast bronze fittings as opposed to his typical hand carved steel. Many of us began frothing at the mouth at the prospect. I, for one, had advocated before to him that he should just keep some swords in stock as opposed to making them on a commission by commission basis... because I know many collectors who would love to own an Odin Blade... but don't like the wait associated with custom swords. They want it and they want it now. I was sure anything he kept stocked would not last long because those sort of buyers would jump on them.
Still... a semi-production line of swords was even an even cooler concept then that. '
John Partnered with James Fang for the Longship Line... and the infamous 'GreyBeard' (John Downham) made the bronze fittings. cast off originals carved by Mr. Lundemo himself. The goal being to create a line with a large but limited run that customers could buy from, knowing exactly what they were getting beforehand. Also, with the fittings being cast John could produce them more quickly... which is good news for impatient collectors.
Already having a couple Odinblades... I knew i would be wanting some of the new Longship line. Also... I knew this would be VERY big for the sword collecting community, as it made owning an Odinblade easier and accessible to more people then before. I wanted to be a part of it... so I grabbed a handful of the first batch to review.
This sword, the Landlord, I wanted very much. I tend to prefer single handed swords a bit over two handed swords. I saw what looked like a prototype for this sword awhile back, with the fishtail pommel, and I thought it was a VERY sexy looking sword. I decided I wanted to get this, and the Steerboard Longsword as a matched pair... so I ordered them both with the upturned guard and fishtail pommel... and of coarse, in green.
Historical overview
Tho I don't think John makes his swords with Oakeshott's typologies in mind or as a guide... this sword most resembles a type XII. Its has the look of the archetypical Knightly arming sword. The blade itself seems as it would be at home in a broad swath of time during the Middle Ages... tho with the fittings it might look somewhat fancy.
Full Disclosure
I bought this sword with my own money... and received no consideration or influence in regards to this review. I have bought swords from John before... and have had correspondence with him via e-mail many times.
Initial Impressions
The first thing you notice about this, or any Odinblade, is the packaging. Just take a look...
He builds a wooden create for his swords! Having bought from him before, this was not a surprise... but it still impresses me. The swords are packed in there so solidly that even the ham-handed USPS would be hard pressed to damage them. I've noticed this level of care with shipping is something custom makers tend to do... and its one of the many reasons going custom is so appealing. When someone puts so much care into crafting something... they want to make sure it makes it to its new owner intact.
After I pulled the Landlord free of its bubble wrap and tape... I was startled to feel how BEEFY the sword is. It had a wider blade then I expected... and a lot more heft then I thought it would. Putting it in motion it felt VERY powerful... but I was unsure of the weight. I'm not accustomed to heavier, more 'blade present' swords... I prefer lighter more blade neutral blades that I can move very quickly.
Still, despite the weight it had a good balance and feel, the quality was obviously apparent, and I thought it was a striking blade to look at. The Upturned guard and fishtail pommel looked amazing on the Landlord.
Also interesting is that the Longship Line is going to come with certificates of authenticity. These state which sword your Longship blade is, what number in the limited run they are, and are signed and dated by John Lundemo.
Statistics
Weight: 2.8lbs - 3lbs *
Overall Length: 36 & 1/2 inches
Blade Length: 30 inches
Grip Length: 4 inches
Blade Width (At Base): 2 & 1/2 inches
Blade Width (One inch from tip): 14/16ths an inch
Center Of Balance: 4 & 3/4ths inches
* My scale is not good enough to give a good reading here.
Components
The Blade
This blade is STOUT. Its thick and very wide at the base... making a slow and even taper one its way to the point. the edge is sharp and blended well as with all of John's swords. Its a striking looking blade, I've seen swords with a similar profile... but not many that start out so wide... so the whole appearance is one of great strength.
The Guard
The guard is made of darkened bronze, and is well cast. It is fitted to both the grip and the blade very well without any rattle. The upturned quilions are very elegant and attractive to me.
The Pommel
The pommel is a very well done Fishtail, in darkened cast bronze like the guard. The same pommel as on my Verrimus and Steerboard... a family of Odinblades. The peen is visible, steel over bronze. As with the guard everything is solid and well fit.
The Grip
This grip is perfect for me. 4 inches is my ideal single handed grip size... my big paws feel right at home, the thickness is just right also. The seem is clean, you can't feel it in hand. Of coarse... a beautiful dark green. Almost like a pine.
Handling Characteristics
The Landlord is certainly going to take some getting used to. Of my Longship line swords... this one has been the trickiest for me as far as handling... which surprised me as I have a preference for single handed blades. However, as I mentioned in my 'First impressions' section... I have particular tastes in single handed swords... and the Landlord is very different.
Good, but different.
Cuts with the Landlord have authority... but I have difficulty changing direction and stopping the blade when movie due to its mass, which is more then I'm used to. This causes me to under power or under speed my cuts, for fear of losing control. Once i learn the blade a bit more and understand its balance and how to swing it, I have no doubt It will be one of if not the hardest cutting sword I've used... I can feel the potential there... but I have to get used to a different form of handling it first.
Test Cutting
As you can see... I swat a few bottles and I over extend a few times as well. This is due to me being less used to and comfortable with a sword with this much blade presence. I under power some swings for fear of not being able to recover.. and then fail to recover some swings where I didn't pull back enough. With time I'm sure I'll do better... when it connects right you feel the power of the sword... it won't be denied.
Also, point control and thrusting of this sword is TOP NOTCH. It feels awesome in that arena.
Conclusions
The Longship line is a VERY exciting venture... and i think a lot of people who might not have had the chance to own an Odinblade before will get to now. All of those who are a bit leery of going custom will hopefully be able to buy a Longship Line sword when they have some in stock... and they will get to see just what an amazing sword smith like John Lundemo can do.
I have a few mixed feelings about the Landlord... thus it has turned out, while a great sword, to be my least favorite of the new Longship Line. Its a striking sword to look at, with he fat blade at the base and gobs of profile taper... a very attractive sword. Also, a POWERFUL sword and well balanced as such... a heavy cutter. Durable, super well made as all the Longship Line swords have proven to be.
It is just not *MY* kind of sword. Its not floaty and nimble... its strong and aggressive. I would love to get this sword into the hands of someone like TomK... who I know prefers swords with more blade presence then me. He and I have talked about this at length... and when it comes to single handed arming swords he does not like the swords that I like, and I don't like the swords that he likes.
I think he would LOVE this sword... as would anyone who favors a powerful, heavy hitting arming sword with blade presence.
I'm going to work with this sword more to learn to 'feel' it and control it better. I'll update then.
Pros
Amazing Odinblade quality with a slightly smaller price.
Options... you can mix guards, pommels, grip color, make small changes in blade length in some cases.
Top notch service... from packing and shipping to James keeping in touch.
For those Leary of custom work unknowns, the Longship Line gives you a strong sense of what you will get.
Unique looking blade profile, very cool.
Cons
The a good value in custom blades, the price is higher then some can afford for a sword.
Bronze fittings might not appeal to everyone.
Heft and Blade Presence a bit more then those who like quicker swords might like.
The Bottom Line
I think the Longship Line is one of the best ideas to hit the sword collection community in some time. Right up there with What Sonny Suttles did with Valiant Armory and the Custom Sword Shoppe, and Tried and True Armory for atrims, the Longship Line is going to make amazing Odinblade quality swords available to a much larger group of collectors then was possible before... and that is a VERY good thing.
Tho the Landlord and I did not bond as much as I would have liked... the amazing quality of the sword is still very impressive... and I'm in love with the looks of the blade. In my experience, more people prefer swords the way TomK does to the way I do... my tastes are a little particular... so I think the Landlord will appeal to a LOT of people looking for a powerful Knightly XII arming sword.
If that's you, buy it.
Thanks for Reading!