Windlass Conan Atlantean
Feb 9, 2012 16:02:14 GMT
Post by Zoë on Feb 9, 2012 16:02:14 GMT
“Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And unto this, Conan, destined to wear the jewelled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!”
Introduction:
We've all seen the movie. Right? You haven't? First off, where have you been living? Under a rock? Secondly, stop reading, go rent it/stream it/buy it. Now.
Ok, now that you've seen what is quite possibly the most epic (epic-est?) sword and sorcery movie ever made, you'll understand why this sword is such a big deal.
Most of you probably saw Conan in your teens, some of us didn't have that privilege and only saw it in their twenties or thirties (yes, I lived under a rock for most of my formative years. I'm doing my best to make up for it now, though). It doesn't quite have that same nostalgic feeling for those of us who saw it later in life, but it's still easily recognizable as an undying classic.
I will freely admit that doing this review was a little intimidating to me. This is quite possibly the epic-est (if that's not a word, it should be) sword I will ever review, and I wanted to make sure I did it right. Here goes.
Historical Overview:
Conan is set in the fictional “Hyborian Age” (roughly 10,000 BC). Steel apparently casts in molds like bronze (opening sequence of the movie), also Rottweilers and German Shepherds (or were those supposed to be wolves?) show up a few thousand years early.
This movie is a classic, and as such I love it. The movie is fantasy, not a documentary... if you take it too seriously, it will make your brain hurt. I know – I've tried.
Full Disclosure:
I received this sword as a review sword from MRL, and only paid what customs thought I owed them for the privilege of them rifling through my stuff.
I usually don't like much ornamentation on my swords. Stripped down functionality is generally my order of the day. Obviously, this baby does NOT fit into that mold. Unless you've got arms like Arnold, functionality is pretty much tossed out the window.
Initial Impressions:
Honestly, I was ready to hate this sword as soon as I saw it. I thought it would be gaudy and unwieldy in person, and a let-down after the hype that surrounds the Conan franchise. However... I didn't, and it wasn't. My inner (ok, not so inner) movie nerd had to pop Conan in the DVD player and watch it with the sword leaning beside me on the couch.
I was prepared for it to be cheap-looking and cheap-feeling, having loose bits and poorly-recreated bronze fittings. The twine does move (a lot) on the handle, but on first inspection I have no complaints about the blade or bronze furniture.
Statistics:
Blade length: 28 1/2 inches (without ricasso – 21 3/4)
Handle length: 5 1/4 inches
Overall length: 39 3/4 inches
Guard width: 7 inches
Point of Balance: 2 1/4 inches
Centre of Percussion: to be honest, I don't know. The blade is so thick and heavy, it just doesn't behave like other swords do.
Weight: 7 pounds, 3 ounces
Components:
The Blade:
In a word, sturdy. There are no bends or imperfections that I can see. The etching of the runes looks nice and even, and no difference from one side to the other.
The Handle:
The twine on the grip does twist quite a bit. If this were a sword I was planning on using a lot, I would probably see if it could be rewrapped or something. Well, honestly, if it were a sword I would be using a lot, I don't think twine would be my first choice for a comfortable grip. But we're not exactly looking for comfort with this bad boy, are we?
The Guard:
From what I can tell from the movie, close-ups of the original prop swords, and the Albion recreations, the guard looks like it should. The bronze is blackened in the creases slightly unevenly from side to side but it's not overly noticeable. The guards extending down the ricasso do rattle slightly when the guard or pommel is struck, but nothing feels loose when handled.
The Pommel:
Pretty much the same story as the guard – from what I can tell, the pommel has the design that it should. There have been some complaints with this sword being shipped with loose pommels, though this one in particular feels quite solid.
Handling Characteristics:
Ha ha... ha. Either I need to work out a LOT more, or perhaps find a lighter sword. Since I DON'T want guns like Arnie, I won't be going with option 'a.' I can heave it off the ground, but that's about it. I can see why Arnold took steroids.
My husband Kevin, however, can do a pretty impressive Arnold-like twirl with it, and hopes to sharpen it and take a whack or two at a pig carcass in summer. Beyond the occasional experimental pig-mashing, though, it's really not a functional blade.
On a more serious note, in doing a little research there had been some concern that this sword might have the dreaded rat-tail tang. I was planning on disassembling my sword to see for myself before letting Kevin sharpen it. No flying helicopters of death here, please. However forum moderator Marc Kaden Ridgeway toured Windlass and recently posted pictures of the sword pre-assembly, with lots of good visuals on the tang and my fears have been assuaged. (See his article and pictures here - www.sword-buyers-guide.com/Museum-Replicas-Limited7.html)
Conclusions:
Pros:
- Price. Considering the Albion models run somewhere in the $3000 mark, $295 seems pretty darn reasonable.
- It's a fully licensed product – no knock-offs here.
- I know we're not all about looks here, but this thing does look awesome.
Cons:
- Loose twine, rattling ricasso guards and history of being shipped with loose pommels
- At this weight, it's not practical to use as a functional sword
The Bottom Line:
Well, it really depends on what your plans are for this sword. For the true purist, Albion's $3000 recreations with original sword-designer Jody Samson's seal of approval might be the way to go. However, since pesky things like rent and groceries tend to interfere with such grand schemes, $295 is a lot more attainable for a product that most people won't be able to tell apart.
If you're shopping around for a new backyard cutter, perhaps you should keep shopping. While this sword is technically functional (and not a stainless steel or aluminium wall-hanger, and does have a decent tang under all that furniture), the weight, point of balance, and general clumsiness of the design really isn't ideal for actual use. (Though that's not really Windlass' fault – that's just the nature of this particular beast.)
Personally, Windlass gets my thumbs up on this one.
Introduction:
We've all seen the movie. Right? You haven't? First off, where have you been living? Under a rock? Secondly, stop reading, go rent it/stream it/buy it. Now.
Ok, now that you've seen what is quite possibly the most epic (epic-est?) sword and sorcery movie ever made, you'll understand why this sword is such a big deal.
Most of you probably saw Conan in your teens, some of us didn't have that privilege and only saw it in their twenties or thirties (yes, I lived under a rock for most of my formative years. I'm doing my best to make up for it now, though). It doesn't quite have that same nostalgic feeling for those of us who saw it later in life, but it's still easily recognizable as an undying classic.
I will freely admit that doing this review was a little intimidating to me. This is quite possibly the epic-est (if that's not a word, it should be) sword I will ever review, and I wanted to make sure I did it right. Here goes.
Historical Overview:
Conan is set in the fictional “Hyborian Age” (roughly 10,000 BC). Steel apparently casts in molds like bronze (opening sequence of the movie), also Rottweilers and German Shepherds (or were those supposed to be wolves?) show up a few thousand years early.
This movie is a classic, and as such I love it. The movie is fantasy, not a documentary... if you take it too seriously, it will make your brain hurt. I know – I've tried.
Full Disclosure:
I received this sword as a review sword from MRL, and only paid what customs thought I owed them for the privilege of them rifling through my stuff.
I usually don't like much ornamentation on my swords. Stripped down functionality is generally my order of the day. Obviously, this baby does NOT fit into that mold. Unless you've got arms like Arnold, functionality is pretty much tossed out the window.
Initial Impressions:
Honestly, I was ready to hate this sword as soon as I saw it. I thought it would be gaudy and unwieldy in person, and a let-down after the hype that surrounds the Conan franchise. However... I didn't, and it wasn't. My inner (ok, not so inner) movie nerd had to pop Conan in the DVD player and watch it with the sword leaning beside me on the couch.
I was prepared for it to be cheap-looking and cheap-feeling, having loose bits and poorly-recreated bronze fittings. The twine does move (a lot) on the handle, but on first inspection I have no complaints about the blade or bronze furniture.
Statistics:
Blade length: 28 1/2 inches (without ricasso – 21 3/4)
Handle length: 5 1/4 inches
Overall length: 39 3/4 inches
Guard width: 7 inches
Point of Balance: 2 1/4 inches
Centre of Percussion: to be honest, I don't know. The blade is so thick and heavy, it just doesn't behave like other swords do.
Weight: 7 pounds, 3 ounces
Components:
The Blade:
In a word, sturdy. There are no bends or imperfections that I can see. The etching of the runes looks nice and even, and no difference from one side to the other.
The Handle:
The twine on the grip does twist quite a bit. If this were a sword I was planning on using a lot, I would probably see if it could be rewrapped or something. Well, honestly, if it were a sword I would be using a lot, I don't think twine would be my first choice for a comfortable grip. But we're not exactly looking for comfort with this bad boy, are we?
The Guard:
From what I can tell from the movie, close-ups of the original prop swords, and the Albion recreations, the guard looks like it should. The bronze is blackened in the creases slightly unevenly from side to side but it's not overly noticeable. The guards extending down the ricasso do rattle slightly when the guard or pommel is struck, but nothing feels loose when handled.
The Pommel:
Pretty much the same story as the guard – from what I can tell, the pommel has the design that it should. There have been some complaints with this sword being shipped with loose pommels, though this one in particular feels quite solid.
Handling Characteristics:
Ha ha... ha. Either I need to work out a LOT more, or perhaps find a lighter sword. Since I DON'T want guns like Arnie, I won't be going with option 'a.' I can heave it off the ground, but that's about it. I can see why Arnold took steroids.
My husband Kevin, however, can do a pretty impressive Arnold-like twirl with it, and hopes to sharpen it and take a whack or two at a pig carcass in summer. Beyond the occasional experimental pig-mashing, though, it's really not a functional blade.
On a more serious note, in doing a little research there had been some concern that this sword might have the dreaded rat-tail tang. I was planning on disassembling my sword to see for myself before letting Kevin sharpen it. No flying helicopters of death here, please. However forum moderator Marc Kaden Ridgeway toured Windlass and recently posted pictures of the sword pre-assembly, with lots of good visuals on the tang and my fears have been assuaged. (See his article and pictures here - www.sword-buyers-guide.com/Museum-Replicas-Limited7.html)
Conclusions:
Pros:
- Price. Considering the Albion models run somewhere in the $3000 mark, $295 seems pretty darn reasonable.
- It's a fully licensed product – no knock-offs here.
- I know we're not all about looks here, but this thing does look awesome.
Cons:
- Loose twine, rattling ricasso guards and history of being shipped with loose pommels
- At this weight, it's not practical to use as a functional sword
The Bottom Line:
Well, it really depends on what your plans are for this sword. For the true purist, Albion's $3000 recreations with original sword-designer Jody Samson's seal of approval might be the way to go. However, since pesky things like rent and groceries tend to interfere with such grand schemes, $295 is a lot more attainable for a product that most people won't be able to tell apart.
If you're shopping around for a new backyard cutter, perhaps you should keep shopping. While this sword is technically functional (and not a stainless steel or aluminium wall-hanger, and does have a decent tang under all that furniture), the weight, point of balance, and general clumsiness of the design really isn't ideal for actual use. (Though that's not really Windlass' fault – that's just the nature of this particular beast.)
Personally, Windlass gets my thumbs up on this one.