Review: Angus Trim Thorpe Falchion (Latest Generation)
Feb 12, 2012 22:39:47 GMT
Post by Odingaard on Feb 12, 2012 22:39:47 GMT
ANGUS TRIM THORPE FALCHION
By Jonathan "Odingaard" Sarge
INTRODUCTION
I have always been a big falchion fan, though few people identify me with the weapon. My collection currently boasts three falchions, which is a sizeable number, being that I typically keep my modest collection only between 10-12 swords at any given time.
I have owned at least one of every current production falchion, except an ATrim one. For some time, I have wanted an Angus Courtrai falchion – but never could quite seem to close the deal on one. I just felt Gus’ aptitude for creating a superior cutting blade combined with the historically proven falchion would be a solid bet.
NOTE: This is the latest revision of this sword, as it has went though a couple changes since it was introduced. The largest difference is the Type K pommel being replaced with a Type J and the sharpening of the false edge before and after the blade flare. From my understanding, this sword is also offered with a shorter blade as well.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Falchions were single-edged swords which were highly popular in the Middle Ages. The falchion is speculated to have been devised from the seax of the Dark Ages, and is considered by many sources to be the precursor to the German messer as well as other types of single-edged sword. It was originally thought that falchions were popular because they were easier to manufacture than a sword, but this was not entirely accurate. Many existing historic falchion examples are of exquisite quality, made to the same standards as the best existing swords. It's now assumed by many that falchions may have popular simply due to their incredible cutting ability on lightly armored targets; a speciality weapon of it's time.
The Angus Trim Thorpe Falchion is based in part on the famous Thorpe Falchion. The original Thorpe Falchion was made between the years of 1300 and 1320 and is considered to be English in origin. It was dredged from the Yare River at Thorpe St. Andrew, England in the 1833s. The original is currently kept in the Norwich Castle Museum, near the place of its discovery.
The original Falchion is in fair conserved condition, but has lost some mass and length due to corrosion and deterioration of organic materials.
Original Thorpe Falchion Stats:
Overall Length: 37.63”
Blade Length: 31.61”
Blade Width (Widest Point): 2.20”
Grip Length: 3.93”
Weight: 1 lb, 15.88 oz
Materials: Iron blade and guard. Brass pommel with engravings of unidentified beasts/monsters.
FULL DISCLOSURE
I purchased the Angus Trim Thorpe Falchion from Tried and True Armoury for full retail price. I was not given special dispensation for reviewing this product. I am a regular buyer, just like you.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
I ordered this falchion in June in 2011. It arrived on February 11, 2012. So the wait was around 7 1/2 months for this particular ATrim model. The falchion would have been ready sooner, but there was some damage to my original order in shipping which delayed the arrival of it for a month. I was not discouraged during the wait, as Tried and True were never out of communication and quick with updates when I would contact them. Good things come to those who wait.
The falchion arrived in a non-descript shipping flat, wrapped and padded in cardboard to protect it from damage. There was no damage to the falchion in shipping.
Once I unwrapped the falchion and held it in my hand, my initial impression was that the sword had an aggressive forward balance which begged for me to cut something.
CUSTOMIZATION NOTES
When the falchion arrived, I did do a little bit of customization before I photographed it. First, I lightly blued the steel furniture in order to give the hardware a bit more contrast from the blade. Lastly, I added medieval coins into the recesses of the Type J1 pommel.
Just know if you order one of these, it will not come looking like mine when it arrives.
STATISTICS
I will offer a comparison here to the original for reference purposes:
Oakeshott Typology: Non-typified blade form, Style 2 guard, Type J1 pommel. (The original has a rounded Style 6 guard and a regular Type J pommel.)
Blade Length: 31.00” (Shorter than the original)
Blade Width (@ Shoulders): 1.80”
Blade Width (@ Widest): 2.0” (Narrower than the original)
Handle Length: 4.25” (Longer than the original)
Overall Length: 37.50”
Guard Width: 8.125”
POB (Point of Balance): 5.25”
COP (Center of Percussion): 22.50” (Right at rear blade flare)
Weight: 2 lbs, 8 oz (Heavier than the original in excavated condition)
THE BLADE
I’ve always referred to this type of falchion as a clip-point falchion, though this is not really an accurate historical classification. But, it’s accurate enough in the sword community, so it’s good enough for me.
The blade boasts a relatively complex geometry. It starts out at 1.80” at the guard and remains the same until just short of the CoP. It then flares to 2.00”, then tapers upward into the clip point, terminating in an acute thrusting point. What would be called a false-edge on most falchions is actually a real edge on the Thorpe, being that it’s sharpened before and after the blade flare.
The blade is slightly narrower than the original, which is apparent if you compare the photos side by side. This gives the ATrim Thorpe a thinner appearance, but makes it easier to cut with.
The tip on the Thorpe is a point of mild concern. It’s very acute, and as the blade has good distal taper, the last couple millimetres of the tip are fairly thin. I’ve had enough experience with swords to note that this could cause a problem if the sword was dropped or thrust into a hard target. The tip could slightly deform. Of course, if this was to happen, I would merely reform the tip with a ball peen hammer and blend it back in. I had to do this with my DSA Messer, and it’s not a big problem. Just know if you get a Thorpe this might be an eventuality you would have to deal with.
The blade is evenly finished to a 600-800 grit satin finish. The blade bears no obvious machine marks or unevenness along it’s length. The fuller, which runs to just short of the blade flare is well-defined, straight, and at an even depth.
The blade edge is sharpened to a slightly noticeable bevel, but then again, so was the original. Being that 50% of historical swords had bevels, and 50% did not, I never gripe about a sword not having a zero ground edge. Either way is historically accurate. If it’s sharp enough to cut what I want to cut, I don’t care if it looks like a Pokemon.
THE HANDLE
The handle has a rounded rectangular profile which allows for good edge alignment in the hand. It is wood, wrapped with cord, then wrapped with black leather, then bound with cord again to give texture. The texture of the leather is nice and even, with good definition. The seam on the handle is visible, but not rough, uneven, or otherwise distracting from the overall aesthetic.
THE GUARD
The guard is a simple Oakeshott Style 2, which tapers to an even plane from a well-defined central ridge. It has a nice, utilitarian look to it, giving the hilt an overall classic cruciform appearance.
THE POMMEL
The pommel is an Oakeshott Type J1, which is a very common form on English swords from the period. It has chamfered edges, rising to an evenly hollowed-out central ring. The inset is considerably deep, allowing for the placement of coins, semi-precious stones, or whatever else you wish to mount there.
One problem I had with the pommel when I received the sword, was that it had a considerable about of rust and pitting on the underside. This was easily removed with a Scotchbrite pad for the most part, but there is still some minor pitting there. This does not bother me in the end, as if you used any sword long enough, it will eventually show wear in this area. It was just initially surprising to see on a new blade.
This particular Thorpe Falchion is hex-nut construction and not peened. Peening is, however, and option if you so desire.
THE SCABBARD
The scabbard for this sword does not exist yet. I’ll update once I get around to making one though.
HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS
The Thorpe begs you to cut with it from the get go. It has an aggressive forward balance, with an over 5” PoB. Yet, it’s exceedingly light weight makes it a greatly nimble sword. It is a very responsive blade, with quick recovery and the ability to swiftly redirect in mid-swing. This falchion has been optimized for cutting, and it shows.
The Thorpe feels great in the hand, with a nice secure grip and no pommel bite whatsoever. The grip is slightly longer than the original, but I am appreciative of this fact. I need room for my large meat hooks to get a grip.
I prefer the general feel in the hand of the ATrim Thorpe over other falchions which I own or have owned on previous occasions, including offerings from Ollin, Albion, Del Tin, and Windlass. The Thorpe is just faster, albeit, not as beefy as the aforementioned.
Now, some people might want more weight behind the tip, ergo, they would want a heavier falchion. The Thorpe is very light for its length, giving it more of a sabre feel. Then again, the original is light as well, considering it may have weighed very close ot the ATrim before it rusted away some mass at the bottom of a river. This is entirely a matter of personal preference however.
TEST CUTTING
Its cold as hell here, so no video this go around.
Ok, here is where I really began to enjoy the Thorpe Falchion:
Cuts are painfully easy due to the narrow blade and razor-sharp edge. Now, I have little experience in Asian swords, but I have cut many times with a katana. The Thorpe is the only Euro sword which I have cut with which cuts in a similar manner. Quite simply, anything you put in front of the Thorpe is cut quickly and easily.
I tested on milk jugs, water bottles, oil bottles, and thicker sports drink bottles. All were cut clean and effortlessly. The Thorpe Falchion seems to crave to slice and dice anything you select as a target.
Oh, and check this out. The false edge cuts just as good as the forward edge. That’s right, you can tip cut the Hell out of stuff with it, getting consistently good cuts on the same types of target.
The Thorpe does what it was designed to do, and that is cuts very well. I must say, I’d give this sword kudos as an apt Zombie Apocalypse blade.
CONCLUSIONS
Pros:
- Proven Angus Trim quality.
- Reasonable historical accuracy.
- Wickedly sharp edge.
- Narrow blade makes cutting effortless.
- Falchions are just wickedly cool swords.
Cons:
- Slight rust and pitting on underside of pommel.
- Lengthy delivery time.
- Differs slightly from original Thorpe Falchion.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I like this Falchion a lot. Though it differs from its historical inspiration, this blade feels more like I imagine an actual falchion to feel than others I have owned. I’d recommend this sword to anyone wanting a wickedly apt single-handed cutter. Angus Trim has proven time and time again that he makes the best-cutting sword out there, geared not only toward performance, but with general historical appeal.
Odingaard out...
By Jonathan "Odingaard" Sarge
INTRODUCTION
I have always been a big falchion fan, though few people identify me with the weapon. My collection currently boasts three falchions, which is a sizeable number, being that I typically keep my modest collection only between 10-12 swords at any given time.
I have owned at least one of every current production falchion, except an ATrim one. For some time, I have wanted an Angus Courtrai falchion – but never could quite seem to close the deal on one. I just felt Gus’ aptitude for creating a superior cutting blade combined with the historically proven falchion would be a solid bet.
NOTE: This is the latest revision of this sword, as it has went though a couple changes since it was introduced. The largest difference is the Type K pommel being replaced with a Type J and the sharpening of the false edge before and after the blade flare. From my understanding, this sword is also offered with a shorter blade as well.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Falchions were single-edged swords which were highly popular in the Middle Ages. The falchion is speculated to have been devised from the seax of the Dark Ages, and is considered by many sources to be the precursor to the German messer as well as other types of single-edged sword. It was originally thought that falchions were popular because they were easier to manufacture than a sword, but this was not entirely accurate. Many existing historic falchion examples are of exquisite quality, made to the same standards as the best existing swords. It's now assumed by many that falchions may have popular simply due to their incredible cutting ability on lightly armored targets; a speciality weapon of it's time.
The Angus Trim Thorpe Falchion is based in part on the famous Thorpe Falchion. The original Thorpe Falchion was made between the years of 1300 and 1320 and is considered to be English in origin. It was dredged from the Yare River at Thorpe St. Andrew, England in the 1833s. The original is currently kept in the Norwich Castle Museum, near the place of its discovery.
The original Falchion is in fair conserved condition, but has lost some mass and length due to corrosion and deterioration of organic materials.
Original Thorpe Falchion Stats:
Overall Length: 37.63”
Blade Length: 31.61”
Blade Width (Widest Point): 2.20”
Grip Length: 3.93”
Weight: 1 lb, 15.88 oz
Materials: Iron blade and guard. Brass pommel with engravings of unidentified beasts/monsters.
FULL DISCLOSURE
I purchased the Angus Trim Thorpe Falchion from Tried and True Armoury for full retail price. I was not given special dispensation for reviewing this product. I am a regular buyer, just like you.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
I ordered this falchion in June in 2011. It arrived on February 11, 2012. So the wait was around 7 1/2 months for this particular ATrim model. The falchion would have been ready sooner, but there was some damage to my original order in shipping which delayed the arrival of it for a month. I was not discouraged during the wait, as Tried and True were never out of communication and quick with updates when I would contact them. Good things come to those who wait.
The falchion arrived in a non-descript shipping flat, wrapped and padded in cardboard to protect it from damage. There was no damage to the falchion in shipping.
Once I unwrapped the falchion and held it in my hand, my initial impression was that the sword had an aggressive forward balance which begged for me to cut something.
CUSTOMIZATION NOTES
When the falchion arrived, I did do a little bit of customization before I photographed it. First, I lightly blued the steel furniture in order to give the hardware a bit more contrast from the blade. Lastly, I added medieval coins into the recesses of the Type J1 pommel.
Just know if you order one of these, it will not come looking like mine when it arrives.
STATISTICS
I will offer a comparison here to the original for reference purposes:
Oakeshott Typology: Non-typified blade form, Style 2 guard, Type J1 pommel. (The original has a rounded Style 6 guard and a regular Type J pommel.)
Blade Length: 31.00” (Shorter than the original)
Blade Width (@ Shoulders): 1.80”
Blade Width (@ Widest): 2.0” (Narrower than the original)
Handle Length: 4.25” (Longer than the original)
Overall Length: 37.50”
Guard Width: 8.125”
POB (Point of Balance): 5.25”
COP (Center of Percussion): 22.50” (Right at rear blade flare)
Weight: 2 lbs, 8 oz (Heavier than the original in excavated condition)
THE BLADE
I’ve always referred to this type of falchion as a clip-point falchion, though this is not really an accurate historical classification. But, it’s accurate enough in the sword community, so it’s good enough for me.
The blade boasts a relatively complex geometry. It starts out at 1.80” at the guard and remains the same until just short of the CoP. It then flares to 2.00”, then tapers upward into the clip point, terminating in an acute thrusting point. What would be called a false-edge on most falchions is actually a real edge on the Thorpe, being that it’s sharpened before and after the blade flare.
The blade is slightly narrower than the original, which is apparent if you compare the photos side by side. This gives the ATrim Thorpe a thinner appearance, but makes it easier to cut with.
The tip on the Thorpe is a point of mild concern. It’s very acute, and as the blade has good distal taper, the last couple millimetres of the tip are fairly thin. I’ve had enough experience with swords to note that this could cause a problem if the sword was dropped or thrust into a hard target. The tip could slightly deform. Of course, if this was to happen, I would merely reform the tip with a ball peen hammer and blend it back in. I had to do this with my DSA Messer, and it’s not a big problem. Just know if you get a Thorpe this might be an eventuality you would have to deal with.
The blade is evenly finished to a 600-800 grit satin finish. The blade bears no obvious machine marks or unevenness along it’s length. The fuller, which runs to just short of the blade flare is well-defined, straight, and at an even depth.
The blade edge is sharpened to a slightly noticeable bevel, but then again, so was the original. Being that 50% of historical swords had bevels, and 50% did not, I never gripe about a sword not having a zero ground edge. Either way is historically accurate. If it’s sharp enough to cut what I want to cut, I don’t care if it looks like a Pokemon.
THE HANDLE
The handle has a rounded rectangular profile which allows for good edge alignment in the hand. It is wood, wrapped with cord, then wrapped with black leather, then bound with cord again to give texture. The texture of the leather is nice and even, with good definition. The seam on the handle is visible, but not rough, uneven, or otherwise distracting from the overall aesthetic.
THE GUARD
The guard is a simple Oakeshott Style 2, which tapers to an even plane from a well-defined central ridge. It has a nice, utilitarian look to it, giving the hilt an overall classic cruciform appearance.
THE POMMEL
The pommel is an Oakeshott Type J1, which is a very common form on English swords from the period. It has chamfered edges, rising to an evenly hollowed-out central ring. The inset is considerably deep, allowing for the placement of coins, semi-precious stones, or whatever else you wish to mount there.
One problem I had with the pommel when I received the sword, was that it had a considerable about of rust and pitting on the underside. This was easily removed with a Scotchbrite pad for the most part, but there is still some minor pitting there. This does not bother me in the end, as if you used any sword long enough, it will eventually show wear in this area. It was just initially surprising to see on a new blade.
This particular Thorpe Falchion is hex-nut construction and not peened. Peening is, however, and option if you so desire.
THE SCABBARD
The scabbard for this sword does not exist yet. I’ll update once I get around to making one though.
HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS
The Thorpe begs you to cut with it from the get go. It has an aggressive forward balance, with an over 5” PoB. Yet, it’s exceedingly light weight makes it a greatly nimble sword. It is a very responsive blade, with quick recovery and the ability to swiftly redirect in mid-swing. This falchion has been optimized for cutting, and it shows.
The Thorpe feels great in the hand, with a nice secure grip and no pommel bite whatsoever. The grip is slightly longer than the original, but I am appreciative of this fact. I need room for my large meat hooks to get a grip.
I prefer the general feel in the hand of the ATrim Thorpe over other falchions which I own or have owned on previous occasions, including offerings from Ollin, Albion, Del Tin, and Windlass. The Thorpe is just faster, albeit, not as beefy as the aforementioned.
Now, some people might want more weight behind the tip, ergo, they would want a heavier falchion. The Thorpe is very light for its length, giving it more of a sabre feel. Then again, the original is light as well, considering it may have weighed very close ot the ATrim before it rusted away some mass at the bottom of a river. This is entirely a matter of personal preference however.
TEST CUTTING
Its cold as hell here, so no video this go around.
Ok, here is where I really began to enjoy the Thorpe Falchion:
Cuts are painfully easy due to the narrow blade and razor-sharp edge. Now, I have little experience in Asian swords, but I have cut many times with a katana. The Thorpe is the only Euro sword which I have cut with which cuts in a similar manner. Quite simply, anything you put in front of the Thorpe is cut quickly and easily.
I tested on milk jugs, water bottles, oil bottles, and thicker sports drink bottles. All were cut clean and effortlessly. The Thorpe Falchion seems to crave to slice and dice anything you select as a target.
Oh, and check this out. The false edge cuts just as good as the forward edge. That’s right, you can tip cut the Hell out of stuff with it, getting consistently good cuts on the same types of target.
The Thorpe does what it was designed to do, and that is cuts very well. I must say, I’d give this sword kudos as an apt Zombie Apocalypse blade.
CONCLUSIONS
Pros:
- Proven Angus Trim quality.
- Reasonable historical accuracy.
- Wickedly sharp edge.
- Narrow blade makes cutting effortless.
- Falchions are just wickedly cool swords.
Cons:
- Slight rust and pitting on underside of pommel.
- Lengthy delivery time.
- Differs slightly from original Thorpe Falchion.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I like this Falchion a lot. Though it differs from its historical inspiration, this blade feels more like I imagine an actual falchion to feel than others I have owned. I’d recommend this sword to anyone wanting a wickedly apt single-handed cutter. Angus Trim has proven time and time again that he makes the best-cutting sword out there, geared not only toward performance, but with general historical appeal.
Odingaard out...