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Post by Vincent Dolan on Apr 20, 2012 16:26:35 GMT
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Post by somewhat on Apr 20, 2012 21:12:31 GMT
Might need to snatch this if I get paid in time, looks promising....
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Post by randomnobody on Apr 20, 2012 22:41:10 GMT
Welp, I give. I just ordered one. At least it's prettier than the current alternatives...
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Post by Dave Kelly on Apr 21, 2012 0:37:45 GMT
Seems to meet the Kilted Cossack parameters for a light weight, deadly cutter. There are now two sold.....
( OOooooo, and a sword knot too.... :mrgreen: )
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Post by randomnobody on Apr 21, 2012 0:45:29 GMT
I looked real close at the stats, myself. Length is reasonable, weight still seems kinda high, but it's half a pound lighter than the Windlass, at least. Only an inch or so shorter, a bit thinner, same POB seems strange, but what the heck, I'm curious.
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Post by randomnobody on Apr 24, 2012 0:18:27 GMT
Got my UPS tracking info, looks like Thursday delivery. Convenient, Thursday is my day off this week. Eager to see what this thing is like.
Dave, you bought one, too? Any updates on your shipment? I'm assuming we're running pretty equal at this point, but if one of us gets ours first, it'll be a fun race to see whose impressions make it onto the forums first. 8)
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Post by Dave Kelly on Apr 24, 2012 3:14:16 GMT
Thursday for me also. I won't get to see it until after work, so if you're home when Big Brown arrives you'll probably get first crack.  . |
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Post by randomnobody on Apr 26, 2012 22:05:27 GMT
Welp, UPS finally dropped it off just a few minutes ago, and I can't say I'm amazed by it. Initial impressions were good; it's a clean-looking piece. Quite hefty, though. Weighs in at about 1lb 10.5oz without the scabbard, feels a lot heavier. Balances 7.5-8" from the hilt, fuller is deep, wide, and cleanly cut. Starts about 1/4" thick and goes down to about 1/8" at the other end of the fuller, gets a bit thinner still toward the tip. I feel like it could have started out thinner and been better for it; as it is, it seems awfully fat. The biggest disappointment, though, is the hilt. The metal bits are cleanly cast and nice to look at, but the pommel is hollow; the "imitation horn" (read: plastic) grip seems solid, but perhaps a bit weak. A few sharp swings, though, and the pommel has already loosened up to a very disconcerting jiggle. Seems to be peened, and the new rotational axis of the pommel corresponds to the point where the peening is visible, but it doesn't look like much can be done to correct the new wiggly-ness. Have I mentioned it feels quite heavy for just over 1.5 pounds? The engraving...or stamp, whichever it is, inside the fuller is a nice touch, but on one side of mine it seems like it should be smaller, as it actually escapes the confinement of the fuller and makes its way down to the edge of the blade... On that note, the edge came the standard "factory sharp" for most knives etc., in that a butcher's steel is really all it needs to get nicely sharp. Seems to be a single bevel, mostly flat ground, no noticeable convex shape at any part of the blade. The tip execution is clean and the point seems sturdy. Finish could be higher, but I like it fine where it is; very "military grade" and quite suitable. Flex is comparable to what I've seen of most Euro-style swords, it's no floppy windlass two-hander nor is it overly stiff. If the blade goes on a reasonable diet, it could be much more "flexible as a vine" than what it is. Scabbard fit is almost prohibitively tight, which I'll take over excessively loose. I had to take off the leather knot thing, just didn't care for it on the first few swings. Might put it back on later. As it's been raining all day and now the sun is descending, conditions are not good for photos, so maybe another time. As it stands now...it looks a lot like the pictures on KoA.  |
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Post by Son of Laren on Apr 26, 2012 22:35:34 GMT
Thanks for taking the plunge and reporting on it. I was very tempted by this when I saw it. I don't want to have to replace a handle or cross my fingers and hope I get a "good" one. Maybe Dave Kelly's will be better?
Hopefully TFW or someone else will come out with a good quality, balanced shasqua.
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Post by Dave Kelly on Apr 26, 2012 23:59:45 GMT
Put a few photos and comments over on the new acquisition secton of sword reviews. Basically we have the same sword (mine for some reason didn't come with a wiggle; not yet any way. ) The hollow pommel and possibly an unnecessarily thick foible contributes to the pretty stiff PoB. But I haven't handled a military shaska.
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Post by randomnobody on Apr 27, 2012 1:37:51 GMT
The more I handle this sword, the more it grows on me...at least, until my wrist starts to go numb.
The plastic grip, though ribbed, becomes quite slippery in short use, but the hooked pommel does a great job of keeping the sword firmly in-hand. I worry somewhat about rotation on cuts, though, as the grip is just a hair fat-and-round. Add to that the wiggle of my own pommel and I have some concerns for the integrity of the grip as a whole unit. There have between strokes where I felt that the only thing keeping the sword in my hand is the shape of the pommel...as it wiggles loosely on its post.
Which brings me to ponder, KoA lists the pommel as a nut-type, but it certainly looks peened to me. I can't pick out where one would access any type of nut-based assembly, and it appears to be welded, at the very least. If it were a nut, I'd sure like to get at it and tighten it down a bit, but if it's a peen, well, I wouldn't trust myself to take a hammer to it; especially with the hollow pommel.
That said, despite the very hand-heavy feel of the sword and the resulting sluggish acceleration, once in motion it moves very smoothly and obviously prefers circular patterns, wide arcs, and sweeping cuts, being somewhat poor at snap cuts and quick stops. The blade sings a lovely tune on its arc through the air, as well.
As a military weapon, it would probably be suited for, perhaps, cavalry more than the foot soldier, but not horribly out of place in the latter's hand, either. Which brings me to confess: I'm not really sure which this type was intended for; something tells me I used to know, and it was cavalry, but I've seen a lot of stuff on foot with other types.
I keep thinking if Hanwei shaved about 1/3 the thickness off, filled in the pommel, and used better material for the grip (at this point I'd be just as happy with plain, unfinished wood as anything) and maybe even put in a little more curve, I'd definitely buy another. If the final version is much the same as this one, though, I'll be skipping.
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Post by randomnobody on Apr 29, 2012 18:21:52 GMT
This thing would definitely be better with a solid pommel, thinner blade, and non-synthetic grip. As it is, I've got blisters, a sore arm, and some shoulder pain from attempting to replicate some shasqua movements seen online. Half because I'm doing it wrong, half because the sword is too heavy and balanced wrong. Thinking on it, the weight itself might not be a problem so much as mass distribution. Even striking the pommel in an effort to find a center of percussion results in a very shaky grip and movement all over the place. If there is a center, it's...the center. Work on the pommel, Hanwei, and I can already see a better product. Now if only the style were popular enough that more than Dave and myself felt inclined to pick one up...  |
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jhart06
Member
Slowly coming back from the depths...
Posts: 3,292
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Post by jhart06 on Apr 29, 2012 19:58:07 GMT
I'd buy one in an instant at this price point. I was considering looking at this for a birthday gift, as the wife has hinted I could probably get a sword in this range for my b-day later in May, but with the problems mentioned, I think i'll hold off on it until the final production version and see if it irons out.
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Post by randomnobody on Apr 29, 2012 20:21:53 GMT
That's part of what worries me.
I'm glad Hanwei released a prototype version, in what can only be an effort to gauge market interests as well as watch for feedback on how to improve or what's good enough to keep as-is...but if too many people just don't buy it, even just because of the problems cited by others who did buy, then Hanwei could fall under the impression that it's not selling because people aren't interested, and they may cancel the production.
Of course, if this goes to production as it is...it'd be a pretty mediocre sword. The minor details I've mentioned from my experience, as how I feel the sword compares to what I've read and seen of shasqua behavior, could very well fix the problems...but if not enough people can try it out and confirm or add to my ideas...well, Hanwei sure won't just listen to me by myself. They want to know what the whole market thinks.
Yet...nobody wants a sword reputed to be subpar. Thus, releasing a not-so-great prototype version, leads people to not buy it. People not buying the prototype means the investment is a loss. Lost investment means cancelled project, which would be a shame, because I think Hanwei could really go somewhere with this.
...If they just stopped putting hollow pommels on everything. :roll:
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jhart06
Member
Slowly coming back from the depths...
Posts: 3,292
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Post by jhart06 on Apr 29, 2012 22:25:39 GMT
If I were certain the pommel were a nut, i'd buy it and try it out, and if I didn't like it' just re-do the mounts and furniture into a heavier warder style sword. Who knows... It is tempting, but my money is tight and may get tighter pending surgery. We do have the advantage here at SBG in that we know we have Hanwei via a rep here reading comments made, so maybe the worries presented wont materialize.
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Post by randomnobody on Apr 29, 2012 23:18:27 GMT
As to the nut, I'm starting to wonder if maybe they changed their minds mid-production, and switched from peened to a nut or vice versa; mine certainly does not seem to be a nut, at least:  I wish it were, as one of my pommel worries would be lessened if I could just tighten it down before I filled it with JB Weld or what have you. :roll: The bad thing is, when I say it rotates on the axis presented by what I believe to be the peen...I mean it's visibly unattached to the inner portion and can move around it, and to an extent, away from it. But it's still held on by something... |
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bpogue
Manufacturer/Vendor
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Post by bpogue on May 1, 2012 19:53:18 GMT
It's a nut.
The inner circle is the rod, the outer is the "nut".
To get mine apart I had to basically destroy the nut, so keep that in mind.
I took a 3" screw (basically anything with substantial and hard enough point) and made an indentation with a hammer in the nut on the top sloped side. Then I vised the sword and tapped the screw around (again with the hammer) using the indentation to get a purchase on the nut. Then I took the nut to a store and bought the same thread pitch nut in an auto grade #8. That way I can tighten as needed with a wrench. I'm not sure after disassembly if you could even get the original tightened down properly, I haven't tried!
I think Hanwei tightens the nut on then grinds it down to be flush with the pommel, pure speculation on my part.
Blake
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Post by randomnobody on May 1, 2012 20:19:30 GMT
Ah, that was theory #3. An odd way of doing things, though.
I think I'll refrain from doing the same with mine, sounds too much like hard work. : oops:
Any word on where Hanwei plans to go with this as far as production? Is this pretty much the final product, or are developers still working? I think Hanwei has a good shot at making a solid, quality shasqua, but there is plenty of room for trimming and tweaking on the prototype.
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