Warsword or Messer?
Jun 24, 2012 0:35:06 GMT
Post by Shrugger on Jun 24, 2012 0:35:06 GMT
I'll leave the introduction for some other time and get right to my questions, if you'll excuse my manners.
I've been hankering for a good sword for a while now. But my budget is pretty anorexic as it is, so I really narrowed it down to two or three main options. But I've never owned a sword, so what's missing is some experienced opinions. This, honoured SBG community, is where you come in.
First Option: Tinker Pearce Great Sword Of War - CAS Hanwei
So far, I've found depressingly few reviews of this one. Supposedly, it's a well-built, fairly meaty but balanced cutter. Normally, double-edged swords aren't my thing; even less so when they have noticeable profile taper. The simplicity, weight, long grip (big hands here) and colour won me over, though, and I seriously consider getting it. But as said, I haven't read any actual reports on its performance yet, and even though Tinker Pearce seems to be a likeable fellow, I'm not quite going to take his word for the weapon's quality. Furthermore, the blade seems quite wobbly in the videos, which I cannot stand.
Also, I absolutely do not understand why they did not use the original/protoype design, in which the blade flared outwards at the hilt.
Second Option: Cold Steel Grosse Messer
Here the problem isn't a shortage in reviews, but rather a certain overabundance. So it's a strong cutter, heavy, two-handed, no-nonsense and very robust. Very good! But some say the crossguard rattles, others speak of scratched or even wrongly-made grips, and then there's the horrible prospect of the supposedly sharp blade coming dull. I'm absolutely incompetent when it comes to sharpening, so that's worse than it may sound. Also, the curvature of the blade seems to vary from picture to picture. On some, the blade seems to curve backwards noticeably, on others it appears perfectly straight. A straight one would be very greatly preferred.
Compared to the Sword of War though, it has a stiff and, most importantly, single-edged blade going for it.
Third semi-option: Lutel Hand-and-a-half Sabre
A design similar to the Messer, and with the nicest pommel of all times to boot. Lutel is in Europe, which means a lot to an European like me, believe it or not - especially because I can order directly from the manufacturer, rather than from some shady dealer. On the downside, Lutel swords are not usually sharp, and I don't know how good their sharp ones are. I generally don't know anything about Lutel or the quality of their products.
This HaaH Sabre is also a fair bit more expensive than the other two, even though it's the cheapest of three different versions Lutel offers. Still, it's basically busting my budget, so I really don't favour it.
Fourth wish: A straight Rhomphaia.
It's probably a bit of an ancestry thing, but a Rhomphaia certainly is one thing I'd pay more for. Alas, the only non-custom Rhomphaia on the market seems to be that horrid "Rhomphia of Sitalkes II" thing. Oh, what I would give for a proper straight one.
Anyways.
So, I'll quickly summarize it.
Sword of War
+ Overall Length
+ Longest Grip
+ Simplicity
- Wobbliness?
- No reviews available
- Double-Edged
- Profile Taper
Grosse Messer
+ Single-Edged
+ Tough
+ Long Grip
+ Rigid Blade
- Curved Blade?
- Quality seems to vary
- Scabbard Quality seems to be consistently low
- They misspelled the name. Seriously. How hard can it be to get a German on the phone and have him spell it?
Lutel Sabre
+ European Maker
+ Pommel
+ Single-Edged
- Grip seems too small
-- Too little information
-- Pricey
Rhomphaia
++ The best sword that ever was a polearm
--- Has not been in production for almost two thousand years
Considerations
So, I obviously want a good cutter with a lot of length, weight and a long grip. Prioritised qualities are durability in use, reliability of quality when ordering, and a blade that is, ideally, rigid, single-edged, and sharp. I'm in Germany, so I also need a trustworthy merchant to order it from - unless it actually is advisable to order straight from the manufacturer. An online dealer I've found to have the fewest negative reviews (all the ones in this country seem fairly dubious) offers both the Sword of War and the Messer for 265 Euros each (That'd be around 338 Dollar), which I understand is a lot more expensive than they are in the US. So maybe ordering them from overseas might be better? Especially since there are good shops like Kult Of Athena on the far side of the pond. Or would the shipping costs get in the way of that? As for the Lutel Sabre, it goes for around 330 Euros, so that's quite a price hike, especially since I know next to nothing about its quality.
Well, that's most of what matters on my end. I'll be grateful for any help; both experiences with either of these weapons or with ordering Swords in Germany/Europe would be greatly appreciated, as would be general input.
Shrugger
I've been hankering for a good sword for a while now. But my budget is pretty anorexic as it is, so I really narrowed it down to two or three main options. But I've never owned a sword, so what's missing is some experienced opinions. This, honoured SBG community, is where you come in.
First Option: Tinker Pearce Great Sword Of War - CAS Hanwei
So far, I've found depressingly few reviews of this one. Supposedly, it's a well-built, fairly meaty but balanced cutter. Normally, double-edged swords aren't my thing; even less so when they have noticeable profile taper. The simplicity, weight, long grip (big hands here) and colour won me over, though, and I seriously consider getting it. But as said, I haven't read any actual reports on its performance yet, and even though Tinker Pearce seems to be a likeable fellow, I'm not quite going to take his word for the weapon's quality. Furthermore, the blade seems quite wobbly in the videos, which I cannot stand.
Also, I absolutely do not understand why they did not use the original/protoype design, in which the blade flared outwards at the hilt.
Second Option: Cold Steel Grosse Messer
Here the problem isn't a shortage in reviews, but rather a certain overabundance. So it's a strong cutter, heavy, two-handed, no-nonsense and very robust. Very good! But some say the crossguard rattles, others speak of scratched or even wrongly-made grips, and then there's the horrible prospect of the supposedly sharp blade coming dull. I'm absolutely incompetent when it comes to sharpening, so that's worse than it may sound. Also, the curvature of the blade seems to vary from picture to picture. On some, the blade seems to curve backwards noticeably, on others it appears perfectly straight. A straight one would be very greatly preferred.
Compared to the Sword of War though, it has a stiff and, most importantly, single-edged blade going for it.
Third semi-option: Lutel Hand-and-a-half Sabre
A design similar to the Messer, and with the nicest pommel of all times to boot. Lutel is in Europe, which means a lot to an European like me, believe it or not - especially because I can order directly from the manufacturer, rather than from some shady dealer. On the downside, Lutel swords are not usually sharp, and I don't know how good their sharp ones are. I generally don't know anything about Lutel or the quality of their products.
This HaaH Sabre is also a fair bit more expensive than the other two, even though it's the cheapest of three different versions Lutel offers. Still, it's basically busting my budget, so I really don't favour it.
Fourth wish: A straight Rhomphaia.
It's probably a bit of an ancestry thing, but a Rhomphaia certainly is one thing I'd pay more for. Alas, the only non-custom Rhomphaia on the market seems to be that horrid "Rhomphia of Sitalkes II" thing. Oh, what I would give for a proper straight one.
Anyways.
So, I'll quickly summarize it.
Sword of War
+ Overall Length
+ Longest Grip
+ Simplicity
- Wobbliness?
- No reviews available
- Double-Edged
- Profile Taper
Grosse Messer
+ Single-Edged
+ Tough
+ Long Grip
+ Rigid Blade
- Curved Blade?
- Quality seems to vary
- Scabbard Quality seems to be consistently low
- They misspelled the name. Seriously. How hard can it be to get a German on the phone and have him spell it?
Lutel Sabre
+ European Maker
+ Pommel
+ Single-Edged
- Grip seems too small
-- Too little information
-- Pricey
Rhomphaia
++ The best sword that ever was a polearm
--- Has not been in production for almost two thousand years
Considerations
So, I obviously want a good cutter with a lot of length, weight and a long grip. Prioritised qualities are durability in use, reliability of quality when ordering, and a blade that is, ideally, rigid, single-edged, and sharp. I'm in Germany, so I also need a trustworthy merchant to order it from - unless it actually is advisable to order straight from the manufacturer. An online dealer I've found to have the fewest negative reviews (all the ones in this country seem fairly dubious) offers both the Sword of War and the Messer for 265 Euros each (That'd be around 338 Dollar), which I understand is a lot more expensive than they are in the US. So maybe ordering them from overseas might be better? Especially since there are good shops like Kult Of Athena on the far side of the pond. Or would the shipping costs get in the way of that? As for the Lutel Sabre, it goes for around 330 Euros, so that's quite a price hike, especially since I know next to nothing about its quality.
Well, that's most of what matters on my end. I'll be grateful for any help; both experiences with either of these weapons or with ordering Swords in Germany/Europe would be greatly appreciated, as would be general input.
Shrugger