Review T&T Angus Trim/Tinker Pearce XVIa.3
Jun 29, 2012 4:15:24 GMT
Post by chopper on Jun 29, 2012 4:15:24 GMT
Tried & True Angus Trim/Tinker Pearce XVIa3
First review.
Review by Brian (Chopper)
About this time last year Tom K of Tried & True Armory posted pictures of several swords they had for sale. One of these swords caught my eye. The blade was something that I hadn't seen before. I had only been collecting/studying swords for about six months at that time. I'm partial to large blades and long grips. Swords that have presence and get ones attention. Not only did this sword have that, it also had elegance.
Here's that sword. (photo used with permission, Thanks Tom!)
Unfortunately for me it wasn't for sale. It was commissioned by fellow formite, Dave Kelly. For the next several days I returned to the post and stared at the pictures. I finally gave in and sent Tom a PM for my own commission. I have always liked scent stopper pommels and the type 12 cross-guard but they are not common on production swords. I figured that this would be a good opportunity to see if I could get those fittings on my sword.
A few days later I received a PM from Tom, who said that Angus wouldn't be able to make those fittings. Tom suggested that we source them out to another swordsmith for an additionil fee. I was happy to learn that swordsmith Tinker Pearce had agreed to make them. I figured that for a few more bucks :lol: would be worth spending to get what I wanted. So I gave Tom the go ahead and in about six months every ones friend, the big brown truck, delivered my package.
Historical Overview
I'll admit that I don't know much about the history of European swords and their typology. I'm still learning. The following information was borrowed from Myarmoury.com.
During the period of the high middle ages (1000 to 1300), warriors and craftsmen saw the need to develop a new type of blade to combat the increasing use of plate armour. The older flat blades designed for cutting, lost their effectiveness against this new armour. They saw the need for more accurately pointed blades with cross sections reinforcing for thrusting. The XVIa 's were a dual purpose blade that had enough width at the edge at the center of percussion to deliver a powerful shearing blow while the tip was acute enough to penetrate plate armour. The XVIa was a hand and a half version of the XVI and had a longer blade and a shorter fuller.
Disclosure
I am in no way affiliated with Tried & True Armory. I have never met Tom or Hiroshi and do not communicate with them on a regular basis. This sword was purchased with my own money and I am not receiving anything in return for writing this review. The content of the review is based on my person experience. In no way have I been influenced to provide positive or negative feedback.
Initial Impression
When I received the sword, It was contained in a kind of long cardboard sleeve. The package was secured well and showed no signs of abuse. I removed the sword and observed that the blade, pommel and the ends of the guard were secure in their own cardboard enclosures. If I remember correctly, the grip was wrapped in something resembling clear cling wrap. When I finally removed all the cardboard I saw that the blade, pommel and guard were covered in some kind of thick white grease to protect them from moisture. I remember that after cleaning of the grease, I held it by the grip and thought to myself, "This thing is light!" I have other large swords in my collection but none of them in comparison are as light as this one. This will come into play further down in the handling section
Statistics
Blade length............. 35 inches
Width at guard.........2 inches
Width 2 inches from tip..........1/2 inch
Grip length................7 1/2 inches
Guard width..............7 1/2 inches
Pommel......................2 inches long x 1 3/4 wide
Fuller length.............12 inches
Entire length..............45 inches (3feet 9inches)
COB...........................3 1/2 from guard
COP...........................approx 14 inches from tip
Grip
The grip is a cord wrapped wood core. It's covered in what I believe is leather, died black. There is also a riser on either end of the grip. The seam is noticeable and isn't completely straight but after a year it's still tight and clean. The leather wrapped over either end of the grip is glued well and shows no signs of pulling away from the wood core. I'm pleased with how it turned out. I believe this might be one of Tom's first grips.
Guard
The guard is a Oakeshott type 12. I call it the "S" shaped guard. All the angles are very clean and being a custom made piece, it fits the tang and blade perfectly. The guard comes over the blade slightly and curves to a point at it's center.
Pommel
This has got to be my favorite part of the sword second to the blade. The pommel is a "Scent Stopper" type. I have no idea why they are called that. Maybe someone can enlighten me. Anyway, this to me is a real eye catcher. It has a polish somewhere in between satin and mirror. All the lines are clean and crisp.The end of the tang is threaded and the grip, guard and pommel are held together by a hex nut assembly. The only thing I don't like about the assembly is that the hex nut extends over the pommel slightly and is noticeable. This is something I can probably fix at a later date. Tinker did an amazing job on the pommel.
Blade I talk more about the blade further down.
Handling Characteristics
This is where the sword really shines. The blade tapers down to a sharp point, therefore there is less metal there which reduces the weight at the tip. Due to this, the tip of the blade is very agile and can be maneuvered with precision. The pommel counter balances the blade nicely. The sword recovers easily from a swing and the blades direction of travel can be change quickly. There is absolutely nothing clumsy about this sword. Let it be noted that this is my first sword with a pointed blade so I have no basis for comparison with any other sword with a similar blade type.
Test Cutting
I don't cut on a regular basis so I lack experience. I have cut bottles before but this is my first time to cut a rolled mat. And don't worrry about my assistant. I made sure he was well out of the way before I did any swinging.
Bottles had no chance!
I botched my first cut on the mat really bad and nearly toppled my cutting stand. If I was gong to bend the blade I believe it would have happened then. I have heard that A-Trims have a good heat treat and I honestly believe that this proof of that.
My second and third cuts went clean through the mat. I was left with a few light scratches on the blade but I think that was because I didn't soak the mat long enough (overnight). I didn't do any puncture test to the tip of the blade. I know that it was designed for that purpose and I have confidence in the blade but I wasn't going to take any chances.
Conclusion
This sword has surpassed my expectations. When dry handling it I feel like this is what a sword was meant to feel like. The only thing I would do differently is have it mechanically peened instead of the hex nut assembly. I will definitely be purchasing another A-Trim sword in the future.
Pros
Custom fittings
Balance
performance
Heat treat
Cons
Hex nut assembly is not flush with the end of the pommel.
(which may just be a personal preference)
Bottom Line
Would I recommend this sword to a fried? Absolutely. In my opinion they are just well made swords and worth the wait to have one made.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. I hope it was helpful.
Here are some more Pictures
Comparison to my other A-Trim and the GSOW
First review.
Review by Brian (Chopper)
About this time last year Tom K of Tried & True Armory posted pictures of several swords they had for sale. One of these swords caught my eye. The blade was something that I hadn't seen before. I had only been collecting/studying swords for about six months at that time. I'm partial to large blades and long grips. Swords that have presence and get ones attention. Not only did this sword have that, it also had elegance.
Here's that sword. (photo used with permission, Thanks Tom!)
Unfortunately for me it wasn't for sale. It was commissioned by fellow formite, Dave Kelly. For the next several days I returned to the post and stared at the pictures. I finally gave in and sent Tom a PM for my own commission. I have always liked scent stopper pommels and the type 12 cross-guard but they are not common on production swords. I figured that this would be a good opportunity to see if I could get those fittings on my sword.
A few days later I received a PM from Tom, who said that Angus wouldn't be able to make those fittings. Tom suggested that we source them out to another swordsmith for an additionil fee. I was happy to learn that swordsmith Tinker Pearce had agreed to make them. I figured that for a few more bucks :lol: would be worth spending to get what I wanted. So I gave Tom the go ahead and in about six months every ones friend, the big brown truck, delivered my package.
Historical Overview
I'll admit that I don't know much about the history of European swords and their typology. I'm still learning. The following information was borrowed from Myarmoury.com.
During the period of the high middle ages (1000 to 1300), warriors and craftsmen saw the need to develop a new type of blade to combat the increasing use of plate armour. The older flat blades designed for cutting, lost their effectiveness against this new armour. They saw the need for more accurately pointed blades with cross sections reinforcing for thrusting. The XVIa 's were a dual purpose blade that had enough width at the edge at the center of percussion to deliver a powerful shearing blow while the tip was acute enough to penetrate plate armour. The XVIa was a hand and a half version of the XVI and had a longer blade and a shorter fuller.
Disclosure
I am in no way affiliated with Tried & True Armory. I have never met Tom or Hiroshi and do not communicate with them on a regular basis. This sword was purchased with my own money and I am not receiving anything in return for writing this review. The content of the review is based on my person experience. In no way have I been influenced to provide positive or negative feedback.
Initial Impression
When I received the sword, It was contained in a kind of long cardboard sleeve. The package was secured well and showed no signs of abuse. I removed the sword and observed that the blade, pommel and the ends of the guard were secure in their own cardboard enclosures. If I remember correctly, the grip was wrapped in something resembling clear cling wrap. When I finally removed all the cardboard I saw that the blade, pommel and guard were covered in some kind of thick white grease to protect them from moisture. I remember that after cleaning of the grease, I held it by the grip and thought to myself, "This thing is light!" I have other large swords in my collection but none of them in comparison are as light as this one. This will come into play further down in the handling section
Statistics
Blade length............. 35 inches
Width at guard.........2 inches
Width 2 inches from tip..........1/2 inch
Grip length................7 1/2 inches
Guard width..............7 1/2 inches
Pommel......................2 inches long x 1 3/4 wide
Fuller length.............12 inches
Entire length..............45 inches (3feet 9inches)
COB...........................3 1/2 from guard
COP...........................approx 14 inches from tip
Grip
The grip is a cord wrapped wood core. It's covered in what I believe is leather, died black. There is also a riser on either end of the grip. The seam is noticeable and isn't completely straight but after a year it's still tight and clean. The leather wrapped over either end of the grip is glued well and shows no signs of pulling away from the wood core. I'm pleased with how it turned out. I believe this might be one of Tom's first grips.
Guard
The guard is a Oakeshott type 12. I call it the "S" shaped guard. All the angles are very clean and being a custom made piece, it fits the tang and blade perfectly. The guard comes over the blade slightly and curves to a point at it's center.
Pommel
This has got to be my favorite part of the sword second to the blade. The pommel is a "Scent Stopper" type. I have no idea why they are called that. Maybe someone can enlighten me. Anyway, this to me is a real eye catcher. It has a polish somewhere in between satin and mirror. All the lines are clean and crisp.The end of the tang is threaded and the grip, guard and pommel are held together by a hex nut assembly. The only thing I don't like about the assembly is that the hex nut extends over the pommel slightly and is noticeable. This is something I can probably fix at a later date. Tinker did an amazing job on the pommel.
Blade I talk more about the blade further down.
Handling Characteristics
This is where the sword really shines. The blade tapers down to a sharp point, therefore there is less metal there which reduces the weight at the tip. Due to this, the tip of the blade is very agile and can be maneuvered with precision. The pommel counter balances the blade nicely. The sword recovers easily from a swing and the blades direction of travel can be change quickly. There is absolutely nothing clumsy about this sword. Let it be noted that this is my first sword with a pointed blade so I have no basis for comparison with any other sword with a similar blade type.
Test Cutting
I don't cut on a regular basis so I lack experience. I have cut bottles before but this is my first time to cut a rolled mat. And don't worrry about my assistant. I made sure he was well out of the way before I did any swinging.
Bottles had no chance!
I botched my first cut on the mat really bad and nearly toppled my cutting stand. If I was gong to bend the blade I believe it would have happened then. I have heard that A-Trims have a good heat treat and I honestly believe that this proof of that.
My second and third cuts went clean through the mat. I was left with a few light scratches on the blade but I think that was because I didn't soak the mat long enough (overnight). I didn't do any puncture test to the tip of the blade. I know that it was designed for that purpose and I have confidence in the blade but I wasn't going to take any chances.
Conclusion
This sword has surpassed my expectations. When dry handling it I feel like this is what a sword was meant to feel like. The only thing I would do differently is have it mechanically peened instead of the hex nut assembly. I will definitely be purchasing another A-Trim sword in the future.
Pros
Custom fittings
Balance
performance
Heat treat
Cons
Hex nut assembly is not flush with the end of the pommel.
(which may just be a personal preference)
Bottom Line
Would I recommend this sword to a fried? Absolutely. In my opinion they are just well made swords and worth the wait to have one made.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. I hope it was helpful.
Here are some more Pictures
Comparison to my other A-Trim and the GSOW