Castlekeep Type H Viking Sword Review PIC UPDATE 28/12/13
Nov 14, 2013 15:18:05 GMT
Post by LemuelTheLemur on Nov 14, 2013 15:18:05 GMT
2 weeks ago I was lucky enough to have picked up a second-hand Rob Miller Type H Viking with a matching scabbard for a little over half its buying price. The previous owner bought it 2 years and never cut with it, so the condition is close to new. I've just received it today and here are a handful of pictures.
The Fit & Finish
The blade is just splendid. I'm a total sucker for wide fullers and this just takes the cake. The polish is mostly excellent, but you can spot some barely noticeable areas where the direction of the polish isn't aligned. I guess the final polish was done by hand rather than machine which is always impressive.
The hilt as a whole is very appealing but I'm still getting over how small it is. I've read Marc's review, I've looked at a ruler, and I was prepared to own a sword with a petite girly grip. Yet when the sword arrived my first thought was DAMN dat hilt is tight! Here's a picture of the hilt next to my VA Bristol to put things in perspective. They make the cute couple don't they?
The birch grip is quite nice to look at but the colour of the grain is a bit subdued. I'm not sure if this is just a result of the wood aging or if that's what its meant to look like; in any case I wish it was a bit more vibrant. The grip certainly feels solid, but there is a a very slight crack along the "seam" of the grip. Also the wood appears to have splintered a little where it meets the central spacer. I find these details only a little unsightly, and I really haven't got much to complain considering the sword is second hand.
The carved sterling ring spacer has a very pleasing design, however i think some liver of sulfur is called for to really make the pattern pop! There will be a picture update as soon as this happens.
The pommel is a one piece construction. The peen's a bit more obvious than I hoped it would be, but I've convinced myself it's rather charming like that.
Handling
As much as the size of the hilt kinda weirds me out, I have to admit it's incredibly comfortable. I do wish the grip was slightly wider to help with edge alignment but that's really my only gripe. At first I was a bit apprehensive swinging the sword; the tiny grip and the small pommel combined with the forward POB had me worried the sword might go flying out of my hand. Once I got over myself, the sword is just a joy to swing.
This is my first Viking sword so I'm assuming by the great reputation Rob Miller enjoys that this is the way a Viking sword is meant to handle. It's powerful, authoritative, and very difficult to stop mid-stroke. It lacks the wieldiness of the VA Bristol but definitely makes up for it in terms of sheer power. I feels like I could split a man from shoulder to navel with this thing.
Bonus Scabbard
A very well constructed scabbard, no rattling, and it feels like there's a some fur lining near the bottom which snugly fits against the blade. You can hold the scabbard upside down without the sword falling out so that's pretty neat. It also features some pretty top notch silver cast fittings. My only gripe is that the belt doesn't have any belt holes. Sounds kinda weird doesn't it? Must be a historical accuracy thing
Conclusion
I was expecting great things and those expectations were met. There were some idiosyncrasies which you might expect from a hand made piece but this sword was definitely made with a lot of attention to detail.
I think it's just Rob Miller whose making all these swords by himself, and it boggles my mind how he's only charging £675 for this sword.
Great sword, fantastic value at full price, and I'm chuffed to bits at picking it up at a little over half that.
The Fit & Finish
The blade is just splendid. I'm a total sucker for wide fullers and this just takes the cake. The polish is mostly excellent, but you can spot some barely noticeable areas where the direction of the polish isn't aligned. I guess the final polish was done by hand rather than machine which is always impressive.
The hilt as a whole is very appealing but I'm still getting over how small it is. I've read Marc's review, I've looked at a ruler, and I was prepared to own a sword with a petite girly grip. Yet when the sword arrived my first thought was DAMN dat hilt is tight! Here's a picture of the hilt next to my VA Bristol to put things in perspective. They make the cute couple don't they?
The birch grip is quite nice to look at but the colour of the grain is a bit subdued. I'm not sure if this is just a result of the wood aging or if that's what its meant to look like; in any case I wish it was a bit more vibrant. The grip certainly feels solid, but there is a a very slight crack along the "seam" of the grip. Also the wood appears to have splintered a little where it meets the central spacer. I find these details only a little unsightly, and I really haven't got much to complain considering the sword is second hand.
The carved sterling ring spacer has a very pleasing design, however i think some liver of sulfur is called for to really make the pattern pop! There will be a picture update as soon as this happens.
The pommel is a one piece construction. The peen's a bit more obvious than I hoped it would be, but I've convinced myself it's rather charming like that.
Handling
As much as the size of the hilt kinda weirds me out, I have to admit it's incredibly comfortable. I do wish the grip was slightly wider to help with edge alignment but that's really my only gripe. At first I was a bit apprehensive swinging the sword; the tiny grip and the small pommel combined with the forward POB had me worried the sword might go flying out of my hand. Once I got over myself, the sword is just a joy to swing.
This is my first Viking sword so I'm assuming by the great reputation Rob Miller enjoys that this is the way a Viking sword is meant to handle. It's powerful, authoritative, and very difficult to stop mid-stroke. It lacks the wieldiness of the VA Bristol but definitely makes up for it in terms of sheer power. I feels like I could split a man from shoulder to navel with this thing.
Bonus Scabbard
A very well constructed scabbard, no rattling, and it feels like there's a some fur lining near the bottom which snugly fits against the blade. You can hold the scabbard upside down without the sword falling out so that's pretty neat. It also features some pretty top notch silver cast fittings. My only gripe is that the belt doesn't have any belt holes. Sounds kinda weird doesn't it? Must be a historical accuracy thing
Conclusion
I was expecting great things and those expectations were met. There were some idiosyncrasies which you might expect from a hand made piece but this sword was definitely made with a lot of attention to detail.
I think it's just Rob Miller whose making all these swords by himself, and it boggles my mind how he's only charging £675 for this sword.
Great sword, fantastic value at full price, and I'm chuffed to bits at picking it up at a little over half that.