Windlass Bar Mace
Dec 13, 2007 1:36:41 GMT
Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2007 1:36:41 GMT
Hi again all. Robert Betts of Valley, AL here again with another destructive test review. The subject this time being Windlass’ bar mace.
I decided that I owed myself a present to myself for completing another semester of hell (otherwise known as RN school). So I drove over to Atlanta and picked this piece up from their showroom. Normally this retails for 120.00, but showroom purchases save 10% (which basically covers the tax involved). This particular one was slightly flawed, so was further discounted. I’ve been admiring this piece since Windlass released it over a year ago just for its straightforward functionality. Supposedly it is based off a period mace found in the Thames River.
The mace is just about as basic as you can get. It begins as a solid x shaped bar of steel 2 inches wide at the distal end, tapering to 1 ¼” at the “hilt”, then leveling off and continuing through to the pommel. The pommel is a solid steel ball type (reminding me of a miniature trailer hitch ball in design). The grip is leather spacers inserted into the x frame, then over wrapped in leather. A spiral lace wrap is then applied over that layer of leather, and is “capped” by another leather wrap at the hilt and pommel. This provides a sturdy gripping surface, though not the most comfortable of ones bare handed (with gloves, no problem).
Stats
Weight: ok guys, here’s the killer: 5 lbs. No wimps need apply. (Windlass lists this as 4lbs 8oz- I tried it on 2 different scales- 5 lbs, even- ½ lb variation?)
Overall length: 29”
“blade” length: 20”
POB approximately 6 ¼”
COP isn’t quite as applicable here, but between 13-18” is where impact felt natural to me when swinging this piece.
Because it’s an x shape, damage imparted can be either along a single spine, or across two. The spines are approximately 1 7/16” apart at the tip, with the “circumference” being slightly less than 6” (again at the tip).
The tests
If you notice above, the key to these is the word destructive. I tested against (in order) a 1 ½” ash handle, a ¾” piece of IMC conduit (intermediate metal conduit- a galvanized steel alloy- see data below), a concrete block, a 1” thick pine slab (remnants of a table top) and a filled 2 liter bottle. None of the targets were “fixed” in any way, so some contact value was lost on each test swing.
The ash handle took three blows before completely snapping in two. (It splintered on the first blow)
.
before
.
strike one
.
strike two
.
strike three
.
.
.
The IMC conduit took two blows before bending significantly out of true. This was the “hardest” test, resulting in some dimpling of the mace edges at the point of contact. For those not familiar with this type of pipe, it requires a mechanical bender, and usually a powered one, to manipulate.
IMC data (averages)
Trade Size Designator (eng/metric) 3/4" 21
Nominal Diameter 1.029" or 26.1mm
Outside Nominal Wall Thickness 0.075" or 1.9mm
before
after
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.
.
The concrete block shattered in one blow. It did significant scratch damage to the mace’s finish over about a ½” area at the point of impact.
before
.
after
.
.
The pine slab proved to be rather resilient. It never split, but suffered ½ to ¾ inch indention’s. Repeated strikes in the same spot only deepened the indention.
.
before
.
.
.
The 2 liter bottle test was a straight blow along the bottle’s axis. It is a good reminder of how water resists compression. Water loss was a result of the cap blowing off.
.
before (ok Pepsi, where's my check?)
.
after
.
.
Through these tests the mace did its thing well. The dimpling and slight rolling of the edges was expected versus the conduit; as was the scratching and surface marring versus the block. One virtue of such a weapon, any such marring does not affect its functionality. The two photos below show (top) edge dimples from conduit along two edges and (bottom) finish marring from the concrete block.
.
.
Only two real drawbacks. The first I see is the weight. At 5 lbs, it would tire you out unless you have very good arm strength and stamina. It could probably lose a half pound or more and function just as well (It really needs to be its listed weight!).
The second is price. The $120 retail tag is just a bit too high. KOH doesn’t carry this piece, but several of the other regular Windlass resellers do. There is very little price variation from retail. The lowest I’ve found doing a quick search is $102, from VictorySwords.com (whom I’ve never dealt with so can’t make a recommendation.). I have seen one on eBay in the last year (Happens to be there now for roughly $100 Canadian). So you pretty much have to pay retail to get this thing (or do like I did and go to Atlanta for a direct sale).
The mace cleaned up very nicely afterwards. The blank metal fairly screams for customization (if you’re into that sort of thing), and would allow plenty of room to do so.
The ratings
Historical accuracy: Having never seen the piece it was model on, no clue- so passing on this one
Fit and Finish: 3/5-Mine was a second for slight blemishes and a pre-existing dimple on one spine, excluding that though a half pound variance from listed weight? Come on.
Handling: 3/5- very usable, but not a very quick recovery due to mass (or maybe I’m just getting old…)
Structural Integrity: 5/5 Someone might be able to screw this one up, but it would be VERY hard to do.
Value for Money: 3/5 Ok, I admit it, I’m a cheapskate!
Overall: 3.5/5 Would I buy it again? Sure. It’s a good solid piece that you could truly depend on to do its intended job. I happen to like its simplistic design and lines, so it’s aesthetically appealing to me.
I decided that I owed myself a present to myself for completing another semester of hell (otherwise known as RN school). So I drove over to Atlanta and picked this piece up from their showroom. Normally this retails for 120.00, but showroom purchases save 10% (which basically covers the tax involved). This particular one was slightly flawed, so was further discounted. I’ve been admiring this piece since Windlass released it over a year ago just for its straightforward functionality. Supposedly it is based off a period mace found in the Thames River.
The mace is just about as basic as you can get. It begins as a solid x shaped bar of steel 2 inches wide at the distal end, tapering to 1 ¼” at the “hilt”, then leveling off and continuing through to the pommel. The pommel is a solid steel ball type (reminding me of a miniature trailer hitch ball in design). The grip is leather spacers inserted into the x frame, then over wrapped in leather. A spiral lace wrap is then applied over that layer of leather, and is “capped” by another leather wrap at the hilt and pommel. This provides a sturdy gripping surface, though not the most comfortable of ones bare handed (with gloves, no problem).
Stats
Weight: ok guys, here’s the killer: 5 lbs. No wimps need apply. (Windlass lists this as 4lbs 8oz- I tried it on 2 different scales- 5 lbs, even- ½ lb variation?)
Overall length: 29”
“blade” length: 20”
POB approximately 6 ¼”
COP isn’t quite as applicable here, but between 13-18” is where impact felt natural to me when swinging this piece.
Because it’s an x shape, damage imparted can be either along a single spine, or across two. The spines are approximately 1 7/16” apart at the tip, with the “circumference” being slightly less than 6” (again at the tip).
The tests
If you notice above, the key to these is the word destructive. I tested against (in order) a 1 ½” ash handle, a ¾” piece of IMC conduit (intermediate metal conduit- a galvanized steel alloy- see data below), a concrete block, a 1” thick pine slab (remnants of a table top) and a filled 2 liter bottle. None of the targets were “fixed” in any way, so some contact value was lost on each test swing.
The ash handle took three blows before completely snapping in two. (It splintered on the first blow)
.
before
.
strike one
.
strike two
.
strike three
.
.
.
The IMC conduit took two blows before bending significantly out of true. This was the “hardest” test, resulting in some dimpling of the mace edges at the point of contact. For those not familiar with this type of pipe, it requires a mechanical bender, and usually a powered one, to manipulate.
IMC data (averages)
Trade Size Designator (eng/metric) 3/4" 21
Nominal Diameter 1.029" or 26.1mm
Outside Nominal Wall Thickness 0.075" or 1.9mm
before
after
.
.
.
The concrete block shattered in one blow. It did significant scratch damage to the mace’s finish over about a ½” area at the point of impact.
before
.
after
.
.
The pine slab proved to be rather resilient. It never split, but suffered ½ to ¾ inch indention’s. Repeated strikes in the same spot only deepened the indention.
.
before
.
.
.
The 2 liter bottle test was a straight blow along the bottle’s axis. It is a good reminder of how water resists compression. Water loss was a result of the cap blowing off.
.
before (ok Pepsi, where's my check?)
.
after
.
.
Through these tests the mace did its thing well. The dimpling and slight rolling of the edges was expected versus the conduit; as was the scratching and surface marring versus the block. One virtue of such a weapon, any such marring does not affect its functionality. The two photos below show (top) edge dimples from conduit along two edges and (bottom) finish marring from the concrete block.
.
.
Only two real drawbacks. The first I see is the weight. At 5 lbs, it would tire you out unless you have very good arm strength and stamina. It could probably lose a half pound or more and function just as well (It really needs to be its listed weight!).
The second is price. The $120 retail tag is just a bit too high. KOH doesn’t carry this piece, but several of the other regular Windlass resellers do. There is very little price variation from retail. The lowest I’ve found doing a quick search is $102, from VictorySwords.com (whom I’ve never dealt with so can’t make a recommendation.). I have seen one on eBay in the last year (Happens to be there now for roughly $100 Canadian). So you pretty much have to pay retail to get this thing (or do like I did and go to Atlanta for a direct sale).
The mace cleaned up very nicely afterwards. The blank metal fairly screams for customization (if you’re into that sort of thing), and would allow plenty of room to do so.
The ratings
Historical accuracy: Having never seen the piece it was model on, no clue- so passing on this one
Fit and Finish: 3/5-Mine was a second for slight blemishes and a pre-existing dimple on one spine, excluding that though a half pound variance from listed weight? Come on.
Handling: 3/5- very usable, but not a very quick recovery due to mass (or maybe I’m just getting old…)
Structural Integrity: 5/5 Someone might be able to screw this one up, but it would be VERY hard to do.
Value for Money: 3/5 Ok, I admit it, I’m a cheapskate!
Overall: 3.5/5 Would I buy it again? Sure. It’s a good solid piece that you could truly depend on to do its intended job. I happen to like its simplistic design and lines, so it’s aesthetically appealing to me.
...
