ATrim 1315 (May 2014)
May 21, 2014 1:58:16 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2014 1:58:16 GMT
Hello! I'd like to present my ATrim 1315, purchased earlier this month from Christian Fletcher. Per conversation with Christian, this sword is as received from Angus Trim.
Physical Statistics:
Over-all length: 37.5"
Blade: 31"
Width of Blade at base: 1.75"
Point of Balance: 4.5" north of the crossguard
Grip: 4" (6" to base of pommel)
Crossguard: 7"
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Angus Trim swords have a reputation of leaning more towards the performance side of things than historical accuracy. This may be the case, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the neutral balance still allows a fair sense of blade presence. There is a weight to this sword that lends it a sense of seriousness, that it could certainly step back into the role a similar item would have served for many centuries ago.
I was very pleased to see a far more professional attention to the edge than other swords from Mr. Trim seem to have received, the edge bevel is little more than a thin gleam at either side of the blade's lenticular cross section. The fuller appears well shaped along it's length and terminates nicely and evenly on both sides, running 3/4 of the blade's length.
The crossguard and pommel were both darkened and contrast nicely with the black leather grip. The seam in the leather can be found by sight and feel with some deliberate effort and is easy to gloss over on a hasty inspection.
I would describe the handling as more "authoritative" than necessarily agile or nimble - it is not clumsy or sluggish by any means, but it really evokes a feeling of power more than anything else. It just feels strong in the hand, which was a great relief as I was not sure what to expect. Prior reviews had me anticipating something whippy and intended for light cutting duties - which could not be further from the truth.
There are few areas that could have been executed to a higher degree and really take this sword from "pretty good" into "rather excellent". The tip geometry is less precise than I would have hoped for, but this is not a show stopper. The crossguard is not entirely symmetrical - one side (which I have designated the long edge) is a bit thicker than the other. It is not blatantly so, and for all I know may be an intentional effect to have a subtle influence on handling, but it was a bit of a visual stumbling block.
The grip itself is something I am not sure about - it may end up getting replaced although I plan to spend some time working with it to see if it may just be an issue of adaptation. Any extended use results in moderate hand-cramping, which I am inclined to see as stemming from it being considerably thinner than any other edged weapon I have experience in. Using a glove helps a bit, although I much prefer the direct tactile connection, but it does not completely alleviate the issue. Time will tell at this point.
Thank you.
Physical Statistics:
Over-all length: 37.5"
Blade: 31"
Width of Blade at base: 1.75"
Point of Balance: 4.5" north of the crossguard
Grip: 4" (6" to base of pommel)
Crossguard: 7"
----
Angus Trim swords have a reputation of leaning more towards the performance side of things than historical accuracy. This may be the case, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the neutral balance still allows a fair sense of blade presence. There is a weight to this sword that lends it a sense of seriousness, that it could certainly step back into the role a similar item would have served for many centuries ago.
I was very pleased to see a far more professional attention to the edge than other swords from Mr. Trim seem to have received, the edge bevel is little more than a thin gleam at either side of the blade's lenticular cross section. The fuller appears well shaped along it's length and terminates nicely and evenly on both sides, running 3/4 of the blade's length.
The crossguard and pommel were both darkened and contrast nicely with the black leather grip. The seam in the leather can be found by sight and feel with some deliberate effort and is easy to gloss over on a hasty inspection.
I would describe the handling as more "authoritative" than necessarily agile or nimble - it is not clumsy or sluggish by any means, but it really evokes a feeling of power more than anything else. It just feels strong in the hand, which was a great relief as I was not sure what to expect. Prior reviews had me anticipating something whippy and intended for light cutting duties - which could not be further from the truth.
There are few areas that could have been executed to a higher degree and really take this sword from "pretty good" into "rather excellent". The tip geometry is less precise than I would have hoped for, but this is not a show stopper. The crossguard is not entirely symmetrical - one side (which I have designated the long edge) is a bit thicker than the other. It is not blatantly so, and for all I know may be an intentional effect to have a subtle influence on handling, but it was a bit of a visual stumbling block.
The grip itself is something I am not sure about - it may end up getting replaced although I plan to spend some time working with it to see if it may just be an issue of adaptation. Any extended use results in moderate hand-cramping, which I am inclined to see as stemming from it being considerably thinner than any other edged weapon I have experience in. Using a glove helps a bit, although I much prefer the direct tactile connection, but it does not completely alleviate the issue. Time will tell at this point.
Thank you.
