Windlass Sword of Homildon Hill
Jul 16, 2014 6:15:19 GMT
Post by Voltan on Jul 16, 2014 6:15:19 GMT
Windlass Sword of Homildon Hill
by Jason L McEntee
Introduction
My H/T EMSHS was my go-to cutting sword for quite a while. However, I prefer to use two hands when cutting. The EMSHS being a single-hand sword, I had a fishtail pommel made for it by Ernie at Yeshua's Sword. This give me a little more room for the second hand.
That worked for a while, but my last cutting session with it made me realize I needed a sword with a longer grip. I'd seen a few pics of the Windlass Sword of Homildon Hill in a few threads here, most recently when The Incredible Holg posted pics of his. The pic of him holding it gave me a great visualization of the grip size, and that pretty much sold me on it. So, I put the EMSHS up for trade, and got a Homildon Hill of my own.
Full Disclosure
This sword was purchased at full price from KOA by another forum member, and shipped to me as payment for my H/T EMSHS that he received in trade. Neither myself or the other party in this deal are affiliated in any way with Windlass Steelcrafts or KOA. Total cost for the unsharpened Homildon Hill with shipping was $204.31
Historical Significance
As I am most certainly NOT a historian, I wouldn't know more than what KOA and Windlass wrote about the sword. They place it in the time of the English/Scottish wars, when the King of England was preoccupied with the Hundred Years War. The sword is said to be named for the battle on Homildon Hill, in which the Scottish leader, Archibald IV, Earl of Douglas, is captured by Sir Henry "Hotspur" Percy of England.
Initial Impressions
KOA did a fine job of packing the sword, as usual. My first impression upon unwrapping the sword was that it looked bigger in person than in the pics I've seen. With that in mind, I was immediately impressed by how it felt in hand---light and well balanced. Graceful lines, darkened hilt furniture, & engraved fullers all combine to make an elegant yet formidable appearance. I wasn't too impressed by the scabbard, but it serves it's purpose. Other than that, so far, so good.
Stats
Total length: 43 & 5/8"
Blade length: 33 & 5/8"
Grip length: 6"
Total hilt length: 10"
Blade width @ guard: 1 & 3/4"
POB: 2 & 1/2" from guard
COP: 22 & 1/2" from guard
Weight, after sharpening: 3 lbs, 3 oz
Assembly: Peened
***Actual weight and measurements, as taken by me***
The Blade
I'm having trouble narrowing down the blade type. It seems to straddle a line between a XVIa and an XVIIIb? The fullers terminate at almost exactly halfway down the blade, and have Latin engravings in each one. One side of the blade reads, "Who lives in falsehood slays his soul," while the opposite side reads, "Whose speech is false, his honor." The text is perfectly centered in the fuller on one side of the blade, but a little off-center on the other side. The blade transitions to a diamond cross-section after the fullers, ending in a slightly spatulate tip. I requested the sword unsharpened, as I do all my own edges now. I sharpened just the last two-thirds of the blade, and profiled the point to be a bit more acute. The blade has a good amount of flex, but I wouldn't call it whippy. It has the typical Windlass semi-mirror polish.
Before sharpening:
After sharpening:
The Hilt
The hilt on this sword is just what I've been looking for---visually appealing, while plenty big enough for two hands. Both pommel and guard are well detailed and have a nice bronze colored finish---I'd say a type 9 guard with a type T5 pommel? The grip is wood wrapped in cord, and quite comfortable to hold. On one side, the top of the cord wrap is slightly frayed where it butts up against the guard, but not badly. The peen is solid, but more oval shaped than circular.
When thumping the flat of the pommel to find the COP, an occasional light "thud" (for lack of a better word) can be heard, up near the top of the grip. After some inquiries here and some testing, I believe it's most likely the blade vibrating against a pocket in the top of the grip that is devoid of glue. Not a sound during cutting however, as both cross and pommel are good and tight, and there is no movement in the grip either.
The Scabbard
KOA's description reads, "leather covered scabbard." My question is, leather covering what? It's certainly not wood, as the scabbard gives if you squeeze it. It looks ok, and the fit is decent enough, yet the sword will come out if inverted. The guard doesn't quite fit flush against the scabbard's throat accent---there's about a millimeter or two of a gap. It does serve it's intended purpose, but I'd be willing to pay more for the package if the scabbard was better.
Handling
This sword scored well in the handling department. It felt just a little heavier than the H/T Fullered Bastard sword, with similar handling. Quick and lively, this sword is begging to be used. After cutting with my DSA Excalibur recently, I could easily feel the difference in handling with the Homildon Hill. It's actually going to take a little time for me to get used to a faster handling sword again!
Cutting
The Sword of Homildon Hill is a blast to cut with! The sword itself performed better than I did, as I edited out quite a few missed strikes. I'm gonna blame the fact that I've never done a cutting session after a ten hour day at work until this one, combined with the different feel of this lighter, faster sword.
Conclusion
Overall I'm impressed by this sword, especially considering the cost. I find the Homildon Hill to be well worth it's low price, with positive points going to both appearance and functionality. There are a few fit and finish issues, as should be expected in this price range, but nothing worth making a fuss over. All in all, a good buy for the money.
Pros
Elegant yet imposing appearance
Well Balanced & lively
A great cutter
Low price
Cons
Some fit & finish flaws
Scabbard could be better
Bottom Line
In my opinion, this sword is an unsung hero for the sub $300 category. With a list price of $189.95 on KOA, I find the sword of Homildon Hill to be an excellent value. With both good looks and handling, it's a solid cutter with plenty of room for two hands. For those with tight budgets like myself, I would highly recommend considering this fine offering from Windlass. For me, no regrets here...
by Jason L McEntee
Introduction
My H/T EMSHS was my go-to cutting sword for quite a while. However, I prefer to use two hands when cutting. The EMSHS being a single-hand sword, I had a fishtail pommel made for it by Ernie at Yeshua's Sword. This give me a little more room for the second hand.
That worked for a while, but my last cutting session with it made me realize I needed a sword with a longer grip. I'd seen a few pics of the Windlass Sword of Homildon Hill in a few threads here, most recently when The Incredible Holg posted pics of his. The pic of him holding it gave me a great visualization of the grip size, and that pretty much sold me on it. So, I put the EMSHS up for trade, and got a Homildon Hill of my own.
Full Disclosure
This sword was purchased at full price from KOA by another forum member, and shipped to me as payment for my H/T EMSHS that he received in trade. Neither myself or the other party in this deal are affiliated in any way with Windlass Steelcrafts or KOA. Total cost for the unsharpened Homildon Hill with shipping was $204.31
Historical Significance
As I am most certainly NOT a historian, I wouldn't know more than what KOA and Windlass wrote about the sword. They place it in the time of the English/Scottish wars, when the King of England was preoccupied with the Hundred Years War. The sword is said to be named for the battle on Homildon Hill, in which the Scottish leader, Archibald IV, Earl of Douglas, is captured by Sir Henry "Hotspur" Percy of England.
Initial Impressions
KOA did a fine job of packing the sword, as usual. My first impression upon unwrapping the sword was that it looked bigger in person than in the pics I've seen. With that in mind, I was immediately impressed by how it felt in hand---light and well balanced. Graceful lines, darkened hilt furniture, & engraved fullers all combine to make an elegant yet formidable appearance. I wasn't too impressed by the scabbard, but it serves it's purpose. Other than that, so far, so good.
Stats
Total length: 43 & 5/8"
Blade length: 33 & 5/8"
Grip length: 6"
Total hilt length: 10"
Blade width @ guard: 1 & 3/4"
POB: 2 & 1/2" from guard
COP: 22 & 1/2" from guard
Weight, after sharpening: 3 lbs, 3 oz
Assembly: Peened
***Actual weight and measurements, as taken by me***
The Blade
I'm having trouble narrowing down the blade type. It seems to straddle a line between a XVIa and an XVIIIb? The fullers terminate at almost exactly halfway down the blade, and have Latin engravings in each one. One side of the blade reads, "Who lives in falsehood slays his soul," while the opposite side reads, "Whose speech is false, his honor." The text is perfectly centered in the fuller on one side of the blade, but a little off-center on the other side. The blade transitions to a diamond cross-section after the fullers, ending in a slightly spatulate tip. I requested the sword unsharpened, as I do all my own edges now. I sharpened just the last two-thirds of the blade, and profiled the point to be a bit more acute. The blade has a good amount of flex, but I wouldn't call it whippy. It has the typical Windlass semi-mirror polish.
Before sharpening:
After sharpening:
The Hilt
The hilt on this sword is just what I've been looking for---visually appealing, while plenty big enough for two hands. Both pommel and guard are well detailed and have a nice bronze colored finish---I'd say a type 9 guard with a type T5 pommel? The grip is wood wrapped in cord, and quite comfortable to hold. On one side, the top of the cord wrap is slightly frayed where it butts up against the guard, but not badly. The peen is solid, but more oval shaped than circular.
When thumping the flat of the pommel to find the COP, an occasional light "thud" (for lack of a better word) can be heard, up near the top of the grip. After some inquiries here and some testing, I believe it's most likely the blade vibrating against a pocket in the top of the grip that is devoid of glue. Not a sound during cutting however, as both cross and pommel are good and tight, and there is no movement in the grip either.
The Scabbard
KOA's description reads, "leather covered scabbard." My question is, leather covering what? It's certainly not wood, as the scabbard gives if you squeeze it. It looks ok, and the fit is decent enough, yet the sword will come out if inverted. The guard doesn't quite fit flush against the scabbard's throat accent---there's about a millimeter or two of a gap. It does serve it's intended purpose, but I'd be willing to pay more for the package if the scabbard was better.
Handling
This sword scored well in the handling department. It felt just a little heavier than the H/T Fullered Bastard sword, with similar handling. Quick and lively, this sword is begging to be used. After cutting with my DSA Excalibur recently, I could easily feel the difference in handling with the Homildon Hill. It's actually going to take a little time for me to get used to a faster handling sword again!
Cutting
The Sword of Homildon Hill is a blast to cut with! The sword itself performed better than I did, as I edited out quite a few missed strikes. I'm gonna blame the fact that I've never done a cutting session after a ten hour day at work until this one, combined with the different feel of this lighter, faster sword.
Conclusion
Overall I'm impressed by this sword, especially considering the cost. I find the Homildon Hill to be well worth it's low price, with positive points going to both appearance and functionality. There are a few fit and finish issues, as should be expected in this price range, but nothing worth making a fuss over. All in all, a good buy for the money.
Pros
Elegant yet imposing appearance
Well Balanced & lively
A great cutter
Low price
Cons
Some fit & finish flaws
Scabbard could be better
Bottom Line
In my opinion, this sword is an unsung hero for the sub $300 category. With a list price of $189.95 on KOA, I find the sword of Homildon Hill to be an excellent value. With both good looks and handling, it's a solid cutter with plenty of room for two hands. For those with tight budgets like myself, I would highly recommend considering this fine offering from Windlass. For me, no regrets here...