The Last Krom Killer - XVIIIe Sword
Sept 15, 2014 18:22:22 GMT
Post by Dapper Blades on Sept 15, 2014 18:22:22 GMT
Introduction:
I've been drawn to the Oakshott type XVIIIe for as long as I can remember. For anyone who can't just picture this blade type off of the top of your head, they are large 2 handed swords with a long, narrow ricasso, and a diamond cross-section blade. Very thrust-oriented, with a stiff blade. Nimble, but with a fair amount of blade presence. A very strong blade for armored combat.
Despite the elegance and formidable stature of these weapons, production runs are rare, and finding one in the sub 400 dollar price range is difficult to say the least. Geisha's Blade has one for right around 450 USD, but they don't currently ship internationally.
Darksword Armory also has something that sort of resembles a XVIIIe, but it's too short, I don't find it appealing, and it's still 425 USD.
Then, there's the Albion Dane
which let's be honest, if I could afford the Dane, this would be a review of the Dane. As it is, I posted briefly in the WTB section about XVIIIe, and LemuelTheLemur directed me to the SBG sword store. How I had missed and XVIIIe in the SBG sword store is beyond me, but when I pulled up the page, there was 1 left. And sub 400. Done and done.
Historical Overview:
From Peter Johnsson via the Albion Website
Full Disclosure:
I have no affiliation with SBG as a sales entity, and my lovely lady paid full closeout price to give me this sword.
Initial Impressions:
I received the box, and yes, this sword is large.
Inside that box, another, slightly smaller box.
With a cat.
On closer inspection;
oops.
Seems like some of the packaging inside the box failed in shipping.
But this sword is a beast. That is for certain.
Stats:
From the SBG sword store:
Blade 43 inches
Total 63 inches
In sheath 65 inches
Weight 6.7 pounds
My Measurements:
Blade Length: 43.25 inches
Blade Width: 1.5 inches at ricasso, 2 at widest point
Blade thickness: .25 inches at ricasso, tapering to about .125 near tip.
Edge Length: 33.5 inches
Overall Length: 62.5 inches
Grip Length: Just shy of 15.75 inches
Guard Width: 8.5 inches
Center of Percussion: Approx 13 inches from tip
Point of Balance: Approx 1.5 inches from guard
Weight: 5.9 pounds without scabbard, though this was via bathroom scale, so the results are questionable.
Components:
The Pommel:
The pommel is a scent-stopper, and while true to historic pieces, I'm under the impression that on this style of sword it was generally an octagon rather than a hex, but it's still quite nice looking, and massive. This pommel could well be a mace in its own right. The peen is not a perfect circle, but it's still well done, and ground smooth with the pommel.
The Grip:
The grip on the Krom Killer sword is a full wire wrap. I find this unfortunate as far as this style of sword is concerned, since they do have the unique banding handle attributed almost entirely to this style. Having the wire in bands would have made a more attractive piece in my opinion, but customizing is part of the fun of sword ownership, so I'll probably re-do the handle myself.
It's difficult to get this much wire to be tight enough on a handle this size, so I found early that there were places where the tightness is uneven, and it causes an uneven look. Also, in handling the sword, the wire will shift ever so slightly, which is unfortunate.
There was also a crack in the wood, or at the very least, a place where the sealant broke.
There is also some glue residue around the ends of the wire banding. Not stellar on the fit and finish here, but as I said, I'll be re-doing the handle.
The Guard:
I do enjoy the down-turned guard of the Krom Killer. It's quite representative of the style of sword, and the matte finish to match the pommel is appealing to me. My only qualm with the guard is that the fit to the blade is not stellar, and while it doesn't rattle, there is visible sealant or epoxy that holds it in place. Unfortunate, but I may look into correcting the appearance when I'm working on the handle. It's also only visible when looking down the blade.
The Scabbard:
The scabbard is a reasonably attractive wood or possibly wood-like-material that has a black finish. While I don't care for black anywhere on/around my swords, that's a preference more than anything. There is a bit of glue visible around the fittings on the scabbard though, which is a bit sad.
My biggest qualm with the scabbard though, is how the shape of the blade is accommodated in the opening.
I understand the shape, and why it is designed the way it is, but it certainly makes putting the blade back in the scabbard a very precise maneuver, as the blade can catch if it's not being slid in perfectly between the slits.
The Blade:
The blade of the Krom Killer is an attractive one, though not entirely what I was expecting.
In all the reading I've done about the XVIIIe blade type, I've come to believe that the blades tend to be fairly rigid, and more narrow. Powerful thrusting weapons that have a reasonable, but not stellar edge, and rely on blade presence and stiffness for cutting. The Krom Killer does not really fit this. While the diamond cross-section does provide a bit more stiffness than some of the hex-cross sections of other larger swords, the width with the thickness of the Krom Killer do seem to make it more of a cut and thrust, perhaps even leaning more towards cutting than thrusting. I'm certain it would do some damage in a thrust, but I'm not sure the blade is really stiff enough for armored combat like the originals. It has a good amount of flex for a cutting sword, but might be too thin and too broad to really match up to an XVIIIe.
The blade is attractive, and I love the ricasso, but I wish the tip came to a bit more acute of a point.
There were two minor fit-and-finish issues with the blade as well.
First off, where the ricasso flares out into the blade, the transition is not entirely smooth, and there is one small ridge on the curve that is a little unappealing. It's a little hard to make out in the picture, but the light doesn't transition quite right, indicating where the little bump is.
There was also a place on the blade that had some scuffing, indicating some small trauma post-finishing the blade. I'm certain it will come out with some high-grit sandpaper, but it seems like it should be mentioned.
Handling:
This sword is big. If you're not used to a big sword, it may be awkward. That said, it's not insanely overbuilt, nor is it unwieldy. Sure, the Albion Dane is around 4 inches shorter, and almost a pound lighter, but the long grip and point of balance on this blade type make it very maneuverable despite the mass. You can garnish a lot of leverage in a handle that size, which makes the sword relatively easy to control. I'm 5'11" and 180 pounds, and I find it a joy to swing. Conventional longsword techniques may need some adjustment for blade size though.
Test Cutting:
I did do a bit of test cutting with this sword, and it led me to the conclusion that I need to rebuild my stand.
No, I did not destroy my stand with this sword (clipped it once, yes, but it was already pretty trashed) but I found that if I want to try anything impressive, my stand will need to be a little less... wobbly.
First swing clips the stand, but as you can see, it's not like it was really secured in place. Second cut just makes me sad, since stand wobble causes me to fail the attempt. I'll get some more cutting in when I've re-done my stand.
Pros:
A unique take on the XVIIIe style blade.
Surprisingly easy to wield.
One of the few productions of this unique style of sword.
Reasonable price range.
Cons:
Blade might be too cut-oriented for XVIIIe
Some fit and finish issues.
Ugly handle.
The name. If not for LemuelTheLemur, I would have not found this sword, because naming and lack of description on the page caused it to never turn up in my hours of searching.
Website also states that the scabbard is leather with a wood core, rather than painted wood. I would not have remembered this if I were not re-reading the provided description for the con directly above this.
The Bottom Line:
I like this sword very much, and after I'm done with my planned updates, I'll love it. Despite my issues with it on a historical front, namely the fact that I wish the blade were a tiny bit thicker and a little less wide, it's still an impressive blade. I would easily recommend this sword to anyone who is interested in an XVIIIe in this price range. That being said, options for this type of blade under 500 dollars are very few and far between - I've only seen 2.5 including this one (counting DSA as a half since the size shape and overall style are only XVIIIe reminiscent) and one of them doesn't ship outside the Philippines.
The Krom Killer may have been my only option, but I'm glad to own it. Also unfortunately to anyone else who may have had interest in this sword, I did buy the last one from the SBG sword store.
Sorry about that.
I've been drawn to the Oakshott type XVIIIe for as long as I can remember. For anyone who can't just picture this blade type off of the top of your head, they are large 2 handed swords with a long, narrow ricasso, and a diamond cross-section blade. Very thrust-oriented, with a stiff blade. Nimble, but with a fair amount of blade presence. A very strong blade for armored combat.
Despite the elegance and formidable stature of these weapons, production runs are rare, and finding one in the sub 400 dollar price range is difficult to say the least. Geisha's Blade has one for right around 450 USD, but they don't currently ship internationally.
Darksword Armory also has something that sort of resembles a XVIIIe, but it's too short, I don't find it appealing, and it's still 425 USD.
Then, there's the Albion Dane
which let's be honest, if I could afford the Dane, this would be a review of the Dane. As it is, I posted briefly in the WTB section about XVIIIe, and LemuelTheLemur directed me to the SBG sword store. How I had missed and XVIIIe in the SBG sword store is beyond me, but when I pulled up the page, there was 1 left. And sub 400. Done and done.
Historical Overview:
From Peter Johnsson via the Albion Website
The Dane is a representative of those perhaps most characteristic or familiar of the long gripped Scandinavians. These were the swords that Oakeshott described in his classification and included as type XVIIIe.
They stand out from the other long gripped swords because of the character of the blade, and that they all have a ricasso. The blade is usually not so broad but very thick and stout with a diamond shaped cross section. The point is strong and awl like. The proportion grip/blade length is often about 2:5.
The guard is normally curved towards the point, sometimes just a more or less straight bar. The pommel is almost always a scent stopper with octagonal section.
In many cases there are traces of a rather unique grip cover: it has short sections tightly wrapped with iron wire, serving as reinforcement and providing good gripping. The wood could be left plain or covered by leather under the wire binding. In some cases there could have been a leather rain guard covering the cross and the mount of the scabbard.
The feel of these weapons is special and quite apart from most any other type of sword. The thickness of the blade and ricasso is striking. When used in half swording, they could almost qualify as a kind of short pole arm: its thick, stiff blade and tremendous awl point would have been devastating when the swordsman put the full momentum of his body behind a thrust.
The length of grip and blade together provides long reach in both cut and thrust, while the balance provides surprising maneuverability. The point of balance is close to the guard, but the sword still has a positive blade presence because of its mass. They are massive weapons, but agile despite their size.
When seeing swords such as these up close it becomes obvious they were made to be strong thrusting swords. It is equally obvious that blades like these must have been developed to be able to deal and take blows in fighting between fully armoured opponents. Even if a sword cut can never really be expected to cleave armour, a blow from a blade with the mass and stiffness of these swords would still deal terrible damage, stunning or perhaps even killing. The point could conceivably penetrate the thinner parts of plate armour with a good hit, but thrusts would naturally be aimed at gaps and openings, where only mail and/or padding was the protection. To a less than completely armoured opponent the edge and point of these swords would be equally lethal.
They stand out from the other long gripped swords because of the character of the blade, and that they all have a ricasso. The blade is usually not so broad but very thick and stout with a diamond shaped cross section. The point is strong and awl like. The proportion grip/blade length is often about 2:5.
The guard is normally curved towards the point, sometimes just a more or less straight bar. The pommel is almost always a scent stopper with octagonal section.
In many cases there are traces of a rather unique grip cover: it has short sections tightly wrapped with iron wire, serving as reinforcement and providing good gripping. The wood could be left plain or covered by leather under the wire binding. In some cases there could have been a leather rain guard covering the cross and the mount of the scabbard.
The feel of these weapons is special and quite apart from most any other type of sword. The thickness of the blade and ricasso is striking. When used in half swording, they could almost qualify as a kind of short pole arm: its thick, stiff blade and tremendous awl point would have been devastating when the swordsman put the full momentum of his body behind a thrust.
The length of grip and blade together provides long reach in both cut and thrust, while the balance provides surprising maneuverability. The point of balance is close to the guard, but the sword still has a positive blade presence because of its mass. They are massive weapons, but agile despite their size.
When seeing swords such as these up close it becomes obvious they were made to be strong thrusting swords. It is equally obvious that blades like these must have been developed to be able to deal and take blows in fighting between fully armoured opponents. Even if a sword cut can never really be expected to cleave armour, a blow from a blade with the mass and stiffness of these swords would still deal terrible damage, stunning or perhaps even killing. The point could conceivably penetrate the thinner parts of plate armour with a good hit, but thrusts would naturally be aimed at gaps and openings, where only mail and/or padding was the protection. To a less than completely armoured opponent the edge and point of these swords would be equally lethal.
Full Disclosure:
I have no affiliation with SBG as a sales entity, and my lovely lady paid full closeout price to give me this sword.
Initial Impressions:
I received the box, and yes, this sword is large.
Inside that box, another, slightly smaller box.
With a cat.
On closer inspection;
oops.
Seems like some of the packaging inside the box failed in shipping.
But this sword is a beast. That is for certain.
Stats:
From the SBG sword store:
Blade 43 inches
Total 63 inches
In sheath 65 inches
Weight 6.7 pounds
My Measurements:
Blade Length: 43.25 inches
Blade Width: 1.5 inches at ricasso, 2 at widest point
Blade thickness: .25 inches at ricasso, tapering to about .125 near tip.
Edge Length: 33.5 inches
Overall Length: 62.5 inches
Grip Length: Just shy of 15.75 inches
Guard Width: 8.5 inches
Center of Percussion: Approx 13 inches from tip
Point of Balance: Approx 1.5 inches from guard
Weight: 5.9 pounds without scabbard, though this was via bathroom scale, so the results are questionable.
Components:
The Pommel:
The pommel is a scent-stopper, and while true to historic pieces, I'm under the impression that on this style of sword it was generally an octagon rather than a hex, but it's still quite nice looking, and massive. This pommel could well be a mace in its own right. The peen is not a perfect circle, but it's still well done, and ground smooth with the pommel.
The Grip:
The grip on the Krom Killer sword is a full wire wrap. I find this unfortunate as far as this style of sword is concerned, since they do have the unique banding handle attributed almost entirely to this style. Having the wire in bands would have made a more attractive piece in my opinion, but customizing is part of the fun of sword ownership, so I'll probably re-do the handle myself.
It's difficult to get this much wire to be tight enough on a handle this size, so I found early that there were places where the tightness is uneven, and it causes an uneven look. Also, in handling the sword, the wire will shift ever so slightly, which is unfortunate.
There was also a crack in the wood, or at the very least, a place where the sealant broke.
There is also some glue residue around the ends of the wire banding. Not stellar on the fit and finish here, but as I said, I'll be re-doing the handle.
The Guard:
I do enjoy the down-turned guard of the Krom Killer. It's quite representative of the style of sword, and the matte finish to match the pommel is appealing to me. My only qualm with the guard is that the fit to the blade is not stellar, and while it doesn't rattle, there is visible sealant or epoxy that holds it in place. Unfortunate, but I may look into correcting the appearance when I'm working on the handle. It's also only visible when looking down the blade.
The Scabbard:
The scabbard is a reasonably attractive wood or possibly wood-like-material that has a black finish. While I don't care for black anywhere on/around my swords, that's a preference more than anything. There is a bit of glue visible around the fittings on the scabbard though, which is a bit sad.
My biggest qualm with the scabbard though, is how the shape of the blade is accommodated in the opening.
I understand the shape, and why it is designed the way it is, but it certainly makes putting the blade back in the scabbard a very precise maneuver, as the blade can catch if it's not being slid in perfectly between the slits.
The Blade:
The blade of the Krom Killer is an attractive one, though not entirely what I was expecting.
In all the reading I've done about the XVIIIe blade type, I've come to believe that the blades tend to be fairly rigid, and more narrow. Powerful thrusting weapons that have a reasonable, but not stellar edge, and rely on blade presence and stiffness for cutting. The Krom Killer does not really fit this. While the diamond cross-section does provide a bit more stiffness than some of the hex-cross sections of other larger swords, the width with the thickness of the Krom Killer do seem to make it more of a cut and thrust, perhaps even leaning more towards cutting than thrusting. I'm certain it would do some damage in a thrust, but I'm not sure the blade is really stiff enough for armored combat like the originals. It has a good amount of flex for a cutting sword, but might be too thin and too broad to really match up to an XVIIIe.
The blade is attractive, and I love the ricasso, but I wish the tip came to a bit more acute of a point.
There were two minor fit-and-finish issues with the blade as well.
First off, where the ricasso flares out into the blade, the transition is not entirely smooth, and there is one small ridge on the curve that is a little unappealing. It's a little hard to make out in the picture, but the light doesn't transition quite right, indicating where the little bump is.
There was also a place on the blade that had some scuffing, indicating some small trauma post-finishing the blade. I'm certain it will come out with some high-grit sandpaper, but it seems like it should be mentioned.
Handling:
This sword is big. If you're not used to a big sword, it may be awkward. That said, it's not insanely overbuilt, nor is it unwieldy. Sure, the Albion Dane is around 4 inches shorter, and almost a pound lighter, but the long grip and point of balance on this blade type make it very maneuverable despite the mass. You can garnish a lot of leverage in a handle that size, which makes the sword relatively easy to control. I'm 5'11" and 180 pounds, and I find it a joy to swing. Conventional longsword techniques may need some adjustment for blade size though.
Test Cutting:
I did do a bit of test cutting with this sword, and it led me to the conclusion that I need to rebuild my stand.
No, I did not destroy my stand with this sword (clipped it once, yes, but it was already pretty trashed) but I found that if I want to try anything impressive, my stand will need to be a little less... wobbly.
First swing clips the stand, but as you can see, it's not like it was really secured in place. Second cut just makes me sad, since stand wobble causes me to fail the attempt. I'll get some more cutting in when I've re-done my stand.
Pros:
A unique take on the XVIIIe style blade.
Surprisingly easy to wield.
One of the few productions of this unique style of sword.
Reasonable price range.
Cons:
Blade might be too cut-oriented for XVIIIe
Some fit and finish issues.
Ugly handle.
The name. If not for LemuelTheLemur, I would have not found this sword, because naming and lack of description on the page caused it to never turn up in my hours of searching.
Website also states that the scabbard is leather with a wood core, rather than painted wood. I would not have remembered this if I were not re-reading the provided description for the con directly above this.
The Bottom Line:
I like this sword very much, and after I'm done with my planned updates, I'll love it. Despite my issues with it on a historical front, namely the fact that I wish the blade were a tiny bit thicker and a little less wide, it's still an impressive blade. I would easily recommend this sword to anyone who is interested in an XVIIIe in this price range. That being said, options for this type of blade under 500 dollars are very few and far between - I've only seen 2.5 including this one (counting DSA as a half since the size shape and overall style are only XVIIIe reminiscent) and one of them doesn't ship outside the Philippines.
The Krom Killer may have been my only option, but I'm glad to own it. Also unfortunately to anyone else who may have had interest in this sword, I did buy the last one from the SBG sword store.
Sorry about that.