Armory Marek e27
Sept 27, 2014 3:28:35 GMT
Post by JGonzalez on Sept 27, 2014 3:28:35 GMT
Introduction
I am an admirer of the Albion Doge and when I saw this item up for sale on the SBG Forum, I was smitten enough that I bought it.
Historical overview
This sword is supposedly based on an Italian sword style common to the Venetian Republic. If that’s true, I suspect that the original version of this weapon was designed for sea duty! The Republic of Venetia became a naval powerhouse and the effective use of its ships for all kinds of tasks around the Mediterranean Sea was a huge part of its success as a nation. The reason that I believe that this sword was designed to be used at sea is that it handles like it was meant to be used in tight quarters. The deck of a cog, a galley or other vessel during the late 15th through the Mid-16th Centuries was a small, crowded place. Rigging, sheets, ropes and, the people fighting on various decks during a close action would be an event that would make a maneuverable sword, like this piece, a boon.
Full Disclosure
I bought this sword from Pinotte_1814 on this forum. I have no personal or professional relationship with Marek Armory.
Initial Impressions
I liked this sword when I saw the pictures in the ad for it and I fell in love when I unpacked and dry handled it.
Statistics
Sword Maker and Model: Marek Armory e27
Blade Type: Oakeshott Type XIX (variant)
Weight: 2 lb 13 oz. (~ 1.28kg)
OAL: 37 1/2 inches (~955mm)
Blade Length: 29 1/8 inches (~740mm)
Blade Width: 1 9/16 inches (~40mm) at the ricasso to 9/16 inch (~15mm) at 1 inch (~25mm) before the point
Blade Thickness: ~5/16 inch (4mm) at the ricasso to ~3/64 inch (2mm) at 1 inch (~25mm) before the point
C.O.G. .5 inch (~13mm) from the guard
C.O.P. 21.5 inches (~545mm) from the guard
Hilt length: 8.25 inches (~210mm)
Grip Length: 4.5 inches (~115mm)
Components
The Blade
A variant of the Oakeshott Type XIX, the blade from the end of the fuller to the point is a flattened diamond not hexagonal cross section. There is one long central fuller that goes almost three fourths of the blade length and two short fullers on either side of the central one on both sides of the blade at the ricasso. The central fuller is nicely done, the two smaller fullers are a bit off in length and positioning. It is flexible but not whippy. There is a spur about an inch and a quarter in front of the rear quillon that looks like it has been brazed on with some kind of brass colored metal.
It is not sharp. The point is rounded. Beginning at the start of the cutting edge and continuing up to the point there's a pattern of grind marks that are angled about 30 degrees away from the center line of the blade.
There are discolorations in the steel that I had trouble taking pictures of that are visible to my eye. The most obvious areas of discoloration are near the joint of the ricasso and quillons. There are also a few odd spots along the blade itself.
The Armory Marek website states that their swords, as sold, are not sharp and, their sword points are rounded. They will make a sharp and pointed blade by request. They use 14260 spring steel for their blades and I found on some knife centric forums that a few people consider 14260’s properties similar or equal to 5160. I don’t know what that means but some of us on the forum do so I threw that in.
The Handle
Wood core with a leather strip wrapped around it in a spiral with the ends of the strip well trimmed and nicely tucked at the ends of the grip.
It is a good comfortable grip. I wouldn’t fear swinging this like a madman. It’s not the best looking grip but it is serviceable.
The Guard
The guard is steel with a free hanging knuckle-bow and a finger-ring on the forward side of the ricasso. It’s well made and tight to the blade.
The Pommel
The pommel is teardrop shaped in profile and graduated from a roughly ovate outline to hexagonal in cross-section at the peen. It is easily the heaviest pommel that I’ve seen on a sword this size. In fact, if the blade somehow broke and I had no other weapon, the hilt on this thing would probably hold me over until I found something else to use. The pommel is peened in place and the peen is 23/32 inch wide by 3/32 inch thick (~18mm by 2mm) or about the diameter and twice the thickness of a US dime.
The Scabbard
The scabbard is made from heavy leather and shaped to the blade. There is a slit that allows the spur on the blade to seat further into the opening and that slit is crossed over by a leather strap that will keep the slit from opening far enough to allow the scabbard to become too loose to hold the blade well. As it is, the sword will fall out if you turn the sheathed sword pommel down.
Handling Characteristics
The Point of Balance on the Marek e27 is one half of an inch in front of the cross-guard. The point tracks easily and, there is just enough blade presence to deliver a decent cut. It won’t chop off any limbs but it will hurt. It handles like a lot like my Windlass Steelcrafts New Coustille. Standard saber cuts and moulinets are easy to perform and thrusting is very efficient.
Test Cutting
I live in a small apartment. I cannot do a lot of cutting but given the opportunity men will be boys! Having stacked a few things to give my target some height I set an apple in place and took a swing at it. I cleaved it! I hit about a half inch above where I was aiming and the top of the apple went flying. I managed to repeat that with two more apples. I was surprised because not only is the sword not sharp but I didn’t use a violent swing. What I mean is that I didn’t swing full force. I used just my shoulder to perform a horizontal cut from left to right. Anyway, it cuts apples well enough. I also tried slashing at a heavy duty mailing tube. After a series of medium force cuts I found that the sword took the shock of striking so well that I felt very little of the blows’ feedback in my wrists like I have with other swords.
Thrusting is easy, the sword points very well and it can penetrate two layers of postal box cardboard but cannot puncture the heavy duty mailing tube that I had used for slashing. I expected this because the point is blunt and round. It took the force of trying to thrust into the tube well and arced, but no set was taken by the blade.
Conclusions
If the e27 is representative of Armory Marek quality, I would be more than willing to buy some more of their swords. The sword is easy to maneuver and it accepts the shock of striking objects better than other swords that I have tried.
Pros
Very well tempered blade
This is a solidly assembled sword.
Good value for the money
Cons
Weird black discolorations
Some people may not like the leather scabbard which is more like a sheath.
The grip is ‘meh’ in the looks department.
The Bottom Line
I like this sword a lot. It is however, a workingman’s sword. The Marek e27 is as no frills as can be found anywhere and it is still a very capable sword. I would recommend this piece as a nice addition to any collection.
As a comparison here are two pictures with a VA Castile and a DSA Norman sandwiching the Marek e27
I am an admirer of the Albion Doge and when I saw this item up for sale on the SBG Forum, I was smitten enough that I bought it.
Historical overview
This sword is supposedly based on an Italian sword style common to the Venetian Republic. If that’s true, I suspect that the original version of this weapon was designed for sea duty! The Republic of Venetia became a naval powerhouse and the effective use of its ships for all kinds of tasks around the Mediterranean Sea was a huge part of its success as a nation. The reason that I believe that this sword was designed to be used at sea is that it handles like it was meant to be used in tight quarters. The deck of a cog, a galley or other vessel during the late 15th through the Mid-16th Centuries was a small, crowded place. Rigging, sheets, ropes and, the people fighting on various decks during a close action would be an event that would make a maneuverable sword, like this piece, a boon.
Full Disclosure
I bought this sword from Pinotte_1814 on this forum. I have no personal or professional relationship with Marek Armory.
Initial Impressions
I liked this sword when I saw the pictures in the ad for it and I fell in love when I unpacked and dry handled it.
Statistics
Sword Maker and Model: Marek Armory e27
Blade Type: Oakeshott Type XIX (variant)
Weight: 2 lb 13 oz. (~ 1.28kg)
OAL: 37 1/2 inches (~955mm)
Blade Length: 29 1/8 inches (~740mm)
Blade Width: 1 9/16 inches (~40mm) at the ricasso to 9/16 inch (~15mm) at 1 inch (~25mm) before the point
Blade Thickness: ~5/16 inch (4mm) at the ricasso to ~3/64 inch (2mm) at 1 inch (~25mm) before the point
C.O.G. .5 inch (~13mm) from the guard
C.O.P. 21.5 inches (~545mm) from the guard
Hilt length: 8.25 inches (~210mm)
Grip Length: 4.5 inches (~115mm)
Components
The Blade
A variant of the Oakeshott Type XIX, the blade from the end of the fuller to the point is a flattened diamond not hexagonal cross section. There is one long central fuller that goes almost three fourths of the blade length and two short fullers on either side of the central one on both sides of the blade at the ricasso. The central fuller is nicely done, the two smaller fullers are a bit off in length and positioning. It is flexible but not whippy. There is a spur about an inch and a quarter in front of the rear quillon that looks like it has been brazed on with some kind of brass colored metal.
It is not sharp. The point is rounded. Beginning at the start of the cutting edge and continuing up to the point there's a pattern of grind marks that are angled about 30 degrees away from the center line of the blade.
There are discolorations in the steel that I had trouble taking pictures of that are visible to my eye. The most obvious areas of discoloration are near the joint of the ricasso and quillons. There are also a few odd spots along the blade itself.
The Armory Marek website states that their swords, as sold, are not sharp and, their sword points are rounded. They will make a sharp and pointed blade by request. They use 14260 spring steel for their blades and I found on some knife centric forums that a few people consider 14260’s properties similar or equal to 5160. I don’t know what that means but some of us on the forum do so I threw that in.
The Handle
Wood core with a leather strip wrapped around it in a spiral with the ends of the strip well trimmed and nicely tucked at the ends of the grip.
It is a good comfortable grip. I wouldn’t fear swinging this like a madman. It’s not the best looking grip but it is serviceable.
The Guard
The guard is steel with a free hanging knuckle-bow and a finger-ring on the forward side of the ricasso. It’s well made and tight to the blade.
The Pommel
The pommel is teardrop shaped in profile and graduated from a roughly ovate outline to hexagonal in cross-section at the peen. It is easily the heaviest pommel that I’ve seen on a sword this size. In fact, if the blade somehow broke and I had no other weapon, the hilt on this thing would probably hold me over until I found something else to use. The pommel is peened in place and the peen is 23/32 inch wide by 3/32 inch thick (~18mm by 2mm) or about the diameter and twice the thickness of a US dime.
The Scabbard
The scabbard is made from heavy leather and shaped to the blade. There is a slit that allows the spur on the blade to seat further into the opening and that slit is crossed over by a leather strap that will keep the slit from opening far enough to allow the scabbard to become too loose to hold the blade well. As it is, the sword will fall out if you turn the sheathed sword pommel down.
Handling Characteristics
The Point of Balance on the Marek e27 is one half of an inch in front of the cross-guard. The point tracks easily and, there is just enough blade presence to deliver a decent cut. It won’t chop off any limbs but it will hurt. It handles like a lot like my Windlass Steelcrafts New Coustille. Standard saber cuts and moulinets are easy to perform and thrusting is very efficient.
Test Cutting
I live in a small apartment. I cannot do a lot of cutting but given the opportunity men will be boys! Having stacked a few things to give my target some height I set an apple in place and took a swing at it. I cleaved it! I hit about a half inch above where I was aiming and the top of the apple went flying. I managed to repeat that with two more apples. I was surprised because not only is the sword not sharp but I didn’t use a violent swing. What I mean is that I didn’t swing full force. I used just my shoulder to perform a horizontal cut from left to right. Anyway, it cuts apples well enough. I also tried slashing at a heavy duty mailing tube. After a series of medium force cuts I found that the sword took the shock of striking so well that I felt very little of the blows’ feedback in my wrists like I have with other swords.
Thrusting is easy, the sword points very well and it can penetrate two layers of postal box cardboard but cannot puncture the heavy duty mailing tube that I had used for slashing. I expected this because the point is blunt and round. It took the force of trying to thrust into the tube well and arced, but no set was taken by the blade.
Conclusions
If the e27 is representative of Armory Marek quality, I would be more than willing to buy some more of their swords. The sword is easy to maneuver and it accepts the shock of striking objects better than other swords that I have tried.
Pros
Very well tempered blade
This is a solidly assembled sword.
Good value for the money
Cons
Weird black discolorations
Some people may not like the leather scabbard which is more like a sheath.
The grip is ‘meh’ in the looks department.
The Bottom Line
I like this sword a lot. It is however, a workingman’s sword. The Marek e27 is as no frills as can be found anywhere and it is still a very capable sword. I would recommend this piece as a nice addition to any collection.
As a comparison here are two pictures with a VA Castile and a DSA Norman sandwiching the Marek e27