Valiant Armory/CSS Malatesta Review 10-11-14, Updated
Oct 11, 2014 22:53:01 GMT
Post by Arthur Dayne on Oct 11, 2014 22:53:01 GMT
Introduction: I was looking for a solution to my 2 point suspension woes when it came to European Sword Belts/Straps because as much as I love my Kriegschwert, The 2 points on it (and strap lengths) made it somewhat difficult to get the draw & carry angle exactly how I wanted it and while in motion it the sword scabbard would knock everything over unless I kept my hand on it to keep it stabilized.
The Malatesta however has a 3 point suspension and also looked very beautiful with its guard, pommel and handle shape, pointy blade geometry and stunning scabbard+suspension design. In addition, it was lighter and my collection for the most part, lacks a sturdy but light blade.
Initial Impressions:
I was honestly stunned at how the Antique Red Handle, Oxblood Scabbard and Antique Tan belt scheme turned out, absolutely lovely in person and the belt was so flexible and high quality that I can leave it attached to the scabbard indefinitely.
The belt in it's default black turned me off for the longest time, I thought it looked kind of boring and reminded me too much of my old Windlass sword frogs/belts that fell apart, but Customswordshoppe used some really high quality leather and the color and work that went into the detailing/quality control was very impressive to say the least.
Specs:
Overall Length: 43.5 inch
Blade Length: 33.5
Hilt Length: 10 Inches
Effective Grip Length: 9.25 inches
Point of Percussion: 22.5 Inches
Center of Gravity: 5 inches from Guard
Weight (Unfortunately my materials scale is busted because someone sat on it and so I must use the health weight scale so this won't be too accurate): 2.4 pounds for sword, 3.5 pound overall with scabbard.
Blade Geometry comments: Its pretty wide and lenticular and seems highly optimized for cutting, but it tapers to a very nasty point though not a heavy duty thrusting blade due to the thickness, though it does appear to have a flatten diamond geometry after the fuller.
5.5mm near guard
4.5mm mid point
3.5mm Just pass fuller
2.5mm about 1 inch from tip
The blade is pretty sturdy for the most part and is not whippy. I would say its stiff but will flex if you poke something like a hardwood cutting board and push against it. When I first saw this, I thought the blade was on the thin side and fragile... but there's a lot more mass and material to it than first glance but keep in mind there will be slight variations since it is hand forged.
Fuller looks clean and very well done too.
Also important to note, other than the very tip, there is no secondary bevel at all with the rest of the blade from forte to point of percussion, not even a micro one like on my Kriegschwert, it is a continuous apple seed edge which I suspect will aid greatly in cutting soft targets.
Handling Comments: While wearing this sword, the 3 point suspension keeps the whole package really stable and not wobbling all over the place. Because the lower two straps is on a hinge/leather assembly that also extends the strap length, the draw angle can be set greater than 45 degrees no problem. The 3rd point closest to the scabbard mouth allows the hilt to be closer to your waist so sheathing and unsheathing is quicker/easier/safer. You can fine tune the carry comfort to exactly how you want it.
The blade feels very quick, light and deadly and it is effortless to cut and thrust since the center of gravity is only 5 inches. The long handle which is helped in part by the scent stopper pommel gives you plenty of leverage to strike and stop the cut or thrust. The fat waisted leather over cord wrap makes gripping this weapon a pure joy. The Malatesta is something to be felt and played with in real life to appreciate the excellent design.
The shorter effective grip of the Kriegschwert means less leverage but in it's defense, the guard is immensely more durable and can break someone's head open. I wouldn't be bashing someone's face with the Malatesta Guard since it is rather pretty and somewhat frail, but the pommel is plenty tough.
Update as of 10-16-14
I wish I tried this 3 point suspension system a long time ago, I wore this thing each evening much to the complaining of my significant other and can sit comfortably at my work desk and work bench downstairs without much issue since I can easily adjust the sword+scabbard. The extra length and flexibility of the belt straps is a huge plus.
Some of the newness factor wore off but what is left is an appreciation of the overall design, aesthetics and comfort of this sword package. This sword feels more like a civilian self defense weapon, a personal light dueling sword that you can have with you like a nice comfy 1911 in a good leather holster. It certainly seems more portable and I don't have to fiddle with it as much compared to my Kriegschwert so it gets extra points for feeling out of sight, though visually one would have to try real hard not to look at this beauty.
Unfortunately I found an annoying flaw on the blade that after further examination and prodding, appears to be a machined scratch/hollow crevice or blade defect near the tip that was made more clear after a bit of polishing to clear up some loose steel dust/crumbs. (picture below in another post)
Some Test Cutting to see what happens
Some Test Cutting:
1. I had some leftover medium USPS boxes (the smallish flat rate $10.95 kinds) sitting around so I set them standing flat on a stool unsupported, held only by gravity and its several ounce weight. Fendente cuts with true edge from left and right resulted in neat little cardboard corners falling off in triangles and the blade making a nice ringing sound. Good harmonics and factory edge, could barely feel anything in the handle.
2. I set the long box that the sword came in against the stool to keep it standing and chopped/beat the hell out of it. I also thrust at it like a madman many times. Again, no vibrations felt in the handle even when wood chunks flew off the stool (I got carried away and tried to kill the stool too), good spring tempering and further confirmation of well made sword harmonics.
3. I set a hardwood cutting board on the floor and stabbed straight down at it. The tip pierced pretty deep and effortlessly and got stuck. Now I didn't want to damage the tip by forcefully twisting and bending, mainly to see if it was supported enough not to fold like tissue paper, the tip was lodged deep enough to lift the whole cutting board so I had to hold the board down and pull the tip out. I was glad the tip didn't bend when it lifted the board with blade still attached, whew, looks like the heat treatment was good. The blade tip is definitely hard enough not to crumble.
Overall, it seems the whole assembly is solidly put together. I checked the hex screw to see if it needed tightening, so far none needed yet. Scratch on blade appears to be just a scratch and not a deep crack thankfully.
Pros:
Very well designed and built Scabbard, Belt Suspension System
Beautiful color and leather work on all components
Great fittings, Hilt to Blade assembly
Appleseed edge and good cutting blade geometry
Good Heat Treatment and Flexibility
Feels well balanced and alive in the hand
Comfy and substantial waisted grip
Long handle that is made effectively longer by the scent stopper pommel gives increased leverage.
Not whippy
Cons:
Sword is lighter duty than I expected
Scratch/crevice on blade near tip, doesn't appear to compromise structural integrity.
The tip cross section is slightly flatten diamond but is thinner than I expected, it does flex more than necessary for what appears to be a thrusting blade so it doesn't appear suitable for heavier targets. It's sturdy and durable, just not heavy duty.
Overall I would say this is a good light to medium duty European style longsword with an elegant Italian flair. It is suitable for cutting and is decent for thrusting, but lacks the geometry and thickness to punch through heavy targets at the tip. This sword is not delicate by any means and is sturdy and tough, just don't expect the guard to take steel on steel hits or expect the blade to be a heavy duty war sword. It handles like a solid civilian self defense blade that was meant for unarmored targets and is something to consider when deciding which Valiant Armoury/CSS sword package to buy.
To be continued with more comments later
The Malatesta however has a 3 point suspension and also looked very beautiful with its guard, pommel and handle shape, pointy blade geometry and stunning scabbard+suspension design. In addition, it was lighter and my collection for the most part, lacks a sturdy but light blade.
Initial Impressions:
I was honestly stunned at how the Antique Red Handle, Oxblood Scabbard and Antique Tan belt scheme turned out, absolutely lovely in person and the belt was so flexible and high quality that I can leave it attached to the scabbard indefinitely.
The belt in it's default black turned me off for the longest time, I thought it looked kind of boring and reminded me too much of my old Windlass sword frogs/belts that fell apart, but Customswordshoppe used some really high quality leather and the color and work that went into the detailing/quality control was very impressive to say the least.
Specs:
Overall Length: 43.5 inch
Blade Length: 33.5
Hilt Length: 10 Inches
Effective Grip Length: 9.25 inches
Point of Percussion: 22.5 Inches
Center of Gravity: 5 inches from Guard
Weight (Unfortunately my materials scale is busted because someone sat on it and so I must use the health weight scale so this won't be too accurate): 2.4 pounds for sword, 3.5 pound overall with scabbard.
Blade Geometry comments: Its pretty wide and lenticular and seems highly optimized for cutting, but it tapers to a very nasty point though not a heavy duty thrusting blade due to the thickness, though it does appear to have a flatten diamond geometry after the fuller.
5.5mm near guard
4.5mm mid point
3.5mm Just pass fuller
2.5mm about 1 inch from tip
The blade is pretty sturdy for the most part and is not whippy. I would say its stiff but will flex if you poke something like a hardwood cutting board and push against it. When I first saw this, I thought the blade was on the thin side and fragile... but there's a lot more mass and material to it than first glance but keep in mind there will be slight variations since it is hand forged.
Fuller looks clean and very well done too.
Also important to note, other than the very tip, there is no secondary bevel at all with the rest of the blade from forte to point of percussion, not even a micro one like on my Kriegschwert, it is a continuous apple seed edge which I suspect will aid greatly in cutting soft targets.
Handling Comments: While wearing this sword, the 3 point suspension keeps the whole package really stable and not wobbling all over the place. Because the lower two straps is on a hinge/leather assembly that also extends the strap length, the draw angle can be set greater than 45 degrees no problem. The 3rd point closest to the scabbard mouth allows the hilt to be closer to your waist so sheathing and unsheathing is quicker/easier/safer. You can fine tune the carry comfort to exactly how you want it.
The blade feels very quick, light and deadly and it is effortless to cut and thrust since the center of gravity is only 5 inches. The long handle which is helped in part by the scent stopper pommel gives you plenty of leverage to strike and stop the cut or thrust. The fat waisted leather over cord wrap makes gripping this weapon a pure joy. The Malatesta is something to be felt and played with in real life to appreciate the excellent design.
The shorter effective grip of the Kriegschwert means less leverage but in it's defense, the guard is immensely more durable and can break someone's head open. I wouldn't be bashing someone's face with the Malatesta Guard since it is rather pretty and somewhat frail, but the pommel is plenty tough.
Update as of 10-16-14
I wish I tried this 3 point suspension system a long time ago, I wore this thing each evening much to the complaining of my significant other and can sit comfortably at my work desk and work bench downstairs without much issue since I can easily adjust the sword+scabbard. The extra length and flexibility of the belt straps is a huge plus.
Some of the newness factor wore off but what is left is an appreciation of the overall design, aesthetics and comfort of this sword package. This sword feels more like a civilian self defense weapon, a personal light dueling sword that you can have with you like a nice comfy 1911 in a good leather holster. It certainly seems more portable and I don't have to fiddle with it as much compared to my Kriegschwert so it gets extra points for feeling out of sight, though visually one would have to try real hard not to look at this beauty.
Unfortunately I found an annoying flaw on the blade that after further examination and prodding, appears to be a machined scratch/hollow crevice or blade defect near the tip that was made more clear after a bit of polishing to clear up some loose steel dust/crumbs. (picture below in another post)
Some Test Cutting to see what happens
Some Test Cutting:
1. I had some leftover medium USPS boxes (the smallish flat rate $10.95 kinds) sitting around so I set them standing flat on a stool unsupported, held only by gravity and its several ounce weight. Fendente cuts with true edge from left and right resulted in neat little cardboard corners falling off in triangles and the blade making a nice ringing sound. Good harmonics and factory edge, could barely feel anything in the handle.
2. I set the long box that the sword came in against the stool to keep it standing and chopped/beat the hell out of it. I also thrust at it like a madman many times. Again, no vibrations felt in the handle even when wood chunks flew off the stool (I got carried away and tried to kill the stool too), good spring tempering and further confirmation of well made sword harmonics.
3. I set a hardwood cutting board on the floor and stabbed straight down at it. The tip pierced pretty deep and effortlessly and got stuck. Now I didn't want to damage the tip by forcefully twisting and bending, mainly to see if it was supported enough not to fold like tissue paper, the tip was lodged deep enough to lift the whole cutting board so I had to hold the board down and pull the tip out. I was glad the tip didn't bend when it lifted the board with blade still attached, whew, looks like the heat treatment was good. The blade tip is definitely hard enough not to crumble.
Overall, it seems the whole assembly is solidly put together. I checked the hex screw to see if it needed tightening, so far none needed yet. Scratch on blade appears to be just a scratch and not a deep crack thankfully.
Pros:
Very well designed and built Scabbard, Belt Suspension System
Beautiful color and leather work on all components
Great fittings, Hilt to Blade assembly
Appleseed edge and good cutting blade geometry
Good Heat Treatment and Flexibility
Feels well balanced and alive in the hand
Comfy and substantial waisted grip
Long handle that is made effectively longer by the scent stopper pommel gives increased leverage.
Not whippy
Cons:
Sword is lighter duty than I expected
Scratch/crevice on blade near tip, doesn't appear to compromise structural integrity.
The tip cross section is slightly flatten diamond but is thinner than I expected, it does flex more than necessary for what appears to be a thrusting blade so it doesn't appear suitable for heavier targets. It's sturdy and durable, just not heavy duty.
Overall I would say this is a good light to medium duty European style longsword with an elegant Italian flair. It is suitable for cutting and is decent for thrusting, but lacks the geometry and thickness to punch through heavy targets at the tip. This sword is not delicate by any means and is sturdy and tough, just don't expect the guard to take steel on steel hits or expect the blade to be a heavy duty war sword. It handles like a solid civilian self defense blade that was meant for unarmored targets and is something to consider when deciding which Valiant Armoury/CSS sword package to buy.
To be continued with more comments later