Windlass Military Sword Rapier.
Jan 4, 2015 15:12:34 GMT
Post by Uhlan on Jan 4, 2015 15:12:34 GMT
This Windlass oldie I did not buy from Irongate: rautaportti.fi/?language=en for once, but it came from the used items section from KOA.
I saw it at the site of Mr. Brookhart: www.brookhartdesigns.com/ and directly went after it, but to cut a long story short, the deal fell through.
Some weeks after that this one came up at KOA. It came on the market around the end of the ninetees I believe. Here and there on the forum I made some posts about it to find out about this Windlass product.
Designed by Mr. Brookhart, this is one of those old Windlasses that make me think the design department at Windlass better get their act together and stop producing the middle of the road stuff we have seen this last couple of years. This one sure does LOOK the part.
Sadly, there is a problem. It is not that it is a bad sword, on the contrary, but the one gripe I have is that the basket is too small for my hand and I have medium sized hands. It seems to be a problem Indian manufecturers have with sabres too. Too small grips. Made for the Indian sized hand.
This hilt is very nice indeed and has lots of yummi details. Inlaid silver coloured wire on the turned bone grip. Complicated structure of the (half) basket, with some cut out ornament. Good looking pommel of good size. Even some turk heads up and down the grip.
Protection of the hand is very good, what with all them bars and the knuckle bow. Problem is you CAN get your hand in there, even with gauntlets, but when you start doing drills, you soon find out that steel starts cutting into were the thumb joins the index finger and the little pointy bit on the top of the basket and that sharp bevel on the pommel are no help also.
It does not matter how you grip this sword, because even with one finger on the ricasso, wielding it can hurt and I do not think filing is the solution. Though the grip is slender, the turning gives a good hold. That nice wire will come off though. In the hammer grip the space between the guard and the pommel is good enough and the pommel does not bite, but with one finger over the ricasso, that pommel DOES start to feel uncomfortable.
It realy is a shame, because the thing is so well made. No machine and file marks. It realy is one of the better attended to Windlasses. People with smaller than averadge hands will do well to keep an eye out for this model.
The blade.
Diamond section and quite long. The ricasso is grinded off nicely into a pointy shape where it meets the rest of the blade. It has the usual hammer marks, but is straight. Flex is good too and though, as always, the stock way too thin, it does not sag.
Conclusion.
One of Windlass more elaborate hilted swords. It handles well, has good balance, will cut and stab with the best of them, is very well build, with great eye for detail. Where it falls short is the cramped basket and that is a big, big shame.
Statistics.
Length: 110 cm - 43.3".
Blade length: 93 cm - 36.6".
Blade width: 3.3 cm - 1.3".
Ricasso: 7 cm - 2.75".
Grip length: 9.5 cm - 3.74".
Grip width: 2.5 cm - 1".
POB: 11 cm - 4.33".
Taper: 4.5 mm - 3.5 mm / 0.17 - 0.13".
Weight: 1245 grams.
I saw it at the site of Mr. Brookhart: www.brookhartdesigns.com/ and directly went after it, but to cut a long story short, the deal fell through.
Some weeks after that this one came up at KOA. It came on the market around the end of the ninetees I believe. Here and there on the forum I made some posts about it to find out about this Windlass product.
Designed by Mr. Brookhart, this is one of those old Windlasses that make me think the design department at Windlass better get their act together and stop producing the middle of the road stuff we have seen this last couple of years. This one sure does LOOK the part.
Sadly, there is a problem. It is not that it is a bad sword, on the contrary, but the one gripe I have is that the basket is too small for my hand and I have medium sized hands. It seems to be a problem Indian manufecturers have with sabres too. Too small grips. Made for the Indian sized hand.
This hilt is very nice indeed and has lots of yummi details. Inlaid silver coloured wire on the turned bone grip. Complicated structure of the (half) basket, with some cut out ornament. Good looking pommel of good size. Even some turk heads up and down the grip.
Protection of the hand is very good, what with all them bars and the knuckle bow. Problem is you CAN get your hand in there, even with gauntlets, but when you start doing drills, you soon find out that steel starts cutting into were the thumb joins the index finger and the little pointy bit on the top of the basket and that sharp bevel on the pommel are no help also.
It does not matter how you grip this sword, because even with one finger on the ricasso, wielding it can hurt and I do not think filing is the solution. Though the grip is slender, the turning gives a good hold. That nice wire will come off though. In the hammer grip the space between the guard and the pommel is good enough and the pommel does not bite, but with one finger over the ricasso, that pommel DOES start to feel uncomfortable.
It realy is a shame, because the thing is so well made. No machine and file marks. It realy is one of the better attended to Windlasses. People with smaller than averadge hands will do well to keep an eye out for this model.
The blade.
Diamond section and quite long. The ricasso is grinded off nicely into a pointy shape where it meets the rest of the blade. It has the usual hammer marks, but is straight. Flex is good too and though, as always, the stock way too thin, it does not sag.
Conclusion.
One of Windlass more elaborate hilted swords. It handles well, has good balance, will cut and stab with the best of them, is very well build, with great eye for detail. Where it falls short is the cramped basket and that is a big, big shame.
Statistics.
Length: 110 cm - 43.3".
Blade length: 93 cm - 36.6".
Blade width: 3.3 cm - 1.3".
Ricasso: 7 cm - 2.75".
Grip length: 9.5 cm - 3.74".
Grip width: 2.5 cm - 1".
POB: 11 cm - 4.33".
Taper: 4.5 mm - 3.5 mm / 0.17 - 0.13".
Weight: 1245 grams.
