Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
|
Post by Uhlan on Feb 13, 2015 19:44:15 GMT
Thanks for this post Dave.
Pity to see the A&A fail the test. I talked with Craig a lot these last weeks and he assures me they actually go out and get all the info they can get about the swords theirs are based on and use that info. Leaves me wondering. Point about the Rheinfelden: The hilt is made from cast iron, like all Windlass hilt parts. It sticks with great stickyness to my magnet, or vice versa. Pot metal does not stick, or just a little, depending on what was in the mix that day. Glad that sword seems to grow on you after initial grumblings about the blade. So, the 30 Years comes out good too. Will have to go and get it then. I mean, how can I not?
Cheers.
|
|
|
Post by Rabel Dusk on Feb 13, 2015 21:22:15 GMT
Very nice, but you need to get a Walloon sword
|
|
Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
|
Post by Uhlan on Feb 13, 2015 21:38:45 GMT
Quote: ,, I have owned 6 A&As and this is the first one that feels poorly. Given it's age I tend to believe it was a fairly early project that didn't quite work. I'd love to handle a new one to compare. Maybe someone else out there has one? ''
Weeeeell...to tell you the truth, after reading your old review on the Dresden, I contacted A&A. The set was out of the catalogue, the molds were busted up, etc, etc, but they are busy right now to make me a set, sword and main gauche with a 15" blade. I took your comment about the dagger having a too short blade to hart. Craig emailed yesterday to say they were in luck with the amount of work being less than expected and the set will be ready in about 2 weeks. All in all it took a month. So, lets start with compairing notes on the Dresden. Then I have an eye out for the German Rapier as follow up, but that depends on the quality A&A delivers with the Dresden. But in the near future I might get me a musketeer. Also depends on what pops up here and there.
Also, most sites that had the 30 years name it a artillery sword. Much better label, but maybe, like the Rheinfelden, a little too light for that?
Damn, now I ,,liked'' my own comment!
|
|
|
Post by Dave Kelly on Feb 13, 2015 22:21:40 GMT
Hey Roger: After I saw your spread on your french Walloon I talked to Craig. It was a bit much at the time as I was hunting Napoleonics. Came a time where I had some cash and an antiques dealer has a Haudegen for 1695.00. (36 inch Cav blade too) I probably only put up a bullet in the Acquisitions thread. Who knew elliptical blades could be so much fun. (censored)-in cav sword 8D You devil you. And a suitable custom dagger. Ain't A&A grand to work with. Can't wait to see the pics. If you look in the custom section A&A makes a custom Saxon hilted campaign sword/rapier that could be more appropriate for the cavalry. The Windlass is more like a pikemans side sword. The Dresden Guard is like owning a 58 Cadillac ElDorado. Uselessly oversized and garish tailfins. When I started to compose this I considered posting 8 swords to include the Walloon and Mortuary, and My beloved V Cervenka cav sword of the evil hollow ground blade, but too much work. I'm at the moment rebuilding the Medi room with 20 slot racks to accomodate the gains. And an update of the collection photos. Cheers
|
|
|
Post by Rabel Dusk on Feb 13, 2015 22:51:38 GMT
Do you have any more photos of that Haudegen? That seems like a very good price for an original 17th century sword. Or a link to the acquisition thread? I'll look for it (under haudegen?)
|
|
Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
|
Post by Uhlan on Feb 13, 2015 22:52:47 GMT
,, The Dresden Guard is like owning a 58 Cadillac ElDorado. Uselessly oversized and garish tailfins.''
I like! Had a Mercury Grand Ghia Blah Blah once. Not as huge as the Eldorado, but still one and a half Mercedes, with a grille that made the Rolls Royce hang her head in shame. A square yard of pure chromatic delight! Red leather interior! Like driving your private ,,Maison Fiffy''. Took me about 20 minutes to find a hole to park the thing in this Muppet town, every time I took it out for a spin. Ah, to be young again! Nah, that Dresden will be alright.
|
|
|
Post by Afoo on Feb 13, 2015 23:39:56 GMT
The The Windlass Rheinfelden looks wonderful. Good thing its not in production, else I would be out a few hundred bucks by now...
|
|
|
Post by Dave Kelly on Feb 13, 2015 23:51:22 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Dave Kelly on Feb 13, 2015 23:57:53 GMT
Ya know, I think I probably only took three shots of the sword afeter it arrived, like last May. Give me till tomorrow evening and I'll post a spread here.
For the condition of the sword the price was fantastic. Dealer had the sword up for a long time at 2500.00 and it didn't move. Finally decided to dump just above his own buy point. It was a very lucky acqusition. Someone on ebay just sold two walloons this past week. One was only a 2 star sword badly stained and wire grip gone. He wanted 1600.00. The 4 star was posted for 2900.00 I think.
|
|
|
Post by aronk on Feb 14, 2015 0:34:54 GMT
Seeing all of this, plus Uhlan's comment is making me want to custom-order a smallsword when I get the cash! Of course, I also need to pay for my '96 regrind, plus the Empire Costume Dragoon sword... I would like to propose that virologists should be paid more. If only so that they (more like I) can buy more swords!
|
|
|
Post by Dave Kelly on Feb 14, 2015 2:45:01 GMT
Visit Jacob's Armory, you might save a few bucks... ( or just buy more ;) )
|
|
|
Post by Afoo on Feb 14, 2015 3:13:14 GMT
Or maybe in a few years when you decide to sell off parts of your collection *hint* :D Just wondering how the build quality if Irongate compares to that of the original Windlass - would it be better built, since they have more time and money to do so, or would they be a bit worse, if they are using old, worn-out tooling and molds? Also, you probably saved me a few bucks in the long run. I was considering the Windlass Munich, but now that I have seen the Rheinfelden, I can't go back...
|
|
|
Post by Dave Kelly on Feb 14, 2015 3:24:52 GMT
I kind of have observed that Windlass is pretty consistent in their methodology. When they make a good product, it stays consistently as designed. When they make a meh sword, it stays a meh sword.
The Windlass Town Guards sword is a very good product: the A&A version is better, but for three times the price it should be. I have to admit I like the Rheinfelden more, simply because it's dynamics are closer to the 1780-1900 swords.
|
|
|
Post by aronk on Feb 14, 2015 3:45:08 GMT
Visit Jacob's Armory, you might save a few bucks... ( or just buy more ) Yes, I've been looking at those. I can't seem to figure out if the blades are sharps or blunts though. Also, there appears to be no mechanism for actually purchasing anything.
|
|
Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
|
Post by Uhlan on Feb 14, 2015 5:46:33 GMT
I had a good look at the Jacobs Armoury smallswords and I am not convinced. If one compaires the casting of a J.A. hilt to the casting of an original, or even the Windlass or Cold Steel offerings, it really is bad. At a distance it works, but close up it is just an amorph heap of little wiggles. It does not mean anything. No nekkid ladies holding baskets of fruit, no guirlandes of flowers, no Greek helmets, nothing. Just wiggly lines pretending. The blades may be good and the grips too, but the hilts put me off. Go have a look at KOA. They sell them, last time I was there anyway.
|
|
|
Post by aronk on Feb 14, 2015 7:51:10 GMT
I had a good look at the Jacobs Armoury smallswords and I am not convinced. If one compaires the casting of a J.A. hilt to the casting of an original, or even the Windlass or Cold Steel offerings, it really is bad. At a distance it works, but close up it is just an amorph heap of little wiggles. It does not mean anything. No nekkid ladies holding baskets of fruit, no guirlandes of flowers, no Greek helmets, nothing. Just wiggly lines pretending. The blades may be good and the grips too, but the hilts put me off. Go have a look at KOA. They sell them, last time I was there anyway. That is true. I wonder what the price of a semi-custom build from A&A would be. Ideally, I would want something with a traditional triangular section blade with a sharp point and removable metal tip cover so the weapon can be used for fencing. Ideally, it would have a brass hilt with a coloured (blue or red) leather wrapped wood core handle and a brass wire wrap. Probably an acorn pommel.
|
|
Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
|
Post by Uhlan on Feb 14, 2015 12:04:14 GMT
G.G. Godwin offers a nice little colichemarde. I ordered one a few weeks ago. This is, apart from an original, the closest to the real thing. Cold Steel's colichemarde is way off. That said, originals do not break the bank with a little bit of luck. I have a French Napoleon III Officers smallsword, with scabbard, that I got for Euro 350. Doing fencing and fancy pommels I would go to Darkwood armoury. They offer pommels, grips and what have you and are open to discuss all things blade related. I think this would be a good bet.
|
|
|
Post by aronk on Feb 15, 2015 16:28:09 GMT
Interesting. I'm probably going tom end up having to purchase two weapons: one for fencing with a flexible blade, and "real" one for stabbing boxes and pumpkins.
|
|
|
Post by Kilted Cossack on Feb 16, 2015 4:23:02 GMT
As always, first class information, well presented.
The first Windlass Rheinfelden, that guard looks a fair bit like the lamented Hanwei Renaissance Side Sword's setup. (It, too, suffered from "not enough blade" disease.)
|
|
|
Post by Dave Kelly on Feb 16, 2015 4:45:56 GMT
Hey KC! Seen you lurking about. Missed ya.
Yeah, this style gets a lot of mileage for 125 years. While I call this one light, it's got a lot more presence than the Hanwei. I finally got my hands on one last year and sent it packing to Uhlan.
Cheers!
|
|