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Post by cobra525 on Apr 15, 2015 21:08:07 GMT
So pleased to see what a tight and helpful community of members reside here. The main reason for sharing that incident was to hopefully give a little back regarding safety and complacency. I for one was really taken by surprise, this sword honestly was never abused. A little about the sword since some might be wondering. I found it on ebay for a good price free shipping. After a volley of emails and questions to the seller he assured me it was as new and never used for more than decor. I Read a few reviews including ShooterMikes which was well done BTW, and went for it. So no Hanwei replacement for me. But im glad it broke because I learned. Hanwei will get an email w those pics attached for safety reasons. These people must have modern controlled tempering equipment that should be miles ahead of any period sword making technology. Quality control just needs to be better when manufacturing dangerous things. We should definately share all these failures openly on the web. I feel when someone stamps a product as "BATTLE READY" and even goes on to brag about the type of metal, dual tempered, slashing pigs, bricks and whatever, they are putting themselves in a certain league of expectations. That sword never contacted a steel helmets or participated in any "BATTLE". Sadly as Lancelot mentioned, out of the three swords I own I would have certainly drawn that Albrecht first without hesitation. I bought it for a weapon, and it would have failed. So swords may break all the time, but there is no place in my home for a firearm that wont feed properly or a sword that cant defend me against a baseball bat or lead pipe sorry. Lots of very good points have been made here and I apologize for the rant. Just a little pissed at Henweis QC right now. I know nothing about smithing and that break looks cooked well done to me too
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Post by cobra525 on Apr 15, 2015 21:13:53 GMT
BTW still looking for the missing piece LOL. Not sure what to do with the remains. Definately wont make another weapon, but I may expose the tang for refference here.
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Post by chrisperoni on Apr 15, 2015 21:24:50 GMT
If you won't be using them I'm sure someone here would buy the hilt parts from you.
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Post by jwest on Apr 15, 2015 21:38:44 GMT
I would use the hilt parts on a cut down tinker longsword blade.
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Post by Helspyre on Apr 15, 2015 22:04:17 GMT
BTW still looking for the missing piece LOL. Not sure what to do with the remains. Definately wont make another weapon, but I may expose the tang for refference here. Maybe you could just smooth the end of it and re-sell it as an "anime" sword. Seriously though, sorry this happened to you.
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Post by MLanteigne on Apr 15, 2015 22:23:06 GMT
How long ago did you buy it on Ebay? Any purchaser's protection that would cover this?
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Apr 15, 2015 22:43:04 GMT
That sword never contacted a steel helmets or participated in any "BATTLE". Sadly as Lancelot mentioned, out of the three swords I own I would have certainly drawn that Albrecht first without hesitation. I bought it for a weapon, and it would have failed. So swords may break all the time, but there is no place in my home for a firearm that wont feed properly or a sword that cant defend me against a baseball bat or lead pipe sorry. I'm totally with you here... I don't own a sword that I don't think I could trust to hold up and do its job should the need arise, as unlikely as it may be. Since you as a customer can't know how a sword was really made, the only options you have to make sure a weapon you bought won't fail like this is either buy from a maker you feel (know) you can trust and/or test the product you get. Testing, actually using the sword is really best way to see if it's up to snuff and exactly what most makers do as well. I test every blade I make, something large production companies can't do and therefore have to rely on random testing. In the latter case it's all the more important that you as the buyer test the product. Note that testing doesn't imply destructive testing and pushing a blade to its limits...
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Apr 15, 2015 23:02:14 GMT
I don't think that is true Driggers. By the time we had knights, steel was of a decent quality and nothing like the softer swords you had around in the 800's. I don't know where you got this from. There is nothing to back the claim that sword generally were of poorer quality in the 800s than in the 1300s or so. There have always been good, excellent and terrible swords, no matter the time. And that's true nowadays, too.
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Post by cobra525 on Apr 16, 2015 0:34:07 GMT
Ill ask ebay but it was a few months back. Not a problem if they cant help. My concern now is this, I would think warriors back then were smacking hard targets with swords on horseback going 30mph or more. Maybe im missing something. A few may have broken, but swords remained in service for a very long time so most must have been dependable i would think. As far as my other two swords, how can I test them for reliability? I feel like beating them into a tree several times just to make sure LOL
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Apr 16, 2015 6:42:47 GMT
I don't recommend hitting trees with any sword (though I confess I've done it, too ;)). I would suggest mostly cutting, working your way from easy targets (milk jugs, light bottles) over heavier bottles to something like small to medium branches and newspaper rolls. You can also do some medium whacking on a 2x4 (stick with the CoP here). Note that it is absolutely possible to damage even a good sword on almost all targets if your form is off. The way I test my blades after HT is with a file, a flex test (45° mostly, I don't see a point in ridiculous 90° or more degrees, your sword will never flex that far in use), some hits on a 2x4 with both the edge and the flat and once the basic edge is established I will cut iron nails with several parts of the blade. There should be no or only very minimal edge damage. Also, once the hilt is fitted some cutting on various targets. None of these tests is fool-proof and can completely prevent a blade failure at a later point though.
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Post by william m on Apr 16, 2015 7:26:15 GMT
I don't think that is true Driggers. By the time we had knights, steel was of a decent quality and nothing like the softer swords you had around in the 800's. I don't know where you got this from. There is nothing to back the claim that sword generally were of poorer quality in the 800s than in the 1300s or so. There have always been good, excellent and terrible swords, no matter the time. And that's true nowadays, too. Simply put, in the 800's steel was not great and was in very short supply, hence smiths having to use pattern welding techniques to make a good sword. However good swords were still a rarity, which is why you had legendary/magic swords, which were swords that just so happened to have the correct uniform carbon mix in the steel. Other swords, which did not had big areas of super brittle or super soft zones. Edit: Just realised we are going horribly off topic! ;-)
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Apr 16, 2015 8:13:55 GMT
The Franks were quite capable of making good quality mono steel blades at that time period... but you're right, we're straying way off topic ;) Back to the Albrecht II now...
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ShooterMike
VIP Reviewer
Senior Forumite
I like swords, and my snowman did too!
Posts: 9,094
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Post by ShooterMike on Apr 16, 2015 13:39:14 GMT
Maybe a little off topic, but I built a tire pell. It's basically a few tires bolted around a post in the ground.
When I get a sword from an unknown source I like to have a go at the tire pell with it. It's hitting rubber and not cutting so no worries about edge damage. The edges dull a little, but nothing that's not quickly touched up. These strikes impart a lot of bouncing motion and vibration into the blades without imparting that jarring stress that comes from contacting a hard surface. In this way, I hope, any stress cracks or brittle steel structure is revealed before I get very far with the sword. The activity also reveals any tendency for the hilt to loosen.
Just a thought. It seems to have worked for me. At least in finding out which hilts are going to loosen and then I can properly fix them before they get too sloppy. As always, YMMV.
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Post by cobra525 on Apr 17, 2015 6:48:22 GMT
Those are all great ideas. I happen to have four tires stacked in the yard Ive been meaning to get rid of. If I remove the rims I can do that.
Now to find another 3 lb sword with a 45" reach that can cut and thrust like the Abrecht did. That thing had a great point and a nice stiff blade. I love my H/T bastard but the Albrecht felt like it could neutralize a threat in just one or two blows. Not trying to be morbid or anything, it just felt like a really good weapon in the hand.
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Post by swordswinger on Apr 24, 2015 16:57:32 GMT
Ill ask ebay but it was a few months back. Not a problem if they cant help. My concern now is this, I would think warriors back then were smacking hard targets with swords on horseback going 30mph or more. Maybe im missing something. A few may have broken, but swords remained in service for a very long time so most must have been dependable i would think. As far as my other two swords, how can I test them for reliability? I feel like beating them into a tree several times just to make sure LOL Smack them with the flat side into a table... if they are of good quality they won't break.
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Post by nddave on May 17, 2015 14:54:51 GMT
Too bad... Sounds like simply a run of the mill production flaw and or bad egg that got through QC. Happens to the best of them unfortunately.
As far as replacements I wouldn't shy away from Hanwei or the Albrecht II as if you've done much research either here or on another forum with reviews and stuff its a pretty high rated and popular $300 sword and has been for years. Remember for every one negative experience with these well received swords there's about a thousand or so others that are positive. As many have said it's just how it goes with production line swords. Now when that above statement is reversed and there's more negatives than positives that's when its time to look into another maker or possibly even sword from their line.
As far as similar handling swords for the same price I'd suggest either,
Sticking with Hanwei and maybe trying the Rhinelander which has similar balance and weight with a slight difference in blade width and a longer handle.
Or the Windlass Sword of Roven which again has similar balance, weight, handle length and blade width but a different blade profile that is a few inches longer, don't know if you're prefer that 35"-36" blade length, Roven is around 38".
Either way I'd be interesting to see what CAS/Hanwei has to say about the break, I'm sure there's a return void due to you buying it privately on Ebay but you never know the worst they could say is no.
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Post by Sir Thorfinn on May 20, 2015 17:35:03 GMT
Hey, they might give you a discount on a repurchase, I've heard of this as well. Might be something to shoot for. Also, you have a cool wall hanger now, a sword with a real break. Kind of reminds me of 'Bored of the Rings' the sword that was broken and hastily reglued.
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Tomius
Member
Back in business my dear brothers in arms :)
Posts: 330
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Post by Tomius on Feb 6, 2023 8:44:41 GMT
Destructive testing an Albion blade. I wish I could find the video that was on Youtube and their own site of them doing even worse than this to a Viking blade. No, not all blades are the same. Yep yep,.Albions breake too, i have seen my self two Albion blade broke when cutting hard targets(Tatami with wooden core) Also you can see in Skallagrims you tube channel, that there is Albion that get big nick of the blade when cutting little branch, i have cutted trees down with my Ronins And Hanweis, wirst size birches etc, and never ever i have brake any other sword than cold steel hand and a half sword about 20 years ago. And yes i have collected bladed weapons my self nearly 27 years, so i might know litte something about those, i have ownen my self in total 107 swords, including high end producktion swords, even one Albions Arms&armor etc, and Last Legend katana, and even couple custom one, as some one else said earlier in this chain EVERY SWORD CAN BREAKE NO MATHER WICH BRAND EVEN CUSTOM SWORDS CAN BREAK THESE ARE NOT SOME KIND OF MAGIGAL ITEMS, SWORD BREAKIN WAS COMMONLY KNOWN IN HISTORICAL TIMES ALSO AND IT HAPPENED A LOT.. My Hanwei Tinker series sword has been abused a lot and i really mean a lot, like cutting trees down, hit those as hard i can to treestumb etc, no Hanwei sword ever breake on me, as i said the only sword that i have ever broken was cold steel.. Yeah i know that his is 8 year old post but i have to respond this kind of nonsense, Albion can breake same way, i have personally seen it two times, and there is you tube videos about broken Albions too... Actually many low end production swords can take more Abuse than Albions, and i do not mean that Albions are bad swords, they are indeed good swords what comes in handling, historical accurasy, dimensions and more,That been said, they can breake as easily than every other swords.. That video where Skallagrim breaks his Albion is much less abuse that i have done my cheaper swords, also i had cut wood core tatamis too with my Hanwei, Ronins., Valiant armoyry etc and never has any problems... Albion makes top notch swords that is too, it does not mean that they cant breake...Also this had been said, Even Albion has lemos time to time, i had personal experience with this matter, i can honestly sai that my squire line Albion about 18 years ago was very badly made, it has bent blade, crooced pommel, bend crossguard etc.. IT has so much flaws that i even got personal apology from Peter Johnsson and Howard Waddell both also i even got compensation even the sword was bought from Kult of Athena and it was selled second hand, so in that area Albion make it right but still those kind of flaws are not acceptable in any level sword .. So please do not talk bullsemprini.. It is rare that this happens to Albion but its in fact happen time to time......
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