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Post by demiurgex on Jun 22, 2015 17:04:37 GMT
Ok, here's my question- I am looking to buy a saber from KoA for between $200-$250...will go lower for a great bargain but probably not higher. From what I see the two with the most products between the ranges given are ColdSteel and Universal Swords. Most of the products for these two companies look quite nice but looks can be deceiving. So can I trust these companies to produce a quality product? I am not looking for a flawless reproduction but would like an effective item that is well built, fairly well balanced and not overly "rough" in construction.
Any input would be appreciated, thanks.
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Post by Afoo on Jun 22, 2015 17:51:10 GMT
Hello. Welcome to SBG. I may be a bit biased, but I think you have come to the right place. You can check out both the old reviews and new reviews index. I own the Universal Swords Princess of Wales sword, the Cold Steel Prussian Sword (reviews here and here), the Cold Steel ANXI sword , and the Universal Sword Russian Dragoon sword.I have listed them in order of preference, which also happens to be the order of price (most to least expensive). The Princess of Wales sword is by far my favorite. The blade is relatively accurate from what I hear. Its light, but has presence, with a vicious curve and point. The handles are large and comfortable to hold. Lastly, its beautifully put together and looks wonderful. The Prussian sword is also very nice to hold, light, and with an accurate blade in terms of weight and balance. It has some aesthetic issues with the shape of the guard and the pipe-back spine. It is also rather atypical in terms of sabre design and appearance, so maybe not the best place to start off. The French sabre is in the middle. The blade on it is very well balanced compared to most repros, but still falls short of the originals. The bigger issue is the grips. Its a bit short - not enough to be uncomfortable - but its just not as comfortable as some of the other repros around. The Russian one has the most limitations - its heavy and unwieldy. However, it is really cheap, and it looks the part of a sabre At the end of the day, it very much depends on what you want from your sword - do you want to cut with it? How important is historical accuracy when it comes to handling? Appearance? Also, if you are in Canada, I am trying to get rid of some of these.....:P Sorry for the brevity. I types up something, but it got eaten by the internet...twice
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Post by demiurgex on Jun 22, 2015 18:48:06 GMT
Thank you for the welcome and info. Surprisingly the Prince of Wales is on my short list. However the price is near my limit and with sharpening it will be slightly over. Dont know how the wife will take to that..hehe. I hadn't noticed the Dragoon saber before on KoA but had looked at the US Russian 1798 Light Cavalry Officers Saber which I liked the look of.
I am looking for something that isnt too far from the original, but doesnt have to be perfect. A few minor differences in detail here or there are ok. Though I would like the overall appearance to be damn close to the original. As far as cutting, I will do some cutting and am looking for something that can cut well, but this isnt of primary importance. Really I would like something that feels good to handle, not too heavy and is well balanced. What I dont want is a "cheap" or rough construction. I was burned back in '98 when I bought a United States revolutionary war saber(dont remember the model) off the internet for about $100. It came from India (I know CS and US products come from India) and it was heavy, unwieldy and of poor construction, barely good enough for a wall hanger. The hilt was anything but solid with a loose construction. I am looking to avoid this same mistake.
I caught a couple of reviews for a few CS products on scholagladiatoria but he seemed to be a little too "nit picky" with his assessment. He was judging them against the actual antique models of the same weapons. Even against the antiques the differences were what I would say are minor. But I think the products he reviewed were bought directly from The CS site and the price was a large criticism. Off of KoA they are usually about $100 less (or more) than the CS site.
Not in Canada in New Hampshire in the US.
Thanks again for the response.
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Post by Afoo on Jun 22, 2015 20:20:48 GMT
Yeah - I would not recommend any of the other Universal Swords offerings, only because they are mostly quite heavy. Apparently the F1 dress saber isn't bad according to one review I read. The 1906 saber (http://www.atlantacutlery.com/p-2461-us-1906-cavalry-saber.aspx) is apparently quite good as well - almost a bang-on replica. The only issue is that KoA is out, though the price from Atlanta Cutlery is similar to what it was going for on Kult.
The CS weapons have a reputation for being over built, though the problem seems to be less severe in their modern day replicas. One which I have heard good things about is their 1904 Austrian saber, though I have no firsthand experience. Purists may not like them because of some inaccuracies in their design - the square profile of their pipe-back blades, the inaccurate shape of the guard, and other things which do not really effect their functionality. Some people also have beef with their construction (nut pommel on most vs a peen), though again, I do not find it effects the functionality, at least on the sabres which I have
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Post by Afoo on Jun 22, 2015 21:05:09 GMT
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Post by Dave Kelly on Jun 22, 2015 21:38:50 GMT
Hi and welcome to SBG.
Suggestion; besides looking at KoA take a look at Atlanta Cutlery. They are the modern weapons adjunct of Museum Replicas. Both are the Windlass Steelcrafts distributors for the USA. Windlass changed their wholesalers policies after Christmas, the end result of which KoA's severence with them and the dropping of their product lines. Of particular merit is the M1860/1906 commemorative sabre. Talk to them and the SBGWEB 10% discount and sharpening options are available.
The US British 1792 is representative of a European weapon commonly described as a coffin handled sabre. A classic design traced back to Turks and Poland.
The Cold Steel Shamshir is a Persian architype that spread through Islam then as a result of Napoleons Egyptian Campaign was propogared to Europe Militarys. Excellent cutter.
There are more but I just got forced to pull a double ship due to a call off and I can't concentrate till I get some sleep. Check your shopping sites and some collections like mine and Pinotte's for inspiration ( or fear of catching the disease...)
Cheers
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Post by demiurgex on Jun 23, 2015 16:10:22 GMT
Thanks for the great suggestions. That Spanish saber looks interesting and is quite a bit cheaper than a lot of antique sabers I have seen. I had heard about Atlanta cutlery providing the Sabers for the armed forces but didnt know you could buy from them. I am thinking that sooner or latter I will end up buying an item from them.
Based on what I have read here and in the reviews sections I am fairly confident I can find a descent saber matching the requirements I listed above. I am just afraid once I buy one.....I will want more..hehe..
I am glad I found this site as the info in invaluable and exhaustive. Great community here!
Thanks.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2015 16:56:17 GMT
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Post by demiurgex on Jun 23, 2015 17:46:35 GMT
by CrossBrowse-1.4"> Thanksedelweiss. This was a question about Atlanta Cutlery I was not sure of. I thought I had read somewhere that AC swords while superbly made were stainless steel and were dress weapons only. Right now CS has a couple of sabers which look promising to me, the Marine nco saber being one. Also one of the by CrossBrowse-1.4"> Universal Swords modals looks really nice and not overly heavy- the Princess of Wales- This looks damn fine... but it is at my upper limit without the sharpening. Thanks for by CrossBrowse-1.4"> the links. Right now I am probably going for a carbon steel "usable" sword. Though sometime in the future a stainless dress saber will probably be something I buy. An actual US military dress saber is something I have wanted since I was just a kid. (from the old Marine recruitment add where the marine unsheathes his saber and stands at attention.)
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Post by Afoo on Jun 23, 2015 18:06:52 GMT
authentic 1902 dress sabres are not hard to fine on ebay either. Just watch out for replicas. You can usually tell by the guard - the curvature is a bit boxier than the originals
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