Windlass Comparative Review: Classic Medieval, Leuterit, XIV
Aug 7, 2015 7:50:57 GMT
Post by Croccifixio on Aug 7, 2015 7:50:57 GMT
Windlass Comparative Review
Introduction
Windlass’ recent decision to cut off most of its principal distributors left many wondering if the time of the cheap European swords was over. Without Windlass, only Hanwei was truly left at the $150-300 budget price point. However, MRL has made up for it by cycling the Deal of the Day sale concept every day instead of every weekend. This means more weapons on weekends, and the occasional weekday. 50% off on these swords is an amazing deal.
This also prompted me to ask people what models by Windlass were worth getting. The top 3 single handed swords were the Classic Medieval Sword (“CMS”), the Leuterit (“L”), and the Type XIV (“XIV”).
Historical overview
The Classic Medieval:
“This sword is an Oakeshott Type X with a Type I pommel and a Type VII crossguard. The long and wide fuller on this blade lightens the overall sword and make it possible to deliver fast and shearing cuts, capable of cutting through the mail and padding that were worn during the period. The long guard offers good protection from an opponent's shield or blade, while the classic wheel pommel brings the sword very nicely into balance. This type of sword was in service for a long period of time throughout all of Europe. Made by Windlass Steelcrafts. Includes scabbard, can be sharpened for additional fee.
Overall: 39-1/2"
Blade: 33" long, 2" wide, 3/16" thick
Wt: 3 lbs”
L:
“Circa 750
The British Museum has many fine Viking swords, but one of the most beautiful and deadly is the "Leuterit" sword. This sword has the name "Leuterit" engraved on the blade and it is believed to be the name of the smith that made it. We have not included this on our copy, as it is cost prohibitive. But, we have stayed true to the size and weight of the original, and to its deadly beauty. The Vikings were quite conscious of the need for a good sword. When they found one they took quite good care of it, so that many swords served several generations of warriors. Guard and pommel are silver, with copper lozenges. Grip is wood with silver pins. Made from high carbon steel by Windlass Steelcrafts, complete with scabbard. You have only to draw and hold this sword to know why this type of blade was used from Micklegard to Ireland, and from Iceland to the inland sea of the Mediterranean. Can be sharpened for additional fee.
Overall: 38-1/4"
Blade: 31" long, 2-3/8" wide, 3/16" thick
Wt: 2 lbs/8 oz”
XIV:
“Circa 1300
This medieval arming, or short sword features a blade that swells slightly at the top to put more weight in the hand to improve its cut and thrust capabilities, making for a very fast sword. The furniture is steel and the grip is wood covered in leather. A very effective and important sword. Includes matching scabbard. Made by Windlass Steelcrafts. Can be seen in E. Oakeshott's book "Record of the Medieval Sword". Can be sharpened for additional fee.
Overall: 33-3/8"
Blade: 26-1/4" long, 2-3/4" wide, 3/16" thick
Wt: 2 lbs/14 oz”
Full Disclosure
I paid Deal of the Day price for these (50% off the retail price), plus shipping with my own money. I do not know the vendor, except that Shelly is my favourite customer rep of all time.
An important note is that I had the XIV sharpened, while the CMS and L were not.
Initial Impressions
Whatever you want to say about Windlass, their swords LOOK nice. The lines of the profile are generally clean and symmetrical. The leather is decent, as is the stitch on both the grip and scabbard.
CMS: Heavy, solid, long.
L: Looks very nice from afar, but up close the guard and pommel disappoint.
XIV: Very distinctive, relatively light in the hand.
Statistics
Point of Balance (from guard):
CMS (6 inches), L (7 inches), XIV (4 inches)
Center of Percussion:
n/a
Weight:
Wasn't able to weigh, but seems to check out with MRL stats.
Components
The Blade
The blades of all these swords look nice. They have decent symmetry, somehow have the proper shape, have the correct profile taper for their type...
But you can never stress distal taper enough. Profile taper and distal taper are the two halves that make for a good sword. Proper geometry, whether simple or complex, make it an excellent sword. Unfortunately, Windlass does not make good or excellent swords. They make decent-looking swords.
The heat treat is actually quite good. The swords flex well but are stiff in the thrust. They aren’t very hard (since they get scratched by medium plastic), but are historically within the proper range of hardness.
The CMS is a classic knightly sword and looks the part. The heft of the blade, due principally to the length and lack of distal taper, makes this one quite unwieldy. Still, I can imagine it being used on horseback to deliver singular, sweeping blows that don’t need much power to execute.
The L tapers way too much for my liking on a Viking-age sword. Otherwise, it feels almost exactly like the CMS.
The XIV has excellent profile taper, from the swell at the shoulder of the blade all the way to the wicked point. The narrow fuller terminates quite early before the tip, ensuring stiffness at the end for thrusting.
Rank:
1. XIV
2. CMS
3. L
The Handle
Both the CMS and XIV sport leather grips, which I found decently-made. The L has a wooden grip that, while pretty, does not feel very nice. The rivets, while decorative, are felt when you grip tightly. Notably, the L grip has a historically accurate length while the XIV seems way too long for such a short blade.
Rank:
1. CMS
2. L
3. XIV
The Guard
CMS guard rusted so much and so quickly. I had to sand it down twice and almost douse it in oil (just kidding, that’d make it even rust more). I’m not sure if it got the rust from the metal mouth of the scabbard, or from the chape, or the pommel – basically everything but the blade kept rusting, even if I kept them stored in a dust and moisture-free room. I mean, none of my other swords rusted like this. Blade slot is not well-fitted. I also don’t like the length of the guard, which might be historical, but given the lack of distal taper, make the sword very hard to wield.
Leuterit guard is - I think – painted aluminium (that’s probably filled or something) . It looks bad close-up, since the diamonds aren’t identical. The problem with it being painted is that if you hit something hard that has a corner or edge, the paint simply chips off. Also, blade slot is kinda ugly.
XIV guard is superior in every way. It looks good, doesn’t rust that much despite being steel, and is shaped in a way that it doesn’t get in the way of wielding the sword.
Rank:
1. XIV
2. L
3. CMS
The Pommel
CMS pommel rusted as much as the guard, but was otherwise well-shaped. The peen is slightly rough but nicely rounded.
L pommel is the same material as the guard. Peen is rectangular and rough – it stands out way too much.
XIV pommel is decent, and the peen is similar to the CMS.
Rank:
1. XIV
2. CMS
3. L
The Scabbard
The CMS scabbard’s metal parts (chape and mouth) rusted just as much as the guard and pommel. Otherwise, it’s simple looking and functional.
The L scabbard looks very nice – it almost makes up for the rest of the bad parts of the sword.
XIV scabbard is the most plain jane scabbard, but it’s nice to have. Also, the mouth is well-fitted to the guard. Among the three, only the XIV doesn’t fall when held upside down from the scabbard.
Handling Characteristics
Windlass handling, due to the lack of distal taper, is abhorrent: they are basically one-handed and long crowbars. However, since there’s profile taper, the XIV handles the best of the lot. In fact, it almost feels like a fighting weapon, and I’m sure that among the three, it’s what I would pick in a straight up fight.
Rank:
1. XIV
2. L
3. CMS
Test Cutting
Since the CMS and L are unsharpened, I have no videos of them. The XIV did very well in the one cut I used it for: an empty bottle. It almost got a silent cut, despite its very clear secondary bevel. Among the three, it feels like the easiest for edge alignment.
Conclusions
These are three of the favourite Windlass swords, and I can honestly see why. They look good, are sturdy, come with decent scabbards, and most of all, cost very little. To give you an idea, with the SBGWEB discount, the CMS was basically $90 (Retail: $150, Shipping: $66.92, Discount: $9.90, TOTAL: $156.02) the L was $135 (Retail: $265, Shipping: $64.73, Discount: $15.00, TOTAL: $199.73), and the XIV was $101 (Retail: $225, Shipping: $66.90, Discount: $13.05, Sharpening: $29.25, TOTAL: $184.35).
Of them all, I am happiest with the XIV. Since all lacked distal taper, handling came down to profile taper and proportions, which the XIV had in spades. It was also not very expensive, though I feel like I should have opted for it unsharpened as a $27 sharpening job should at least have decently blended bevels in my view.
All of them also look the part of the sword. I’ve seen enough wall hangers to discern whether something on the wall is a real sword, and these three at least LOOK like their historical counterparts. They also all feel very sturdy and tough, sure to survive any natural calamity that might befall my mother-in-law’s house (where I spend the weekend) or my office (where they currently reside).
That said, how would I compare them? Definitely get the Type XIV unless you can afford the Albion Yeoman/Sheriff/Sovereign. It’s probably the best deal for this type of sword out there. The Classic Medieval Sword is also decent for costume parties, rennfaires, Halloween, or if you need to break into someone’s car. The Leuterit... it’s quite underwhelming to be honest. Except for the scabbard and maybe the blade, every part feels too artificial, too modern-made. It might be a nice project blade, since you can reuse the scabbard.
Pros
All three are relatively cheap
All look good from afar
XIV can handle well
Cons
CMS keeps rusting
L has ugly fittings
All have basically zero distal taper.
CMS has poor weight management and too long a guard
The Bottom Line
What would I recommend? If I had to choose, the XIV. If I could do this again, I’d get the XIV and CMS. If I had the skills on the sander/grinder to correct their problems, I’d get all three.
TLDR: Get the XIV for a very good entry-level single-handed sword. Get the CMS for its looks. Get the Leuterit and salvage its parts for DIY work.
Or save your money for an Albion Squire line (alternatively, get Hanwei Tinker swords, though I'm not a fan of the hex nut).