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Post by aronk on Sept 23, 2015 4:20:51 GMT
I thought that I would create a single, consolidated thread for discussion of all things Empire Costume, given how often M. Gunhuit's wares are discussed here. I'll start out with a question for Uhlan. Do you still have your EC dragoon pallasch? If you do, could you post some photos? I'm thinking of ordering it, and want to have a good idea of what a typical one looks like before I sink $160 or so into shipping one here. Which reminds me, if I do end up buying one, would anyone be willing to split shipping costs? I suppose I should tag the other EC fans here. Dave Kelly, Afoo.
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Uhlan
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Posts: 3,121
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Post by Uhlan on Sept 23, 2015 20:12:26 GMT
Hey Aronk.
Are the pictures from EC not good enough? I have the one with the wood-leather and brass scabbard. I could post some photos but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Almost bed time down here. Cannot remember posting about the EC version, but one thing is for sure: it is far better than the Universal or Weapon Edge product. I handled them both at the same time and the Universal W. Edge is a brick compaired to the EC. That said, it is still not what it should or could have been. The blade is too thin. For the real deal you would have a thickness under the guard of about 11 mm. The EC is about 7mm. Compaired to originals, the basket is much smaller, with thinner branches and the grip is too short. That counts for EC-W. Edge and Un. I took the EC from the rack and sided it with a Carabinier M1854/1860, a Dragoon M1854/1860 and a Dragoon fom 1880 with a try out blade which was rejected in 1882. Luckely I have the gang standing right next to my computer, so I can see and write. The EC matches the M1854 Dragoon, the smallest of the lot and is dwarfed by the Carabinier, the next best thing to a Nap. Pallash. Looking at the basket of the EC, it is even thinner and smaller than that on both M1854's, which are trimmed down versions of the original Napoleonic Dragoon via the M1816. It has the mass and thickness of branches of an M1822 HC hilt. It looks pathetic next to the others. So what you get from all three vendors is a blade that is 50% too thin but compairable to an M1854 blade in length, though in the case of Un / W Edge without taper and in the case of EC with reasonable taper and a much better temper and crowned with a basket that resembles the M1822 HC with balls. No pun intended. In the short and good: Is this a Napoleonic Dragoon replica? No, it aint. It is an M1822 HC hilted untrimmed M1854 at best. For about three of these, you can get a good M1854, with some luck and patience. I know what I would do. I hope this is of some use to you. Cheers.
PS: I will show the lot tomorow, so you can see for yourself. For good meassure I'll throw in a M1812 too, though I will have to crawl over assorted steel to get to its rack. Still a mess in Casa Ulahn. One thing that is nagging me: Having some originals takes the fun right out of the replica thing. Without stuff to compaire with, everything is hunkey dory. With the right stuff in the house, most replicas do not cut it anymore. Again no pun intended. I would sell you my EC, but I cannot ship packages over 1 mtr long, according to the latest rules. Cheers.
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Post by Afoo on Sept 24, 2015 1:28:08 GMT
Hey aronk - thanks for the offer. Problem is that shipping to Canada would make it prohibitively expensive, adding on an extra $50-ish to the price, not including the original shipping from France. On that note, I am interested in one of their infantry sabres (The fancier briquet). Its nice and neat, and *almost* cheap enough to make it worthwhile. If anyone else in Canada wants to put in an order, we can pool our numbers and see if we can't make it a better deal
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Post by aronk on Sept 24, 2015 2:26:27 GMT
Hey Aronk. Are the pictures from EC not good enough? I have the one with the wood-leather and brass scabbard. I could post some photos but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Almost bed time down here. Cannot remember posting about the EC version, but one thing is for sure: it is far better than the Universal or Weapon Edge product. I handled them both at the same time and the Universal W. Edge is a brick compaired to the EC. That said, it is still not what it should or could have been. The blade is too thin. For the real deal you would have a thickness under the guard of about 11 mm. The EC is about 7mm. Compaired to originals, the basket is much smaller, with thinner branches and the grip is too short. That counts for EC-W. Edge and Un. I took the EC from the rack and sided it with a Carabinier M1854/1860, a Dragoon M1854/1860 and a Dragoon fom 1880 with a try out blade which was rejected in 1882. Luckely I have the gang standing right next to my computer, so I can see and write. The EC matches the M1854 Dragoon, the smallest of the lot and is dwarfed by the Carabinier, the next best thing to a Nap. Pallash. Looking at the basket of the EC, it is even thinner and smaller than that on both M1854's, which are trimmed down versions of the original Napoleonic Dragoon via the M1816. It has the mass and thickness of branches of an M1822 HC hilt. It looks pathetic next to the others. So what you get from all three vendors is a blade that is 50% too thin but compairable to an M1854 blade in length, though in the case of Un / W Edge without taper and in the case of EC with reasonable taper and a much better temper and crowned with a basket that resembles the M1822 HC with balls. No pun intended. In the short and good: Is this a Napoleonic Dragoon replica? No, it aint. It is an M1822 HC hilted untrimmed M1854 at best. For about three of these, you can get a good M1854, with some luck and patience. I know what I would do. I hope this is of some use to you. Cheers. PS: I will show the lot tomorow, so you can see for yourself. For good meassure I'll throw in a M1812 too, though I will have to crawl over assorted steel to get to its rack. Still a mess in Casa Ulahn. One thing that is nagging me: Having some originals takes the fun right out of the replica thing. Without stuff to compaire with, everything is hunkey dory. With the right stuff in the house, most replicas do not cut it anymore. Again no pun intended. I would sell you my EC, but I cannot ship packages over 1 mtr long, according to the latest rules. Cheers. Interesting. Thanks Ulahn. I know the pain of not being able to appreciate most replicas after buying originals. My M1822s are the reason I'm having so much difficulty committing to this replica. I may just end up hunting something down on eBay.
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Uhlan
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Posts: 3,121
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Post by Uhlan on Sept 24, 2015 6:04:00 GMT
In about 30 minutes I will have poured enough coffee in me to start doing the pictures. Lately I often think about the M1822. Have to, because I am fixing up mine. I want to do a piece on this sabre, a sort of buying guide, with detailed pictures of what went on with different hilt decorations, Officers creep examples, markings, all mixed with the findings of Monsieur l'Hoste. I have to do three more and that is two weeks per sabre at four hours a day. I have enough steel dust in me to make all detectors go nuts. This model has been in the running for a hundred years, so it has seen all kinds of action. Still, it is the relative cheapest in the marked here in Europe. What I am getting at is that the M1822 is a wonderful entree into the sword collecting world, a wonderful learning tool and you can own and study it for relative peanuts. It will hold its value too. Replicas not so much. I can see why somebody would collect only the M1822. So many variations and nutty blade - hilt combinations. There is enough material there to last you a life time.
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Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
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Post by Uhlan on Sept 24, 2015 8:34:04 GMT
Pictures. From left to right: Carabinier M1854/60 - Dragoon M1816/22 - Dragoon M1854/64 - Dragoon M1812 - EC Dragoon - Dragoon M1880. The baskets in more detail: Notice the small pommel cap on the EC and the thin tapering grip. EC compaired to the M1822 Bancal. Notice that even the Bancal still has the thicker branches. The EC Dragoon has the basket mass and branch thickness of the regular M1822 LC.
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Post by aronk on Sept 25, 2015 1:13:45 GMT
Very interesting. Thank you. I suppose this means I'll be going back to eBay hunting. The problem with wanting originals when you're a Napoleonic wars collector is the exorbitant pricing...
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Post by Dave Kelly on Sept 25, 2015 1:27:46 GMT
Very interesting. Thank you. I suppose this means I'll be going back to eBay hunting. The problem with wanting originals when you're a Napoleonic wars collector is the exorbitant pricing... Well, ya know, if you can find a nice orange one, like I did, they don't cost much atall.
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Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
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Post by Uhlan on Sept 25, 2015 17:20:09 GMT
Hey Meester! Ah geeve ju twenny buks for dad think!
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