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Post by disappearingone on Mar 26, 2016 0:44:59 GMT
I've been wanting to get a few European swords for a while now, and I liked the look of this one. The $100 Amazon gift card I had made the decision to go ahead and get one a bit easier. I will say, however, that this is the last time I'll order a sword from Amazon. They simply don't know how to package swords. This one was shipped in nothing but the flimsy Cold Steel box that was not only torn to shreds by the time it arrived, but the cross guard was actually poking through and sticking out the side of the box. I'm quite amazed the sword arrived in perfect condition despite Amazon's best efforts to make sure I received a jacked-up sword. In the past I had to send two other swords back due to their packing (or lack thereof) so yeah, three strikes. They're out.
Stats:
Overall Length: 47 1/4'' Blade: 35 5/8'', 1055 High Carbon Steel Weight: 2 lb 8 oz Point of balance: about 3-4" Handle: 8 5/8'' (w/pommel about 11 1/2")
My first concern out of the box is the leather on the handle. It feels very thin and soft, and has some "play" to it if you know what I mean. I don't know how well it'll hold up over time. Also, it has a threaded/nut pommel, which as I'm sure we all know can be a weak spot on swords that us that construction. Only time will tell if that will be an issue but as of now the sword feels quite solid.
The fit in the scabbard is pretty good. The sword moves around a little inside, but not much. It's your standard wood wrapped in leather. It's nothing fancy but it gets the job done.
I find myself really liking the taper down to the tip of the blade. It's pretty sharp and did well on the paper test. The sword feels surprisingly light and balanced for it's size. Feels very lively. Basically, it's a biggun that doesn't feel like a biggun. I haven't had the chance to cut with it yet, but will update this post when I get the chance.
So far, it feels like a winner, but I know folks have had issues with these in the past. The fact that it clearly went through an ordeal just making here and nothing is loose and rattly frankly rather impresses me. Can't wait to try it out and update this post with more info.
And for now, I end this with the shimmering glamour shot:
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Post by Dave Kelly on Mar 26, 2016 1:20:27 GMT
Welcome to the Carbon Steel side, Luke. Your soul now belongs to us... urrrrhahahahahahahahaha.
Amazon isn't a bad place to troll for Cold/Steel and Hanwei discounts. If ya gots a gift card of 100.00, hey, no brainer. ( Always read the right side of the screen for multiple sources for the same product. Sometimes the Amazon Prime offerings isn't the best, or there are secondhanders available.)
Enjoy!
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Post by newfoundviking on Mar 26, 2016 6:51:30 GMT
I have the CS MAA longsword (all blued), interesting to see yours has what looks like a cover over the pommel nut (or is that just the nut itself?) Mine had a kind of nut but with a standard screwdriver slot in the end. I said had because the tang broke after 20 min of use. I fixed it and shimmed handle at the same time. It does handle well but there are better handling swords. I was a little discouraged after I bought a HT bastard blade, made the handle-pommel-crossguard myself and found out that it handles way better than the CS sword.
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Post by disappearingone on Mar 26, 2016 17:52:15 GMT
I really don't know for sure if there's a cover or it's the nut itself. I actually would prefer it to be like yours with the nut exposed so I could tighten or adjust or disassemble it easily if needed.
Do you mind saying what you were doing when it broke? Mine is unlikely to see any targets tougher than bottles or pool noodles.
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Post by disappearingone on Apr 3, 2016 0:56:19 GMT
The first bottle cutting session with this sword happened this afternoon. I learned pretty quickly how differently a straight blade cuts as opposed to a curved blade (such as a katana, which is what I'm used to). My first 5 or 6 attempts were total fails, sending the bottles flying across the yard. I found that pulling the blade towards myself a little more than I'm used to as I swing seemed to help. After that I had fewer fails. Still need to get the hang of it better though. It's definitely users error, as the blade is pretty sharp.
Anyways, after a fairly long session everything on the sword remains tight and intact. No scratches or scuffs that I can see. I look forward to getting to try again.
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Post by Germanic on Apr 3, 2016 2:33:31 GMT
I really like this sword. It's light, sharp, and strong. The blade is incredibly well-tempered.
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Post by lygon on Apr 22, 2016 2:05:28 GMT
its amazing you chopped all those logs with this awesome sword!
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Post by howler on Aug 14, 2016 20:29:30 GMT
Most reviews on this say it is one of CS best offerings, also not so "beefy" which is a standard observation of CS swords. Mine weighs in at 2lb 13.5oz. I LOVE the design, as these swords were used to stab a man after engaging in a "bind" (maneuvering of swords)...unlike the Hollywood "chop and hack" portrayal.
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