"Dragonfang" by Lonely Wolf Forge
Dec 10, 2016 21:53:33 GMT
Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2016 21:53:33 GMT
Historical overview:
No historical background; pure fantasy. This started as a design idea with a rough scetch from me...Wes brought it into real life, with some adaptions and modifications. I failed catching a ZT Harvester when i got the opportunity and got so darn angry that i nearly gave up the hobby; it was pure insanity, you cant imagine how angry i was... four years hunting this thing, and then... poof!
Then i said: well, i design my own!
Full Disclosure:
I bought this sword brand new and had it made for me from our Wes Beem / Lonely Wolf Forge... and he has put FAR more work & sweat in it than he would usually do for a 800,- USD order... but i am doing an honest review nevertheless.
Initial Impressions:
Now thats something... a sword drawing made by yourself transformed into reel steel! Very good handling and balance; the idea behind the yarious "cutouts" (half-swording!) works...
Statistics:
Blade Length: 32"
Grip Length: 12"
Thickness: 1/4" at shoulder
Blade Material: Through hardened 5160 Spring Steel
Grip Material: Steel and Bone Micarta
Point of Balance: 4.5" from hilt
Weight: 3lb 7oz
The blade:
Overall an astounding job; i didnt even ask for the intensive grinding in thost Cut-outs...lots of false edges there. A closer look shows some flaws though: the grinding is much more "prominent" on one side of the blade versus the other; but i saw that also on other saber-like blades; czech guys, Baltimore Knife & Sword, Valiant Armoury... only Zombie Tools seem to manage that properly. The steel also shows some little "holes", i believe thats called "pitting"? Please correct me if i am wrong. The polish is satin-like which i prefer to mirror-like stuff; much easier to maintain little marks etc. with some ScotchBrite pads! Theres quite some distal taper Wes managed to work out with those hellish grindjob; very good!
The guard & pommel:
None, classically spoken. Bone Micarta scales and steel bolsters have been riveted directly onto the massive full-tang of the sword, creating a pommel, spacer and some guard. This also is mostly a great job, only the bolsters forming the spacer are quite asymmetrical; not so nice.
The grip:
The grip, formed by the tang, bolsters and scales mentioned above also follows my basic design - well done, nevertheless i expected it to be a little longer...
this is mainly my fault for COMLETELY overestimating the overall size of the sword; i expected it to be even larger and just didnt communicate enough.
Test cutting:
Also a serious pool dragon, errh, noodle killer! Havent cut anything else yet...
Conclusion:
Overall, a great job done by Wes here... but with some little flaws i wouldnt had expected in that price range. On the other hand, i doubt anybody else would do a complete custom job in especially that price range and do BETTER! I am just a nitpicker with my swords...
In summary it seems to be a problem with me: i like the ULTRA clean machined Albion or ZT look much more than a blade showing the marks and little flaws of hand-crafting. Would i recommend Wes? Yep...definitely, to everybody who likes that kind of handmade look in bladeworks.
Pros:
- nice blade, but...see cons
- excellent grinding job
- excellent sharp edges
- excellent grip job
overall; also in balance etc. - the sword handles perfect!
- very nice execution/adaption of my basic design
- good handling for its size and weight
Cons:
- looks a little too rough and uneven for MY tastes in some spots; especially the grinding on both sides compared to each other.
- spacer bolsters a little asymmetric
- no light sword, surely too heavy for some
- grip turned out a little shorter than expected, as did the whole sword... but thats my fault for not checking the measurements he gave to me.