My Hanwei Celtic Sword Experience
Mar 28, 2017 10:01:36 GMT
Post by saix1 on Mar 28, 2017 10:01:36 GMT
Firstly, if you want to read about my review on the Ten Ryu Musashi Wakizashi: monadfights.blogspot.com.au/p/musashi-wakizashi-review.html
Okay, so having gained interest in Celtic culture and weapons, i decided to purchase the Hanwei Celtic Sword from swordsoftheeast for the price of $313 AUD including shipping. Knowing that Hanwei was one of the biggest production sword companies out there with generally good quality products, I was hooked by the concept of owning a sword with a "Macassar Ebony grip".
Arrival: After opening a large cardboard box, i was delighted to find...ANOTHER BOX! With some foamy stabilizers, the whole sword was inside a plastic covering while the blade was inside another plastic covering. Immediately, i was struck by the sheer weight of the blade. I own a wakizashi and medieval crusader sword but this sword was HEAVY. There were what appeared to be stains on the blade due to the dried up grease used to keep away rust. After 5 cleanings of the blade, i have removed most of the stains from the blade but some still remain. I don't know if i am to fault Hanwei or SwordsoftheEast, but this was definitely not good.
The brass fittings were dirty! Stained! Some parts had grime and lacked shine. Some parts were just black like it was burnt. Lol. I swallowed my rage and decided, heh, it looks more antique and historical now.
The sheath, not much to say, leather construction and quite rigid. I do however, prefer scabbards.
The grip! Oh the expensive macassar wood grip! Striped ebony! Beautiful. I absolutely adore the wooden grip. Feels good, looks good, one of the two highlights of the blade.
The blade. Well, you already heard about the stains. But here comes the lack of sharpness. It not only had the "Hanwei sharpness" edge that is fitted only for backyard cutting, but when i ran my finger across the edge. Phuoar. It had grooves and bumps, irregularities in the smoothness of the edge. NOT A GOOD SIGN. I will say however, being 1566 steel, which is a manganese carbon spring steel, it is definitely made of quality steel. The groove down the middle of the leaf-shaped blade is strikingly beautiful when appreciated under the light.
Cut tests. This sword has a threaded pommel, which isn't the most sturdy. Also, historically it should have a peened pommel. I filled up two water bottles and wanted to see how it handled. This is a very blade-heavy sword and i am not used to this kind of weight. My first attempt- a missed. My second- i pussied out on the amount of strength, if any, i put behind the swing and bat the bottle across the yard. My third- messy cut straight through. My fourth- Clean cut with the right amount of (little) expected resistance.
So all in all, a good addition to my collection. I appreciate the design and have pride in the quality of wood/steel. However, not worth the price. With the money, i would recommend buying something else. Or perhaps, the flaws with the sword are only because of poor storage by SOTE. In that case, take the risk because the blade is beautiful.
Okay, so having gained interest in Celtic culture and weapons, i decided to purchase the Hanwei Celtic Sword from swordsoftheeast for the price of $313 AUD including shipping. Knowing that Hanwei was one of the biggest production sword companies out there with generally good quality products, I was hooked by the concept of owning a sword with a "Macassar Ebony grip".
Arrival: After opening a large cardboard box, i was delighted to find...ANOTHER BOX! With some foamy stabilizers, the whole sword was inside a plastic covering while the blade was inside another plastic covering. Immediately, i was struck by the sheer weight of the blade. I own a wakizashi and medieval crusader sword but this sword was HEAVY. There were what appeared to be stains on the blade due to the dried up grease used to keep away rust. After 5 cleanings of the blade, i have removed most of the stains from the blade but some still remain. I don't know if i am to fault Hanwei or SwordsoftheEast, but this was definitely not good.
The brass fittings were dirty! Stained! Some parts had grime and lacked shine. Some parts were just black like it was burnt. Lol. I swallowed my rage and decided, heh, it looks more antique and historical now.
The sheath, not much to say, leather construction and quite rigid. I do however, prefer scabbards.
The grip! Oh the expensive macassar wood grip! Striped ebony! Beautiful. I absolutely adore the wooden grip. Feels good, looks good, one of the two highlights of the blade.
The blade. Well, you already heard about the stains. But here comes the lack of sharpness. It not only had the "Hanwei sharpness" edge that is fitted only for backyard cutting, but when i ran my finger across the edge. Phuoar. It had grooves and bumps, irregularities in the smoothness of the edge. NOT A GOOD SIGN. I will say however, being 1566 steel, which is a manganese carbon spring steel, it is definitely made of quality steel. The groove down the middle of the leaf-shaped blade is strikingly beautiful when appreciated under the light.
Cut tests. This sword has a threaded pommel, which isn't the most sturdy. Also, historically it should have a peened pommel. I filled up two water bottles and wanted to see how it handled. This is a very blade-heavy sword and i am not used to this kind of weight. My first attempt- a missed. My second- i pussied out on the amount of strength, if any, i put behind the swing and bat the bottle across the yard. My third- messy cut straight through. My fourth- Clean cut with the right amount of (little) expected resistance.
So all in all, a good addition to my collection. I appreciate the design and have pride in the quality of wood/steel. However, not worth the price. With the money, i would recommend buying something else. Or perhaps, the flaws with the sword are only because of poor storage by SOTE. In that case, take the risk because the blade is beautiful.