ATrim XVIa.4 by Angus Trim
Sept 23, 2017 20:33:08 GMT
Post by Aikidoka on Sept 23, 2017 20:33:08 GMT
ATrim XVIa.4 by Angus Trim
Introduction
This ATrim XVIa.4 is one of two swords sent to me by Angus Trim to cut with and give my impressions. The other sword is an ATrim XVIIIb.5, which I will review separately.
Here are Angus Trim's thoughts on the ATrim XVIa.4:
"The XVIa.4 is actually a response to people asking me to do something about the "one size fits all", thing that they interpret most makers of doing. This is an oversimplification, but you could say the XVIa.4 is a stretch version of the XVIa.3
The history of the XVIa.3 goes back 7 or 8 years. The retailer I was working with at the time wanted an "answer" to the Albion Crecy. I wanted to try a couple of things I'd noticed after studying a lot of photos of longswords and warswords of the late 14th century through the 15th.
The XVIa.3 has a 35 inch blade, and weighs 2lbs 12. The XVIa.4 has a 37 inch blade and gains a couple ounces too.
The main thing I tried out on the XVIa.3 is making the edge thicker towards the guard. The XVIa.4 has a longer section that is thicker, and obviously not sharpened.
That thickening of the edge increases the mass in the forte. You could call it the distal taper of the profile, as it works the same way as the tapering of the spine.
It also serves to make the forte stronger, if you will."
Full Disclosure
This sword was loaned to me by Angus Trim and I'm receiving no compensation for this review. After cutting with this sword, I will be returning it to him unless I decide I would like to buy it (very likely!).
** EDIT: After cutting with this sword, I liked it so much that I decided to buy it!
Initial Impressions
My initial impressions were that this is a beautifully proportioned sword that handles very well.
I liked it the minute I saw it and more so once I picked it up
Statistics
Blade length: 36.6 inches
Grip length: 8.75 inches
Overall Length: 47.75 inches
Blade width at base: 1.8 inches
Guard width: 8 inches
POB (Point of Balance): 4.75 inches
Weight: 2 lbs 13.9 oz
The Blade
The blade on this sword is beautifully proportioned. As Gus mentioned earlier, the edge at the base of the blade is unsharpened. The sharp edge begins about four inches before the end of the fuller.
When I asked about the fuller not being black, as I am accustomed to seeing with ATrims, this was Gus' response:
"The black you see in some of the fullers I do is heat treat black that was smooth enough I felt comfortable leaving it on a finished sword. So, some swords have black fullers, some of them I clean out."
Here is a photo that Gus sent me before sending the sword:
It should be noted that the finish on this sword is not as refined as on an Albion, for example. The blade has many light surface scratches and the polish in the fuller is a bit uneven as you may be able to see in the pictures.
The Hilt
The dark brown leather grip is nicely done and comfortable in the hand. The shiny protective coating on the leather is a bit slick, though. The blackened guard and pommel look nice and would be easier to maintain than polished steel. Aesthetically, I like the choice of guard on this sword, with its tapering quillons.
Handling Characteristics
This sword feels wonderfully responsive in the hand. The sword has blade presence, but can very quickly reverse direction, making transitions from guard to guard almost effortlessly.
Test Cutting
In today's cutting session, I did some test cutting on single tatami mat targets. On the first mat, I performed the six basic cuts and on the second I performed a double cut. As can be seen in the video, the sword cuts very well. And it should be noted that I did not sharpen the sword at all before cutting.
Update 9/24:
Today, I continued test cutting with the ATrim XVIa.4 longsword. In this cutting session, I cut two tatami mats at a time on my multiple mat stand. On the first two mats, I performed a descending right to left cut, following by two ascending left to right cuts, first with the false edge and then with the true edge. On the second set of mats, I performed the double parallel cut from this year's CombatCon. Once again, this sword performed very well. I was able to perform the double parallel cut more cleanly and with less effort than with my Cold Steel Hand and a Half sword. The rising false edge cut from the first set of mats also felt easier.
Conclusions
Pros
- Blade comes with very sharp edge
- Cuts tatami very well
- Well balanced and maneuverable sword
Cons
- Expensive
- Finish is not very refined (scratches, uneven finish in the fuller)
The Bottom Line
I would highly recommend the ATrim XVIa.4 longsword to anyone looking for a very capable cutting sword with excellent handling characteristics.
Introduction
This ATrim XVIa.4 is one of two swords sent to me by Angus Trim to cut with and give my impressions. The other sword is an ATrim XVIIIb.5, which I will review separately.
Here are Angus Trim's thoughts on the ATrim XVIa.4:
"The XVIa.4 is actually a response to people asking me to do something about the "one size fits all", thing that they interpret most makers of doing. This is an oversimplification, but you could say the XVIa.4 is a stretch version of the XVIa.3
The history of the XVIa.3 goes back 7 or 8 years. The retailer I was working with at the time wanted an "answer" to the Albion Crecy. I wanted to try a couple of things I'd noticed after studying a lot of photos of longswords and warswords of the late 14th century through the 15th.
The XVIa.3 has a 35 inch blade, and weighs 2lbs 12. The XVIa.4 has a 37 inch blade and gains a couple ounces too.
The main thing I tried out on the XVIa.3 is making the edge thicker towards the guard. The XVIa.4 has a longer section that is thicker, and obviously not sharpened.
That thickening of the edge increases the mass in the forte. You could call it the distal taper of the profile, as it works the same way as the tapering of the spine.
It also serves to make the forte stronger, if you will."
Full Disclosure
This sword was loaned to me by Angus Trim and I'm receiving no compensation for this review. After cutting with this sword, I will be returning it to him unless I decide I would like to buy it (very likely!).
** EDIT: After cutting with this sword, I liked it so much that I decided to buy it!
Initial Impressions
My initial impressions were that this is a beautifully proportioned sword that handles very well.
I liked it the minute I saw it and more so once I picked it up
Statistics
Blade length: 36.6 inches
Grip length: 8.75 inches
Overall Length: 47.75 inches
Blade width at base: 1.8 inches
Guard width: 8 inches
POB (Point of Balance): 4.75 inches
Weight: 2 lbs 13.9 oz
The Blade
The blade on this sword is beautifully proportioned. As Gus mentioned earlier, the edge at the base of the blade is unsharpened. The sharp edge begins about four inches before the end of the fuller.
When I asked about the fuller not being black, as I am accustomed to seeing with ATrims, this was Gus' response:
"The black you see in some of the fullers I do is heat treat black that was smooth enough I felt comfortable leaving it on a finished sword. So, some swords have black fullers, some of them I clean out."
Here is a photo that Gus sent me before sending the sword:
It should be noted that the finish on this sword is not as refined as on an Albion, for example. The blade has many light surface scratches and the polish in the fuller is a bit uneven as you may be able to see in the pictures.
The Hilt
The dark brown leather grip is nicely done and comfortable in the hand. The shiny protective coating on the leather is a bit slick, though. The blackened guard and pommel look nice and would be easier to maintain than polished steel. Aesthetically, I like the choice of guard on this sword, with its tapering quillons.
Handling Characteristics
This sword feels wonderfully responsive in the hand. The sword has blade presence, but can very quickly reverse direction, making transitions from guard to guard almost effortlessly.
Test Cutting
In today's cutting session, I did some test cutting on single tatami mat targets. On the first mat, I performed the six basic cuts and on the second I performed a double cut. As can be seen in the video, the sword cuts very well. And it should be noted that I did not sharpen the sword at all before cutting.
Update 9/24:
Today, I continued test cutting with the ATrim XVIa.4 longsword. In this cutting session, I cut two tatami mats at a time on my multiple mat stand. On the first two mats, I performed a descending right to left cut, following by two ascending left to right cuts, first with the false edge and then with the true edge. On the second set of mats, I performed the double parallel cut from this year's CombatCon. Once again, this sword performed very well. I was able to perform the double parallel cut more cleanly and with less effort than with my Cold Steel Hand and a Half sword. The rising false edge cut from the first set of mats also felt easier.
Conclusions
Pros
- Blade comes with very sharp edge
- Cuts tatami very well
- Well balanced and maneuverable sword
Cons
- Expensive
- Finish is not very refined (scratches, uneven finish in the fuller)
The Bottom Line
I would highly recommend the ATrim XVIa.4 longsword to anyone looking for a very capable cutting sword with excellent handling characteristics.