Windlass Pilsen Rapier III
Oct 22, 2017 1:37:28 GMT
Post by Afoo on Oct 22, 2017 1:37:28 GMT
NOTE I have had to upload this three times, each a bigger pain in the arse due to server errors. Can someone please check this out. Its a pain to have to re-embed all the figures again and again. I have screen-shot the error below, though it appears that not everyone is receiving it
The Pilsen Rapier
Preamble:
My interest in rapiers is mainly aesthetic, and my familiarity with their history is limited to very broad strokes. Likewise, my experience with replica rapiers is limited to a couple of examples, so take that with a grain of salt.
Additionally, there are already a few good reviews (1, 2) on this item. While they provide a good idea of the flaws and limitations of this sword, I believe this item remains under-appreciated, and I hope this review will provide some evidence to support that opinion.
The Grip:
The grip appears to be the main point of contention in previous reviews – at least that was the part which stuck in my head the most, and gave me the greatest degree of reservation when purchasing this item (I got it used from the forums). The main criticism is that the quillon block is both too wide and too square, with the end result being a steep 90 degree transition which digs into your fingers when handling it.
View of the quillon block and fingers. Note that, unlike the munich, there is plenty of room for the fingers ahead of the quillon block.
This is in contrast to my other Windlass/AC rapier discussed here, which has a very shallow quillon block formed from plates which run parallel, rather than perpendicular to the axis of the blade. While this may get uncomfortable after prolonged use, I find that the addition of a leather glove makes in imperceptible. In fact, I find that the increased surface area helps a bit with point control, as my thumb has more to push with if needed. As mentioned in the original reviews, this block can be filled down if necessary to make the transition more rounded, so to me that’s not a huge deal breaker.
Comparison of the Pilsen with the Windlass/AC hybrid rapier showing difference in the quillon block construction. Right image shows the Pilsen without any appendages.
One advantage of this massive block is that the hilt components match the diameter of the grip. This seems like a no-brainer, but for some other swords like my Windlass Munich, the quillon block is too narrow. As such, you have uneven stress on the wood grips, which could lead to problems down the road. My Munich is fitted with after market guard also from AC which accentuates the problem, but IIRC the stock Munich guard had a similar issue, if not to the same scale. With the way the Pilsen is built at least the force is distributed across the entire face of the wooden grips. Of course, there are other solutions, but hey it is what it is
View of the AC/Munich hybrid. Note the unsupported area of the grip, and the exposed wood core.
The other main complaint with the Pilsen is that the guard rings are too small, and people with larger hands may have difficulty using it comfortably. As with everything you see in sword reviews your mileage may vary, but I have no difficulty using it comfortably (for reference the circumference of my closed fist is 12 inches). If I really choke up against the blade the inside ring will impinge on my knuckles, but in my normal grip its not an issue. On the flip side, I can easily see why this might be an issue for others with more generously proportioned appendages. Once your hand is inside though there is plenty of room for your fingers to move around, unlike the Munich which catches your index finger like a sadistic demon-fueled mouse trap.
View of my hand inside the guard. Note the lack of hand protection, and how close the inside ring comes to my hand. The last picture shows the standoff I have between my hand and the guard. Note as well that I am holding the rapier in my normal grip. However, there is room to bring my hand further up the blade, as may be the preference for some folk. That may be a much less pleasant experience (ie: the patented Pilsen hand smasher)
The guard itself is what drew me to the Rapier – the Hercules knots are visually distinct, and a nice break from the swept/cup hilt designs which fill this price range. While the quillons are quite long, the actual guard-y part of the guard is quite small, with the loops covering an area of 3.5/4 inches depending if you measure them widthwise or heightwise. This is sufficient for my needs in terms of comfort, and makes the sword easy to carry. However, the hand protection is quite limited. Since I am not expecting to fight any 6-fingered men anytime soon I am okay with that, but others may have issue with that (especially if you killed my father). The workmanship of the guard is nice for the price range – the material is thick and robust – but not crude – and the weld seems are well finished.
View of the Pilsen next to a standard Shell-plate rapier. Note the difference in guard size and hand protection.
The grip itself is wider than my other rapier, which I like. It fits the hand well and offers great control. The grip material is….challenging to me. I like it – the colour and texture is a nice change from the usual smooth black leather I would expect from a sword of this price range, but it looks kind of sick – like its been infected with a pox or some other dermatological disorder. Pachydermoperiostosis? Measels? Who knows. The Turks head at the end of the grip and the stitching is well done though so I guess on balance its not bad.
Grip material. I teach biology and even I can't tell you what animal that came from
The Blade:
The blade is what I think makes the value of the sword. I recall that Windlass had a reputation for making floppy blades, and my experience with their Rheinfelden sword did not help (I liked the design, but the blade flopped harder than our finance minister of late). My previous Windlass rapier was very much not in the same vein – stiff as a nail with almost no flex. The Pilsen is the same in that regard – the blade is stiff and offers positive point control. Unlike my other Windlass blade though, it has good definition along the central ridge. This, along with the slightly increased profile taper gives it a much more direct sense of purpose. Handling is the same as my other rapier, but the overall feel is better defined. The first picture shows the two swords side by side. The difference between them is subtle, but its there.
The Scabbard.
The scabbard is another pleasant surprise. It is coated with the same pox skin as the grip, but workmanship is good. The chape and throat also have nice engravings which add a sense of quality . The scabbard itself has some give, but is not comically floppy like some other example.
Detail of the chape. Nice.
My one complaint here is that there is nothing to stop you from pushing the sword too far into the scabbard; there is nothing which catches the raised ricasso, nor does the throat rest against the guard anywhere. As such there is nothing stopping you from ramming the sword into the scabbard until the tip hits the bottom and damages either the scabbard or itself. I have been careful to avoid doing that too often, but it can be a pain if you are using this for reenactment purposes and have to draw/sheath it in a hurry.
Detail of the throat. Nice engraving. However, note that the throat is not supported by the guard - as such there is nothing stopping you from over-inserting the sword and jamming it into the base of the scabbard.
Caveat on Construction:
One BIG potential weakness of this design is the construction. As with most replicas, this sword is held together by compression – the pommel screws onto the end of the tang and squishes the grip, which rests on a set of shoulders on the opposite side of the tang that keep everything in place. This sword has a very thin ricasso, which does not leave much room for the tang shoulders. As you can see in the image below, the shoulders themselves are only 1-1.5 mm deep. This means that a significant amount of stress is being placed on a small area of metal, increasing the risk of failure over time and use. I don’t use this sword for anything other than dry handling so I am okay with that – but for all others it is something to be careful of.
Its curious to note that Beowolf’s review noted what could have been the opposite problem – the shoulders were wider on his example, but that came at the cost of a reduced tang width. Since I am not certain the year of manufacture of my example (again, having bought it used), I cannot say whether this discrepancy is due to a change in manufacturing, or just represents routine variation within a single production run.
Disassembled Pilsen tang. The tang shoulders are indicated by the pen.
~~
All in all, I think this is a reasonable sword. It has its limitations, but if you are aware of them and can accept them, it is a nice one to have. Its also worth keeping in mind that this is the cheapest functional rapier on KoA not counting the Hanwei practicals and the Deepeeka…things. Sure its only 10-20 bucks cheaper than the other Windlass rapiers, but I would argue that you are getting an item of similar, if not greater value for that price. The tiny tang shoulders are a bit concerning. It would be nice to see whether any other offerings in this price range suffer from the same issue. For me, I have handled it a bit and have had no issues of things getting loose or breaking. I bought this example second hand and the owner does not seem to have had any problems either. I also know other SG members such as Pgandy have done light cutting with this sword and they seem to have emerged from it unscathed so perhaps its okay after all.
The Pilsen Rapier
Preamble:
My interest in rapiers is mainly aesthetic, and my familiarity with their history is limited to very broad strokes. Likewise, my experience with replica rapiers is limited to a couple of examples, so take that with a grain of salt.
Additionally, there are already a few good reviews (1, 2) on this item. While they provide a good idea of the flaws and limitations of this sword, I believe this item remains under-appreciated, and I hope this review will provide some evidence to support that opinion.
The Grip:
The grip appears to be the main point of contention in previous reviews – at least that was the part which stuck in my head the most, and gave me the greatest degree of reservation when purchasing this item (I got it used from the forums). The main criticism is that the quillon block is both too wide and too square, with the end result being a steep 90 degree transition which digs into your fingers when handling it.
View of the quillon block and fingers. Note that, unlike the munich, there is plenty of room for the fingers ahead of the quillon block.
This is in contrast to my other Windlass/AC rapier discussed here, which has a very shallow quillon block formed from plates which run parallel, rather than perpendicular to the axis of the blade. While this may get uncomfortable after prolonged use, I find that the addition of a leather glove makes in imperceptible. In fact, I find that the increased surface area helps a bit with point control, as my thumb has more to push with if needed. As mentioned in the original reviews, this block can be filled down if necessary to make the transition more rounded, so to me that’s not a huge deal breaker.
Comparison of the Pilsen with the Windlass/AC hybrid rapier showing difference in the quillon block construction. Right image shows the Pilsen without any appendages.
One advantage of this massive block is that the hilt components match the diameter of the grip. This seems like a no-brainer, but for some other swords like my Windlass Munich, the quillon block is too narrow. As such, you have uneven stress on the wood grips, which could lead to problems down the road. My Munich is fitted with after market guard also from AC which accentuates the problem, but IIRC the stock Munich guard had a similar issue, if not to the same scale. With the way the Pilsen is built at least the force is distributed across the entire face of the wooden grips. Of course, there are other solutions, but hey it is what it is
View of the AC/Munich hybrid. Note the unsupported area of the grip, and the exposed wood core.
The other main complaint with the Pilsen is that the guard rings are too small, and people with larger hands may have difficulty using it comfortably. As with everything you see in sword reviews your mileage may vary, but I have no difficulty using it comfortably (for reference the circumference of my closed fist is 12 inches). If I really choke up against the blade the inside ring will impinge on my knuckles, but in my normal grip its not an issue. On the flip side, I can easily see why this might be an issue for others with more generously proportioned appendages. Once your hand is inside though there is plenty of room for your fingers to move around, unlike the Munich which catches your index finger like a sadistic demon-fueled mouse trap.
View of my hand inside the guard. Note the lack of hand protection, and how close the inside ring comes to my hand. The last picture shows the standoff I have between my hand and the guard. Note as well that I am holding the rapier in my normal grip. However, there is room to bring my hand further up the blade, as may be the preference for some folk. That may be a much less pleasant experience (ie: the patented Pilsen hand smasher)
The guard itself is what drew me to the Rapier – the Hercules knots are visually distinct, and a nice break from the swept/cup hilt designs which fill this price range. While the quillons are quite long, the actual guard-y part of the guard is quite small, with the loops covering an area of 3.5/4 inches depending if you measure them widthwise or heightwise. This is sufficient for my needs in terms of comfort, and makes the sword easy to carry. However, the hand protection is quite limited. Since I am not expecting to fight any 6-fingered men anytime soon I am okay with that, but others may have issue with that (especially if you killed my father). The workmanship of the guard is nice for the price range – the material is thick and robust – but not crude – and the weld seems are well finished.
View of the Pilsen next to a standard Shell-plate rapier. Note the difference in guard size and hand protection.
The grip itself is wider than my other rapier, which I like. It fits the hand well and offers great control. The grip material is….challenging to me. I like it – the colour and texture is a nice change from the usual smooth black leather I would expect from a sword of this price range, but it looks kind of sick – like its been infected with a pox or some other dermatological disorder. Pachydermoperiostosis? Measels? Who knows. The Turks head at the end of the grip and the stitching is well done though so I guess on balance its not bad.
Grip material. I teach biology and even I can't tell you what animal that came from
The Blade:
The blade is what I think makes the value of the sword. I recall that Windlass had a reputation for making floppy blades, and my experience with their Rheinfelden sword did not help (I liked the design, but the blade flopped harder than our finance minister of late). My previous Windlass rapier was very much not in the same vein – stiff as a nail with almost no flex. The Pilsen is the same in that regard – the blade is stiff and offers positive point control. Unlike my other Windlass blade though, it has good definition along the central ridge. This, along with the slightly increased profile taper gives it a much more direct sense of purpose. Handling is the same as my other rapier, but the overall feel is better defined. The first picture shows the two swords side by side. The difference between them is subtle, but its there.
The Scabbard.
The scabbard is another pleasant surprise. It is coated with the same pox skin as the grip, but workmanship is good. The chape and throat also have nice engravings which add a sense of quality . The scabbard itself has some give, but is not comically floppy like some other example.
Detail of the chape. Nice.
My one complaint here is that there is nothing to stop you from pushing the sword too far into the scabbard; there is nothing which catches the raised ricasso, nor does the throat rest against the guard anywhere. As such there is nothing stopping you from ramming the sword into the scabbard until the tip hits the bottom and damages either the scabbard or itself. I have been careful to avoid doing that too often, but it can be a pain if you are using this for reenactment purposes and have to draw/sheath it in a hurry.
Detail of the throat. Nice engraving. However, note that the throat is not supported by the guard - as such there is nothing stopping you from over-inserting the sword and jamming it into the base of the scabbard.
Caveat on Construction:
One BIG potential weakness of this design is the construction. As with most replicas, this sword is held together by compression – the pommel screws onto the end of the tang and squishes the grip, which rests on a set of shoulders on the opposite side of the tang that keep everything in place. This sword has a very thin ricasso, which does not leave much room for the tang shoulders. As you can see in the image below, the shoulders themselves are only 1-1.5 mm deep. This means that a significant amount of stress is being placed on a small area of metal, increasing the risk of failure over time and use. I don’t use this sword for anything other than dry handling so I am okay with that – but for all others it is something to be careful of.
Its curious to note that Beowolf’s review noted what could have been the opposite problem – the shoulders were wider on his example, but that came at the cost of a reduced tang width. Since I am not certain the year of manufacture of my example (again, having bought it used), I cannot say whether this discrepancy is due to a change in manufacturing, or just represents routine variation within a single production run.
Disassembled Pilsen tang. The tang shoulders are indicated by the pen.
~~
All in all, I think this is a reasonable sword. It has its limitations, but if you are aware of them and can accept them, it is a nice one to have. Its also worth keeping in mind that this is the cheapest functional rapier on KoA not counting the Hanwei practicals and the Deepeeka…things. Sure its only 10-20 bucks cheaper than the other Windlass rapiers, but I would argue that you are getting an item of similar, if not greater value for that price. The tiny tang shoulders are a bit concerning. It would be nice to see whether any other offerings in this price range suffer from the same issue. For me, I have handled it a bit and have had no issues of things getting loose or breaking. I bought this example second hand and the owner does not seem to have had any problems either. I also know other SG members such as Pgandy have done light cutting with this sword and they seem to have emerged from it unscathed so perhaps its okay after all.