Deepeeka Triple-Lobed Godfred Sword Review
May 30, 2018 14:09:02 GMT
Post by rjodorizzi on May 30, 2018 14:09:02 GMT
A great scabbard and a, for the price, OK blade!
The Deepeeka Triple-Lobed Godfred Sword is one of the MANY offerings from Deepeeka in their line of viking swords. Full-disclosure I purchased this item full price ($135.85) from Kult of Athena and have no association with Deepeeka or KOA, other than as a consumer.
Specs from KOA:
Overall Length: 37 5/8'' Blade: 31 1/8''
Blade: EN45 High Carbon Steel
Weight: 2 lb 15.9 oz
Edge: Unsharpened
P.O.B.: 7 3/16''
Thickness: 4.7 mm - 5 mm
Width: 43.9 mm
Grip Length: 4 3/8''
Pommel: Peened
Initial Impressions: I received the sword in KOAs typical packaging. It was heavily greased and showed no signs of use or rust. I have never owned a Deepeeka piece before but was familiar with what to expect from reviews on SBG. I ordered this one as I didn't have a viking sword and the price and the scabbard made it relatively attractive and low risk for me to try. I'll say the most catching thing immediately is the previously mentioned scabbard. The weight on this is heavy and not particularly well distributed, I would assume that much of that can be attributed to the blade having NO sharpness whatsoever and a thick edge (1cm+, sorry no calipers so I'm ball parking with a tape.)
The Blade: The blade on this is a standard EN45 (comparable to 9260) it is solid and doesn't seem to have any bends or warps. I've clunked it around and the durability seems to be what I would expect from this steel. The blade has a good temper and can be bent without taking any sets. I've had this clunk against some of my other stage combat blades (I wouldn't feel comfortable using it as a true stage combat sword as that wasn't what it was made for) and it hasn't sustained any damage.
The Grip: The grip features a well wrapped leather that doesn't show any signs of loosening after use in several (not contact) theatre productions as well as my own dry handling. The grip is sunken into the pommel (I'm not sure if that's historical or not) and I can't find any loose seams at either end of it. The major gripe, and I've heard this shared with other Deepeeka reviews, is that the grip is too long. I didn't think I would find it too noticeable given my lack of viking sword ownership, but it makes the handling feel a bit odd in the hand. YMMV but worth calling out for sure. I have sizable hands and I've included a picture of grip in hand to give you an idea.
The Scabbard: Here is where the package really shines to me. For less than $150 you get a wood core leather wrapped scabbard. I've owned several blades that came with scabbards or sheaths and I can say without a doubt, given the price range, this is one of the nicest (comparing against the usual sheath offerings from Windlass primarily for similar price point swords.) The scabbard also has an integrated baldric, which I doubt is historical, but is still pretty cool. It fits comfortably when adjusted and hangs the sword naturally at the hip. I tried to include a picture of me wearing it, my wife is out so I had to try and selfie it, but I can't understate how surprised I was to find this nice of a scabbard at this price point.
For a piece I bought as a costume (but still technically not a wall-hanger) this is exactly what I wanted to see. As mentioned I think the look is so nice as a package that I've used it in several local theatre productions I've been a part of.
Fit and finish: This is where the price point really begins to show itself. The blade is rough and hammer marks abound when looking at the sword. There isn't any edge grind, known when ordered, and all the fittings are a bit rough. For the price point I consider everything to be 100% acceptable. The only real gripe I have is that the pommel is slightly loose, not hugely annoying but I've been unable to fix the peen in my tabletop shop with multiple attempts at hammering the peen points. The pommel does appear to be a 2 piece which is neat in this price point. The blade fit into the scabbard is nice and tight and can be held upside down without losing the blade.
Final thoughts: If you are in the market for a non-sharp costume piece that you can still feel comfortable swinging around I can highly recommend this piece. The scabbard is great and the whole package is a solid buy for under $150.
Pros
Great price (Sub $150)
Awesome Scabbard and baldric
Strong well treated blade
Cons
Loose pommel
Rough finishes
Weight & balance
The Deepeeka Triple-Lobed Godfred Sword is one of the MANY offerings from Deepeeka in their line of viking swords. Full-disclosure I purchased this item full price ($135.85) from Kult of Athena and have no association with Deepeeka or KOA, other than as a consumer.
Specs from KOA:
Overall Length: 37 5/8'' Blade: 31 1/8''
Blade: EN45 High Carbon Steel
Weight: 2 lb 15.9 oz
Edge: Unsharpened
P.O.B.: 7 3/16''
Thickness: 4.7 mm - 5 mm
Width: 43.9 mm
Grip Length: 4 3/8''
Pommel: Peened
Initial Impressions: I received the sword in KOAs typical packaging. It was heavily greased and showed no signs of use or rust. I have never owned a Deepeeka piece before but was familiar with what to expect from reviews on SBG. I ordered this one as I didn't have a viking sword and the price and the scabbard made it relatively attractive and low risk for me to try. I'll say the most catching thing immediately is the previously mentioned scabbard. The weight on this is heavy and not particularly well distributed, I would assume that much of that can be attributed to the blade having NO sharpness whatsoever and a thick edge (1cm+, sorry no calipers so I'm ball parking with a tape.)
The Blade: The blade on this is a standard EN45 (comparable to 9260) it is solid and doesn't seem to have any bends or warps. I've clunked it around and the durability seems to be what I would expect from this steel. The blade has a good temper and can be bent without taking any sets. I've had this clunk against some of my other stage combat blades (I wouldn't feel comfortable using it as a true stage combat sword as that wasn't what it was made for) and it hasn't sustained any damage.
The Grip: The grip features a well wrapped leather that doesn't show any signs of loosening after use in several (not contact) theatre productions as well as my own dry handling. The grip is sunken into the pommel (I'm not sure if that's historical or not) and I can't find any loose seams at either end of it. The major gripe, and I've heard this shared with other Deepeeka reviews, is that the grip is too long. I didn't think I would find it too noticeable given my lack of viking sword ownership, but it makes the handling feel a bit odd in the hand. YMMV but worth calling out for sure. I have sizable hands and I've included a picture of grip in hand to give you an idea.
The Scabbard: Here is where the package really shines to me. For less than $150 you get a wood core leather wrapped scabbard. I've owned several blades that came with scabbards or sheaths and I can say without a doubt, given the price range, this is one of the nicest (comparing against the usual sheath offerings from Windlass primarily for similar price point swords.) The scabbard also has an integrated baldric, which I doubt is historical, but is still pretty cool. It fits comfortably when adjusted and hangs the sword naturally at the hip. I tried to include a picture of me wearing it, my wife is out so I had to try and selfie it, but I can't understate how surprised I was to find this nice of a scabbard at this price point.
For a piece I bought as a costume (but still technically not a wall-hanger) this is exactly what I wanted to see. As mentioned I think the look is so nice as a package that I've used it in several local theatre productions I've been a part of.
Fit and finish: This is where the price point really begins to show itself. The blade is rough and hammer marks abound when looking at the sword. There isn't any edge grind, known when ordered, and all the fittings are a bit rough. For the price point I consider everything to be 100% acceptable. The only real gripe I have is that the pommel is slightly loose, not hugely annoying but I've been unable to fix the peen in my tabletop shop with multiple attempts at hammering the peen points. The pommel does appear to be a 2 piece which is neat in this price point. The blade fit into the scabbard is nice and tight and can be held upside down without losing the blade.
Final thoughts: If you are in the market for a non-sharp costume piece that you can still feel comfortable swinging around I can highly recommend this piece. The scabbard is great and the whole package is a solid buy for under $150.
Pros
Great price (Sub $150)
Awesome Scabbard and baldric
Strong well treated blade
Cons
Loose pommel
Rough finishes
Weight & balance