Windlass Bosworth Longsword Review
Jul 13, 2018 23:40:52 GMT
Post by zabazagobo on Jul 13, 2018 23:40:52 GMT
Note: Pictures to be added later once I finish taking them, uploading them and deciding which are the best. And then figuring out whether to embed them or just dump them on a google drive link.
Introduction
Finally got around to writing this up after playing around with this sword quite a bit over the last few weeks. Here goes.
I had been hunting for the right longsword intended for daily practice for quite awhile. It had become a bit of a dilemma as most swords with a friendly weight (3 lbs, give or take 3-4 oz.) and length (37 in., give or take 2 in.) for my interests tended to have much shorter grip lengths than I prefer. Tired of hearing folks say that a 6 inch grip with a comfortable pommel on the end was sufficient (and being spoiled by the lengthy grips of katana), I somewhat obsessively searched all the available resources to find a suitable longsword for under $400. I eventually narrowed down my options to either the Cold Steel German Longsword (a.k.a. a modified version of the Dynasty Forge Duelist) or the Bosworth Longsword from the Windlass Battlecry line. Having heard some less than flattering remarks about the Battlecry swords over at MyArmoury, I was somewhat hesitant to try the sword out, but once it was on the Deal of the Day for all of $185 or so including shipping costs, I knew I had to give it a swing.
Historical overview
It’s a longsword by nature, not a bastard sword. Although it could be a bastard sword because who knows what a bastard sword really is. A longsword it is, and a longsword it shall be; consult others aside from me for the tale of its history.
Full Disclosure
Bought off of Museum Replicas Limited for their Deal of the Day special back in June. Was all of $185 or so including shipping. Really nice price for a functional sword, especially these days.
Initial Impressions
It’s a nice feeling seeing a box on your front porch that is clearly sword shaped, or rather a box of the right dimensions to house a sword. Opening up this box, I found another box. Only this one was black, and had the Windlass Battlecry logo emblazoned on it. Reminded me of the box for the Hanwei raptors, which made me nod with approval knowing that this crested cardboard contained a sword of the practical variety.
I really need to stop posting on this forum after drinking lots of matcha tea in the afternoon.
Anyways, my first impressions of the sword were “huh, this is way better than I expected”. It looked nice, it felt really nice, the scabbard was nice, the (thankfully) detached frog was a (thankfully) detached part and not affixed to the scabbard. Most of all, I couldn’t help but feel a bit giddy over how dang lightweight and maneuverable of a sword this is.
Statistics
It so happened that this sword came with a certificate of authenticity, dated and signed by the smith who oversaw the completion of this sword over in India. It included the HRC which was listed as 50-52 among a few other stats. I measured the others myself.
Blade/Nagasa Length: 35.5 in.
Handle/Tsuka Length: 8.5 in.
Overall Length: 47.25 in.
Guard/Tsuba Width: 8.5 in. (10.5 in. including pommel)
POB (Point of Balance): 3.75 in. from guard
COP (Center of Percussion): 22 in. from guard, 13 in. from tip
Weight: 2 lb. 15 oz. w/o scabbard
Components
And here begins a list of nothing but good news. Huzzah.
The Blade
A very finely tapered blade in what I think is an Oakeshott type XVa geometry. Maybe not the exact type (I’m not the most well versed when it comes to Oakeshott’s typology), but it is a very finely tapered thrust oriented sword. The tip on it is very akin to a rapier and reminds me quite a bit of my Musketeer rapier from Windlass; by design it has no problem entering and exiting targets and would be an ideal weapon for finding the gaps in armor.
The appearance of the blade was something I was skeptical of based on photos, but in person the black marbled finish of the steel looks rather nice. It conveys a more artistic, creative interpretation of a blackened blade and is far from the ‘blued’ steel seen on stuff from Cold Steel or the more typically done antiqued polishes from Hanwei and others. As a person who particularly appreciates swords with hada and lots of artistic characteristics, I actually really liked this finish for what it contributes to the blade. It almost lends a sort of fantastical sense to the blade which, while likely ahistorical, is charming in its own way.
The Handle
This is hands down one of the most comfortable handles I’ve ever had the pleasure of gripping. The leather has a very nice texture to it by itself, but the addition of some rather unobtrusive risers helps orient your grip even more. The riser patterns flow in such a way as to give your fingers some additional texture to grip onto, which is a nice touch. The wood is shaped in such a way as to have a pleasant oval shape that automatically assists in your edge alignment; it is a very comfortable shape and feels perfect in my hand(s). The grip overall really just feels great in the hand, far better than the leather I’ve seen on other swords in the price range, and is very, very conducive towards a positive grip.
I’m also pretty impressed with the stitching on the handle. It seems like Windlass really did a great job of putting the leather on as securely as possible and holding it together with a stitching job that looks like it will stand the test of time. This is a welcome break from a number of grips I’ve seen from other sources such as Hanwei where the leather is just glued to the handle and the seam comes undone after awhile.
The Guard
The guard shares the same marbled finish as the blade and has a perfectly pleasant and symmetrical design. No bends, warps, twists or loose bits; it is fit to the blade without any fuss and everything appears structurally sound. After several hard raps from my hand it won’t budge or fidget, so it appears to be very securely mounted. The guard is also not excessively wide or large, which is very nice for one such as I who is accustomed to the narrow guards seen on katana and other Asian swords.
The Pommel
Pommel feels quite comfortable and is perfectly maneuverable with your palm. Very easy to make quick transitions with and does not have any features that dig or bite into the hand. Having the longer grip length facilitates even greater leverage with the pommel over the blade’s trajectory and as such it is very much appreciated that the pommel is as comfortable as it is to hold. The peen is kind of just hanging out there, although it doesn’t look bad it could flow with the pommel design better.
The Scabbard, or in this case, Sheathe
An interestingly atypical Windlass hybrid leather sheathe. While it is mostly leather, the interior has some elements of wood and seems to be reinforced with some sort of plastic which extends far down the sheathe for additional structure and shape. Has metal near the kojiri, koiguichi and kurigata...err, whatever they’re called in English escapes me and the point is that there’s metal parts which reinforce the sheathe.
The kurigata, metal sheathe nob or what have you, is designed to comfortably fit the frog, which I’ve yet to try out since If I were to wear this sword I’d probably just swing it through an obi belt. The sheathe fits the blade well, and retains it if inverted, which is somewhat surprising for a sheathe form Windlass given the lack of a wooden core. Perhaps the trace elements of wood and plastic material are to thank for the appreciably better blade retention. Overall, not bad at all and better than the others I have from Windlass.
Handling Characteristics
It’s a very satisfying moment when, after spending perhaps a dozen or more hours researching every option available on the market over a couple of months, you finally swing the exact sword you were searching for. The handling of this sword is simply exquisite.
First, consider the specs for the blade. 35.5 inches of steel is a perfectly manageable length for just about anyone, and with a mass of only 2 lb. 15 oz. and a point of balance of 3.5 in. from the guard, it’s no wonder that this sword feels so incredibly agile. At 2 lb. 15 oz, it’s only a few oz. heavier than some of my favorite katana such as the Hanwei Bushido but with 8 in. of additional reach. You could swing it around with a single hand, its weight and balance are fine for this, but when used with two hands it becomes an absolute joy to use. I suppose the finely tapered blade is to thank for this exceptional balance: it strikes me as a perfect dueling sword as well as being optimal for the “find the gaps” armor poking game.
This is accentuated by the longer grip (8.5 inches, plus another 2 for the pommel). This gives the blade a significant amount of leverage when the pommel is gripped and enables the sword to just glide effortlessly through the air. As mentioned previously, the pommel shape is very comfortable to grip and has no jagged edges so it is particularly conducive towards quick maneuvering and easy changes in posture.
The balance on the blade is such that you can hear a very pleasant tachi-kaze with just about any style of cut and I was floored how fluid cuts with the false edge feel with this sword. Zwerch and kronhauw in particular just feel plain great. The amount of control I have over this sword at any moment compared to other swords, including several katana, is just plain impressive. How the sword just sings in the hand and flows effortlessly is a rare find for me.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
Haven’t done any notable cutting yet. Will update when that transpires.
Conclusions
A really impressive sword that had slipped under my radar for way too long. It’s balanced perfectly as a martial arts training weapon and would function excellently as either a dueling weapon or for the ‘poke the gap’ armor game. The positive gripping elements, the lengthy grip and the comfortable pommel all contribute to a very responsive and fast sword that looks rather nice as well.
Pros
+Excellent Balance
+Longer grip for added grip leverage
+Comfortable pommel for blade maneuvering
+Nicely executed and tapered blade
+Nicely fitted components
+Comfortable grip with well-done stitching
+Attractive blackened ‘marble’-esque finish
+Nice scabbard/sheathe/whatever retention
Cons
-Sheathe lacks a wood core
The Bottom Line
For $185 or so, including shipping, this is arguably the best deal I’ve ever gotten on a sword. Easily worth the $260 or so it regularly goes for on Museum Replicas Limited and Kult of Athena. For anyone interested in a fast agile longsword, this is a great choice.
Historical overview
It’s a longsword by nature, not a bastard sword. Although it could be a bastard sword because who knows what a bastard sword really is. A longsword it is, and a longsword it shall be; consult others aside from me for the tale of its history.
Full Disclosure
Bought off of Museum Replicas Limited for their Deal of the Day special back in June. Was all of $185 or so including shipping. Really nice price for a functional sword, especially these days.
Initial Impressions
It’s a nice feeling seeing a box on your front porch that is clearly sword shaped, or rather a box of the right dimensions to house a sword. Opening up this box, I found another box. Only this one was black, and had the Windlass Battlecry logo emblazoned on it. Reminded me of the box for the Hanwei raptors, which made me nod with approval knowing that this crested cardboard contained a sword of the practical variety.
I really need to stop posting on this forum after drinking lots of matcha tea in the afternoon.
Anyways, my first impressions of the sword were “huh, this is way better than I expected”. It looked nice, it felt really nice, the scabbard was nice, the (thankfully) detached frog was a (thankfully) detached part and not affixed to the scabbard. Most of all, I couldn’t help but feel a bit giddy over how dang lightweight and maneuverable of a sword this is.
Statistics
It so happened that this sword came with a certificate of authenticity, dated and signed by the smith who oversaw the completion of this sword over in India. It included the HRC which was listed as 50-52 among a few other stats. I measured the others myself.
Blade/Nagasa Length: 35.5 in.
Handle/Tsuka Length: 8.5 in.
Overall Length: 47.25 in.
Guard/Tsuba Width: 8.5 in. (10.5 in. including pommel)
POB (Point of Balance): 3.75 in. from guard
COP (Center of Percussion): 22 in. from guard, 13 in. from tip
Weight: 2 lb. 15 oz. w/o scabbard
Components
And here begins a list of nothing but good news. Huzzah.
The Blade
A very finely tapered blade in what I think is an Oakeshott type XVa geometry. Maybe not the exact type (I’m not the most well versed when it comes to Oakeshott’s typology), but it is a very finely tapered thrust oriented sword. The tip on it is very akin to a rapier and reminds me quite a bit of my Musketeer rapier from Windlass; by design it has no problem entering and exiting targets and would be an ideal weapon for finding the gaps in armor.
The appearance of the blade was something I was skeptical of based on photos, but in person the black marbled finish of the steel looks rather nice. It conveys a more artistic, creative interpretation of a blackened blade and is far from the ‘blued’ steel seen on stuff from Cold Steel or the more typically done antiqued polishes from Hanwei and others. As a person who particularly appreciates swords with hada and lots of artistic characteristics, I actually really liked this finish for what it contributes to the blade. It almost lends a sort of fantastical sense to the blade which, while likely ahistorical, is charming in its own way.
The Handle
This is hands down one of the most comfortable handles I’ve ever had the pleasure of gripping. The leather has a very nice texture to it by itself, but the addition of some rather unobtrusive risers helps orient your grip even more. The riser patterns flow in such a way as to give your fingers some additional texture to grip onto, which is a nice touch. The wood is shaped in such a way as to have a pleasant oval shape that automatically assists in your edge alignment; it is a very comfortable shape and feels perfect in my hand(s). The grip overall really just feels great in the hand, far better than the leather I’ve seen on other swords in the price range, and is very, very conducive towards a positive grip.
I’m also pretty impressed with the stitching on the handle. It seems like Windlass really did a great job of putting the leather on as securely as possible and holding it together with a stitching job that looks like it will stand the test of time. This is a welcome break from a number of grips I’ve seen from other sources such as Hanwei where the leather is just glued to the handle and the seam comes undone after awhile.
The Guard
The guard shares the same marbled finish as the blade and has a perfectly pleasant and symmetrical design. No bends, warps, twists or loose bits; it is fit to the blade without any fuss and everything appears structurally sound. After several hard raps from my hand it won’t budge or fidget, so it appears to be very securely mounted. The guard is also not excessively wide or large, which is very nice for one such as I who is accustomed to the narrow guards seen on katana and other Asian swords.
The Pommel
Pommel feels quite comfortable and is perfectly maneuverable with your palm. Very easy to make quick transitions with and does not have any features that dig or bite into the hand. Having the longer grip length facilitates even greater leverage with the pommel over the blade’s trajectory and as such it is very much appreciated that the pommel is as comfortable as it is to hold. The peen is kind of just hanging out there, although it doesn’t look bad it could flow with the pommel design better.
The Scabbard, or in this case, Sheathe
An interestingly atypical Windlass hybrid leather sheathe. While it is mostly leather, the interior has some elements of wood and seems to be reinforced with some sort of plastic which extends far down the sheathe for additional structure and shape. Has metal near the kojiri, koiguichi and kurigata...err, whatever they’re called in English escapes me and the point is that there’s metal parts which reinforce the sheathe.
The kurigata, metal sheathe nob or what have you, is designed to comfortably fit the frog, which I’ve yet to try out since If I were to wear this sword I’d probably just swing it through an obi belt. The sheathe fits the blade well, and retains it if inverted, which is somewhat surprising for a sheathe form Windlass given the lack of a wooden core. Perhaps the trace elements of wood and plastic material are to thank for the appreciably better blade retention. Overall, not bad at all and better than the others I have from Windlass.
Handling Characteristics
It’s a very satisfying moment when, after spending perhaps a dozen or more hours researching every option available on the market over a couple of months, you finally swing the exact sword you were searching for. The handling of this sword is simply exquisite.
First, consider the specs for the blade. 35.5 inches of steel is a perfectly manageable length for just about anyone, and with a mass of only 2 lb. 15 oz. and a point of balance of 3.5 in. from the guard, it’s no wonder that this sword feels so incredibly agile. At 2 lb. 15 oz, it’s only a few oz. heavier than some of my favorite katana such as the Hanwei Bushido but with 8 in. of additional reach. You could swing it around with a single hand, its weight and balance are fine for this, but when used with two hands it becomes an absolute joy to use. I suppose the finely tapered blade is to thank for this exceptional balance: it strikes me as a perfect dueling sword as well as being optimal for the “find the gaps” armor poking game.
This is accentuated by the longer grip (8.5 inches, plus another 2 for the pommel). This gives the blade a significant amount of leverage when the pommel is gripped and enables the sword to just glide effortlessly through the air. As mentioned previously, the pommel shape is very comfortable to grip and has no jagged edges so it is particularly conducive towards quick maneuvering and easy changes in posture.
The balance on the blade is such that you can hear a very pleasant tachi-kaze with just about any style of cut and I was floored how fluid cuts with the false edge feel with this sword. Zwerch and kronhauw in particular just feel plain great. The amount of control I have over this sword at any moment compared to other swords, including several katana, is just plain impressive. How the sword just sings in the hand and flows effortlessly is a rare find for me.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
Haven’t done any notable cutting yet. Will update when that transpires.
Conclusions
A really impressive sword that had slipped under my radar for way too long. It’s balanced perfectly as a martial arts training weapon and would function excellently as either a dueling weapon or for the ‘poke the gap’ armor game. The positive gripping elements, the lengthy grip and the comfortable pommel all contribute to a very responsive and fast sword that looks rather nice as well.
Pros
+Excellent Balance
+Longer grip for added grip leverage
+Comfortable pommel for blade maneuvering
+Nicely executed and tapered blade
+Nicely fitted components
+Comfortable grip with well-done stitching
+Attractive blackened ‘marble’-esque finish
+Nice scabbard/sheathe/whatever retention
Cons
-Sheathe lacks a wood core
The Bottom Line
For $185 or so, including shipping, this is arguably the best deal I’ve ever gotten on a sword. Easily worth the $260 or so it regularly goes for on Museum Replicas Limited and Kult of Athena. For anyone interested in a fast agile longsword, this is a great choice.