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Post by sarys on Nov 27, 2018 14:20:18 GMT
I hope it's okay if I post this here. Hey!
I'm looking for usable bastard sword/hand and a half sword or longsword. I live in Finland and I really don't want to order swords abroad cause I don't know how much the import costs are. So I'm gonna use this shop as the place to get my swords for now: rautaportti.fi
I'm now gonna list swords that I'm interested in but I just don't know enough to say what's good or not
Windlass (starting to see a trend?) Hand-And-A-Half Sword: Windlass Longsword: Tinker Bastardsword: Tinker Longsword:
My only problem with the windlass ones is that I have heard they are often whippy and all of them are unsharpend and I don't have tools or knowlege to sharpen them. Though I have heard you can sharpen them with accusharp.
Sorry if this was a hard read English is not my native language.
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Post by Faldarin on Nov 27, 2018 15:02:00 GMT
It's a good place to start! Welcome to the forum.
You are correct, all of the windlass pieces that you've listed will come unsharpened. I know that some of the ones you listed are fairly well-regarded otherwise though. (The German Bastard Sword in particular is incredibly tough.)
Generally the Hanwei-Tinker Bastard and Longswords are fairly well regarded, and I own both of these. They both come 'sharp', but probably could use additional sharpening. The bastard is a nice light hand and a half - and the longsword is an extremely long-gripped sword with an average-length blade, that handles very well.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Nov 27, 2018 15:15:47 GMT
Lamnia.com seems to offer the H/Ts cheaper. But they sell no Windlass swords.
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Post by markus313 on Nov 27, 2018 18:38:20 GMT
For Windlass I can also recommend outfit4events.com.
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Post by Jordan Williams on Nov 27, 2018 18:41:28 GMT
I personally didn't like my tinker longsword. Felt too light, too toy like.
I had a windlass longsword, the Roven and really quite liked it.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Nov 27, 2018 18:43:52 GMT
Welcome Sarys. You don’t state the purpose of the sword and this will to some extent determine the sword. With the exception of the Battlecry and Cobra lines Windlass swords come unsharpened. To me that’s a blessing as when I declare the sword as a unsharpened copy I have no problems with customs. Before I discovered this I would have to go through hell and high sometime even hiring a lawyer to get a sword. I don’t know how things are in Finland. To sharpen is not really a problem and some vendors offer this service. I didn’t find Rautaportti offering the service, but my Finnish is not the best. Of the swords that you list I have only experience with the German Bastard Sword and I like it. Mine came heavier than listed at 4.2 lbs. and many people complain that the listed weight is heavy. I find the extra weight a virtue as this sword will cut through any and everything put in front of it and the edge holds up well. It is not an agile or fast sword. It does offer good hand and forearm protection. And should crash through an adversary’s defence while being hard for someone to crash through to you. As for the weight practice with it daily and you will be surprised how much lighter it becomes. I really like it. sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/44482/windlass-german-sword While not on your list I see that Rautaportti also has a Windlass Agincourt and you might want to give it serious consideration. It is also a bastard sword and comes sharpened. I would be hard pressed to decide between the two but would probably choose the Agincourt. It is better balanced for one or two handed use allowing you to use the off hand for a shield or knife if you choose. While the German Bastard will out cut it and offer better hand/arm protection the Agincourt is faster and will cut well enough and is better at point work. It is incredibly agile. sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/53976/battlecry-agincourt-sword
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Post by markus313 on Nov 27, 2018 18:52:05 GMT
Just checked and shipping from outfit4events.com to Finland is 35 EUR with GLS. Perhaps worth a thought, considering their offers. I have ordered many times from them, always happy (I live in Germany).
I agree with pgandy and can also fully recommend the Agincourt.
Have just ordered the 15th century longsword (from outfit4events) and another Windlass sword from rautaportti.fi. This is my first time ordering from rautaportti.fi.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Nov 27, 2018 19:00:51 GMT
At least my Windlass 15th Cent. Longsword isn't whippy.
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Post by Faldarin on Nov 27, 2018 19:02:33 GMT
True, the entire Battlecry line from Windlass comes sharpened. I hadn't thought about that - and I've only heard good things about the Bosworth and Agincourt.
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Post by wlewisiii on Nov 27, 2018 19:19:16 GMT
Looked at this thread solely to make sure the Agincourt had been mentioned. I have a strong feeling that it will end up being the next sword I get - I got a waster recently and had the maker use the Agincourt's measurements to make it for me.
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Post by sarys on Nov 27, 2018 20:45:30 GMT
You don’t state the purpose of the sword and this will to some extent determine the sword.Ah yes sorry about that. I would use it to do backyard cutting. The only problem I find with the German bastard sword is that it's quite short for a bastard sword and to be honest I never even considered agincourt
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Post by markus313 on Nov 27, 2018 20:51:42 GMT
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Post by Faldarin on Nov 27, 2018 21:03:13 GMT
^^ These swords are very nice as well. Can't go wrong with one of these or the Agincourt for backyard cutting.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Nov 28, 2018 1:14:02 GMT
I would use it to do backyard cutting. The only problem I find with the German bastard sword is that it's quite short for a bastard sword and to be honest I never even considered agincourt I assumed backyard cutting. The sword the German Bastard was modelled after did have a longer blade and several people have commented wishing Windlass had put a longer blade on their sword. The conscience is the blade is on the short side but these people don’t think about the added weight all of that added metal would add. Also the blade as is is quite stiff, increasing the length could put the blade on the whippy side, a reputation Windlass is trying to get away from. The PoB would be moved farther out making the sword harder to handle. Of course the solution to the balance with a longer blade is to increase the pommel size, adding more overall weight to a sword that people are complaining about to begin with. 30” is about as long of a blade as I am comfortable with and I am very content with 24”. So I have no negative feelings regarding the length. The Agincourt has the same length blade and is one reason I choose it over the Bosworth. Wishing you the best in whatever direction you take.
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Post by sarys on Nov 28, 2018 5:35:49 GMT
Okay thanks for all the suggestions. But what about sharpening? I mean if I but for example the german bastard sword can it be sharpend with accusharp or should I just get file and sharpening Stone?
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Post by Faldarin on Nov 28, 2018 13:04:38 GMT
Now there have already been people who are more expert than me in sharpening (by far) in this thread. However... the main disadvantage of an accusharp is that it creates a secondary bevel with a very narrow angle. Most swords you want a wider angle than that... so many people would advocate for hand sharpening.
I've been toying with getting a lawnmower blade sharpener, that is roughly the same thing but at a wider angle, and see if that would work on one of my cheaper swords.
Hand sharpening will almost always be the best, but it takes a great deal of practice to get it right.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Nov 28, 2018 14:17:50 GMT
Okay thanks for all the suggestions. But what about sharpening? I mean if I but for example the german bastard sword can it be sharpend with accusharp or should I just get file and sharpening Stone? There are many techniques for sharpening some of which can be found on this forum others in places like YouTube, not to mention books. There is no correct way as such but a method that suites you. All of the methods you stated can be used. Be careful with an Accusharp, it will do the job but you may not like the finished product. It works well on kitchen knives and machetes. I now use a KO Work Sharp but no need to invest in a belt sander. Many of the members will probably chime in on your question. My favourite method prior to the Work Sharp was sandpaper. It is cheap and easily available. In brief I would start with a Accusharp to knock of the high edges only, by no means did I come close to finishing the job with that tool but it did speed up the initial process. I used wet/dry sand paper with a light oil like WD-40. I also preferred a slightly compressible backing for the paper like a mouse pad. I would start with a 220 grit and progressively go to a finer grit until I got the desired finish. That is a brief overview in a nut shell without going into details. I suggest that you read the various techniques presented in this form and watch YouTube for more complete details. Sharpening is not hard but does require time and patience. I’ll throw this in as an afterthought. I prefer swords with thread pommels because of ease of maintenance. When it comes to sharpening I find it easier to disassemble that mess on the hilt end and work with the blade only, something I learned from katanas. The German Bastard Sword sharpens easier that way and disassembly is easily done, just unscrew the pommel and everything slide off. The Agincourt is peened but comes sharpened. Both like all swords will need the edge freshened up from time to time. Fortunately that is easier than putting an edge on from scratch.
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Post by MOK on Nov 29, 2018 1:09:11 GMT
Tervetulloo! As mentioned, Lamnia.fi carries a selection of swords, mostly Windlass, Cold Steel and Hanwei. You get free shipping for most of them, too! (They're one of my favorite webstores.) Oulun työstökeskus has lots of Hanwei swords, too. Teräasekeskus also has a large selection from various manufacturers. Of the swords mentioned above, I own the Windlass German Bastard and H/T Longsword. The GB isn't whippy at all, and in fact the blade could stand to be significantly thinner towards the tip; it's also a bit funny in that they based it on a museum artifact but mistook blade length for overall length (because the museum doesn't specify) so it's a good bit shorter than it should be... The H/T, on the other hand, is just a delight. Plain looks, but it handles really well. The handle could be shorter, as IMO it feels like overkill for the very light and neutrally balanced blade, but it's not a real problem. I refitted mine with custom furniture from Printed Armoury so it has the looks to match the performance.
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Post by Jordan Williams on Nov 29, 2018 1:11:48 GMT
Perkele! I only know the one Finnish word. Yeah, for backyard cutting I would want something with more substance than the tinker. The 15th and other swords on your list have good marks for fun cutting.
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Post by MOK on Nov 29, 2018 1:21:37 GMT
Okay thanks for all the suggestions. But what about sharpening? I mean if I but for example the german bastard sword can it be sharpend with accusharp or should I just get file and sharpening Stone? I'd just go with a good file to start with, and various grits of sandpaper for cleaning up and polishing (something like 60, 120, 240, 400, 800, 1200; the exact numbers don't really matter). Plus a cork or rubber sanding pad, or you can glue an old mouse pad to a piece of wood and then the sandpaper on top of that. I have used an accusharp to put an edge on several Windlass swords, so it can be done, but IMO the result needs so much cleaning up afterwards that draw filing simply ends up being less work, overall. You also get much more control over the edge angle and the shape of the bevels - and the same file can also be used to thin out overly thick blades, apply simple decoration, fine tune the fit of hilt components, and so on. It's much better value for money.
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