Windlass’ Musketeer Main Gauche
Aug 25, 2019 13:28:26 GMT
Post by pgandy on Aug 25, 2019 13:28:26 GMT
I have no connection with MRL or Windlass other than a full paying customer. This knife cost me a total of $223.08 after all charges. I think the asking price was $139.95.
I have wanted this for a long time and when ready to buy everyone except a dealer in Poland was out of stock. I had searched fruitlessly for about a year and nothing. Then one day for the heck of it I rechecked with MRL, I had done this a few weeks earlier and nothing, and to my surprise they had three in stock and I ordered without hesitation.
The package arrived in reasonably short time, a couple of weeks or so, and I was at the pickup station minutes after they opened, the bus was late that morning. I carried my back pack as usual with the intent to carry my knife back. I was handed a box that measured about 30”x30” and laughed thinking that my dagger was lost somewhere inside. That was the shipping box and I discovered a packing box inside of 14”x25” and that was all needed for the knife. I know the dimensions were given and I should have paid more attention but in my excitement I thought my 19” back pack was ample for a dagger. I used the back pack for a second much small package that I could have carried the contents in my pocket and hand carried the packaging box.
On opening my initial thoughts were that I liked the knife, not as much as I thought I would, but never the less it felt favourable. Now after a couple of weeks and getting better acquainted I like it more. A quick summary is that it dwarfs my other fighting knives, and gives me the best hand protection of the lot. It is my first choice of a back up weapon, but will not replace my shield as I thought it might. This is because I like giving point and if worse comes to worse I suspect I’ll face a machete and I have a bad feeling about extending my arm even with rapier against a machete wheeling Latino.
For a size comparison. All knives are Windlass, from top to bottom: 1850 Bowie, D-Guard Bowie, Musketeer, and Poignard
The statistics compared to KoA’s
Mine KoA
OAL 22 1/8” 23½”
Blade Length 16 ¾” 17
PoB ½” ¼”
Blade Thickness 4.8-3.8 mm 4.6-3.4 mm
Blade Width 26.3 mm 38.5 mm
Ricasso Width 38.3mm NA
Weight 1 lb 7 oz 1 lb 13oz
Grip circumference 3¼” NA
As for my thoughts and observations:
It is my most formidable fighting knife. Not as good as the others when it comes to general tasks even if a point is the best suited for the task. This is strictly a fighting knife. It is fast, responsive, and handles well although the sail’s weight off centre lets itself be known but is not a problem.
I was worried about the slender quillons before ordering and initial the feeling did not improve. I now think they will be at least as good if not better than any knife I have. They appear long and slender making me question if they would collapse upon a hard solid blow from a machete, hammer, or like. I think they will give me as good protection if not better than my other knives, and here is my reasoning. My poignard dagger that shared first place with my D-Guard Bowie as my primary combat knife perhaps slightly more so measures 6” across the quillons. This one measures 5” across the sail. The quillons from that point extend about 1” while tapering from about ½”x¼” to a ¼” diameter giving about a 7” span and a strike in that 1” area so close to the supporting sail would more than likely take the dagger from my hand before collapsing the quillon. That’s an inch more than the poignard offers. The rest of the 12½” span is up for debate but at worse will absorb much energy.
The knife is off balance laterally due to the sail. On receiving it tended to torque in my hand taking a good deal of energy to prevent it. I believe that was due to not removing all of the shipping grease because now while the sail makes it laterally unbalanced there is no tendency to torque and I find no adverse effects due to the weighted one side, only am aware of it.
As for the sheath many if not most people on this forum and YouTube judge the sword/scabbard fit by the way the scabbard gripes the sword and if inverted and the sword remains it’s good fit. To me that’s too tight. While I don’t won’t my weapon to flop around in the scabbard I want to draw it quickly and easily preferring a much loser fit. Those of the former school will love this, but maybe not all are Musketeer Gauches are equal. The dagger remains in the sheath when inverted. It carries well, better than I had anticipated in front or back by tucking it in my belt, my preferred way. It has a frog stud that will prevent a slide through. However, on drawing I must hold on to the sheath as the two do not want to separate, maybe that will change in time. No rattle and I can invert though. Hehe Another issue is on returning is that there is a step between the blade width and the ricasso that is hidden by a notch. That notch immediately forward of the ricasso will more often than not, even when paying attention, will grab the sheath’s throat. There is no undue resistance to sliding the knife into the sheath it slides in easily enough, just that catch point. The sheath itself is of blue leather and a typical Windlass construction affair with steel fittings.
As for the notch(s) there are three per side of the blade. The two smaller ones forward of the larger notch at the ricasso will tend to interfere with the opponents blade but that large one works extremely well at catching and even trapping a blade adding to the effectiveness of this as a weapon.
I ordered mine unsharpened and gave it my thrust proofing on arrival. It failed managing to hole the front of the jug by entering about 1” using 2 plies of rugs. I knew it wouldn’t pass but was curious as to the factory blade. After sharpening it passed by effortlessly going through all 4 ply of rugs and exiting the rear of a free standing filled gallon plastic jug. I could feel the edges cutting their way through the jug. I love that feeling. After which again out of curiosity I checked and it shaved my arm. I did a good job on that one even though I sliced my finger in the process.
To sum this up I’ll say that as a combat knife this will excel, and is now my preferred one. But for a fighting knife with some good qualities making it suitable for some GP work, no. It is a dedicated fighting knife. For a combat knife I’ll take it over any of my others. It will work exceedingly well as an offhand weapon although for me it will be a backup while still preferring my sword and shield combination.
It looks like the photos got skewed around again.
I have wanted this for a long time and when ready to buy everyone except a dealer in Poland was out of stock. I had searched fruitlessly for about a year and nothing. Then one day for the heck of it I rechecked with MRL, I had done this a few weeks earlier and nothing, and to my surprise they had three in stock and I ordered without hesitation.
The package arrived in reasonably short time, a couple of weeks or so, and I was at the pickup station minutes after they opened, the bus was late that morning. I carried my back pack as usual with the intent to carry my knife back. I was handed a box that measured about 30”x30” and laughed thinking that my dagger was lost somewhere inside. That was the shipping box and I discovered a packing box inside of 14”x25” and that was all needed for the knife. I know the dimensions were given and I should have paid more attention but in my excitement I thought my 19” back pack was ample for a dagger. I used the back pack for a second much small package that I could have carried the contents in my pocket and hand carried the packaging box.
On opening my initial thoughts were that I liked the knife, not as much as I thought I would, but never the less it felt favourable. Now after a couple of weeks and getting better acquainted I like it more. A quick summary is that it dwarfs my other fighting knives, and gives me the best hand protection of the lot. It is my first choice of a back up weapon, but will not replace my shield as I thought it might. This is because I like giving point and if worse comes to worse I suspect I’ll face a machete and I have a bad feeling about extending my arm even with rapier against a machete wheeling Latino.
For a size comparison. All knives are Windlass, from top to bottom: 1850 Bowie, D-Guard Bowie, Musketeer, and Poignard
The statistics compared to KoA’s
Mine KoA
OAL 22 1/8” 23½”
Blade Length 16 ¾” 17
PoB ½” ¼”
Blade Thickness 4.8-3.8 mm 4.6-3.4 mm
Blade Width 26.3 mm 38.5 mm
Ricasso Width 38.3mm NA
Weight 1 lb 7 oz 1 lb 13oz
Grip circumference 3¼” NA
As for my thoughts and observations:
It is my most formidable fighting knife. Not as good as the others when it comes to general tasks even if a point is the best suited for the task. This is strictly a fighting knife. It is fast, responsive, and handles well although the sail’s weight off centre lets itself be known but is not a problem.
I was worried about the slender quillons before ordering and initial the feeling did not improve. I now think they will be at least as good if not better than any knife I have. They appear long and slender making me question if they would collapse upon a hard solid blow from a machete, hammer, or like. I think they will give me as good protection if not better than my other knives, and here is my reasoning. My poignard dagger that shared first place with my D-Guard Bowie as my primary combat knife perhaps slightly more so measures 6” across the quillons. This one measures 5” across the sail. The quillons from that point extend about 1” while tapering from about ½”x¼” to a ¼” diameter giving about a 7” span and a strike in that 1” area so close to the supporting sail would more than likely take the dagger from my hand before collapsing the quillon. That’s an inch more than the poignard offers. The rest of the 12½” span is up for debate but at worse will absorb much energy.
The knife is off balance laterally due to the sail. On receiving it tended to torque in my hand taking a good deal of energy to prevent it. I believe that was due to not removing all of the shipping grease because now while the sail makes it laterally unbalanced there is no tendency to torque and I find no adverse effects due to the weighted one side, only am aware of it.
As for the sheath many if not most people on this forum and YouTube judge the sword/scabbard fit by the way the scabbard gripes the sword and if inverted and the sword remains it’s good fit. To me that’s too tight. While I don’t won’t my weapon to flop around in the scabbard I want to draw it quickly and easily preferring a much loser fit. Those of the former school will love this, but maybe not all are Musketeer Gauches are equal. The dagger remains in the sheath when inverted. It carries well, better than I had anticipated in front or back by tucking it in my belt, my preferred way. It has a frog stud that will prevent a slide through. However, on drawing I must hold on to the sheath as the two do not want to separate, maybe that will change in time. No rattle and I can invert though. Hehe Another issue is on returning is that there is a step between the blade width and the ricasso that is hidden by a notch. That notch immediately forward of the ricasso will more often than not, even when paying attention, will grab the sheath’s throat. There is no undue resistance to sliding the knife into the sheath it slides in easily enough, just that catch point. The sheath itself is of blue leather and a typical Windlass construction affair with steel fittings.
As for the notch(s) there are three per side of the blade. The two smaller ones forward of the larger notch at the ricasso will tend to interfere with the opponents blade but that large one works extremely well at catching and even trapping a blade adding to the effectiveness of this as a weapon.
I ordered mine unsharpened and gave it my thrust proofing on arrival. It failed managing to hole the front of the jug by entering about 1” using 2 plies of rugs. I knew it wouldn’t pass but was curious as to the factory blade. After sharpening it passed by effortlessly going through all 4 ply of rugs and exiting the rear of a free standing filled gallon plastic jug. I could feel the edges cutting their way through the jug. I love that feeling. After which again out of curiosity I checked and it shaved my arm. I did a good job on that one even though I sliced my finger in the process.
To sum this up I’ll say that as a combat knife this will excel, and is now my preferred one. But for a fighting knife with some good qualities making it suitable for some GP work, no. It is a dedicated fighting knife. For a combat knife I’ll take it over any of my others. It will work exceedingly well as an offhand weapon although for me it will be a backup while still preferring my sword and shield combination.
It looks like the photos got skewed around again.