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Post by markus313 on Oct 11, 2019 19:51:16 GMT
After Windlass, Hanwei is the manufacturer I bought the most reproduction swords from. In this thread I want to give a short overview over the models I have experience with, in the the form of pics, stats and some short notes.
Let’s start with those I currently own and don’t plan to sell any time soon…
William Marshal sword. By far the nicest medieval sword I ever handled. Well made, almost flawless, great authoritative handling. Love the grind and especially the reinforced tip section. Most comfortable pommel and grip I’ve ever held on a medieval sword. Makes me want to order an Albion Oakeshott for comparison, badly. Shown next to EMSHS and Deepeeka William marshal - the Deepeeka makes for a robust, quite well-handling beater, after some heavy reprofling.
And the very fine and lovely EMSHS. Had two of those, still own one (the lighter one). Very nimble, nice cut and thrust blade. Very thin at the tip, especially the lighter one (no measurements at the tip for the other one). Handle needs to get wrapped or redone (for my taste), since it’s thin and narrow. The stainless fittings could be sanded easily to a more authentic (duller) finish. The heavier one had a slightly crooked pommel - no biggie.
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Post by markus313 on Oct 11, 2019 19:53:36 GMT
H/T bastard sword replacement blade on CS English Backsword hilt (next to standard CS blade for comparison). This is the sword from this thread:
Don’t have experience with the standard H/T bastard swords. They can be had with and without fuller. He one I used is the non-fullered version and can be handled well with one hand.
And lastly a shortened rapier blade on an unknown cutlass hilt. An improvised smallsword. Quite nice for what it is.
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Post by markus313 on Oct 11, 2019 20:00:16 GMT
What I used to own…
Cawood sword. Excellent handling. Pommel may dig into the hand if not held in a handshake grip. Well-made, but just not “my thing”. Shown next to Windlass Classic Medieval Sword.
H/T Longsword. Very light and quick in the hand. Thin tip. A bit too dainty for my taste, but well-made nonetheless. I can see why people like these. Shown next to the great-for-the-money Kawashima Longsword (which I still own).
H/T Norman. Excellent blade. Flat pommel is not everybody’s thing, can dig into the hand if not held in the handshake grip. Had two of those, one from our own Bryan Heff, who did a fantastic job of modifying, as well as building a super-nice scabbard. Have measurements only for the unmodified one. Some Windlass blades for comparison.
H/T 9th century Viking sword. Much like above, pommel is flat and pointy. Very nice and powerful handling. Highly recommended for a Viking on a budget.
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Post by markus313 on Oct 11, 2019 20:02:41 GMT
Stats for medieval swords...
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Post by markus313 on Oct 11, 2019 20:07:00 GMT
Cromwell Sword. Expected a bit more from this. Hilt was a bit misaligned and in itself asymmetrical (no biggie). Otherwise a solid sword. Just didn’t like the way it handled, not enough blade presence and a bit too heavy for the thrust on foot. Probably a good cavalry sword. Pictured next to the CS Mortuary backsword.
Scottish Backsword. Pictured next to CS English Backsword (a favorite). Nice blade and well-made. Grip is a bit too round for my taste, hilt a bit too heavy (again, subjective views here).
Scottish Broadsword. Much like above. A bit too sluggish for my taste, but seemed to be well-made. No stats for this.
A heavy Pappenheim Rapier, was sold to me from private as an old Hanwei model. No info on that. Stiff blade, solid hilt. A rapier to take into battle (I’d like to imagine, lol).
Rapier replacement blade on unknown maker’s hilt. This blade was not shortened. No stats for this. The replacement rapier blades I used are advertised as sharp, but aren’t really sharp at all. They are also a bit too flexible (at around 95 cm length, IIRC). Seem to have good heat treatment, though, which seems to be true for Hanwei in general.
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Post by markus313 on Oct 11, 2019 20:07:48 GMT
Stats for bar'd hilts...
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Post by markus313 on Oct 11, 2019 20:09:10 GMT
Others once owned, without pics or stats…
Kingston Arms Sidesword. Much like the standard Hanwei Side-sword, but with a longer blade. Blade was a bit flexible at the foible. Otherwise great handling.
Standard Sidesword. No pics or stats. Great handling for what it represents. Unlike the KA, the grip seemed to be made of some kind of plastic (wood for the KA).
Revolutionary War Hanger. Was hoping for something more lively. Grip too small (short) for my taste. Blade came very dull.
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Post by markus313 on Oct 11, 2019 20:17:16 GMT
Hello Nternal805, I also think the model must has been improved some time ago. Also thought about the Damascus version. It’s much more expensive, at least here in Germany, though. The Marshal I have is an awesome sword. Could have come a tad sharper, but still slices 80 g copy paper (though struggling).
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Post by pellius on Oct 12, 2019 1:04:17 GMT
Very nice.
Thanks for sharing.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Oct 12, 2019 13:55:12 GMT
A good thread.
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AndiTheBarvarian
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Oct 12, 2019 14:19:38 GMT
Thank you, great info!
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christain
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Post by christain on Oct 12, 2019 16:09:35 GMT
I don't really see how you could comment on the pommel of the Cawood 'digging in'. It's nothing but smooth, rounded surfaces. I own this sword, and it's one of the most comfortable hilts of any sword in my collection---and my favorite Hanwei. Each to his own, I guess. Now, the Norman and Viking---yes, to some degree. 'Tis why I wear leather gloves!
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Post by markus313 on Oct 12, 2019 16:34:23 GMT
Don’t get me wrong – I think it is a good sword. The pommel was fine for me in a stable hammer grip and handshake grip. With a loose hammer grip, letting the point somewhat snap forward during a swing, I felt the pommel catching my wrist. Doesn’t happen with my Windlass 5 Lobe Viking. The Norman and 9th century work best with a pronounced handshake grip, imo, with the palm somewhat pressing on the flat side of the handle. Perhaps one reason why disc shaped/round pommels became popular - an increasing need for percussive power. And maximum freedom for extension when thrusting, later.
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christain
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Post by christain on Oct 12, 2019 17:00:06 GMT
No, no---I wasn't putting you down for your opinion---just saying. Every style of sword is going to perform better with certain gripping methods, some better than others. Some just take a little more getting used to.
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Post by markus313 on Oct 12, 2019 17:04:32 GMT
Lol, you’re touching one of my soft spots – talk like that can too easily make me wanna order another one
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Oct 12, 2019 17:49:15 GMT
Lol, you’re touching one of my soft spots – talk like that can too easily make me wanna order another one Do it! My Cawood is my baby, especially after dyeing the grip and scabbard dark brown with a matching suspension belt! A 100% improvement over the awful pumpkin-orange color it comes in!
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Post by markus313 on Oct 12, 2019 19:35:47 GMT
That looks good and is a nice set-up!
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Oct 12, 2019 19:58:30 GMT
Thank you! The belt is long enough that I can buckle it on the first belt hole and wear it as a baldric.
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Post by markus313 on Oct 13, 2019 20:40:38 GMT
William Marshal sword. (...) Makes me want to order an Albion Oakeshott for comparison, badly. And so it comes I just ordered an Albion Oakeshott. The wait begins.
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Oct 14, 2019 19:19:24 GMT
I just browsed KoA and noticed a Hanwei William Marshal in the 'dent and scratch' section for $260. I can't see much being wrong with it. Maybe just a little cosmetic blemish that could be remedied fairly easily. Just for y'all's info..........
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