Viktor Berbekucz / Purpleheart Armoury XVIIIc Sharp
Oct 21, 2019 22:49:53 GMT
Post by illustry on Oct 21, 2019 22:49:53 GMT
Introduction
With the price of Albion and custom made swords of this type being so high as to make me reluctant to pick up ungloved, let alone put a scratch on the blade, and with the balance point of the RK Alexandria being off the chart, this fits the bill for the large XVIIIc or XVa that you can actually use for cutting.
I've owned a Viktor Berbekucz tournament blunt for some time and have always loved how rock-solid its construction was. From what I've seen, VB prioritizes functional value over aesthetics and finishing, which reflects in the price, and I'm thankful that this option exists. When I saw that Purpleheart Armoury was working with VB to produce a sharp, I knew it would be well-constructed and offer great value. If it was anything like my blunt, I knew it would make me happy. So, I waited several months for the disc pommel version of this sword to come in, mostly because it looks more historical than the other pear pommel version.
This is a robustly built "user" longsword. It's on the slightly heavy side, but it is well-balanced and moves well with the long grip. It is built solidly enough to be a war sword. For double cuts and other fancy maneuvers, you will be fighting more momentum than with a lighter blade, of course. It is stiff enough to thrust well, so I opted to make the point on mine more acute before I sharpened it, and have a large XVa now. This was strictly my preference, as the original tip was flared out somewhat to provide good tip cutting ability. I simply re-contoured the last few inches to make it more pointy.
35 3/8" blade length
9" grip length
Thickness measurements.
At base: 6.33mm
4 in: 6.4mm
12 in: 6.2mm
18 in: 5.95mm
24 in: 4.47mm
29 in: 3.67mm
33+: 2.75mm
POB 3 7/8"
Weight: ~ 4lb 2oz
Fit & Finish
This sword is all business and is not concerned with aesthetics, although the overall look and curved guard makes for a nice looking sword. The flattened diamond profile is done crisply, and not washed out. The center line wanders a little near the tip. I touched it up a bit with a file in a few areas to improve the look. The grip is leather, stitched down the center of one side of the grip. You can feel the seam when using. The steel used is 51CrV4, and has good corrosion resistance, from what I've experienced with my blunt. The pommel is polished and shiny. The tang end is probably the worst part from a visual standpoint... but it's huge!
Test Cutting
I gave it a nice, polished convex edge and cut up several heavy plastic containers. It doesn't take much effort to cut through anything I've put in front of it. I haven't had the chance to try it on mats yet, but I have no doubts about its cutting ability. You can deliver short, powerful sweeps with little effort.
The unsharpened edges were less than 1mm thick throughout, with good consistency. The blade isn't lumpy and the edge line is very straight. I left the first 11" unsharpened for gripping beyond the guard.
Conclusions
This sword looks like it will be incredibly durable and would make an excellent club cutter, exactly as it is advertised. I think it offers an incredible amount of value. It's "the Alexandria you aren't afraid to use."