Windlass 1840 NCO sword- Modified by Jordan Williams
Feb 16, 2020 18:25:53 GMT
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2020 18:25:53 GMT
Let me begin with an admission: I know very little about modern swords. Thankfully, there are several forumites whose knowledge is really deep. Though I may not comment on their threads very often, I follow them with great interest; you know who you are. I am always fascinated by people who possess deep, often esoteric knowledge of one subject. With that in mind, I wanted my first replica of a modern sword. I also wanted a sword that is a dedicated thruster (another first) AND I wanted to work with Jordan again.
The replica 1840 NCO sword by Windlass seemed an obvious choice, one that would cover all my bases. It is modern, it is a dedicated thruster (although it CAN cut), and I could have it modified a little bit by Jordan. This replica is regarded as one of the best made by Windlass and it is also super affordable. With a discount code and including shipping, I bought my replica directly from Museum Replicas for $99.95! You really can't beat that. My version came with a steel scabbard. I know a few of you are not fond of the steel scabbard, but it's all they had at the time of the sale. The original swords had leather scabbards in the beginning, but they were eventually phased out to make way for steel scabbards. I suppose the steel scabbards were more resilient? Feel free to weigh in on this.
Like the original swords, the replica by Windlass features a cast one-piece construction brass hilt that was meant to imitate wire-wrapped grips from officers' swords, and like the originals, the replica is a bit too heavy and not particularly well-balanced. It also had a dull edge, but so did many of the original swords. Again, feel free to weigh in on this.
Jordan proposed that he remove the hilt from the blade, sever the grip, fabricate a new wood core grip and wrap everything with wire. He offered silver or brass, but copper sprang to my mind first. This is probably because I have a collection of copper wire jewelry. And so, Jordan and I came to an agreement, I had the sword shipped to him, and this is the result:
The grip is very well done. My good friend who makes copper wire jewelry was very impressed, too. I retroactively applied a patina to the copper by wrapping it with a solution consisting of water and liver of sulfur that was soaked into a paper towel. The effect took all but 60 seconds to create, and then I just buffed it out with a chamois. The hilt has a nice patina to it as well. I also like the steel scabbard very much, especially since you can see the bronze braising work where the seams join. The patina was created by using mustard! The pommel is a bit odd: it's hollow. Jordan terminated the wire inside the pommel and also created a hole in the pommel to feed the D shaped knuckle-bow into. I am not sure why, I have not asked, but it feels very secure.
The replica originally had a weight of 1 pound
14 ounces. It now has a weight of 1 pound 5 ounces. That's a substantial loss after losing the grip! The balance has changed a little bit, too. It was originally 4 inches from the hilt, but is now 6 inches. Given how lightweight the sword is, you can barely tell. I cannot comment much about the blade given my lack of knowledge except to say that it is well made, straight, has a good distal taper, and it has REALLY good flex. The point is also very sharp.
14 ounces. It now has a weight of 1 pound 5 ounces. That's a substantial loss after losing the grip! The balance has changed a little bit, too. It was originally 4 inches from the hilt, but is now 6 inches. Given how lightweight the sword is, you can barely tell. I cannot comment much about the blade given my lack of knowledge except to say that it is well made, straight, has a good distal taper, and it has REALLY good flex. The point is also very sharp.
The peen job is well done and feels very secure. The knuckle-bow is slightly off center, but it's a minor quirk.
The last quirk, and it's also minor, is that the blade does not meet the guard quite well. I think this should have been filed down a little bit, although it really seems cosmetic to me. I am kicking myself for not requesting a leather washer, which would solve this cosmetic issue in a heartbeat. Still, that is a feature I can add very easily.
Overall, I absolutely love the sword. It's light, it's tactile, and it feels awfully good. It's also unique. The modifications Jordan did are excellent. The highlight, undoubtedly, is the wire wrapping. Copper is not easy to wrap for a beginner and Jordan did an excellent job! If you are looking for that kind of service, he is the man to do it. He also saved me a big hassle by shipping the sword to me priority mail AND with a signature requirement to deter porch thieves. It arrived on Friday and I picked it up Saturday morning with no issues.
Now, if only I knew how to use this sword.