Al-Ayuubi Store Hybrid Persian Swords
Oct 10, 2020 15:17:42 GMT
Post by Tiers1 on Oct 10, 2020 15:17:42 GMT
I discovered this seller randomly on one of the Facebook sword forums. The overall aesthetic and construction reminded me somewhat of other Indonesian edged weapons producers that I have seen flit in and out of the market over the last 20 years (Valiantco, Mark Antony Knives, etc.) the modern made stuff coming from Indonesia has always seemed cool to me, but it seems whoever is making it has never truly gotten it together to make a bona-fide effort at the western market. I picked up a Mark Anthony knife years ago for very cheap on Ebay and it was genuine sanmai and really nicely made. When I found Jamal at Al-Ayuubi I was excited to have the opportunity for a reliable source of modern Indonesian made blades. What made me pull the trigger was the proof tests they do for alot of their stuff- very smooth paper slicing (sometimes feathering of paper) followed by a nail chop, with no damage. No it isn't the roughest test out there, but I am confident there is LOTS of production (and even some custom) stuff that wouldn't take 0 impaction on a nail if it was sharp enough to feather paper.
I would probably classify these weapons as Persian Hybrids (the shop calls them Laskar Custom (Laskars were a group of seafarers I believe) and Persian Custom.
The blades:
This company uses a number of different steel types- SUP9 (5160 equivalent), car springs, pattern welded steel, strip steel (I have no idea what that is), bearing steel, etc. Their bigger pieces are usually either SUP9 or recycled car spring. I actually don't have any idea whether they are through or differentially tempered. Both blades are reasonably well formed, though they do have the overall aesthetic and imperfections of something that was handmade with limited power tools and not unlimited time...sort of reminiscent of Nepalese-made Kukris if that makes sense... Both blades are very sharp though unfortunately with a fairly pronounced secondary bevel, which I know is not ahistorical but I am just not a fan of the way secondary bevels look. Both blades are decorated as well. The large saber has what look like Arabic Cartouches either engraved or etched into the blade...it is a little hard to tell. The engraving/etching is of reasonable quality, although not perfect and with some wobbly margins at spots. If this was hand-done, I am very impressed as that is alot of work for the price of the sword. The smaller blade has an interesting technique whereby some channels were ground into the blade and filled with a pitch-black resin of some sort, and cut out designs were placed and adhered on top. It is very cool looking and well done. Alot of tedious hand work for the price.
The handles:
The large sword has a handle of sculpted Duralumin with two lacquered cheeks of Burlwood that is chased lavishly (again not sure if this was hand done or some sort of etching technology). The blade tang is secured by two bolts and peened through decoratively at the end. The handle though not perfect, is quite well done. The biggest issue with it is that there are two small areas of lacquer that seemed to have rubbed off before they dried On the smaller sword, there are two sorts of polished wood along with plates of silvery metal and what looks like resin, embellished with the same overlayed adhesive technique found on the blade. The blade is secured by three bolts that pass through the handle. The handle on the smaller sword is generally very well done, though there is an area where the black resin material is a bit faded.
The scabbards:
The large sword scabbard is a wood core covered by thin dyed leather or pleather emblazoned with Arabic calligraphy and finished with some sort of thin metal that is hammered to form and decorated with designs. The scabbard fits very well, though the sword will fall out if it if held vertically (which is no surprise given the weight of the sword). The small sword scabbard is polished rosewood with the same polished metal accent, though it is finished with a thick waxed leather baldric/frog thing. The small sword is fairly loose in its scabbard. I am not a huge fan of the larger sword's scabbard- it just feels kind of cheap (they could probably use a nicer leather and dyeing technique...)...but the small sword scabbard is very nice. I don't really like the thin metal accent pieces in either case, as they again lend an air of cheapness to otherwise nicely built swords.
The handling:
The big sword is a tank- it feels like an executioner's sword and for all I know maybe that is what it is intended to be. The spine is a little over 5mm thick but with essentially no distal taper. Once it gets going, it is hard to stop. It isn't a crowbar with an edge ground on (there is some proper taper from spine to edge) , but it is just too thick for the length of the blade. The small sword handles much better and feels like it could be used appropriately. While it shares the same no-distal taper issue, it is not as wide and enough material/weight is saved to make it feel lively.
Performance:
All I have done so far is chop vigorously into particle board, there were no issues.
In conclusion, I feel both of these pieces offer overall fine value for the money. The large sword was $280 shipped and the small sword was $250 shipped. Both swords arrived less than a week after they were shipped, as the company used some sort of premium Fedex service. I would certainly recommend this company if you seek some less conventional designs with a Indonesian flair.