Deepeeka Sample: Sword of St. Maurice (Vienna)
Jul 9, 2021 1:16:36 GMT
Post by Jash on Jul 9, 2021 1:16:36 GMT
[ANTIQUE]
AH7020 – The Sword of St. Maurice (Vienna) XI
Introduction
So you see, what happened was… As some of you know I reviewed 2 Deepeeka prototype Primus Line Viking swords a while ago. After which my interest in Deepeeka grew, and I found myself browsing their “New & Improved” page to see what else was coming out soon. The Sword of St. Maurice (Vienna) has always been a favourite of mine. I’m not huge into Medieval swords, but I always found this sword to represent, to me, why the sword is so important and a lasting image to human history. As the other entry level production companies (Windlass and Hanwei) did not get their versions to match the original, I was excited to see Deepeeka coming out with their own – knowing how they’ve been striving for historical accuracy lately. But there was an issue – there were many errors in the website photos. I emailed Deepeeka asking if this was the final version, or if there was any room for change? They happily replied and stated any suggestions and references I had they’d gladly welcome. This started an 8-month long email conversation, with me helping them redo this sword almost from scratch. Now I am no sword expert (well, I’ve been in the hobby for a while, but I mean there are others much more qualified than I), but I do have a degree in History and a solid foundation in scientific research – so I put a lot of effort into trying to help out as much as possible. I’m sure Deepeeka got tired of seeing my emails pop up haha. As you read this review, please keep in mind Deepeeka do try to function within an “Entry Level” Price Point.
Historical Overview
There are 2 swords attributed to Saint Maurice. This is the one located in Vienna – the Oakeshott Type XI Coronation version, also known as the Reichsschwert. With so much great information on this sword online, my little paragraph will not do it justice. Here’s a quote from one of those sites: “This handsome sword was the coronation sword of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire (basically Germany and Austria, sometimes with parts of Italy) for over 700 years. It is kept in the Weltliche Schatzkammer, Vienna and has the inventory number SchK XIII 17. The age of the sword is uncertain; the museum thinks it was forged in France around the end of the 12th century, while Ewart Oakeshott thinks it is older than that, putting the date at around c.1050 - 1120. One way of determining the age of the hilt is to date the engraving on the pommel. It carries the personal arms of Otto IV (died 1218), and was probably made for his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in 1198. Either way, we can safely assume that the sword is at least 800 years old. “ [www.foxtail.nu/bjorn/h_stm_e.htm].
And yes, even its own Wikipedia page:
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichsschwert
Full Disclosure
Even though I was helping Deepeeka improve upon their version of this sword, I do not work for them. I purchased this sword with my own Paper Route money. Again, I am no expert in Medieval history or Medieval swords. I have been involved in this hobby for over two decades, so I did pick up a thing or two along the journey. I am also not a professional Reviewer, nor do I aspire to be. This is just me trying to give back to the Sword Community for all their help over the years. I’m trying to provide information on swords where there isn’t much out there already.
Initial Impressions
I ordered this sword (along with 3 others) directly from Deepeeka in India. They arrived in a timely manner via DHL, and well packaged. No issues at all with customs or damages during shipping. Upon opening, two things: 1) It’s so pretty! And 2) It’s so heavy!
Statistics
Antique Deepeeka Hanwei Windlass Del Tin A&A
Overall Length 43.3” 41” 43.06” 40” 39.75" 43.5"
Blade Length 37.5” 35” 37.3” 33” 32.75" 37.25"
Grip Length 3.75” 4” 3.88” 4.75” 4.25" 4-4.125"
Blade width (guard) 43mm 45mm 44mm 49.9mm 52.9mm 44.2-44.5mm
Thickness (@ guard) ? 5.0mm 5.0mm 2.7mm 4.7mm 4.5-4.7mm
Thickness (1/2 way) ? 4.0mm 4.1mm ? ? ?
Thickness (fuller end) ? 3.5mm 3.5mm 2.5mm 3.4mm 3.1-4.1mm
Fuller Length 27.5” 25” ? ? ? ?
Fuller Width 9mm 11mm ? ? ? ?
Guard Width 8.1” 7.1” ? ? ? ?
Pommel Height 1.57” 1.5” ? ? ? ?
Weight 2lb 14oz 3lb 3.2oz 2lb 15oz 3lb 15.5oz 3lbs 9.2oz 2lb 13oz - 3lb 6oz
POB ? 8” 7.0” 4” 4.9" 6.25"
*Note – blade thickness was measured using 2 hard surfaces and a ruler. So will be off by a few decimal places. In sum – there is distal taper… but blade terminal is still quite thick.
Components
The Blade
The blade on the original is an Oakeshott Type XI with lenticular cross section. This Deepeeka stays true to that, and it’s nice to see a Deepeeka blade that is lenticular when it should be lenticular. It’s also to be noted the sword is heat treated to a Rockwell of 48-52 (I was told they aim to have all swords around 50, and “we test all the blades before shipping”). I managed to bend the blade both using two hands as well as via tip on the floor – decent, stiff flex and returned to true every time. The blade is thick and heavy, but I’m hoping it’ll be better after some sharpening; which might also fix some of the standard “edge waviness” as seen on almost all entry level swords. A big surprise is the fullers are fairly straight and end at the same point on both sides of the blade (a feature I’ve seen missed on swords 3 times this price point). I’m not 100% sure, but the blade might warp ever so slightly on one side – either it’s the lighting, or it’s that faint. Nowhere as noticeable as the Balaur Factory 2nd’s. This is so minor I wasn’t even sure I should include it. There was some discolouration on the blade surface upon unpacking. Unfortunately, Mother’s Mag didn’t get the job done. No issue, as I try my hand at sharpening the blade, I’ll give it a fine sandpaper touchup.
The Grip
The grip is wood with a “silver” wire wrap with 2 brass Turk’s head ferrules on either end. It is tight and nicely done. The ferrules are beautiful, having a weaving pattern design. The oval shape of this grip is a huge improvement over the last 2 Deepeeka swords I tried out (one too narrow, the other too square). This one is comfortable in the hand, but one might need gloves to protect yourself from the ferrules. Even though this grip is longer than it should be, it’s still within reason.
The Guard
versus Deepeeka
versus Deepeeka
On the original is an Oakeshott Style 1 of gilded silver. One side engraved with, “+CRISTVS.VINCIT.CRISTVS.REIGNAT.CRIST:INPERAT“. And on the other, “+CRISTVS:VINCIT:CRISTVS:REINAT--“. Apparently, this is a war cry from the Third Crusade, “Christus Triumphs. Christus Reigns. Christus Rules”; or, “Christus the Victor, Christus the King, Christus the Ruler”. The Deepeeka example is polished solid brass to mimic the gilding. Overall length is 1” too short (some will be annoyed by this, some won’t care). The engravings are pretty much spot on for historically accuracy, and well finished. Deepeeka also took the time to add in the engravings on the guard blade-side and grip-side. There is a slight gap where the blade enters the guard. I’ve seen better. I’ve seen worse. Edges aren’t rounded off, but they’re not sharp either. Overall, turned out very nice.
The Pommel
versus Deepeeka
versus Deepeeka
Original is an Oakeshott Type B of gilded silver. One side engraved with the arms of the Holy Roman Empire (Eagle), and the other side with the arms of Emperor Otto the IV (Eagle and Leopards). It is inscribed, “BENEDICTVS.DOS.DES.MEVS.qVI.DOCET.MANV+” which translates to, “[Be] Praised [my] Lord [and] God, who teaches [my] hands [to fight].” Again, Deepeeka chose to go with polished solid brass to mimic the gilding. Again, engravings are accurate and well executed, but not as crisp as the guard engravings. Peen is pretty good, actually very good for this price point – clean.
The Scabbard
versus Deepeeka
The original scabbard is olivewood mounted with gold panels, depicting 7 historical figures per a side. As this would be incredibly difficult to reproduce at this price point – I suggested a full brass scabbard with steel bands (taking note of their Celtic La Tene sword) – to get the “essence” of the antique. I think it turned out quite well. However, I believe Deepeeka will still be going forward with their more functional leather over wood core scabbard. If you have a preference – please comment below – Deepeeka is watching this review lol. Because my scabbard probably won’t be in production, I won’t dwell on this section.
[Original Deepeeka Prototype]
Handling Characteristics
I’m not a small guy, and even I’m finding this sword very blade heavy. To be fair, it does weigh less than the Windlass, but then again, the Windlass has a closer POB. It’s overall weight and POB is not too off from the original sword or Hanwei’s – which was primarily used for calvary and later ceremonial purposes. Which this one will be excellent at! Trying to do strikes and recovery was very difficult (more so than my Deepeeka Viking swords), but swinging it in downward circular movements as though one was on horseback felt amazing. The sword did all the work. Pros and Cons. I do believe with a thinner (sharpened) edge it will be slightly livelier in the hand. As we all know, Deepeeka is still working on adding Distal Taper to their swords, so… give it time.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
Probably won’t get a chance to put an edge on this for a few months. Regardless, I did not purchase this sword for cutting.
Conclusions
I’ll come right out and say it – my pet peeve is the stats aren’t more accurate to the original antique. I do realize this sword is hand made and there will be variances. I also realize it isn’t that far off the mark. But my primary goal was to help Deepeeka produce the most historically accurate production replica. The aesthetics are spot on, and I’m happy for that since it involved a lot of back-and-forth. The blade is still far too thick, adding excess weight and driving the POB further out. But since this will be a display piece for me – it’s not the end of the world. The Deepeeka example has the aesthetics more accurate than any other production version. In terms of statistics – well, it’s better than Windlass’s, but not as good as Hanwei’s. A little more attention to blade grinding and finish would have gone a long way. Overall, I am still happy with this purchase. I will be the first to admit, this sword is a HUGE leap forward in Deepeeka’s Medieval range. I really do look forward to seeing them continue to improve and push their boundaries.
Pros
- Aesthetically historically accurate.
- Solid Construction.
- Great fit and finish.
Cons
- Stats slightly off from the original.
- Blade too thick and heavy.
- Blade arrived with surface defects.
The Bottom Line
As stated in the beginning of this review, the Sword of St. Maurice (Vienna) has always stood out to me for being a prime example of why I find swords so fascinating. I have always wanted an historically accurate replica of this important sword, and believe I have found one. There is currently no production version out there that gets BOTH the stats and aesthetics correct. If you’re into the history of this sword – it’ll work for you. If you wanted to do some cutting with this (type of) sword – the Hanwei version might be better off the shelf (unless you don’t mind spending time griding down the edges). Before you criticize this sword, or Deepeeka’s attempt at this replica, please remember this is a budget sword. There is a lot of good going on here, well above the usual Deepeeka price point.