German Hunting or American Revolution?

I wish there were more and better pictures of the AR sword at KOA. Going by numbers and pictures there, I'd say the AR sword is the better buy. Although still a little blocky, the guard on that one is less anachronistic than the whole of the the hunting sword effort. Otoh, despite it's heavier listed weight, the hunting sword looks to have a lot more of its weight in the hilt and may actually feel more lively to some. They don't list balance points. Chatting up someone at Kult of Athena might be very telling.

From what they show of the hunting sword, the fit and finish is pretty horrible. I'm seeing the same Windlass holographic sticker on this one the recent shasqua review shared. I wonder if they are scooping up someone elses odds and ends, or farming out new work. The American Revolution sword has been around for some years and has always looked good. If the published weight is accurate, it is spot on to historic parameters and the fullering looks good. I really can't say the same thing about the hunting sword but bear in mind I have handled neither. The AR sabre I can relate to, as I have a couple of period pieces and aside from some visuals, the rest reads well.

What folk may end up being dissapointed with is blades that are not as rigid as their expectations. What I would invariably be dissapointed with is likely less than accurate distal taper characteristics, although a lot of blades from the late 18th century were very crudely made. mAny more were more graceful in engineering than words can easily explain. Starting thicker at the hilt than reproductions, half the width is often tapered in the firts third of the blade and then in a more linear fashion to the foible (point, leading third). Every India sabre reproduction I have handled lacks this and tends to exhibit a very linear distal taper, while starting with stock thinner than period swords.

My most extreme example of this is not a sabre but suprisingly a stepping out or dress sword. Nine millimeters at the guard, the blade has an extremly concave distal taper and is only six millimeters four inches from that. Another ten inches away the fuller is terminating and the crossection has slimmed to four millimeters. fro there, fairly linear to the point of which the last couple of inches is roughly one and a half milimeters in thickness at its thickest point (center of the blade) and really close to paper thin at the edges.

The two sabres I have are really not far behind that in the type of taper and flexibility/thinness they exhibit. This will always take aback those more familiar with katana but every 18th and 18th century sabre I have seen first hand (more than just a few) might raise the eyebrows of those expecting a rigid blade.

Speaking of thin, here is a quick shot of a 20th century military sword by Horster of Germany. I am holding just the last inch of blade and the weight of the sword is flexing the foible (last third) near ninety degrees. The distal on this one is not unlike the one I described but even thinners where I am holding it. Not really any thicker than steel banding one sees holding loads together.



My other two (straddling 1800) sabres are not that extreme but really not far from it. My hussar hilted blade is really nearly as thin, once past the fuller. I had actually bent the tip on that one by pinning it in a crack while working on the blade. Not as springy as modern heat treats but really just as thin at the business end.

Cheers

Hotspur; the pictured sword is an odball naval sword from around the 1930s