Vision - The Milan Sword with Scabbard: Review
Oct 14, 2022 5:56:03 GMT
Post by pierogi on Oct 14, 2022 5:56:03 GMT
Vision Sword Review
Vision – The Milan Sword with Scabbard – Collaboratively Crafted by Angus Trim and Valiant Armoury
Link
This is my first review, and I will represent the quality and craftsmanship that went into this blade in a fair manner to the best of my ability.
Quality issues: Scabbard fittings and handling.
Sword
Appearance – To start, the sword is beautiful. I compare this piece to several other custom blades that I have seen from other swordsmiths online, as well as the pieces in my collection. The polish of the blade is uniform throughout, save for a few buffs and surface marks ranging from 1/4” to 1 ½” near the tip. The antique finish on the pommel and guard is slightly darker, and is a great contrast between the blade and fittings. The leather handle is a small representation of the leatherwork you will find on the scabbard. Tight, even color, and well formed. The symmetry is very visually appealing as well, and overall looks like a solid tool one would find in a noble’s armory.
Fittings – Everything is tight and in place. No rattle or loose movement of any kind.
Handling – The blade feels like an extension of the body more than any other sword I’ve held. The point of balance is approx. 4 ¼ inches up from the guard, as specified on Kult of Athena, and handles like a tool you’ve worked with your whole life. In the hands of an experienced user, I imagine this sword would be a more than formidable weapon.
Sharpness – While dropping a horse hair on the blade won’t split the hair, and dragging it across the top line of a piece of paper isn’t the smoothest experience, make no mistake, this blade is sharp. I’ve read the discussion of combat sharpness compared to razor sharpness, and this one falls into the category of battle sharp. Not sharp enough to demonstrate cutting through a silk sheet, but more than enough to cleave an opponent’s limb in twain with the proper skill.
I assume…
I ran the sword along a piece of paper and it snagged a couple times, but cut through nonetheless. Watch your fingers.
Scabbard
Appearance – Again, a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. The crimson color of the scabbard is uniform throughout, and is a great contrast with the rich brown of the belt. The buckle has a nice antique look to it, and fastens like any proper belt should.
Fittings & Handling – I had a couple issues with the fittings. The buckle had a small metal tooth that hooked my thumb, and the chape at the end had splits in the metal on both sides as well as a grind mark. The blade also had a very noticeable rattle while sheathed, and you could feel it hit front to back and side to side (both flat surfaces as well as the blade). After returning it to Valiant Armoury, the rattle was fixed by way of a small piece of foam inserted midway into the scabbard, and the chape had been replaced.
However, the chape fell off while unwrapping. No splits, and was fixed by myself with leather to metal Loctite Liquid Super Glue from Lowe’s.
Note on Angus Trim’s Involvement
Angus Trim provides the specs and works closely with Valiant Armoury, who handles physical production of all parts (sword and scabbard), to get the tolerances right on these blades.
Customer Service
Kult of Athena
I first addressed the fitting and handling issues with KOA who were quick to reach out to VA, who in turn were quick to reach out to me to fix the issue. Very pleasant and polite, as KOA has always been.
Valiant Armoury
First interaction with VA was a pleasant one. I told them I was understanding and wasn’t angry in the slightest. I get that issues can happen, especially given the events of the past two years. Maintaining help, acquiring resources, shipping, etc. VA offered to cover shipping to and from my home and said they would fix the rattle. They did, but after bringing up the piece falling off the scabbard, I was told that some glue would fix it. I went to Lowe’s grabbed some Loctite Liquid Super Glue. This stuff is rated against heat, cold and is water resistant. It also bonds with both leather and metal. It did the job.
Final Note
While I was somewhat disappointed to have the issues I experienced occur from two well established names in the sword making community on my first purchase from them, the overall pros outweigh the cons. This is a fine sword and I chalk the issues up to the few that manage to slip by anyone in production during these difficult times.
Vision – The Milan Sword with Scabbard – Collaboratively Crafted by Angus Trim and Valiant Armoury
Link
This is my first review, and I will represent the quality and craftsmanship that went into this blade in a fair manner to the best of my ability.
Quality issues: Scabbard fittings and handling.
Sword
Appearance – To start, the sword is beautiful. I compare this piece to several other custom blades that I have seen from other swordsmiths online, as well as the pieces in my collection. The polish of the blade is uniform throughout, save for a few buffs and surface marks ranging from 1/4” to 1 ½” near the tip. The antique finish on the pommel and guard is slightly darker, and is a great contrast between the blade and fittings. The leather handle is a small representation of the leatherwork you will find on the scabbard. Tight, even color, and well formed. The symmetry is very visually appealing as well, and overall looks like a solid tool one would find in a noble’s armory.
Fittings – Everything is tight and in place. No rattle or loose movement of any kind.
Handling – The blade feels like an extension of the body more than any other sword I’ve held. The point of balance is approx. 4 ¼ inches up from the guard, as specified on Kult of Athena, and handles like a tool you’ve worked with your whole life. In the hands of an experienced user, I imagine this sword would be a more than formidable weapon.
Sharpness – While dropping a horse hair on the blade won’t split the hair, and dragging it across the top line of a piece of paper isn’t the smoothest experience, make no mistake, this blade is sharp. I’ve read the discussion of combat sharpness compared to razor sharpness, and this one falls into the category of battle sharp. Not sharp enough to demonstrate cutting through a silk sheet, but more than enough to cleave an opponent’s limb in twain with the proper skill.
I assume…
I ran the sword along a piece of paper and it snagged a couple times, but cut through nonetheless. Watch your fingers.
Scabbard
Appearance – Again, a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. The crimson color of the scabbard is uniform throughout, and is a great contrast with the rich brown of the belt. The buckle has a nice antique look to it, and fastens like any proper belt should.
Fittings & Handling – I had a couple issues with the fittings. The buckle had a small metal tooth that hooked my thumb, and the chape at the end had splits in the metal on both sides as well as a grind mark. The blade also had a very noticeable rattle while sheathed, and you could feel it hit front to back and side to side (both flat surfaces as well as the blade). After returning it to Valiant Armoury, the rattle was fixed by way of a small piece of foam inserted midway into the scabbard, and the chape had been replaced.
However, the chape fell off while unwrapping. No splits, and was fixed by myself with leather to metal Loctite Liquid Super Glue from Lowe’s.
Note on Angus Trim’s Involvement
Angus Trim provides the specs and works closely with Valiant Armoury, who handles physical production of all parts (sword and scabbard), to get the tolerances right on these blades.
Customer Service
Kult of Athena
I first addressed the fitting and handling issues with KOA who were quick to reach out to VA, who in turn were quick to reach out to me to fix the issue. Very pleasant and polite, as KOA has always been.
Valiant Armoury
First interaction with VA was a pleasant one. I told them I was understanding and wasn’t angry in the slightest. I get that issues can happen, especially given the events of the past two years. Maintaining help, acquiring resources, shipping, etc. VA offered to cover shipping to and from my home and said they would fix the rattle. They did, but after bringing up the piece falling off the scabbard, I was told that some glue would fix it. I went to Lowe’s grabbed some Loctite Liquid Super Glue. This stuff is rated against heat, cold and is water resistant. It also bonds with both leather and metal. It did the job.
Final Note
While I was somewhat disappointed to have the issues I experienced occur from two well established names in the sword making community on my first purchase from them, the overall pros outweigh the cons. This is a fine sword and I chalk the issues up to the few that manage to slip by anyone in production during these difficult times.