ERIK STEELCRAFTS 13th Century Teutonic Order Sword
Jan 14, 2023 19:27:24 GMT
Post by Barahir on Jan 14, 2023 19:27:24 GMT
The 13th Century Teutonic Sword
Battle Ready #105 (BR-105)
Introduction
A 46-year-old Canadian, I have been collecting swords since 2003. I own all sorts of weapons… ranging from movie replicas, historical replicas, fantasy weapons and a mix of all of these at the same time! I am by no means a weapons expert, nor a historian, nor a time traveler who thinks I know everything (like some folks on internet). I'm just a fan who likes to add shiny steel items to his armory. I am not used to making very elaborate reviews, but I am launching here to present this magnificent sword which had piqued my curiosity. Here is the 13th Century Teutonic Order Sword BR-105 from Erik Steelcrafts.
Full Disclosure
This is one my first Erik Steelcrafts sword. In fact, I discover at the same time as you this new collection of swords which seems very promising to me. Knowing my great interest in swords in general, Shahzeb Ansari (owner of Erik Steelcraft) sent me this sword so that I could also review it. We concluded that I would do an honest review. I was not asked anything specific. I therefore have no affiliation with them and I am in no way an expert in weapons, as mentioned in my introduction. So, let's start.
Manufacturer Overview
Erik Steelcrafts is the new project of the workshop of Shahzeb Ansari of Overseas Trading Corporation (OTC) in India. Shahzeb has been in the business of making swords for several years for several companies around the world based on the research and patterns made by his 3D developers. We particularly knew him as the first manufacturer of the Balaur Arms brand.
Shahzeb chose the name 'Erik' because it is an old norse name referring to Vikings. It is from 1060 carbon steel that they will manufacture a whole new line of swords for collectors and HEMA fighters. The main focus of Erik Steelcrafts will be for the moment to produce swords of as good quality as Albion for example, but offered at a better price range (300-500$ USD). They have a vision to also produce military weapons for the future. These swords will soon be available at several online retailers or recognized stores around the world.
From the mouth of the owner …
''Erik Steelcrafts produce best quality swords in India and even competitors of our country cannot compete with our quality''
We're excited to see how far this line of swords goes.
Historical Overview
This Teutonic Arming Sword is a 13th century German sword. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society c. 1190 in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to establish hospitals. Its members have commonly been known as the Teutonic Knights, having a small voluntary and mercenary military membership, serving as a crusading military order for the protection of Christians in the Holy Land and the Baltics during the Middle Ages.
This sword produced by OTC/Erik Steelcrafts was first part of the Balaur Arms collection in 2020. It is still part of this collection but from a different manufacturer. There are therefore very few swords of this model on the market. Here we are evaluating the one that is still made by Erik Steelcrafts in India. I've heard good words about this one through the collecting community, I look forward to examining in more details the various components as well as the craftmanship. With that, let's get started.
Initial Impressions
I received this sword along with 5 other models all wrapped up in a big box full of shredded paper which kept the swords safe. Yes, I needed the vacuum cleaner to pick it all up afterwards! Each sword was wrapped in very tight film paper. It is very tedious and difficult to remove all that. I have to use a knife being very careful not to damage the leather of the grip or scratch any other surface. So the swords are very well protected and well oiled in the package!
I am at first sight impressed with the quality of this sword. I was roughly expecting to find something similar to Windlass Steelcrafts. It seems to be, and maybe even a little more refined. Everything seems fine and no major flaws jump out at me at first glance. I had concerns about some past problems with the gap between the guard and the blade but it's very good, no worse than other manufacturers. The craftmanship seems to live up to my expectations. So let's start the deserved analysis of relly cool looking 13th Century Teutonic Order Sword by Erik Steelcrafts.
Actual Statistics
Blade Length : 30 ¾’’
Overall Length : 37 ¾’’
Handle : 6’’
Grip Length : 4 ¼’’
Weight : 2 lb 7 oz
Edge : Unsharped
Pommel : Peened
Width : 2’’
Distal Taper : 4.9mm-3.9mm-3.1mm
Sweet Spot (Centre of Percussion) : 9’’ from tip
P.O.B.: 7’’Below Hilt
The Blade
The blade of this sword is almost the same as their Crusader Sword but minus 2'' shorter. According to Oakeshott's blade typology, the blade is type XII. Oakeshott characterized the Type XII as "having a broad, flat, evenly tapering blade, generally with a good sharp point and tending to widen perceptibly below the hilt." The fuller will be well defined, generally extending from below the guard for two-thirds to three-quarters of the blade's length. The blade's cross-section will be of lenticular design and the blade will typically be from thirty to thirty-two inches long. Overall, the Type XII blade is a long, relatively wide cutting-oriented form which was ideal for the mounted knight or man at arms of its time. The balance point is still way off the hilt at 7 inches, but that's exactly as it should be for this type of sword.
The blade is made of 1060 carbon steel. 1060 carbon steel is good because when it is properly heat treated it becomes resilient. It is quite tough and can keep its edge fairly well. Since I'm not a metallurgy expert, I can't verify if this is really what Erik Steelcrafts used in the India forge but I trust what they told me. It sports a high level of resistance to fatigue, has high ductility, and has good spring qualities useful for applications where flexibility is desired. In order to lighten and help a blade perform, it is often said that there must be a distal taper. Distal tapering refers to a blade's cross-section thinning from its base to its tip. I measured using a caliper and indeed, there is a distal taper on this blade. The thickest part of the blade is 4.9mm at the guard, reaches 3.9mm in the middle and ends at 3.1mm near the tip (where the fuller end). The blade of this sword comes unsharpened from the manufacturer. There is no visible wave in the blade, no forging mark and it is straight. Maybe some minor traces of grinding but nothing more. The finish is on the satin side, not too mirrored. Just perfect like that. The length of the blade is 30 1/2’’ and there is a fuller (well centered) running from guard to 23’’ from the tip. On my sword, the fuller is well centered on both sides of the blade. When you play with the sword a bit, you find a sturdy blade and not whippy. I don't know how the tang is but when hitting the blade on the flat against our knee you hear no rattling at all.
Everything look solid. There is also a good flex to this blade, bent it in both directions and it wents back to true. The 2mm edges are suitable for blade on blade work. There is Erik Steelcrafts maker's mark on the blade (OTC India). It is very well made and well placed. I am not against manufacturers putting their mark. I think it gives character to the sword.
The Handle/Grip
The cool hilt is one of the components that attracted me the most when I first saw this sword. The grip is rocket shaped (wider towards the guard and shorter towards the pommel) which usually gives a good grip. The grip is rather flat too, so the sword won't tend to roll in the hand because the grip is too round. The core is made of Indian teak wood, leather wrapped and cord wrapped. Everything is tight and well decorated. The seams of the leather are hard to noticeable. As for the length, it's perfect at 4''1/4''. Still a one-handed Sword. Everything is well-aligned and solid. Well fixed, no rattling. The hilt fit nicely to the blade. Not so much gap. I love the feel of the grip.
The Guard
As mentioned at the beginning of the review, the guard is quite wide (9 1/4'') and its straight”. Please do not sing ''I Believe I can Fly...''. It appears to be a Type 7 guard according to Oakeshott's classification. The guard is straight, clean and tight, as was the pommel. The quillons are both the same length, so well centered. The lines are well defined and there are no sharp edges.
The Pommel
This 13th Century Teutonic Sword has a distinctive Type N boat or crescent pommel. Its quite wide too at 3 ¼’’. This type of pommel was still quite rare. I must say that it is very comfortable in the hand and it gives the impression of having more freedom in our movements. Again here, the craftmanship is very well done. The peen which makes the sword even stronger is soft and well made.
The Scabbard
As of this writing (January 2023), there has yet to be an official Erik Steelcrafts scabbard that comes with this sword unless you buy it as a Red Dragon product. It's a prototype for now. Rest assured that Erik Steelcrafts will come to decorate this beautiful sword with the scabbard it deserves. To be continued.
Handling
Honestly, I did not do any cutting or strength test with this sword. I know that many collectors like to see water bottles waltzing into pieces in the air, but it is often only the sharpening of the blade that we analyze in these cases in my opinion, which can be very different from blade to blade for the same model. Also, I treat my swords like oeuvre d’art, and I don't see the point in testing for destruction. There are other ways to analyze the handling of swords than trying to destroy them. That's my personal opinion.
Now concerning the Teutonic Order Sword, as we saw earlier in the review, despite the relatively light weight of 2 lb 7 oz, I find it handle very well for a 36’’ sword. The handle offers a good and secure grip. The grip is really comfortable with the type N pommel. We have exceptional freedom of movement. The blade which still has a bit of spring is still sturdy and not whippy. I don't find that the sword feels unbalanced. Anyway I couldn't do any test cuts because I received this blunt sword. It is also to be believed that all swords forged in India are sold dull, as Erik Steelcrafts offers some factory sharpened models (also the case for Windlass). Nevertheless, overall, I enjoy wielding this cool design sword.
Conclusions
Overall, I love this sword. The Quality/Control is better than I would have imagined with this Indian Foundry. Fit and finish are very good. Hilt and grip are tight. No Rattles, no gap, symmetrical. Peen is worked into the pommel nicely. Leather on the grip is quality. Tight grip, easy to swing, easy to thrust.
This sword will be available soon from your favorite retailer on behalf of Erik Steelcrafts, all over the world. For the moment, there is no more retailer for this version made by Erik Steelcrafts, but it won't be long. You can always communicate with them.
Do I recommend this sword? Yes, without any hesitation. For the quality of the craftsmanship, the materials, the historical representation, and above all the price (Around 275$ USD). The OTC / Erik Steelcrafts Teutonic Sword is extremely handsome, somewhat unique with the sweet Type N pommel and wide guard. Because nothing is perfect in this world, I still give a nice 4.5 stars out of 5 for the BR-105 13 Century Teutonic Order Sword by OTC/Erik Steelcrafts.
To see the videoI made of this sword, follow this link
Battle Ready #105 (BR-105)
Introduction
A 46-year-old Canadian, I have been collecting swords since 2003. I own all sorts of weapons… ranging from movie replicas, historical replicas, fantasy weapons and a mix of all of these at the same time! I am by no means a weapons expert, nor a historian, nor a time traveler who thinks I know everything (like some folks on internet). I'm just a fan who likes to add shiny steel items to his armory. I am not used to making very elaborate reviews, but I am launching here to present this magnificent sword which had piqued my curiosity. Here is the 13th Century Teutonic Order Sword BR-105 from Erik Steelcrafts.
Full Disclosure
This is one my first Erik Steelcrafts sword. In fact, I discover at the same time as you this new collection of swords which seems very promising to me. Knowing my great interest in swords in general, Shahzeb Ansari (owner of Erik Steelcraft) sent me this sword so that I could also review it. We concluded that I would do an honest review. I was not asked anything specific. I therefore have no affiliation with them and I am in no way an expert in weapons, as mentioned in my introduction. So, let's start.
Manufacturer Overview
Erik Steelcrafts is the new project of the workshop of Shahzeb Ansari of Overseas Trading Corporation (OTC) in India. Shahzeb has been in the business of making swords for several years for several companies around the world based on the research and patterns made by his 3D developers. We particularly knew him as the first manufacturer of the Balaur Arms brand.
Shahzeb chose the name 'Erik' because it is an old norse name referring to Vikings. It is from 1060 carbon steel that they will manufacture a whole new line of swords for collectors and HEMA fighters. The main focus of Erik Steelcrafts will be for the moment to produce swords of as good quality as Albion for example, but offered at a better price range (300-500$ USD). They have a vision to also produce military weapons for the future. These swords will soon be available at several online retailers or recognized stores around the world.
From the mouth of the owner …
''Erik Steelcrafts produce best quality swords in India and even competitors of our country cannot compete with our quality''
We're excited to see how far this line of swords goes.
Historical Overview
This Teutonic Arming Sword is a 13th century German sword. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society c. 1190 in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to establish hospitals. Its members have commonly been known as the Teutonic Knights, having a small voluntary and mercenary military membership, serving as a crusading military order for the protection of Christians in the Holy Land and the Baltics during the Middle Ages.
This sword produced by OTC/Erik Steelcrafts was first part of the Balaur Arms collection in 2020. It is still part of this collection but from a different manufacturer. There are therefore very few swords of this model on the market. Here we are evaluating the one that is still made by Erik Steelcrafts in India. I've heard good words about this one through the collecting community, I look forward to examining in more details the various components as well as the craftmanship. With that, let's get started.
Initial Impressions
I received this sword along with 5 other models all wrapped up in a big box full of shredded paper which kept the swords safe. Yes, I needed the vacuum cleaner to pick it all up afterwards! Each sword was wrapped in very tight film paper. It is very tedious and difficult to remove all that. I have to use a knife being very careful not to damage the leather of the grip or scratch any other surface. So the swords are very well protected and well oiled in the package!
I am at first sight impressed with the quality of this sword. I was roughly expecting to find something similar to Windlass Steelcrafts. It seems to be, and maybe even a little more refined. Everything seems fine and no major flaws jump out at me at first glance. I had concerns about some past problems with the gap between the guard and the blade but it's very good, no worse than other manufacturers. The craftmanship seems to live up to my expectations. So let's start the deserved analysis of relly cool looking 13th Century Teutonic Order Sword by Erik Steelcrafts.
Actual Statistics
Blade Length : 30 ¾’’
Overall Length : 37 ¾’’
Handle : 6’’
Grip Length : 4 ¼’’
Weight : 2 lb 7 oz
Edge : Unsharped
Pommel : Peened
Width : 2’’
Distal Taper : 4.9mm-3.9mm-3.1mm
Sweet Spot (Centre of Percussion) : 9’’ from tip
P.O.B.: 7’’Below Hilt
The Blade
The blade of this sword is almost the same as their Crusader Sword but minus 2'' shorter. According to Oakeshott's blade typology, the blade is type XII. Oakeshott characterized the Type XII as "having a broad, flat, evenly tapering blade, generally with a good sharp point and tending to widen perceptibly below the hilt." The fuller will be well defined, generally extending from below the guard for two-thirds to three-quarters of the blade's length. The blade's cross-section will be of lenticular design and the blade will typically be from thirty to thirty-two inches long. Overall, the Type XII blade is a long, relatively wide cutting-oriented form which was ideal for the mounted knight or man at arms of its time. The balance point is still way off the hilt at 7 inches, but that's exactly as it should be for this type of sword.
The blade is made of 1060 carbon steel. 1060 carbon steel is good because when it is properly heat treated it becomes resilient. It is quite tough and can keep its edge fairly well. Since I'm not a metallurgy expert, I can't verify if this is really what Erik Steelcrafts used in the India forge but I trust what they told me. It sports a high level of resistance to fatigue, has high ductility, and has good spring qualities useful for applications where flexibility is desired. In order to lighten and help a blade perform, it is often said that there must be a distal taper. Distal tapering refers to a blade's cross-section thinning from its base to its tip. I measured using a caliper and indeed, there is a distal taper on this blade. The thickest part of the blade is 4.9mm at the guard, reaches 3.9mm in the middle and ends at 3.1mm near the tip (where the fuller end). The blade of this sword comes unsharpened from the manufacturer. There is no visible wave in the blade, no forging mark and it is straight. Maybe some minor traces of grinding but nothing more. The finish is on the satin side, not too mirrored. Just perfect like that. The length of the blade is 30 1/2’’ and there is a fuller (well centered) running from guard to 23’’ from the tip. On my sword, the fuller is well centered on both sides of the blade. When you play with the sword a bit, you find a sturdy blade and not whippy. I don't know how the tang is but when hitting the blade on the flat against our knee you hear no rattling at all.
Everything look solid. There is also a good flex to this blade, bent it in both directions and it wents back to true. The 2mm edges are suitable for blade on blade work. There is Erik Steelcrafts maker's mark on the blade (OTC India). It is very well made and well placed. I am not against manufacturers putting their mark. I think it gives character to the sword.
The Handle/Grip
The cool hilt is one of the components that attracted me the most when I first saw this sword. The grip is rocket shaped (wider towards the guard and shorter towards the pommel) which usually gives a good grip. The grip is rather flat too, so the sword won't tend to roll in the hand because the grip is too round. The core is made of Indian teak wood, leather wrapped and cord wrapped. Everything is tight and well decorated. The seams of the leather are hard to noticeable. As for the length, it's perfect at 4''1/4''. Still a one-handed Sword. Everything is well-aligned and solid. Well fixed, no rattling. The hilt fit nicely to the blade. Not so much gap. I love the feel of the grip.
The Guard
As mentioned at the beginning of the review, the guard is quite wide (9 1/4'') and its straight”. Please do not sing ''I Believe I can Fly...''. It appears to be a Type 7 guard according to Oakeshott's classification. The guard is straight, clean and tight, as was the pommel. The quillons are both the same length, so well centered. The lines are well defined and there are no sharp edges.
The Pommel
This 13th Century Teutonic Sword has a distinctive Type N boat or crescent pommel. Its quite wide too at 3 ¼’’. This type of pommel was still quite rare. I must say that it is very comfortable in the hand and it gives the impression of having more freedom in our movements. Again here, the craftmanship is very well done. The peen which makes the sword even stronger is soft and well made.
The Scabbard
As of this writing (January 2023), there has yet to be an official Erik Steelcrafts scabbard that comes with this sword unless you buy it as a Red Dragon product. It's a prototype for now. Rest assured that Erik Steelcrafts will come to decorate this beautiful sword with the scabbard it deserves. To be continued.
Handling
Honestly, I did not do any cutting or strength test with this sword. I know that many collectors like to see water bottles waltzing into pieces in the air, but it is often only the sharpening of the blade that we analyze in these cases in my opinion, which can be very different from blade to blade for the same model. Also, I treat my swords like oeuvre d’art, and I don't see the point in testing for destruction. There are other ways to analyze the handling of swords than trying to destroy them. That's my personal opinion.
Now concerning the Teutonic Order Sword, as we saw earlier in the review, despite the relatively light weight of 2 lb 7 oz, I find it handle very well for a 36’’ sword. The handle offers a good and secure grip. The grip is really comfortable with the type N pommel. We have exceptional freedom of movement. The blade which still has a bit of spring is still sturdy and not whippy. I don't find that the sword feels unbalanced. Anyway I couldn't do any test cuts because I received this blunt sword. It is also to be believed that all swords forged in India are sold dull, as Erik Steelcrafts offers some factory sharpened models (also the case for Windlass). Nevertheless, overall, I enjoy wielding this cool design sword.
Conclusions
Overall, I love this sword. The Quality/Control is better than I would have imagined with this Indian Foundry. Fit and finish are very good. Hilt and grip are tight. No Rattles, no gap, symmetrical. Peen is worked into the pommel nicely. Leather on the grip is quality. Tight grip, easy to swing, easy to thrust.
This sword will be available soon from your favorite retailer on behalf of Erik Steelcrafts, all over the world. For the moment, there is no more retailer for this version made by Erik Steelcrafts, but it won't be long. You can always communicate with them.
Do I recommend this sword? Yes, without any hesitation. For the quality of the craftsmanship, the materials, the historical representation, and above all the price (Around 275$ USD). The OTC / Erik Steelcrafts Teutonic Sword is extremely handsome, somewhat unique with the sweet Type N pommel and wide guard. Because nothing is perfect in this world, I still give a nice 4.5 stars out of 5 for the BR-105 13 Century Teutonic Order Sword by OTC/Erik Steelcrafts.
To see the videoI made of this sword, follow this link
Attachments:
Things have changed!