Crecy War Sword by Kingston Arms
Aug 7, 2023 16:48:46 GMT
Post by erichofprovence on Aug 7, 2023 16:48:46 GMT
Intro
Let me start this with an explanation (and a teaser for things to come). I do not have the skills, the equipment or the space to forge my own sword. However I was always fascinated by them and have always dreamt to have a sword I can call my own. A few months ago, the idea of customising a sword came to me (thanks mainly to the good people on this forum). So I went on the search for a sword that was of decent quality, was not too expensive, was relatively simple in its design and left a lot of room for customisation (mostly in the guard).
This was not my first choice. I initially wanted the Windlass Type XIV (so original, I know), but it was not available with UK suppliers and I am not a patient man. So I decided to splash out and get the Crecy War Sword from Kingston Arms. I bought this sword from Southern Swords for £340, which was a significant step up from the Windlass. Did I mention that I'm not patient?
My goal was to go ahead and start with the customisation/transformation, but given the many gripes I have with this sword, I thought it best to write this review first.
(Apologies for the badly oriented pictures, somehow can't get them to be the right way up)
Historical Overview
This sword was designed in-house by CAS Iberia and i must say, the design is just great. It is based on the arming swords used by the English during the Battle of Crecy (1346). While it clearly draws from historical models, I am not aware of it being based on any specific sword. The stainless arched guard pays homage to the English longbowmen who were decisive in the English victory. As a Frenchman, I pray my ancestors will forgive me this purchase.
Full disclosure
As mentioned above, I bought this sword to customise/modify it. So many of the problems with it will hopefully be fixed in the coming weeks, as long as my limited skills don't fail me!
I have also reached out to Southern Swords to express my issues with the sword and this was their response:
"Thanks for your e-mails and apologies for not replying earlier. I am sorry to hear the sword was not to your liking. It was delivered to us straight from the UK distributor for Kingston swords and should have been fine. If you are not happy with the item then of course you can return it to us in its original packaging and condition i.e. new and unused with all labels etc still attached. Please include a note with your name, order number and reason for return. As soon as it is back and has been checked we can issue a refund."
Fair play but at this point I was too excited (and impatient) about starting my project to send it back and go on the search for something else. Also, by then I had made all my research and early designs based on this sword and was not about to give up on them.
Initial impressions
The first impression of this sword is great. It looks good. It is elegant and sleek. But as soon as one looks closer, glaring cracks begin to appear in the so far spotless mirror.
Stats
Blade length: 81cm
Handle length: 11cm
Overall length: 97cm
Guard width: 17cm
POB: 15cm from the guard
COP: 50cm from the guard
Weight: 1332g
Components
The Blade
This is definitely the strongest assets of this sword. The hollow ground 5160 High Carbon Steel blade is a thing of beauty and I really liked its long slim look. The blade is relatively stiff. There is a clear distal taper, but I don't have the tool to measure it. But as with every single component, there is something wrong. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the blade is very very slightly bent. Almost unnoticeable, but worth mentioning.
The Handle
In researching this sword prior to purchase, I had seen some criticism of the leather wrap, claiming that it didn't give a decent grip when test cutting. Now I have not tried cutting, so can't attest to it. But it is worth flagging.
My issue is that, due to the guard being misaligned (see below), I could see the wood underneath the leather on one side.
Now that I have removed the handle to fix the issues with the sword, I can attest to its construction. It has a one piece wooden core, wrapped in cord, covered in leather and given a cord look. Decent construction, although I am not a fan of the one piece wood core, as it was slightly too wide and forced the manufacturer to insert some wooden flats to fill the gaps. I will definitely do two fitted sides instead.
The Guard
A generally good part, that eventually suffers from the poor assembly. It is made of stainless steel and has a lovely arch. I thought this would be my favourite part, but upon closer inspection, I saw that the guard was slightly off centre. This means one quillon appeared a bit longer than the other (2mm). This might be nit-picking for some, but in my opinion, this is unacceptable.
After removing the handle I realised that the hole in the guard was simply too wide for the tang, which probably means that the guard slightly shifted when the sword was assembled and the peen was hammered. There were some tiny metal square jammed between the guard and the blade, likely to improve the fit.
The Pommel
This is a decent looking type J or K stainless steel pommel. But again, good component, poor execution. The peen is one of the laziest I have seen. You can count the number of hammer blows on it, because they didn't bother cleaning it up with a bit of polish. I am not against visible tool marks, when they are part of an overall narrative, but this is not the case. The overall look of the sword is very neat and this dramatically clashes with the rustic look of the peen. A peen block would have been good, but I knew prior to purchase there wasn't one.
The Scabbard
Wooden core and leather wrapped (glued not stitched) with a couple of risers. Not much to say about it apart that it rattles like my grandfather's hip. Fairly basic construction and will be full replaced. The stainless steel chape is an early medieval style and is basic but nice. This will be the only salvaged part from the scabbard.
Handling characteristics
The sword is quite heavy for a single handed arming sword (1322g). Not so much that it is unwieldable, but definitely at the higher end of the spectrum. It is also pretty blade heavy.
Test cutting
I did not do any cutting with this sword, having for now focused on fixing its problems. Considering the way it handles, being relatively blade heavy, I would imagine that I cuts decently. However, the blade has some massive secondary bevels, so not too sure about this. Also I have seen other reviewers mention that it wasn't great due to its balance and resulted in one's arm getting tired very quickly.
Conclusion
This review has been a constant struggle between "the sword it could have been" and "the sword that was made". The former being excellent and the latter being a profound disappointment. Maybe I got unlucky and got a bad batch, but some of the issues were already highlighted in reviews from over 5 years ago.
Pros
The hollow ground blade. A rare thing among lower budget swords and a clear aesthetic pro.
The individual components are mostly well built.
Cons
The assembly: This has made me rage so much (and still does). Nowhere near acceptable standards. As Philomena Cunk would say " that's just shoddy craftsmanship".
The weight: on the higher end of the spectrum for arming swords.
The balance: quite tip heavy, resulting is rapid exertion when wielding it.
Bottom line
I have definite mixed feelings about this sword. On the one hand, it will serve the purpose for which I bought it, which is to customise it. Also, I welcome the challenge of realigning the guard and remaking the handle. On the other hand, one should not have to do this, when one buys a so-called "battle ready" sword for £340! So I'd say: if you wish to buy a finished product, do not bother with this sword.
Thank you for reading and I hope this will help.
Let me start this with an explanation (and a teaser for things to come). I do not have the skills, the equipment or the space to forge my own sword. However I was always fascinated by them and have always dreamt to have a sword I can call my own. A few months ago, the idea of customising a sword came to me (thanks mainly to the good people on this forum). So I went on the search for a sword that was of decent quality, was not too expensive, was relatively simple in its design and left a lot of room for customisation (mostly in the guard).
This was not my first choice. I initially wanted the Windlass Type XIV (so original, I know), but it was not available with UK suppliers and I am not a patient man. So I decided to splash out and get the Crecy War Sword from Kingston Arms. I bought this sword from Southern Swords for £340, which was a significant step up from the Windlass. Did I mention that I'm not patient?
My goal was to go ahead and start with the customisation/transformation, but given the many gripes I have with this sword, I thought it best to write this review first.
(Apologies for the badly oriented pictures, somehow can't get them to be the right way up)
Historical Overview
This sword was designed in-house by CAS Iberia and i must say, the design is just great. It is based on the arming swords used by the English during the Battle of Crecy (1346). While it clearly draws from historical models, I am not aware of it being based on any specific sword. The stainless arched guard pays homage to the English longbowmen who were decisive in the English victory. As a Frenchman, I pray my ancestors will forgive me this purchase.
Full disclosure
As mentioned above, I bought this sword to customise/modify it. So many of the problems with it will hopefully be fixed in the coming weeks, as long as my limited skills don't fail me!
I have also reached out to Southern Swords to express my issues with the sword and this was their response:
"Thanks for your e-mails and apologies for not replying earlier. I am sorry to hear the sword was not to your liking. It was delivered to us straight from the UK distributor for Kingston swords and should have been fine. If you are not happy with the item then of course you can return it to us in its original packaging and condition i.e. new and unused with all labels etc still attached. Please include a note with your name, order number and reason for return. As soon as it is back and has been checked we can issue a refund."
Fair play but at this point I was too excited (and impatient) about starting my project to send it back and go on the search for something else. Also, by then I had made all my research and early designs based on this sword and was not about to give up on them.
Initial impressions
The first impression of this sword is great. It looks good. It is elegant and sleek. But as soon as one looks closer, glaring cracks begin to appear in the so far spotless mirror.
Stats
Blade length: 81cm
Handle length: 11cm
Overall length: 97cm
Guard width: 17cm
POB: 15cm from the guard
COP: 50cm from the guard
Weight: 1332g
Components
The Blade
This is definitely the strongest assets of this sword. The hollow ground 5160 High Carbon Steel blade is a thing of beauty and I really liked its long slim look. The blade is relatively stiff. There is a clear distal taper, but I don't have the tool to measure it. But as with every single component, there is something wrong. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the blade is very very slightly bent. Almost unnoticeable, but worth mentioning.
The Handle
In researching this sword prior to purchase, I had seen some criticism of the leather wrap, claiming that it didn't give a decent grip when test cutting. Now I have not tried cutting, so can't attest to it. But it is worth flagging.
My issue is that, due to the guard being misaligned (see below), I could see the wood underneath the leather on one side.
Now that I have removed the handle to fix the issues with the sword, I can attest to its construction. It has a one piece wooden core, wrapped in cord, covered in leather and given a cord look. Decent construction, although I am not a fan of the one piece wood core, as it was slightly too wide and forced the manufacturer to insert some wooden flats to fill the gaps. I will definitely do two fitted sides instead.
The Guard
A generally good part, that eventually suffers from the poor assembly. It is made of stainless steel and has a lovely arch. I thought this would be my favourite part, but upon closer inspection, I saw that the guard was slightly off centre. This means one quillon appeared a bit longer than the other (2mm). This might be nit-picking for some, but in my opinion, this is unacceptable.
After removing the handle I realised that the hole in the guard was simply too wide for the tang, which probably means that the guard slightly shifted when the sword was assembled and the peen was hammered. There were some tiny metal square jammed between the guard and the blade, likely to improve the fit.
The Pommel
This is a decent looking type J or K stainless steel pommel. But again, good component, poor execution. The peen is one of the laziest I have seen. You can count the number of hammer blows on it, because they didn't bother cleaning it up with a bit of polish. I am not against visible tool marks, when they are part of an overall narrative, but this is not the case. The overall look of the sword is very neat and this dramatically clashes with the rustic look of the peen. A peen block would have been good, but I knew prior to purchase there wasn't one.
The Scabbard
Wooden core and leather wrapped (glued not stitched) with a couple of risers. Not much to say about it apart that it rattles like my grandfather's hip. Fairly basic construction and will be full replaced. The stainless steel chape is an early medieval style and is basic but nice. This will be the only salvaged part from the scabbard.
Handling characteristics
The sword is quite heavy for a single handed arming sword (1322g). Not so much that it is unwieldable, but definitely at the higher end of the spectrum. It is also pretty blade heavy.
Test cutting
I did not do any cutting with this sword, having for now focused on fixing its problems. Considering the way it handles, being relatively blade heavy, I would imagine that I cuts decently. However, the blade has some massive secondary bevels, so not too sure about this. Also I have seen other reviewers mention that it wasn't great due to its balance and resulted in one's arm getting tired very quickly.
Conclusion
This review has been a constant struggle between "the sword it could have been" and "the sword that was made". The former being excellent and the latter being a profound disappointment. Maybe I got unlucky and got a bad batch, but some of the issues were already highlighted in reviews from over 5 years ago.
Pros
The hollow ground blade. A rare thing among lower budget swords and a clear aesthetic pro.
The individual components are mostly well built.
Cons
The assembly: This has made me rage so much (and still does). Nowhere near acceptable standards. As Philomena Cunk would say " that's just shoddy craftsmanship".
The weight: on the higher end of the spectrum for arming swords.
The balance: quite tip heavy, resulting is rapid exertion when wielding it.
Bottom line
I have definite mixed feelings about this sword. On the one hand, it will serve the purpose for which I bought it, which is to customise it. Also, I welcome the challenge of realigning the guard and remaking the handle. On the other hand, one should not have to do this, when one buys a so-called "battle ready" sword for £340! So I'd say: if you wish to buy a finished product, do not bother with this sword.
Thank you for reading and I hope this will help.