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Post by dukeadam on Sept 14, 2023 10:37:07 GMT
I have recently bought this sword: shop.royalarmouries.org/products/royal-armouries-english-15th-century-two-handed-swordand I wanted to share my experience. Disclaimer: I am not a professional sword user, just an amateur hobbist, and I bought this sword with my own money. I am not affiliated with anyone in the industry. I am also pretty bad in photography so please forgive me poor pictures quality. Also English is not my primary language so please forgive me any errors that might occur. This is one of the swords made by Windlass Steelcrafts in cooperation with Royal Armouries and Matt Easton, which are exact copies of historical swords that are held in Royal Armouries museums. They are the most expensive swords offered by Windlass. Statistics of my copy of Royal Armouries 15th century two-handed sword: Overall length: 58 and 6/16 inch (it's 58" on Royal Armouries website); Blade length: 45 and 2/16 inch (it's 45" on Royal Armouries website); Guard: 11-3/8" wide (the same as description on Royal Armouries website); Blade width at ricasso: 1 and 14/16 inch (it's 2" on Royal Armouries website); Distal taper: 0,3" at guard - 0,14" an inch from the tip and 0,04" at the very tip (it's 11/32" (0,343in) thick at guard and 11/64" (0,171in) at the tip according to Royal Armouries website); Weight: 4lb 12,5 oz (it's 4 lb 10 oz on Royal Armouries website); Blade thickness: 0,24mm at the very edge; Point of balance: exactly at 5 inches from the crossguard; Center of Percussion is 70cm (27 9/16in) from the crossguard; The sword comes blunt, unless You order it sharpened (depends on the store). The shop in Germany I used has pretty bad sharpening service so I ordered mine blunt with intent to sharpen it at my local blade sharpening service. The dimensions of my copy more or less resembled the size of the original. In my opinion these discrepancies are absolutely acceptable, considering it's a hand-made replica. It came blunt - however You should know that it's not as blunt as other Windlass swords are sold. It's only 0,24 mm at the edge, which means that when sharpened it can be frighteningly sharp. Such thickness of an edge means that You can actually cut with it being blunt. Considering that the base of an edge decides how efficient cutter a blade is, and considering that a base of the edge around 0.2mm thick makes a kitchen knife extremely sharp, this sword when sharpened would be an even more terrifying weapon. Handling Characteristics
This sword is heavy, however You have to bear in mind that it's a real two-handed sword - You are not supposed to use it one-handed. And You will not be able to, unless You are a 7', 400 pounds of muscle giant. It is possible to make one-handed thrusts with it however. On the other hand, with point of balance at 5 inches from the crossguard, it's pretty nimble for such a huge blade. Still, don't expect to be able to change direction of the cut quickly - once You put it in motion, it will stay in motion. It's a terrifying weapon with enormous reach. I would never like to face anyone armed with it. FinishIt will get sour here. My copy of this sword was dissapointing. The worst thing was that one side of the blade was really badly warped, there was a huge wave easily visible when You looked at it along the edge of the blade. Considering that even Matt Easton himself mentioned in one of his videos that it's unaccaptable even for cheap swords - that was a big disappointment. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take a photo that would show it so You have to believe my word for it. Blade itself looks nice and has satin finish. All over the pommel and crossguard there were many tool marks visible. I understand that it's a replica and I personally don't need a laboratory quality of Albion swords. However, here it was a bit too much. Rippling was the worst of all my Windlass swords and it's surprising, because I bought a few of my Windlass swords for less than 100 $... I am not sure if it can be seen on the picture: Handle was fine, cord marks on leather clear and nice, although the "ending" of leather wrap was clearly felt. Even the metal part of the sheath had some weird scratches straight out of the box: Conclusions
Pros: - Accurate historical dimensions and balance; - Impressive look; - Quite nimble for a two-handed sword; Cons: - Poor fit and finish; - Very expensive (MSRP is 850 pounds which now is around 1060$); Unfortunately I ended up returning my copy of this sword. After this experience I don't think Windlass is capable of producing high quality swords. It was a big dissapointment because there are not many two-handed swords of this type on the market and I was really waiting for it. Attachments:
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Post by takitam on Sept 14, 2023 13:07:03 GMT
Thanks for the review and welcome to the nerd club. I think that each sword you buy is an experience that helps you understand what sword replicas (and sometimes real swords) are. Also what you like and dislike about swords, as it brings you closer to building a small collection of swords that really suit you. For some, it takes months, for others it takes decades I had the same impression as you about Windlass RA when this collection was announced. My main criticism was that a company that had plenty of experience making cheap swords is now offering an expensive product. My feeling was that it is not a good match and unlikely to succeed (on a quality level, not financially). But I have never held any of their swords in hand, so this is purely theoretical. I don't feel attracted to their products, so it's unlikely I will ever see for myself. You mention plenty of polish marks as a flaw. They way I see it, it is a very minor thing, inconsequential for the quality of the sword. You will find it in products costing much more, from more respectable companies. It is unrealistic to expect perfect polish on a sword. Blade warp is more serious, but I imagine it must be very difficult to heat treat a sword this long. Warping is common on historical weapons but it is something I personally would not tolerate on a modern replica. After all, heat treatment used to be an art, now it is mostly science so I think it's fair to expect more.
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Post by bwaze on Oct 16, 2023 18:24:31 GMT
I also bought a Royal Armouries / Windlass 15th century two-handed sword recently, although I have read this and some other reviews of people that received the sword with problems. But on the other hand some reviews of other Royal Armouries / Windlass swords were very positive, especially from some Youtube reviewers. So I tried my luck. What's the worst it could happen, right? I had good luck with much cheaper swords like Windlass Falchion, Balaur Arms 12th century sword and so on... To make long story short, I'm now waiting for a reply from the seller what are my options for exchange or return. I really hit the jackpot of all the reported problems that one could get, and added some of the firsts I've never even heard of! The list includes: Bent or crooked grip and crossbar portion of the sword - it is almost a perfect replica of a IX.1787 - the handle is bent at a similar angle! Rotated handle - handle or grip is rotated, compared to crossbar and blade. Excessively wavy and unevenly ground blade - it isn't just visibly wavy, it is very obvious even to touch when you for instance wipe the blade (noticed it right away when I wiped all the grease it ships in). The cutting edge also meanders left and right due to uneven grinds even though the blade is otherwise straight left to right. (Those photos were kind of hard to make) As I picked the blade up I right away noticed something is wrong - the blade felt as if it's much heavier than the stats would suggest, it is by no means "nimble". And it's also not really as rigid as I expected. I first assumed this is due to bent grip portion of the blade that throws off the feel. As I took meticulous photos of the very wavy blade with meandering midridge that's also more or less defined over the length I measured if that's even visible in the thickness, distal taper of the sword - so I took measurements every 2 cm of the blade. And it sure is, I might be the owner of one of the few swords out there with REVERSE DISTAL TAPER! Blade tapers quickly from 7.9 mm (thinner than stated 11/32" / 8,7 mm) to about 6 mm at 30 cm (12") from the cross, stays about 6mm thick for some 25 cm (10"), and then EXPANDS back to almost 7 mm for the next 20 cm (8") before it returns to 6 mm and then plunges to tip just in the last 20 cm (8"). I'm sure that's the result of trying to create the central ridge and failing, and then giving up, but selling the reject blade anyway. (Labels are off, length should be x2 in centimeters, and thickness is obviously overall thickness in mm, not half of it from the center out. Oh, and the width of the blade at the cross is just 45 mm, not 50 mm as stated in stats - and even that narrows down very quickly due to wavy grind of the edge. Other than that it follows the stats quite well, and finish is about as bad as I expected from other reviews. Overall, I wouldn't be excited even if it would cost 200 EUR. At over 800 EUR... I wanted to wait with the review until I resolve the problem with the seller, but as the sword and others from the line just went on sale in UK (up to 33% off) I think it's an appropriate cautionary tale, since there are so little reviews and feedbacks out there.
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Post by takitam on Oct 17, 2023 8:58:06 GMT
Awesome review, thank you. I'm especially impressed by your photography skills - these are probably the best photos showing ripples and edge of a sword that I have ever seen! I can't help it and I got to mention something funny here - these ripples and waviness of the edge were probably very common on medieval swords. At least I have seen something very similar on original sabers, wakizashi and a few others. A result of less developed metallurgy and heat treatment. This doesn't mean that this replica is similar to medieval swords as a whole, but only in this one aspect. Another funny thing is that people like Tod from Tod's Workshop, whose videos on youtube I enjoy very much (but I probably wouldn't buy his products for a few reasons) have been advocating that medieval swords were 'ugly' and that they now have to make superior products to make a sale. I think he needs to step aside and pass the crown to Windlass RA - the new king of authentic medieval products Jokes aside, my personal opinion is closer to what Peter Johnsson once expressed on another forum. Which can briefly be summarized as: 'The mistakes of a master working at speed are not the same as mistakes made by a lesser craftsman trying to fix things he doesn't fully understand'. Which is probably a good description and summary of a modern sword reproduction market. But we are much closer to understanding the important aspects of medieval swords today than we were even 10 years ago. It's just that labour is costly and customers who would appreciate distal tapering and proper handling of swords are few and far between. I have been lucky enough to handle some historical sabres, a rapier, wakizashi, nimcha and a yataghan. They left a lasting impression as almost all of them were much lighter and nimbler than I expected. There were some crowbars in there as well, to be fair. It's really not difficult (if you have the tools) to cut a triangular 5mm thick blank of a type XV sword and grind the edges. This will make a decent enough sword in this case. But plenty of other types are much more challenging. Once again, thanks for your effort in writing this review.
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Post by mrstabby on Oct 17, 2023 9:35:12 GMT
I was doubtful when windlass announced their high end line to be honest. I have seen some of their low-end and mid range products and the quality difference was pretty negligable... A bit of wavyness don't bother me, but this one looks really off, looks like they didn't invest more time into shaping the blade than with their lower end products. To me the off-axis grip would be the deal breaker though.
About the weight of modern repros: Yeah, I am bewildered why most repros are so much heavier than historical items were. It can't be that much more work to get the weight right? Some swords feel like someone took a photo in a museum and described said photo to someone over the phone. takitam is right though, it is getting better. I am especially miffed at United Cutlery, they use CnC to shape their swords and they come 500g/1# overweight..How? Windlass did at least hit the ballpark a few times. Really disappointed at their high end line. I have seen a few pics of the sword with the rotated cube pommel, I think the 14th cen arming sword, and it also looked like the grip wasn't aligned right unfortunately...
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Post by bwaze on Oct 17, 2023 14:50:21 GMT
My copy of 15th century two-handed sword was quite spot on regarding the overall weight - stats claim 4 lb 10 oz - 2.098 kg, and mine is 2.18 kg - 4% heavier, which is not very significant. But the feeling of a rigid diamond shaped blade that starts at 9 mm thickness just wasn't there - the blade seems more "floppy" than their old version of the same sword that had only 5 mm thick blade and very little distal taper. But at least it didn't have the "reverse" or "waisted" distal taper...
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Post by fester on Oct 17, 2023 15:42:20 GMT
Awesome review, thank you. I'm especially impressed by your photography skills - these are probably the best photos showing ripples and edge of a sword that I have ever seen! I can't help it and I got to mention something funny here - these ripples and waviness of the edge were probably very common on medieval swords. At least I have seen something very similar on original sabers, wakizashi and a few others. A result of less developed metallurgy and heat treatment. This doesn't mean that this replica is similar to medieval swords as a whole, but only in this one aspect. Another funny thing is that people like Tod from Tod's Workshop, whose videos on youtube I enjoy very much (but I probably wouldn't buy his products for a few reasons) have been advocating that medieval swords were 'ugly' and that they now have to make superior products to make a sale. I think he needs to step aside and pass the crown to Windlass RA - the new king of authentic medieval products Jokes aside, my personal opinion is closer to what Peter Johnsson once expressed on another forum. Which can briefly be summarized as: 'The mistakes of a master working at speed are not the same as mistakes made by a lesser craftsman trying to fix things he doesn't fully understand'. Which is probably a good description and summary of a modern sword reproduction market. But we are much closer to understanding the important aspects of medieval swords today than we were even 10 years ago. It's just that labour is costly and customers who would appreciate distal tapering and proper handling of swords are few and far between. I have been lucky enough to handle some historical sabres, a rapier, wakizashi, nimcha and a yataghan. They left a lasting impression as almost all of them were much lighter and nimbler than I expected. There were some crowbars in there as well, to be fair. It's really not difficult (if you have the tools) to cut a triangular 5mm thick blank of a type XV sword and grind the edges. This will make a decent enough sword in this case. But plenty of other types are much more challenging. Once again, thanks for your effort in writing this review. Just curious why you would not buy products from Tods Workshop. I have bought a few daggers from Tods Workshop and many from Tod Cutler and they have been great and functional. I might eventually buy a sword from Tod Cutler. I most likely will not buy any swords from Tods Workshop just because they are out of my price range and are not the styles I want.
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Post by mrstabby on Oct 17, 2023 16:26:49 GMT
My copy of 15th century two-handed sword was quite spot on regarding the overall weight - stats claim 4 lb 10 oz - 2.098 kg, and mine is 2.18 kg - 4% heavier, which is not very significant. But the feeling of a rigid diamond shaped blade that starts at 9 mm thickness just wasn't there - the blade seems more "floppy" than their old version of the same sword that had only 5 mm thick blade and very little distal taper. But at least it didn't have the "reverse" or "waisted" distal taper... I think you might have misunderstood about the weight. It's not about the variation between advertised and what you get, but more like historical examples are different compared to most modern replicas.
The floppyness you experience might be a product of the badly made taper. The middle ridge not being straight also doesn't help. Are the middle ridges symmetrical on both sides? Just interested.
PS.: takitam, I am also interested why you won't buy from Tod. I literally know nothing about his stuff, I don't like the style and Brexit made the added cost very unappealing.
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Post by bwaze on Oct 17, 2023 16:49:48 GMT
Awesome review, thank you. I'm especially impressed by your photography skills - these are probably the best photos showing ripples and edge of a sword that I have ever seen! I can't help it and I got to mention something funny here - these ripples and waviness of the edge were probably very common on medieval swords. At least I have seen something very similar on original sabers, wakizashi and a few others. A result of less developed metallurgy and heat treatment. This doesn't mean that this replica is similar to medieval swords as a whole, but only in this one aspect. Yeah, I used a very special lens to capture the whole sword in focus in single photo - tilt & shift lens. Not a cheap product. And for capturing ripples and edge waviness in photo - I could make a bit better choice of background. I disagree about ripples and waviness on medieval swords. I have seen quite a few swords in museums throughout Europe, and I have personally handled quite a few swords from our National Museum in several events where they made that possible. Of course medieval swords were all in excavated / water find condition, but there were quite a few early modern swords in pristine condition. And although it is very obvious they are hand made products, they are made with great care, and I think they all went through some kind of lengthwise grinding process (with blocks?) that removes those kind of ripples I can see on my Royal Armouries / Windlass sword. So the waviness and ripples that were of course still there were much longer and not as pronounced. Event in Narodni Muzej Slovenije in 2016: Me in 2008 with the original sword that Albion Ljubljana is modeled from, N4516 from Narodni Muzej Slovenije.
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Post by takitam on Oct 17, 2023 17:40:44 GMT
All right, it looks like I have some splainin' to do fester & mrstabby: You have already mentioned one of the reasons which is Brexit combined with high prices and VAT. Having said that, while I would appreciate Tod's hand-made aesthetic (which you might call a bit crude) in a different context, it is simply not what I'm looking for in custom pieces. I used to browse his website quite a lot, looking mostly for daggers. I like the variety of his product overall, but this can be a con sometimes, as I like when a craftsman specializes in a specific area. But this variety is one of the reasons that make Tod such a great entertainer on Youtube. I seriously respect the educational value he has brought to the community with his youtube channel. I have even exchanged some PM's with him once. When I noticed that he made a few repros of my favourite museum dagger, I expected that he had handled it in person, as it was clearly marked as a replica of this specific dagger on his site. But unfortunately he did not and nothing came out of it. Last but not least, when I look at the handle finish (rough, almost sharp handle edges and transitions on some of his products) and how thick behind the edge some of the daggers and knives on his site look, whether the edge itself is a v-grind or convexed (assuming my observations from photos are correct ofc), I just know that I would not be happy with them. Like I said in my first post in this thread, I don't mind superficial scratches and his aesthetic, but handle ergonomics, fit and especially blade and edge grind are imo, where a custom craftsman should show his expertise. Our priorities, his as a maker and mine as a customer, simply do not match. Which again, doesn't stop me from appreciating what he does. Blaz: I guess I did not express my thoughts very well in the paragraph you quoted. I never meant to imply that medieval swords were sloppy in the same way as the reviewed Windlass sword. I do not think this way. I simply meant to notice that there are similarities, and handmade swords have some of these flaws, like uneven edges and some rippling. But not to the same degree and not in exactly the same way. Which I had hoped would be inferred from the next paragraph with the quote from PJ. ('The mistakes of a master...') I'm jealous of that museum event. Looks like it was a great opportunity to handle some originals. I also remember your post on myarmoury that probably inspired PJ to create the Albion Ljubljana. Congrats on that, you have left a mark on modern sword repros history, something very few of us have managed to do edit: I have never handled any of Tod's products, so keep in mind that this is a purely internet image based opinion. I can't be certain that it would stay the same if I had a chance to hold any of his pieces in hand.
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Post by mrstabby on Oct 17, 2023 17:41:14 GMT
Awesome review, thank you. I'm especially impressed by your photography skills - these are probably the best photos showing ripples and edge of a sword that I have ever seen! I can't help it and I got to mention something funny here - these ripples and waviness of the edge were probably very common on medieval swords. At least I have seen something very similar on original sabers, wakizashi and a few others. A result of less developed metallurgy and heat treatment. This doesn't mean that this replica is similar to medieval swords as a whole, but only in this one aspect. Yeah, I used a very special lens to capture the whole sword in focus in single photo - tilt & shift lens. Not a cheap product. And for capturing ripples and edge waviness in photo - I could make a bit better choice of background. I disagree about ripples and waviness on medieval swords. I have seen quite a few swords in museums throughout Europe, and I have personally handled quite a few swords from our National Museum in several events where they made that possible. Of course medieval swords were all in excavated / water find condition, but there were quite a few early modern swords in pristine condition. And although it is very obvious they are hand made products, they are made with great care, and I think they all went through some kind of lengthwise grinding process (with blocks?) that removes those kind of ripples I can see on my Royal Armouries / Windlass sword. So the waviness and ripples that were of course still there were much longer and not as pronounced. Event in Narodni Muzej Slovenije in 2016: Me in 2008 with the original sword that Albion Ljubljana is modeled from, N4516 from Narodni Muzej Slovenije. A thing to remember about museum swords: In the past, people weren't as much about preserving history and more about preserving beautiful specimens. I would think, the pieces one sees in a museum or collection are quite selected towards the higher end and we don't see the lower end production swords as much. To be honest, Windlass isn't really a high end producer so comparing a Windlass to a sword which would have cost a average mans yearly salary isn't really fair. There is a video about the Windlass factory somewhere, they do everything by hand, measure by eye (at least that what it looks like) and throw out 100s sword a month, so a lemon is very likely every so often.
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Post by bwaze on Oct 17, 2023 18:09:28 GMT
I'm jealous of that museum event. Looks like it was a great opportunity to handle some originals. I also remember your post on myarmoury that probably inspired PJ to create the Albion Ljubljana. Congrats on that, you have left a mark in modern sword repros history, something very few of us have managed to do Yes, that was a fortunate turn of events! it's still one of the most beautiful sword designs I know of, and 11 years after it's introduction by Albion it still costs $2800. Unfortunately that is still as unachievable as it was 11 years ago for me... Although, come to think of it, if I sold all my cheaper swords and only kept Albion Earl I'd be most of the way there? But I'd miss my Landsknecht Emporium Gunther messer and In'Carius Type H viking sword, others not so much.
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Post by bwaze on Oct 18, 2023 10:40:56 GMT
Aaaand I was speaking too quickly celebrating that Albion Ljubljana has not gone up in price in the last 11 years. Albion just announced price increases on their Facebook page:
"By cutting our costs whenever and wherever possible, and maintaining the best efficiency in our production, Albion always does its very best to keep our swords at a the lowest price possible for our beloved customers. After several years of no price increase, we are afraid that the time has finally come. With an increase in cost of everything that goes into our swords, and into running our business, we are begrudgingly forced to do a price increase on all of our swords as of November 1st, 2023. Orders placed and confirmed before that date will be locked in at the current pricing."
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Post by takitam on Oct 18, 2023 15:51:07 GMT
Yep, they did. There is still time till the end of the month to secure swords at current prices. I was thinking about it, but I think I have enough and don't really use them anyway. They are cool to have but a big collection would be a mental (and financial) burden on me. I still need to sell at least one sword anyway. Don't need to buy any anymore really.
I'm surprised that Albion and PJ did not offer any sort of bonus to you for your input. I think something like a 50% discount would be a great gesture from them and a way to popularize the model.
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Post by bwaze on Oct 18, 2023 17:41:08 GMT
They did offer a generous discount way back in 2009 when I also translated some unpublished information about swords in National Museum of Slovenia for Peter Johnsson, and I used it to buy an Albion Earl from Søren Niedziella who was running Albion Europe store while it existed. It's still one of the rare Albions in Slovenia, and the only one that actually appears in our medieval events so visitors can see and feel what a functional medieval longsword should look and feel like. But I must say it's mostly lost on casual visitor, people that are usually impressed are other re-enactors.
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Post by bwaze on Oct 19, 2023 15:28:48 GMT
Saga continues, EU importer of Royal Armouries 15th century two-handed sword - Marto Spain (that is actually owned by Windlass) replied that my sword is clearly defective, so I should return it and receive a new one. So I'll have a bit better insight on what's the typical quality of this reproduction. I'll keep you informed.
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Post by curiomansion on Oct 19, 2023 21:03:46 GMT
As a huge fan of Windlass's Royal Armouries line from the beginning and someone who still is, I immediately dismissed the two-hander. I think it's too much to hope for a solid budget two hander. Those are difficult swords to make and are always going to cost a penny.
Thanks for your reviews and for the risk you all took buying one. I've had good experience with Regenyei's two handed swords, so for those of you with the itch, maybe look there.
As far as antiques go, from my limited experience with medieval antiques (staring at them for hours through glass) and decent experience with early modern swords (own a few and have handled many), I have found the fit and finish far better in the early modern swords. There's even a visible difference in fit in finish from early medieval to renaissance. My RA 14th Century Arming sword was well within the visual quality of the originals I've seen.
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Post by bwaze on Oct 20, 2023 6:26:51 GMT
I cannot imagine a story where this would be relevant. Even if you're trying to tell a story about a swordsmith who designed this particular sword...
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Post by cptraph on Oct 21, 2023 4:46:40 GMT
I also bought a Royal Armouries / Windlass 15th century two-handed sword recently, although I have read this and some other reviews of people that received the sword with problems. But on the other hand some reviews of other Royal Armouries / Windlass swords were very positive, especially from some Youtube reviewers. So I tried my luck. What's the worst it could happen, right? I had good luck with much cheaper swords like Windlass Falchion, Balaur Arms 12th century sword and so on... To make long story short, I'm now waiting for a reply from the seller what are my options for exchange or return. I really hit the jackpot of all the reported problems that one could get, and added some of the firsts I've never even heard of! The list includes: Bent or crooked grip and crossbar portion of the sword - it is almost a perfect replica of a IX.1787 - the handle is bent at a similar angle! Rotated handle - handle or grip is rotated, compared to crossbar and blade. Excessively wavy and unevenly ground blade - it isn't just visibly wavy, it is very obvious even to touch when you for instance wipe the blade (noticed it right away when I wiped all the grease it ships in). The cutting edge also meanders left and right due to uneven grinds even though the blade is otherwise straight left to right. (Those photos were kind of hard to make) As I picked the blade up I right away noticed something is wrong - the blade felt as if it's much heavier than the stats would suggest, it is by no means "nimble". And it's also not really as rigid as I expected. I first assumed this is due to bent grip portion of the blade that throws off the feel. As I took meticulous photos of the very wavy blade with meandering midridge that's also more or less defined over the length I measured if that's even visible in the thickness, distal taper of the sword - so I took measurements every 2 cm of the blade. And it sure is, I might be the owner of one of the few swords out there with REVERSE DISTAL TAPER! Blade tapers quickly from 7.9 mm (thinner than stated 11/32" / 8,7 mm) to about 6 mm at 30 cm (12") from the cross, stays about 6mm thick for some 25 cm (10"), and then EXPANDS back to almost 7 mm for the next 20 cm (8") before it returns to 6 mm and then plunges to tip just in the last 20 cm (8"). I'm sure that's the result of trying to create the central ridge and failing, and then giving up, but selling the reject blade anyway. (Labels are off, length should be x2 in centimeters, and thickness is obviously overall thickness in mm, not half of it from the center out. Oh, and the width of the blade at the cross is just 45 mm, not 50 mm as stated in stats - and even that narrows down very quickly due to wavy grind of the edge. Other than that it follows the stats quite well, and finish is about as bad as I expected from other reviews. Overall, I wouldn't be excited even if it would cost 200 EUR. At over 800 EUR... I wanted to wait with the review until I resolve the problem with the seller, but as the sword and others from the line just went on sale in UK (up to 33% off) I think it's an appropriate cautionary tale, since there are so little reviews and feedbacks out there. I want to ask on the topic of the grip being bent and rotated could the same method of designing the grip for the Balaur Arms Alexandria have addressed this The crossguard and pommel are crafted from stainless steel with a satin polished finish. The crossguard resists loosening because it has an internal wedge-shaped channel that ensured a tight friction fit when mounted onto the blade tang and shoulder. The tang was then hot-peened over the peen-block pommel component to anchor the blade into the hilt and ensure a robust construction. The hardwood grip is crafted from two halves of wood which glued at the seam over the tang and then bound in tight leather. This construction method for the grip ensures that even if the wood were to shrink slightly it would not compromise the tightness of the sword hilt. Swords with friction-fit peens can loosen over time if the wooden grip shrinks and then leaves a gap in that friction-fit for the hilt. The method used for this Italian Longsword removes that possibility by keeping the grip keeping the grip fitting separate from the pommel and guard.
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Post by bwaze on Oct 21, 2023 6:19:20 GMT
I don't think grip being bent and rotated has anything to do with construction method of the grip components.
The bend is there in the junction between the sword blade and the tang, and was there before any assembly. And it happens even to the best smiths and companies (although this is usually discovered before the final assembly, and before shipping it to the customer). The cross is also on at an angle compared to the blade, and it cannot be moved - I don't know how this wasn't spotted in assembly.
Wooden grip with leather cover is currently fixed securely to the hilt - it cannot be rotated, even by one millimeter. So I don't think the grip has somehow rotated due to fitting issue - it must have been made rotated. My sword isn't the only one that arrived with rotated grip - even though there isn't a lot of reviews of Royal Armouries / Windlass collection swords, I have heard about at least two such cases before. One of them was in English Longsword Youtube review by Kane Shen (at 15 minutes he shows the grip of his friend's sword that was returned, and comments on a spotty quality control at 24 minutes). Matt Easton also points out in comments there that stats published on Royal Armouries web pages about the replica swords aren't exact:
Scholagladiatoria: "Please bear in mind that the Royal Armouries only set out to put approximate measurements on their website, or in some cases were provided those measurements by independent students and not fact checked, so the website measurements, where given, are not always very accurate."
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