Sabersmith Elven Longsword
May 12, 2024 3:37:15 GMT
Post by dm7597 on May 12, 2024 3:37:15 GMT
Hello! I've included new photos of the replacement sword on the g drive link. After spending considerable time with the replacement I can wholeheartedly say this is nothing but fun to swing around now. The color is slightly cooler than the first sword, but still has a magnificent shine in the sun. The blade also isn't scratching nearly as easily so I believe this blade has a higher hardness. The sphere pommel is definitely superior to the hexagon!
Introduction
I’ve been a fan of Sabersmith for about 5 years, visiting their shop anytime I go to the Renaissance Fair. The Elven Longsword is normally priced $700-$800 (depending on if you’re getting a steel or heat-colored blade). It’s a steep price but not a sword type you can normally find in a well-built, functional form. I’ve collected a couple daggers from Sabersmith over the years but never wanted to bite the bullet on one of their swords until they were having a 20% off sale. I absolutely love my Elven Dagger from them and when I saw they had an Elven Longsword with the same finish and handle colors, I knew it was the one.
Historical overview
This is a fantasy design. I don’t believe I’ve seen the design in media before so if they drew inspiration from any movies or books, I’m unaware.
Full Disclosure
This is normally outside my budget range for a sword. The only reason I decided to commit to the purchase was because I got it 20% off. I can completely understand and agree with anyone who has the opinion that this sword isn’t worth the price with the flaw discussed below. Additionally, I know some folks think Sabersmith is an absolute waste of money when it comes to swords. I will be honest and say I agree for most of their sword models. My interest particularly lies in their fantasy offerings because I know they are well built, they have colored options, and I like the balance on their blades.
For disclosure of use: I use my swords and daggers for bottle cutting pretty regularly, at least a few times a week.
Initial Impressions
The packaging was done well. There were plenty of protective foam peanuts in the box and the sword was well-wrapped in bubblewrap. The golden color on the blade was exactly what I wanted. It was actually starting to storm outside when I was unboxing it so I had a fairly cinematic first draw of the blade with lightning reflecting off the steel!
Statistics
Blade/Nagasa Length:
28 inches
Handle/Tsuka Length:
9 inches
Overall Length:
40 inches
Guard/Tsuba Width:
8 inches
POB (Point of Balance):
1 inch from guard (where the edge and ricasso meet)
COP (Center of Percussion):
9.5 inches from tip
Weight:
2.6 lbs (According to their site. I don’t currently have a scale.)
Components
The Blade/Nagasa
This blade is fantastic. It has a slight flex but is stiff enough you don’t get much vibration from bad edge alignment on cuts. The steel is a 1075 with a hardness of 56-58c (according to their site). I absolutely love the gold coloring on the blade. When it’s out in the sun or catches light from a window, it has brilliant warm golden reflections. It’s hard to capture it authentically on camera but the shine reminds me of the chatoyancy in a tiger eye stone. The blade also comes razor sharp out the box. Definitely have to be careful when practicing with this. The edge is a regular steel color. To my knowledge, the color on the blade is from heat, not dye or paint, so the heat-coloring was likely done before the sharpening. There is about an inch of ricasso before the double-edge starts. I really appreciate having this section dulled so I can comfortably finger the guard. Flipping the sword to present the false-edge forward gives the blade a falx or sickle feel and is more comfortably done with a finger over the guard. A note regarding the coloring, there are some freckles on the sword where color is more concentrated. This is a common inclusion on Sabersmith’s blades. I called the company and they confirmed that the coloring is done through heat, so I’m not sure why these inclusions are there. They don’t bother me but it’s something to note.
The Handle/Tsuka
Sabersmith does an amazing job with their handles. The construction consists of wood scales over a full-width tang. The scales and tang are wrapped in brown leather, then wrapped in a twisted golden cord, and then wrapped again with a black leather. The result is a handle cross section resembling a long hexagon with corners softened by layers of leather and a very strong grip provided by the various material and thickness. This handle is curved to help keep the blade more forward and tapers in width as it approaches the pommel. Although the sword is rather heavy in one hand, I have a firm purchase on it due to the handle construction. After slicing through over 100 water bottles and a lot of time spent dry handling, nothing has come loose. The cord handle is easily my favorite feature of Sabersmith models. If other companies start doing it, I would immediately be interested in their offerings.
The Guard/Tsuba
The S shaped guard is a decent size for the sword. It is butted against the blade securely and has not shown any loosening or rattle. The leather of the grip rides up on the base of the guard providing a soft transition. All edges are chamfered for comfort, so there aren’t any hotspots.
The Pommel/Fuchi-Kashira
This is the only part of the sword I don’t like. So much so I had to leave a review on their website in hopes to warn other customers.
“Awesome blade, poor pommel design. My main issue with it is the corners on the hexagon pommel are sharp enough to scratch your skin and draw blood. I’ve scratched the inside of my hand trying to hold the pommel with my support hand and have drawn blood on my primary forearm from the pommel brushing against my arm during swings. The gold coloring on the blade and guard are nice but the pommel has a much thinner gold color, with patches of steel color poking through. It’s a sore spot since the rest of the sword is made so well. Overall I like the blade and cutting with it is very nice since it’s super sharp. I just wish the pommel’s corners were softened.”
I really like the silhouette of the hexagon. I was super excited to see it in person and it’s rather unique when it comes to pommels. But the golden color wasn’t as strong and since this is a heat-based coloring I won’t be able to do it myself without risk of damaging the leather on the handle. The scratches are fairly equal to a scratch from a cat or dog.
The Scabbard/Saya
The scabbard isn’t impressive. It’s a simple wood design painted black. I am planning on putting a clear coat on top of it for some added protection. The sword does not fit snug into the scabbard so it will fall out if tilted. It does come with a belt frog as well as a retention strap to make sure the sword doesn’t jump around while you’re walking. The leather used for the frog seems strong and I haven’t had any issues with it.
Handling Characteristics
I’ll put a TLDR at the end of this since I have a lot to say and was looking forward to this particular part of the review. I will also preface this portion with the fact I have only just begun HEMA so my formal training is widely limited to guidance and advice on youtube.
With the name “Elven Longsword” one would expect a nimble, light swinging sword carrying a razor sharp edge. The type of blade that would look like a two-hander but could easily be wielded by one. Perfect form alone would get you through a horde of orcs without needing to muscle through cuts. The Elven Dagger from Sabersmith is light, sharp, quick on turns and in my mind, exemplifies how an elven weapon should feel. The Elven Longsword does have a point of balance close to the guard, does have a razor sharp edge, and does reward perfect form with surgical cuts. I, however, am not an elf. Figuring out how to use the sword took me some time.
I first thought this sword would need to be used like a longsword, given its name. I tried many longsword techniques with the blade and found myself struggling to get the edge alignment perfect. Not the blade’s fault. I understand I am way more comfortable with single-handed swords. Part of the reason I wanted this blade was to get better with two-handed weapons. I tried holding my support hand on the pommel and on the grip to experiment and it didn’t seem to make a difference. In fact, it was during this experimentation that the pommel was scratching me up, almost telling me it didn’t want to be held that way. However, taking a step back, I realized that this sword does not have the blade length for a typical longsword. Really, the shorter blade with long grip and curved profile put it closer to the katana category.
So I started looking into katana techniques and adapting how I held the sword. Again, 90% of the time, I cut with one handed swords in hammer grip, so I’m not the expert here and if anyone has advice, I’m all ears. These are just my observations. I gather that katanas aren’t meant to be held in a double hammer grip, nor is your lead hand supposed to butt-up against the tsuba. It’s supposed to be closer to a double handshake grip. When trying this, I had a little more success in controlling the edge alignment. In addition to that, I was also naturally avoiding any hotspots on the pommel. However, since the Elven Longsword has a point of balance much closer to the guard than a katana, the blade weight doesn’t do the work for you. Making sure you focus on the leverage of the grip, you deliver power through the cut. This technique works really well with the curve of the grip and point of balance. It took a couple weeks of scratching my head, but I was finally landing perfect cuts.
I still believed that this sword could be used in one hand. Unfortunately, with a lot of the weight so close the guard, the sword doesn’t really gain any momentum or use its weight to its advantage during single hand cuts. However, moving your hand to the middle of the grip artificially moves the point of balance further away, giving the blade more chop. It’s still not light or nimble with one hand, though. Much more comparable to a katana or tachi than an arming sword.
TLDR; after lots of trial and error, I found this sword responds best when used with two hands in handshake grip and lots of torque put into the swing.
Test Cutting (if applicable)
This sword was an absolute beast in cutting. I’ve had it for about a month now and I’m convinced it will sail through anything. One late night, I had a particularly badly aimed swing that cleanly cleaved through the top of my cutting stand. So far, I’ve only had water bottles as targets but I want to see how it’ll do against wooden dowel rods. I’ll update if I manage to set that up. The water bottles have left some light scratching on the blade but no more than expected. I’m going to leave them as is since polishing could ruin the finish.
Conclusions/The Bottom Line
Pros
Unique sword design
Amazing handle
Super sharp edge
Amazing color on blade
Good color job on guard
Tight guard to blade fit
Cons
Poor color job on pommel
Edges of pommel too sharp
I choose to believe that the pommel having hotspots was the “blade’s way of telling me how to use it” or some other spiritual excuse. I love the sword. It’s a ton of fun to use and I enjoyed the process of learning how to wield it. However, I understand that this type of sword is not for everyone. If it was, it would probably be made by more companies and the price wouldn’t be so high. I personally think the blade is overpriced. However, the realm of functional fantasy swords with colored blades is extremely limited so the market is favored toward the seller. Thanks to a sale, I was able to grab this but even for the discounted price, I think the work on the pommel is unacceptable. If I had seen the flaws in person before purchasing on their website, I wouldn’t buy the sword again.
That being said, I have experience with other pommel types from this company. Sabersmith’s hammered sphere pommel and their disc pommels are incredibly comfortable. Aside from the pommel, the blade is amazing. I love the color and how it reflects the sunlight. I love the handle and how well constructed it is. The blade has just the right amount of flex to it and the edge can deal nasty cuts. I love this sword but it’s because I love this sword I can excuse the pommel. When it comes to recommendations, I would recommend the Elven Longsword to a friend as a model for purchasing in-stock options or making a custom sword with. I would by no means, ever, suggest they purchase an Elven Longsword (or any Sabersmith model) that has the hexagon pommel. A product should never harm a customer when it’s used as intended.
Pictures:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sYZWBkdb1A19QuEQXNijgO7y3T3Rfz69?usp=drive_link
More to come