Quick thoughts on my two Mateusz Sulowski swords!
Jul 9, 2024 21:04:38 GMT
Post by arbladeworks on Jul 9, 2024 21:04:38 GMT
I bought this gorgeous big XIV/XVI off of wildyracing, which was a great purchasing experience (I will leave a review soon to that effect!). Here it is next to my XVa, which I ordered from Mateusz early this year. I’ll give some thoughts on each sword below, but note that I haven’t cut with either sword. I have swung them around a bit but also have no HEMA or other training to really know what I’m doing, so most of my focus will be from the perspective of a bladesmith, which I am, and not a practitioner.
Thoughts on the XIV/XVI:
This thing is a BEAST. Its width is so impressive- even more in person than in pictures (to compare it to a pretty well known sword, it’s 1.2cm wider than the Albion Principe lol). And because of how the profile tapers, it is as wide at the center of percussion as the XVa is at the base, which is pretty crazy! The lines and symmetry are clean, the blade is sharp with minimal secondary bevel. The leatherwork on the grip, scabbard and belting is phenomenal. The shape of the handle is extremely comfortable. The faceting and grooves in the crossguard are beautiful and crisp but not sharp. The peen is extraordinarily well done as well. All in all I am thrilled with this sword, and it is very much the nicest sword I own now.
Stats (from Mateusz’s website) are as follows:
Total length: 104cm
Blade length: 80cm
Blade width at the base: 88mm
Blade thickness on the base 5mm
Weight: 1532g
Balance: 9cm
Grip length: 17.3cm
Thoughts on the XVa:
This is a blade Mateusz made based on an example from Oakeshott’s book- one of the Castillon swords. Scholagladitoria recently did a video on the original it’s based on and what’s crazy is the original is about 35% thicker at the base, likely weighing in excess of 2kg. As someone relatively new to swords, I’m quite glad this one is significantly more wieldable! Anyway, this sword is just as well crafted as the XIV/XVI. It is more plain by design, but is absolutely elegant in its simplicity. The balance is incredible at 6.8cm/2.68in from the crossguard. This is due to the massive scent stopper pommel which Mateusz told me weighs nearly 500 grams by itself. The close balance works well for it having a one-handed grip, though you can get a second hand around the pommel for more power in a swing.
Stats (from Mateusz’s website) are as follows:
Total length: 118.3cm
Blade length: 94.5cm
Blade width: 48mm
Blade thickness on the base: 6mm
Weight: 1610g
Balance: 6.8cm
Grip length: 13cm
Additionally, I’ll add that ordering the XVa from Mateusz was a lovely experience. I am not blessed in the ‘patience’ department, so I will likely never enter into a 1-2year queue like most custom sword makers have. So when I saw this sword posted on Mateusz’ Instagram as available I had to jump on it. After we discussed scabbard design and scabbard/grip color and I paid him it took him no more than 9 days to finish the sword and scabbard, and I had some lovely high quality pictures of the sword to ogle as I waited for shipment which was also prompt. He currently has 3 available swords on his website (a normal sized XIV for €1200, an XVa for €1600 and an XI for €1600- additional cost for scabbard) and it seems like moving forward he will be doing more of these types of orders, having at least the next 11 or so swords planned out.
Thoughts on the XIV/XVI:
This thing is a BEAST. Its width is so impressive- even more in person than in pictures (to compare it to a pretty well known sword, it’s 1.2cm wider than the Albion Principe lol). And because of how the profile tapers, it is as wide at the center of percussion as the XVa is at the base, which is pretty crazy! The lines and symmetry are clean, the blade is sharp with minimal secondary bevel. The leatherwork on the grip, scabbard and belting is phenomenal. The shape of the handle is extremely comfortable. The faceting and grooves in the crossguard are beautiful and crisp but not sharp. The peen is extraordinarily well done as well. All in all I am thrilled with this sword, and it is very much the nicest sword I own now.
Stats (from Mateusz’s website) are as follows:
Total length: 104cm
Blade length: 80cm
Blade width at the base: 88mm
Blade thickness on the base 5mm
Weight: 1532g
Balance: 9cm
Grip length: 17.3cm
Thoughts on the XVa:
This is a blade Mateusz made based on an example from Oakeshott’s book- one of the Castillon swords. Scholagladitoria recently did a video on the original it’s based on and what’s crazy is the original is about 35% thicker at the base, likely weighing in excess of 2kg. As someone relatively new to swords, I’m quite glad this one is significantly more wieldable! Anyway, this sword is just as well crafted as the XIV/XVI. It is more plain by design, but is absolutely elegant in its simplicity. The balance is incredible at 6.8cm/2.68in from the crossguard. This is due to the massive scent stopper pommel which Mateusz told me weighs nearly 500 grams by itself. The close balance works well for it having a one-handed grip, though you can get a second hand around the pommel for more power in a swing.
Stats (from Mateusz’s website) are as follows:
Total length: 118.3cm
Blade length: 94.5cm
Blade width: 48mm
Blade thickness on the base: 6mm
Weight: 1610g
Balance: 6.8cm
Grip length: 13cm
Additionally, I’ll add that ordering the XVa from Mateusz was a lovely experience. I am not blessed in the ‘patience’ department, so I will likely never enter into a 1-2year queue like most custom sword makers have. So when I saw this sword posted on Mateusz’ Instagram as available I had to jump on it. After we discussed scabbard design and scabbard/grip color and I paid him it took him no more than 9 days to finish the sword and scabbard, and I had some lovely high quality pictures of the sword to ogle as I waited for shipment which was also prompt. He currently has 3 available swords on his website (a normal sized XIV for €1200, an XVa for €1600 and an XI for €1600- additional cost for scabbard) and it seems like moving forward he will be doing more of these types of orders, having at least the next 11 or so swords planned out.