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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2008 19:14:20 GMT
my friend is looking into getting a sword, but, and this is a new one for me, he doesnt want a katana im a katana guy, i havent got a clue about medievil swords. weve looked over some of the main reviews on the sbg site, and some reviews here on the forums hes after a 'single handed, 'medium' length, yet well balanced, medievil type sword' and it needs to be pretty beefy and durable' and the obvious it needs to cut well, but hes prepared to sharpen it himself. darksword and albion seem to do well, and ive heard a bit about these castiles. but honestly i havent got a clue so i cant reccomend squat. any recomendations from you guys?
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Dec 31, 2008 20:21:41 GMT
Darksword armoury, all the way. I'd personally recommend their squire sword; I don't have it myself , but I've heard that it is really some of their best work.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2008 21:43:19 GMT
Darksword armoury might be a good idea, though keep in mind that they are overweight and don't handle as well as they could. I've never handled one myself, but I believe I've read that they occasionally exceed listed weight. From what I've noticed, no one seems to mind it much in the reviews on this forum, but a DelTin of similar specs is usually much lighter(and thus, more historically accurate in feel, though some DelTins are a tad overwieght as well, I suggest reading reviews on MyArmoury.com prior to purchase). Considering the prices, I guess some users are a little more forgiving of handling.
Depending on what your friend wants to spend, I'd suggest Albion. If that's too expensive, DelTin.
Just make sure he knows what should, and more importantly what should NOT, be struck with a sword. So long as one attacks proper targets, the over-beefed blades(such as the current Darksword lines) aren't a requirement. The weight is quite a shame, otherwise I'd have purchased a DSA Norman already.
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Post by Jeff K. ( Jak) on Dec 31, 2008 21:48:16 GMT
Albion, is IMO, the way to go...especially if hes willing to spend the money.
Darksword, I have no experience with, but their reputation for durability seems to speak for itself.
Windlass is not a bad way to go....the Kingdom of Heaven swords seem quite durable. I have the sword of Guy, it is fairly weighty, maybe a tad blade heavy, but when sharpened is a great and stout cutter.
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Dec 31, 2008 23:13:20 GMT
Ok, in response to HR: Well, they're listed weight is acurate on all but one sword (the Anduril, at one lb over the listed weight) and it's kind of perpetuated into a rumor that they're sharp crowbars. However, they're non LotR swords are pretty decent as far as handling go, and the Squire is only 2.9 lbs, if I remember correctly.
And in response to Jak: The kingdom of heavon swords are windlass' best work. Apart from those, and a few rare others like the Verneuil, most of their swords are laughably whippy, or have a poor hilt construction; certainly NOT a great, or even good, choice. I'd say that the best choices are, in this order, Darksword Armoury, Gen2, Valiant Armoury, Hanwei, and, finally, Windlass Steelcrafts. Of course, Albion would easily rank #1 on this list, but considering how crazily expensive they are, I'd say that it's a waste of money. Just my 2 cents, though. I hope that this is helpful!
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Post by kidcasanova on Dec 31, 2008 23:53:41 GMT
If he can get his hand on one of the VA Practicals, I'd suggest that over everything but an ATrim, Albion, or a Del Tin.
Sorry Slayer, but nearly every DSA model IS Overweight for the sword type. That's because they are over-built for stage use. It's understandable. If they built swords to historical specs, they'd bend, chip and break in stage fights. I have heard good things about their Black Knight, and a few of their other newer models.
Windlass makes some good blades, but a general rule of thumb is to stay pretty close to 30" for blade length. They are also a bit on the heavy side. My Fantasy Viking has a fairly stiff blade at 30" (moving about an inch using Mike's "whippy test"), but my brothers Swedish Viking sword, with a 33" blade, is terribly whippy to the point where I wont cut with it. My FV also weighs nearly a pound more than my VA Practical, at 3.5 lbs.
In our price range, I would whole-heartily suggest the VA Practical Arming sword (I've got a Custom Tuned model I've been considering selling if he's interested). Outside of that, An AT1315 would be the best performing piece I could think of, then Albion for all-around satisfaction with construction and performance, at the cost of a heftier pricetag than the AT.
Also, +1 for helping a friend in the hobby!
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Jan 1, 2009 0:23:59 GMT
It's ok, kidcasanova ;D. Different opinions are cool as long as we don't go about expressing them like 'those' guys have been lately. (I say 'those' for the sake of confidentiality) I don't really know anything about the Atrims, so I can't comment about those, I'm afriad. I was only slightly biased against the V.A.'s because I've heard that the Castile suffers from a lack of structural integrity. This may or may not be true, but it was enough to dissuade me a bit.
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Marc Ridgeway
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Post by Marc Ridgeway on Jan 1, 2009 0:52:31 GMT
My list in order of desirability ...and cost pretty much... Lundemo or Barta custom...of course... Albion A Trim Arms and Armor Armour Class VA Atrim Fletcher or Cas Tinker Del Tin Lutel and or Gur or other Czech maker Hanwei Windlass Cold Steel DSA Gen 2 You are in the UK,correct? Armour Class may be a good choice in that case.. www.armourclass.co.uk/
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2009 1:07:26 GMT
So the basic question is how much can he spend and what does he wanna do with the sword? Does he have an era in mind other then a span of some 1000 years? 100 year war? Crusades? Any culture in particular? The irish and scots made some fairly distinct weapons compared to the others for example.
If your in england though, I highly recommend listening to Marc and taking a look at armor class.
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Post by genocideseth on Jan 1, 2009 1:22:53 GMT
From what I hear, Gen 2 would be a great idea. I mean, if you are looking for something more historically correct and wield-able. Or an Atrim if you can get your hands on a lower end one. But a Darksword would be great if you are looking for something you could really beat up.
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Post by Jeff K. ( Jak) on Jan 1, 2009 2:09:06 GMT
I've grown a little weary of CAS/Hanwei...I own 4 of their swords and 2 of the 4 came with ill fitting grips and rattly guards right out of the box. Thats 50%... 3 of those 4 have peened tangs, 2 of which need constant re-peening. As opposed to the 3 windlass swords as well as a few daggers of varying lengths that I own which all have tight fitting grips and only one developed a rattle but that one being a screwed on pommel was easily fixed. The one and only Albion I own is completely in a league of its own. For a serious sword enthusiast , they are hardly a waste of money. The weight and balance and over-all feel of one has changed my expectancy of a sword irrevocably. I may consider CAS/Hanwei's, Mortuary Hilt or Scottish Basket Hilt Broadsword in the future unless I find something comparable aesthetically from a superior manufacturer
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Jan 1, 2009 2:33:32 GMT
Yeah, MAN do I wish I had the $$$ for an Albion...so I could buy a FableBlade instead! lol. But, in all seriousness, Albions really seem to be superier in handling/historical accuracy/and aesthetics, but aren't they weaker than a DSA?
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Marc Ridgeway
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Post by Marc Ridgeway on Jan 1, 2009 2:35:09 GMT
"weaker " than a crowbar too...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2009 2:43:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2009 2:46:58 GMT
Sorry, you'll have to copy link and paste into address search, they don't work in my post.
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Post by Dave(utilityslave) on Jan 1, 2009 3:49:48 GMT
Hey Slayer, what did you here about the VA Castile. I had only heard about them not being as sharp as they could be but that was supposed to be okay now.
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Post by Jeff K. ( Jak) on Jan 1, 2009 5:20:58 GMT
Yeah, MAN do I wish I had the $$$ for an Albion...so I could buy a FableBlade instead! lol. But, in all seriousness, Albions really seem to be superier in handling/historical accuracy/and aesthetics, but aren't they weaker than a DSA? Well, Im not a metallurgist, I don't know the details on which materials each manufacturer uses and their properties.....DSA swords have probably half again, to twice the amount of material in the blade, which may or may not stand up better to repeated heavy abuse, but I've seen some pretty rigorous destructive tests done on an Albion, and they proved to be very durable. They have very thick tangs, and the peening is rock solid. Although I havnt used my Sovereign for much pell work (due to lack of space) I would be more comfortable using it as a fully functional sword than any other that I possess, and the fact that Im willing to use it in that manner even though it costs $1100 US is a testament to my faith in it....but time will tell how well it will fare.
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Jan 1, 2009 15:38:57 GMT
I'm not sure where I heard about the Castile...I think it may have actually been a review here on SBG. As far as the Albions, I believe that they are made with historically accurate metal hardness as well (for the wierdly obbsessive collectors, lol) which makes them weaker than other modern-day production swords. I may be wrong, though, so please don't take everything I say as absolute fact, .
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2009 16:02:56 GMT
thankyou ALL for your input on this
after having a cut with my PK XL light, he decided to buy that to quell the 'sword urge' if you will lol
he is still definately gunna be after a euro sword though i'll be sure to have him read through this thread next time hes round.
that uk scottish link looks great marc thanks.
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Post by kidcasanova on Jan 2, 2009 4:32:22 GMT
I'm not sure where I heard about the Castile...I think it may have actually been a review here on SBG. As far as the Albions, I believe that they are made with historically accurate metal hardness as well (for the wierdly obbsessive collectors, lol) which makes them weaker than other modern-day production swords. I may be wrong, though, so please don't take everything I say as absolute fact, . They are made with modern steel, with a hardness replicating a well-made example of the sword. That is to say, they attempt to replicate the best available sword of the time period, not munitions-grade by any means. Believe it or not, a historical sword can stand up to a great deal. While it is true that some thicker, harder blades made today can stand up to more abuse, you must ask yourself why you are abusing the sword in the first place. If you want to bang up a big metal drum or beat a bunch of wooden boards, a sledgehammer works rather well, too.
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