Windlass Italian Falchion Review
Jan 8, 2009 21:54:48 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2009 21:54:48 GMT
Sorry if someone's already reviewed this. If they have, then consider this a review for all of you tall and gangly forum-ites out there....
Windlass Italian falchion
This is my first review, I'll try not to leave anything out...
I decided to buy this sword last year, got it, and for some reason haven't spent much time with it. Probably because public safety wouldn't take to kindly to me wearing it around campus.
I've since decided to bring it out, swing it round, and share my impressions.
The falchion of the time period in question (early Renaissance) was a short heavy sword used to open cans, and by cans, I mean knights in full plate. The falchion could dent plate and pierce or shear through chainmaile with enough force. As such, the swords tended to be a little heavier and stout, which I must say, Windlass has been very faithful too. Earlier falchions were simple weapons, much the man-at-arm's sword, but I really enjoy the beautiful, almost elegant look of the handle.
Design
This sword is rather straightforward and in some ways, simple. This is deceptive, as all pictures I'd seen prior to actually holding the sword made it seem almost decretive. Make no mistake, when held in hand, this sword screams "USE ME!".
The Handle
The handle is composed of a steel pommel, a couple of spacers between the pommel and the grip and the guard and the grip, and the drop-dead gorgeous wood handle itself. I was not able to take the hilt apart to see what it looks like inside, but if i had to guess, I'd say a threaded pommel.
This is perhaps the single most attractive feature of the sword. The grip comes dark and the grain can be clearly seen. The shape lends itself well to my somewhat large hands, and edge alignment is no problem. A word to the wise, the wood can become somewhat slick when your hands are sweaty, so I'd recommend either wrapping it, or wearing gloves while swinging.
The Guard
The guard is excellent protection, with a deeply curved quillions and an offshoot to protect the fingers while slapping with the flat of the blade. Every time I pull this sword out of the box, my finger naturally curls up above the guard to finger the ricasso. This position feels extremely natural and the shape of the guard offers good protection. In fact, the shape seems to have almost been meant for this. Putting a finger above the guard dramatically improves the handling (more on that later).
A picture of this hand position with my glove on. (note, this is a left handed grip and I'm a righty, so this isn't quite correct)
On an interesting note, with one finger on the guard, there's almost enough room to get your other hand on the pommel. While unorthodox and not exactly comfortable, it's nice to know you can, should you need two hands to really whack the crap out of something...
The blade
The business end of this sword exhibits none of the characteristic whippy nature of windlass blades, but this is mostly due to its length and cross section. The falchion's blade has parallel edges for the majority of its length, with the front gently sloping up into a wickedly sharp point. The twin fullers at the back of the blade do little to reduce the weight of the blade, but they are well done, narrow, and deep.
The blade's cross section is that of a cleaver, a continuous wedge grind from spine to edge, leading me to believe that this would be a monster against un-armored opponents as well. The false edge on the back could easily be sharpened to deliver a back-cut after a missed swing, which I admittedly did not do.
The blade's mirror polish is not my favorite, but that could easily be fixed with a scotchbrite pad. There are a couple of minor scuffs on the blade, but I think those may be from me.
Scabbard
The scabbard, however, is up to Windlass' usual standard. It doesn't fit particularly well, and the mouth doesn't meet the sword at all. Aside from that, it's actually a little prettier than their usual offering.
Handling
Everything else about the sword is great, but it does fall down on the handling. At 3' 4oz. it's heavy for such a short sword. The blade measures only about 26" and this combined with its cross section gives it a VERY blade present feel. In fact, for me, it almost borders blade heavy to the point of unwieldy, but it's saved when I remember that it's supposed to have some heft to it. Without fingering the ricasso, recovery is slow and acceleration is only average. Shifting hand position, the sword gains some speed back, but it's still not an agile sword. However, for those of you who favor raw hitting power over finesse, this is exactly what you're looking for. Wielding this for long periods of time is tiring for me, but then I'm 6'5" and I weigh 175 most days. Fellow hackers with a bit more in their arms aside from bone may find this easier to toss around
Cutting
I haven't done any, due to the presence of Campus Safety and a desire to not break the law too much. As such, I haven't sharpened it yet, but I imagine that it would cut quite well against heavier targets.
Thrusting
Despite ordering the unsharpened version from KoA (kudos to them for prompt shipping again) the point came wickedly sharp, ready to stab straight from the box. I've skewered more than a few bottles and a couple of those without water in them. The sword penetrates nearly as well as a double edged, due to the false edge on the back. However, the point control is not the best. It's not bad due to the length of the sword, but it's not fantastic. Average control.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a short, hearty, pretty and brutal piece of steel, this is your piece. It handles alright, but it can hit incredibly hard for a sword this short. The length makes it handy for close work and as a second sword to balance out a civilian defense longsword. It is somewhat of a niche weapon, but I like it.
Historical Accuracy: 4/5 (as far as I can tell)
Fit and Finish: 4/5 (a little better than usual for Windlass)
Handling: 3/5 (it's alright, but nothing stellar)
Structural integrity: 3/5 (without knowing how the tang looks, I can't give it more than this, but it seems tight)
Value for Money: (as an all-around sword) 2/5 (as a knight-beater) 4/5
Overall: 3.2-ish, depending on whether you just want a sword or you're looking for a beafier blade. If you are, then it's a little better.
Please comment if there's anything else you'd like to know.
Windlass Italian falchion
This is my first review, I'll try not to leave anything out...
I decided to buy this sword last year, got it, and for some reason haven't spent much time with it. Probably because public safety wouldn't take to kindly to me wearing it around campus.
I've since decided to bring it out, swing it round, and share my impressions.The falchion of the time period in question (early Renaissance) was a short heavy sword used to open cans, and by cans, I mean knights in full plate. The falchion could dent plate and pierce or shear through chainmaile with enough force. As such, the swords tended to be a little heavier and stout, which I must say, Windlass has been very faithful too. Earlier falchions were simple weapons, much the man-at-arm's sword, but I really enjoy the beautiful, almost elegant look of the handle.
Design
This sword is rather straightforward and in some ways, simple. This is deceptive, as all pictures I'd seen prior to actually holding the sword made it seem almost decretive. Make no mistake, when held in hand, this sword screams "USE ME!".
The Handle
The handle is composed of a steel pommel, a couple of spacers between the pommel and the grip and the guard and the grip, and the drop-dead gorgeous wood handle itself. I was not able to take the hilt apart to see what it looks like inside, but if i had to guess, I'd say a threaded pommel.
This is perhaps the single most attractive feature of the sword. The grip comes dark and the grain can be clearly seen. The shape lends itself well to my somewhat large hands, and edge alignment is no problem. A word to the wise, the wood can become somewhat slick when your hands are sweaty, so I'd recommend either wrapping it, or wearing gloves while swinging.
The Guard
The guard is excellent protection, with a deeply curved quillions and an offshoot to protect the fingers while slapping with the flat of the blade. Every time I pull this sword out of the box, my finger naturally curls up above the guard to finger the ricasso. This position feels extremely natural and the shape of the guard offers good protection. In fact, the shape seems to have almost been meant for this. Putting a finger above the guard dramatically improves the handling (more on that later).
A picture of this hand position with my glove on. (note, this is a left handed grip and I'm a righty, so this isn't quite correct)
On an interesting note, with one finger on the guard, there's almost enough room to get your other hand on the pommel. While unorthodox and not exactly comfortable, it's nice to know you can, should you need two hands to really whack the crap out of something...
The blade
The business end of this sword exhibits none of the characteristic whippy nature of windlass blades, but this is mostly due to its length and cross section. The falchion's blade has parallel edges for the majority of its length, with the front gently sloping up into a wickedly sharp point. The twin fullers at the back of the blade do little to reduce the weight of the blade, but they are well done, narrow, and deep.
The blade's cross section is that of a cleaver, a continuous wedge grind from spine to edge, leading me to believe that this would be a monster against un-armored opponents as well. The false edge on the back could easily be sharpened to deliver a back-cut after a missed swing, which I admittedly did not do.
The blade's mirror polish is not my favorite, but that could easily be fixed with a scotchbrite pad. There are a couple of minor scuffs on the blade, but I think those may be from me.
Scabbard
The scabbard, however, is up to Windlass' usual standard. It doesn't fit particularly well, and the mouth doesn't meet the sword at all. Aside from that, it's actually a little prettier than their usual offering.
Handling
Everything else about the sword is great, but it does fall down on the handling. At 3' 4oz. it's heavy for such a short sword. The blade measures only about 26" and this combined with its cross section gives it a VERY blade present feel. In fact, for me, it almost borders blade heavy to the point of unwieldy, but it's saved when I remember that it's supposed to have some heft to it. Without fingering the ricasso, recovery is slow and acceleration is only average. Shifting hand position, the sword gains some speed back, but it's still not an agile sword. However, for those of you who favor raw hitting power over finesse, this is exactly what you're looking for. Wielding this for long periods of time is tiring for me, but then I'm 6'5" and I weigh 175 most days. Fellow hackers with a bit more in their arms aside from bone may find this easier to toss around
Cutting
I haven't done any, due to the presence of Campus Safety and a desire to not break the law too much. As such, I haven't sharpened it yet, but I imagine that it would cut quite well against heavier targets.
Thrusting
Despite ordering the unsharpened version from KoA (kudos to them for prompt shipping again) the point came wickedly sharp, ready to stab straight from the box. I've skewered more than a few bottles and a couple of those without water in them. The sword penetrates nearly as well as a double edged, due to the false edge on the back. However, the point control is not the best. It's not bad due to the length of the sword, but it's not fantastic. Average control.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a short, hearty, pretty and brutal piece of steel, this is your piece. It handles alright, but it can hit incredibly hard for a sword this short. The length makes it handy for close work and as a second sword to balance out a civilian defense longsword. It is somewhat of a niche weapon, but I like it.
Historical Accuracy: 4/5 (as far as I can tell)
Fit and Finish: 4/5 (a little better than usual for Windlass)
Handling: 3/5 (it's alright, but nothing stellar)
Structural integrity: 3/5 (without knowing how the tang looks, I can't give it more than this, but it seems tight)
Value for Money: (as an all-around sword) 2/5 (as a knight-beater) 4/5
Overall: 3.2-ish, depending on whether you just want a sword or you're looking for a beafier blade. If you are, then it's a little better.
Please comment if there's anything else you'd like to know.
