I posted this on SFI originally, and not here because of the excellent review already up, but since it did generate new discussion about this model, I was asked to also post it here. I hope people find it not too redundant.

I don't think this substantially adds to the excellent review up on myArmoury, but here is another opinion nonetheless.

Stats:

Weight: 2 lbs 12.5 ounces
Overall Length: 32 and 3/4 inches
Grip: 5 and ¾ inches
Blade Length: 27 inches from guard
Point of Balance: approx. 3 inches from guard
Center or Percussion: approx. 18 inches from guard
Distal Taper
At Crossguard -.5 cm
At COP - .35 cm


Initial Impressions:
Good Quality well built historical reproduction, minor cosmetic concerns

Appearance:
I have wanted to get either this sword, or the Arms and Armour Edward III for a long time. I think both are the best reproductions of their respective originals in the production market. The A&A Henry V is a classic Oakeshott Type XVIII cut and thrust sword. Its very different from the other pieces in my collection, which tend towards Type X blades. I like the curve of the blade profile, giving it an almost leaf blade appearance from certain angles. I was actually surprised at how robust it is at the point. Its not either a dedicated cutter or thruster, and that is plain from appearance. There are some minor things that took a while to look past for a sword in this price range. There are a lot of grind marks along the blade which detract from an even blade finish, and the pommel shows some areas where the casting had some remainders. I feel for a sword of this price, these are things you expect to not get through quality control, but they are not too big a deal. All of the fittings are tight, and the leather grip is very good quality.

Handling:
Its fast, its short and its quick. This is like the classic middle linebacker of swords. You can see why a warrior king of Henry’s reputation could very well have used this sword. I can’t wait to get a proper heater shield to use it for sword and shield use, which is what it seems made for. I could keep gushing about its handling, but I think you can get the idea, it is an excellent cut and thrust blade. My one caveat is that it feels like a much bigger sword, and I felt a bit tired after short use compared to my experience using Type X’s. Also, as noted in the myArmoury review, the pommel is big, and could cause some wear and tear on your grip without gloves. I personally was not bugged by it, but someone with bigger hands might be.

What you should expect:
This sword costs $545 plus shipping. I purchased it from kultofathena, but that is the standard A&A price. I think it is good not only because it’s the best replica of this historical sword out there, but because it is a good design. I was a bit frustrated with the cosmetic issues at first, but I don’t know how much that might weigh into buying other A&A pieces in the future. My opinion, if you want a replica of Henry V’s sword, you aren’t going to go wrong. Price is good for the handling and construction alone, cosmetic issues aside. I could easily have paid another $200 and been happy with this sword.

Hi Mike, a Huge CONGRATULATIONS to you from me on your acquisition of the Henry V Sword from Kult Of Athena, which is less than a half hour from my home, I am So Lucky!
I have both of the swords that you mentioned, the Henry V and the Edward III swords, and I am more than a little fond of both of them. One is a little Beast and one is a big Beast! Both handle beautifully and as I wrote in another post earlier today, of all the big swords that can be wielded with one hand, in "my" opinion the Edward III handles better than any other big beast one hander that I've had the opportunity to wield.

Mike, your going to Love your Henry V Sword more and more! I've had mine for over a year now and I would have to say in all honesty that I am even more fond of it now than I was when I got it. The Henry V Sword grows on me.

Thanks for this big Uplift you gave me by sharing your new acquisition! I really do take a lot of delight when my fellow
myArmoury Forum Comrades get that new "toy" :!:

Best Wishes to You Mike!

Bob

Thanks Bob, you are indeed lucky to live so close and to own the Ed III as well. You are exactly right, the Henry V grows on you day and day. As the first A+A piece I own, it is a terrific introduction to their sword line.

One day soon I will get the Edward III. I have the Hanwei model right now, but while it is pretty, its not one for much handling fun.

A quick question for Bob,

Your going into combat with a single hander - do you take your Henry V, or your Vassal?

I love both these designs, and a sigle hander (little beast) is next on my list. Seeking your wisdom.

I did not mean to exclude anyone, I am looking for opinions comparing these two, very different swords. These two swords do fall into that little beast category.

Hi Tony, I am going in with my Henry V Sword, it's more robust and less finesse, the Henry V Sword has a thick mid rib section, which is the central raised edge section of the flat diamond cross section.
Now, if I were going into a profound civil upheaval situation, then I am taking the Vassal since this will be more of a mob type of scenario, demanding lot's of versatility, tight quarters fighting with various vertical city or town street obstructions. The Vassal is not the stout body / blade type that the Henry V Sword, where I know I am going to be hitting shields, flat of the blade blocks and parries to enemy swords and there's no way the Henry V Sword is going to be as quick and deceptive as is the Vassal, of which "I" would desire in a civil or urban society upheaval of a hodge podge mob scene!

Hope this answers your questions well Tony. If it falls short, then shoot me some more questions.

I kind of enjoyed this post!

Bob

I saw that not too long ago Arms and Armour starting offering their Henry V with a hollow ground blade. Has anyone bought one of these or checked it out in person? I would have considered it but when I noticed it exist I had already ordered the Albion Kingmaker (which I love) and is similar enough for me.

Hi Nathan, although as requested by you, I do not own nor have I handled the hollow ground version of the
Henry V Sword. However, I do have a solid, longtime and loyal relationship with both Craig Johnson and Christopher Poor
(owner) at Arms & Armor and I made a thorough inquiry by phone with Craig Johnson that was specific to and thorough definition of the hollow ground Henry V Sword. Which is a profoundly Quick sword capable of Outstanding dexterity, while maintaining the strength, power and stoutness of the standard flat diamond cross section (my terminalogy ~~~>)
little BEAST of a Sword :!:
It's nimble quickness would astound you!

Sincerely!

Bob

I Hope this does Help!

I decided to save up the extra pennies for the hollow-ground Henry V when I saw that it was on offer and I'm well pleased that I did. It is very fast and very sharp, with enough of a spine to give the point a lot of strength. This is the sword that I would choose if my life depended on it. It may not be the most attractive sword, but it gives the impression of being everything you could want from a functional point of view, so much so that it is actually a little scary.

Just out of interest I weighed my sword when I saw that Mike had posted the weight of his and it came in at 2lbs 8oz, so for those of you that are familiar with the non hollow-ground version, try to imagine that with 4oz less mass and the COG slightly closer to the guard.

I hope this has helped,
Cheers,
Darrin.

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That is very cool Darrin, How does that one cut? Mine takes precision to get a good cut, but I imagine that hollow ground blade makes that a nice cutter.

The hollow ground blade is a nice addition, but I don't care for the tiny ricasso that's there. It's not on the original and detracts from the looks of the sword, in my opinion. So many cheap swords have it that it taints it in my view. I'm not sure why A&A even includes it.

Oh Man, Darrin, I am eating my heart out!!!!! I am so Very Happy For "YOU", but I am having a dose of envy. :wtf: :lol:
Emoticons are in Good Humor "Only" meant to illustrate some humor at lampooning myself. hahahaha

It's GORGEOUS Darrin :!:

I do agree with Chad though about the tiny ricasso, but do not let that bother you Darring, it's an Outstanding sword and the photo really shows off the hollow grind.

My Oh My Oh My! Your hollow ground Henry V Sword has me near a state of drooling on my shoes while sitting at the computer here!

WOWZER BIGTIME!

Bob

Wow, the hollowground version looks really sharp (both visually and physically), but I have to agree with Chad about the ricasso there. I didn't even notice it until he pointed it out at first, but it really does show in this photo off the A&A website.

[ Linked Image ]

Hello all.

To address a few points. I'm afraid I haven't done any cutting with this sword. However, I did test the point and flex by thrusting into a block of wood and it went in a fair depth without too much effort. There is just enough flex in the blade to absorb the impact and then it springs back very quickly. The tip is also very easy to control even for a relative novice like myself. It quite literally goes where you point it, which is really all that you could ask for.

As far as the ricasso is concerned, it has always struck me as a little odd. The best picture that I have seen of this sword is in Records of the Medieval Sword and there appears to be a small section of the blade missing near the guard. I have always assumed that A&A were just "filling in the blanks". If this is not the case then it is a little irritating, but not enough to put me off the sword. Unfortunately, we see far worse things passed of as historically accurate on a regular basis. I know that isn't really a defence, but if the ricasso is a genuine error in an attempt to recreate the original then I can live it. It would be interesting to know whether anyone at A&A actually handled the original, or whether it was done from notes and pictures. Anyone?

By the way, the one piece cast pommel isn't exactly accurate either, but that is something that you would only notice if you put the recreation next to the original and looked really hard. Or if you read the description in Records.. :)

I would agree with others here (Bob and MIke?) that my initial response to this sword was almost one of disappointment. It really isn't that impressive at first glance (it's also surprisingly small) but when you pick it up and actually handle it for a while, it really grows on you. So from that point of view I can just about live with a couple of fairly small errors.

Cheers,
Darrin.

ps, Bob, possibly some sort of drip tray would be in order :)

I can't see a ricasso here, but it's hard to know.

[ Linked Image ]

(from our article on Henry V)

If it were a case of "filling in the blank" I'd think it would also appear on the non hollow-ground version. I'm sure A&A can produce one without it.

I have seen one other pic (in color actually), but it's too small to blow up to be able to see properly. It's attached below.

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I'm not so certain that the tiny ricasso exists on all of the current non-hollow ground production models. I've been examining my Henry V (arrived in late November/early December of last year) and there appears to be no ricasso at all! On my sword the edge seems to extend all the way to the cross guard. If I can find my camera cord I'll post a couple of pictures that I took (I apologize in advance for the poor quality - they were taken with a point-and-shoot).

Bob and Darrin,

Thanks for the replies! I do love hollowground blades. I think it stands out more on the Henry V than on my Kingmaker maybe because the Henry V has a wider blade. Bob, your collection puts me to shame btw (and people think I have too many!) I had noticed the little ricasso on the Henry V. I was thinking that perhaps it was done to simplify production in that it may be easier to fit the hilt against the "shoulder" of that ricasso and not have it wobble around or show any gaps. Just a guess....

Hello Chad.

The product page on the A&A web-site shows two pictures of the standard version, one with the ricasso, one without. The pictures of the hollow-ground version lower down the page all show the ricasso. Whether this shows alterations made for historical or production purposes, or whether it's just the wrong pictures, I couldn't say, but it is a little confusing.

Cheers,
Darrin.