The Towton I ordered Saturday afternoon arrived today via UPS. It was extremely well packed and padded. So high marks go to 888KnivesRus for speed and care of delivery.
My first impression is very good. The pommel and cross appear to be flawless, with satin steel finish. The black leather grip is carefully stitched on one side, more carefully than my other Windlass. All components are tight. The pommel nut looks a bit conspicuous, but not entirely out of place on this sword.
Windlass blades have a clear plastic (polyurethane?) preservative overcoat that is readily removed with steel wool. This may be the source of the comments about waviness in Windlass blade surfaces. A quick brush with steel wool removes the Windlass marking on the blade and reveals a blade surface that matches the pommel and crossbar. I will clean it up tonight and see how good it looks without the clear coat. If it turns out to be as well executed as my other Windlass, it will look quite a bit better when I've finished stripping it. The edge is inconspicuously blunt, and looks like it should be no trouble to sharpen.
The scabbard for this sword is a better fit than other Windlass products I have handled. The mouth of the scabbard firmly grips the base of the blade, and only the tip is audibly loose inside the outer shell. The scabbard is a good match in appearance for the sword, with similar finish to the metal parts and identical leather.
I don't have my Albions here at home to compare apparent weight and balance, but my guess is that the Towton handles much like the
Crecy Mark 1, which is about the same dimensions but quite a bit heavier - 2 pounds 12 ounces versus 3 pounds 5 ounces. Once I have a chance to hold them together I will confirm or revise this impression.
For less than $200 delivered, with no delays, this one looks to be a bargain.