Cold Steel Hand-and-a-Half sword -- myArmoury.com

D. Nogueira · Posted: Mon 18 Feb, 2008 6:14 am Post subject: Cold Steel Hand-and-a-Half sword

Good afternoon gentlemen,
I was hoping to know if someone has comments or knowledge about this sword, beyond what the manufacturer may provide.
For instance... Does it have a rat-tail tang? What about the overall finish? Balance/Weight? Sharpness?

I have the chance to get my hands on one, and don't want to be disappointed (What I am looking for is a sturdy, good-for-the-price sword, with realistic balance and weight. And of course... good looking according to the price )

Thanks in advance. Any info will be appreciated!

P. Cha · Posted: Mon 18 Feb, 2008 9:18 am Post subject:

Their latest batch should have better pommels so if your interested in this sword, it might be worthwhile to wait.

Also they do have their tinker sword coming out soon which might also be worth waiting for.

In this price range is also darksword armoury who makes rather tough swords but they suffer for it with extra weight. Quite a bit of extra weight.

The gen 2 lucerne and black prince are okay swords as far as weight and handling goes but their grip is rather ugly. Fortunately Arms of Valor will reshape and wrap the grip for a very reasonable price (also the scabbard too).

Or you can save up some more money and get an albion squire line.

Jean Thibodeau · Posted: Mon 18 Feb, 2008 9:35 am Post subject:

Chad Arnow · myArmoury Team

The Tinker swords are not made by Cold Steel, but by CAS/Hanwei. I believe the pommel issues people are referring to are with Hanwei swords as well. This thread is about the Cold Steel sword. Please try to keep it on-topic.

Thank you.

Thomas Watt · Posted: Mon 18 Feb, 2008 11:22 am Post subject:

I really like the look of mine.
Can't say I like the feel, as it's a bit towards the heavy/unwieldy side.
I have not cut with mine, so I cannot say I've had any issues with the tang, nor have I disassembled the hilt to examine it.

The pommel has had a tendency to feel as if it's coming loose. I'm not sure if that's really the case, or my imagination with the sword in my hand, but it feels as if it needs a "tightening twist" applied. However, if it continues and actually loosens, I will apply some thread-lock to it to lock it into place (an automotive item that is handy for that).

For the price and the style, it's a very nice piece. In retrospect, I might have preferred a couple of other blades for the same general price range, but I'm not unhappy with mine. That's a mixed review, sorry if it's confusing, just being honest.

D. Nogueira · Posted: Mon 18 Feb, 2008 11:37 am Post subject:

Thanks a lot for you replies! My post however, as Chad previously said, is about the "Cold Steel" sword.
Although of course I'll appreciate comparisons between models and brands, the fact is that I have the possibility to get that specific model through a deal so what I aim in this post is to gather knowledge from someone that may have seen or own that particular model.

I own a modern tactical knife from "Cold Steel" and I've been more than satisfied with its features... but I don't know really anything about their sword-making.
.
Diego.

Thomas Watt · Posted: Mon 18 Feb, 2008 4:41 pm Post subject:

Perhaps I should have clarified...
I own and was referring to a Cold Steel Hand and a Half sword.
And I do have mixed feelings about it.
If it matters, I'm not looking to get rid of it, so regardless of any shortcomings, it's staying with me.

I also understand that Cold Steel has changed its sword supplier.... from a Chinese forge to an Indian one.

P. Cha · Posted: Mon 18 Feb, 2008 4:52 pm Post subject:

Why did I read cold steel as CAS...sigh sorry...

Anyways theres a lot of reviews of cold steel swords failing due to poor tang construction. So unless this deal comes along with a good return policy, I would really be hesitant to buy one.

D. Nogueira · Posted: Wed 20 Feb, 2008 4:36 am Post subject:

Mr. Thomas,
Sorry! I understood your previous message perfectly, just happened that I read your reply after pressing the submit button for mine (We were reading the post at the same time it seems), thanks a lot for the feedback.

The overall comments about it doesn't seem so encouraging from my viewpoint... correct me if I'm wrong... but the idea I get is that I'd rather spend my money on other more respected sword manufacturers

Mike Arledge · Posted: Wed 20 Feb, 2008 6:01 am Post subject:

I reviewed this sword informally on here a while ago. The major issue is the pommel/tang construction. The piece I had for review came quite loose, so much so that I could twist the pommel a full 360 degrees. I would be very hesitant to use this sword for either form work or any cutting. While the blade is well made, due to the pommel/tang issues, you could have a flying sharp object on your hands at any moment. Their Viking sword seems to have less issues if you are interested in it. Bottom line, even a good return policy doesn't outweigh the dangers of a loose pommel.

Edit:
Here is the link to my review
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...cold+steel

Ed Toton · Posted: Wed 20 Feb, 2008 8:02 am Post subject:

Mine hasn't been used for much cutting, so I haven't been able to observe the durability or the internals of the hilt construction (the latter being a good thing, since it hasn't fallen apart to see the inside!) Happy

My overall feeling is that it's a good deal for the price, if you get it from KoA or someplace with a similar price. (link) It also includes a serviceable scabbard, which isn't bad at this price point.

I have a couple of pictures and comments on my website here: http://ed.toton.org/weapons/coldsteel-hnh.html

Overall the sword is slightly blade-heavy for my tastes, though really it's not bad. My opinion of it has changed depending on what other toy in my collection was the newest to arrive and was spoiling my overall opinions. The blade is reasonably sharp, and on the surface it seems well made, but I can't attest to it's durability.