[Ed Toton]

Wow, what a beast of a sword (in a good way)! This sword, despite its thin profile, is massive and deadly. At nearly 5 pounds and nearly 5 feet in length, it has an enormous presence, yet remains relatively agile and controllable for a sword of this size.

Now I feel the need to buy a Montante trainer, so that I can practice with a sword closer to the size and feel of this one, when I desire to do so.

I was lucky enough to reserve this one before the price ratcheted up considerably. I'm not sure what the reason is for the current price, considering that Albion's other "large" two-handed sword models (though still in development) are much cheaper.

Albion did an outstanding job on this piece. The grip almost looks like bare wood, though it is leather wrapped. It gives it a good texture for a solid grip, with the wire-wrapped accents adding to the overall aesthetic quality. I had to search hard to even find the seam in the leather.

This sword feels like it would be devastating in the cut, and quite able to subject its unlucky target to horrific damage. And yet the point is sturdy and acute for the thrust as well.

I'm very happy I reserved this fine piece from Albion when I did!

In the photos I included a yard stick (36 inches) for scale.

Stats (as I've measured them):

Overall Length: 58 inches (147.3 cm)
Blade Length: 42 inches (106.7 cm)
Hilt Length: 16 inches (40.6 cm)
Grip Length: 13 inches (33 cm)
Blade Thickness at ricasso: 0.31 inches (0.8 cm)
Blade Width at widest: 1.5 inches (3.8 cm)
Guard Width: 8 inches (20.3 cm)
Weight: 4.75 pounds (2.15 kg)
Center of Gravity: 4 inches from guard (10.15 cm)

[Gottfried P. Doerler]

nice piece, looks somehow like the witchkings sword (lord of the rings)

the following is not my latest sword, actually it was my first, but i thought i had lost it and re-found now in the cellar.
it`s been a dress sword of one of my ancestors and i inherited it.
this guy was a habsburgian mining-inspector ( therefore hammer and chisel - the miners symbols).
the sword must have been forged between 1835 and 1848, because of the cypher "F 1", meaning emporer ferdinand I.

stupidly i broke the blade trying some fencing moves as a teenager.

[Brian K.]

Very nice Ed! I'd like one of those some day...

Thanks for sharing!!!

[Jean Thibodeau]

My Hanwey/Tinker Viking sword I just bought from KoA arrived in a record 3 or 4 days from the date it was shipped. I'm very pleased with it and at $189 it's really a great " steal ". The handling is great: Much blade presence but light enough that recovery and speed are not compromised. The only flaws are that the finish is a bit rough and looks like 200 grit or rougher, but that is easily fixed with repeated washes/antiquing and polishing cycles that remove modern tool marks and can give a " faux " Damascus steel look to the blade. The edges are paper cutting sharp over most of the length of the edges but the first 6 to 8 inches below the guard are unsharpened near the guard and progressively sharpen as one gets further away from the guard: This can be seen as a good thing as the forte of the blade won't take any significant damage when parrying but the foible and at mid blade the edges could take an arm off !

The scabbard is very thin and avoid the bulk one sees in many overbuilt scabbards. I'm very pleased with it.

The pommel and guard are also very pleasing to the eye and look particularly great. I might eventually blue them slightly using an abrasive sponge to apply the blue I find that I get a much more even bluing this ways than the de greasing method as one sands away the blue at one at the same time applies more blue, so cleaning the surface for the blue while applying it simultaneously. One thing is that if one stops applying fresh bluing compound or dilutes the bluing compound with warm water one can lighten the effect and get a light bluing or just aged steel rather than a dense blue. One can also restore the finish easily if it gets worn off or scratched and blend it perfectly back to the degree of darkness one wants.

Oh, bottom line: I'm very very pleased with it and it would be perfectly O.K. if I left it as is, but it does have the potential for some moderate antiquing or campaign wear to the finish and inexpensive enough that one would want to do a little DIY cosmetic work on it.
:wink: 8)

Pic and blade statistics on this link to Tinker's site, the pics look the same as the Tinker I have in hand and I don't have a camera so these should fill in the blanks.

http://tinkerswords.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=411&start=0

Oh, again the customer service at Kult of Athena was AAAAA superb as I got my sword 3 or 4 days after it was shipped. ( Good luck there with USPS/Canada Post/Canada Customs ). The prices on the Hanwey/Tinkers are frankly a " steal " for a great piece of " Steel " ( Couldn't resist the pun. ).

[Neil Gagel]

I made my last two purchases (a H/T Longsword and Generation 2 Henry V) through KoA and in both cases my purchases were made on a Friday afternoon and delivered by the following Tuesday. Plus, from what I can tell their website automatically tracks inventory levels so if they say it's in stock it really is. Seriously, at this point I can't really think of anybody else I'd go to for mass produced blades. For custom work on the other hand...

[Mark A Smith]

My newest sword is an English Naval Seaman's Hanger/Cutlass, c.1690. It's in terrific condition and has a dog-head pommel and decorated cast brass grip. The curved falchion-type blade is stamped with fleur-de-lys mark. The sword is of a type found in period sea wrecks dating to 1694 and 1703.

[Bram Verbeek]

It has been a while ago, but my hanwei/tinker bastard sword has arrived, not in record time:

In two days it was out of american customs, then the waiting began.

Bullet Delivered Abroad, March 16, 2010, 6:38 pm, NETHERLANDS
Bullet Attempted Delivery Abroad, March 15, 2010, 10:34 am, NETHERLANDS
Bullet At Foreign Delivery Unit, March 15, 2010, 9:52 am, NETHERLANDS
Bullet Attempted Delivery Abroad, March 12, 2010, 5:26 pm, NETHERLANDS
Bullet At Foreign Delivery Unit, March 12, 2010, 9:35 am, NETHERLANDS
Bullet Out of Foreign Customs, March 11, 2010, 9:36 pm, NETHERLANDS
Bullet Into Foreign Customs, March 10, 2010, 8:57 pm, NETHERLANDS
Bullet Into Foreign Customs, March 08, 2010, 1:33 pm, NETHERLANDS
Bullet Into Foreign Customs, February 24, 2010, 4:47 pm, NETHERLANDS
Bullet Arrived Abroad, February 24, 2010, 4:47 pm, NETHERLANDS
Bullet International Dispatch, February 23, 2010, 6:28 am, ISC CHICAGO IL (USPS)
Bullet Arrival
Bullet Electronic Shipping Info Received, February 20, 2010

Customs. What wondered me, is that it entered custom thrice, and left only once. I'd like to think it made a few sightseeing tours over schiphol.

I do think the grip is rather thin, so have thickened it near the guard, I tried thickening the whole grip, but find my left hand likes the thinner grip when holding it on the pommel. When I have the heart, I will make a nice half-wire grip and munich-like guard and pommel.

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=...ith+Fuller

[JE Sarge]

I am not normally into fantasy swords, but I picked up this fantasy-inspired scimitar from Baltimore Knife and Sword for my science fiction/fantasy convention kit. I made the matching scabbard and baldric for it this weekend. The suspension physically locks the sword into the scabbard, yet shows off the funky-shaped fortenza of the blade for the whole sci-fi/fantasy look.

[Jonathan Hopkins]

My latest is a (hide your surprise) British Pattern 1897 Infantry Officer's Sword by Wilkinson, made in 1906. It is a fighting sword and features Patent Solid Hilt construction. The hilt bears the cypher of Edward VII and the blade has the original owner's initials D.M.K.

[Roger Hooper]

I like that patent solid hilt with the gutta-percha grip slabs. That must give you a secure hold on the sword. Presumably the gutta-percha lasts a lot longer than leather. This hilt has a grip wide tang, doesn't it?

[Jonathan Hopkins]

[Thom R.]

My new Valiant Warder hilted with old DT parts to make a schiavonesca similar to the sword in the Hungarian Nat'l Museum (two are shown in the albums here).

34 inch blade
44 inch overall length
1250 g
POB 3.75
COP if you call it that on a saber blade of this size is right near the end of the fuller

The pommel I used is about 70 g heavier than the one the sword came with - the original POB was 4.2 inches. This is the best 400 dollar sword I have seen in awhile and big western sabers of this caliber in the production market are rare. The price point is especially good considering there is a scabbard and belt included both of which are quite nice. I also like the fact that there is a short unsharpened ricasso and the flattened diamond shape and sharp back edge at the tip are well done. The negatives are the fuller runs off a little oddly at the ricasso and is not perfectly straight down the blade. The scabbard fit is quite good but loose - not to the rattling point but will slide out when tipped.

Of the three SIgnatire line swords I have examined, this is the best so far.

[Jonathan Hopkins]

Very nice, Thom! I like the historical hilt with the Warder blade. I could be tempted into a Warder at some point. It looks like the most interesting VA offering.

Jonathan

[Artis Aboltins]

My latest acquisition - Type XVII blade from Albion I purchased at moat sale earlier this year, garniture and scabbard by myself. Total weight with scabbard and belt is 1514g and sword alone - 1118g, so it handles like a feather when wielded. This is my first sword using Albion blade and it feels fantastic. I know that "Sempatch" family of swords seem to have a distinctive angular pommel, but for some reason I felt that disc pommel would fitt the blade well so I went with that.

[Chad Arnow]

[Artis Aboltins]

[Jonathan Hopkins]

A British Pattern 1827 / 1846 Naval Officer's Sword by Wilkinson, made in March, 1854. Not in top condition, but a fun officer's fighting sword that is still very sharp!

[Anders Backlund]

I recently bought an odachi from an unidentified maker; the quality suggests a cheaper Chinese brand. Still, it's okay enough for a project blade. I've cut it down to a more reasonable o-katana size, but it needs some re-shaping and a new tsuka.

Hope to get some pictures up if I manage to get it to look respectable, though.

[Morgan Butler]

Nice British Naval Sword Jonathan!


I just recieved a 1796 British Infantry NCO sword (Spadroon). An interesting varient. It has some officers acanthus leaves on the guard. Much stouter in guard construction than the officers version and with a larger pommel so that it makes a good fighting English backsword to my mind..

[William Goodwin]

after having to sell a bunch of my collection last year (including half of my antiques) this my latest addition.

another early model M1902 US Army sabre - A Schuman- Boston,Mass.