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Brandt Giese
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 Posted: Wed 21 Dec, 2011 6:49 pm Post subject: Hanwei godfred viking sword |
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Hello I have been holding out for another Albion sword of the viking type but it may be awhile before I have the excess funds for such. I have been toying with a cheaper brand and have looked at the Valiant but does not quite do it for me with the stainless fittings and nut design. Anyone have a hanwei godfred sword and what are the pros and cons of it?
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Mike Capanelli
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| Posted: Wed 21 Dec, 2011 7:39 pm Post subject: Re: Hanwei godfred viking sword |
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| Brandt Giese wrote: | | Hello I have been holding out for another Albion sword of the viking type but it may be awhile before I have the excess funds for such. I have been toying with a cheaper brand and have looked at the Valiant but does not quite do it for me with the stainless fittings and nut design. Anyone have a hanwei godfred sword and what are the pros and cons of it? |
Actually Valiant now offers peened construction and mild steel fittings. If you go to the custom sword shoppe website and go to the pre order page you'll see it as drop down option. The peened assembly is available now and you'd have to contact Sonny over at Valiant to see when the mild steel fittings will be made available.
Winter is coming
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Ken Speed
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| Posted: Wed 21 Dec, 2011 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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I'll freely admit I haven't had the opportunity to handle either of these swords but my impression is that you'll get a lot more bang for your buck from the Valiant sword than the Hanwei Godfred. There's a review of the new Hanwei Cawood sword that makes it sound like a good value. Apparently it is much different than the prototype sword shown in the Kult of Athena catalog and very inexpensive, you might want to take a look at it.
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Luka Borscak
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| Posted: Thu 22 Dec, 2011 12:34 am Post subject: |
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If you want a low cost pattern welded viking age sword, Hanwei Saxon is a far better choice than Godfred.
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Myles Mulkey
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| Posted: Thu 22 Dec, 2011 8:29 am Post subject: |
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| Luka Borscak wrote: | | If you want a low cost pattern welded viking age sword, Hanwei Saxon is a far better choice than Godfred. |
Agreed. The Saxon is a much better decision.
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P. Cha
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| Posted: Thu 22 Dec, 2011 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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Wait, your against the nut assembly but okay with a threaded pommel?!?
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Matthew Bunker
Location: Somerset UK Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 483
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| Posted: Thu 22 Dec, 2011 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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The Saxon's a good, cheap donor blade for a rrebuild project but the stock furniture and scabbard are bloody awful.
"If a Greek can do it, two Englishman certainly can !"
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Brandt Giese
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| Posted: Thu 22 Dec, 2011 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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Ok missed the threaded pomel thanks. I will probably wait for an Albion but the peen and mild steel fittings on the Vaiiant make it a good choice.
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David Wilson
Location: In a van down by the river Joined: 23 Aug 2003
Posts: 803
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| Posted: Thu 22 Dec, 2011 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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Pros: It's a lively and very light sword. Great handling qualities. Wonderful to just swing around.
Cons: Where do I begin.... okay, temper has historically been very poor. Do a search here on the Godfred and you'll come up with some kinda scary stuff, including one blade that suffered a catastrophic failure (broke in two) with not much coaxing. My Godfred is very soft and will take a set if flexed just a little out of true. This is one of the biggest complaints with this sword.
The pattern-welding is a bit random and graceless.
The scabbard is historically inaccurate.
The grip is quite thick and odd looking and odd feeling (and I don't think there's any historical precedence for the style of wrap).
There's no evidence for "damascus" hilt parts on historical Viking-era swords, and the hilt is assembled on a threaded tang.
It's a nice wallhanger and it feels nice to, as noted, just swing around. But don't actually cut stuff with it.
The Valiant sword is no less historically accurate than the Godfred, and you can cut stuff with it.
David K. Wilson, Jr.
Laird of Glencoe
Now available on Amazon: Franklin Posner's "Suburban Vampire: A Tale of the Human Condition -- With Vampires" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072N7Y591
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J.D. Crawford
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D. Phillip Caron
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| Posted: Wed 28 Dec, 2011 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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I have a very new Godfred which an old fat fellow in red clothes got for me with my credit card. This sword is as new to me as I am to swords. I picked it over others because of appearance. The folded metal forging ( actually twisted metal foging I think) gives anexcellent one of a kind pattern to each one.
I cannot say that one is really better than another price range. The blade is true, the handle is tight, the parts are in alighment, I have not seen any production screw-ups. Same for the scabbard which is really loose.That seems to be a standard complaint.
As far as quality, it is not broke, but 99% of those other millions of swords made over all those years are. I must have a good one.
I hope this is helpful. You are welcome to come over and have a look at mine. I'm in Florida.
The first casualty of battle is bravado, the second is macho.
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Glen A Cleeton
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| Posted: Wed 28 Dec, 2011 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | ( actually twisted metal foging I think) |
No, it is not a twisted core.
These were an attractive package for some more than a dozen years ago and I'm sure some (as I do) happen to like the handling quite a bit. However, the overall is quite anachronistic and there is no way to sugar coat that. I had thought enough of mine after breaking a blade to buy a bare blade replacement (initial run only) and mine still has a place on my wall and I do still cut up light stuff. Below are a couple of telling past remembrances. One of mine in pieces and a second with a newer generation polished out and etched
Again, This is not some complex twisted core, it is rather coarse layers then etched to reveal the fuller.
The blades on these have been fairly soft over the years and I would not push it on heavier targets. Mine ripped apart doing unswordlike things but the heat treatment was and should still be suspect in terms of heavy use. Even the broken remains of my blade had a fair amount of spring to them, so don't go by superficial examination of these. As mentioned and I'll say it again, I like these but also have a fair grasp on what I would expect from them.
Wishing does not often make something so.
Cheers
GC
 Attachment: 83.42 KB
Aaron Justice polish and etch. Thread on SFI under a Godfred search
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Composite photo and main picture provided by/during examination courtesy of Brian vo Spreybocke (sp)
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Hilt parts. Welded stubtang on blade and welded threaded rod. The pommel wrenched off by hand because I was to lazy to dig out the glue under the fancy cap. The replacement welded blade tang was extra long and the pommel was relived to accept a new fit. O
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D. Phillip Caron
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| Posted: Wed 28 Dec, 2011 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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That hurts to look at it. Mine has the folded metal/etching only in the fuller. Meant to mention that.
There is no doubt that you have the greater experience. Mine will most probably end up on a display stand as, with only trailer parks filled with snowbirds which are too highly protected by the bastions of medicare and medicaid, I have nothing to attack.
The first casualty of battle is bravado, the second is macho.
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Glen A Cleeton
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| Posted: Wed 28 Dec, 2011 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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Only the fuller is etched on the swords by the factory but the entire blade is the same composition.
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Scott S.
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| Posted: Thu 29 Dec, 2011 7:35 am Post subject: |
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WOW! I had no idea Albion offered all those Squire Line Vikings! Why aren't they on Albion's site?? I've been looking at the Type H for a long time as my only option for a quality Viking sword but I find all of these other swords to be more attractive in a design/detail sense, particularly the Vinland.
Thanks very much for this heads-up / revelation J.D.!
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D. Phillip Caron
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| Posted: Thu 29 Dec, 2011 10:01 am Post subject: |
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Glen, should I understand that the pattern in the fuller is an application much like a tatoo? Or is it something which occurs in forging?
The first casualty of battle is bravado, the second is macho.
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Matt Corbin
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| Posted: Thu 29 Dec, 2011 10:27 am Post subject: |
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| Scott S. wrote: |
WOW! I had no idea Albion offered all those Squire Line Vikings! Why aren't they on Albion's site?? I've been looking at the Type H for a long time as my only option for a quality Viking sword but I find all of these other swords to be more attractive in a design/detail sense, particularly the Vinland.
Thanks very much for this heads-up / revelation J.D.! |
For some reason they are available on the Albion Europe site. Just not on the US site. Doesn't make sense to me either.
http://www.albion-europe.com/swords/swords-by...quire.aspx
“This was the age of heroes, some legendary, some historical . . . the misty borderland of history where fact and legend mingle.”
- R. Ewart Oakeshott
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Luka Borscak
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| Posted: Thu 29 Dec, 2011 11:15 am Post subject: |
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| D. Phillip Caron wrote: | | Glen, should I understand that the pattern in the fuller is an application much like a tatoo? Or is it something which occurs in forging? |
It's a process of forging together and twisting different kinds of steel that corrode in a different time rate so you get the contrast when you treat them with an acid.
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Glen A Cleeton
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| Posted: Thu 29 Dec, 2011 11:54 am Post subject: |
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| Luka Borscak wrote: | | D. Phillip Caron wrote: | | Glen, should I understand that the pattern in the fuller is an application much like a tatoo? Or is it something which occurs in forging? |
It's a process of forging together and twisting different kinds of steel that corrode in a different time rate so you get the contrast when you treat them with an acid. |
There is no twisting involved in the the pattern that etching is revealed in the fuller of the Hanwei Godfred swords. Simple "folding" only. Attached above is a Godfred blade that was etched after polishing the entire blade, so you see the "pattern" revealed by using an acid. The entire blade is made by such construction.
Composite blades that involve twisting bars for the core of the blade result in fairly distinctve look. The Godfred is quite coarse in comparison of even other simple folded patterns,
There is nothing magic, rather tricks to manipulate blades for whatever one wants to display. A couple of links. Lots of folks do such work. Check out Meier's bowie on the following link,
http://meiersteel.com/
http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.p...res-added)
Cheers
GC
Attachment: 139.04 KB
Twisted and simple folding combined in the same blade.
(Kevin Cashen)
Attachment: 136.05 KB
The dagger shows more simple patterned steel
(Vince Evans)
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Two steels welded and twisted (Vince Evans)
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Single steel folded and etched
(Vince Evans)
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D. Phillip Caron
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| Posted: Thu 29 Dec, 2011 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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I am confused now. My Godfred is a folded metal blade. The patten is brought out by a process?
The first casualty of battle is bravado, the second is macho.
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This is a standard topic