[Mike Arledge]

I got this from kultofathena.com

Stats: (Taken by myself)

Weight: 2lbs, 9.3 ounces
Overall Length: 37.5 inches
Blade Length: 30 and 5/8 inches
Blade Width (at cross): 1 and ¾ inches
Grip Length: 6 and ¾ inches
Crossguard: 5 and ¼ inches
Width at COP: 1 and 3/8 inches
Center of Percussion: approximately 22 inches from guard
Center of Balance: approximately 6 inches from guard

General Impressions:
Standard Cold Steel look, polished fittings, straight lines, clear/straight fuller, nice scabbard (for the money) and sharp sharp sharp. It looks crisp tough and deadly.

Appearance:
Is this a Viking sword? No, its not. Its grip is way too big, the blade’s fuller is far too narrow and the blade shape is wrong. The pommel and Crossguard are not anything close to Viking era examples. That being said, this is at best a Viking-like object. Is it a nice looking sword? Yes. It is well executed. The blade had an attractive finish that is not mirror-polished like past CS offerings I have owned. It has almost a brushed look to it. The leather stitching is tight on the grip and scabbard (although I will likely refinish both in the future to be some other color than black). The profile taper of the blade is subtle and the point is acute enough for some good thrusting. As the photos will demonstrate, it photographs very well.

Handling:
When I first pulled the blade out of the scabbard, I was surprised how beefy it was, and my first though was, better get the scale, this guy seems heavy. But low and behold, it measured in at the actual factory weight. I quickly found out that the initial impression did not continue through handling. The sword handles very effortlessly. And its takes almost no “loading up” to smash through light targets when cutting. The grip is not slick at all, and both a hammer grip and a traditional Viking grip are comfortable. I feel the blade tracks very well through targets, and feels like more of a cutter than most historical Viking swords do. I normally feel Viking swords can better be described as “cleaving" as opposed to “Cutting”. What I mean by that is that they carry a lot of weight behind them and just plain cleave objects in two. They are not as sophisticated as later cutters. This sword has a bit more grace to it when cutting than say an Albion Squire Line Viking, or a Kris Cutlery Viking. But both of those examples are better historical representations of a Viking sword. The edge geometry is terrific for cutting as well.

What you should expect should you buy this:
You should not expect any reenactment groups to accept it as a historical Viking blade. Its simply not going to happen. As I mentioned, the blade shape is not right, the fuller is far too narrow, and the grip is just huge compared to historical Viking swords. The pommel and guard have the right shape, but the designs are not really historical nor cast correctly.
You should expect a nice looking sword with Viking flair. It’s a terrific cutter, it handles very well. Honestly, the cutting ability of this sword reminds me of a long lost cousin of an ATRIM, and I mean that as a compliment to both manufacturers. It’s a fun sword, and it will definitely be my sword of choice for backyard cutting.

[Gavin Kisebach]

It's really an attractive hilt, but it does cry out for a grip replacement project.

[Mike Arledge]

Yeah,

its a very cool sword. Its only real complain out of me is that its practically a hand and a half grip wise! Its not a problem with handling, but its not very Viking in that respect.

[Rob MacL.]

I appreciate you taking the time to post your impressions of this sword. While I agree it is not an especially authentic sword, I have always liked the look of it but stayed away because I was worried about the handling, so it is good to know it is a balanced and usable sword. It has definitely been added to a long list of possible future sword purchases!

[Mike Arledge]

Thanks,

I have worked out a deal with them to review more swords. I am going to pay for the shipping both ways, and get to review mroe models. Next up will be the Cold Steel Shamshir. I will appreciate any suggestions/requests for future reviews.