[Alen L]

So, today i got a package waiting for me. As i opened it, a nifty sword was encased in carton. Sadly, it wasn't the one i have ordered, though i think i might have contributed to the wrong sword being sent, so i can't blame the shop entirely.

So, when i looked at it, I thought "that's a pretty baroque looking sword." With the four rings it has it does look unique, and the fish tail-y pommel adds to the effect. The fit and finish were a bit lacking, but i wasn't expectign them to be perfect for that kind of money.

So, some basic data:

Lenght:

Total: 128cm 50 inches
Blade: 98cm 38,5 inches (of that 7cm( 2,75inches) ricasso)
Grip: 27cm 10,6 inches
Of crossguard: 28cm 11 inches

Weight: 2,1 kg 4 pounds 11 ounces (yes, it is quite heavy)

Point of Balance: 6cm 2,36 inches from crossguard
Primary node: 76,5cm 30 inches from crossguard
CoG: 45cm 17,7inches from crossguard

Initial Impressions:

When i picked up the sword it felt like one heavy damn piece of steel, which kinda got me a bit down. Heavy swords didn't really work out all tha well for me. The rings looked VERY solid, though, which i liked, and the bottom rings are big enough to fit a fist into. I really like the blade, with the four side-fullers and the big one. Looks good. Also, the sword looks a bit better in realy life then it does on the site for some reason.

Overview:

Sadly, i know next to nothing about this sword, what it is based on and the like. Even more so, i know nothing about the maker of the sword, so this was kind of a venture for me. This is the sword i originally wanted, and will, hopefully, get: http://www.armorymarek.com/public/default/use...rd/aaa.jpg

Handling:

This is one heavy sword. Weingh in at more then 4 pounds, i expected it to be unwieldy and clumsy. So i took a swing with it, expecting it'd drag me along. And, surprisingly, it didn't. It handled really nicely both in the cut and thrust, the close PoB making it a surprisingly agile sword. The uncomfortable-looking pommel is actually pretty damn amazing. It's like it was made for my hand, it fits so well. The 10-inch handle also takes some off the weight off because of a bigger lever. I was really surprised at how well i could control the point. The blade has a nice flex, and the tempering seems good. The point control is also pretty much awesome. I tried a few swings with one hand, and no. Let's leave it at that. It wasn't meant to be wielded with one hand.

The blade tapers from 3,7 at the crossguard to 1,5 cm at the point (1,5 to 0,6 inches)

Fit and Finish

...could use a bit more work. Nothing to drastic, though, and it does seem to be fairly well done. The construction is very solid, which is what mattered most to me. The side-fullers were filled with some green stuff, which was easy enough to remove. There are a few bumps and a few dots here and there, but nothing that an hour's work couldn't make a lot nicer. The grip, though is nicely done, leather and cord underneath, The pommel has quite a few tool marks, but again, nothing overly drastic. It's basically what i expected to get for a 240 eur sword.

Conclusion

Hm. I can't really be quite sure as of yet, since i've not even had the sword a full day (been toying around with it a lot, though), but it seems to be a solid piece. It will definitely demand attention wherever it goes because of it's design, and it should be a good conversation starter, but it is, despite its weight, more than just a wallhanger. Its handling is surprisingly nice, and if you're into reenactment, i would really say go for it. Very interesting looking piece with decent handling for a VERY reasonable price. BUT for the WMA practitioner, I would say not really. At least not this sword. It did, however, give me a reasonable confidence in the skills of the smith, and am hoping that the switch will go through smoothly (seems his inbox is full right now), so this does actually seem to be a smith worth considering for WMA practitioners, too.

Just one pic now, but i will post more as soon as the battery recharges sufficiently. -.-

Regards!

EDIT: pic now working. I hope.

[Alen L]

Delivering the promised pictures.

[Blaz Berlec]

What can I say, nice fail.

So, how come you made a vague order?

[Alen L]

The order was as it should be, but i asked about this sword (the one i got) just before i got it - somehow i thought that this was a side-sword (probably beacuse the hanwei sidesword has a similar guard). The very next mail was my order, so I can understand how it came to some confusion...