What Does An Actual Templar Sword Look & Feel Like? Balaur Arms Knights Templar Cutting & Review Kane Shen 2023-06-23 | Flawless Victory! The new Balaur Arms Knights Templar sword is a collaborative model between Kult of Athena and LK Chen. In this video, I put the sword through its paces and show every aspect of it, from the historical authenticity of its design to all the details of its fit and finish.I'm confident that by the end of this video, you will reach the same conclusion as mine that this is currently by far the best model on the sub-$800 reproduction market to represent Templar swords, from its faithfulness to the originals of Oakeshott Type Xa swords hailed from the late 11th to early 12th century, with a 35" blade with a historically-accurate 3.5" short grip, but coming in at only 2.5 lbs and a point of balance 6" (15 cm) from the hilt. The masterful mass distribution is ensured by the excellent distal taper from 5.7mm at the base of the blade, to 3.4mm at midpoint, 2.1mm at the termination of the long fuller, down to 1.5mm at 2" from the tip. It also features the correct lenticular cross section, true to most swords of the High Middle Ages, with a beautiful singular bevel terminating to a well-apexed edge. The sharpness and bevel are so well one that at test cutting, the mat cut in half refused to fall down even after a few seconds. The hilt components are also well designed to feature the correct tapering in thickness. The cord impression and risers on the grip leather wrapping also make it extremely ergonomic, and enable a comfortable handshake grip around the tapered wheel pommel with edges rounded.The heat treatment of the blade is so evenly applied that whenever there's a impact--whether with the target or when you knock on the blade with your finger, there's a harmonic ring tone that reverberates long and loud. It also tells you the harmonic balance about this sword, and how the nodes are in the perfect place and how sound the hilt is constructed. The blade is fairly rigid for such a length, but properly flexible in the last 1/3 of the length below the tip, made from a high carbon, high manganese, and high silicone spring steel.As if it doesn't check enough boxes, the sword also comes with a well-made scabbard with a slender wood core, and bold red leather wrapping. The throat is enveloped by rainflaps adorned with a golden Jerusalem Cross, and the chape also comes with perforated cross symbols paying tribute to the Templar motif. The scabbard retains the sword perfectly well with zero rattling, but the unsheathing is quite smooth despite the blade length.I can't say enough good things about this sword, if you are interested, head to Kult of Athena kultofathena.com/product/balaur-arms-preorder-knight-templar-arming-sword-preorder00:00 Intro01:48 History of Knights Templar06:28 Arms & Armor of Templars07:28 Period Swords Contemporary to Templars09:21 Typology of this Templar Sword Model11:51 Cross Section14:13 Distal Taper16:12 Comparison to Other Types20:21 Usage Alongside Shields21:13 Fit & Finish31:30 Steel & Heat Treatment34:19 Test Cutting!39:07 Final Conclusion & Scabbard
Most Devastating Sword of the Middle Ages! Cleaver Falchion by Tod Cutler Review (Elmslie Type F1a) Kane Shen 2025-06-20 | Let us look at a reproduction of one of the most iconic swords of the Middle Ages--the 13th century cleaver falchion by Tod Cutler todcutler.com/collections/medieval-swords/products/falchion-cleaver-replica-medieval-sword-tcs7This cleaver falchion by Tod Cutler--a business owned by @tods_workshop aims at recreating an authentic example of Elmslie type F1a, which is a complex sword to get right for modern makers, namely the very large degree of distal taper (from 6.4 mm at the base down to 1.6 mm at the widest point of the blade), and the pronounced upward profile taper, the tip geometry, the spine orientation, and the slightly recurved edge due to the increased rate of profile taper. Does the sword hold up to modern product standards? Is it a fearsome cutting sword as its reputation precedes it?Background music:Kingdom Come: Deliverance soundtrackKingdom Come: Deliverance 2 soundtrackHeroes of Might and Magic 3 soundtrack00:00 Intro01:07 Historicity03:50 Defining Characteristics07:36 Handling & Authenticity12:34 Build Quality27:42 Test Cutting31:34 Conclusion
What Can Extra Edge Sharpness Do for Your Sword? Romance of Men Fukyo Test Cutting & Review Kane Shen 2025-05-16 | Today we will discuss the importance of edge sharpness, different definitions of it, with the help of the new offering at Romance of Men--the Fukyo (風狂) katana, which sports a tsukashi (透鍔) tsuba, a nashijinuri (梨子地塗) style saya, and extra level of sharpness that is an example of the "razor sharp" level of sharpness of their custom katanas.Stats:weight: 972 grams (2 lbs 2.3 oz)overall length: 39.3" (99.8 cm)blade length: 28.7" (72.9 cm)nagasa: 27.6" (70 cm)point of balance: 5.8" (14.7 cm) from the tsubadistal taper:7.75 mm at the base5.9 mm at midpoint4.48 mm at the tipprofile taper:31.69 mm at the base27.7 mm at midpoint21 mm at the yokoteblade fuller: double narrow fullersSword reviewed: romanceofmen.com/products/the-fukyo-katana-spring-steel-double-bohi-razor-sharp?srsltid=AfmBOorYH6LbkmP2OLJDtwfcrCmrlKUmhKqOSs_jkIlIrVEbgYI_HuNv
The Last Sword Forged by a Master Smith - Brescia Museum Longsword by Purna Darnal Kane Shen 2025-04-18 | Today let us gather here to commemorate a master swordsmith's life and career through the lens of the last ever commission he took--the Brescia Museum longsword forged by Purna Darnal, designed and commissioned by Brother Nathaniel, a.k.a. the Levin Lance (youtube.com/@UCwp2DdqFKzcr83uva3Ylz2w ).This is a custom longsword based on the well-preserved mid-15th century longsword housed at the Museo delle Armi in Brescia, Italy. It is the inspiration of a number of prestigious model reproductions. How does Purna fare with his lifelong dedication and learning at swordsmithing forging this last sword before his untimely passing?
Evolution of Medieval European Longswords - My Collection: Albion, Angus Trim, Valiant, Lockwood Kane Shen 2025-02-28 | Today allow me to invite you on a journey back 750 years to the late 13th century to live through the evolution of medieval European longswords through the lens of accurate modern reproductions of my sword collection of Oakeshott Typology. We will examine the incredible variety of medieval longswords via the following specimen of each subtype in a chronological order:Type XIIa - Albion BaronType XIIIa - Valiant Armoury Warden of the NorthType XVIa - Angus Trim Type XVIa.4Type XVa (variant a) - Lockwood Hand-and-a-half / Albion CastellanType XVa (variant b) - Albion RingeckType XVII - Royal Armouries Collection IX.16Type XVIIIa - Angus Trim Type XVIb.16Type XVIIIb - Albion RegentType XVIIIc - Albion PrincipeType XVIIIe - Sterling Armoury CiriType XIX - Lockwood Irish War SwordType XXa - Albion ViceroyType XX - Albion MaximilianHonorable mentions:Royal Armouries Collection IX.915 (Type XIIa/XVIa hybrid)Purna Darnal Brescia Museum Longsword (Type XVIa)The evolution of longswords in the middle ages was neck and neck with the evolution of armor, which we will look at in this video, and see how the designs and functionality of each one stimulated the development and advancement of the other in this arms race.Special thanks to: Andy Johnston of @dlatrexswords and Brother Nathaniel of @thelevinlance6566Background used:Heroes of Might and Magic III soundtrackTotal War: Warhammer soundtrackWitcher 3: Blood & Wine soundtrackCrusader King 3 soundtrackMedieval: Total War 2 soundtrackKingdom Come: Deliverance 2 soundtrackRobert Hill ClavichordChannels' content featured in this video:@scholagladiatoria @Cerberusarms @Matthew_Jensen @MatthewCross2 @HEMASimian @Phil.Martin@letsasksekisensei @ZombieGoBoomVP@shadiversity @tested @Skallagrim@RoyalArmouriesMuseum#sword #medieval #longsword #history #historical #hema
First Time Cracking a Bullwhip w/ My Wife #whip #bullwhip #whipcracking Kane Shen 2025-02-20 | First time cracking a kangaroo hide bullwhip--a custom commission by @thelevinlance6566 (a.k.a. Brother Nathaniel). Having some fun with my wife on Valentine's Day.
The Decline and Fall of the American Empire #romanhistory #romanempire #romanswords Albion Swords Kane Shen 2025-02-08 | How does it feel witnessing history every day?People ask why I love history. Being an avid student of the past, you would know that history reenacts itself. Turn on the TV, you see today’s events have been repeated countless times in the past millennia. Flip open the pages of a book written by our forebears, you will prophesize things yet to pass--the rise and fall of empires. He who controls the past commands the future. He who commands the future conquers the past.Swords shown in the video:Albion Aquilifer (Eagle Standard Bearer) Gladiusalbion-swords.com/product/the-aquiliferAlbion Auxilia Spathaalbion-swords.com/product/the-auxiliaThe book shown in the video:The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empireby Edward GibbonSelected Worksby Marcus Tullius Cicero
Roman Gladius is NOT a Thrust/Stab Only Sword #romanempire #gladiator #gladiator2 #romanlegions Kane Shen 2024-11-23 | I just saw Ridley Scott's Gladiator 2 and want to address the myth that Roman gladii are thrust-centric swords. Roman military doctrine demands legionnaires to primarily use the point of their gladii to thrust in a formation, however this is only a tactical maneuver when they are in a closely enclosed testudo formation, as wider movements such as swings will compromise the formation. This doesn't mean gladii are thrust/stab-centric weapons, in fact when compared to a thrust-centric 15th century longsword such as the Albion Ringeck, you can clearly see the vast differences in their tip geometries. Being a wide-bladed sword, the gladius still have a small edge angle that can cut very well, not to mention the typical clip-point to transition to the tip can help focus the energy of the sword blow to bite into the target when the sword is swung.
Wife & I are transformed into Ciri and Geralt to Test Our #sword & #witcher Skills @SterlingArmory Kane Shen 2024-11-02 | Nikki and I are transported into the world of #witcher to test our mettle with our beloved swords and newly acquired witcher skills. #runwaygen3 #ai #knight #monsterhunter Ft. Ciri's Zireael made by Chris Fields of @SterlingArmory, which will be reviewed in the near future.
Nikki & I are Transported to a Cyberpunk Metropolis from a West Coast Seaside Town #cyberpunk2077 Kane Shen 2024-10-16 | Transforming my wife and I into cyberpunk ninjas by #runwaygen3. Nikki used the Spring Sakura katana and I used the Munetoshi Viper in this video.
I Solved Conans Riddle of Steel and Cut Down Some Water Elements in Stygia #conanthebarbarian Kane Shen 2024-10-10 | I have been transported to the world of Conan the Barbarian to solve the Riddle of Steel, and slay some water elements to collect their essence in Stygia.#runwaygen3 #conanexiles #conanthebarbarian #swordsmanship #swordsman #tameshigiri
Cloudhammer Medieval Longsword Review & Test Cutting with @UnsheathedSwordReviews Kane Shen 2024-10-05 | The Medieval European Longsword by Cloudhammer Steelworks is a competition-cutting capable sword tested at Queen's Gambit 2023 as the loan sword of the event, which eventually assisted the gold medalist to win the laurel. Join Vic and Jon of Unsheathed Sword Reviews (youtube.com/@UnsheathedSwordReviews) and I in this review of this model with revised stats, sent to me by John Kang of RVA Katana--the exclusive distributor of Cloudhammer Steelworks. I intentionally kept a lot of behind-the-scene footage in this review to maintain a kind of bro-ey feeling to it, as we had so much fun with this sword among many other when we filmed several reviews and a live stream over a weekend at Vic's place in Seattle. It certainly carries a certain nostalgic value now after Vic moved house, and we will be able to see new videos filmed at a new location.Check Vic and Jon’s rendition at youtu.be/kzd7HxAUKh8?si=1UUYDpSLtw1Iy68nMany thanks to John (rva-katana.com) for sending this review sample, after the 3 katana samples with unique curvatures sent my way last year. The review of those katanas can be seen here youtube.com/watch?v=v4iCLitArIUCheck out this model at rva-katana.com/products/longsword-practical-sx105v, and some new models of European swords by Cloudhammer Steelworks at rva-katana.com/collections/cloudhammer-steelworksAlso check out my collaborative review of the Angus Trim Type XIIIb.3 with Vic and Jon.Background Music:The Witcher 3 soundtracksWorld of Warcraft soundtracks
Big Sword Favored by Irish Mercenaries? Balaur Arms Gallowglass Greatsword by LK Chen Review Kane Shen 2024-08-17 | The Balaur Arms Irish Gallowglass Greatsword is one of the two new offering made by renowned historical sword recreationist LK Chen.The design of this Irish two-handed sword features many iconic characteristics of late medieval Irish swords that are rarely found on reproductions--until now. Its blade is a 38" (96.5 cm) one with full lenticular cross section sans any fuller. This blade geometry is found on a number of ethnic swords including Scottish, Irish, Byzantine, and Arabic swords, but is seldomly done right on modern reproductions. It also has the iconic Irish ring pommel that not only has the correct thickness, but is also hollow ground on the outer rim, and have slightly domed surfaces. The s-shaped crossguard is quite wide at 30cm, with spatulate terminations that have the clover perforation, and a central beak often found on Scottish and Irish swords. The grip has a hexagonal cross section and a waisted silhouette. The leather wrapping is done quite professionally with risers and cord impression.Everything is put together tightly and peened on top of a peen block. All the corners and edges are rounded or chamfered, resulting in zero hotspot when handled.The blade starts out 2" (5 cm) wide at the base, and demonstrates a modest degree of profile taper in the bottom half and minimal taper in the width on the top half, resulting in a relatively broad foible. It has a concave distal taper from 6.4 mm at the base, down to 3.8 mm at midpoint, and 2.8 mm at 2" from the tip. Therefore at the point of percussion, the blade is thin and broad, with a very small edge angle, optimized for smooth cutting of large soft targets.Even though it's significantly bigger than the average longsword, coming in at 53" (135 cm) overall, it's quite lightweight at 3.5 lbs (1505 grams), and the mass distribution makes it easy to stop and redirect even though there's still significant authority when swung. The edge bevel is a singular one from the thickest part of the cross section to the edge. However, on my example, neither edges are well apexed, so I will have to sharpen them up later when I recover from my current injury, and do some further test cutting and handling to report back for the second part of this review.You also get a form-fitting scabbard with a Celtic cross embossed onto the rain flap, three risers for belt installation, and a steel chape also with a clover perforation.This is a very competent design capturing many of the traits of Irish swords to make this an accurate representation. It's quite a steal at the $480 asking price though it's not flawless. As I mentioned earlier, the sharpness should have better consistency from piece to piece, and thickness of the hexagonal cross section of the grip should be higher making it more comfortable to handle. Overall, it's a no-brainer to recommend this sword.Sword in question: kultofathena.com/product/balaur-arms-irish-gallowglass-greatsword
Red Lobster Katana Review & Test Cutting #katana #samuraisword Ebi Katana by Romance of Men Kane Shen 2024-08-09 | The Ebi (shrimp and lobster) katana is the latest offering by Romance of Men. It has unique set of hilt fittings designed entirely in-house, that has an ocean motif, featuring many marine crustacea. This is a feature-rich katana that has neatly executed perforated tsuba with dual shrimps (ebi in Japanese, meaning "sea elder") with geometries wrapped around on both sides--which is rare on even antique tsubas, shrimps again on the fuchi kashira, and a pair of well sculpted lobsters as the menuki pins on the grip. Even the habaki is shaped to be a two-piece design with a seawave Mon (meaning emblem in Japanese) engraved onto it. The blade is made of differentially hardened T10 steel with a prominent hamon that resembles ocean waves. It also features a geometric yokote line, and a distally tapered saya to mirror the thickness of the blade that tapers more than an average Japanese sword.Blade length: 28.8"Nagasa: 27.4"Overall length: 39.7"Weight: 1056 grams (2 lbs 5.3 oz)Motokasane: 7.23 mmMotohaba: 31.43 mmSakikasane: 4.5 mmSakihaba: 21.75 mmMSRP: $350 (shipping included)Sword in question:romanceofmen.com/collections/katanas/products/the-edi-lobster-and-ocean-theme-katana-t10-steel-extra-sharp-aesthetic-polishing?_pos=3&_fid=b400743c5&_ss=c&variant=44019564380350Background music:Samurai Warriors soundtrack
Cutting with Albion Knightly Sword at Academie Duello HEMA Club in Vancouver #medieval #knight Kane Shen 2024-07-30 | Cutting tatami mats with an Albion Knightly sword (Oakeshott Type XII) with a Knights Templar heater shield at the Academie Duello Historical European Martial Arts in downtown Vancouver.#swordsmanship #sword #armingsword #medievalsword
Most Cost-Effective Katana on the Market! Surudoi by Romance of Men Unokubi-Zukuri Sword Review Kane Shen 2024-07-20 | If you do your homework, you will be able to find decent Entry-level katanas on today's market with the most generic shinogi-zukuri (鎬造り) blade geometry on a tight budget that check all the boxes in the functionality department, but what about one with more complex blade geometries and one of a kind hilt fittings? Enter the Surudoi katana by Romance of Men, a budget-minded offering that sports a rarer unokubi-zukuri (meaning heron's beak in Japanese) blade that has a prominent distal taper (from 7.6mm down to 4.2mm before the swelling up of the thickness at the tip), the two fullers and the beveled spine on the upper portion of the blade reduce a lot of mass, resulting in the most lively katana I've used, while being rather lightweight too, coming in at just over 1000g (2.2 lbs).The edge bevel is one flat grind from the secondary fuller (so-hi) to the edge, which is a v-shaped wedge that has minimal edge angles therefore increases the cutting potential. But being made of mono-tempered spring steel, it's quite durable too. You will see me doing some abusive tests in this review and found it rather resilient against lateral bending, and edge deformation. The koshirae components are also of one-of-a-kind designs with a strong central motif. All the hilt parts are tightly assembled, except for a couple of minor flaws. All in all, I found it pleasantly surprising to have a compelling offer at the asking price of $155. I strongly recommend this sword to practitioners, cutting enthusiasts and collectors alike.Sword reviewed:romanceofmen.com/products/the-surudoi-handmade-katana-extra-sharp-spring-steel-unokubi-zukuri?variant=42839116775614Background music:Dues Ex: Mankind Divided soundtracksLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth soundtracks
Angus Trim Type XIIIb.3 Arming Sword Review & Test Cutting ft. @UnsheathedSwordReviews Kane Shen 2024-06-30 | The Angus Trim Type XIIIb.3 I picked up from Gus last weekend with my pals Vic and Jon at @UnsheathedSwordReviews, after some incredible time with him chatting about swords and cutting tatami mats with a number of sword friends. An absolutely outstanding sword with some of the best handling for a cut-centric sword one can possible hope for. Starting at 50.4mm (over 2") wide at the base, with a very subtle profile taper and a huge amount of distal taper, it weighs 2.16 lbs (972g) with a 30" blade. A hexagonal cross section in the bottom half of the blade where it the edges of the central facet flank the twin-fuller, and gradually transitions to a full lenticular cross section on the very thin upper portion of the blade, where you can see very well in the close up shot of the blade. You would think that a blade thin as a paper at the foible would be floppy, but it is actually rather rigid.Victor Suriano and Jon Hartz and I filmed the collaborative review of this sword at Vic's place for both Unsheathed Sword Reviews and my channel. All 5 of us had so much fun cutting with this sword, especially the ladies who did some false-edge double-cuts so clean that the lower halves of the bottles were left unspoiled and standing--not easy for anyone with even true edge double-cuts, let alone false edge cuts. I broke down the sword's historical inspiration, handling traits, and fit & finish thoroughly in this video with abundant 4K close-up footage, please also head to @UnsheathedSwordReviews channel and check out some of the unique takes and a direct comparison with another Atrim model of Oakeshott type XIIIb owned by Vic.Alternative takes at Unsheathed Sword Reviews:youtu.be/isafa_6Joz4?si=3g1fDyutdyaRDldyLegendary sword maker Angus Trim:facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057679170687Vic and Jon's experience with Gus when they picked up the Atrim falchion: youtu.be/-AVHDsy-vjI?si=JF3UWjUjLkg0cSFeVic & Jon's review of my Atrim Type XVIIIb.16youtube.com/watch?v=Gz03a6fS_qEBackground music:Heroes of Might & Magic III soundtracksElder Scrolls: Skyrim soundtracks00:00 Introduction00:50 Road to Commission03:30 Typology04:24 Comparison with a Type X06:45 Comparison with a Type XII10:54 Handling15:35 Comparison with Atrim XIIIb.1018:36 Test Cutting26:47 The Atrim Experience33:54 Comparison with the Albion Sovereign35:50 Fit & Finish43:27 Conclusion
3 Ultra-Curved Cloudhammer Katanas Review - Deep Sori Japanese Swords Made of Japanese Super Steel Kane Shen 2024-06-07 | Many thanks to John Kang of @rvakatana for sending three katana of different degree of sori (curvature from the base to the tip of the blade on nihonto). I have done some extensive testing with these three swords, and examined their handling, durability, and fit and finish. You can see the one with the navy blue leather ito has the greatest degree of sori but more evenly distributed. The one with the black ito has a more differentially distributed sori, with the more pronounced curvature in the bottom 1/3 of the blade and the transition to the tang, resulting in a deeply curved grip, mostly found on koto ("古刀/old saber") period of Japanese swords starting from the late Heian period/平安時代末期. The one with the brown leather ito has a more standard sori without any bo-hi (fuller), but standing next to a Tang Dynasty Chinese dao (also prevalent in Nara period/奈良時代 and early Heian period/平安時代前半は of Japan), it can still be observed to have a noticeable sori. In this video, we will take a look at the evolution of Japanese swords' profiles and geometries to evaluate the historicity of these three swords.RVA Katana Shop out of Richmond VA: rva-katana.comCloudhammer Steelworks, maker of these three swords: cloudhammerforge.comCloudhammer Steelworks owner profile on Facebook for contact:facebook.com/profile.php?id=100053389541588@KF1 Youtube Channel:youtube.com/@KF1Background Music:Yakuza 0, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth soundtracks00:00 Intro01:22 The Maker02:24 History of Deeply Curved Katana07:25 Curved Blade vs Straight Blade14:12 Test Cutting20:01 Durability Tests23:10 Handling26:20 Steel/Heat Treatment29:24 Fit & Finish48:54 Unique Geometries of Thinner Spine50:29 Saya/Scabbards51:14 Conclusions
Ottoman Turkish Kilij from the 15th century First Cuts, Made by Peserey Handicrafts In Turkey #sword Kane Shen 2024-05-26 | I just received this 15th century Ottoman Turkish kilij sword made by Peserey Handicrafts In Turkey. It weighs only 765 grams (1.7 lbs) with a 28.6" blade, and a good amount of distal taper from 6mm to 2mm to offset the swelling in the profile at the yelmen. Even with a point of balance of 7" (18 cm) from the hilt, it feels wonderfully in the hand with very fast cuts and precise thrusts. You will notice that 15th century kilij did not yet feature the iconic curvature in the blade as 17/18 the century kilij. Formal review of this sword in 4K resolution is coming this summer!
Medieval Weapon Tests Gone Horribly Wrong @KentuckyBallistics Part 2 #medievalweapon #swords Kane Shen 2024-04-22 | The part 2 of a brief response video to @KentuckyBallistics (very entertaining channel) who released a recent video of testing various medieval "weapons" (actually just toys and props, and very poorly made ones--even in prop standards) on an anatomically correct ballistic dummy under modern ballistic body armor and helmet. The weapons used, the methodology and conclusions are all completely wrong, even though it was a very entertaining video to watch. Part 1 of this video is in the related link, and here youtube.com/shorts/thsuDRQvXpo
Medieval Weapon Tests Gone Horribly Wrong @KentuckyBallistics #medievalweapon #swords #warhammer Kane Shen 2024-04-22 | The part 1 of a brief response video to @KentuckyBallistics (very entertaining channel) who released a recent video of testing various medieval "weapons" (actually just toys and props, and very poorly made ones--even in prop standards) on an anatomically correct ballistic dummy under modern ballistic body armor and helmet. The weapons used, the methodology and conclusions are all completely wrong, even though it was a very entertaining video to watch. Part 2 of this video is in the related link, and here youtube.com/shorts/RdAd9m4RMt0
Spring Sakura Katana Review and Test Cutting by Nikki - Dragon King #katana #samuraisword Kane Shen 2024-04-19 | @nikkishen heads the review of the Spring Sakura katana by Dragon King, which is an offshoot of the sword company Hanwei. and inherited Hanwei’s many traditions when it comes down to swordmaking.The Spring Sakura katana has the sakura theme is woven throughout the design of the hilt. Instead of the typical sakura-themed tsuba that has perforations or gold paints to depict a mass of flowers and sometimes even cherry tree branches, this tsuba fashions a single sculpted blossom instead, and has a lot of 3-dimensionality in its form–rather than the most typical flat disk. The edges of the petals and even the stamens are crisply defined. The petals curve slightly upward towards the direction of the blade, and the thickness tapers by following the forms of the petal. On the side that faces the wielder, even the sepals that are the small leafy parts cradling the corolla are depicted geometrically.This sakura tsuba is one of the most unique tsuba designs I have seen, as it defines the look and feel of the sword as a whole. It has a blackened matte finish to match the fuchi-kashira, and looks quite striking in contrast to the silver seppa and habaki, which in turn mirror the color of the silver menuki pair that also portray a mass of cherry blossom.The fuchi kashira on this sword is a set that happily lets other hilt components take the spotlight, and adopt more streamlined designs. The pair of kashira-gane are also made of silver. I like that the overall design of the hilt has emphasis, and directs your eyes to certain parts, while not overwhelmingly busy.The tsukamaki is done competently, with tight alternating knots, and even squares. The color has a very distinctive carmine shade with a very subtle purple tint. The ito goes very flush with the fuchi and the kashira with no ledge or overlapping.The genuine samegawa panels are inlaid into the tsuka core. However the tsuka is bulky like many Hanwei and DK models, starting at 4cm at the fuchi, and tapers to 3.5cm at the kashira. Unlike some Hanwei and DK swords which have wide but thin tsuka, this one has a regular thickness, which makes it a bit too big to grab onto. Overall, the hilt is still well done with a balanced and tasteful design that’s not overly gaudy.The distinctive hilt design is not to diminish the merits of the blade. It has a very typical shinogi-zukuri blade geometry, of an average length of 28" blade length with the habaki included, which leaves a nagasa of 2.25 shaku. It has a very modest degree of curvature (2cm sori), and there is no bo-hi to lighten the blade. Both the profile taper and distal taper are very evenly done throughout the blade. With a thirty-three percent profile taper and thirty percent distal taper, it feels like a very average Edo period katana. When mounted, the sword weighs 2.4 lbs (1110g), with the PoB at 5.5" (14cm) from the tsuba. When swung, it feels like an authoritative sword, with medium agility.The blade has a smooth mirror polish as no fancy hazuya polish is needed to highlight any metallurgical fact on this mono-steel through-hardened blade. It is made of tried-and-true 5160 spring steel, and tempered to a mono-hardness of 57. So that’s slightly softer than the edges on traditionally made nihonto, but still quite hard to keep an edge well enough, while not being as brittle. Unlike Hanwei, which is well known for using different exotic steels, such as wootz, L6, S7 and K120C Swedish powder steel, Dragon King only offers blades made out of folded steel, differentially hardened T10 tool steel, and 5160 spring steel. While the Tenga-fubu katana has a nice hamon from the clay-tempering of the T10 tool steel, this Spring Sakura’s blade doesn’t have any hamon or hada, which is fine. I like how straightforward and unpretentious it is, and modern steels–when heat treated correctly–are more durable in any event. The edge bevel is one flat grind from the shinogi-ji to the ha without any niku.The saya following Dragon King’s tradition, offers buffalo horn koiguchi and kojiri, but not any metal furniture. Unlike the Tenga-fubu’s saya that features a horn kurigata, this one only has a wooden kurikata, but it is affixed to the saya and has lacquer painted over, and features a pair of silver shitedome that’s glued in. Other than that, it’s a very standard and simple saya with black lacquer and black sageo.It handles light targets with ease, though not necessarily with as much grace as some of our lighter and faster katanas. The fit and finish of the mounting is excellent, with tight assembly showing almost no gap between components anywhere. Nevertheless, I can certainly recommend it to people who enjoy the sakura theme, though it might be a more interesting sword if you can remount the hilt onto a less generic blade.Sword in question: casiberia.com/product/spring-sakura-katana/sd35190BGM:Mizuki - Bad SnacksEvolution - Dead or Alive 2The Shooted - Dead or Alive 2
Fortune Favours the Bold Motion Captured Animation Asset Pack for Unreal Marketplace Kane Shen 2024-04-14 | Product available for purchase on Unreal Engine Marketplace: unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/fortune-favours-the-bold-motion-captured-animation-pack© 2024 AUDENTES FORTUNA JUVAT AUT INVENIAM VIAM AUT FACIAM - FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BOLD and related logos are registered trademarks of West Coast Interactive Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All Rights Reserved.This asset pack contains motion-captured (Noitom Perception Neuron 3) realistic animations including rapier, sidesword and shield techniques, general sword actions, interactions with tables and chairs, from our video game project Fortune Favours the Bold, for general public use. It is available for purchase for Unreal Engine 4.27 and 5.3 on Epic Unreal Engine Marketplace.List of assets included:- 31 rapier animations including various thrusts, cuts, parry, riposte and action combos from motion captures that follow 16th and 17th century rapier treatises, using a realistically-weighted sharp rapier recreated from a late 16th century original housed at Metropolitan Museum;- 13 sword and shield animations including historically accurate and realistic attacks and defensive maneuvers that utilize the shield the provide active cover for both the torso and the sword arm during offense, from motion captures that follow historical sword and shield/buckler treatises, using a realistically-weighted sharp recreation of a 13th century arming sword, and a realistically-weighted steel buckler.- 5 sword-related actions including inspecting the edges, sharpening the edges, examining the blade, general flourish, and reading the blade to assume a fencing stance;- 3 motion-captured animations interacting with a table--best for strategizing actions;- 11 motion-captured animations interacting with a chair, including sitting down, sitting in multiple postures to express the stances, and performing various gestures;- Mesh, material, and texture of a late 16th century Milanese rapier with Norman Type 72 hilt composed of a mushroom shaped pommel chased with vertical ribs and grooves. This model is provided by the Oakeshott Institute by 3d-scanning a genuine antique in their collection, with the Creative Commons Attribution license. If you decide to incorporate this model or transform it in any way, you are obligated to attribute credits to the Oakeshott Institute;- Mesh, material and texture of an early 16th century Venetian Infantry Sidesword modeled by leeeck, with the Creative Commons Attribution license. If you decide to incorporate this model or transform it in any way, you are obligated to attribute credits to leeeck;- Mesh, material, and texture of the Parade Shield of King Erik XIV of Sweden, provided by The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren) by 3d-scanning the authentic artifact in their collection, with the Creative Commons Attribution license. If you decide to incorporate this model or transform it in any way, you are obligated to attribute credits to The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren);- Mesh, material, and texture of a wooden table with marble inlaid top from Rome, Italy. Now located in Medieval & Renaissance (Room 62), The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The model is provided by artfletch licensed under Creative Commons Attribution. If you decide to incorporate this model or transform it in any way, you are obligated to attribute credits to artfletch;- Mesh, material, and texture of a chair modeled by eucocker licensed under Creative Commons Attribution. If you decide to incorporate this model or transform it in any way, you are obligated to attribute credits to eucocker;Mesh, material and texture of an anatomically correct human model to showcase all the animations in this pack.@NOITOMMOCAP Perception Neuron 3: neuronmocap.comShowcase recorded with a standard male model by Reallusion iClone 7 (with 3DXChange 7 Pipeline): reallusion.comSaxony German Rapier reproduction by @lkchen4706: lkchensword.com/saxony-german-rapier-1Albion Sovereign 13th century arming sword reproduction: albion-swords.com/product/the-sovereignAngus Trim designed Kingston Arms Type XIV arming sword reproduction: casiberia.com/resource/kingston-arms/336The Oakeshott Institute: http://oakeshott.org3D modeler leeeck: sketchfab.com/leeeckThe Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren): sketchfab.com/TheRoyalArmoury3D modeler artfletch: sketchfab.com/artfletch3D modeler eucocker: sketchfab.com/eucockerBackground music:Rise of the Heroes - Sascha Ende1000 Lichter - Sascha EndeReturn of the Heroes - Sascha Ende00:00 Introduction00:19 Rapier Animations05:02 Sword & Shield Animations07:05 Sword Maintenance Actions07:36 Chair & Table Interactions
Cutting with the Best Entry-Level Longsword - Hanwei Tinker Longsword Customized by @MatthewCross2 Kane Shen 2024-03-24 | Did some initial #sword #cutting (6 basic cuts + 5 master cuts from German #longsword fencing traditions) using a custom longsword lovingly crafted by sword friend @MatthewCross2 by taking a Hanwei Tinker longsword blade with custom crossguard and wheel pommel, and a wood core grip he made with leather wrap (cord impression + risers) on top. The sword is harmonically balanced, borne of swordsmith Michael Tinker Pearce's design. A detailed review is scheduled for this summer!
European Sword Maker Tier List - Ultimate Sword Buying Guide 2nd Half, Collab with @Matthew_Jensen Kane Shen 2024-03-21 | First half of this tier list: youtube.com/watch?v=GtU538dVFGwPer senior sword reviewer Matthew Jensen's invitation, I am ranking the major makers of European swords (historical, and historically-inspired fantasy and modern ones) in a tier list. @alientude (youtube.com/watch?v=jMn5ZLkbNC0) and @Matthew_Jensen (youtube.com/watch?v=W3R-BBMOm54) have both done their own tier list and we have also ranked Japanese sword makers in a live stream video (youtube.com/watch?v=UhV1nGYmESg). This is the 2nd half of the makers.Makers:00:00 Introduction04:22 Kvetun Armory05:47 Landsknecht Emporium08:52 Lightsword Jindřich Figura09:12 Living History Market10:47 LK Chen17:08 Lonely Wolf Forge - Wes Beem19:57 Longship Armoury20:33 Lukas Mästle-Goer21:23 Lyndle Driggers23:44 The Art of Swordmaking - Maciej Kopciuch01:02:24 Malleus Martialis01:03:12 Marshall Suttles01:04:05 Mateusz Sulowski01:07:41 Michael Tinker Pearce01:08:46 Nicholas Cochiolo01:10:23 Owen Bush01:11:02 Paul Binns01:12:25 Pavel Moc01:14:06 Peter Johnsson01:15:46 Purna Darnal01:26:50 Regenyei Armory01:28:03 Reichhardt Swords01:28:50 Ronin Katana01:39:16 Scorpion Swords01:41:19 Starfire Creations01:44:45 Lockwood Swords01:48:27 Sterling Armory01:51:46 Swordier01:52:33 Sabersmith01:54:03 Tod's Workshop01:56:49 Tod Cutler02:00:42 Universal Swords02:03:46 Valiant Armoury02:10:12 Viktor Berbekucz02:14:24 Vince Evans02:15:12 Vladimir Cervenka02:15:51 Windlass Steelcrafts02:28:26 Royal Armouries Collection by Windlass02:34:34 Winter Cutlery02:35:13 Zombie ToolsHonorable Mentions02:37:37 Patrick Barta02:37:52 Forja Fontenla02:38:06 Florian Fortner02:38:21 Winburn Steel02:38:37 Outro
European Sword Maker Tier List - Ultimate Sword Buying Guide, Collab with @Matthew_Jensen 1st Half Kane Shen 2024-03-07 | This is the 1st half of the makers, the 2nd half of this list can be viewed here youtu.be/4Q9XH7FJOxY.Per senior sword reviewer Matthew Jensen's invitation, I am ranking the major makers of European swords (historical, and historically-inspired fantasy and modern ones) in a tier list. @alientude (youtube.com/watch?v=jMn5ZLkbNC0) and @Matthew_Jensen (youtube.com/watch?v=W3R-BBMOm54) have both done their own tier list and we have also ranked Japanese sword makers in a live stream video (youtube.com/watch?v=UhV1nGYmESg). Makers:00:00 Introduction01:16 Albion04:06 Angus Trim13:14 Arms & Armor20:11 Angel Sword26:08 Art of Fire and Iron27:27 Balaur Arms33:11 BKS38:32 Black Fencer40:15 Badger Blades41:20 Brian Kerce42:27 Carlos Cordeiro42:47 Castle Keep43:56 Cloudhammer Steelworks46:03 Cold Steel54:27 Crown Forge55:03 Damian Sulowski56:26 Darksword Armory01:09:51 Darkwood Armory01:10:53 Deepeeka01:14:45 Del Tin01:17:01 Dynasty Forge01:19:02 Elgur01:19:45 Ensifer01:21:00 Fable Blades01:22:46 Fabrice Cognot01:24:11 Gael Fabre01:25:13 Hanwei01:30:25 Honshu01:34:55 In'Carius Craft01:37:42 Jeffrey Robinson01:38:45 James Elmslie01:39:42 John Lundemo01:40:51 Josh Davis01:41:31 KC Lund01:41:56 Kingdom of Arms01:44:30 Kingston Arms01:47:53 Krieger Historical#sword #longsword #medieval #historical #swordmaking
Katana Makers Tier List of 2024 by Sword Experts@Matthew_Jensen @alientude @dlatrexswords @JoeSteel1 Kane Shen 2024-02-25 | I like the idea of telling people that I'm not a weeb and I'm primarily focusing on European and Chinese swords, but this is hard to explain away. Yesterday I was invited to a live stream (youtube.com/live/UhV1nGYmESg?si=nNutvIPqutcHnl7L) kindly hosted by our one and only connoisseur Matthew Jensen along with a number of other reviewers including Alientude, Andy Johnston and Joe Steel to chime in on a 2024 tier list of all the active katana makers. I took the time to get all of my Japanese swords out, including the swords from foreign origins that inspired Japanese swordmaking since the Antiquity, historical swords inspired by contemporary Japanese swords, and katana-inspired swords made in the End-times to fight off hordes of undead roaming the land.It's a wonderfully instructive video especially for newer people who want to enter the market and have the needs to know most of the active players on the market, but I was horrified by the number of Japanese swords and adjacent swords I currently have, including the ones I bought in an intoxicated state😆 and the ones graciously sent to me by incredibly kind people in the industry. I am actually quite grateful to be part of all this, and I think I have been spoiled. Check out that live stream video on Matthew Jensen's channel and feel free to chime in. We are also planning on a similar tier list of European sword makers. #sword #katana #japanesesword #swordmaking #swordmaker
Ultra Broad Blade Katana for Row Cut Tameshigiri Review and Test Cutting, DMC Yamato by Ryan Sword Kane Shen 2024-02-24 | This is the review of a custom specialty katana for tatami row tameshigiri challenges. Starting at a whopping 50.1mm motohaba as the width at the base, the blade is 60-80% wider than the average katana. Historically some of the rare specimens of these wide-bladed katana existed. Today shinsakuto like this are made in Japan for tameshigiri demonstrations at festivals and All-Japan Iaido Batto-do cutting competitions hosted at the Meiji Jingu Shrine annually. This particularly example designed by Brother Nathaniel and custom made by Ryan Sword has a spine tapered back from the shinogi-ji in thickness to reduce the weight, so while the thickness and distal taper at the shinogi-ji is typical for a katana from 7.2mm as motokasane down to 5.1mm as sakikasane, the mune tapers from 6mm to 3mm on its own. The sword has a 28.6" blade (27.2" nagasa) comes in at 1496 grams (3 lbs 4.76 oz)--quite hefty for its size, but with a point of balance of 6.25", it does a lot of the work for the user in tameshigiri challenges on a huge mass of tatami mats, such as a row of 7 mats. The ultra wide blade not only introduces extra mass, but drastically reduces the edge angle on the top portion of the blade to 10-12 degrees, which makes friction almost non-existent when the blade passes through targets.I did some test cutting on a ballistic gelatin human thigh analog with a wooden dowel in the center--thicker than triple tatami mat roll, but denser and more resistant. The sword sailed through that without me even feeling the impact. Although being a heavy sword, it's still maneuverable so you can redirect the blade to attempt some double-cuts or even triple-cuts, but I showed how much slower it is comparing to a katana of average size and weight.It is differentially hardened with a wide and bold hamon that has the edge tempered to 60 HRC, and the spine at higher 40 HRC. This is a fearsome specialty cutter tailor-made for cutting massive chunk of soft mass. John of RVA-Katana already contacted me to take the design of Brother Nathaniel for a model of specialty cutting sword made by Cloudhammer Steelworks, probably with S5 shock steel or SX105V Japanese tool steel. Stay tuned!#katana #nihonto #japanesesword #tameshigiri #sword #saber #swordreviews Designer Brother Nathaniel / The Levin Lance's YouTube channel @thelevinlance6566 , you can find the contact information in the "about" section of his channel page.Maker Ryan Sword website: ryansword.com
Tang Dynasty Zhanmadao (Horse-Cleaving Saber) Cutting - LK Chen 陳立楷 唐代斬馬刀/陌刀 #sword #chinesesword Kane Shen 2024-02-09 | Test cutting using the Tang Dynasty Zhan Ma Dao (Horse-Cleaving Saber) made by LK Chen on a ballistic gelatin human thigh analog with bone analog and 22" (56 cm) circumference, which is larger, denser and more difficult than a quadrable tatami mat roll with a wooden dowel in the center.Mo Dao or Zhan Ma Dao are a class of large two-handed swords used all the way from Han Dynasty to Song Dynasty. This variation is reproduced based on an archeological find in Sichuan, China. They were often used by champions or specialist units trained from recruits of impressive physiques. The name indicates the capability of cleaving even warhorses cleanly in half, and were often recorded to take out several opponents with one swing by the wielder in historical records such as the Six Classics of Tang, and the New Chronicles of Tang.
Cloudhammer Deep Sori Katana Test Cutting - Extremely Curved Sword Review Coming Soon #sword #katana Kane Shen 2024-01-31 | 4K full review: youtube.com/watch?v=v4iCLitArIUTest cutting and preview of some of the footage in the formal review of 3 katana with deep sori, graciously sent by @rvakatana. 3 swords with 3 different curvatures, as seen juxtaposed to some other katanas with regular sori and one Tang dynasty Chiense dao with a straight blade.
Ultra Broad Katana For Tatami Row Cutting Challenges Preview - Custom Devil May Cry Yamato Sword Kane Shen 2024-01-20 | This is a preview of the custom specialty katana for tatami row tameshigiri challenges. Starting at over 50mm motohaba as the width at the base, the blade is 60-80% wider than the average katana. These nihonto are made in Japan for tameshigiri demonstrations at festivals and All-Japan Iaido Batto-do cutting competitions hosted at the Meiji Jingu Shrine annually. An upcoming review has been scheduled for the detailed review of this katana.
Japanese/Chinese Hybrid Sword Cutting - LK Chen Wo Yao Dao (Japanese Blade + Chinese Hilt #katana ) Kane Shen 2024-01-04 | The test cutting portion of the upcoming review of the LK Chen Wo Yao Dao, a reproduction of Ming Dynasty antique dao, which has a tamahagane blade imported from Japan, rehilted with Chinese style fittings (common practice in the 15th/16th century). Although having a rather long 32.5" blade for a katana, it's repurposed as a single-handed sword with a short grip to suit local Chinese usage. Detailed review in 4K resolution is coming soon.Sword used: LK Chen Wo Yao Dao (倭腰刀 陳立楷 製)lkchensword.com/wo-yao-daoBackground music:多情劍客無情劍 - 小李飛刀 原聲音軌 Soundtrack by 昱泉國際
A Rapier that Cuts Better than a Two-handed Greatsword? LK Chen Saxony German Military Rapier Review Kane Shen 2023-12-31 | Can rapiers cut? With some rare exceptions, they can cut to certain extents. Can a rapier cut potentially better than a two-handed greatsword/zweihander/montante? Most can't, but this Saxony rapier by LK Chen can. Even though carrying the long slender blade and swept-hilt associated with the images of rapiers, its 40" blade isn't typical in the blade width--coming in at 36mm at the base (60-100% boarder than the stereotypical thrust-focused rapiers), with a hollow ground diamond cross section. It also has the correct base thickness (7.6mm) and distal tapering (from 7.6mm at the base down to 4.1mm at midpoint and 2.2mm near the tip).Properly made rapiers like this are exceedingly are on the reproduction market. The majority are SCA-rated floppers that can be bent into a C-curl with minimal force, which make them unable to do any meaningful cut OR thrust, I showed a Windlass Christus Imperat rapier which starts at a laughable 4.7mm and tapers to 4mm--completely wrong mass distribution to handle like a telephone pole and flops like a noodle (sorry, Windlass, retire your old models, and pay the experts like Matt Easton to supply you with the correct stats and for proper designs).The LK Chen Saxony rapier (or rather a Renaissance military sword, or long-bladed sidesword) has the scientific mass distribution thanks to the profile and distal taper plus the cross section, so that at the foible of the blade, it only carries less than 15% of the mass of the base. The result is an extremely nimble and precise sword for thrusts and wrist-powered rapier snap cuts. Experts and reviewers such as @scholagladiatoria @Skallagrim and @UnsheathedSwordReviews has told us as much, and my extensive test cutting on targets of different toughness confirms that. But the true potential unleashed by cuts with bigger wind-up after parrying truly shocked me.I tested cuts on a 15% ballistic gelatin human thigh analog with a wooden dowel. The target has a 18" circumference, basically equals to a triple tatami-mat roll, but even more resistant. The Saxony rapier easily cut through the target time and again, especially zipped through the wooden dowel like a laser. Now I have tested the Albion Maximilian--a late 15th century Germanic two-handed sword and a renowned cutting sword when properly sharpened--on a ballistic gel thigh analog that's 20% thicker, and it could only cut 80% through, while the wooden dowel suffered some tearing.This proves that this cut-and-thrust rapier by LK Chen cuts definitively better than the renowned Albion Maximilian, without a doubt. These cuts I used are not typical rapier cuts, but considering this was modeled after a military rapier original housed at Metropolitan Museum, you can probably launch these big cuts from horseback, or as a riposte after a successful parry. The potentially is there, and you have to ask how come a one-handed sword famed to be more about thrusting can cut this well. I would contribute it to the amazing hollow ground edge geometry, the proper rigidity, the extreme terminal tip velocity of this long blade, and the ease to reach it due to the mass distribution. Note that it comes in at 2.7 lbs (1280 grams) with a 40" blade and 46.5" overall length. The blade is 1" shorter than the two-handed Maximilian but the overall weight is only half as much. Again I'm not talking about the impact of swings, just the raw damage to large chunk of organic material.It's not a surprise that it penetrates deeply with its thrusts. You feel a strong connection with the point of the blade even though the tip is 40" (over a meter) away from your hand. When I compare it to my Albion Kingmaker--a mid-15th century arming sword with a 32" type XVIII blade, they handle similarly, to my surprise.The swept-hilt, the grooved pommel and the writhen grip with steel wire wrap and turks head knot are closely modelled after the original Saxony sword at the Met, and they are well implemented, and well shaped. My only gripe is the surface on the pommel and especially the swept-hilt. They are sand-blasted, which does not emulate the antiqued look on surviving examples at all, especially with the dull grey color of the stainless steel. There are a few spots of casting not cleaned off properly, but this is probably due to the sword being the first prototype, as subsequent batches shipped seem to have been fixed. I recommend well-polished mild steel fittings with a blackened finish on future batches. It's only due to this minor issue that I cannot give it a 10 out of 10, yet still this without a doubt remains my top recommended model of 2023!lkchensword.com/saxony-german-rapier-117th century German music background - Robert Hill. youtube.com/@RobertHillearlymusicReview by @UnsheathedSwordReviews youtube.com/watch?v=2DqoFeq5wQACutting comparison to a saber @Skallagrim youtube.com/shorts/d8oY0q_vbJEMatt Easton: youtube.com/watch?v=NWLXct4YWUA
When a Rapier Cuts Better than Two-handed Greatswords! LK Chen Saxony German Military Rapier Cutting Kane Shen 2023-12-25 | I was literally stunned by this new Saxony German military rapier by LK Chen. After watching reports by @Skallagrim and @UnsheathedSwordReviews, I expected this rapier to cut well, given its broad blade (for a rapier), excellent distal taper and refined edge bevel. Yet still, it managed to shock with its smooth cutting performance on a number of different targets, especially on the 15% ballistic gelatin human thigh analog complete with a wooden dowel in the center to simulate bone! It sheared through the target time and again like a lightsaber, so much so that it cut even better than my Albion Maximilian--an early Renaissance two-handed sword! Review coming very soon!
Great Gurkha Khukuri Cut through Bone Like Butter, Modern Blade Grind Wins! Tactical Kukri Design Kane Shen 2023-12-23 | This tactical khukuri of modern designs by Brother Nathaniel (The Levin Lance) and hand forged by Purna Darnal of Great Gurkha Khukuri. Being a khukuri-smith by trade, Purna is at home executing this design by Nate, which incorporates modern elements such as full width exposed tang, one-piece steel hilt with a D-guard and quillons, full-concave bevel grind from the spine to the edge to a timeless classic blade design that is the Nepalese Gurkha khukuri.The blade takes full advantage of the signature forward curve and broadening profile of traditional khukuris, so that at the broadest part of the 14" long blade it's 60mm (2.4") wide and less than 3mm thick at the spine, with the concave grind and the deep bevel, a large portion of the blade above the edge remains as thin as a sheet of ice. Meanwhile the distal taper from 7.6mm at the base down to 1.8mm at the tip makes this khukuri very fast and nimble. It can accelerate like a short sword instead of an axe, but the forward curve make it hack deeply into the target, and when the user draws the blade out as the last natural motion of the slash, the backward curve near the tip causes more slicing to the target to further damage it. Overall the length is 20" (50 cm) while the weight is 700g (1.54 lbs).I did extensive cutting on a pork shoulder under layers of cloth, and it sheared through the thick shoulder blade bone like butter, not to mention the deep and wide wound left on the flesh. Needless to say, it cuts bottles effortlessly. I also chopped some fallen trees in a rainforest. The top half on the blade sank entirely into the log, and the edge suffered no dulling whatsoever. However, it did suffered one minor deformation when I chopped through the shoulder blade in the pork, though that didn't prevent subsequent cuts to chop through the bone again. As far as I can tell, this small deformation does not impede the cutting capacity of the khukuri.Overall, I would say that this experimental bevel grind on a khukuri pays off, though there's bit of a tradeoff between performance and durability. Obviously Purna offers hundreds of custom khukuri designs and most of which have durable convex grind or apple-seeding near the edge to enhance their durability.The modern hilt design is also extremely ergonomic, and the contour makes it beautiful to behold. The added handguard make the khukuri safer to do thrusting with than traditional ones. Thrusting went quite well on soft targets given the false edge enhances the tip penetrative ability. The less pronounced curvature makes the blade align better with the direction of thrust by the user. The excellent mass distribution makes the thrusts rather quick and precise. Though the khukuri design is more of a chopper than a thruster.As per usual, Purna's blade comes with a well made wood core scabbard, with some basic tooling on the leather wrapping. The retention is already excellent, while the unsheathing is smooth, but he added an extra buckle across the quillon to further secure the blade when sheathed.If you value cutting performance above everything else, this khukuri is easily recommended. However, minor modifications such as the edge geometries and spine curvatures are also possible if you contact the maker or the designer. Maker Great Gurkha Khukuri (@greatgurkhakhukuri-ggk3533) website and social media:greatgurkhakhukuri.comfacebook.com/purnadarnal2015youtube.com/@greatgurkhakhukuri-ggk3533The designer Brother Nathaniel (@thelevinlance6566) can be contacted at facebook.com/NateSilyoutube.com/@thelevinlance6566
Most Lethal and Oversized Bowie Knife? The Ultra Heretic MK.II by Brother Nathaniel / Purna Darnal Kane Shen 2023-12-15 | The Ultimate Bowie Knife--Ultra Heretic Mk.II designed by brother Nate Sil (@thelevinlance6566) hand-forged, hand-crafted by Purna Darnal. Featuring a 14.75" (37.4 cm) long blade (20.1" or 51 cm overall length) with aggressive hollow ground geometry from the spine to the edge, and a pronounced distal taper from 7.4 mm at the base, 4.5 mm at midpoint to 1.7 mm at 1" from the tip. Extremely lively at 621g (1.37 lbs) and a point of balance of 1.6" (4 cm) from the guard.Brass guard with the sea-dragon motif, the dragon head forms the upswept quillon to help binding with the opponent's blade, the writhen dragon body forms the D-guard on the knuckle bow, and the tail forms the pommel with a hot peened tang. The torso of the dragon also forms the grip with scale pattern and a belly for an ergonomic palm-swell design, the dragon wing constitutes the brass bolster. There's the flame pattern of copper inlay directly under the dragon head on the ricasso to symbolize dragon-flame. On the spine of the blade there's copper inlaid inscription of the Lodge's motto.Featuring a wood-core scabbard with snake-skin patterned leather wrapping and brass buckles, fits the blade like a glove!It is truly the Magma Opus of Brother Nathaniel (The Levin Lance)'s knife design work. If you are interested in commissioning your own, you can contact Brother Nathaniel at facebook.com/NateSilModification such as simplified hilt are possible with the identical blade configurations.My review of the ultra performance-oriented bowie: youtube.com/watch?v=ZDSEIkUHwWsMy review of the huge bowie knife with detailed review of the history of bowie knives youtube.com/watch?v=zzevKGZ4KJkMaker's website: greatgurkhakhukuri.comBackground musicAlexander Film Soundtrack (Vangelis)TitansTender MemoriesOne Morning at Pella00:00 Visual Tour09:13 Test Cutting11:42 Pork Shoulder Cutting14:48 Final Conclusion
2200-Yr-Old Chinese Zweihander - LK Chen Striking Eagle Review w/ Ballistic Gel Human Analog Cutting Kane Shen 2023-12-08 | The Striking Eagle two-handed jian by LK Chen is an accurate reproduction of a 2200-year-old tomb find from the Mausoleum of King Zhao Mo. It has an impressive 41.5" (105.4 cm) blade and 59.2" (150.4 cm) overall length--almost identical in blade length to the Albion Maximilian late 15th century Germanic two-handed sword, but a hilt 5" longer. Shockingly, it weighs only half as much.It has an octagonal (8-faceted) cross section on the blade to have 3 ridges on each side of the blade to ensure its rigidity and durability. The profile has more pronounced tapering than typical Chinese jian, from 30.1 mm down to 14.7 mm, and quite a significant distal tapering from 7.3 mm thick at the base evenly down to 2.6 mm at 5 cm from the tip. Although quite lightweight at 1236g (2.7 lbs) for its size, and very nimble, both cut and thrust carry substantial authority thanks to the less pronounced hollow ground central facets on the octagonal cross section, comparing to the Roaring Dragon--another two-handed jian by LK Chen that's slightly shorter. In the review I compare them extensively.You will also see the Striking Eagle side-by-side with a typical late-period single-handed jian of a 28" blade, and next to the majestic Albion Maximilian, which the Striking Eagle shares a lot of traits with, such as the reach, and 8-faceted cross section, even the handling dynamics, despite only half as narrow, as made 1700 years prior.The cutting performance is spectacular considering its small mass. I was able to cleave a human thigh analog made of 15% ballistic gel with a central wooden dowel in half repeatedly. Comparing to European two-handed swords like the Albion Maximilian that I reviewed last month, this two-handed jian is significantly more cost-efficient in terms of energy expenditure.In the video, I also presented its extensive history from the Spring-and-Autumn and Warring-States period of the Zhou Dynasty, to later Qin and Han Dynasty. It bridges the gap between earlier-period bronze jian with octagonal cross sections and later-period jian of diamond cross sections. Being one of the first steel swords--especially of this size--made by mankind.#sword #swordreviews #chinesesword
LK Chen Striking Eagle 2000-Yr-Old Chinese #twohandedsword #sword Cutting Ballistic Gel Thigh Analog Kane Shen 2023-11-20 | The full review in 4K resolution: youtu.be/LQRIZ6bfiYo This is a reproduction by LK Chen of an excavated two-handed sword that's 150cm (5 feet) long. The original is the oldest archeological find of two-handed sword up to this point. It weighs only 2.7 lbs, about half the weight of a medieval/Renaissance European counterpart of two-handed sword or zweihander/montante/spadone.
Albion Maximilian Medieval Zweihander Review w/ Matthew Jensen Preview (4K Long Form in Description) Kane Shen 2023-11-12 | 4K full review: youtu.be/fadp1QTVDBoMatthew Jensen's version: youtu.be/9LOHW6geTbgThe Albion Maximilian is the premium reproduction of an early type of German two-handed sword. Although shorter than the stereotypical Renaissance zweihanders, and not yet featuring the complex hilt and the parrying lugs, these two-handed swords made in the late 15th century are already much larger than typical longswords and earlier grete swerdes of war. In this review, Matthew Jensen and I explore the historical context of its usage, and Emperor Maximilian I’s exploits to find the association between the characteristics of period warfare and this sword’s handling traits. It’s hefty and focuses on sweeping strikes in large arcs with continuous movement by utilizing the long blade’s reach, keeping unarmored opponents with pikes and lesser swords at bay.Of course, there’s extensive cutting, including one done on ballistic gel human thigh analog complete with skin and bone simulation. Both Jensen’s and my 4k reviews are linked in the description.
Albion Maximilian Zweihander Review w/ Matthew Jensen ft. Ballistic Gel Human Analog Test Cutting Kane Shen 2023-11-11 | It is to my utmost pleasure to present this collaborative review of the Albion Maximilian early zweihander two-handed greatsword with Matthew Jensen (youtu.be/9LOHW6geTbg), the OG sword reviewer on YouTube. In this video, Matthew and I explored the historical background and the evolution of late medieval and Renaissance Germanic two-handed swords, compared and contrasted their usage to a number of contemporary swords of various sizes, but also the grete swerdes of war that came before, and the larger 16/17th century Renaissance zweihanders/montante/spadone came later. We also did some extensive cutting on various targets including a home-made human thigh analog made of 15% gelatin to simulate muscle, inside milk jug to simulate skin, and a wooden dowel in the center to simulate bone. The results are impressive and thought-provoking!The Maximilian is one of the three models of late 15th/early 16th century two-handed swords of Germanic origins (the other two being the Tyrolean and the Archduke). Named after Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Empire Kaiser, a renowned warrior emperor, arms and armor aficionado, and the patriarch of House Habsburg, who established one of the greatest dynasty in European history, the Albion Maximilian is a design that takes inspirations from a number of late medieval / early Renaissance two-handed swords built in the Holy Roman Empire, with the broad blade with hexagonal cross section and multiple fullers to utilize the technology of fluting to enhance the strength and rigidity, but also writhen hilt furniture. We explore a bit of Maximilian I's numerous exploits including the battles he personally fought in to understand the context and usage of this sword, and contrast its handling characteristics to longswords of the same period, but grete swerdes of war from early centuries. We both find the sword to be a hefty beast that requires proper strength and significant training in two-handed sword techniques to fully realize the potential. I had some great success cutting with this sword that feels very different than the usual medieval longswords and arming swords, when I move with the flow of the hefty broad blade that tapers significantly distally, and slightly in the profile. It cuts light targets quite well, and with its sweeping strikes, cleaved the human thigh analog (more difficult to cut than a double tatami-mat according to people who has done extensive experiments) in half several times.I also sampled from Julian Schuetze (@HEMASimian), a HEMA practitioner and instructor, founder of the Historical Combat Collective, and high-level contestant of HEMA tournaments and cutting competitions, and Matthew Cross (@realswords2997), a sword collector, professional sharpener and hiltsmith. Both personally confirmed the Maximilian to be one of their favorites in terms of handling and cutting performance.The build quality and fit and finish is on par with Albion's usual, which is considered the Gold Standard in the industry. The hexagonal cross section with multiple fullers ensure the blade is rigid and strong, but the edge bevels have small angles and the sword to be somewhat tamed in weight. There's obviously enormous authority in the cuts still, and the large hilt provides ample gripping space to utilize the leverage, and although the grip is very girthy, its tapering still makes sure it's somewhat easy for hands to wrap around the entire grip. Matthew Jensen made some very astute assessment of the impact this specific pommel shape has on the handling compared to the Tyrolean.We agree that this is probably not the sword for an entry-level practitioner as the first sword, but for two-handed enthusiasts to practice cutting with a fearsome and hefty sword this is the perfect choice. Many thanks to Matthew Jensen again for this incredible collaborative effort. Make sure to check out the review on his channel @Matthew_Jensen Stats and Measurements:blade length: 41" (104.1cm)overall length: 55" (140cm)weight: 2388g (5.26 lbs)point of balance: 4.5" (11.4 cm) from the hiltDistal Taper (thickness of the blade):7.6mm at the base4.4mm at midpoint1.8mm at the tipProfile Taper (width of the blade):55mm at the base44mm at midpoint34mm at the tipBackground music:Warhammer Total War Empire soundtracksSkallagrim's Video shows Julian Schuetze's cutting:youtube.com/watch?v=cpoRtvKv9q4Oskar exploring zweihander counters to pikes:youtube.com/watch?v=f85DMBtNvxQArms and Armor experiment of swords cutting pike shafts:youtube.com/watch?v=I54vJQnafQ0Julian showcasing polearm techniques in Skallagrim:youtube.com/watch?v=lCQYChUaceM00:00 Intro01:25 Historical Background03:58 Usage10:59 Design Philosophy18:48 Thrusting vs Cutting20:40 Earlier Grete Swerdes of War23:50 Renaissance Zweihander28:58 Discussion with Matthew Jensen42:21 Test Cutting50:30 Fit & Finish56:23 Conclusion
Napoleonic Wars French Briquet vs Medieval English Wakefield Hanger, why they look & feel so similar Kane Shen 2023-10-07 | I compared an antique Napoleonic Wars French Briquet--also knowns as cutlass or hanger, an ubiquitous sidearm for general infantry and artillery troops in the early 19th century, to a late medieval English falchion commonly referred to as the Wakefield Hanger, reproduced by the Royal Armouries Collection.I was struck by the similarities between these two swords, despite being separated by three and a half centuries. The Wakefield hanger is a short sword of a 27" blade, being one of the first European swords to utilize a knuckle bow and the swept-up short quillon, while the Napoleonic Briquet has the D-guard with a very similar amount of hand protection. Their weights are similar, both around a pound and a half, extremely light and nimble. With essentially identical width at the base of the blade, the Wakefield Hanger has more profile taper on the upper portion of the blade, while the briquet features more distal taper overall from 7.4mm down to 1.7mm.Both share almost the identical role of being sidearms for the soldiers on foot. The Wakefield Hanger for the longbowmen, billmen, halberdiers and probably troops manning artilleries (medieval field guns), and the briquet for infantrymen wielding muskets and bayonets, and artillerymen. Warfare had evolved in centuries, but swords still fulfilled similar roles.
How Practical a 7-Pound Fantasy Longsword Can Be? The Harvester by The Levin Lance/Purna Darnal Kane Shen 2023-09-01 | How practical can an old-school over-the-top ultra-heavy fantasy longsword be! Enter the Harvester, a new Conan-ish sword designed by my bro Nate Sil that weighs 7 pounds, with a blade hand-forged, and all the fittings (including the lady's hands holding a rose on the ricasso and the unique wine cup symbol at the termination of the fuller) hand-sculpted, by Purna Darnal. In this full review we will explore its theme, the build quality, fit and finish and above all the handling and cutting/thrusting performance and see whether it attests to the theory that good mass distribution is the most important factor of maneuverability of a sword, instead of the sheer mass.The pommel is of a "scent-stopper" type but depicting a skull with copper inlaid into the frontal bone. It is surprisingly comfortable to hold onto, despite all the carved eye-socket and the teeth and the geometry of the jawbone. The crossguard has a sculpted skull at the termination of each quillon, with copper inlaid glowing eyes. On the eight-faceted quillon, there's copper inlay depicting a heart on a string over the blued steel. The center of the crossguard, the bolster below it and the central riser on the grip all have intricate carvings portraying a number of skulls trapped within rose vines--again with copper glowing eyes, of course.A 12.6mm thick (you did NOT read that wrong) ricasso forms the base of the blade, which has hand-sculpted lady's hands holding a rose, while blood dripping down from a wine cup through the narrow central fuller! Blood groove, indeed! The base of the blade is rather broad at 61.8mm, it has a gentle narrowing waist, and flares up again near the midpoint of the blade, reaching 62mm, which is much wider than 99% of the swords ever made in this portion of the blade. It then gently tapers down to the somewhat acute point, like many Oakeshott type XVIIIc blades, although not terminating to a needle point.The edge bevel has a LOT of muscle behind the edge with a strong convex geometry. The edge is well apexed.So the elephant in the room is how much it weighs. A whopping 3177 grams, which translates to 7 pounds even. How weighty a sword is really ties to your expectation of it relevant to the size. 7 lbs for a 6-foot-long Renaissance zweihander might feel relatively light given its impressive size. The size of this sword can be severely underestimated if you look at its length solely. 35.6" blade, and 47.2" overall. It's so gratuitously and crushingly heavy if you see it that way. But if you take the width, the colossal thickness into consideration (it does feature a lot of distal taper, at midpoint it has lost half of its thickness at 6.3mm, and near the tip it's down to 4mm), you probably wouldn't be caught off-guard by its monumental weightiness.It is almost exactly twice the weight of a medieval sword of the same reach, and many of Brother Nate Sil's previous longsword designs are in the ballpark of 3-4 lbs. This is squarely in the Conan and Warhammer territory.Soundtrack used:Conan Exiles Main Theme - Knut Avenstroup HaugenThe Killing Sands Conan Exiles OSTAnvil of Crom (Piano Version) - KM RamirezAnvil of Crom SYNTHWAVE COVER - Mega ReactsThe designer The Levin Lance/Brother Nathaniel:brothernathaniel666 (at) gmail (dot) comfacebook.com/NateSilMaster smith Purna Darnal (Great Gurkha Khukuri shop owner):facebook.com/purnadarnal2015greatgurkhakhukuri.com
Balaur Arms Alexandria Review Definitive Edition ft. Unsheathed Sword Reviews & Albion Principe Kane Shen 2023-08-18 | The Alexandria sword is the latest longsword/war sword offering by Balaur Arms as a collaborative effort between Kult of Athena and LK Chen, who is specialized in recreating Chinese swords based on antique originals but has gotten into reproducing medieval and Renaissance European swords. In this review, Vic and Jon of the Unsheathed Sword Reviews channel and I had quite a pleasant chat discussing all aspects of this sword and compared it to a number of other swords including the Albion Principe, the Angus Trim Type XVIIIb.16, Lockwood Hand-and-a-half Sword, and Ronin Euro the Harriet Dean Alexandria Sword.Contrast to the stereotypical broad yet thin blade with a gentle non-linear profile taper--categorized by Ewart Oakeshott as the Type XVIIIc, the Balaur Arms rendition starts out wide at 75mm (just under 3"), but tapers down linearly in profile resulting in a more triangular silhouette--similar to the specimen at Philadelphia Museum of Art, rather than the ones at Metropolitan Museum. However, it takes on other aspects such as the blade length (34.6") from the latter to be an amalgamation of several swords.On top of the more pronounced profile taper, it also tapers in thickness quite a lot. Having a subtle hollow ground geometry with a raised central ridge, it starts out at 6.3mm at the base, thinning down to 4.4mm at midpoint and 2.5mm at 2" from the tip. This setup reduces a lot more mass from the mezzo and the foible (middle and upper portion) of the blade comparing to most type XVIIIc blades, combining with a large wheel pommel (though tapered in thickness as well, and having a deep central recess), it shifts the point of balance to 3" from the hilt, which is quite close for a cut-and-thrust longsword. It's extremely easy to reach the terminal velocity with a swing, and requires little effort to stop and redirect the blade, yet cuts can still be somewhat authoritative given the 3.5 lbs weight, which is lower than most type XVIIIc swords but somewhat hefty comparing to an average longsword of this size.Vic, Jon and I tested each of our own Balaur Arms Alexandria swords extensively on tatami mats, bottles and jugs and find the sword handle extremely well, while performs equally well as the Albion Principe, which is often seen as a benchmark for swords used in competition cuttings. The smooth hollow grind and the singular bevel terminating to well-apex'ed edges definitely help a lot in addition to the handling.Fit and finish wise, it punches above its weight as well. The pommels and crossguard have well defined edges but all rounded to avoid discomfort. The pommel is nicely tapered in thickness, which is a nice detail. The peen block is nicely formed and peening is done very cleanly. The tapered grip has the right dimensions and the leather wrapping has clean cord impression to increase the traction for the hands. 5 risers helps separate two hands and the flat sides help with the edge alignment. The aperture of the crossguard to receive the blade also fits the base of the blade like a glove.The only issue we find on this model is the locket of the scabbard--whilst nice looking with the filework pattern of gothic architecture, has steel fittings wrapping around the mouth of the scabbard, causing the edges to be dulled when the user unsheathe the blade. Fortunately it has been fixed in the latest batch, which no longer has the steel locket on the scabbard.Over all, Vic and Jon agree with me that the Balaur Arms Alexandria sword is one of the best offerings on the sub-$800 market. While it isn't necessarily the most accurate representation of the stereotypical type XVIIIc swords, it handles and performs far better than its peers, not to mention the excellent fit and finish. We can wholeheartedly recommend this model.kultofathena.com/product/balaur-arms-15th-century-type-xviiic-alexandria-swordGo to @UnsheathedSwordReviews channel and give them a like and subscribe, and stay tuned for our reviews of the incredible Angus Trim new model Type XVIIIb.16youtube.com/@UnsheathedSwordReviewsSwords featured in this review for comparison purposesAlbion Principe (Type XVIIIc)albion-swords.com/The%20Principe.htmlLockwood Medieval Hand-and-a-half Sword (Type XVa)lockwoodswords.com/product/the-sl-1006-medieval-sword-900-00Angus Trim Type XVIIIb.16facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0Qts1zcMCWwJSnMjR1K8ngr3C6n5K6acfeHWFFMcE23APD1R9DWzR6UJM79vjzP2jl&id=100057679170687Ronin Katana Euro No.3 Alexandria Arsenal Swordroninkatana.com/two-handed-medieval-war-sword-euro-model-3-2-limited-edition
Cutting with a 7-lb-heavy Massive Fantasy Longsword (Harvester by the Levin Lance & Purna Darnal) Kane Shen 2023-07-22 | Full 4k Review: youtu.be/dOqe4Kq0R_0A different kind of animal altogether! Enter the Harvester, a new fantasy sword designed by my bro Nate Sil, with a blade hand-forged, and all the fittings (including the lady's hands holding a rose on the ricasso and the unique wine cup symbol at the termination of the fuller) hand-carved, by Purna Darnal. The pommel is of a "scent-stopper" type but depicting a skull with copper inlaid into the frontal bone. It is surprisingly comfortable to hold onto, despite all the carved eye-socket and the teeth and the geometry of the jawbone. The crossguard has a sculpted skull at the termination of each quillon, with copper inlaid glowing eyes. On the eight-faceted quillon, there's copper inlay depicting a heart on a string over the blued steel. The center of the crossguard, the bolster below it and the central riser on the grip all have intricate carvings portraying a number of skulls trapped within rose vines--again with copper glowing eyes, of course.A 12.6mm thick (you did NOT read that wrong) ricasso forms the base of the blade, which has hand-sculpted lady's hands holding a rose, while blood dripping down from a wine cup through the narrow central fuller! Blood groove, indeed! The base of the blade is rather broad at 61.8mm, it has a gentle narrowing waist, and flares up again near the midpoint of the blade, reaching 62mm, which is extremely wide at this point. It then gently tapers down to the somewhat acute point, like many Oakeshott type XVIIIc blades, although not terminating to a needle point.The edge bevel has a LOT of muscle behind the edge with a strong convex geometry. The edge is well apexed.So the elephant in the room is how much it weighs. A whopping 3177 grams, which translates to 7 pounds even. How weighty a sword is really ties to your expectation of it relevant to the size. 7 lbs for a 6-foot-long Renaissance zweihander might feel relatively light given its impressive size. The size of this sword can be severely underestimated if you look at its length solely. 35.6" blade, and 47.2" overall. It's so gratuitously and crushingly heavy if you see it that way. But if you take the width, the colossal thickness into consideration (it does feature a lot of distal taper, at midpoint it has lost half of its thickness at 6.3mm, and near the tip it's down to 4mm), you probably wouldn't be caught off-guard by its monumental weightiness.It is almost exactly twice the weight of a medieval sword of the same reach, and many of Brother Nate Sil's previous longsword designs are in the ballpark of 3-4 lbs. This is squarely in the Conan and Warhammer territory. I look forward to further testing it, perhaps on some heavy cutting media.
Honshu Historical Claymore Review & Test Cutting (5 Feet Long Scottish Greatsword) Kane Shen 2023-07-15 | The Honshu Historical Claymore is a two-handed sword of mid-to-late 15th century or early 16th century Scottish style. Coming in with an impressive 44.5" long blade, and an overall 57.5" overall length, it weighs 4.8 lbs (2177g)--not just reasonable, but somewhat lightweight, while balancing around 4.75" from the hilt. That comes from the distal taper from 5mm at the base that features a long ricasso of rectangular cross section--bringing substantial amount of mass to the base, and gradually tapers to 3.5mm at midpoint, through the transition to a diamond cross section with a medium length narrow fuller. It then transitions into a diamond cross section without the fuller, and maintains that thickness more or less throughout the remainder of the blade until the tip. Given such a long blade length, and not a very broad blade (48.7mm at the base, and 28.7mm at 2" from the tip, with an even profile taper), it's not excessively floppy. When held flat, the blade does sag ever so slightly, and it flexes quite a bit when there's an impact on the blade, given that it's made of well heat-treated 1065 carbon steel, with the proper degree of spring temper.The long ricasso is covered by black suede, which mirrors the blackened anti-rust finish on the blade, and the steel fittings on the hilt, even the black leather wrap on the grip. The crossguard features two upswept quillons with the terminations curved forward, which is inspired by lowlander style of Scottish two-handed swords, specifically the so-called "Robert the Bruce Sword", which was by no mean the actual personal sword owned by Robert the Bruce the Scottish national hero, but likely a heirloom sword of Clan Bruce from the 15/16th century. The pommel is a large octagonal scentstopper pommel with two grooves to reduce the weight. It counterbalances the blade adequately without adding too much weight, and is comfortable to hold onto. The wood core grip is wrapped with linen cord and then black leather covering on top. There are a few risers in addition to the cord wrap texture to help with the retention. The grip is tapered in width, and has a oblong cross section with flat surfaces on the sides to help with the edge alignment. A thoughtful design. But the circumference is a bit too large, with a 4.5mm width and 3mm thickness. I suggest reducing the width to 3.5mm or so to improve the retention.It cuts quite well, and is somewhat easy to maneuver considering its impressive size. The secondary bevel leads to a polished apex so it doesn't impact the performance. The springiness is usually not an issue when cutting and thrusting, either. At times, I found myself wanting some more leverage from the hilt. Even though my two hands are separated well apart on the long grip with the scentstopper pommel, perhaps adding one or two inches grip length will make it even more maneuverable.Other than that, there's really no complaint about the sword. It even comes with a leather sheath of the usual Windlass quality. It's not rigid without a wooden core, but the sheath is reinforced with a steel chape and a locket that conforms to the unique shape of the crossguard.Overall, I like the sword a lot more than I anticipated. The mass distribution Windlass put on this model by leveraging the ricasso and the distal taper really makes its handling stand out from the majority of Windlass swords. If you are interested in this impressive two-handed greatsword of Scottish inspiration, head on to bit.ly/HonshuClaymore while there's another version with the usual satin finish and brown leather wrapping available.
King of Cutting Longsword? Albion Principe Review and Test Cutting ft. Tods Workshop Scabbard Kane Shen 2023-07-08 | Hail to the King! Of cutting longsword. Or war sword. The Albion Principe has won more accolades at longsword cutting tournament than perhaps any other single model. The type XVIIIc swords have caught the imagination of the sword community in recent years even though they have been discovered at the Alexandria Arsenal and auctioned around the world for decades now. Many museums like the Metropolitan Museum and the Philadelphia Art Museum are lucky enough to acquire one for their collections.These exceptionally broad and tapered blades of medium length were apparently made by one or the same group of Italian makers in the first 15th century and the King of Cyprus and Jerusalem had got his hands on a number of these. Many of them ended up being tributes to the sultan of Egypt either as war booties or as direct gifts, and were kept in the Alexandria Arsenal until recent times.They mostly have wheel pommels but after Peter Johnsson designed the Alexandria for Albion as a direct replica, he decided it would be a fun idea to merge these colossal blades to a type of 15th century English two-handed sword hilt to create this bastard sword named "The Principe". Clearly the unique elongated pommel has not only lengthen the space for a two-handed grip, but also shifted the length of the lever so the point of balance is closer to the hilt than its half-brother the Alexandria. Behold a monster of a cutting sword was born. Since then it is pretty much obligatory for longsword cutting enthusiasts at competitive level to own one of these. Many have challenged it, but only a few have succeeded to come close. More people debate its authenticity in longsword fencing although it has been demonstrated that despite its heft it's more than possible to pull off all longsword techniques with it.I cut tatami mats with different longsword techniques at Academie Duello, a HEMA club in downtown Vancouver.Stats and measurementsWeight: 1761g (3 lbs 14 oz)Blade length: 34.25"Overall length: 45.7"Point of balance: 3.25" from the hiltProfile taperWidth at the base: 79.8mmWidth at midpoint: 54.8mmWidth at 2" from the tip: 17.4mmDistal taperThickness at the base: 4.9mmThickness at midpoint: 3.6mmThickness at 2" the tip: 1.7mmThe Albion Principe: albion-swords.com/The%20Principe.html00:00 Intro01:17 Design Philosophy04:14 Handling Characteristics05:37 Tip Geometry06:16 Width & Profile Taper07:02 Distal Taper09:06 Edge Bevel09:50 Usage in Historical Context13:49 Modern Reproduction15:42 Performance Analysis22:10 Tale of 2 Principes29:17 Sharpness30:28 Test Cutting34:43 Fit & Finish38:53 Tod's Workshop Scabbard42:20 Final Verdict
Sword Cutting at Ambleside Beach with Nikki ft. Spring Sakura Katana & Alexandria Arsenal Longsword Kane Shen 2023-06-07 | An early morning at Ambleside Beach between the picturesque English Bay and Cypress Mountain with my wife Nikki, cutting with the Spring Sakura katana, and the new Balaur Arms Alexandria longsword by LK Chen. The reviews of these two swords will be coming this summer. Stay tuned!CAS Iberia Dragon King Spring Sakura Katanakultofathena.com/product/spring-sakura-katanaBalaur Arms Alexandria Arsenal Oakeshott Type XVIIIc Swordkultofathena.com/product/balaur-arms-15th-century-type-xviiic-alexandria-sword
Anime Style Cutting with Templar Sword by Balaur Arms/LK Chen, Tatami Mats Refused to Fall Down Kane Shen 2023-05-24 | Full review in 4K: youtu.be/Kp-Vp6Yf5r4Did some crazy tatami mats #tameshigiri cutting action with the new Knights Templar sword by Balaur Arms/LK Chen. Multiple cuts were so clean that the mats did not even really realize they were cut in half and needed to process for a few seconds before falling over. Excellent mass distribution (distal taper from 5.7mm to 1.5mm), beautiful lenticular cross section and refined edge geometry all contributed to that! Review upcoming!Blade type is an long (34.6") Oakeshott type Xa, with a long and broad fuller, lenticular cross section, and not very pronounced profile taper terminating to a short tip, not great for thrusting but fantastic for tip cuts. Would be used primarily in the 12th century, by both cavalrymen and infantries with large shields.
Nikki Cuts with Spring Sakura Katana - Looks Like Her Glute Workout Routine Works Kane Shen 2023-05-19 | Full review in 4K of this sword: youtube.com/watch?v=BbMGUPz5FvsMy wife @nikkishen doing some sword cutting #tameshigiri with a Spring Sakura #samuraisword by CAS Iberia Dragon King. She is going to do a full review of this katana in the near future. We absolutely love the unique fitting style on this sword!Some of the other videos of Nikki's sword review and sword cutting:youtu.be/8h_MRAn1ApQyoutube.com/shorts/eF2tA8hjwYcyoutu.be/LGgiXPxHx-Myoutube.com/shorts/4Wa091vFRVEyoutu.be/25XjryPOAHQ
Templar Sword Cuts Like A Laser Beam and Rings like Church Bell! Authentic Reproduction Balaur Arms Kane Shen 2023-05-12 | Full review in 4K: youtu.be/Kp-Vp6Yf5r4The new Knights Templar sword by Balaur Arms / LK Chen really stunned me by its cutting and thrusting performance. Being a 12th century sword of Oakeshott type Xa blade with 35" (87cm) blade and an short 3.5" (8.8cm) grip completely accurate to the period, I didn't expect it to be such an agile sword. Weighing 2.5 lbs (1130 grams), not only is it at home alongside a large heater shield, but also but responsive even just by the sword itself. You can see how well the double-cut went. The amazing mass distribution with an excellent distal taper (5.7mm base thickness, 3.9mm at midpoint, 1.5mm at 2" from the tip) really ensures that. It features the correct lenticular cross section with a beautiful single bevel terminating to a sharp edge also helps with the smooth performance.Full review in 4K resolution coming soon. Suffice to say, I am thoroughly impressed with every aspect of this sword so far!! You can even see in this short video how nonexistence the gap at the opening of the guard to receive the blade is. This is certainly premium quality, not to mention a period correct scabbard.
