This earlier form of the longsword from the late 13th to the early 14th century belies the branch of sword evolution that led to the longsword from its arming sword roots; one can readily see the combination of a longer blade and elongated grip changing the arming sword into a new and revolutionary development of the medieval sword that would truly come into its own as improved armor allowed for combatants to reliably ditch their shield in lieu of a second handhold on a faster, more responsive and substantially more powerful weapon. Able to strike fast and dealing impressive cutting power, this example has its tip profile narrowed to make it a true cut-and-thrust sword to better handle the improved armor seen on the field at the time and striking a balance between thrusting ability while retaining very impressive cutting potential.
Though a large sword, the entire weapon clocks in at less than 3 lbs and is quite easy to wield with a second hand and an agile performer. Its point of balance at about 5″ forward of the guard ensures it hits with force and still maintains a strong “presence” in the hand that carries the force of the blow through the target. The sharp blade is forged from 9260 high carbon steel and it is finished with a hardness of about 50-52 HRc. The tang of the sword is stoutly peened over the pommel for a tough and durable construction and its guard and pommel are cast from practical stainless steel. The grip is a tight binding of leather over a hard wood core and the sword is completed with a companion scabbard of wood with a matched leather wrap and a stainless steel chape.
Eddie Gerbil of Asa-Punk YouTube channel –
Excellent feeling sword! Light & lively but still good authority in the cut.
Price is reasonable. There were a few small ‘flaws’ in the leather in the grip but nothing deal breaking or impending of function.
I was originally looking at the Balaur Arms Italian Longsword. Although the Italian is fancier looking in it’s lines I already own a pretty good vaguely similar longsword. Then this model showed up 1 month before I was told the Italian would be back in stock. Trén I was debating between this sword & waiting on the Italian.
I decided not to wait. At first this sword looked underwhelming with its simpler lines. But then I took it test cutting…
My technique was a bit off, as the sword came really sharp, but after moving & cutting with it I fell in love!
I had one bad cut on a hard V-8 juice bottle; my edge alignment was way off. It jarred my hand badly but the blade took no damage & nothing loosened at all!
So while unintentional it proved the sword is solidly built & durable despite its weight of 2lb 8oz.
Definitely recommend for anyone wanting a lighter longsword with good cutting capacity but still excellent in the thrust.
Fencer (verified owner) –
A very light and nimble longsword.
I’ll start with the negatives of this sword first just to get them out of the way. Functionality wise, I was quite taken back by how dull the one I got was, barely biting into paper and tearing it instead of cutting, something surprising considering the sword is advertised as “Very sharp”. The point is very fine and fragile, bending after a thrust that faced resistance; however, it was quite easy to remove a bit of material to reshape the point and still have it be quite acute.
Aesthetic wise, as it was mentioned in the review above mine, the leather wrap on the grip is a bit short so it shows a bit of the wooden core, specially around the raisers. So far, the leather hasn’t shown signs of coming loose after quite a bit of use but it’s something to keep in mind. The blade shows a bit of warping when it comes to the central ridge but nothing deal-breaking.
Now, for the good. This sword is very well designed, as mentioned before it’s really nimble and moves with ease. Simply a delight to swing around. The pommel is very well shaped, showing the complex taper that originals had which is really nice for a more budget sword. The shape of the grip is a very nice oval that is comfortable to hold while also giving a sense of edge alignment.
After honing the edge a bit, it cuts nicely, which speaks well of the geometry of the blade as well as the fact that because it’s very light, you can accelerate the blade quite a bit to perform cuts in succession. There’s pretty much no gap between the blade and the hilt which is good to prevent any water going into the tang and keep the construction solid, something that is also achieved by a very nicely done and clean pin.
The scabbard is a nice addition for storage and keeping the point in check, it’s a bit of a way too tight grip but that may have to do with climate and may eventually loosen with use. Overall, it’s a really good sword that would’ve deserved a 5 star had it come sharpened. Can highly recommend.