A look at the new Windlass 1796 Light cavalry sabre, or saber, and why it is potentially a game changer for sword buyers and users. Links to where you can buy one below www.windlass.c... www.museumrepl... www.theknights...
Пікірлер: 77
@christopherreed4723 Жыл бұрын
I think what we're seeing here is the beginning of a realization within the historical sword reproduction industry that their customer base is becoming more demanding in yerms of manufacturing quality, trueness to the originals, and the technical capabilities of the product. Twenty years ago, the vast majority of reproduction swords ended up on reenactment costumes or as wall hangers. Very few, if any, owners tried to do historical fencing or cutting with them. The reenactors just needed something that looked right since it stayed in its scabbard most of the time. But that's no longer the case. Just as movie producers had to adapt to audiences that were no longer content with (or tolerant of) incorrect weapons and equipment, or lackadaisical extras (the "German" M48 tanks with a muzzle brake in Patton, or the stereotypical extra yelling "Schnell! Schnell!" in horribly accented Kitchendeutsch are classics), so are the makers of reproduction swords beginning to realize that their customer base is wanting something more than a "looks kinda-sorta" wall- or belt-hanger. The increased popularity of HEMA, and the exposure provided by people like Matt Easton (and some some folks called Society of Historical Fencing...can't say I've heard much about them myself 😉) have been major factors in driving this change. All I can say is, about time! And more power to you!
@albertpolak786 Жыл бұрын
There will always be a demand for the 1796 LC and it's so good that we finally have makers giving us these beauties, at a good price nonetheless! What a time to be alive, hope they reproduce more models in the future, I want an 1803 and an 1857 RE and and and just give me swords please!
@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 Жыл бұрын
I’d love to see a good production of an 1845, perhaps with an engineer hilt.
@andreweden9405 Жыл бұрын
1821 too!
@bobrobinson1576 Жыл бұрын
I got one a while ago and I'm very impressed. I don't use the scabbard so that's not important to me. It seems to me that Matt is helping to turn Windlass from an also ran into something very special. Looking forward to the cutting tests.
@genuinelyconcerned3504 Жыл бұрын
I own the windlass 1796. I was impressed with the sword, however the cheap plastic inserts in the sheath came apart within a week.
@gabrielwolf753411 ай бұрын
Simply glue it again
@genuinelyconcerned350411 ай бұрын
@gabrielwolf7534 you can't as the sheath doesn't disassemble. So no access to the bottom
@pedromiguel32279 ай бұрын
Such a stupid way to save money. Like falling flat on your face, with a huge lead, running the last lap
@r.h5550 Жыл бұрын
Is this the beginning of a an era of replica sword reviews on the ahf channel?😁
@mostlychimp5715 Жыл бұрын
My biggest quibbles with mine are 1) fit/finish on the hilt components out of the box, including sharp edges that dig into my hand and 2) the big one: rippling in the blade is fine, unless the edge itself ripples. I had to spend ~4 hours working the edge on a broad, soft Arkansas whetstone to get the cutting edge into a straight line. If I had to guess they sharpened mine between a couple rollers, which is fine if the edge has already had ripples ground out. Windlass should forge the edge thicker and add more grinding time, but that might knock it out of the bargain price range it's in now.
@LegalSC Жыл бұрын
No 18 minute raid shadow legends ad to be found here
@kaoskronostyche9939 Жыл бұрын
Your approach is different from all the other kids. I like it. More thorough or grounded or solid or serious. I'm not sure how to describe it. Not better or worse, just different - denser, maybe. A solid "plow-mans lunch" rather than a light croissant. Reviewing may not be your thing, but please do more ... on everything. Thank you. Cheers.
@RandomGuy010 Жыл бұрын
Good development. Might pick one up eventually.
@heirihunziker Жыл бұрын
Many thanks for the in-depth review, looking forward to the test cutting footage.
@dexterbelmain589 Жыл бұрын
Just ordered mine. Out of stock, sadly but happy to wait 😊
@threeoeightwadcutter2820 Жыл бұрын
Again!Thanks for sharing . I have already ordered
@noyzmunky4 ай бұрын
Great review
@FoardenotFord9 ай бұрын
Nice review, love to see the reproductions compared to originals. I used to own the Cold Steel 1796 - it was definitely clunky, but the pommel “nut” was the most egregious error for me-mine came loose and rattled a bunch, even though I only used it for light cutting. I eventually sold the sword to someone who didn’t mind the flaws and just wanted a beater. I was excited when this came out, but am now torn between the Windlass and LK Chen models. I have the LK Chen Magnificent Chu Jian and it’s one of my favorite swords-beautiful craftsmanship and it handles like a dream. That said, I like the fuller and profile of the Windlass a little more. Tough choice but I appreciate the fact that there are now two really good models to choose from.
@HobieH3 Жыл бұрын
Mine has some minor "niggles" related to fit and finish, but seems very solid. Scabbard hasn't fallen apart, but it just pretty much sits there. Not a true HEMA-ist (don't know where Nicks "r" comes from. lol), but I'm learning (mostly longsword) and it feels good to me. Somehow doesnt seem so wobbly as Nicks looks. I do have a couple of antique sabres: British 1885 and Italian HC 1860 and it is pretty lively compared to them. I wish I had a good scale, but I dont. I let the best fencer at my club handle it and he was complimentary.
@LordBilliam11 ай бұрын
The "r" is called 'intrusion" and exists is most non-rhotic English accents. If you say the r in water, you are less likely to do it. Most of the UK do this, as do the majority of English speakers. Only the US and South Africa have large areas where it's common not to link with r (or y or w) sounds
@BS-bd5uq Жыл бұрын
I believed that Cold Steel had secretly updated their 1796LC a few years ago and it currently features non-linear distal tapers. The stats on paper look pretty fine, but people still complain that they do not handle quite well.
@El_Beardo Жыл бұрын
I have a recently (2021) made example. Distal taper is as linear as it's possible to get. Blade will soon be getting turned into a clipped point turceal.
@andreweden9405 Жыл бұрын
I got me the new Windlass 1796 as well after Matt did his video on it. But as someone who previously owned the Cold Steel version, I can tell you that I also heard the same thing about them (Cold Steel) making an improvement in the way their 1796 LC Saber is made about 10 years ago, or so. Regarding the main differences between the two: The Cold Steel just doesn't start out quite thick enough at the shoulder, and doesn't taper off to the necessary thinness. It's close, which is actually frustrating! But it's just not quite right. The Windlass starts out just a little thicker than the Cold Steel at the shoulder, but then tapers off quite abruptly. From there, the taper is mostly gradual and even for the remainder of the blade's length, before finally tapering down to almost 1.5mm at the foible. I can attest that this definitely makes it considerably more "lively in the hand" as they say!
@HydraBox777 Жыл бұрын
Just got mine. Came covered in grease that smells like cosmoline, no biggy it wipes off. Grind lines are good on sword, some scuffs and light blemishes. Scabbard is rippley and might have some rust inside. Mine weighs in at 847ish grams. I was suprised at how thin the tip is. Also my swords tip is less of a “hatchet tip”, like yours, the blade tips follows the curve of the blade
@vorynrosethorn9032 ай бұрын
L K Chen have also started making one, and to be frank I trust their reputation as manufacturers much better.
@alexxu3004 Жыл бұрын
Got one, have two complaints, cheap leather and edge really not designed to be sharp. I have to reprofile the edge quite a bit for it to be a decent cutter actually. balance wise is bang on
@Dynogone Жыл бұрын
Apart from the quillion and langet, they look great
@erichusayn10 ай бұрын
Nice to know theyve improved their specs. I have a cold steel one, which i think is an older mofel by windlass. Im really liking the ones im seeing from the LK Chen. I wish i had the cash to buy them all.
@cesaralbertobanegasmedina8427 Жыл бұрын
Great job
@andreweden9405 Жыл бұрын
I was waiting and wondering, Nick! And I love the "nibbles", but was slightly disappointed to not hear "whisker" even once!😁 By the way, I thought that UK law would render this saber illegal. In order for a curved sword (clutching my pearls, CURVED SWORDS!😯) to be legal in the UK, doesn't it have to be considerably shorter than this, as well as not mass-produced? Just curious...
@dexterbelmain589 Жыл бұрын
As long as it's been forged using traditional methods and you have a valid reason to have it. They're legal. Obviously if you use it in a manner where it could be considered an offensive weapon, that all changes
@zwidowca1 Жыл бұрын
I think this wobble/flex is pretty much a dealbreaker for some people. As a reproduction it is fantastic, but... Period accurate or not this can cause issues. If you whirl and twirl around a lot when you "fight" I recon it can wobble when you are throwing a cut or something. I also had a sabre made for hema, which had a lot of wobble/flex. after 1 sparring session it was... erm... FUBAR. I had another "blade" made for it, luckily the smith did accept it as a refund. One other sabre that I have, made by krieger, it can bend almost fully backwards... like 180 degrees... it cannot be used against anything heavier than 750 grams, because any hits on weak or middle instantly blow through or even better BEND THE BLADE SO BOTH YOUR OWN AND ENEMY WEAPON HIT YOU : D Personally i think wobble = bad. Completely subjective experience though
@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Жыл бұрын
Personally I always want these swords to represent the originals as best as possible, as these aren't intended to win cutting challenges, they are intended to represent the historical examples in form and function, and Iw ant to understand the originals in their original context. I must add though that the wobble here and the wobble you have experienced in training is likely very different. When HEMA blades wobble it is almost entirely on the entire length of their blade, and the distal taper is a significant factor here. WIth this extreme distal taper you get a very strong and rigid forte, and so that wobble and energy displaceent is very different. Also worth mentioning that many Indians loved the 1796 light cavalry blades and used them on their own hilts, and these are styles with a lot of motion as you describe. So I think we should always try and understand these weapons as they were made and in their context, rather than assert very modern opinions upon them. These were known as some of the finest cutting swords ever made, and so we should not ignore them.
@zwidowca1 Жыл бұрын
@@AcademyofHistoricalFencing 1. I agree that a reproduction behaving like the original is both wanted and expected. I mean that is probably the exact reason why one would buy this sabre or any other accurate reproduction. It captures feeling of the original to a satysfying degree. More power to that specific reproductionbif it accomplishes that. 2. I'll elaborate here: first sabre I mentioned was not specifically made for hema. I ordered it at a smithy and used it for HEMA. The smith only made it according to a spec/description. Results were... poor enough for a refund/redo to be necessary. There could be any number of reasons why it happened but I remember the "wobble" being present even without clashing against other "blades". Just some quick "cutting drils" were enough to made it "wobble". 3. I specifically mentioned that less wobble was my preference due to my subjective experience. I do not want or intend to "assert modern opinions" upon a reproduction piece. My only point was that for some people the flex/wobble may be a dealbreaker. 4. I might simply be used to more rigid "blades" due to fact that quite a few polish sabres were made to be rigid. It sort of shows in the sabres we use to spar at the club I attend. * addendum: to be fair we have only a few "steel fencers" now, so this might change. the sabres we have though are probably not tournament standard in terms of flexibility and other parameters.
@adriancibran2202 Жыл бұрын
How would you compare the handling / weight of the 1811 Blücher vs 1796?
@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Жыл бұрын
The 1811 Blucher is noticeable heavier, often well over 1kg compared to the roughly 850-900g 1796LC. The hilt is heavier as the guard is much thicker, but the distal taper is also different, having less extreme distal taper and staying rather thick until the end of the fuller. Overall they just feel like a slightly clunky version of the 1796LC. They aren't excessively forward balanced like the Cold Steel, just not as lively as the 1796.
@ArmsandArmor9 ай бұрын
great video lots of detail thanks for sharing! your mic has a bit of reverb
@Davlavi Жыл бұрын
interesting.
@Waldemarvonanhalt Жыл бұрын
Quite a few years ago I had bought a reproduction French sabre and the thing just felt like an unwieldy club you could barely swing with one arm (and I'm not that weak either).
@Leman.Russ.6thLegion11 ай бұрын
I love mine so much. I want to japan the scabbard.
@laurolavanda180714 күн бұрын
3:54 cool
@dandannoodles70706 ай бұрын
how do you feel about the grip shape on the 1796 as a pattern? i remember louis nolan criticized them for being too round, making it hard to align the edge [compared to e.g. tulwar hilts he saw put on 1796 blades] .
@windycharm5 ай бұрын
i have a Vacro Cavalry Sabre Sword but i cant find any info about it
@jimmydesouza4375 Жыл бұрын
Does the floppiness make it harder to stab things or does it have no practical effect? Never used a sword.
@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Жыл бұрын
It can make it more difficult to get through thick clothing yes, like thick greatcoats, but in most scenarios it doesn't make a huge difference.
@simonhengle8316 Жыл бұрын
A good review 👍
@sasquatchycowboy5585 Жыл бұрын
Sold, im getting one.
@davidbaggie89586 ай бұрын
Hi I’ve been on the website of the knight shop and their list of makers don’t include Windlass, so do I have to call them personally to enquire or have they discontinued Windlass? I’d like to purchase the model you are showing in this video, regards
@davidbaggie89586 ай бұрын
Regards David
@victoriansword Жыл бұрын
Do you think you will ever bring back your “sword studies” series?
@Waldemarvonanhalt Жыл бұрын
I wonder, does anyone make custom scabbards for this sword design? Living in a coastal region would wreck that steel scabbard in no time.
@jimmydesouza4375 Жыл бұрын
You say that reproduction swords barely match the originals in terms of dimensions. Why is this? Even from just a set of pictures you should be able to match the dimensions 1:1 (or at least the proportions if you don't have an external reference). For example distal taper you say that its expensive but it shouldn't really be, all they need to do is heat up the blade (or rather the metal stock) and then run it through pneumatic hammer or press. Do the companies making repro blades barely have any machinery to do it or something?
@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Жыл бұрын
In large part it comes from not caring from the manufacturers part. Indeed they all should have been able to copy photos better than they did. OVerall the approach has been make cheap swords quickly without much care. In Cold Steels case, the guy in charge just doesn't care for handling from what I hear. He just wants something that looks vaguely correct and is tough. This is the first time I have seen a mass market sword attempt to mimic the original and have any care for getting it close.
@jimmydesouza4375 Жыл бұрын
@@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Regarding handling, how much of a difference is it? As someone who has never used swords the differences in weight and COM and such sound fairly minor. Is it the kind of thing that only really matters if you are "good enough to notice" or want perfection or do these minor differences completely change the usability?
@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Жыл бұрын
The difference is huge. Point of balance is important, but its the overall mass distribution which makes a world of difference. You wouldn't need to be any kind of expert to notice the vast difference immediately. It is the difference between an unwieldy club and an agile and more delicate tool.
@stargazer4625 Жыл бұрын
I heard you use the word Humorist in the context of swords. If I'm spelling humorist correct. What does that mean? What is a sword humorist.. and I like the sword. Saving up to get 1 now
@AcademyofHistoricalFencing11 ай бұрын
HEMAist, someone who practices HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts)
@stargazer462511 ай бұрын
@@AcademyofHistoricalFencing thankyou so much !!!!
@markevayne Жыл бұрын
The knight shop have it listed at £280 as you mentioned but also theyve have it listed for £90 in a seperate listing currently as im writing this, any idea why?
@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Жыл бұрын
They sell 3-4 different versions by different manufacturers, the £90 one is by Deepeeka and the most expensive one is a Cold steel, the 250 is Universal swords (or the other makers they go by_ The Windlass model is the £280 one that says it is made by windless in the additional info and descrives the realistic distal taper
@markevayne Жыл бұрын
@@AcademyofHistoricalFencing ahh thank-you for clearing that up pal!
@Josh-rs6bj9 ай бұрын
Anyone from Germany, or EU in general in the comments who has ordered this? Did you have to deal with the customs office since its shipped from the US/UK?
@AcademyofHistoricalFencing9 ай бұрын
Yes you will, from the UK you will have to pay tax but not import duties. However this product is stocked by many resellers, I suggest you buy it from this excellent German reseller - www.swords-and-more.com/britischer-1796-leichter-kavallerie-sabel.html
@Josh-rs6bj9 ай бұрын
@@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Thank you very much!
@alexhudson3574 Жыл бұрын
where did you get your windlass sabre from i cant find a uk distributor
@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Жыл бұрын
Knightshop, link is in the description
@alexhudson3574 Жыл бұрын
@@AcademyofHistoricalFencing cheers
@allopez856311 ай бұрын
My Cold Steel weights 2 pounds with a 33 inch blade.
@theart80396 ай бұрын
So Cold steel ones are rubbish?
@AcademyofHistoricalFencing6 ай бұрын
Yes.
@SwordFighterPKN10 ай бұрын
Boy this video could seriously trigger American leftist given how much niggle is used. LOL Thanks for the review since I have been thinking about getting one of these swords
@keilorfollett692610 ай бұрын
Get a new mic 🎤 bro
@HobieH3 Жыл бұрын
Ramble on, sing your song...
@barefoofDr10 ай бұрын
This must be said that 99% of Windlass swords are Compleat JUNK. Don't waste your money unless you just want a wall hanger.
@user-qp1pl2he7u Жыл бұрын
непойму откуда прокатное железо для ножен.ведь офицальная наука нам говорит.что от 1871г.онное.