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Michael Moss




Location: Barcelona
Joined: 11 May 2005

Posts: 18

PostPosted: Wed 11 May, 2005 8:21 am    Post subject: Scottish Court Sword         Reply with quote

I say,

Has any one of you chaps seen Hanwei's "Scottish Court Sword", and if so, what is your opinion on it?

I'm a smallsword enthusiast on a small budget and thought it was a handsome piece, but would like to hear your thoughts on it first.

Yours truly,

Von Moss

La Garde meurt, mais ne se rend pas!
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William Goodwin




Location: Roanoke,Va
Joined: 17 Nov 2003
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Reading list: 20 books

Posts: 1,001

PostPosted: Wed 11 May, 2005 9:12 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

First off, Welcome Michael! If I may suggest that you get in contact with Stephen Fisher, (if he doen't chime in before hand)

He is the smallsword guru 'round these parts,quite sure he'd be able to give ya' the full poop on things concerning the smallsword.

Bill

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"I was born for this" - Joan of Arc
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Michael Moss




Location: Barcelona
Joined: 11 May 2005

Posts: 18

PostPosted: Wed 11 May, 2005 9:23 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

William Goodwin wrote:
First off, Welcome Michael! If I may suggest that you get in contact with Stephen Fisher, (if he doen't chime in before hand)

He is the smallsword guru 'round these parts,quite sure he'd be able to give ya' the full poop on things concerning the smallsword.

Bill


Why thank you, kind sir. I'll get in touch with him.

La Garde meurt, mais ne se rend pas!
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Daniel Parry




Location: UK
Joined: 08 Apr 2005
Reading list: 39 books

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Posts: 334

PostPosted: Wed 11 May, 2005 10:22 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

A friend of mine from the fencing club has one on his wall which I've seen and handled a few times. A nice enough piece for the price : the guard and knuckle bow and pommel are in nickle silver-like material the grip in a brass finish with wire wrap moulding (not wire wrap - the grip is a solid piece). The proportions and all seem generally fine and his is very solid.

The detraction if you are used to handling antique small swords is the weight. This seems to be an issue with most replica smallswords and one my friend raised with CAS/Hanwei. Many originals are very light indeed as I'm sure you know, about the same as a modern epee I would think having handled them (though not weighed most I handled) and many seem even lighter, closer to a heavy foil. The heavier swords with 'fighting blades' are still pretty light and nippy. The Hanwei replica one is a fairly solid piece and doesn't handle in the same way or balance as the originals I've handled. The hilt is too heavy and the blade is too heavy - more like a very light military blade (and not sufficiently hollow ground on the back of the triangle cross-section to alleviate the weight). But then that isn't necessarily a problem if it's for decoration.

I haven't seen many replica small swords that both look good and are close to the originals in weight. My friend was looking at the Cold Steel one on their website recently, to make a pair with the Hanwei one on the wall. It may be new, not sure. It looked a bit more refined in the hilt design than the Hanwei one and the weight as I recall seemed closer to the mark (5 or 6 ounces less than the Hanwei maybe - but check ?) and still a broadly early to mid eighteenth century shape I believe. There's also a chap in the states (can't recall name at the mo) who does eighteenth century re-enactment stuff and had a replica collichemarde that my friend was also looking at and appeared quite nice. (If that distinct style is to your taste that is).

Daniel
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G. Scott H.




Location: Arizona, USA
Joined: 22 Feb 2005

Posts: 410

PostPosted: Wed 11 May, 2005 1:36 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Daniel, it looks like you're right on regarding weight: several sources list the Cold Steel Small Sword at 22 oz., while listing the Hanwei Scottish Court Sword at 27 oz. Happy
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Michael Moss




Location: Barcelona
Joined: 11 May 2005

Posts: 18

PostPosted: Wed 11 May, 2005 1:37 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Great Scott, you're right! A pound fifteen ounces... I hadn't noticed the weight. Indeed, indeed, that changes things a lot.
Mainly, I had been considering a smallsword of french manufacture (Chevalier D'Auvergne) with a musketeer blade, which would prove quite satisfactory, but I couldn't help noticing the dashing good looks of Hanwei's smallsword.

I rather like colichemardes. I think it is a certain Mr Godwin who manufactures them, isn't it? Anyhow, I'll have a look at his wares, and get in touch with him.

Many thanks, sir, for your most helpful reply.

--Von Moss

La Garde meurt, mais ne se rend pas!
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William Goodwin




Location: Roanoke,Va
Joined: 17 Nov 2003
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PostPosted: Wed 11 May, 2005 1:48 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Michael,

check out the review section of this site for a review of the G. Gedney Godwin smallsword by none other than Stephen Fisher. I've handled a couple of the Godwin smallswords and truthfully wasn't overly chuffed with them.

Bill

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G. Scott H.




Location: Arizona, USA
Joined: 22 Feb 2005

Posts: 410

PostPosted: Wed 11 May, 2005 1:57 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

William Goodwin wrote:
Michael,

check out the review section of this site for a review of the G. Gedney Godwin smallsword by none other than Stephen Fisher. I've handled a couple of the Godwin smallswords and truthfully wasn't overly chuffed with them.

Bill


Is the weight figure in that review correct? 17 oz. Eek! ? Surprising, considering the large forte. Happy
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Daniel Parry




Location: UK
Joined: 08 Apr 2005
Reading list: 39 books

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PostPosted: Wed 11 May, 2005 4:08 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I hadn't realised Stephen Fisher had reviewed that colichemarde. It looks quite nice though the forte seems quite broad even for a colichemarde. Haven't handled his stuff so can't judge the quality - Bill has and gave his comment above.

Stephen Fisher also seemed quite happy, judging by his review, of the Arms & Armour ones. Certainly they are right in the ball park on weight (the cataloque one at less than pound might be even teetering on the slim side). I don't find the blade on the Arms & Armour catalogue one very attractive - a cut down double-wide fencing blade it appears (makes sense if it's by Blaise Freres); the base and forte of the blade looks just like the standard modern epee blade base which I find a little unattractive on a historical replica, but the review seems to say it handles authentically.

The Cold Steel one looks quite attractive having just checked the web page. It's still a little weighty at 22 ounces but I think that 5oz difference could make it much more authentic in feel than the 1lb 11 oz of the Hanwei.

On the point above, I wouldn't find the 1lb 1oz weight of the colichemarde that surprising if he's made it close to original dimensions. I always expected before handling original colichemardes that they would be heavy due to the forte, but the wide forte was for rigidity rather than weight and the originals were often made very, very thin at the forte despite their width. So they are really surprisingly light (and have a rather strange 'tinny' feel to them - because of the thin blade but yet great rigidity due to the shape - no real vibration if you tap the blade).

Hope you can find something you like, Michael

Daniel
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