It's funny: I pulled the leather shell out of the basket and the sword actually felt better in hand, but put it back because my thumb would keep snagging on the sharp edges. It's still one of my favorites to work with.
For a liner you can take a bit of fleece, sheepskin with wool on, dye the leather side scarlet and install. The wool against the hand gives a bit of padding.
Yup, I worry about that. I've taken this one apart several times to make modifications to the hilt, and can see the potential for failure just in terms of thread stripping.
@@michaelrizzo5523 In actuality, the tangs were much wider, as well, and the tang was peened over the pommel. The handle was the last to be completed as two slabs of wood were hand fitted between the quillions and pommel. Once the wood was shaped comfortably, it was then wrapped or sewn with leather. Rat tail tangs were not used as the handle could twist under stress. They were only used on files.
@@Man_Cave I have a blade I've been thinking about mounting in a basket with a full-tang construction like that. Or maybe one day I'll break down and get a historical version.
Swedish heavy cavalry saber and the 1685 has a. Metal THUMB loop to give the thumb an anchor to control the blade. Might help build neural connection and strength
Watching further you came to the same basic conclusion I did and removed your tassel for the same reason I did LOL I also made a leather washer but I made one for under the pommel and over the guard under the Blade to help solidify everything
It's interesting that the interior of your liner flakes off I've had my version for about 10 years I think and mine has never lost any of the black off the interior. I'm guessing they must have gotten cheaper on the manufacturing end of that?
I have had this sword for a few years now. It's definitely my favorite single hand sword in my collection, but I did do some work to it. I removed the tassel because it was always in the way. The next thing I did was pull the hilt apart, and put a peice of scottish national tartan between the basket and the flat liner. This makes it not so brightly colored, and adds an extra layer to the already very protective hilt.my biggest complaint is the pommel. The edge is very aggressive, and has cut my wrist on at least two occasions, but i think im going to make a leather cover for the pommel to add a bit of padding, because i hate gloves. I have the English backsword coming in the mail soon, and I'll be experimenting with shaping the blades between the two.
I like the Tartan idea. I just stripped the black off down to natural leather. I also really enjoy training with this sword. The CS backsword is much lighter in comparison, and I don't think the blade is as well-finished.
Do you prefer this one or the english sword? Also If you remove the cloth material is it easy to get your hand into it as the english backsword? Do you prefer the grip on one or are they both the same TIA
This one has the benefit of a hard leather liner, not cloth. I tried it without for a while, then put it back since the basket was too open at the top, but I did strip that black dye out of the inside of it because it just kept flaking. Grips are very similar, but this one has a sharp-cornered pommel vs the rounded one on the English. The English is also much lighter and nimbler.
Great review, cold steel really is hit and miss with their Indian line of sword sharpening. I got one of the 1796 sabers, it was bad, like really bad. only about 6 inches of the sword were ground at all on the cutting edge and no sharping at all on the false edge. On the flip side it has a 7mm to 2.5mm distal taper, flexes right, is a fearsome cutter if a bit overweight. Fixed the problem with a bastard file and a few days of hand filing the entire blade into a single bevel then re-sanding the grind by hand. BTW if you want to get that perfect matte finish like a Albion sword buy some 3M 7448 pads. They are the grey ultra fine buff pads. A squirt of WD40 and some hand buffing and you can easily turn that English backsword blade into a nice matte grey finish, I highly recommend it. It's actually what Albion themselves use for their finish and recommend using on their swords to remove scratches.
Thanks! I'll look into the 3M pads, as the Cold Steel Backsword I have has a REALLY ugly mirror polish. I did extensive re-profiling on my 1796 and got the lumpy blade more even and improved the balance, but it took a lot of work. The 1796 was my biggest disappointment from them.
@@michaelrizzo5523 Same for me, I have a few cold steel swords and the 1796 was basically a unfinished project sword from the start. That being said it's quite good now after regrinding and hours of labor. My biggest positive surprise from Cold Steel was their current Tulwar, despite its very poor reputation prior. (It used to have a enormous grip and used the same blade from their 1796 model) They have since changed the blade to a actual Tulwar blade, mine has a 8mm to 2mm taper, and they shrunk the Tulwar hilt, it fits me perfectly now, the old Cold steel brass Tulwar hilt was famously too large, which is a big problem when trying to cut with it properly. It is now a good length but It is still "too big" too thick around the grip when contrasted to the few historical originals that I own, that being said, I have large hands and for me it's far better than I was expecting and more robust than the historical originals because it is full tang (hence the thick grip) compared to glued in like historical pieces, most likely for liability reasons. It also came quite sharp from tip to hilt, it does have a secondary bevel but that is historical for Tulwar. Plus there is something authentic about buying a modern Tulwar that is actually made in India, that makes it seem more "genuine" if that makes sense. Keep up the great work with your videos, hopefully you start getting some free review copies as a perk. Your reviews have been articulate and well structured.
only just starting the video so I have no idea what you're going to say on yours but I have one of these too! Lol I took the tassel of mine. My grip was a bit loose so had to fix that issue, I reprofiled the tip as it was very spatulate & the overall basket and space inside the basket I think is a little excessive compared to historical examples; but otherwise I've loved mine.
I would like to hear your impressions of the cold steel Messer. It would be interesting to hear the impression of someone who has trained with both longsword and katana.
I've been considering a messer for a while but have been put off by the listed weight and POB of the Cold Steel models, as well as the reports of the blades breaking under impact. If I find a good deal I may get one as a "project" down the road.
Good job Michael...how historically accurate is ray skin or synthetic rayskin on a Scottish sword or is it a modern esthetics rendition....doesn't seem right....would love to see cutting videos from you on your channel...thats a very embellished sword...but handsome
Looking at the antique basket hilts (18th-19th Century) I've seen both leather and rayskin grips, with the leather more common on the "regimental" hilts. Hanwei, Cold Steel and some other modern makers really seem to like the rayskin, though it can be really rough on ungloved hands. I sand mine down a bit. Working an a "tip slash experiment" video.
Ive had this sword but returned it too amazon. Did not like the grip on it much. What kind of sand paper did you use? I would like too try this sword again.
I keep a set of fine grit papers for my blades (240-2000) and probably used something between 240 and 600. I've had to do it for all three of my "shagreen" grip basket hilts to make them bearable without gloves. I've also needed to smooth over some rough seams. It takes a bit of work, but it makes a major difference. Your other option would be to wrap the grip in leather, but the grip on this sword is already pretty stout.
On the Chinese market I've had very good experiences with Lyuesword.com and Murasame (who's on Amazon). Ryujin makes some nice solid affordable pieces as well. I've reviewed a few of each. As for Japanese-made I have no experience other than my antiques.
@@michaelrizzo5523 Thank you for your response. Out of the 3 brands you just mentioned, if you had to pick one, which one would it be? How much did you pay for your antique swords?
@@Verbal_Kint416 I would start by either checking out what's available at Lyuesword.com or searching Murasame Swords on Amazon and see what they have that you might like. As for my antiques, I bought them both over 40 years ago when they were still very affordable, whereas now you'd be lucky to find a decent Shin Gunto for less than $1500-2000USD on the antiques markets. Modern Japanese made swords are also extremely expensive. Let me know what you find.
@@michaelrizzo5523 I just ordered a samurai tachi from Yomikuni. But I honestly had a very terrible customer experience with them, so I won't be returning for another purchase. I'm hoping to get an authentic Japanese katana, one day. Lyuseword's looks very promising, I probably will make a customized sword with them but their setup on the site is quite confusing. Thank you for your time. Appreciate the help
It's still one of my favorite training swords. I did reprofile the edge a bit, smoothed the grips and stripped that black paint off the inside of the leather liner. It's on my list to do an update video on.
@@michaelrizzo5523 happy to say after a long wait and a restock one of my very own is now on the way I've spent a fair amount of time on my Hanwei backsword and a synthetic trainer in the meantime doing lots of reading your review here pretty much tilted me towards finally owning one of these and I'm grateful for your insights.
@Michael Rizzo it's definitely heavier than the Backsword, but I find that a help rather than a hindrance. Moulinets with this baby seem effortless, and now that I've finally managed to avoid extra tension in my form, allowing the lunge to generate ALL force in the cuts, the only obstacle is endurance. It's taxing to hold this baby in Seconde or whatever guard for very long, especially since I'm a newb to these Western swords. I only began to learn this technique back in April when I bought the CS Italian Dueling Sabre. Even that skinny little thing tore my forearms and wrists up every session, especially when I was using triceps and hips to get power. Nay, use the lunge alone, accompanied by some minor twisting of the wrist only, and you'll nail the technique. I'm looking forward to watching this Claymore build my strength and improve my form.
Also, I'm keeping the tassel. See, I never practice gloved. Ever. The old timers didn't, and I don't. This rayskin, be it real or polymer, is rough on my hands, so if the tassel gets between my hand and the grip I call it a blessing 🤣😂🤣 Intentionally gripping it with the tassel in hand hasn't caused any slips or loss of grip. I won't make it a habit, but I consider it negligible if it happens to end up that way.
Mine's a few years old, not sure how long the store had it before me, but I've done a lot of impact/use testing with it and it's held up impressively. Those guard ears also saved me from a falling target blade. It is Cold Steel Beefy, though, so not very nimble.
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I will be praying for your injuries to heal up. Thanks for the informative reviews I find them very interesting.
Thank you!
No problem
Those baskets make a world of difference for the balance.
It's funny: I pulled the leather shell out of the basket and the sword actually felt better in hand, but put it back because my thumb would keep snagging on the sharp edges. It's still one of my favorites to work with.
For a liner you can take a bit of fleece, sheepskin with wool on, dye the leather side scarlet and install. The wool against the hand gives a bit of padding.
I ordered mine not long ago and should be coming soon, pretty excited, I'm glad to have an expert review an awesome sword, thanks.
Let me know what you think of it! I just used mine as part of a blade-to-blade impact experiment I'll be posting and it didn't get a scratch.
The pommel bolt eventually snaps, which is a weakness of almost every CS sword they make.
Yup, I worry about that. I've taken this one apart several times to make modifications to the hilt, and can see the potential for failure just in terms of thread stripping.
@@michaelrizzo5523 In actuality, the tangs were much wider, as well, and the tang was peened over the pommel. The handle was the last to be completed as two slabs of wood were hand fitted between the quillions and pommel. Once the wood was shaped comfortably, it was then wrapped or sewn with leather. Rat tail tangs were not used as the handle could twist under stress. They were only used on files.
@@Man_Cave I have a blade I've been thinking about mounting in a basket with a full-tang construction like that. Or maybe one day I'll break down and get a historical version.
I only plan on using mine once. Lol. Instead of a firearm my cs basket hilt is my main source of protection for my business
Looks like a fun sword.
Very much so. And I have no worries about including it in my planned "collision" experiment.
Swedish heavy cavalry saber and the 1685 has a. Metal THUMB loop to give the thumb an anchor to control the blade. Might help build neural connection and strength
It looks so nice and fancy 🤩 basket looks perfect for hand protection it looks a little heavy for fencing
Good for training and target cutting/thrusting, but even blunted it's too heavy I think to fence with safely.
@@michaelrizzo5523 I like the cloth black instead of red
@@jakemake142 Yes, that would be pretty awesome. Maybe I'll re-line it.
Watching further you came to the same basic conclusion I did and removed your tassel for the same reason I did LOL I also made a leather washer but I made one for under the pommel and over the guard under the Blade to help solidify everything
It's interesting that the interior of your liner flakes off I've had my version for about 10 years I think and mine has never lost any of the black off the interior.
I'm guessing they must have gotten cheaper on the manufacturing end of that?
It appears to be select areas where the dye just didn't adhere and gets scraped off by my brace, but it's easily touched up.
I have had this sword for a few years now. It's definitely my favorite single hand sword in my collection, but I did do some work to it. I removed the tassel because it was always in the way. The next thing I did was pull the hilt apart, and put a peice of scottish national tartan between the basket and the flat liner. This makes it not so brightly colored, and adds an extra layer to the already very protective hilt.my biggest complaint is the pommel. The edge is very aggressive, and has cut my wrist on at least two occasions, but i think im going to make a leather cover for the pommel to add a bit of padding, because i hate gloves. I have the English backsword coming in the mail soon, and I'll be experimenting with shaping the blades between the two.
I like the Tartan idea. I just stripped the black off down to natural leather. I also really enjoy training with this sword. The CS backsword is much lighter in comparison, and I don't think the blade is as well-finished.
Do you prefer this one or the english sword? Also If you remove the cloth material is it easy to get your hand into it as the english backsword? Do you prefer the grip on one or are they both the same TIA
This one has the benefit of a hard leather liner, not cloth. I tried it without for a while, then put it back since the basket was too open at the top, but I did strip that black dye out of the inside of it because it just kept flaking. Grips are very similar, but this one has a sharp-cornered pommel vs the rounded one on the English. The English is also much lighter and nimbler.
@@michaelrizzo5523 I decided to buy one. I would love to see a follow up and your thoughts now.
Is there Distal Taper to the blade?
None. Classic Windlass. 4mm throughout. If you want distal taper, go with a Hanwei. Highly recommended.
Great review, cold steel really is hit and miss with their Indian line of sword sharpening. I got one of the 1796 sabers, it was bad, like really bad. only about 6 inches of the sword were ground at all on the cutting edge and no sharping at all on the false edge. On the flip side it has a 7mm to 2.5mm distal taper, flexes right, is a fearsome cutter if a bit overweight. Fixed the problem with a bastard file and a few days of hand filing the entire blade into a single bevel then re-sanding the grind by hand. BTW if you want to get that perfect matte finish like a Albion sword buy some 3M 7448 pads. They are the grey ultra fine buff pads. A squirt of WD40 and some hand buffing and you can easily turn that English backsword blade into a nice matte grey finish, I highly recommend it. It's actually what Albion themselves use for their finish and recommend using on their swords to remove scratches.
Thanks! I'll look into the 3M pads, as the Cold Steel Backsword I have has a REALLY ugly mirror polish. I did extensive re-profiling on my 1796 and got the lumpy blade more even and improved the balance, but it took a lot of work. The 1796 was my biggest disappointment from them.
@@michaelrizzo5523 Same for me, I have a few cold steel swords and the 1796 was basically a unfinished project sword from the start. That being said it's quite good now after regrinding and hours of labor.
My biggest positive surprise from Cold Steel was their current Tulwar, despite its very poor reputation prior. (It used to have a enormous grip and used the same blade from their 1796 model) They have since changed the blade to a actual Tulwar blade, mine has a 8mm to 2mm taper, and they shrunk the Tulwar hilt, it fits me perfectly now, the old Cold steel brass Tulwar hilt was famously too large, which is a big problem when trying to cut with it properly. It is now a good length but It is still "too big" too thick around the grip when contrasted to the few historical originals that I own, that being said, I have large hands and for me it's far better than I was expecting and more robust than the historical originals because it is full tang (hence the thick grip) compared to glued in like historical pieces, most likely for liability reasons. It also came quite sharp from tip to hilt, it does have a secondary bevel but that is historical for Tulwar. Plus there is something authentic about buying a modern Tulwar that is actually made in India, that makes it seem more "genuine" if that makes sense.
Keep up the great work with your videos, hopefully you start getting some free review copies as a perk. Your reviews have been articulate and well structured.
@@-Zevin- I also have a new generation Cold Steel Talwar and really like it, despite not being a "saber guy".
only just starting the video so I have no idea what you're going to say on yours but I have one of these too! Lol
I took the tassel of mine.
My grip was a bit loose so had to fix that issue, I reprofiled the tip as it was very spatulate & the overall basket and space inside the basket I think is a little excessive compared to historical examples; but otherwise I've loved mine.
I would like to hear your impressions of the cold steel Messer. It would be interesting to hear the impression of someone who has trained with both longsword and katana.
I've been considering a messer for a while but have been put off by the listed weight and POB of the Cold Steel models, as well as the reports of the blades breaking under impact. If I find a good deal I may get one as a "project" down the road.
How about looking at the Landsknecht emporium ones?
@@junichiroyamashita No experience with them yet, but looks like a good company to get a Messer from.
Good job Michael...how historically accurate is ray skin or synthetic rayskin on a Scottish sword or is it a modern esthetics rendition....doesn't seem right....would love to see cutting videos from you on your channel...thats a very embellished sword...but handsome
Looking at the antique basket hilts (18th-19th Century) I've seen both leather and rayskin grips, with the leather more common on the "regimental" hilts. Hanwei, Cold Steel and some other modern makers really seem to like the rayskin, though it can be really rough on ungloved hands. I sand mine down a bit. Working an a "tip slash experiment" video.
Ive had this sword but returned it too amazon. Did not like the grip on it much. What kind of sand paper did you use? I would like too try this sword again.
I keep a set of fine grit papers for my blades (240-2000) and probably used something between 240 and 600. I've had to do it for all three of my "shagreen" grip basket hilts to make them bearable without gloves. I've also needed to smooth over some rough seams. It takes a bit of work, but it makes a major difference. Your other option would be to wrap the grip in leather, but the grip on this sword is already pretty stout.
Hey, how are you? Which hand-forged katana brand would you recommend? Also, are there any affordable authentic Japanese-made katana brands out there?
On the Chinese market I've had very good experiences with Lyuesword.com and Murasame (who's on Amazon). Ryujin makes some nice solid affordable pieces as well. I've reviewed a few of each. As for Japanese-made I have no experience other than my antiques.
@@michaelrizzo5523 Thank you for your response. Out of the 3 brands you just mentioned, if you had to pick one, which one would it be? How much did you pay for your antique swords?
@@Verbal_Kint416 I would start by either checking out what's available at Lyuesword.com or searching Murasame Swords on Amazon and see what they have that you might like. As for my antiques, I bought them both over 40 years ago when they were still very affordable, whereas now you'd be lucky to find a decent Shin Gunto for less than $1500-2000USD on the antiques markets. Modern Japanese made swords are also extremely expensive. Let me know what you find.
@@michaelrizzo5523 I just ordered a samurai tachi from Yomikuni. But I honestly had a very terrible customer experience with them, so I won't be returning for another purchase. I'm hoping to get an authentic Japanese katana, one day. Lyuseword's looks very promising, I probably will make a customized sword with them but their setup on the site is quite confusing.
Thank you for your time. Appreciate the help
@@Verbal_Kint416 Any time.
I've been after one of these for months to use as a solo training tool for Hema to no avail. I'd really love to get my hands on one.
It's still one of my favorite training swords. I did reprofile the edge a bit, smoothed the grips and stripped that black paint off the inside of the leather liner. It's on my list to do an update video on.
@@michaelrizzo5523 happy to say after a long wait and a restock one of my very own is now on the way I've spent a fair amount of time on my Hanwei backsword and a synthetic trainer in the meantime doing lots of reading your review here pretty much tilted me towards finally owning one of these and I'm grateful for your insights.
@@patrickedwards7107 It will feel heavier in hand than the Hanwei backswords, but it's really solid and I still enjoy training with it.
Personally I like the Hanwei Scottish Backsword as the best Scottish sword out of the box from big companies, has the best balance, weight etc.
That one's been on my wish list for a while. I wonder if there's any difference between the original and the "antiqued" version besides finish?
@@michaelrizzo5523 as far as I know not in weight and handling, it is just the patina and sheath.
@@tuerkefechi I may need to grab one, then!
Nice piece! I love the Backsword. May haveta go for this one too. 😊
It's great if you want to go a bit heavier. The price was pretty tempting.
Yes sir. I took the bait last night 😆.
@@brandonwells1175 Definitely let me know what you think!
@Michael Rizzo it's definitely heavier than the Backsword, but I find that a help rather than a hindrance. Moulinets with this baby seem effortless, and now that I've finally managed to avoid extra tension in my form, allowing the lunge to generate ALL force in the cuts, the only obstacle is endurance. It's taxing to hold this baby in Seconde or whatever guard for very long, especially since I'm a newb to these Western swords. I only began to learn this technique back in April when I bought the CS Italian Dueling Sabre. Even that skinny little thing tore my forearms and wrists up every session, especially when I was using triceps and hips to get power. Nay, use the lunge alone, accompanied by some minor twisting of the wrist only, and you'll nail the technique. I'm looking forward to watching this Claymore build my strength and improve my form.
Also, I'm keeping the tassel. See, I never practice gloved. Ever. The old timers didn't, and I don't. This rayskin, be it real or polymer, is rough on my hands, so if the tassel gets between my hand and the grip I call it a blessing 🤣😂🤣 Intentionally gripping it with the tassel in hand hasn't caused any slips or loss of grip. I won't make it a habit, but I consider it negligible if it happens to end up that way.
awesome scottish broadsword,i love them
Backswords and broadswords have become some of my favorites both aesthetically and for training. They just feel right and make a lot of sense to me.
Putting the tassel muppet on your head was hilarious 😂
What are those two upright loops on top of the basket hilt for?
I've heard different theories. I find them very good for sword catching. Possibly also for hooking an opponent's shield.
heard that cold steels quality dropped after they were sold
any Fully functional basket hilt Scottish made today
Mine's a few years old, not sure how long the store had it before me, but I've done a lot of impact/use testing with it and it's held up impressively. Those guard ears also saved me from a falling target blade. It is Cold Steel Beefy, though, so not very nimble.
Well I'm sold .
I train with it frequently.
nice