This isn't supposed to be a replica of any one specific example of German rapier, it's meant to be inspired by the Met's collection. A historically plausible piece rather than a faithful reproduction.
This is why I respect Matt so much, his reviews are always so fair and without bias. I'm impressed by LK Chen doing swords from all over the world, most of his I've seen so far have been Asian styles. It looks like a lovely sword with some great constructive criticisms from Matt, and I'm sure LK appreciates the comments. Also a great demonstration of what even light cuts with such a blade can do
I always rely on Matt for an informative unbiased review. Superb at his job. I'm also impressed with LK Chen's branching out into different cultures. Understandably there will be a learning curve on their part but from my experience they do well with listening to customer feedback to improve their product lines. Rapiers also seem to be a decent fit as far as a western style sword to be made by a primarily Asian focused manufacturer. There are some fascinating similarities between many Asian swords and European rapiers and it seems to me that many Asian cultures have an admiration or at least a fascination with them. (Look at how many times you see rapiers in anime lol)
@@scottmacgregor3444 Also why I think Rapiers are a nice choice. Many forms of Jian can be rather slender and thrust centric. More than a few look a lot like a rapier without the swept hilt. A lot of the techniques have striking similarities too.
Great video, as per the usual. Your candor is always so gratifying when you're speaking on a subject; feel like the temptation to gloss over issues gets to a lot of folks. Also, thanks very much for introducing the company a few years back, Matt! This reminded me to check order tracking; my Scarlet Sunrise just left Ningbo Airport, today! I'm very excited to practice my form with it (hopefully my neighbors won't be too upset). Also, they're an absolute pleasure to deal with.
I bought this one some months ago. Reasonably happy with it. Just a small point is they promise delivery in about 6 weeks but mine arrived 13 weeks after placing the order. The frustrating part is they didn’t communicate or offer any reassurances that it was running later than their promised timeframe. There is a slight crack in one weld on the swept hilt that’s only visible from the underside, but it’s not a deal breaker. Other than that it’s a lovely sword and I’m more than content with it. Cheers.
When you said the metal finish of the hilt looked like bathroom furniture, I had just came back form the bathroom in my Grandmas house, and I have been laughing for the past fifteen minutes
This video had me thinking about the pros and cons of wire grips vs leather grips, and other types, especially when it came to stuff like comfort, prolonged usage, etc.
If the hilt construction was better on this, it'd be a no-brainer for me. I'm not the biggest fan of conventional rapiers, but sideswords and other complex-hilted cutting swords are some of my favorites. It's a shame they seem to have cut-corners when it comes to the integrity of the build. I have confidence that LK Chen will remedy this eventually, but for now I'll have to pass.
Fought 5 sharp Mensuren and know The Duelling Codex of Busson and Bolgar which i Live for. Yes, I am German. Our weapons of use are very crude, compared to a rapier. Even the Mensursäbel, the weapon of Choice for Heavy duelling.
Have you done a video on what would be a "typical" Dumas style "Musketeer" type sword? or a fight choreography video on the 1970s Michael York/Oliver Read films?
I bought one shortly after your review, and they clearly made adjustments to the design based on your critique. The only thing they didn't do is remove the sharp corner at the top of the ricasso -- the one you worried that was a stress-riser. But it looks like everything else, from smoothing the ricasso to be easier on the fingers to making the finish more polished are not part of the design.
If it's a military rapier it's probably designed for use with gloves or gauntlets, so the guard would be unusually large. Kult of Athena is asking $558, or about 442 Pound. Thickness tapers from 7.5mm to 2mm and the Blade length is 40.375 inch with a width of 34mm. It looks very tempting.
A very interstin topic would be an examination of George Silver's discussion of the faults of rapier thrusting oriented fencing and the problem he identifies in "short swords" employed in military affairs. The notable aspect regarding "short swords" being that he say they lack a "hilt." It is a period specific view of the use of swords in England.
Saxony rapiers where made, not just for thrusting or piercing but also with intent to dismember or decapitate. That's why their blades are broad and their hilts are fordged to be two-handed if necessary. They were basically medieval arming swords made to look pretty for nobility of the period
I think its this ability which makes it the king of swords, sure it excels in thrusting but in capable hands it would even slash with a whip like movement, that is scary.
Disappointed to hear about the rattle, and twist as on paper it looks like my ideal sword, except for the days when I fancy being a Viking. As to finding things in museums, I've never been able to find the Munich town guard in the Wallace.
19:43 Prepare to be halved and halved again... and again, and again, and again, and again. Wow. Incredible cutting. That takes an excellent sword and an excellent swordsman.
Try wrapping some Teflon tape around the threads and then try putting some loctite on the end of the nut before you screw it on the thread that should help with some of the sloppy play, hope it works.
"Cut is cut. [In combat] it doesn't matter if its clean or breaks off; if it's in 2 pieces the job is done." Someone said that to me at a sword event in 2001. In relation to the branch you tried to cut that broke off partly.. well if that were an armed it would still be destroyed & likely severed if not close to it. So yes it's not as heavy a cutting weapon as many swords are but it is quite capable of doing enough damage to stop the opponent with a cut.
The only two counterpoints can think is it looks like that blood and iron was refering basically ramning the edge into someone and matt did a wrist cut. Also, the effectiveness of the depends on sharpness and the clothing the target is wearing. I would be curious to see how little travel in takes to cut through and would through thick clothing.
@@PJDAltamirus0425 I wasn't referring to Blood & Iron. But while obviously those points apply to a cut I'm referring to after a cut. Is someone's arm is removed it is irrelevant if the bone is cut perfectly smooth or snapped off it's not attached either way. In either case the objective was met; remove arm.
Eh, there is still the length, which is a big plus when it is drawn out, but can be a issue at other points in time. Things that make great offensive features make it hard to defend yourself. Harder to get and use if someone jumps you in a alleyway.
@@Kinetic.44 True, but rapiers overlap with the of matchlock and wheelock and at the very lastet, flintlocks and a bullet makes better penetrating than a sword and everyone had a knife, just not specilized blade grabbing one. That is a difference between Hema fencing and today. The dude that parried, rushed in and body slamed the fencer would have been stabbed to death.
Yeah you can defo see its cast dont like the satin finish .Id like to see it polished and a tiny bit aged so it wil still look new but more authentic looking .Im sure they can have options on the hilt
Nice... I wish there was a lefty option on those. (Yes, I am aware that the grip can be used by lefthanded people, but it somehow bugs me to have to use it the wrong way around)
It looks like a sword plausibly carried by one of Cromwell's Ironsides, or Rupert's Bluecoats in the Civil War. The thick leather gauntlets the cavalry wore would have fit the larger guard.
Remove the pommel, file the threaded bit down a bit, clean out all the glue, and thread it back on. The additional space from a very slightly shortened threaded bit should give the clearance necessary to get it good and tight without bottoming out.
I'd probably want to try heating the hilt & getting the glue to soften to remove it. Then clean the threads, blacken the pommel & guard, apply some anti-seize to the threads, and put it back on. The pommel almost certainly *is* the nut. Worst case the threads cause the tang to bottom out in the pommel, in that case if I needed to tighten it I'd drill it out at the tap size a bit deeper, then tap it further in. Shouldn't need much if that happens.
Met has a German Saxony sword. Accession number 28.100.2 Not sure if that is what you are looking for. I just got a modestly priced Depeeka Pappenheim hilt through Kult of Athena and I really like it.
Met Museum 28.100.2 is similar but the guard & pommel aren't the same design. It's also only 1247 grams, with a 93.4cm blade. 1410 grams is really rather hefty for a single-sword sword of any type.
Matt, you should help LK out a bit with R&D by 3D scanning some of your collection. The PRC doesn't allow for the importation of swords, so it limits the speed at which they can expand their inventory variety.
Hey matt, if you happen to see this new comment on an old video, out of curiosity have you ever done cutting tests with an antique sword and have you filmed it by any chance ? I've never seen anybody cut with an antique sword.... For obvious reasons.
Okay, when does a rapier stop and complex jilted longsword begins? Kinda get that rapier sorta blurr the lines. The hilt allows two hands and there are long swords that could cut worse and that this .
Why the index finger over the cross guard - is that a grip to improve manoeuvrability, to use the balance of the sword to full effect? I get that the finger is still protected by the fancy spiral bit (technical term), but to place fingers beyond the grip seems counterintuitive to a layman like me. Even though I’m no swordsman nor a collector, this was a fascinating insight into sword construction details - nice one, Matt.
@@scholagladiatoria in the thumbnail they show a fake sword with straight cross guard but that is not the sword they pull out . They were just hiding the surprise in the thumbnail for those who watched. The channel is called Bondi treasure hunter.
These type of Rapier was the primary cavallry sword in the 30years war. During the battle of Breitenfelde in 1631 Swedish and Saxony cavallry used these Rapiers succesfull to charge imperal pikesquares and turning the battle in their favor
if i were to say be wanting to put that blade on a Mortuary Hilt would the ricasso the same width as the tang? not that you've taken it apart but does it look like it would be
Matt, you have a bit of pull with sword makers, could you advocate for more left-handed options in reproductions? So many nice swords, such as this or the Munich Town Guard, that I'd snatch up in a second if they offered a lefty version, but have to leave on the table.
after watching your videos for a while im somewhat saddened that i dont have one of these beautiful swords, or a longsword. i grew up using a katana (for yardwork) and i still keep it stashed with my gardening equipment where it sees frequent use. im afraid im set in my ways in using an inferior sword. :( it works a treat on bananas though.
Good review. Knowing almost nothing about swords, it does seem to be like 15% oversized all the way around. Shame to since there doesn’t seem to be much around of that era as far as I know. 👍🏼👍🏼
Would it be fair to say that a rapier can be identified by the fact that its blade is lighter, longer and has a complex hand guard? Keeping in mind that I am no expert, I can point out some things that I have observed to be common to the swords I have seen that were identified as rapiers by people who know better.
I would love to pay 1,000 for an LK chen sword with all the bugs fixed. Full tang, proper finishing on the hilt better scabbard. The blades and the handling of his work is fantastic, I have told him more than once to start a premium line, charge double, still be well below Albion prices, and fix all the niggles.
th-cam.com/video/Yt2n-NjMYHA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=EEk2ReUH315eWT2f Good video on the topic. Also Nick Thomas has his 50 minute video on spadroons which covers literally everything. Basically the rapier becomes the transitional rapier, shorter, less ornate shell guard, called a ‘shearing sword’ and eventually the spadroon.
at first glance the hilt already looked too large, proportionally wrong. if that's what the original was actually like, then i wonder if it was for someone with huge hands or wearing a very thick glove
What a beautiful weapon, but did you say cast iron on the handle guard 😮 oof. I’d say buy it for the blade but 500 bucks for a blade… eh buy a weapon that is a fixer upper for 500.. I mean maybe as a training weapon but oof yea I agree with another comment that maybe for 200.. 250 is stretching it .. I don’t know the process of making it enough to gage if it’s worth it. With recent inflation maybe tack on an extra 50-100 and your still at max 350.. and that’s stretching it to the point of not really wanting a fixer upper.. at 350 if the fixes suggested in this video we’re done and the hand guard was carbon steel I wouldn’t be able to say no it’s a beautiful weapon and wow if that handle was colored 😅 maybe that kind of fix would be worth fixing up
99% of us only know "rapier" from the movies, and so think long, thin and pointy. 11:44 Thus, carried in the 30 Years War? 13:32 In period, wouldn't men have worn gloves?
I would think that a man relying on that particular weapon, in matters of life and death. Would probably have a problem with there being a " rattle " to the handle. After all said rattle is likely to turn into a lose handle. Bear in mind I am no expert on swords. I do look at this from a practical point of view. What is more likely to work more often than not and has less chance of breaking down at the absolute worst possible time.
In my opinion epoxy in swords is unavoidable in modern times. Even the high end makers use it as glue. Different kinds of glues were used in originals, but no modern makers I know are using pitch, fish glue or other historically accurate glues. If anyone knows someone who does feel free to tell me. Mechanically there is no problem witg glue as long as it's not the only thing that's keeping the sword together.
My god, it looks like a longsword blade fit onto a one-handed hilt. It's beautiful.
Oh I love it, I've been looking for a one handed longsword for a awhile now
This isn't supposed to be a replica of any one specific example of German rapier, it's meant to be inspired by the Met's collection. A historically plausible piece rather than a faithful reproduction.
I found this rapier its in the Rüstkammer in Dresden. The original swordsmith is Peter Tesche.
This is why I respect Matt so much, his reviews are always so fair and without bias. I'm impressed by LK Chen doing swords from all over the world, most of his I've seen so far have been Asian styles. It looks like a lovely sword with some great constructive criticisms from Matt, and I'm sure LK appreciates the comments. Also a great demonstration of what even light cuts with such a blade can do
I always rely on Matt for an informative unbiased review. Superb at his job. I'm also impressed with LK Chen's branching out into different cultures. Understandably there will be a learning curve on their part but from my experience they do well with listening to customer feedback to improve their product lines. Rapiers also seem to be a decent fit as far as a western style sword to be made by a primarily Asian focused manufacturer. There are some fascinating similarities between many Asian swords and European rapiers and it seems to me that many Asian cultures have an admiration or at least a fascination with them. (Look at how many times you see rapiers in anime lol)
LK Chen started put solely with Chinese swords, and have gradually branched out from there.
@@scottmacgregor3444 Also why I think Rapiers are a nice choice. Many forms of Jian can be rather slender and thrust centric. More than a few look a lot like a rapier without the swept hilt. A lot of the techniques have striking similarities too.
Great video, as per the usual. Your candor is always so gratifying when you're speaking on a subject; feel like the temptation to gloss over issues gets to a lot of folks.
Also, thanks very much for introducing the company a few years back, Matt! This reminded me to check order tracking; my Scarlet Sunrise just left Ningbo Airport, today! I'm very excited to practice my form with it (hopefully my neighbors won't be too upset).
Also, they're an absolute pleasure to deal with.
Why do rapiers have to be so pretty.
Cuz those are for men of culture.
Cos they are bling
because they're expensive so you might as well
Because the deadliest have to be the prettiest. Also all the answers above!
The origin of the name literally translated to Dress Sword
I bought this one some months ago. Reasonably happy with it. Just a small point is they promise delivery in about 6 weeks but mine arrived 13 weeks after placing the order. The frustrating part is they didn’t communicate or offer any reassurances that it was running later than their promised timeframe. There is a slight crack in one weld on the swept hilt that’s only visible from the underside, but it’s not a deal breaker. Other than that it’s a lovely sword and I’m more than content with it. Cheers.
When you said the metal finish of the hilt looked like bathroom furniture, I had just came back form the bathroom in my Grandmas house, and I have been laughing for the past fifteen minutes
It's a sword crafted specifically for bathroom duels, where it provides a nice added bonus in the form of camouflage.
I quite like the idea of a more modern approach, aesthetically it looks lovely to me, I like the matt finish, guard, grip detailing etc.
This video had me thinking about the pros and cons of wire grips vs leather grips, and other types, especially when it came to stuff like comfort, prolonged usage, etc.
If the hilt construction was better on this, it'd be a no-brainer for me. I'm not the biggest fan of conventional rapiers, but sideswords and other complex-hilted cutting swords are some of my favorites. It's a shame they seem to have cut-corners when it comes to the integrity of the build. I have confidence that LK Chen will remedy this eventually, but for now I'll have to pass.
Yes, so beatiful. Love rapiers.
Fought 5 sharp Mensuren and know The Duelling Codex of Busson and Bolgar which i Live for. Yes, I am German. Our weapons of use are very crude, compared to a rapier. Even the Mensursäbel, the weapon of Choice for Heavy duelling.
Have you done a video on what would be a "typical" Dumas style "Musketeer" type sword? or a fight choreography video on the 1970s Michael York/Oliver Read films?
This is my default understanding of battle-ready rapiers. I don’t want a glorified foil.
Thank you for the video! I'm still hoping to get myself a military rapier sometime...
I bought one shortly after your review, and they clearly made adjustments to the design based on your critique. The only thing they didn't do is remove the sharp corner at the top of the ricasso -- the one you worried that was a stress-riser. But it looks like everything else, from smoothing the ricasso to be easier on the fingers to making the finish more polished are not part of the design.
If it's a military rapier it's probably designed for use with gloves or gauntlets, so the guard would be unusually large.
Kult of Athena is asking $558, or about 442 Pound.
Thickness tapers from 7.5mm to 2mm and the Blade length is 40.375 inch with a width of 34mm.
It looks very tempting.
I do enjoy your instruction and insights on these subjects.
Thank you.
Great review......you've got to love a properly functional cut and thrust rapier.
Pretty much the best kind of sword there is.
A very interstin topic would be an examination of George Silver's discussion of the faults of rapier thrusting oriented fencing and the problem he identifies in "short swords" employed in military affairs. The notable aspect regarding "short swords" being that he say they lack a "hilt." It is a period specific view of the use of swords in England.
Those were some excellent cuts! The milk bottle with little cuts was very impressive! Much more of a cutting sword than I would have guessed.
Saxony rapiers where made, not just for thrusting or piercing but also with intent to dismember or decapitate. That's why their blades are broad and their hilts are fordged to be two-handed if necessary. They were basically medieval arming swords made to look pretty for nobility of the period
I think its this ability which makes it the king of swords, sure it excels in thrusting but in capable hands it would even slash with a whip like movement, that is scary.
Disappointed to hear about the rattle, and twist as on paper it looks like my ideal sword, except for the days when I fancy being a Viking. As to finding things in museums, I've never been able to find the Munich town guard in the Wallace.
Giving swords to you, someone who suffers from Stahlsucht, is like giving a beer to an alcoholic :D :D
19:43 Prepare to be halved and halved again... and again, and again, and again, and again.
Wow. Incredible cutting. That takes an excellent sword and an excellent swordsman.
Try wrapping some Teflon tape around the threads and then try putting some loctite on the end of the nut before you screw it on the thread that should help with some of the sloppy play, hope it works.
Reminds me of the Munich sword I've been considering. Rapier-style, beefier blade. 👍
This looks like a Munich Town Guard Sword. I swear you just did a comparison video a couple of months ago.
"Cut is cut. [In combat] it doesn't matter if its clean or breaks off; if it's in 2 pieces the job is done." Someone said that to me at a sword event in 2001. In relation to the branch you tried to cut that broke off partly.. well if that were an armed it would still be destroyed & likely severed if not close to it.
So yes it's not as heavy a cutting weapon as many swords are but it is quite capable of doing enough damage to stop the opponent with a cut.
The only two counterpoints can think is it looks like that blood and iron was refering basically ramning the edge into someone and matt did a wrist cut. Also, the effectiveness of the depends on sharpness and the clothing the target is wearing. I would be curious to see how little travel in takes to cut through and would through thick clothing.
@@PJDAltamirus0425 I wasn't referring to Blood & Iron. But while obviously those points apply to a cut I'm referring to after a cut. Is someone's arm is removed it is irrelevant if the bone is cut perfectly smooth or snapped off it's not attached either way. In either case the objective was met; remove arm.
Thank you. Saved for later for when I have the budget for a sharp. Maybe by then they'll have adopted your idea for a longer tang and a real nut.
Отлично. И навыки, и прямые руки, и хороший клинок творят чудеса.
Military rapier - the pinnacle of sword designs perhaps? Beautiful, versatile and effective.
Eh, there is still the length, which is a big plus when it is drawn out, but can be a issue at other points in time. Things that make great offensive features make it hard to defend yourself. Harder to get and use if someone jumps you in a alleyway.
@PJDAltamirus0425 that's why you carry a left hand dagger as well
@@Kinetic.44 True, but rapiers overlap with the of matchlock and wheelock and at the very lastet, flintlocks and a bullet makes better penetrating than a sword and everyone had a knife, just not specilized blade grabbing one. That is a difference between Hema fencing and today. The dude that parried, rushed in and body slamed the fencer would have been stabbed to death.
Yeah you can defo see its cast dont like the satin finish .Id like to see it polished and a tiny bit aged so it wil still look new but more authentic looking .Im sure they can have options on the hilt
Nice... I wish there was a lefty option on those. (Yes, I am aware that the grip can be used by lefthanded people, but it somehow bugs me to have to use it the wrong way around)
Ask lkchen, they might do you one
I’d like a case of rapiers. Arguably I have one anyway in the first place.
@@thekaxmax I might do that. First I'll wait for the second batch of the Windlass Royal Armoury line, though. :)
@@Waggadudewagga email them now; can't hurt to just ask.
@@thekaxmax True.
It looks like a sword plausibly carried by one of Cromwell's Ironsides, or Rupert's Bluecoats in the Civil War. The thick leather gauntlets the cavalry wore would have fit the larger guard.
Remove the pommel, file the threaded bit down a bit, clean out all the glue, and thread it back on.
The additional space from a very slightly shortened threaded bit should give the clearance necessary to get it good and tight without bottoming out.
I'd probably want to try heating the hilt & getting the glue to soften to remove it. Then clean the threads, blacken the pommel & guard, apply some anti-seize to the threads, and put it back on. The pommel almost certainly *is* the nut. Worst case the threads cause the tang to bottom out in the pommel, in that case if I needed to tighten it I'd drill it out at the tap size a bit deeper, then tap it further in. Shouldn't need much if that happens.
Im learning and having fun at the same time!
Met has a German Saxony sword. Accession number 28.100.2
Not sure if that is what you are looking for.
I just got a modestly priced Depeeka Pappenheim hilt through Kult of Athena and I really like it.
Met Museum 28.100.2 is similar but the guard & pommel aren't the same design. It's also only 1247 grams, with a 93.4cm blade. 1410 grams is really rather hefty for a single-sword sword of any type.
Matt, you should help LK out a bit with R&D by 3D scanning some of your collection.
The PRC doesn't allow for the importation of swords, so it limits the speed at which they can expand their inventory variety.
Can you buy swords in PRC in their shops?
@@Retro-Future-Land Seemingly, yes, but you just can't import them. More "wisdom" from the CCP.
With some kind of thicker gauntlet the grip size would be about right, right?
Excellent video, the pommel reminded me of Hernán Cortés's sword, the one in the video is very nice.
Looks nice for slice and dice
Great detailed review, thank you!
Looks like a XVIIIb slightly on the slimmer side with a rapier hilt. Of course rapiers used on the battlefield were no fencing foils.
Could the slight twist in the blade be the reason for breaking pieces of the wood rather than completely cutting clean?
Hey matt, if you happen to see this new comment on an old video, out of curiosity have you ever done cutting tests with an antique sword and have you filmed it by any chance ? I've never seen anybody cut with an antique sword.... For obvious reasons.
I'm been debating getting this sword or the darksword armory duke sword for my first sword.
I would recommend LK Chen above Darksword Armoury every time.
Matt: Good value for $500, decent replica.
(25 min later): So the 37th thing I think is wrong with this is
Please review LK Chen's new Long Quan Jian!
I like the look of the fifth one down behind your head, a very handsome looking blade.
Okay, when does a rapier stop and complex jilted longsword begins? Kinda get that rapier sorta blurr the lines. The hilt allows two hands and there are long swords that could cut worse and that this .
Why the index finger over the cross guard - is that a grip to improve manoeuvrability, to use the balance of the sword to full effect?
I get that the finger is still protected by the fancy spiral bit (technical term), but to place fingers beyond the grip seems counterintuitive to a layman like me.
Even though I’m no swordsman nor a collector, this was a fascinating insight into sword construction details - nice one, Matt.
I have quite a few videos on this top - search 'fingering the guard' :-)
@@scholagladiatoria I will - thank you 🙏
Thanks for the review it looks nice. The Rapier it's not my style however I will take a military over a traditional one.
How do you unsheet a long blade rapier.
I see one on your wall that I doubd I can unsheet and I'm 6 feet tall.
That sword night have ended up in the Philadelphia museum if it had been part of the Kienbusch collection.
Matt did you see the rapier found by youtube magnet fishers in the Netherlands a few weeks ago?
I didn't - I saw some (fake) early medieval swords 'found' that way recently, but a real rapier sounds much more interesting!
@@scholagladiatoria in the thumbnail they show a fake sword with straight cross guard but that is not the sword they pull out . They were just hiding the surprise in the thumbnail for those who watched. The channel is called Bondi treasure hunter.
Thank you for the comprehensive review.
These type of Rapier was the primary cavallry sword in the 30years war. During the battle of Breitenfelde in 1631 Swedish and Saxony cavallry used these Rapiers succesfull to charge imperal pikesquares and turning the battle in their favor
Those thrusts, I'd almost say Matt has been picking up rapiers during practice more and more.
Imagine, 2026, Matt Easton chooses rapiers over sabres.
if i were to say be wanting to put that blade on a Mortuary Hilt would the ricasso the same width as the tang? not that you've taken it apart but does it look like it would be
Love these rapier.
Seriously, how much do you think Matt’s collection would appraise for?
Matt, his is not a reupload is it? I feel like you've reviewed another rapier like this before that also had a matte/stain finish to hilt an guard.
That was the Munich town guard sword :-)
What steel is the blade material ?
Are these awkward for left hand use?
A rapier THAT cuts, Mr Easton! 🧐
I want 1 but plan too gun blue it. reasons maintenence and a dark weapon almost disappears in motion
Matt, you have a bit of pull with sword makers, could you advocate for more left-handed options in reproductions? So many nice swords, such as this or the Munich Town Guard, that I'd snatch up in a second if they offered a lefty version, but have to leave on the table.
How do you plan on bringing glory to the name of God by wielding a sword in your sinister hand?
10:44 Is it broad enough for a broad sword? : >
Can I call it a great spadroon? Or is the hilt too wrong for that?
after watching your videos for a while im somewhat saddened that i dont have one of these beautiful swords, or a longsword. i grew up using a katana (for yardwork) and i still keep it stashed with my gardening equipment where it sees frequent use. im afraid im set in my ways in using an inferior sword. :( it works a treat on bananas though.
From now on we can officially rate all sword blades on the "Thrusty-Cutty" scale.
Thank you very much for this very educational video and nice sword please have a good day.😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊.
great stuff!
OH yeah, here we goooooo😁
Someday, Matt will change his name, and end the video with "I have been Matt Easton, I won't be again…"
Good review. Knowing almost nothing about swords, it does seem to be like 15% oversized all the way around. Shame to since there doesn’t seem to be much around of that era as far as I know. 👍🏼👍🏼
You can get a long sword, hand made to your specifications, from Regenyei for that money.
A sharp one?
Thrusty end. Cutty end. No whacky feature?
Would it be fair to say that a rapier can be identified by the fact that its blade is lighter, longer and has a complex hand guard? Keeping in mind that I am no expert, I can point out some things that I have observed to be common to the swords I have seen that were identified as rapiers by people who know better.
I would love to pay 1,000 for an LK chen sword with all the bugs fixed. Full tang, proper finishing on the hilt better scabbard. The blades and the handling of his work is fantastic, I have told him more than once to start a premium line, charge double, still be well below Albion prices, and fix all the niggles.
Import it, pimp it, resell it.
he cutty choppy, but he also pokey stabby. 😮
how does it compares to the Industrial era cavalry pallasch sword
Pallasch swords were pretty much designed for cavalry no? So probably less suited for combat on foot
One could certainly make a comparative argument that it is a broadsword.
A cut and thrust rapier for people with large hands.
Are you keeping that one Matt, interested if you want to let it go (save me the import fees).
At what point does a military rapier become a spadroon?
th-cam.com/video/Yt2n-NjMYHA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=EEk2ReUH315eWT2f
Good video on the topic. Also Nick Thomas has his 50 minute video on spadroons which covers literally everything.
Basically the rapier becomes the transitional rapier, shorter, less ornate shell guard, called a ‘shearing sword’ and eventually the spadroon.
This one is almost nothing like a spadroon, apart from being a single-handed sword with the ability to both cut & thrust.
at first glance the hilt already looked too large, proportionally wrong. if that's what the original was actually like, then i wonder if it was for someone with huge hands or wearing a very thick glove
Praise with faint damns.
What a beautiful weapon, but did you say cast iron on the handle guard 😮 oof. I’d say buy it for the blade but 500 bucks for a blade… eh buy a weapon that is a fixer upper for 500.. I mean maybe as a training weapon but oof yea I agree with another comment that maybe for 200.. 250 is stretching it .. I don’t know the process of making it enough to gage if it’s worth it. With recent inflation maybe tack on an extra 50-100 and your still at max 350.. and that’s stretching it to the point of not really wanting a fixer upper.. at 350 if the fixes suggested in this video we’re done and the hand guard was carbon steel I wouldn’t be able to say no it’s a beautiful weapon and wow if that handle was colored 😅 maybe that kind of fix would be worth fixing up
Its like a rapier with the camera zoom turned up to .25
ya that metal finish is what stopped me from buying them
99% of us only know "rapier" from the movies, and so think long, thin and pointy.
11:44 Thus, carried in the 30 Years War?
13:32 In period, wouldn't men have worn gloves?
I would think that a man relying on that particular weapon, in matters of life and death. Would probably have a problem with there being a " rattle " to the handle. After all said rattle is likely to turn into a lose handle. Bear in mind I am no expert on swords. I do look at this from a practical point of view. What is more likely to work more often than not and has less chance of breaking down at the absolute worst possible time.
Respectfully I disagree about the color of the wire. A silvery steel looks amazing.
Cut-centric rapier is an oxymoron imho. It's just a single-handed sword with fancy hilt.
In my opinion epoxy in swords is unavoidable in modern times. Even the high end makers use it as glue. Different kinds of glues were used in originals, but no modern makers I know are using pitch, fish glue or other historically accurate glues. If anyone knows someone who does feel free to tell me.
Mechanically there is no problem witg glue as long as it's not the only thing that's keeping the sword together.
I’ve seen heavier British trooper swords that an impact has warped the blade 😮