Royal Armouries Collection (Matt Easton/Windlass) English Longsword & Wakefield Hanger Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ต.ค. 2022
- UPDATE: part 2 of this review with extensive cutting is out: • Royal Armouries Collec... with some corrections regarding the originals' measurements.
The Royal Armouries Collection is a new line of historical swords made by Windlass and designed by Matt Easton of Schola Gladiatoria, who closely studied and measured 6 iconic late medieval swords in English history now housed at Royal Armouries National Museums of Arms & Armour in Leeds, England.
In this review we will look at two models at launch--the early 15th century English longsword (Oakeshott Type XVII), and the late 15th century falchion commonly referred to as the "Wakefield English Hanger".
I found both of these swords incredibly pleasant to handle, and they come closer than any other replication of these specific models currently on the market. However, the tolerance is still too high to make them 1:1 replicas, and there are some minor flaws in the fit and finish that occasionally even impact the handling.
The weight of these both deviate from the originals and the official specifications--not surprising for handmade objects, but the type XVII longsword weighs at least 200g lighter than the original, while the Wakefield Hanger weighs 50g lighter. I carefully took measurements of the length, width, thickness and their tapering and found them to be slightly thinner overall than the specifications on the sellers' websites. You will see detailed explanations in the video.
Other details such as the shaping of the hexagonal cross section on the longsword and the fuller width on the Wakefield Hanger also deviate from the original in some apparent ways.
I consulted Chris Fields of Sterling Armoury ( / sterlingarmory , a swordmaker and space engineer by trade, on the handling and stats of the longsword as he also studied the sword in person at Royal Armouries this year, and have some interesting findings on the mass distribution of the product compared to the original.
It's uncontroversial to conclude that the Windlass model is both lighter and livelier than the original, which is fantastic if you are looking for a generic type XVII longsword inspired by surviving examples, but slightly problematic if a true 1:1 replica of a specific piece is desired.
I closely examined every detail of the fit and finish and build quality and found many endearing qualities of both swords, but also some issues that need to be ironed out. You will see all of these in 4K resolution close-up footage.
Matt Easton as a designer of these products clearly have done a valiant job helping pushing Windlass for coming this far, as these are absolutely light years ahead of the qualities of Windlass' usual offerings. Yet, given the price point (especially in the UK, which is quite hefty), I think Windlass can still do better at faithfully implementing Matt Easton's designs and address some of the fit and finish errors, aspects that deviate from the originals, and their quality control. In the video I have shown some more issues discovered on the RA Collection swords owned by my friends--one of whom was going to send his two-handed sword to me for a review until he had to return it to Museum Replica when a crack was discovered on the blade by sword friend Matthew Cross.
All in all, it was quite a successful launch. Some models are already sold out at the museum and major distributors within a month. It is most definitely a welcomed direction that Windlass should keep going in.
Many thanks to Chris Fields for generously providing his insights on the museum piece. You can visit Sterling Armoury here / sterlingarmory
Matt Easton of Schola Gladiatoria's TH-cam Channel
/ scholagladiatoria
Royal Armouries Collection at Royal Armouries British National Museums of Arms & Armour:
shop.royalarmouries.org/colle...
North American Distribution of the Royal Armouries Collection swords at Museum Replicas:
www.museumreplicas.com/royal-...
Many thanks to Kyle Smith (alientude / alientude , Brother Nathaniel ( / @thelevinlance6566 ) and Matthew Cross ( / @matthewcross2 ) for generously sharing the pictorial evidence of the issues on the new swords.
Background Music:
Peaceful Lute Music Vol.1
• Peaceful Lute Music Vol.1 - กีฬา
Hi Kane, some of your stats for the original of IX.16 are not correct. Please bear in mind that the Royal Armouries only set out to put approximate measurements on their website, or in some cases were provided those measurements by independent students and not fact checked, so the website measurements, where given, are not always very accurate. For example, IX.16 actually weighs 1495g. Please also note at this point that Chris Fields did not weigh the sword himself - he had a friend weigh it and came up with 1885g, which is WAY from the actual mass. I can't explain how they came up with that discrepancy. The blade is actually 7.4mm thick at the base, not 8mm.
These are hand made swords and there are going to be variations when they are being made in this large quantity. That being said, your example is too light - mine however is very close to the original (estimating for the grip weight). I think that this mass discrepancy would be worth raising with MRL. Just guessing, but looking at your images, it looks like they might have tapered the foible of your blade a bit too much.
Thank you very much for the commentary and the additional information you've provided in our extended conversation. They are very valuable for me and the audience to understand the correct context and perspective.
when Chris Fields told me he got that 1880g from someone, I instantly thought of the weight of IX.1106, the thick type XVa longsword. We both thought at the time that it didn't sound right, and likely the person mixed it up. So I didn't include this or other data from Chris in the review, but rather talking about some context. The stats I used in the review to compare the product to are from the museum's page for the original pieces, and the product pages on Royal Armouries gift shop and Museum Replica Inc.'s.
I do admit that my approach of seeking consultation for this review could be somewhat problematic. And I will talk about that in the second part of the review that's coming soon to make clarifications and corrections, including some of the stats Matt provided to me. Turns out at least some stats on the products are actually closer to the originals than I thought, while other measurements have been confirmed to be a bit far off.
Just to be clear, I am happy with the handling despite both piece being a bit too light, and most of the aspects on both of these swords are incredibly positive, while there's still room for Windlass to improve.
The weight of 1885g was given to me by Keith Dowen, one of the curators of the Royal Armouries that helped me view the pieces I was interested in, including this one. He was very gracious and giving with his time as they always are at the Royal Armouries. I believe this weight was mixed up with another piece though and Keith was going off memory, so he may say the same thing. That weight seems to match the other piece in this line though, the type XVa, and it's almost too close to be a coincidence. So that is probably the piece that this weight got mixed up with.
@@FortuneFavoursTheBold And I do conceded that we/Windlass can always do better. Trying to get mass production swords that are hand forged using traditional methods to all match each other exactly is going to be an impossible goal. But Windlass should be aiming to keep within fairly tight parameters to the approved versions, and that has been constantly reiterated during the development process (and one of my biggest concerns when going down the mass production route). As discussed directly, I do think your IX.16 longsword is lighter than it should be and MRL should be made aware of that. I think the IX.144 is very close to the original (which is 750g without the grip, about 780g with it). Also as noted, the measurements on the RA and MRL websites are sometimes off - I have related to you the measurements of the blade thicknesses of both these swords, and they are much closer than this video might suggest to people. In fact I would say both are very much within acceptable variance compared to the originals (like within 0.2mm).
Yeah, it's pleasant to find out the base thickness is actually pretty close. 0.2mm difference is more than fine in my book. I have just written to let MRL and Windlass know about the weight discrepancy especially on the IX.16. Hopefully they will try to stick closer to the sanctioned prototypes on future batches.
I am happy with both swords I've got so I'm not returning them or anything. Looking forward to sharpening them and cutting with them soon, and adding some corrections and clarifications with the new information from you in the second part of the review.
I love that falchion
So do I!
Thanks very much for this valuable review. I was greatly looking forward to this series of blades ever since Matt first teased this project on his channel but after seeing the feedback here, I'll hold off for now since those defects that got shipped spook cautious buyers like myself. I think you were very diplomatic here!
Glad to be of help with my review. I do try to remain neutral and only demonstrate what is and isn't on the product. I think these new models are great for the model and I've been looking forward to them almost the entire year since the teasing of the new line of product. The end results are pretty good but clearly have room for improvement.
I’m waiting for the Wakefield hanger to come hopefully I get a good one.
It's an extremely light and lively sword. Looking forward to your cutting video.
I have the arming swords, the single edged and the double edged, and the two in this video.
The examples I have are very, very rippled in the blades and the fuller on the double edged sword is quite irregular; the last full inch of one side actually takes a 25 or thirty degree turn. It’s crazy.
I’m sure Matt took good measurements.
But because of the finish, I am not confident that the examples I have match his measurements at all.
Now that being said, I’m still probably going to buy the two handed great sword, so make of all this what you will.
Indeed, two or even more things can be true at the same time. I think based on the release version examples we have seen so far, there has been some big variations, and the rippling and asymmetries are getting a bit out of control--for $600-800 swords. There have been some smaller fit errors here and there. But overall, a lot of things have been done right, and they handling more or less like the originals, which have not been replicated well up to this point by any production company.
Excellent job! You really covered all the bases. My Wakefield has the same confused shaping around the fuller termination as yours, although I don't have the same problem with the risers being uncomfortable. I've asked MRL for a refund on the type XVII rather than a replacement, but if they decline the refund option, I'm sure I'll get a sword that's fun to use, even if it's not truly a 1-to-1 replica.
Thanks, Kyle! I think talking to Chris Fields provided me new perspective about the RA Collection swords. Initially I thought they wouldn't handle as well as the originals but after conversing with Chris, I was led to believe that they tend to be lighter and actually livelier than the originals at least in some cases.
Great review. Very thorough.
The English Hanger (falchion) is beautiful.
Many thanks! Indeed I love that Wakefield Hanger. It’s such a lightweight little beast of a cutter, check out my recent pumpkin cutting video with it and the longsword (along with a katana and an Irish warsword).
Always enjoy your reviews. Quality.
Thank you kindly, and stay tuned for the second part of this review, please.
Finally this review is out. I have been waiting to see a good review from a rational reviewer like this to make my decision.
Glad to be of help!
I find Chinese smiths to be far better at grinding than Indian smiths. Indian smiths' strong suit seems to be heat treating. I've had nothing but amazing heat treats from all my Indian swords.
Indeed. I have always been aware that the originals have rippling and wavering edges and some asymmetries--some due to the repaired stated of the original after combat damage, and others due to the manufacturing technology of the time period. But in terms of modern swordmaking, there is a general expectation and level of acceptance of the rippling and asymmetries customers are willing to accept. Sometimes it simply is too much, especially if you consider all the modern power tools employed in the process. This is notable at a budget price range, but much more so at a $600-800 range.
Thanks for the thorough review! I have been excited about these new swords for the entire year!
Yeah it would be a joy to pull the trigger!
One of the best videos you have done, bro. Great job!
Thank you kindly, brother! Took me about 30 hours to produce this video, and it had to materialize in 3 days. It took less time than my usual review, but typically the work is spread out into several weeks of time. I am pretty exhausted right now.
Great review Kane! You really do a thorough job at explaining where the swords do well and where they could be improved. I really appreciate the content you have been putting out.
Many thanks! I greatly appreciate the support!
Sorry buddy. Somehow I just accidentally clicked the “remove” option on your comment on the pumpkin video. Thanks for the comment and support! TH-cam is really hard to use on mobile, when you click the “heart” button, a menu list of a great number of useless features pop out instead of just letting you choose what you just click the heart button for, lol.
Is that the beautiful hum of a BR-series blower in the background? Nice switch to the dub audio. Impressive attention to measurements and weight distribution. Does your measured difference in weight account for the mass of the grip core? How much would that change things? maybe 40-80g? just measured a tsuka core of similar length (no wrap, just the wood) and found it was 55g.
was asking in regards to the longsword.
Also, those rippled planes would bug the hell out of me. For repolishing, low spots from ripples result in darker, muddier spots on the blade, and would have to be ground down to the low in order to make an easy polish.
Overall they look really good, though. Thanks for the information-dense review
The gratuitous noise came from our landscaper. It forces me to switch to voice over, probably for the best.
Yes, the differences account for the grip weight. These grips are shorter than katana tsuka. The longsword has a 7.3" grip while the Wakefield Hanger has a 2.8" grip. They would weigh less than a 10-11" tsuka. I'd imagine the longsword's grip is about 30-40g, while the hanger has a 10-20g grip. I also take the material loss on the blade into consideration, probably an ounce or two.
Yes, lots of blades made in India have tons of rippling. It's often reasoned that it's because they are hand forged. I'm not sure if they are completely done with hand-held hammer--seems rare in modern day sword forging. Maybe they don't have power hammer over there? All I can say is forged blades out of China generally have a lot less rippling. Perhaps they use more industrialized processes over there? Or perhaps their grinding and polishing are superior? I do observe that many antique swords (not all) have good polishing to be flat on the surfaces, so I would say it's up to the maker's will and skills.
@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Thanks for the info. Impressive review and eye for detail. Looking forward to the cutting tests.
Also thanks for the solid response.
@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Off-topic, I've owned the BR-200, 600 and 800. Would never complain about that sound, it's so money. Would guess it was the 600 in the vid, best of the lot for power to weight ratio. Your guy is no joke. Respect for hard work.
the wake field hanger is historically and functionally half way between the medieval falchion and the post medieval Backsword
All of the models in this line are historical as they try to be 1:1 replicas of specific examples. Yeah you can call this Wakefield Hanger a backsword as it is straight though it’s a bit less symmetrical than later backswords.
Thank you for this review. You covered everything!
Glad you like it!
Great reviews with lots and lots of helpful information, close-ups and detail examination. Love it! Thank you :)
Glad that you like the review and it can provide some information of value.
Thanks for your thorough review
Thank you for viewing!
Good explanation on how they can improve.
Thanks! Although I doubt they will take it to heart.
Thank you so very much for this thorough review!
Thank you, for viewing!
Nice review. Personally, I don't care as much about the specification errors, as I just think they are nice designs on their own; however, I can understand how this could matter more to other people.
Yeah it doesn’t bother me that much. I wish they could close the gap a bit more since they claim these are 1:1 replicas, but otherwise they are excellent swords.
To be pedantic the hilt and scabbard appear to be covered in black chromium leather. An element and tanning process invented in the 19th century, though you would need to pester a local leather merchant to verify the anomaly, though if it smells chemically, or a wipe with a wet cloth doesn't leave any pigment on the cloth, the leather is likely anomalous. Shame as India is one of the primary producers of historically correct veg tanned leathers, so there should be plenty available in Windlass's Uttar Pradesh factory.
See: 22:33
This has always been the leather they used. Can’t say I’m a fan but usually they are functional and not too fragile. I agree that for a more premium piece they should have used higher quality leather.
How did they mess this up? They have Easton advising them.
I would say "messed up" are the correct words to describe this, but they clearly showed room for improvements.