I just received my two packages and quickly took some photographs.
First up is the Hanwei Oliver Cromwell Mortuary sword. This sword was very expensive when I first spied it a few years ago. Happily, it has come down in price. This is my first basket hilt type sword, and I must say, I am very impressed with this one. There is a slight antiquing patina on the blade.
The scabbard is a very nice brown. It is a colour Hanwei seems to include with their antiqued items.
The hilt on this one is beautiful. I thought it was going to be ostentatious from the online pictures, but in reality, it is a bit subtle. The ray skin handle offers plenty of grip. The basket hilt is large enough to offer my big paws plenty of room.
Even the chap is decorative.
A closer look at that handle.
The back side of the chap has this small built in frog.
The blade is relatively straight and sharp.
Overall, this is one show piece that feels very good in the hand. The balance makes this one lively sword.
Next up is the Cold Steel Small Sword. This sword tends to rattle somewhat because the hand guard is pressed into a recess in the handle. It wiggles a little when doing some moves, causing a slight rattle. At first, I thought something was loose. After checking out the sword, I found out that there is a bit of motion in that hand guard. Nothing that would get in the way. I take it most of these have a slight rattle.
The CS small sword is tastefully decorated with a floral motif.
When I pulled the blade out, I was somewhat taken aback at the shape of it. I assumed it would be 3 equal edges much like a star...but it turned out the edges were offset. This blade is not sharpened, but that point is wicked.
A closer look at the blade shape.
Overall, the CS Small Sword is very quick, and agile. It is heavier than it looks however. Not so much as to but you off. The blade shape lends itself well to swishing around.
Next up is the Hanwei Side Sword. Now this sword is light and quick. The balance is very good to my untrained hands. What I do know is that this blade is easy to move around. It feels great in the hand.
Not only is this sword excellent in feel, it is a real looker also.
The oversized pommel may have something to do with its excellent balance. The grip is great also.
Looking at the blade, I can see how this can be a good cutting sword as well as an excellent thruster.
overall, the Hanwei Small Sword is a great piece. It is light, lively, and well balanced. It looks great as well.
Next up is the Hanwei Tinker Viking Sword. I was greatly curious about the Hanwei Tinker line. The Viking sword appeared very different from the rest of the line, and thought I may as well go for one of those to see what it was all about.
I quickly found out that my big hands didn't like that sharp and flat shaped pommel. It dug into my palms whenever I tried a practice swing.
It does look great however, along with the similarly decorated guard.
The blade is very nice, as is the scabbard. Holding this sword, you can tell this one is a chopper with the balance point located fairly forward of the handle.
Interestingly enough, this sword has a peaned pommel. No Hanwei Tinker hex bolt system that allows you to change blades quickly.
Overall, not the most comfortable sword out there. It does look great. The blade is flawless, and the sheath works great.
Next up is the Hanwei Tinker Long Sword.
I like its simple lines. This is one classy looking sword.
When I took the sword out of its sheath, I was blown away. This is so well balanced it is scary. It is also light for its size. This is a frightening sword in its abilities. Long reach with lightening movements.
The blade has a complex geometry to it. It is rather broad, but then tapers in sections until it comes to a wicked point.
The blade itself is rather well done.
This sword does feature the signature Hanwei Tinker hex key system to easily replace the blade. This sword also has a blunt trainer that is designed to have the same weight and characteristics of the sharp blade that I have here. Good for Western Martial Artist I would think.
Overall, the Hanwei Tinker Long Sword is just awesome.
Next up is the Hanwei TInker Sword of War.
This one is similar to the Long Sword in size, but the shape is completely different. With that said, this one is also a classical beauty.
this sword features a broader blade with a spatula tip.
Overall, this sword is jaw dropping beautiful. The weight, shape, and balance are great. What i can see about the Hanwei Tinker line, they are light, lively, and completely the opposite of what most would think a big sword should feel.
Last but not least is the Hanwei Mercenary sword. This smurf sword or two hander (I haven't figured this out yet) features a nice thick grip that is very comfortable except for the roundness of the handles that causes the sword to roll around somewhat.
The pommel is a scent stopper type. The guard features gentle S shaped quillions. The blade is very wide with triple fullers. Unlike the Tinker Long Sword, this sword tapers gently to a point along the whole length of its blade.
Overall, the Hanwei Mercenary is an interesting sword. i had bought a few wall hangers in the past. One of them was an almost exact copy of this sword, only the blade was stainless and not carbon steel. On top of that, the wall hanger was super sized compared to this one. It didn't come with a scabbard either.
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