Medieval Review - Cold Steel Italian Longsword
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- Medieval Review takes a look at the Italian Longsword from Cold Steel.
You can find this sword, as well as it's MAA counterpart here:
www.kultofathena.com/product.a...
www.kultofathena.com/product.a...
www.coldsteel.com/italian-long...
www.coldsteel.com/maa-italian-...
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The rattling guard is a feature: It makes you a more fierce warrior in battle, as you'll be angered by the rattling ;)
It is the best feature! lol
I think I'd be fucking scared by the sound of my weapon on the verge of falling apart.
@@thrownswordpommel7393 Hammer in some shims. Problem solved.
True story. I use a baby rattle
God, I fucking love Kult of Athena.
I'm being converted after receiving my Windlass Maciejowski two handed falchion from them. Superb packing job
Aye, could you do a top 5 quality budget swords that you have at the time?
Cold steel often has a lot of issues with cross guards. The messers they make have a no return policy on Kult of Athena and a warning that the cross guards are loose out of the box.
You can insert a piece of wood into the gap between the guard and the blade to make it tight, and soak the wood with oil if it loosens again.
Wood is one option I am thinking of going with oiled leather, it's what was done on old sabers... The problem is, unlike what you'd expect, there is not a large gap between blade and cross, just enough for it to loosen and rattle, so I'm thinking shaved down leather... I haven't decided yet.
Medieval Review I hadn't thought of using leather. It does make more sense if the gap is small though.
Epoxy seems like a simpler solution.
I read somewhere that Cold Steel sells their best swords from their website and not to distributors. You can only return to them if bought from them. To get the best buy from them, pay more get more. I ordered my long sword from Cold Steel and it is great.
Cold Steel has been improving a lot these past few years. Quality control is still an issue, but I bought a Cold Steel “hand and a half” sword from KoA this year (‘18) with the extended grip and I LOVE IT!!! To be fair, I got lucky and have had no issues with the guard rattling. But even if I did, idk it’s still kinda cool. It makes me feel like a grizzly, low class mercenary. It’s very “Landsknecht.” But that’s just me. I’m a dirtbag! Overall however, I think for the price point, Cold Steel is actually really stepping up their game. IMHO.
Just recently purchased this sword from Kult of Athena and I'm happy to say I guess I was the one in a million lucky ones that didn't get a loose guard or blade defects. Haven't gotten to cutting with it but hopefully it still holds up
let us know when you do
They aren't loose from the factory they get loose after cutting. It's an easy issue to fix if it does end up loosening.
Yeaaahh!! I was waiting this review!
Thanks!
I respectfully disagree about the tip. I think it looks phenomenal, and in all the practice cutting I've done, it thrusts magnificently.
I've owned one of these for 5 years now and it's held up surprisingly well. The sword's finish is very resistant to scratches and its factory edge remains somewhat sharp. Test cutting on all sorts of dead standing wood has not significantly damaged the edges or point. The only thing that seems suspect is the grip which developed a small amount of play after a lot of hard cutting: I managed to remove the play by peeling back the leather, drilling into the wood, and filling the grip with epoxy. The leather was also not very tight on the grip and originally it shifted around somewhat when I held it tight. I later glued the leather in place when I took the grip apart. The pommel and crossguard have given me no trouble.
The sword itself is very light for its size at 1270 g and its POB is 11 cm from the guard. This makes it completely usable as a one handed sword except where the long grip gets in the way. The blade is straight and true and the heat treatment has seemed good. The blade is on the flexible side as it will buckle during a hard thrust and oscillate after delivering a cut or parry. The CoP seems to be about 9 inches from the tip and when cutting with the last 3 inches the blade is noticeably bouncy against hard targets. The point is very durable but does not pierce with great ease like a more pointed blade. I think regrinding the point to a more tapered profile is more authentic for this style.
welcome back! glad that we are able to watch your content ones again!
Glad you're back. Love the videos
Good review! Thank you. I am currently trying to decide on a longsword, and I had been eyeing this one.
I've had the all-blued version for a couple of years, and am quite pleased with it. Guess I lucked out: the curse of the crossguard is not present! Mine is tight, solid and doesn't seem to be planning to loosen up on me. So, apparently, it's not a universal problem with the sword. Enjoyed the review hugely.
Awesome sensitivity to what your viewers are watching your videos for. Nicely done. Take a like.
Awesome review with some very good points made,, Im learning alot in a short space of time thanks to your vids.
Excellent review, thanks and seeing the dynamic graphs, very cool.
Love the presentation style on camera (always have!), has that nice sense of being informative and authoritative but slightly avuncular; nice balance of information and opinion.
Follow up video on how to correct hilt would be interesting as a resource, if not already done by others?
you can fix the loose guard with no big trouble, but it's not the idea having to fix something that you just buy.. .
exactly
DarSS Cinder As I understand it, the man-at-arms Edition doesn't have the same issues.
I've heard that this is because they are actually assembled separately from the standard edition.
dmp762 Really? Cool for them. Nevertheless, i don't have the intention to buy. Cheers
the man at arms has the same issue just doesnt seem to be quite as common, however i know someone who bought both versions of the itallian longsword and the messer and has the basket hilted broad sword and 2 of their katana's all with rattly or loose bits. needless to say he isnt as much of a cold steel fan anymore, he got the man at arms editions to replace the polished versions cause he heard the same thing about them not having the issue.
I just got one today & sending it back, starting at the tang to the end of the blade there is a bend in it if you put a straight edge on it the bend is more than 1/4 inch.
Thank you so much for the review!
I' ve been looking for exactly that longsword, so this really hit the spot! ^^
Really professional and "full" review. Triple-thumbs up!
Edit:
Also, my need would be not even cutting; just practicing on my own, learning to handle the blade, etc.
Amazing video as always
I bought this sword about 2 months ago and I love it!
I’d appreciate if you made a video when shimming the cross. If I end up getting one of these, I’d love to see how you go about doing that.
I have a Cold Steel on backorder now - I heard that they have addressed the loose cross guard finally and have improved some taper issues on some models. I opted for the shorter MMA hand and a half.
The hand and a half from cold steel is a better cutter than the Italian long sword
IMHO: YOU COULD EASILY TIGHTEN THAT CROSS GUARD, BY LIGHTLY TAPPING THE SIDES OF THE CENTER , WITH A HAMMER, TO REDUCE THE GAP BETWEEN IT, AND THE BLADE.
the tip design is owed to the type of steel they used.
1055 is not the strongest sword steel, it is bendy if to thin.
thats why they opted for a substantial spine and the less acute tip design. 10 75 or 1095 allow for more filigrane designs but they reqire a perfect tempering process to not get too brittle.
basicly 1055 is easyer to work with but will be on the heavy side to not bend under heavy usage.
Great review, I much prefer this format.
Hi there, just found your channel today and have been watching all of your reviews on swords. I was wondering if you ever had any plans to find and review Hanwei's Albrecht II Bastard Sword?
I'd like to see what your thoughts are on the sword.
As I understand it, the man-at-arms Edition doesn't have the same fit-and-finish issues. The man-at-arms Edition blades are actually put together separately from the standard edition.
The man at arms has a lower level of fit and finish to save money and make it cheaper
Except for the loose guard.
very good review
I wonder if you can report back on how the shimming worked?
I am in between this one and the Battlecry Bosworth.
would you have an opinion?
Cheers
Blazin'Blades
I got a Grosse Messer from cold steel with the pommel welded on upside down. I called about it and they said that a few came that way. They replaced it, but left me wondering how a sword company had people that would not notice such a thing during packaging. I was a dealer at the time buying direct from cold steel.
Keep in mind the was likely manufactured by Windlass. Poor build quality is not our of the realm of possibility for them.
I bought this sword recently and thought it was pretty good quality and it is sharper than most cheap blades but there is no way each one is as sharp as the sword used in the ad where they cut through pigs like they are made of butter
5:30 me too the more simple the better. Ornamental just takes away.
I would really like to see you review or just talk about Byzantine swords like a spathion since medieval Greek arms and armour are always overlooked in favour of Western European counterparts. I don't know of any manufacturers who sell Byzantine swords though. I look forward to a possible future video on this topic. Keep up the great content :)
Thanks for the review
Most of the swords I had my eye on were back ordered, so I kept your review in mind and tried not to wince when I purchased it on Kult of Athena. Although I do like the sword, I expect that it will dull easily because they never mention the hardness of the blade. And if you're doing budget reviews in the future, I'm wondering if you'll consider the Hanwei Rhinelanlander as one of them. That's the one I've had my eye on before it became double back ordered.
I have bought the MAA version of this sword a year ago (limited budget).
I agree with most of what you say, though not all.
I had two of them in my hands, because the first one I ordered had a point that was out of line from 3/4 of the blade and towards the tip. Both had no issues with the guard, they were really solid.
But I didn't like how sharp they were, they were too blunt for my taste.
Another good site for cheap(ish) effective swords, The Sword Buyers Guide!
Does the pomel unscrew to end the opponent rightly
Thanks for this! I've been debating whether to recommend this one or the Tinker for my students on a budget who want to start cutting and I think I can safely say "Either with provisos" now.
(Just a side note) You may be selling your cutting skills short a little bit. Your tatami looks a little mottled. A dry mat is fine, a wet mat is fine, but a dry mat with a little greenness or moisture, or the adverse can mess up a cut, especially if the dryness is on the outside at the end of a cut.
Hard to say for sure from a video, but soaking them (either at all, or a little longer) might help.
I heard they give the defective products to resellers.
Some small tips for the cutting... Maybe I'm wrong but it looks like the mat was dry. Make sure they're soaked, usually overnight. Otherwise, work on form and stepping into the cut. One final note, PLEASE don't cut TOWARDS your leg Lmao, footwork is important too and I'm sure you don't want to have a freak accident and cut yourself.
Could you please do a video of you shimming the blade?
I've heard that term but I would like to see a video with your quality showing it.
I love your video man
You should make a video of the repair
Nice review Sir. And a very sweet sword. It's a real shame about that crossguard. I'm hoping to get their Hand and a half sword at some point. I have one Cold Steel Sword - the MAA grosse messer. And while there are no issues, it is one heavy SOB. I will say though - i own many CS knives and am a huge fan of their knives. Great design, quality and value. Congrats on the new homestead. I hope your neighbors are cool with you swinging around live steel every now and then.
Great review! I really like the look of it, but I'm not a fan of the defects. I used to have a Cold Steel Hand and a half dagger that I loved, but I eventually got rid of it after taking a look under the hood. It cut really well, and was razor sharp, but the scabbard was infuriating, as it only fit the blade in one specific direction. The guard eventually loosened up after several cutting sessions, so I decided to disassembled it to tighten it. first thing I noticed was that the pommel nut was epoxied on. I grabbed a pair of pliers and pulled the nut off with a little bit of force. to my dismay, I found a poorly welded tang beneath the grip. the threaded portion was welded on, and you could see through the welds. the threaded portion was rather easily bent, so I decided to get rid of it then and there. I sold it off, and warned the next owner, but they were not worried, as it was to be a project blade. since this experience, I'm very iffy about cold steel swords, not to mention that I'm not a fan of their business practices. If you can, I'd like to see a video under the hood of your longsword, so that I might learn if mine was just a fluke. although I like the appearance, I'm not a fan of the cruddy QC. cold steel definitely needs to step up their game in that regard. good on Kult of Athena for warning any potential buyers
Thanks for the review! It is a sword that actually looks good! But even for a budget sword it's not forgivable to have any loose parts right out of the box!
Cold steel actually has a lot of very good products!!! In just about every price range!!! They also sell some of the best factory knives on the market!!!
How about the ronin katana longsword, its in the same price range and there is few reviews of it out there
mine had a secure crossguard but a super dull edge with a secondary bevel
I've never used this sword in particular but the Hanwei Rhinelander is a hidden gem on Kult of Athena. Only the people who own it know how good it is. Mine is 100% solid, even after a few accidental hits into hard wood. For around $230 it is the best sword as far as I know. Its grip is a bit small but I don't have big hands so it isn't a problem. It can be used one handed but is a bit heavy for that. Very nice sword. You might want to give it a look.
It's a pretty nice sword.
Thought it was a little forward heavy at first, but once I got my Feder and got used to actually using a steel sword, it began to feel wonderful in the hand. Only complaints I have, is that the sheath is not a very good fit-thus the sword is loose inside it- and that as it is a thrusting sword in design, it is a little too fat to cut as good as some other swords and lastly that the fishtail pommel is somewhat uncomfortable to hold in your hand if you like to palm the pommel.
Haven't had any problems with the crossguard, though I've not done any heavy duty cutting with it.
Finally a new video :D
Are you also planning on reviewing their Hand and a Half sword? I personally like the look of that one more, and from what I understand it trades off stabbing power for better cutting ability. I have also heard good things about their Grosse Messer.
hello, I was wondering if you knew of any budget hand and a half swords. I am looking for one that is good quality but not very expensive. Thanks.
If you want to try a Cold Steel product that is really good for the money, their pocket knives and fixed blade, modern knives are actually really nice.
I've absolutely thrashed on a Cold Steel AK47 and one of their Tanto fixed blades and neither has ever let me down. The Tanto in particular was bought because I wanted a cheap knife to beat up.
I lost my wood cutting axe last winter and used the Tanto to baton through piles and piles of logs. Didn't break or chip anything, I just dulled it really bad.
The AK47 has one of the strongest locks I've ever had on a pocket knife. It locks up tighter, and stronger than any other pocket knife I own.
I just bought my 1st Hand and a half sword. There is no wiggle or rattle in the guard, but i am still thinking about returning to amazon and spending another $150 on something with spring steel.
I 100% recommend cold steel knives and short fixed blade knives. They also have good cheap "tactical" machetes that are superior to other cheap machetes.
Recon 1 Tanto (S35VN alloy) premium steel, sushi knife sharp
Warcraft (CPM 3-V High carbon) Super sharp field tanto
Counter Tac I (Japanese AUS 8A) armor piercing bootknife
Safe Maker I (Japanese AUS 8A) 4 1/2" push blade
Cold steel must have updated their manufacturing process since this video because my sword had none of the defects mentioned here. Unless I just got lucky. I am quite pleased with the MAA version I have purchased.
skallgrim has a realy good video to fix that crossguard look it up of you want to know.
Amazing review. Only comment - always recommend an alternative or ‘next level up’ if possible to help newbies 👍🏻
I also have the Meeting on the Turret Stairs in my entryway.. Toscano used to have a lot of good stuff until they got all wierd with dead people/critter statues and Egyptian gods. As far as weapons I am in total agreement as to understated, war-ready weapons, the kind a real professional warrior would carry into battle while that super expensive family heirloom remains hanging in the great hall. Blueing? I can tell you from my collection that using synthetic motor oil the polished weapons rust MUCH faster than properly blued. I use Birchwood Casey gun type Superblue on my creations and weapons I want to black. Cheap, easy to apply, rust defense. There is good reason many knights went black. I too avoid most of the more expensive CS products, poor ergonomics. However this general type of weapon is my favorite go-to-war personal blade, my favorite being my modified Windlass Scottish War sword. May buy the black version of this as well and fix that rattle since it has a nut pommel. Use a file, give the nut two serious flats and use the right wrench or a high quality Crescent wrench and vise with leather protectors. Proper metal or wood wedge(s) or leather insert might work. Might I also suggest it's your footwork and related body mechanics that affects your form. Try taking Escrima/Kali/Arnis or even the holy grail (what I teach) JKD, but it's hard to find a good instructor who does not water down the serious aspects of this system
Btw here is something . Aragorn from lord of the rings sword. Is built on top of varatiom of the italien long sword.
MAA version does not rattle. I have one. Not sure if it's 1090 or 1055 though, as far as I know MAA has been made with both steels.
absolutely amazing sword for the price
Hey man, this is not really related to the video, but I have a but of a random question for you. I have just been browsing around looking for a sword I might like and I was just wondering what your opinion of Ace Martial Arts Supply is. I friend gave me a katana from there that is full tang, high steel carbon, that he got for like $50. I haven't done a ton of testing with it but it seems to hold up pretty well. Do you know if their other products hold up the same? Thanks!
does anyone make any custom pommels or hilt fittings for cs swords
Great review but the changed the specs a little bit recently. They upgraded the blade from 1055 to 1060 steel.
Constructively, if you haven't already you should check out Blood and Iron CZcams channel. they have some really detailed material on cuts that helped me a ton. I only say this because you mentioned that you don't feel you're a great cutter.I felt that way not very long ago and when I found that channel I found a simple issue that, when corrected, made a world of difference. thanks for the videos, keep up the good work.
my mma one did not do rattling thing
why does its say Talhoffer when it was Fiore?
It's anti-Fiorism, a new form of racism. Let's go complain about it on Twitter.
You could point your index finger while you swing it should help you align the edge better for your cuts
I'm guess I'm lucky because my guard doesn't rattle.
They made their MAA line of blued swords to make them more affordable. Polishing is expensive, and it's a lot of work. The blued swords don't get a polish, they leave them rough, and blue them, since it brings the cost down, and the "tactical" look seems to be in these days. Why not, it's a good idea. If I buy one, I'll get one of the MAA, not just because I am a cheapskate, but I like to polish my own, anyway. It's relaxing to me. I usually go in for swords made in India, since they are usually decent enough quality, but they tend to be cheap, since it's illegal in India to make sharp swords, so I have to sharpen and polish my own.
I got the MAA version of this sword a few years back for $200.00 or so. It is what was summed up in this video, a budget cutter if you get it at that price.
I also have their hand and a half sword and aesthetically that sword is my favorite. But it also has the rattle along the hilt that I don't like and I can honestly say I've never swung it at anything.
Do you have any plans on getting anything from the Ronin Katana line? I recently bought their new two handed falchion/messer and it very quickly became my favorite sword. I would be interested to see your opinion.
Where could I buy one of those sword display blocks you use? I have an Albion Baron on its way that would look nice on one of those!
www.thingiverse.com/thing:707545
you ever gonna review the polish saber by cold steel?
Arthur Wu i have one he can borrow
the cross on mine is tight...done some cutting with it too
lovely thing for the 230 i paid
Isn't that a type V pommel rather than a type U?
I bought this sword in June 2018 and haven't experienced the loose guard issue as mentioned in 14:47, so the manufacturer may have already fixed this issue.
Did it ever come loose?
The windlass Battlecry Longsword are so much better than the cold steel one these days. Yeah, the all black look can be off putting, but honestly if you want a budget sword, I would recommend one of those if you want a buy and go sword. If you can tinker a bit, the hanwei tinker line sword are still my favorite budget swords.
I prefer Hanwei for budget swords. They can be hit or miss but when they are hit they do it very well.
The Hanwei Rhinelander Bastard Sword is actually cheaper in price on Kult of Athena and does not have the loose guard issue so I'd like to see your thoughts on it.
very interesting stuff
Koa used your video on their website :)
It's a serious shame that even this longsword has the dreaded Cold Steel rattle. I owned their greatsword a few years back, and it had the same problem. I wish I had used Kult of Athena back then and had seen the warning. If only they cared enough to change.
Mmm, would definitely still be a beautiful sword to have in a collection or an ornamental piece despite the flaws in its functionality. I have always loved straight double edged swords.
Is not this sword to thin? 6,6 millimeters only. What if you thrust against some hard material? Will it not flex too much thus worsen the thrusting power?
What about the Ronin Katana "euro longsword"? It does cost about 250 USD and I would expect it would be a hard competition for Cold Steel.
Those pictures at the beginning saying "Source: Talhoffer Fechtbuck", are you sure that isn't Fiore? Cause I could swear those are from Fiore's "Fiore di Battaglia"
You are correct. I did have it marked at Fiore, however it appears when I split the text media and updated it for the Talhoffer images at the end it also updated the former media, and now I look very silly. I've added an annotation as a correction. Thanks for the catch.
Yours didn't get a secondary bevel!!!??!? :0
A simple hand-made brass fitting forced into the gap and the rattle is gone forever...however, it does require some skills and patience!
I think I'll just save up a couple of extra bucks and get a Hanwei Tinker instead. No offense to Cold Steel, but I trust Hanwei's Tinker line more.... and it doesn't rattle out of the box.
Baron Sharpe on the swords path channel, his tinker snapped.
On a regular parry! No abusive testing whatsoever.
Ronin Katana is a decent choice
@@hairyviking6047 I bought a tinker and looked at the differences between the sharp and blunt version. I know exactly why it snapped, the blunt version has the fuller reaching all the way to the edges of the tang, creating a weak spot.
On the sharp versions the fuller is thinner, stronger in the transition between the blade and tang. I took my Tinker sharp out for a bit of abusive testing and it held up fine so I'm sure that the sharp versions are stronger than the blunt versions.
I had the Cold Steel Greatsword, nothing wrong with the blade, nothing loose, however some of the metal on the insides of the rings on the guard was not polished at all. Also a katana that's 50 inches from them, no problems, haven't used it much though. Gonna get an Albion sword or something next
Glad I got the Tinker over this!
when you fix it you should tell us how you did it
I've heard a lot about the guard rattle in these things. I actually own one that I got from KoA around like 2013 I think? I've not abused the sword really, but I have done some light cutting and actually used a car tire as a thrusting target and got pretty gnarly on some pell drills in which I whacked the blade against an 8"round solid wooden pole a few times and mine is still tight as the day it arrived. i'm guessing Cold Steel's quality standards must have gone to shit after I had purchased mine. I love the sword personally and it has served me well as a trained sword in Talhoffer treatise for the last 4 years.
Hi folks ! Does anybody know if there is a way to fix the cross?
If it is loose you can shim it. Basically take small wedges of something like wood, and tap it into the gap.
@@medievalreview thank you 👍 btw, thanks for your vids! Love to watch them
Where can I buy Totami mats?
One option: nihonzashi.ecwid.com/Tatami-Omote-Cutting-Targets-c31092036