blade lenght: 88cm
Blade width at the base: 75mm
Blade thickness on the base 6mm
Crossguad lenght: 25,5cm
weight: 1620g
balance: 9,5cm
grip lenght: 20cm
edges: sharp
REVIEW by Viktor Kachovski:
„Oh boy… Here we go, another long one 😀 I will make a video sometime later, but for now lets stick to words.
This is a first impression review of the sharp sword I ordered from Mateusz Sulowski Swords, that has just arrived yesterday. I am yet to cut with it, but I don’t think this one will disappoint in that regard.
Lets start with the ordering process.
Mateusz is amazing at customer service. The entire thing was so painless and smooth, that I was actually nervous that something might break along the way given my luck with ordering swords 😀
He responds always within the same day, whether on email or facebook, always on point with answering my questions and often adding his own suggestions. During the process he sends pictures of his work in progress, I was always notified if there were any delays or if anything needed to be cleared up with the design. In the end (to my pleasant surprise) it took just a little bit less than expected for the sword to be ready. It was sent in a really big wooden crate, that is one of the most secure packaging ways for swords I’ve seen so far. The post office woman even complained that it was too heavy to move about 😀 Everything from my initial deposit through the final delivery was smooth, painless, on time and just overall a pure pleasure to experience.
Now, the sword itself.
It is a type XVIIIc by the Oakeshott typology, using a „blended” style of cross-guard and pommel that are expected to be together in the same time period, but it is not based on any particular museum piece. I would set this sword in the middle to late 15c. The pommel and cross-guard shapes were my idea, using several swords as inspiration, mainly the „Duke of Milan” sword in Musee de Cluny and a longsword located in Switzerland. I gave Mateusz the liberty of decoration and final touches and he did an outstanding job bringing the best out of these shapes.
Fit and finish:
The sword is a beauty in its own category 🙂 It is set to high satin finish, with the guard and pommel almost being mirror polished. The blade is straight, lines are crisp, the profile and distal taper evenly defined. There is a slight wobble in the sharpening just at the tip, but it shows a hand ground touch (and not easy for such a large sword), and I’ve seen similar even on Albion swords. It detracts nothing from the overall look and function of the sword. There are as well very minuscule imperfections in the file work at places and some very minor asymmetrical shapes in the cross-guard, but you have to really look closely to notice them at all, and to me they add that nice touch of an organic hand made feel to the sword. The pommel itself is a type V fishtail, that is an absolute masterpiece. Probably the best fishtail pommel I’ve seen in a while, it is pure perfection in terms of lines and shape. The smooth peen just about shows on the top, but it is so gently settled that it feels like it belongs there (I am also not a fan of the „blended” aesthetic on the peens). The grip is soft black leather that has been sewn, the fit is tight all across, there is a very small gap between the blade and the cross which is to be expected. It is just a marvelous thing of beauty and joy to look at, but I doubt that is anything new to people familiar with Mateusz’s work. The scabbard, by my request, is very simple black with crossing lines, but shows elegance and restraint. I set the design there entirely on him, with the only request being a certain raven crest to be present somewhere. The implementation is exceptional, to me it just looks like a well tailored Armani suit that fits perfectly with the overall tone of the sword. The leather is nice and smooth, the functionality is historical using a 3 point suspension on a simple belt, and it has a nice felt inside to keep the sword protected and oiled.
Handling:
Oh boy…. Where aesthetics are something easy to judge from pictures, and I knew that sword will look good, I was somewhat nervous on how it will handle since I may have somewhat high expectations as a HEMA practitioner and all my experience so far with sharps comes from Albion. I can say only one thing – that sword is magic. Looking at the specs, you can see its a bit heavier than standard sitting at 1620g, but the first thought that crossed my mind when I took it out of the scabbard was „Damn, that feels light”. The dynamic properties of the sword are so good, I have no issues using it in one hand or both hands, it moves effortlessly from guard to guard, and when you set it in proper Vom Tag or Schrankhut the sword just „dissapears”. You stop feeling tension and weight, you can just stand there for hours resting your muscles. That does not mean however, that the sword doesn’t exhibit a certain „heft” when moving about, it has just enough presence at the point of percussion that you are sure it will cut through. Also despite it being easy to move, it still fires me up, as the weight is substantial, after 10 minutes of solo drilling. The forward point of rotation is just behind the tip, the aft is just behind the middle, point of percussion is exactly at 2/3rds of the blade. It is also very sharp, not razor sharp, but it will cut through paper without any issues or pressure, with a nice polished appleseed edge. I am amazed and very pleasantly surprised at how well the feel of a good sword was implemented here, Sulowski knows his work very well.
Conclusion:
The price level is steep, but if you ever have the funds to buy one, please do so. You will not regret a single penny spent on that sword, and you will get something that is historically accurate, aesthetically pleasing and joyful to handle. There is not a single bad thing I can say about this sword and the whole experience of ordering it, Sulowski just shows true professionalism and attention to detail that are beyond what is expected. 10/10″
