This looks excellent. I really wish we could get it at this price in Europe. Kult of Athena should definitely start selling in EU.

@andrewsock1608

3 ай бұрын

Order one from China

@felldir

3 ай бұрын

@@andrewsock1608 From where? LK Chen doesn't sell these.

@SUPERSONIC_ARCHERY

3 ай бұрын

100% Recht hast Du. Echt nervig... nichts cooles bekommt man mehr hier 😅

@andrewsock1608

3 ай бұрын

@@felldir oh . It’s American dollars anyway. Still a bit pricey.

First! Yeah, this piece is a pleasant surprise and probably the best single-handed earlier medieval sword on the sub $1000 market.

@Matthew_Jensen

3 ай бұрын

At $400 with a scabbard and this level of finesse in dynamics and a solid presentation visually, it is hard to think of a better value for sword enthusiasts. Well done to Balaur Arms and LK Chen.

@sinisterswordsman25

3 ай бұрын

You sold me on this one brother Kane. It's officially on the list now. Seeing as its worth 3000$ lol. I'm thinking of rehilting it and converting it into a ring hilt. I don't know if it'll ever be in the budget but hey one can dream. 🤘

@FortuneFavoursTheBold

3 ай бұрын

@@sinisterswordsman25 It will be the best 400 dollars you will ever spend.

@sinisterswordsman25

3 ай бұрын

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold I have no doubt. I have an influx of cash from my tax return, it was more than I thought. But now it's back ordered lol I wonder why...🙄 I did a bit of price check, about 600-700$ cad. All in. Man I gotta alotta saving up to do. Gotta buy an atrim before he retires too! So many blades so little moolah lol

I really do admire simple non-descriptive cruciform hilt arming swords, especially with circular pommels... they are extremely underrated for being so plain and unoffensive. The Albion Senlac is probably the best one. The absolute lack of any character is, in itself, its most beautiful characteristic.

Awesome overview! What more is there to say??? I really appreciate your close up photography as it helps everyone get in personal with the sword in a way that's difficult even when you have the blade there in person. Glad to hear your grip feels great. Mine is also fine (I've heard from others that the previous batch perhaps had issues with the paint or surface finish). The scabbard issue is interesting, and it's wonderful for KoA to do a quick inventory check to make sure it was a one off; mine holds just snug but never risks seizing the blade. And thanks again for posting the WDC measurements! You helped me troubleshoot some of my own measurements so I can update my chart. =)

I usually wouldn't look twice at this sword, but after seeing what Kane could do with it... It's quickly moved up to just about the top of the list.

Nice! I’ve wanted to look at this sword. Thanks for reviewing!

Well, Mr Jensen . . . . I hope you're happy. I had decided to quit watching sword reviews and buying swords after 5 previous "incidents" over the last several years. That's only sword buying incidents, not counting spears and an axe. After watching this video twice and hearing how happy you were with this thing, I bought one. Why? To cut pool noodles, mats and water bottles with an epic level of inexpertise. I have studied no martial arts ever, but just giggle while wailing on poor innocent milk and water bottles. Thanks. So much stuff I could have spent $400 on that would have been more useful. 2 dudes at my work have also bought swords at least partially due to your videos. Thanks a lot. ;)

I've been eyeballing this one. It would be useful to see it's durability compared to sword other manufacturers.

@rfphenom7691

3 ай бұрын

Agreed. Id really like to see some flex testing and such.

@johnbd9765

3 ай бұрын

LK Chen has generally really impressed me lately, t have their Balaur Messer and Flying Phoenix, and they're probably the best value for the price of any mid range manufacturer I'm aware of - that said, I don't have this one, and it does look a bit on the thin side, so we'll have to see once there's been a bit more use and testing

@Matthew_Jensen

3 ай бұрын

In the overhead cut I made on the tatami, it bends a lot and sprung back. I can try and put it thought a little more but I don't think it is going to last all that long when it comes to hard use. It might go a while but it is light and thin, it will not take much to push it to broken.

@rfphenom7691

3 ай бұрын

@@Matthew_Jensen yea, i agree. A blade like that isint really going to stand up to the stick of doom for long, i think my curiosity is more in hard hits on dense wood and flexibility

When it comes to LK Chen scabbards, I have noticed several of the swords I own by them to get kind of "stuck" in the scabbard. Particularly their straight swords (I only own their Chinese style swords, so can't comment on the European style swords they make). It seems to be related to humidity levels.

Great review. FYI, this model has only been made by LK Chen - none of the previous makers of Balaur Arms made it.

@FortuneFavoursTheBold

3 ай бұрын

OTC did a version back in 2021. It wasn't too successful though. The grip on the old model was nice, but that was it. Not much distal taper, handles more or less like a crowbar like Matt complained about other type Xa swords with long blades. The new version by LK Chen checks all the right boxes now.

@alientude

3 ай бұрын

@@FortuneFavoursTheBoldYou're right, they did do one that was similar, although there were no cross engravings/etchings, and the profile taper on the LK Chen one. I think they look different enough to be considered different models, but that's certainly debatable.

@FortuneFavoursTheBold

3 ай бұрын

@@alientude Yeah the original was a simpler one, didn't garner much attention.

@FiliiMartis

3 ай бұрын

Simple or not, if the reproduction skill is not there and the manufacturing is bad, even the simplest of swords would still be bad. I'm ok with taking LK Chen skill for granted, but he definitely has a talent for making swords. I would just want to be able to give him a trip around the world to allow him to visit all the European swords museums, and allow him to handle as many originals as possible. We would see a significant improvement in his European swords afterwords.

@FortuneFavoursTheBold

3 ай бұрын

@@FiliiMartis definitely true. The previous maker (OTC) was just not known for quality and attention to detail, though I think the previous version of the product failed due to the simplicity, as most consumers just aren't aware of where to look. In contrast, LK Chen tends to make the best of the information given to him, and brings his understanding of swords to the table. I would like to see him handle and examine more antique swords around the world and offer a much greater variety as well.

Just got back from a trip to Ireland and there are a few similar examples in the archaeology museum in Dublin. One ca. 14th century that has a VERY similar hilt/handle construction. The blade on that one is a touch narrower and no fuller, but other than that it's pretty close.

I own two LK Chen Balaur swords, the German longsword and Alexandria style longsword and they're exactly in line with your review here. Though the Alexandria style also has a peen block instead of peening directly into the pommel. Personally I like that "give on the top, very firm below" feeling in the grip leather better than "hard all the way through." I have curiosity about long term wear resistance only time will satisfy but the feel I enjoy. At this point I think of these as "Albion Lite", 90% of the experience at 1/3 the price. I can't think of a better first sword for anyone interested in European style blades that wants one that really feels like a well made antiquity.

@FiliiMartis

3 ай бұрын

"Albion Lite", 90% of the experience at 1/3 the price Yes, but that's because we are talking about simple designs. For the 1/3 price, I doubt the Albion's Dodge would end up being 90% of the experience. And that's my take, LK Chen Balaur Arms (and others) should stick to the simple designs and offer a high quality at a low price as a result. We see with the LK Chen's rapiers that the quality of the hilts will suffer the more complex they get (which makes sense, something has to give), or that he would have to charge much more to provide a 90% of Arms and Armour quality (compare the Town Guard sword, one is not 90% of the other).

Good showing. Nice sword overall

As always, excellent review Thank you

Nicely done, good sir. Very nolagable review ⚔️ The twist of the cross guard in the hand is brilliant 🤘 Cheers 🍻

Its a handsome sword for sure ,however I wish you had the option of a black or blue leather on the handle .That orangeish red or whatever looks ghastly. The cross etchings are a nice touch. Great Video!,Cheers ,London United Kingdom 🇬🇧...

I'm not used to you saying "pommel" without following it with, "the kashira, the end cap."

My first sword was a super tight fit also but I did what any good man does, hammer fist it, until it gave up. After I got it out I just didn’t close it all the way. But I ended up sending it back and the new one was almost flawless other than the blade having uneven sharpening towards the tip. Still I really love it and wish there were more 1100 A.D. crusade swords out there for us plebeians.

The round hole in the pommel is rough so you can glue in your medallion.

@zenhydra

3 ай бұрын

It's also difficult to polish a recess like that, and not worth the man-hours on a sword of this price-point.

My own "stuck scabbard-story" concerns my recently acquired - and otherwise awesome (!) - ‘Munich Town Guard Sword’ by LK Chen Swords: After I (like a 🤬 noob!) left the sword in its scabbard for almost two (2) days right after delivery (directly from LK Chen btw), it got completely stuck in the scabbard! I had to tap the scabbard and hilt with a rubber mallet to get the blade loosened from the scabbard! THAT was an exceedingly "unpleasant" 30 minutes experience…(!) 😰 I really can’t tell exactly where this excessively tight "fit" inside the scabbard actually was; other than that it was near the opening. Solemn advice: Let the scabbard air/acclimatise every day (without the sword in it, obviously!) for a week or so after delivery - and don’t try to push the sword all the way in when sheathed! This approach should "loosen" the scabbard-fit to an acceptable level. Additionally, if you have a symmetrical, double edged sword (again; obviously!); you could try alternating which "side" of the blade goes in, every other time you resheathe the sword. But only do this gently and carefully (!)…

I have the balaur arms lk Chen Italian longsword and I love it. At its price my best sword so far

I don’t own any of their swords (LK Chen) and I don’t know how much influence they had over the making of this swords, but I’ll check out some more of Balaur’s other pieces. Thanks for the review Matt!

LK Chen has proven that he knows how to make blades and that he is OK at making hilts. I'll give credit to Balaur Arms for opting for a simple historical hilt on this affordable sword. Others should follow their examples. This is how I see it: If you want to spend less on making the hilt, so you can keep the sword affordable, then choose a simple hilt that makes sense in an early/middle medieval historical context. Don't aim for a complex hilt sword from the baroque period, and then do a bad reproduction in an attempt to keep costs under control. And there's the reverse. If I want to buy a simple medieval cruciform-hilt sword, something rugged that invokes battlefield conditions, why would I want to spend a lot of money on it? This is a simple sword, so I'm not going to get a lot more from an expensive manufacturer. On complex hilts and complex blades and all that, I get it, you want to get the correct rendition. But if the hilt is simple to do and the blade is the same, why spend more than needed? Being cheaper makes me consider buying this simple sword type, while if it would compete in price with a basket-hilt sword, for example, I would buy the more complex hilted sword over the simple one to get more for the same dollar.

Sold out

@zeusdagmire6185

3 ай бұрын

They do have a munitions grade sword for $338 right now. Standard grade backordered

@captain603

3 ай бұрын

@@zeusdagmire6185 how bad is that?

@zeusdagmire6185

3 ай бұрын

​@captain603 munitions grade could have scratches or other minor issue.

Cool

I don't know how the companies that make these swords go about peening the pommel, but I know what I'd do. I'd have a piece of metal preferably with a concave dished end, and the part of the tang that is to be peened red hot. The place the piece of metal (we in Aus often refer to is as a dolly, or just a jig) on the tang end and hit the opposite end of the dolly with a hammer. That way you aren't hitting the tang or pommel directly.

28:37 Don't take it the wrong way, but strong Harry Dresden-lookin vibes here. TV show, not the books

I received this exact sword and the only issue is the sword sticks in sheath. Very hard to unsheath sword if fully inserted. Living in Canada so not worth shipping for exchange or repair. I will fix sheath with dremel or sandpaper later. Edit: I like this sword a lot. Good buy for $400 USD even with sheath issue.

Thank you for the great content, always! Also... Of coarse we want to see you destroy it.

You like the wheel pommel? This is a first. It must be good.

How about the Balaur Arms - 15th Century Alexandria Sword? Thoughts on it 🤔

Nice one. LK Chen seem to know their stuff. Quick unrelated question: Around 13:15 there is a Dencyuu koshirae uchigatana behind you on the 3 sword wall rack. Have you reviewed it? What IS that...?

Oakeshott typology, I think that one would fall into type XII.

any experience with the honshu swords? was eyeing the Honshu Historic Forge 14th Century Double Fuller Sword... basically looks like a budget albion sovereign.

@notanotherswordreviewchann4901

3 ай бұрын

Honshu are balanced wrong with over heavy handles. Not peened. Screw pommels. Tempering is shotty. Either really good or really bad so it's hit or miss. Not bad for a project blade but you have to do work so if you want something that comes ready to go Honshu is not that completely. The handle material isn't comfortable. Just better offers elsewhere. They do have nice designs and shadiversity liked his historic longsword. He got a good one....

@Matthew_Jensen

3 ай бұрын

I reviewed the sub-hilt wakizashi from honshu. It did not go well. Others have enjoyed them, it was not great from my perspective.

At the 8:22 mark there is a sword displayed with a brown handle wrap. Any idea who makes this sword?

@Matthew_Jensen

3 ай бұрын

albion knight

@jasonadams8549

3 ай бұрын

@@Matthew_Jensen Thank you

Why youtube unsubscribe me 😢

Another great review thanks. Solid contender for one’s first euro at this price point

Balaur looks to be a much better quality and finish windlass. Or even at this point can't be compared to windlass as they do a much better job. And priced far better than anything from dsa.

I have had this sword for about 6 months and absolutely love it. Now I am ready to protect my fellow Christian’s on pilgrimage to the holy land. I would feel confident using this and protecting Jerusalem from the Muslim heathens.