Balaur Arms (Kult of Athena) Teutonic Arming Sword Review

Balaur Arms (Kult of Athena) Teutonic Arming Sword Review www.kultofathe...
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[@shantibetts]

“I’m British, and I apologize for that.” Most British quote ever!

[@davispeterson1876]

"When you get to hell, tell them I sent you! Then apologize on my behalf for the inconvenience!"

[@ИванШл]

Cuckold soy nation

[@vowgallant4049]

"Not the tightest hole in the world, but it's certainly the right shape!" Please help me.

[@vedymin1]

NNN consequences are starting to affect another...stay strong king :)

[@antonius.martinus]

@@vedymin1 It's barely day 2... xD

[@vedymin1]

The Thirst affects everyone differently as you can see :) do not taunt those brothers whom it hits strongly, for the burden they carry is heavy indeed :D

[@texasbeast239]

➡️⭕

[@jumpvelocity3953]

Classic weeb

[@miliciades101]

13th century is my favorite part of the middle ages, i dont know why, since ever, when i think of a knight for example, to my mind comes the 13th century knight in mail armor with his coat, to me looks more bad ass than the depiction of a full plate armor of later centuries

[@batteredwarrior]

Same here!

[@pzakp311]

Teutonic? This comment section is now in the hands of the Holy Roman Empire. Beautiful sword by the way.

[@t_rex7324]

Maybe it is called Teutonic because this type of sword is depicted multiple times on the famous mid-13th century sculptures in Naumburg Cathedral...

[@pzakp311]

@@t_rex7324 Good Point. The statues of the founders Ekkehard II. and Hermann of Meißen both show swords which are very much comparable to the sword in this video.

[@thechroniclesofthegnostic7107]

Had my eye on this one for a while, and given how fair you always are toward more budget options, your liking this one moves it high on my list!

[@MattsGreatHall]

I'd like to see a cutting test, see if the sword holds up well. Seems like a really attractive price.

[@rodolfosjeronimo9274]

Would be nice more reviews of the Balaur Arms line. The next one could be the Balaur Arms - 13th to 14th Century Longsword.

[@ivanl7449]

I've been interested in Balaur Arms for years, so this is very useful to me

[@mitcharcher7528]

I’m a fan. Balaur sells very good swords for the price. I have owned three different ones and enjoy them all. Well, one of them did break rather dramatically against my pell, but I don’t hold that against them. It was a blast to use while I had it, one of my all-time favorites (aside from the dull aesthetics). As far as I know they don’t use that same manufacturer anymore, so it’s not even a concern. Also, KoA did give me a full refund (which went to another sword, lol), on their own volition. The other two swords have been great. They’re not the prettiest, but they all feel good in the hand, in different ways for different swords. The choppy boy feels like a choppy boy, for example, and not incidentally can chop rather well. It seems to me that Balaur is trying to make quality stuff at a low price point, and I haven’t been disappointed. They’re not Albions, but they aren’t meant to be. I like that they’re working with Windlass, too. That’s another company that has exceeded my expectations more than once.

[@Asthmos]

ive just ordered a balaur arms 15th century arming sword from KoA! thanks for taking the time to make this video. very informative, and im particularly glad its more recent than others. cheers!

[@capndash449]

I have this sword in my personal collection and I absolutely love it it handles well and it looks great 10/10 would recommend you won't find anything better for that price

[@Warentester]

Hey Matt, this is not quite your usual weapons review, but maybe have a look at the German company VAH Spielzeugmanufaktur (Toy factory). They make wooden swords/spears/axes and polearms for kids inspired by different ages (Roman, Normans, Vikings). Swords come in various lengths (e.g.Dagger to Bi-hander). They are the most accurate wooden toys I've found so far and might be a great start for kids into the world of re-enactment. Plus, the hard wood weapons are of great quality. I've crossed swords with my daughter many times and the swords still look like new. We tested them against several swords of lesser quality (e.g. what's being sold at English Heritage sites or National Trust) and the VAH products dent the opposing blades while staying flawless themselves.

[@dgmetalhead]

looks like a great sword for me being on a budget, thank you for making this video!

[@HikerDood]

I have one of their Balaur Arms - 15th Century German Longsword and it's sweet! Came out of the box a razor blade and it handles amazingly well.

[@ex0ne]

My son (8y.o.) walked by, saw my screen and said: "why is The Rock talking about a sword?" 😆

[@grailknight6794]

Honestly i love 11th/12th century knightly swords my favourite medieval sword.

[@camilstoenescu]

Fun fact, balaur means dragon in Romanian.

[@adelewoodruff9413]

A few archaeological examples of pommels of that type are described by Alfred Geibig, mostly from Germany and surrounding areas, as well as some described by Kazakevecius from the Baltic countries.

[@zednotzee7]

I was wondering, as you seem to be quite freindly with Windlass, could you get them to send you some their Battle Cry swords to review ? Such as the Bosworth Longsword, and the Agincourt War sword . Given their price I wouldn't expect them to be up with more expensive swords ( although they do claim they are " Battle Ready " whatever that means lol ), but it would be interesting to see what you make of them.

[@wlewisiii]

I've been wanting the Agincourt sword and would love him reviewing.

[@zednotzee7]

@@wlewisiii I was thinking of getting the longsword. I thought it might be fun for doing a bit of cutting practice. ( And death to Milk Bottles I say ! lol )

[@NevisYsbryd]

I have the Agincourt. Oddly, I came away with the inverse impression that the online reviews gave of it as more of a one-handed sword that you can two-hand; I find it more of a very short two-handed sword that I can use one-handed with significantly less control and more strain. I find the wheel pommel to be a poor ergonomic fit for the way the sword handles, personally. Then again, I am small, being 5'5" and on the thin side, which may mean my experience is a bit unusual. I also do not have a lot of experience with handling historical swords, so it is entirely possible that I need to git gud.

[@jasonpollington1375]

Duelist1954 has a good review of the battlecry Maldon sword

[@mikeblair2594]

Every blade I've ever made I've draw filed it instead of using a grinder. Therefore they always have a wave to them and I've cut myself on every single blade I've made. That means swords, knives, axes and even tomahawks. One thing that's interesting is the fullers are made by two anvil tools called a top and bottom fuller. The bottom fuller goes into the hardy hole on the anvil and the top fuller has an eye like a hammer and so has a handle. You line up the blade with the bottom fuller in the center of the future blade and the top fuller directly above the bottom fuller and hit it with a hammer. You follow down as far as you want the fuller to go, flip the blade over and do it over again. That gives the fuller on the blade a relatively similar depth and width. Then you profile the rest of the blade and edge with your hammer. There are smiths that use just a top fuller or even the peen if the hammer, but that's never going to be as smooth or as straight as one that was made with proper tools and the symmetry is important. The fuller isn't a blood gutter as some people misscall them. They are to strengthen the blade similar to an I-beam. That allows you to have a strong blade that's strong, but most importantly light in the hand. You're knot relying on mass to keep your blade strong and not bending on you.

[@gadgetgus]

Good review Matt, thanks buddy, Gus 👍

[@Spielkalb-von-Sparta]

1:17 I'm nitpicking here, but in my understanding the thirteenth century is _not_ from 1201-1301 but from 1201-1300. At least that's the convention in Germany here. In your definition the year of 1301 belonged to both the 13th and 14th century, which seems a little weird to me. On the other hand, you British guys do some weird stuff anyways - been living in Cambridge for some odd three years - so you may get along with it.

[@GentlemanArcher67]

That is correct.

[@davidgiles4681]

you should do the kult of athena dussack/dussac. I would appreciate your reviewing it.

[@phoeben9764]

The sword replica market is becoming an interesting business model. Ever increasing number of retailers, "lines" and models but actually concentrating around a few makers. Kinda good for economy of scale, but possible oligopoly?

[@frankharr9466]

That sounds pretty solid. And an interesting pummel. I haven't been active in converting units. I figure no one cared. But I like the English system so use it as much as you like.

[@070790ish]

I got one of these, really excellent sword especially for the price.

[@vedymin1]

Is sharpening with a belt sander safe for the heat treatment ?

[@scholagladiatoria]

So long as it is done properly (the blade kept fairly cool) it's fine.

[@captainflint89]

seriously interested in this sword , i love that pommel shape

[@-RONNIE]

Thank you for the review as always. I don't understand why companies have to use orders like the Teutonic or Templars for their marketing purposes they could have said German medieval sword and I've been perfectly fine. ⚔️

[@HunterGargoyle]

I think i'd buy it but most likely for a project i already have a sword of similar type i like: most likely change the guard and pommel, possibly etch the blade but love the grip and blade looks nice

[@christophers7023]

Why would they want a sword that has a powerful cut in the age of mail? That armor is very good at stopping cuts so what would a sword offer in that context, against that armor, that you couldn’t get more effectively from an axe, hammer, mace, etc. especially if you put a spike on one of those? I think in unarmored combat a sword makes perfect sense but against someone in full mail it seems that blunt force or really good penetration would still be your best bet, no?

[@texasbeast239]

Earlier mail wasn't as good though.

[@stefthorman8548]

Most people (99%) couldn't afford mail, for all its faults, it's very expensive and time consuming to make.

[@winsunwong5648]

mail doesnt cover the whole body, a sword would be swung at knees or elbows. Also the proportion of armored soldiers in general at this period was far lower than in late medieval europe.

[@ravensbeakforge1747]

the pommel reminds me of a crescent moon

[@hi-q2261]

Matt I was watching the Zorro movies the other day Antonio Banderas, what is the Sword in that movie that he uses

[@ivanharlokin]

From memory, I believe it was a cup-hilted rapier.

[@Jim58223]

9:19 That's what she said.

[@dominiumbrasilis]

We can use crossguard to push it. Its deadly, holding the guard between the fingers.

[@scottmasson3336]

I always wondered what you did after Rocky Horror!😁

[@jswets5007]

I've been waiting for months for you to get a new battery in that bloody thing.

[@TheFlyguywill]

This sword looks nice, but does it have a pressed in mark like “made in whatever country”? I don’t mind a small sigil like a maker’s mark like Tod’s. Does this one have the former?

[@someguy3861]

It's a stylized B maker's mark. About a third of an inch tall.

[@cm958]

Why isn't this sword available or listed anywhere? I've searched Kult of Athena and other places but no one seems to have this specific blade. Was it discontinued?

[@yotomuramasa]

9:18 9:40 Well said

[@g4gaming809]

Is there still a place to buy this? 😭 Definitely my new favorite arming sword since today… WHERE. TO. FIND. THIS.

[@cs4870]

What’s the best arming sword for a beginner? Cut and thrust, leaning more towards cutting.

[@DaveTheMotoGamer]

i have this sword and i like it other then the pommel it looks goofy to me. It has been sadly discontinued. 😞

[@xact13]

Anyone have any idea what type Oakeshott classification this would be?

[@Dappertrucker]

Could weapons like that been seen at the battle of visby Island of gotland?

[@QuentinStephens]

Maybe I'll get one of these when I get down to a reasonable weight. Motivation! That pommel does look very odd. Does historical evidence support it not being a broken wheel pommel that's been smoothed off? If it were a full wheel would the point of balance be on the crossguard?

[@Robert399]

It would be an ENORMOUS wheel pommel if that were the case

[@futurerandomness1620]

Hey Matt, quick question brought up by your value for money comment. If you to take the equivalent buying power of $260 USD back to the 1250's would you beleive the quality of sword you could buy back then with that value would be less than, equal to or greater than than sword?

[@MlorenDraymeer]

It's hard to tell because there aren't a lot of records for sword prices and cost of living etc from back then and even when such records exist, they don't describe the swords so it's hard to tell if its a simple sword or one covered in gold, but I did find one record of a sword being sold in the 13th century for £6 and according to National Archives currency converter that would be £4,378.96 today. :D

[@HowHingPau]

I bought 2 of the Balaur Arms swords that were made by Windlass. Both looked like they were the practice pieces made by an apprentice.

[@locoalvarez5603]

Do Kult of Athena ship to UK?

[@scholagladiatoria]

I don't know for sure, but I don't see why not. Don't use FedEx or DHL though, as they are weird about swords coming into the UK. UPS works fine, or indeed USPS who hand over to Parcelforce.

[@corvusscottwilliams4751]

Down here in Cornwall I've known 2people that had no problem within the last two years receiving blades from them,, don't know what shipping was used. However my daughters friend in Scotland lost a fare amount of cash on not receiving her blade. I need to know myself so I'm going to contact them. I've been told in the past there are two really good shipping companies to use to get historic blades across. I guess they'll probably just tell me to use one of those.(will post it here next couple of days as long as memory holds up) All the best from Cornwall.

[@fcku9040]

Do you know the iberic falcata ? Iberic warriors used to fight with a little shield and a falcata, a kind of sword with a large lame...those who've fighted against romans, the portugueses have a warrior chief on their past, Viriato, a rude mountain warrior who defeated romans several times, and finish betrayed by close known soldiers, payed by the romans....the romans have suffered a lot with him, becamed a great chief with good war skills....he deserve be known, Viriato....

[@Hetnaset]

Matt, check out the trailer for the Medieval zombie game Blight: Survival. What do you think of its weapons, armor and combat portrayal? Cheers.

[@DETHMOKIL]

YAY! CONTEXT!

[@raphlvlogs271]

this type of pommel design will be handy on any kind of 1 handed cut orientated swords

[@patio87]

Well I just learned something about centuries from your video. For example the 21st century did not begin on the year 2000, it began 2001. Mind blown.

[@InvadersDie]

Torture test this thing to see if the hilt falls apart. If the hilt dies before the blade then I suspect it would become loose over time with more, restrained, normal use.

[@madchillaxin8505]

Thank you for giving a review on this, i was looking at this sword, and i feel i could be taking a quality risk casually buying any one of the budget swords. Im a novice and just recently getting into this stuff, and since its hard for me to really tell the difference between good and bad based off of the picture, so im grateful tht u reviewed this.

[@poppymason-smith1051]

It honestly really is difficult and also just going off written reviews. Im also a novice and the first sword I brought was a tinker german longsword and its basically a hunk of metal with balance so terrible i cant use it for even basic drills. Had good reviews but no visual reviews. I will say the cheaper ones on offer seem to vary quite a bit from other reviews ive read and seen?

[@georgeseccombe4382]

Looked at buying one of these a few months ago, seemed like a bargain but sadly to buy this sword and have it sent to the uk is about $700 :/

[@batteredwarrior]

OUCH! There goes that idea... lol

[@talesfromthebearcave4366]

Sadly when I ordered mine it was duller then butter :(

[@rileyernst9086]

It's alright Matt, we all forgive you for being British... i mean mixing and matching inperial and metric. Of course I meant that!

[@RelativelyBest]

Very nice blade, even if it seems a bit long for my taste. I don't much like the guard, though.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

I thought standard Windlass steel was 1065

[@joeyvanhaperen7715]

First thing I thought seeying that sword. Damn now that's a guerd.

[@simonholdsworth6867]

I think it must be very frustrating and bittersweet to own a sword like this. Great weapon, but very unlikely you'll get to raid a village and cut down some Saxons with it.

[@morriganmhor5078]

In 13th century its more probable to have problems with those pesky Welshmen ;-)

[@Zraknul]

You guys are on the wrong side of the continent

[@Jan-kh6co]

You mean raiding poles and Slavs in general? Or maybe Saracens in the holy war?

[@Ithirahad]

"It's not the tightest hole in the world, but it's *certainly* the right shape, and it's certainly pretty tight." :D

[@aaronsmith3484]

Nearly £600 for uk buyers from Kult of Athena though haha, absolutely criminal shipping costs I would never buy a sword from the US but I suppose in fairness a lot of your viewers are American.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Hmm, I ship swords to the USA regularly for about £50. It should cost them about the same - maybe get US purchases shipped to a friend and get them to send it for you.

[@aaronsmith3484]

@@scholagladiatoria ahh it must be my specific location then it’s export taxes as well as shipping its crazy high, I’ve only bought daggers and swords etc from the UK and Europe it’s not something I know much about.

[@kultofathena6217]

HI Aaron - The reason for this is because the more cost-effective USPS general post services will not transport these weapons to Europe. They aren't banned, but what keeps happening is that the pilots of their contracted aircraft exercise their right to refuse cargo and they are consistently rejecting anything we wish to send to the UK. Maybe we are just unlucky with a pilot or group of pilots on the route from our regional airport to a hub or to the UK, but our wares are effectively rejected and no refunds issued. This forces us to use much more expensive carriers to ensure delivery unfortunately.

[@aaronsmith3484]

@@kultofathena6217 I see thank you very much for the explanation as unfortunate as that is, straight swords may be legal in the UK but its not a blade friendly country.

[@DaroriDerEinzige]

wait they put now woodencore scarbbads to their swords? Damn and I still look for somebody which makes one for their Windlass Swedish Viking Sword for under 400 Bucks. Due to the (from me loved) extra long blade, no normal one fits. ^^ And the leather sheet from Windlass is kinda ... meh. But the Sword is awsome.

[@Apis4]

".....and the bottom ten or twelve inches stay pretty much stiff, which is what you'd expect.." indeed, perhaps not quite so long as yours, but I basically do expect my bottom inches to stay so, when I see a sword like that too.

[@pjssjr]

XIII Century 1201 to 1300.

[@GentlemanArcher67]

That is correct.

[@vincentrempel1603]

i like the sword, the handle and cross guard. but honestly dont like the pommel

[@squatch2461]

🍻

[@danioshea]

Much as it pains me to admit that the British steel classifications are nonsense, the American system for naming steels does make a lot of intuitive sense: 1080 means "10: plain carbon", and "80: 0.80% carbon". So you don't need to remember, Matt.

[@elshebactm6769]

🤠👍🏿

[@SB-qm5wg]

Nice sword

[@heimdalshorn]

...I purchased this sword exactly two years ago from KoA, and it is horrible. I absolutely like this typ of sword and even the overall shape of this Balaur sword - but oh my lord it is so poorly made. The gaps in the crossguards on mine are even bigger and filled with lots of ugly dark resin. The blade is warped, the fullers are a wavy mess, the edge-line is not stright but wavy on both sides, the blade is seriously asymmetric and the grinding is the worst I have ever seen. This sword is not at all comparable with some 500 or 700 USD swords. There are many budget sword that are made much better, random e.g. a Hanwei Rheinlander for the same price is made lightyear better in quality or invest 290 - 350 Euros in a authentic real handmade sword by arma bohemia.... In my collection are around 30 swords from 300 - 3000 USD (incl. 10 Albions) but this is the worst sword I ever purchased. It is in my collection as bad example because it would have cost me another 100 USD to send it back from Germany to KoA.....

[@alexwest2573]

Did you get a munitions grade instead of standard?

[@heimdalshorn]

@@alexwest2573 ...no, it is the standard-grade sword - but very, very poor quality....

[@alexwest2573]

@@heimdalshorn No like did they accidentally send you a munitions grade instead when you ordered a standard grade? You must’ve gotten a lemon or something

[@heimdalshorn]

@@alexwest2573 ...I ordered it when it was a absolut new item in 2020, KoA just started with Balaur swords - there was only the standard grade. Later they changed the steel, the leather colour from brown to black and added the other grades. So, it was no accident, it is simple bad quality. And the worst ever sharpening service (done by KoD) ruined the blade finaly....

[@alexwest2573]

@@heimdalshorn I take it that must’ve been why they switched to the 2nd gen swords.

[@Irish16King]

Nearly 500 euro to ship to Ireland :(

[@DarthDrengr]

Kult of Athena lists this sword as "Unsharpened"

[@aryafeydakin]

This needs an heavy "battleworn" finish rather than an high polish.

[@WillyShakes]

I put a slight patina on mine, filed and sanded the edges of the crossguard, and it definitely gives it a more authentic look.

[@stefthorman8548]

Ok larper, you're buying an new sword, not some prop.

[@Irish16King]

@@stefthorman8548 tell em Steft

[@matthewdavies2057]

I love everything about that sword, except the pommel. I hate it. If it wasn't for that I'd own one right now.

[@xergiok2322]

Funny how something I couldn't possibly have any legal use for, can be described as 'fantastic value'.

[@predator919]

By the way, do british people make jokes about imperial system? What is the common opinion on this subject in the UK?

[@scholagladiatoria]

We use both Imperial and Metric systems all the time and switch freely between both. Some people have a preference (it varies a bit by age group), but most people in the UK know and use both.

[@predator919]

@@scholagladiatoria have to learn the imperial sytem to keep up with you british people :D it seems little confusing for a man who never used it in day-to-day life, but at least i won't need to google what's an inch anymore. Thanks for your answer and great content

[@stefthorman8548]

I mean, your British, so you probably added an extra 100$ in it's worth, since your country have draconian sword and weapons laws, and the taxes and shipping must be through the roof, in an prohibitive way.

[@stormiewutzke4190]

That is not a very safe way to talk about holes.

[@manfredconnor3194]

Seriously Matt, swords are cool and all, but if you really want to protect yourself, buy a spear. = @ ) Please, just don't buy a Boar-Spear! = @ O Squeal!

[@oldschooljeremy8124]

Lol wish you would just go with Imperial for everything, metric system sucks

[@AnMue2109]

Only one thing: 11th century is 1st of Jan 1000 till 31st Dec 1099, etc. pp.... Just for educational reasons... 😎

[@kapitantaryfa]

there is no year zero, the year before 1ad was 1bc, so i think you are off a year.

[@scholagladiatoria]

No.. the 11th century started on 1st Jan 1001 and ended on 31st Dec 1100.

[@scholagladiatoria]

I follow the strict construction, rather than the popular perception: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century

[@nutyyyy]

Common mistake. The 1000s are 1000-1099, the 11th century is 1001-1101. Saying the x000s is different from saying the XXst century.

[@Robert399]

@@nutyyyy Almost. 11th century is 1001-1100, same as the 1st century is 1-100.