My Opinion of Windlass Steelcrafts

Here is what I think about this manufacturer of historical arms and armor reproductions (among others things). They are one of the most affordable sources on the market, and I've owned / handled a number of their swords, spears, and axes over the years.
If you want to browse their stuff (affiliate link): www.kultofathena.com/brand/wi...
The review of the shamshir / scimitar: • Review: Scimitar by Wi...
The sharpening video: • An Easier, More Effici...
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Want to help fund future videos?
/ skallagrim
My favorite online store for buying swords (worldwide shipping):
www.kultofathena.com/?koa=259
Channel-related shirts and stuff:
skallagrim.spreadshirt.com/
My Facebook page:
/ skallagrimyt
Some recommended knife makers on Amazon:
amzn.to/1qjwMNL

[@Iustusian]

I curled to my mace and softly whispered "don't worry,you are still battle ready for me, don't listen to him..." while stroking it gently.

[@mattaffenit9898]

_Pets warhammer and mace (and bec de corbin and trench club and Hussite polearm flail thing and three war clubs and maul and bar mace)_ It's okay, Skall didn't mean it. Kind of. I mean, he totally meant it, but... y'know... yeah... stop being such crybabies, you are literal blunt weapons.

[@phoebusapollo8365]

Fairly sure when he said “battle ready” he meant blades/swords. Not just weapons in general.

[@anthonyhayes1267]

@metalfaust19 maces in general are quite affordable and easy to find good ones. Even Tod Cutler bronze mace heads are reasonably inexpensive

[@eazy8579]

Their maces are pretty solid in my opinion, and their spears are pretty nice too

[@BUSTERy]

Taxi for a. Virgin, is there a. Virgin in here?

[@dylanmoniz7072]

Question: Would you damage the edge to save a limb? Answer: Not if its an Albion.

[@mattaffenit9898]

Q: Would you damage a limb to save an Albion? A: ... Fok yea.

[@MarkoStojadinov]

2:22 That was a very impressive squeaky door impression :o

[@connoc5078]

I was thinking the exact same thing!

[@SwashbucklingToday]

dude I read this right as it happened wtf

[@anotherdegenerate3520]

Marko Stojadinov im your 69th comment

[@anotherdegenerate3520]

I mean like lol

[@MarkoStojadinov]

@Fab I love the matching of your name and profile picture :D Thranduil should be the the new face of Schauma ... the best hair in Middle Earth deserves no less ^^

[@flickbug8717]

Definitely in favor of more videos on individual manufacturers.

[@28Shadow]

Skall, the swords are made blunt as they are because India does not allow the export of sharpened blades.

[@Skallagrim]

Yes, but the statement about their "battle-ready" swords is from Museum Replicas Limited in the US. And they still offer them blunt by default, with a sharpening option that costs extra.

[@Captain__Harlock]

True, if they imported them and Museum Replica sharpened them for free before selling that would be one thing but they advertise them as battle ready blunted.

[@28Shadow]

Agnish Roy That may be a case, but I'm speaking of exported production pieces. Not ceremonial religious practices.

[@28Shadow]

Captain Harlock In all honesty, if a person is really into swords and cutting with them, they should learn how to service their tools. Warriors from all time periods have had to service their own weapons. You can't hold up a battle to have your sword or spear or armor sent off to a a professional to have it serviced. You do it yourself. Personally, I wouldn't knock a product because of the edge it came with. That is an issue that can be fixable yourself. What matters more is structural integrity and the tempering of the steel. I happen to like Windlass blades quite a bit. For the price they are good pieces, and can be made excellent with just a little work and care.

[@28Shadow]

Agnish Roy Yeah that does sound like a weird practice. But blade laws can be weird, especially in places like India where these things are a lot more prominent in the culture and life than here in the States, or in most Western nations.

[@DropForgedSurvival]

I like them for budget items in general. They are decent and useable if you have a small grinder to hone the edge typically.

[@featherknife8611]

Use stones. Grinders are best used by chimpanzees.

[@Error-eb9gv]

but skal in a battle situation you're supposed to defend your edge with your own body before allowing it to take damage!

[@gamer7916]

Nathan Carter no, you're supposed to defend the pommel with your own body and your edge

[@Error-eb9gv]

The pummel is perfectly capable of defending itself.

[@planescaped]

If I drop one of my swords onto the concrete I do my best to dive beneath it's path to soften the blow, as all true warriors should.

[@yoursexualizedgrandparents6929]

Fixing edge damage just isn't worth it.

[@shamuslucero1905]

You are supposed to use your sword to take ALL damage from another sword. It is a tool. You can fix a sword or gods forbid replace it. Try replacing your freaking arm.

[@jessicaslater4243]

I own a Windlass Steelcrafts sword that I had custom sharpened and it was fantastic, it sliced through bottles and cartons like they weren't even there. Then I accidentally struck the 4x4 stand the bottle was standing on and the top six inches of the blade snapped off. It wasn't even a full-strength swing. I don't recommend them, myself.

[@sebastianb.3978]

Most definitely wasn't just the sword's fault. How hard did you swing? At what angle did you hit the stand? What material was the stand? How stabilized wasnthe stand? Sidenotr: I've heard before, don't know if it's true, that sharpening blunt reproductions can seriously mess up the blade's integrity and turn them into what amounts to a large glasshard. Super sharp but one bad impact and that's it.

[@CaptainScorchMane]

I have a Kukri. It was passed to my great grandfather by a Gurkha he served with in Africa, apparently. Very nice knife.

[@cavalryscout]

Made by Windlass?

[@vorden25]

@@cavalryscout no but he wanted to tell everyone about it

[@SAsgarters]

The company did explain the 1mm wide edge with the fact that it allows them to sell them to a much broader public and export them to far wider range of countries. I'm fine with that, I didn't get bent out of shape when I got my regimental kukri and saw that it was blunt. Calling it battle ready or whatever it was is of course misleading to say the least, but it's still a lot better than selling sharp crap, like all of these combat-/survival-/zombie- fantasy knife manufacturers do. That regimental kukri I bought once upon a time was flawlessly made, by the way, and once I took a file to the edge and then sharpened it, it turned into one of the least disappointing large knives in my collection. It was cheap, too, so it's not something I've felt I need to treat like a delicate little butterfly.

[@Khanemis]

An honest and detailed opinion, as always. I like this review of weapon manufacturer. It would be great if you would do more for others as well. I think it can help a lot of people who are not sure which one to choose.

[@20hitman54]

Yes!! Please continue making videos about the different companies available! I have no experience in sword collecting, so hearing the pros and cons of the major companies from someone like Skallagrim who strives to be objective would be super helpful.

[@revelence9128]

Throwing it out there skall, yes please more of these if you can. Always nice to have a baseline on manufacturers which is hard to find without a TON of bias behind it.

[@seankaz5130]

This is actually something I've been interested to hear from you. Cheers!

[@djgiammaruti702]

great work skall I've been with you since you were at 5000 and the qaulity has remained the same over the years keep it up!!

[@illoney5663]

Definitely would like to see more of these for all manufacturers you feel like you have sufficient knowledge to talk about.

[@Tzphardi]

I loved the style and honesty of the review, great job as always skall and looking forward to more product company reviews! I plan on getting the budget tatical gladius, but will defer to other companies for any higher end swords that i wish to buy. (I use them for hunting safety and protection in dangerous woods near where i live to conserve ammo for game.)

[@vancortrichards4514]

Over the years. Learn to appreciate your criticism and review well done

[@autismisuncontrollable4925]

"A sword is flying at me, but this sword cost a lot, look how good it looks, it'll be a shame if the enemy damaged my edge and- Aaaaaand there goes my arm" - The life of Medieval soldier according to windlass.

[@nosrin1988]

I would LOVE to see more company reviews from you. +1 to that, definitely!

[@joeblack363]

love these kind of videos please keep making them!!!

[@mattfick5502]

Thanks for the video, it was indeed interesting. Personally, I'd enjoy seeing your opinions on other manufacturers, and your picks of what items you would buy of theirs

[@ProjectPaladin]

More videos like this would be greatly appreciated.

[@daramaguiginn7992]

This would definitely make a good series. Thanks, Skall!

[@MrInvisibleDrummer]

I like the little grin you made when that cut corner joke came out.

[@MeleeTiger]

I for one, would like to see more videos that cover specifics about the different manufacturers.

[@AsterixKearn]

Windlass is a nice option for those looking for a specific type of sword they wouldn't usually collect and don't want to spend $400+ dollars on it. Also a great starting point for college students or other penny pinching HEMA practitioners.

[@sneakerphotgrapher]

I appreciate your concise explanation!

[@mattwami]

I'm definitely interested in more videos like this.

[@FlipFlibbo]

awesome review! great passion my brotha!

[@kelpied.phantom533]

the pirate captains hanger they make is amazing. i cut into a grounding rod that i forgot to take out of the box my dryer came in. there was barely any edge damage, i touched up the edge for only a few minutes a couple days later and it barely looks damaged.

[@MySelfDefenseBlog]

Thanks for the review - I have three windlass steelcraft swords so far. I don't do heavy cutting but the ones I have seem ok.

[@topheye6318]

You should make a video about which countries have the fewer bans on weapons and which ones have the most.

[@yayap001]

I would defiantly like to see more of this video type it was extremely useful; its good to know which manufacturers you can trust, especially for what specific weapon type. Are all the Windlass gladioluses bad? If so who is a good manufacturer of gladioluses and weapons from antiquity and the early medieval age which is my favorite period of to collect from?

[@ermenher8381]

Good video Skall. To added to it, from my experience so far and from what I have heard it appears that Windlass's quality is improving as their newer lines so far appear to be of good quality. But I still need to run more tests on more of their swords. The Windlass Battle Cry line comes sharpened, the edge cuts out of the box but could be better as it is sharpened to a steep angle. From my tests with the Maldon Viking Sword I have found it to be durable, it was neither bent, chipped, nor was the finish damaged after many strong strikes into a 5in tree trunk. Also its handling felt good to me. I am planning to make a few reviews of different blades from the line, once the semester is over.

[@northumbriabushcraft1208]

You should do your opinion of cold steel. Haven't seen you review much of their stuff, great video as always, keep it up!

[@Isteak80]

These are useful, please make more for the other companies you use.

[@atomichorizen3987]

"kult of athena which i generally recommend because of the good prices and international shopping" yeah good prices u pay $200-$300 for a sword and shipping is $120 USD, kill me now

[@liamp1379]

Atomic Horizen Same here

[@gjorgji9804]

Check out Southern Swords.

[@ConsciousBrosCommunity]

Yeah the shipping really is hella steep, $150 to norway plus import tax in addition!

[@snoopcat9351]

@@ConsciousBrosCommunity I am new, how do you guys check the shipping price

[@ConsciousBrosCommunity]

@@snoopcat9351 Gotta go thru the checkout process and enter shipping location details, then you'll get a price

[@CelticRider84]

More of these manufacturer history videos, please! :D

[@OnsideHaddock72]

Disclaimer: edge not included

[@ramjb]

Hold on a second, they're arguing that "Battle ready" means "Unsharpened" because in battle you could ruin a sword's edge by crossing it with another sharp edge?. So, in essence their whole argument is "would you have your sharp edge damaged in the battle?, no ,right?. That's why all swords were dull metal clubs, because if you had a sharp edge then it might be damaged, so better to have no edge to begin with, that way you don't get a weapon rendered useless in the middle of a fight...you go instead with an useless one to begin with". Holy shit do some people make no sense when inventing excuses....

[@squidballs2324]

I don't want to run out of ammo in battle. That's why I don't bring any ammo.

[@Maddawwg45]

i have a cobra falcata that i used yesterday to go to work clearing brush and never chipped or dulled that much so i was pretty impressed

[@colesaul-milligan7478]

We're people really not interested in manufacturer reviews? I would love to see more.

[@MrTryAnotherOne]

The Oakesshott type XIV is quite good, too and I am satisfied with the Erbach Castle sword as well.

[@DMEII]

I used to own that Windless Shamshir you mentioned. I got it from MRL and it was called their Scimitar. It was very well balacned and fast and deadly in the hand. I loved it and regret getting rid of it. But you mentioned the guard being seemingly laquuered or something. Something else about the guard; I dropped my sword on my hard ceramic tile kitchen floor and th guard bent. So it is evidently made of pot metal or some other soft metal. But I still love it. I also owned the Cold Steel one which also made by windless has a brass guard.

[@bigrockets]

I have several of their swords and the sharpening done by them is extremely sharp.

[@plastickhero]

I've had a Windlass rapier since the early 2000's. I've been pretty easy on it, but it's a very accurate thruster for someone of my limited skill/experience.

[@MyVikinglife]

I've two Windlass swords, both came sharp from where I ordered them from. They cut just fine.

[@randelldarky3920]

I have a couple of their blades. I get the sharpening service done when I purchase them. They are pretty good quality.

[@Asertix357]

Skall, I've been looking over spears recently, and I have the same concerns about the design you were showing, where the blade is jointed to the socket and doesn't look reinforced. I was wondering if you could offer any advice on a few of their available offerings. Both the Greek and Euro heads look the best due to the central ridge running up a good portion of the length of the blade, giving a very sturdy design from the socket up. The Hewing spear is way too abrupt at the transition between socket and blade, but the Long Blade Hewing Spear has a longer transition.

[@ColonelMustache]

Lindybeige made an entire video dedicated to explaining why hitting with the edge is often a good idea. He touched upon the brief points you made, among others. I recommend that for anyone interested in hearing more on that subject.

[@lordjs9726]

Very nice video, Mr Skall. Do a similar video about Del Tin.

[@TheAirMarshall]

I remember reading a review on Cold Steel's Shamshir and the blade being reviewed had an almost faded "Windless made in India" stamp near the tang. So It's safe to say that Cold Steel = Windless + Sharpened blades.

[@thrownswordpommel7393]

I beg to disagree *good windlass blades with terrible cold steel hilts*

[@charles2703]

I thought Cold Steel was made in South Africa

[@gilbert4394]

Cold steel is a garbage company. Do not support them if you appreciate historical weaponry. They trademarked the historical term “San mai” and have attempted (unsure if successfully) to sue companies for using it

[@humansvd3269]

Good steel, bad handles.

[@coryzepp238]

I have the Sword of Roven (or European longsword) and their version of the Ulfbehrt. Both seem nice for the price. No major flaws or excessive wobbliness.

[@dasauto7346]

Can we get Hanwei next? I've been looking into their blades but I am very paranoid on brands.

[@Drew_Thompson]

This^

[@dragonslayer2729]

I'd recommend their Tinker Pearce line

[@dasauto7346]

He's delivered! Hoohah!

[@Catshapedblobofdarkness]

Hey Skallagrim! Is there any chance you could do a video on the research of, "Bojutsu" I think it's called? I've been trying to search it up, but most of what I find is demonstrative youtube videos, but not much on history. Perhaps I'm not using the right search terms?

[@RyzawaVT]

Skall, could you do a video on repairing rusty swords to usable swords. So tips on how to take rust off a dull blade, and sharpening it afterwards without harming it.

[@MrJmak223]

What are your best options for Sabre reproductions for cutting? As in swords that can hold an edge and wont fall to pieces immediately? Are the universal swords 1853 sabres any good? Any input would be appreciated!

[@thabeardeddawi9092]

Dear Skallagrim, I'm trying to get into HEMA, but since I don't have much money I can't afford that expansive protection most people advise. Do you have any tips on where to buy cheap protection? The point is that I don't want any broken bones, bruses I can definitely handle. Also since I'm a For Honor addict, can you recommend any pole axes for me?

[@StormAlterWorlds]

Gods, I love Kult of Athena. I've had nothing but good experiences with them.

[@mirokortemaa9060]

I really like this video. Do more reviews like this. please.

[@kamehamehaX300]

I would enjoy more steel craft brand reviews

[@Elderanix]

Man, I want to play a weaponsmith dwarf right now! Nice job

[@barbatoslupusrex8712]

Could you talk about rapiers, Skallagrim? It's something I'm interested in and would love to hear what you think about them.

[@ilikecats830]

Hey skallgrim could you possibly take a look at hai to gensou no grimgar I really like it and wonder what your opinion on it is since it seems to be going for a sort of realistic feel rather than a flashy action one.

[@Satori86]

That background is so beautiful, I'd like one for myself =)

[@LenoxLamar]

In the beginning of the video you talked about steel types, I was very interrested in that topic and want to learn more about the different steel types, so could you make a video explaining what type of steels are out there and what characteristics do they have?

[@WheatY0]

i'm sure he already has a video like that

[@kevinjohanson5718]

I have Windlass' Sword of Tancred, and i must say, it came from the factory pretty damn sharp

[@JacKnife3705]

Im looking for a cool wallhanger that i can take outside and cut some cans or whatever and not have it break. Ive heard generally good things about the bosworth longsword for its price point and im wondering if it would fit my needs?

[@nnickerson100]

not sure what your opinions on the accolade is but i think its pretty good. its my first sword too so that might be why i like it but it seems pretty good.

[@TravelatorH8r]

Can you do a sharpening video? Is sword sharpening different than knife or axe sharpening?

[@nefurian4133]

Hey, Skallagrim do you know where i can the viking from your intro but without the name? i want to use it as my profile picture

[@MyPlace26]

Please do Del tin next! Looking for affordable Sword to abuse, don't have the stones to test my Albion like you :) Think I remember Matt Easton Said ones that Del tin were one of the better brand in the budget range.

[@wildandwackywade]

I like, please, to have some more info or a link on that dagger you mentioned that could be bought on a limited budget.

[@theadministrator2641]

Erm skall....can i ask for a request . Would ye kindly review the musketeer main gauche and rapier combo by windlass , please ? Kind regards and season's greetings 🙂❤

[@gruknarorcishwar-yerhereto8489]

please do more company review thoughts.like dark swords, ten ryu, maybe even swords of northsire

[@richstone2627]

Their Viking type swords seem to be decent from my experience. I have several and have put them through hard use and they've held up. I have a couple high end swords but don't want to risk damaging them fighting so the Windlass swords are used.

[@MichaelHaneline]

Are there any manufacturers you'd recommend for buying a good quality transitional rapier?

[@morallyambiguousnet]

Well as you and others have pointed out if the edge was never to contact another edge, then the cruciform guards wouldn't have been in-line with the edge. I have two Windlass swords, the Eglinton Backsword and the Sword of the Thirty Years War rapier. I haven't sharpened either of them. The backsword is on the heavy side, though it appears within the weight range for an original, and has a rather chunky "edge." I keep meaning to travel the few blocks to the Royal Ontario Museum and see if I can compare it to the original on which it was based, but I just never seem to get there. The rapier wouldn't take a huge amount of work to sharpen as it has a thinner blade and more shallow geometry. The tempering on it seems to be fairly good as it's not overly floppy and returns to true, when bent perhaps 8" or more offline.

[@KillerWhale_YT]

Hey I'm actually trying to start collecting Japanese and European weapons, and I was wondering, where should I go for high quality weapons. I live in the US and I know of kultofathena.com but are there any other websites you recommend

[@9unslin9er]

You need to review the American Revolutionary Saber. That thing is properly peened. Even with the sharpening service, it is still incredibly priced.

[@romanace3432]

I have a windlass steel craft 15th century German bastard sword so far my best sword yet, mine came professionally sharpened (most likely in the USA where I live and ordered it).

[@raymondmorad6948]

Was a bit worried he was going to say they're junk and not to buy them. I just purchased my 1st sword yesterday. A 1860 Union light Calvary saber by windlass. (I also have a Japanese imperial Navy katana. But I inherited that one.)

[@briankent4170]

Question, do you have the old MRL polish Karabela saber? Or know anyone who does, been trying to track one down.

[@masonwynder9323]

Could you please do a video on what you think of Darksword Amory?

[@andrewli6606]

Hey Skall, would you ever do another of your fantasy swords scrutinized videos? I really liked those. And if you would, could you do the Attack on Titan swords?

[@joshalmighty1901]

I just received "The Dark Prince from" Dark Sword Armory. They are in my opinion nothing less that the Finest Forge on the Planet!

[@BronyDebates]

I've owned one sword by Windlass - their umbrella sword. I really liked the design. It had a long carbon steel blade that could be easily deployed with a button (as opposed to the short, stainless steel, screw-ins that you find everywhere). But ultimately, the umbrella barely worked and the blade was so thin and skinny that it was flexing under its own weight. I gave it one test stab on the box it came in and it went through nicely. But I really didn't trust how floppy and skinny the blade was. I also couldn't find any good reviews of the sword. Such as what it was made out of and whether or not it was heat treated. For the price point, I'd guess 1055 carbon steel and non heat-treated. I considered keeping it and doing a review so that there would be a comprehensive review on the product. But I decided not to since it was discontinued and I was really worried about the blade breaking. So I sent it back. Really a loss of potential. It was a darn shame.

[@kurkcalibara632]

So, Skall, which manufacturer might you review next?

[@kuribo1]

I don't know though, I believe there is a video on youtube of an individual cutting tatami with a 1mm blunted edge and he is doing it with ease. I am assuming the meaning in their statement means can function the same in terms of handling and durability. I think the dull edge argument is just slightly over critical but just my idea on the subject.

[@Cliffdog01]

My guess as to why so many manufacturers make blunt swords is because it is a lot easier to ship and there is less hassle (ie permits). I know that in New Zealand there are a lot of rules like that with fines for companies if they sell edged weapons.

[@alphega1983]

Hi Skallagrim, I've been playing Zelda Breath of the Wild and a lot of people have complained about weapon durability in the game. From your experience, how much abuse can a typical battle ready weapon take before it needs serious repairs or is deemed unusable?

[@dragonslayer2729]

alphega1983 Depends on the hardness of the steel. Most tempered swords will never break under normal use if made properly but they will need to be occasionally sharpened. Also how much the edge gets screwed up depends on the type of steel

[@devingendron2287]

So my main thing is I want to get a functional Highland Broadsword (or Backsword, I'm not picky) and I'm on a budget. One of the things I want it for, other than practice cutting, is as a potential dress sword for certain functions (I'm of scots heritage, living in the US). I've looked at Hanweii, Windlass, and Cold Steel, that's roughly my budget range. Of them, the Windlass looks most attractive to me, but I don't want a sword that can't function as a sword. So here then is my question, which would the community recommend for this purpose?

[@PolarP.]

Skall, you should do a combat review of Berserk.

[@djisch]

in the game Risen you do a obsidian sword with a gold grip. the blacksmith said the gold grip could hold it because of its softness and I think he said it absorbes the force of the hit. could this really work? the game is German so I don't know if there is an English version of it.

[@joshuagreen5050]

I echo your sentiments. For semantic purposes, I would say they are indeed Battle durable or Battle ready, but they are not Competition sharp. Over the years I've owned several Windlass swords, purchased through Museum Replicas or Atlanta Cutlery, and the selections I've made have been well-constructed pieces, despite lacking distal taper.

[@roymvp1993]

Thanks you made me buy one :)

[@MrZdixo1]

have you considered that certain nations have restrictive laws in regards to the importation/exportation of sharp swords

[@thedoubledeus]

Have you tried their naval cutlass? I'd like to get one can't find a review

[@SwitchFeathers]

Heya, Skal! In regards to the swords being blunt, I'm pretty sure that India has export laws for weapons stating that you can't export a "sharp" weapon, which is why their items (and all indian made items) are purposely shipped blunt.