Windlass Damascus Steel Viking Sword Review

Normally, the Windlass Damascus Steel Viking sword is usually a bit beyond the $300 price range we tend to concentrate on at SBG (it normally sells around the US$400 mark). However, as you will see, it is possible to snag these stunningly beautiful swords at a bargain price from a reputable ebay store – Hutchinson s Militaria – for much less, making it a very good buy indeed.

So without any further ado, let’s take a good look at what this sword has to offer..

Windlass Damascus Steel Viking Sword
Review by MJC, California, USA

I am very new to sword collecting, so this will be very basic. It is not my intent to fully evaluate this sword as that is beyond my knowledge. My photos are probably gonna be better than the review, so hope they help someone!

I purchased this sword new on ebay, it normally exceeds the $300 limit but the store was selling it for $269. They had more than one, so may still be some there (Editors note: if Hutchinson’s have one in stock, you’ll see it listed below):

I wanted a Viking sword and was interested in the look of Damascus Steel, so I was pleased to give this one a shot.

Here are the vitals:

Blade Length - 30.5"
Hilt - 6"
Weight - 2lbs 0.5 oz
POB - about 6.5" from hilt
Blade width at base 1.885"
Blade thickness at base - 0.166"
Blade thickness at end of fuller - 0.150"
Handle - Black Leather.

The scabbard is wood, lined with black leather. I like it, much nicer than my Darksword Knight scabbard. The sword in no way sits tightly in it however and will fall out at about 20 degree angle.

HANDLE

The handle is fairly narrow with black leather. The leather is well stitched and comfortable. The overall impression is positive, well made and secure.

Holding the sword is a bit different than my other sword, the wide pommel is not to invasive. I am using the handshake grip on it as I learn to wield it.

THE BLADE

This seems to be a very light sword (2lbs, about 8oz lighter than the Windlass Sticklestad) and the blade seems pretty thin (only comparison is my Darksword Armory Knight blade). I don't mean this in a negative way at all however, just trying to relay information.

I really like the look of the Damascus steel fuller. The blade came unsharpened and I have not sharpened it yet, so I can't tell you about holding an edge or cutting with the blade. It is fairly flexible, but again my comparison is the Darksword which is very stiff. I am guess most vikings are more flexible than the Knight sword.

The POB is about 6.5" from the hilt. My first impression was that this makes the sword feel a bit blade heavy, again not in a bad way, just an observation.

My limited testing of the temper appears that it is fine, again, something I am still learning about, so my word is not gospel!

Overall, the fit and finish is pretty good. Some scuffs and gind marks here and there, but nothing too bad. This is about the worst one:

As I said, I like the look of the sword and the handling is nice as it is such a light blade. It feels pretty solids, but I have not hit anything with it yet. Don't know anything about how the tang is attached, but the Sticklestad is peened, so I am guessing this is as well. If I look very close, squint my eyes and drink 3 beers before I look, I can almost see what looks like a peen may be, but if so, it is well ground and polished.

I am glad I took a chance and picked this sword up, seemed like a good price and I very much like the look of the sword.

WHERE TO BUY

As mentioned in the review, the best place to pick this sword up is from Hutchinson s Militaria on ebay.

Generally speaking, I am not a huge fan of ebay, but established and respectable stores like Hutchinson’s are the exception – and make it possible to get some very nice brand name swords at ridiculously low prices.