Gen 2's Norman Sword ReviewedThe Norman Sword by Generation 2 is one of their most simple yet eminently functional and durable classic medieval style swords. And as you will see, while it isn’t perfect, it is certainly a good sword for the money...
This is the second Generation 2 Norman I have obtained. I shortened the first one and it has become a much favoured sword. This newer version is the same sword has some noticeable improvements in the design of the hilt. These swords just keep improving, and that is good for those of us who have a special place in our hearts for European medieval swords. That said, there is still room for more improvement.
The 12th Century Norman sword shares its design with the Generation 2 Sword of the 3rd Crusade. The only difference between the two is the addition of a blackened cross in the pommel of the crusader sword.
During my initial dry handling, I experienced the feeling of a large, heavy sword. The weight is 3.2 lbs. The blade is 34.25" long and the grip is 6 inches from rear of guard to beginning of pommel.
This makes for a sword that is distinctly blade heavy since its POB is over 6 inches from the guard. I think the handling could be significantly improved by bringing the POB back to around 4.5 to 5 inches. However, when you remember that this is a sword designed for mounted combat where the norm is heavy cuts delivered from above, the Norman sword delivers on its intended purpose.
The stats look like this:
Blade length: 34.25"
DESIGN, FIT & FINISH
The Blade This is a large and heavy sword. It is theorized that this design was meant for fighting from horseback by armoured knights. As such, the long and heavy blade is designed for powerful shearing cuts. And it seems to do this well. As the sword came from the box, it's reasonably sharp. It barely cuts paper on one edge but not on the other. The edges seems to be just about right for a heavy sword designed for fighting armoured opponents.
The blade is on the heavy side, but is definitely very sturdy. I inadvertently tested this while cutting a pair of water bottles. On one cut, I drastically undershot the bottles and made full contact with the top of the cutting table. This cutting surface is made of pine 2x6s and the Norman sword sheared the end of the table off at about a 30 degree angle. I immediately checked the edge and blade alignment as this impact imparted quite a severe shock to the blade. The blade was perfectly straight and there was no sign of the impact on the edge. Cutting continued without event.
I would absolutely HATE to be attacked with this sword. Its cuts are probably best described as "massive" and "powerful" in the extreme.
The blade geometry is pretty simple, and sticks to the Oakeshott Type X. The profile taper is very gradual. The edges are 1.915" at the guard and 1.585" at the end of the fuller, then taper to 1.350" at 4 inches behind the point.
Blade thickness is 0.235" at the guard and tapers to 0.175" at 4 inches behind the point. That works out to approximately a 25% distal taper. That results in a heavy, stiff blade that possesses a significant portion of its mass near the tip. This usually results in a sword that swings slower and requires more muscle to move it about.
This fit is certainly rock solid, as all Generation 2 swords seem to be. The blade is mirror polished and it makes photography a challenge. It is difficult to find a place to take pictures where you don't see reflections of the surroundings. I personally prefer the subdued finish on Albion and other high-end swords. But as I have been told by Clyde Hollis, owner of Imperial Weapons and the Generation 2 line, the mirror polish seems to be what consumers expect and demand in this market niche. And Clyde delivers on that with style.
The Grip
Just about the right amount of profile taper has been added so that the grip gets slightly smaller as it transitions from the guard toward the pommel.
This makes for a comfortable grip and helps with edge alignment. The leather wrap is smooth and even. The seams are invisible and are executed to perfection.
The Pommel
The pommel has not been changed on the Norman sword and Crusader. I hope it will in the near future. In my opinion, the pommel would benefit from being slightly larger in diameter and significantly thicker. I think this would improve the aesthetics and would certainly benefit handling as it would shift the point of balance toward the hilt. To my mind, as far as a octagonal faceted pommel goes, the pommel on Albion's Count is the closest to perfection I have seen. Here is a comparison of the two.
I would dearly love to see the Generation 2 swords with a pommel of similar shaped and proportion. Otherwise, the pommel is executed extremely well. The peened tang is clearly visible at the back end. And the lines are straight and crisp. The finish work is very high quality.
The Guard
Improvements to the guard are also evident when compared to my earlier Norman sword. The thickness from blade-side to grip-side has been reduced almost by half. This is a very good thing.
However, I think the width from side-to-side should be treated the same way. If the width and thickness were the same, in conjunction with the dual faceting that is already present on the sides of the guard, this sword hilt would be lighter and much more elegant.
TESTING
Cutting
I have done quite bit of cutting with the new Norman sword. Once you get it outdoors it really seems to handle better. It is still fairly heavy and changing direction is a bit slow and requires the use of some muscle. This is much more so the case when using it one-handed. ”However, anything you cut with it gets CUT DEEPLY indeed!”
On the following video I ask you to pardon my lack of skill as I am a rank amateur, and barely in the learning stages. However, is shows the power the Norman sword can impart. If you look closely you will also see how the blade-heaviness results in fairly slow acceleration and a lot of over swing. Neither would likely be the case with a more balanced sword.
Most of this cutting is on bottles, but one segment shows the Norman sword being used on a 36" Swordfodder Master Target. This is just about the most difficult target to cut cleanly that I have been able to find. It the sword isn't sharp or the edge alignment is off the target with bounce away from the blade. As the segment shows, the Norman was able to reach up and make cuts on a target that was over two feet above my head. I considered this an exercise in turning a horseman's sword against the horseman. ;-)
This sword is a LOT of fun to handle. I like cutting with it and it is a great training aid since it forces the user to concentrate on timing and technique at all times.
CONCLUSION
This is one of my favourite types of sword. The folks at Generation 2 have done a good job on this sword, and above all two things stand out. First, the swords are durable and make good training swords as well as an excellent choice for the first-time sword buyer who wants a sharp sword. And second, Clyde Hollis at Generation 2 is hardcore about listening to customer feedback, separating the good suggestions from the rest, and making continual changes to his product line based on this feedback. I can look back a year into the past and see swords that are, for the most part, nowhere near as good as what he's making now. And I would be willing to bet that in another year we will look back and say "Yeah, those 2007 swords were good. But now they're even better."
I have a few customizations in mind for the Norman. I can't leave anything alone! But they will be few indeed as I can't think of very much I want to change. Really, I will likely only narrow the guard and add some distinctive file work to it. And I may shorten the blade by an inch or two since I am not very tall and this is a fairly long sword...and it can't help but improve the balance. That's something I really like about all of Generation 2's swords. They take customization well.
So the bottom line is "Would I recommend this sword to someone else?" The answer is definitely yes. I knew exactly what I was getting before this sword arrived. It was exactly everything I expected. I am glad I selected it and would do exactly the same thing again.
WHERE TO BUY The 12th Century Norman sword has a standard online price tag of US$219 everywhere, including my favourite Gen2 retailer Arms of Valor. Check it out on their website here
Enter the coupon code SBG in the 'redeem coupon' field of their checkout, click on the button and Arms of Valor will generously take 10% off the price (dropping the price down to just US$197.10, which is the best deal for this sword anywhere on the net)! Plus, each discount sale gives my site referral credits to keep SBG running and helps offset the cost of my site.
I hope you found this review of the Gen2 Norman Sword helpful. To return to Affordable Replicas of Medieval Swords, from Gen 2's Norman Sword Reviewed, click here
|
The grip is an area of improvement in recent versions.
