Windlass Pirate Cutlass Review

This Pirate Cutlass review is one of my favourite sword reviews of all time…

Written in an authentic ‘pirate speak’ style, and covering all the bases, I think you’ll find it both informative and very entertaining. So without any further ado – Avast!

Windlass Pirate Cutlass
Review by Capt’n Robert Betts, the High Seas, ARGHHH

Avast mateys, this be a review o’ me Windlass Pirate Cutlass. Me name be Robert Betts, and I call Valley, AL me home port, but ye can call me Capt’n… arrr (That be put thar to satisfy them standin’ oarders put farth by Adm’ral Southren).

This cutlass has been me trusty mate for many a sail now. And I must say, quite accustomed to her I’ve become.

The sight o’her’s sent many a merchant sail’r pissin’ ‘is drawrs, which be a good thing. Less tru’ble that way, all ‘round. Sad tr’th be told, she’s ne’vr been sheathed in ought but her scabb’d. Time and past for that to be rect’fied.

I first set eyes or’ this piece many a year ago in one of them catylogs from an merchant house name o’ Museeum replicas. I took a like to her rite off, but lacked the swag to make ‘er mine. I figured liken to many from that ‘ouse, she’d be ‘ere today and gone tom’rrw, but t’ fine lady she be, stand’n the test o’ time.

This be stole from that catylog:

PIRATE CUTLASS 500160
Museum Replicas
Many a bloody-handed pirate of the 17th century clambered over the side of a gold laden galleon armed with a cutlass such as this. Known by many names- "hanger," "cuttoe," and "short saber" by infantry, or "cutlass" by sailors- this was an exceedingly popular short weapon. The steel basket protected the hand and could be used as an armored fist in the close confines of shipboard combat. High carbon steel blade made by Windlass Steelcrafts®. Steel pommel and leather-covered wood handle. Includes leather scabbard. Overall-28 1/2". Blade-22 1/2" long, 2" wide. Wt.-2 lbs. 10 oz. $225.00

http://www.museumreplicas.com/museumreplicas/detail.aspx?ID=630

"225! An’ they call ME a PIRATE!" (ju’s twixt you ‘n me aye gots mine at a hunderd and fortyfive from a man name o’ Kitchener at that pirate haven Ebay. He be a mite more ‘spensive now, but nary much.)

Mine be a bit dif’rent from what she be listed in that paper advertizm’nt: A bit narr’er about the waist, bit more in the bask’t (Rubinesque, me thinks)

O’rall lenth: 28 15/16’s” (that’s in the King’s Anglish, ye swabs- none o’ that metricisms)
Len’th o’ the business end: 22 ½”
Leaven’ 6 and 7/16’s to the thumpin’ end
Breadth: 1 ¾” at th’ rudder, widening to 1 7/8s” amidships ‘fore tapering to the prow.
Thickness (like ol’ sully’s head there) 3/16’s
Tonnage: 2lbs 14 oz.
Balance be ‘bout a handspan out – and that be ‘bout 4”, says I. She be a bit feisty, but her sweet spot lie thereabouts to 14 and a halve.

I attest to this, she be well-made an’ solid—nery a weld mark to marr ‘er beuty to be found. O‘carse, bein good steel, she be needin’ polishin’ a fair bit to keep th’ rust off ‘er, thar’ bask’t most all.

The scabb’d be good serv’cbl leather, black in color with good steel tips.

Now some mite say she be a bit on t’ shart side, but I tends to like me gals pertite. An’ye must be remmembrin’ she be made for abard ship- whar them longer blades be a bit diasadvantageous dontcha know?

Hav’n no scores th’t needed a setlin’, t’was wood that stood to for me testin’. Now this twas done ‘gainst t’edge she had the day I got me hands on ‘er, me seein’ no need to asharpen ‘er for a wee bit o’ pine.

THE VERDICT I liken’ ‘er to me brig—fast and deadly. Historc’al accuracy: Arrrrgh, I be us’n ‘er aints I? 5 Fit n’ finish: She gleems like a fly’n fish: 5 an’ handles like a porpoise: 3.25 (a wee bit excitable) solid as the rock o’ Gibralter 5 and, ‘pendin’ on where ye get her, a gem o’ a deal (fer mine, a 4.5) All said an’ done a 4.44

Like most ladys, she be a bit tempermental. She’ll tol’rate a lot, but get too far from’er sweet spot an’ she’ll screech like a stiffed tavern wench about it—An by that I means puttin’ a mean quiver up yer swardarm- least ways on the targ’t I tried ‘er on. ‘Gainst softer she may be a mite more forgivin’.

As I says, I test’d ‘er on a good solid targ’t an’ she held true…an’ be still as loverly as she was t’day I put eyes on ‘er. If ye fin’ one like’r She be a good an’ faithful companion fer yar voyages I says..

WHERE TO BUY

As the good Capt’n mentioned, the typical online price for the Windlass Pirate Cutlass is around the US$225 mark – however it is available on ebay from a very well respected seller with the user name Kitchener at his Ebay Store – Hutchinsons Militaria – for around the US$160 mark...

If he has one in stock at the moment, you will find it listed below: