Windlass Pompeii Gladius Review

The Pompeii Gladius by Windlass Steelcrafts is easily the most historically accurate Roman Sword in their line up. While it is still far from a perfect replica, as far as handling and durability goes – as you will soon see – there isn’t much else out there that even comes close...

Windlass Pompeii Gladius
Review by Robert Betts, Valley, USA

The Blade: 20" long, a uniform 2" wide out to 16", then tapering to a point. Cutting edge starts 1 1/2" from the guard. pob approximately 4", cop approx. 11 1/2".

The Grip: 3 1/2" long, 3" circumference circular turned maple with finger ridges (some vary now I think), well stained and finished.

The Pommel: 7 3/4" circumference maple knob, again very well stained and finished. Pommel nut is 1/2" long rounded brass.

The Guard:: 1 1/4" long, 6 3/4" circumference oval shaped maple faced with a 5/16" mild steel oval plate.

The Scabbard: black leather over a wooden core, covered with a brass throat and accents. Mine came with a brown leather baldric.

It’s not as "fancy" as the Mainz pattern offered by Windlass, which actually appeals to me. It retails for 190.00 today, but if you shop around you can get it for a good bit less.

I tested this against my greatly abused (and subsequently reinforced) shield target. As an unsharpened cutter, it did quite well, as you can tell from the photos above and below. In stabbing tests against the same target it consistently achieved 1/2" deep impacts. This is probably less that it could have done to be honest, as the shield was unanchored (intentionally, to try to simulate the give a person's arm would have).

THE VERDICT Historical Accuracy: 3/5 Fit and Finish: 4/5 Handling: 5/5 Structural Integrity: 5/5 Value for Money: 4/5 OVERALL: 4/5 (Excellent)

All in all this is a very good gladius for the money.

WHERE TO BUY

As Robert Mentioned this Gladius typically retails online for between US$190-171.

However the cheapest place I have seen them being stocked by a reliable vendor is HERE at Kult of Athena where they go out the door for a ridiculously low US$149.95 (and offer an additional sharpening service for an additional $15 if so desired, which makes it cheaper to buy sharpened from them than to buy it unsharpened from ANYWHERE else...).