New Paul Chen/Hanwei practical hand-and-a-half sword

[Alexander]

I recently bought the new Practical Hand-and-a-Half Sword by Paul Chen/Hanwei. This is the most recent version of this sword – it used to be heavier and not as well balanced. Here’s my take on its latest incarnation...

As you would expect with a “practical” sword, the blade is blunt but not excessively so. Its bluntness and the flexibility of the blade make it safe for drilling and, with suitable protection, light sparring. I’ve been told that it doesn’t meet the safety standards of some re-enactment groups but I wouldn’t know about that as I’m not a re-enactor.

The sword handles pretty well. This is partly due to its lightness (it weighs 3 lbs 5 oz, 1.5 kg) and partly to its balance (the balance point is 2½”, 6.5 cm from the guard). It could almost be used as a one-handed weapon and it would certainly do for one-handed weapon drills on an ersatz basis.

Its centre of percussion is a bit low, being about 8” (20.5 cm) from the tip, but again, this is not outside accepted parameters.

The sword has a wheel pommel which is too big to hold comfortably. A tear-drop would have been easier to grip but possibly not as heavy and therefore not as effective as a counterbalance. The girth of the leather-covered wood grip is bigger than I would like but that’s my idiosyncrasy and most swordsmen won’t fault it on that score.

The sword comes with a faux wood scabbard that has metal fittings.

Overall, this sword is a fine addition to any kit bag. And at £80 plus P&P, you really can’t do better for the price.

Alexander

[Dai D]

I bought one as a stop gap, and I'm quite pleased with it apart from the pommel, which i have got used to. Barry, Kims husband has told be that the pommel is actually hollow. He replaced Kims hilt and pommel, and he's going to change the pommel on mine.
I think you cant go wrong at that price, they dont seem to damage better quality swords as badly as the older model.

[admin]

Damage better quality swords?
Surely if they were better quality then the old one wouldn't damage them.

Thanks for the review Alexander - I agree that the new version of this model is a massive improvement and unrivalled at the price (or until you get to about £150+).

[TheDude]

The last hanwei practical sword I saw used against an armourclass was like using an SA80 as a club against a man with an AK47...it got ripped to pieces! Very pleased to hear they have improved.

How much use are you getting out of it and what is involved in changing the pommel?

[Dai D]

I was using it all the time but I got my Macdonald Armouries sword this week, so I'll probably only use it against another practical longsword now.

Barry expalins removing the pommel here.
http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/phpBB2/vi ... ight=barry

[The Salmon Lord]

For £135 shiney pounds you can get a nice tempered longsword off of Kovex Ars. Highly reccomend mine.

[admin]

Out of interest, how much does the Ars weigh?

[Stevie T]

We had a couple of guys in Rosa Mundi who bught Hanwei swords, one single hander and a hand1/2.

Havign taught them the basics of re-enactment fighting they have been doing quite a bit of training at home to help deal with the stress of A levels.

After several weeks of this the single hander has snapped at the tang and mushrooms really badly. The hand1/2 is still in one piece however not only is it mushrooming really badly but the steel beneath the mushrooms is beginning separate into different layers.

I'm trying to get some pics to put up on the net as this is really worrying for me as I've sent a few of my guys this way to get a training weapon in their hands and have just bought one from Jim at GPM event.

Have to say I'm not overy impressed with mine as even with just some mild playing the blade is moving out of line and has become wiggley down it's length - seems very soft and pliable.

[The Salmon Lord]

I don't weigh my swords. Enough but not too much. I like mine on the lighter side.

[TheDude]

Buy a Kovex Ars sword instead. You can get a single hander for under £100 and a longsword for around £110. Much, much better swords in my op.

[admin]

I must confess, I am still unconvinced. The Ars' I have seen have all be overweight and dead feeling. BUT, I've taken on board what you guys have said about the range of their products and hope to see these nice Ars' with my own eyes.

[Kim Young]

I handled two Kovex Ars longswords last weekend and I was impressed. Both were a great shape, well-balanced, nicely finished and very light. They had slightly shorter hilts than I would have preferred for myself, but if I could get one like either of them, for the same price, I'd buy it tomorrow.

Kim

[Lyceum]

Right let me comment, as an utter noob to HEMA. I have one of these, purchased it for £30. I thought that for cheaper than a rudimentia I may as well do so.

It handles alittle...erm...exactly, though I can now make rapid cuts with it, using quite abit of force but I sense that this would be much easier with a better blade.

Also the pommel is ridiculously huge, it looks ugly and feels awkward in the hand alot of the time but whatever. I also dislike the short stumpy quillions but, whatever.

[Renaud]

Practical Hand-and-a-Half Sword by Paul Chen/Hanwei

I have two of the third gens and my buddy has the newer fourth gen. The thirds are too heavy for a Bastard (3.5 lbs) with too short a handle, and YES a massive pommel, but you can get used to it. The fourth gens have the exact same hardware down to the massive pommel, but are too light in the blade and are floppy, more like a reenacter's sword. All they did to the third gen to make the fourth gen as far as I can see is change the blade; thinner and lighter with full length fullers from hilt to tip (trying to copy Albion's blunts maybe?). Personally I have grown to dislike my third gens and am looking to upgrade to something better soon, but of the two (the heavy third or the newer, lighter and off balance fourth) I can't stand the latter. It sucks! You'd be better off with a nice waster and save your money for a better blunt from somewhere else.

However, for a quick glimpse into the future of Paul Chen/Cas Iberia//Hanwei, check this out.

http://tinkerswords.com/CASpage.html

Looks like we may have an improvement here from Hanwei in the near future, but I'm also sure they will be more expensive than the current piece of crap they sell now. Oh well...

[Ken Osolinski]

As far as I know, all of the Hanwei European swords have these crappy hollow pommels; from the seventy quid practical h&h to the Albrecht II at nearly two hundred quid. I did read somewhere that they are bringing in changes to their European line, making the pommels solid and a lot smaller.
I'm wanting to buy a new training longsword but after the Hanwei the prices seem to increase rather steeply, any suggestions? Preferably under two hundred pounds.

[admin]

1) 3.5lbs is not especially heavy for a bastard sword - there are original single handers that weigh that much (see Wallace Collection catalogue for examples).
2) Hollow pommels are historical (Henry V's sword in Westminster Abbey has a hollow pommel, as do at least two of the swords in the Museum of London).
3) The Hanwei has a big pommel because it is losely based on an original surviving sword which has a big pommel.
4) I saw two of these in Vienna this weekend, and they are pretty good, and not at all Hanwei blades as we previously thought - they are longer and nicer and entirely Spanish made: http://www.thetimeseller.com/eng/subcat ... SF059.html

[Fab]

4) I saw two of these in Vienna this weekend, and they are pretty good, and not at all Hanwei blades as we previously thought - they are longer and nicer and entirely Spanish made: http://www.thetimeseller.com/eng/subcat ... SF059.html

Seconded.

[Ken Osolinski]

1) 3.5lbs is not especially heavy for a bastard sword - there are original single handers that weigh that much (see Wallace Collection catalogue for examples).
2) Hollow pommels are historical (Henry V's sword in Westminster Abbey has a hollow pommel, as do at least two of the swords in the Museum of London).
3) The Hanwei has a big pommel because it is losely based on an original surviving sword which has a big pommel.
4) I saw two of these in Vienna this weekend, and they are pretty good, and not at all Hanwei blades as we previously thought - they are longer and nicer and entirely Spanish made: http://www.thetimeseller.com/eng/subcat ... SF059.html

Interesting info about historical hollow pommels, I never knew that. I did know that the Albrecht II was based on an historic weapon, though I've never seen a picture of it, If you know of any links that'd be cool. I'm really pleased that you and Fab have had a look at the Flagellum Dei swords as I've been interested in buying one for a while now, great news.

[admin]

You can find a photo of that original sword in Records of the Medieval Sword, I think.

[Ken Osolinski]

You can find a photo of that original sword in Records of the Medieval Sword, I think.

That's great. I'm thinking of buying a couple of the Oakshott Books anyway, so I guess that'll be a good one to start with.