Colichemarde Sword with Uniquely Shaped Blade, Grey/Silver, one Size (CS88CLMS)

While I'm hardly a professional fencer, I've done enough bladework in my day to know a good sword when I hold it. This is one such sword. First, the cons, which are few: 1) I find the finger loops a touch small for my (very average) hands. They are not welded to the hilt or guard, however, so enlarging them is merely a matter of finding an appropriate punch, a suitable mallet, and a sturdy bench to support a handful of blows. 2) Upon arrival, the scabbard fit to the blade a little =too= snug. A dab of beeswax and a few hard sheathings got blade and wood into a happier balance. 3) The top inside edge of the scabbard itself is not treated or finished in any way. As part of dealing w/ issue no. 2 I applied beeswax all along the throat of the scabbard. Period-appropriate, cheap, easy fix! Now for the pros: 1) This is a real, serious weapon. While the edges are not razor sharp, they are sharp, and a good thrust from this sword could easily prove fatal. HANDLE WITH CAUTION. I recommend peace-tying her as soon as possible. Before even considering stage work, you'll want to heavily rework this blade to make it safer. 2) This sword is =exquisitely= balanced. The centre of gravity lies roughly 2.5 cm in front of the guard. While someone used to fencing foils or epees might find this a bit far forward, for an historic weapon this is spot on. She handles very, very well once one is accustomed to her (relative, yet still sleight) weight. 3) The craftsmanship -- barring the aforementioned fingerloops -- is =excellent=. The wire wrapped hilt feels good to the hand. The blade is well-formed and could probably take an even sharper edge. It's spiff and shiny right out of the shipping container. I will confess; I splurged on this as a costume accessory, and have found so much more. This sword is truly a delight to wield. I will similarly confess that I wrapped a Denix cutlass shipping box w/ a old washcloth & a few metres of artist's tape & have punched many, many holes in that with this sword. At under $300 USD this is practically a steal. I doubt you will find a better blade for even twice this price.

It's overall a solid, elegant weapon. I was honestly surprised that a sword like this has an edge; it's poorly defined, though, and I might sharpen it for kicks. The weight feels like something on the order of six hundred grammes which is admittedly on the heavy side for a smallsword, but it is still manageable (I, personally, prefer heftier weapons). The point of balance is close to the hilt, making it very easy to control even in the cut. The sword's only real flaw is the braided portion of the wire wrap. It is very uncomfortable and may very easily hurt me in the cut; I may remove it. The scabbard is why I gave this sword four stars. The scabbard has two flaws: it is too tight for the sword, leaving a good centimetre of the blade exposed, and its hook is rough around the edges witth some portions being sharper than the sword itself. This is a no-no in my book. In spite of this, this is my favourite CS sword so far, and it is very good for its price. It's a light, elegant blade fit for a gentlemen in his day-to-day escapades. Now to find a belt to put this thing on to...

I fenced recreationally and competitively with an epee for a number of years but put the sword down in favor of working, raising kids, etc.. This is the first "real" sword I've picked up that feels right. It's seriously goofy-looking, with the broad and heavy section near the hilt and the thin, sabre-looking pointy section further out, but holds beautifully and balances just right. It's fast, like a fencing weapon -- way faster than what I've seen people do with longswords and rapiers, and faster even than smallswords and other things that are similar to this. If it encountered armor it would flat out lose, but somebody with a little training and motivation could do some serious damage with this thing. The build quality of the unit I received is excellent. Everything is tight. The blade is appropriately sharp in the right spots. Nothing's rusted. The scabbard does what it should. Let's face it: almost nobody will ever use one of these "for real" anymore, so this is mostly about looking good on the wall or at the Ren Fest or handilng nicely in practice. If you fenced epee or sabre, or probably even foil, this is likely to be as close to a "real" version of those things as you'll find.

The condition of this sword was lacking. I've had $20 swords from Bud K show up in better condition. The blade was well oiled but it had gritty material in it. When wiped clean, the residue on the towel was very clearly black. I wiped out gently multiple times and got black reside each time. There are definitely scuffs along the blade. It is quite sharp but you can very clearly see defects in the edge with the naked eye without even getting close. There was some kind of black grease at the base of the blade where it meets the guard. The guard looks to have drops of adhesive all over it and there is some sort of white residue in the cracks and crevices. I would have thought that it might be some kind of false patina but it wipes off. There is a gap at the top of the wire wrap on the hilt. BE FOREWARNED! This does come with a scabbard but it ships OUTSIDE THE SCABBARD IN A LOOSE RECTANGULAR CARDBOARD "SLEEVE"! IT'S A GIANT RAZOR BLADE WITH A CARDBOARD BOX AROUND IT! BE CAREFUL OPENING! I just expected better overall quality from a sword at this price. The only other complaint I have is that the point isn't quite as refined as I was hoping. It will pierce for sure, but I had the impression it was a finer point. No big deal though. It's still a very cool blade design, I would just recommend buying buying at a sub $200 price point.

Rolled the dice based on previous reviews. I was very pleased with the sword I received. The sword was packed well and double boxed. It was pristine when I unwrapped everything and held it in hand. This sword may be an attempt to address previous quality control issues. The stitching on the scabbard was on the reverse of the scabbard where it is supposed to be, and the wire wrap for the grip was very tight. The blade was straight and sharp, with the fullers being ground perfectly on each side. Point of balance is three and a half inches in front of the guard and the blade I received measured out at 32.5 inches. If I were to nit pick anything it would be that the finger rings are too small, however you could conceivably open them up a bit with the proper application of leverage at the gap where the finger ring meets the grip, also the scabbard was really tight but I rubbed the forte with vaseline and now its perfect.

The sword I received from Amazon came shiny and bent. The finger holes are way too small for your fingers. It is a good looking sword, but the grip feels loose and the wire around it felt like it was coming undone. Overall I was very dissatisfied and had to send it back. The packaging was also very damaged with almost no protection for the sword in the box. This was one of two Cold Steel swords I ordered in the same order on Amazon, both of which I returned because of poor build quality and major issues. They were both bought from the Cold Steel Amazon section, too and were not listed as "sword seconds."

This review is based on initial sword examination and not after any disassembly of the hilt. The overall design of the specific sword I received from the seller was accurate to their online specs given. The blade, for its heavier weight, was somewhat well balanced for a colichemarde type smallsword. The lines of the blade, straight and true to form. Arching bend was evenly dispersed throughout the Forte & foible when the tip was slightly pressured from the hilt. Some sharpness to the edges came pre-ground along entire length of the blade. (I was not expecting this). The hilt was tight and did not display any functional flaws. The shells were symmetrical and adequate but.. The reason for 4 stars and not 5 for this pricepoint sword is that the finish around the ricasso, and endpoint curls of pas d'ane were not very well finished even though a polish was applied. It appeared too rough for this price given the nice finish on the rest of the sword. The wire wrapped grip had no loose ends or roughness to it and feeling silky but, it did have just a slight hint of give in windings when twisted around the grip core when tested with my fingers light twisting them although not enough to be concerning unless it would loosen more over time. The scabbard was unblemished, metal ends well polished and was well made in general. It fit the blade well and the leather on the wood was well adhered. The metal clip was sturdy. My overall impression at the moment of this product is that is is "very, very nice" for the price but not fully "excellent".

This sword is perfectly light and balanced, and the blade has a sharp point and a stiff spine. It’s a perfect example of a military small sword and would look good in anyone’s collection.

Sheath was damaged and not made for the sword in question.