Pros: Blade Material, Finish, Usable
Cons: None
Umm, yeah…buy this…
I’ve wanted an Albion Knecht (discontinued) for years now. It cost WAY more than this Cold Steel Kriegsmesser when it was available, and yes, it was likely a fair bit better. That said, this is a very nice “War Knife”, with a good blade, edge bevel, heft vs length, and build quality. It’s not going to win any awards in terms of fit and finish, but it is functionally sound, well balanced, and an excellent buy for the price. It DOES NOT come with a scabbard, as stated. It DOES have a decent but small black leather frog, but that’s not much for protection. But whatever - I’m just wrapping it in a blanket, and it’ll likely hang on a wall soon. It’s made in India (likely Windlass), and marked so on the box. There are slight imperfections in the hilt and pommel areas where they meet wood, but they are basically just aesthetic. There is also a decent gap surrounding the hilt and blade, but it is totally secure. It’s not going to fall apart or anything - built very soundly…but some corners were cut to save money. The blade is paper cutting sharp out of the box, and can be made scary sharp in 10 minutes or less. The steel is well ground, although there are some scratched areas on one side of the blade near the hilt. The edge bevel is pretty even overall, especially for this length. The edge starts about 2” from the hilt. In hand, it feels really nice and lively. There is some wobble when you quickly change directions, but make no mistake…this feels like a proper half and a half sword, and not some kind of massive machete. I’ve been very careful with it so far, after receiving it today, as it is indeed, a true weapon…not a glorified mall ninja toy. It’s quick and nimble for its size. He handles feel great - no slippage…and just perfect with gloves. So, yeah, I’d definitely prefer the Albion to this Cold Steel, but for the price, this is a cold steal (get it?) I’m surprised at just how good it feels in hand. I’ll do some cut tests soon, but I can already say that I have no doubt that it’s going to do the job just fine. Again, I say to just buy one of these now if you’re on the fence. It’s unlikely that they will be very popular, and they’ll probably be discontinued within a few years, just like many other non mainstream Cold Steel products. For the price, I don’t think it’s that you can find a better Kriegsmesser replica.
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