MRL Close Out on KOH items!

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Greetings all,

So as many of you know, Museum Replicas has decided to discontinue their "Kingdom of Heaven" lineup...and now's a good time to pick up any remaining KOH items to complete your collection...

From MRL directly, i ended up buying the Sword and Scabbard of Odo as well as the scabbard for Saladin's sword (at the same time, i picked up Saladin's sword which was being cleared out from a different distributer). I never intended to have so many KOH items... my plan was just Ibelin's sword, King of Jerusalem's sword, and Saladin's helm. But, with these tempting prices, and always liking "swords with a story to tell"...i couldn't resist. For those not familiar with KOH/Windlass swords...they are handmade, tempered, high carbon steel swords...but now being discontinued, are cheaper than most LOTR swords at the moment!

Odo's Set:
Wow...the hilt is increadible detailed, with obvious Viking / Germanic themes. The blade is huge, leading to a very blade heavy sword. But, the hilt alone impressed me...i really was not e xp ecting so much detail on this piece. I've never been a huge scabbard guy, but i have to admit, the KOH scabbards are put together quite solidly, with a great deal of leather.

Saladin's Set:
What can i say? I like gold! lol Even though there is no belt/harness, it still is a very nice scabbard and suits the sword... The gold highlights, though some say make it look "toyish", i think really adds to the "royal" aspect of such a sword. However, the sword's main appeal is it's blade...the forked tip with 5 fullers on each side of the blade as well as the engraved lion really make it a unique piece.

Well...i hope that helps anyone who's been debating over purchasing either of these two items....if you have been...go for it!
Sorry, am in a rush and have exams coming up very soon...so wanted to at least add this thread before i "stop slacking off" for the next 2 weeks! lol

Jash

Re: MRL Close Out on KOH items!

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Well after some time playing with these two swords...thought i would add a bit more to my initial "lengthy" review...lol
Here are some pics i've posted of the two swords as well as pics comparing them to other KOH swords:
photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=1445

1) "Odo's Set":
Heavy. Very heavy. Having such a large wooden handle combined with the large blade can only lead to a heavy sword. I realize in the movie Odo is a very well builty German that can wield this beast with one hand..but still...for a single handed Viking inspired sword...it's big. Other than that - everything else about the sword exceeded my e xp ectations. The handle is probably one of the most intricate of all the KOH swords that i've seen. The antique brass parts work well with the wooden grip. The scabbard fits quite nicely and looks good. I just wish the sword was scaled down a little...but on the other hand, i get a good workout every time i play with the sword! lol I believe MRL still has the sword and scabbard set for $179 (plus shipping), and this makes for a great buy for any KOH fan or anyone that likes Germanic / Viking themed swords.

2) "Saladin's Set":
Pretty, very pretty. The ivory coloured grip combined with the black leather scabbard and gold plated parts makes for one royal looking sword set! The biggest drawback is that i wish the sword came with a harness system of some sort to wear it without just pushing the scabbard through a belt. This sword is also quite blade heavy - large long blade on a single-handed hilt...but the many fullers do help, since i find the sword better balanced than Odo's sword (for me at least). I have only 2 complaints with this sword. Firstly, the fullers are uneven on both sides of the blade. Secondly, the guard is a little loose. Both problems are only annoying, and something i've come to actually just accept as part of being a Windlass item. Don't get me wrong, these swords are much better than many of Windlass's older swords from even a few years ago in both fit and finish as well as quality control...but they still have a little more work to do. That being said, for the clearance price one can find Saladin's sword for on a few websites out there..and the closeout price of Saladin's scabbard from MRL direct....it is one nice sword set.

Hope that helps (pictures included) anyone that has been contemplating either of these two swords.

Re: MRL Close Out on KOH items!

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Hi Jash, thanks for sharing your review, and congratulations on your new additions. I have to say after seeing your pictures, Odo's sword and scabbard really caught my eye. It's not a style I usually like, but it looks pretty awesome. And all 4 swords look great together, do you have a new favorite? I don't see it in your pics, but do you also own the scabbard for Balian's and King Baldwin's swords?
Do you have the maniacs, or the schizophrenics, or the astrophysicists in your family?

Re: MRL Close Out on KOH items!

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Thanks Grima!
Odo's sword was a pleasant surprise...i really did not e xp ect so much hilt detail. Plus, i figured it would add variety to when i hang up all the KOH swords together... No, unfortuntely i did not get the scabbards for Balian's or the King's swords, mainly because at first they were not a priority, but also because at the time - they were a bit more than i was willing to spend. However, after seeing the qualiy of the scabbards for Odo's and Saladin's swords - i am tempted now...guess i will wait until a good deal (if there are any still floating around) presents itself.

Regarding a new favourite...
lol - that's a tough one - i guess i see my swords as if they were my children - i love them all equally, but for different reasons.
Balians - main sword of the movie, very well balanced, but blade's too "whippy"
Kings - very pretty, very well balanced, but grip/spacers on the grip move around too much when playing
Odos and Saladins - basically for the reasons stated above.

But yeah...i am very happy with these KOH swords. Speaking of which though, Grima - did you ever decide on Reynald's sword?

Re: MRL Close Out on KOH items!

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[quote=""Jash""]Speaking of which though, Grima - did you ever decide on Reynald's sword?[/quote]

I'm hoping to order Reynalds in the next week or two. What about yourself, seeing as you have four already, why not go for one more. Or is Reynalds sword not to your liking?
Do you have the maniacs, or the schizophrenics, or the astrophysicists in your family?

Re: MRL Close Out on KOH items!

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I thought about it...
However, the twisted wood handle just does not appeal to me - that, and the fact that the area i would like to put my KOH weapons probably will not hold any more! lol

Oh - that Albion Conan Destroyer sword i ordered back in October arrived without warning last week! So..um..i'm broke now... No money, but oh so happy! :)
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