Scabbard for Herugrim by War Horse Armory
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:41 pm
So one week ago I received my Herugrim scabbard from War Horse Armory, our very own Thranduil. Unfortunately I have been extremely busy so I had just enough time to admire it before tucking it safely with my collection. (The scabbard was very well packaged and suffered no damage while shipping, something some of the large manufactures still seem to have trouble with.) I managed to take a few pics and I've added a link to the images below, but they are not as high quality as I would have liked. That said, on the the review.
Images: https://imageshack.com/a/mpDz/1
My first impression was very positive. It is very clear that it was made with excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail. Both the leather and metal colors are very close to the sword. The metal is much more distressed than the sword, but that is its purpose: protect the sword, so I actually really like the style it creates. One of the biggest differences is the 'detailing' of the metal, which is much sharper or pronounced in the hilt. Again this adds to the appearance of aging and doesn't bother me at all.
When I finally had some time to really take a close up look, I was able to find some minor drawbacks. The first was when I placed the sword in the scabbard. The throat is a little snug where the leather is folded over and could be easily snagged if care is not taken when sheathing the blade. This is easily avoidable, but the risk IS there. I also felt the leather was a little more bunched than it could have been, but I'm sure it was not easy to do as it is, and it still looks very good (Just me being slightly OCD). There was a small spot in the fold of the leather where the white thread or backing showed, but I was able to color it with a similarly colored marker and its nearly impossible to see now.
The detail of the horse head on the chape looks great, the only thing I was disappointed about was the seam where the two halves of the very end piece were joined is a little more visible than I would have hoped.
I am still a little torn on the 'mounting' system where there were two brackets of sorts for fastening the scabbard to a belt. In my opinion they just don't quite feel like they belong when I hold the scabbard. They are a little thin and the edges are quite straight/sharp while the rest of the designs feel more natural and flowing. If I were to make any suggestions for improvement, I think doing two leather straps (like the UC scabbards) would have been a more appropriate way to handle the rigging.
Overall, it is a fantastic piece, consistent with the look and feel of the collection. The price isn't just a bargain, it's a steal for what you get! Anyone who owns Herugrim should be placing their orders for one of these, and if you don't own Herugrim, you should go buy one so you have a reason to get one of these.
Thank you Thranduil for all your hard work and dedication through this project!
Images: https://imageshack.com/a/mpDz/1
My first impression was very positive. It is very clear that it was made with excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail. Both the leather and metal colors are very close to the sword. The metal is much more distressed than the sword, but that is its purpose: protect the sword, so I actually really like the style it creates. One of the biggest differences is the 'detailing' of the metal, which is much sharper or pronounced in the hilt. Again this adds to the appearance of aging and doesn't bother me at all.
When I finally had some time to really take a close up look, I was able to find some minor drawbacks. The first was when I placed the sword in the scabbard. The throat is a little snug where the leather is folded over and could be easily snagged if care is not taken when sheathing the blade. This is easily avoidable, but the risk IS there. I also felt the leather was a little more bunched than it could have been, but I'm sure it was not easy to do as it is, and it still looks very good (Just me being slightly OCD). There was a small spot in the fold of the leather where the white thread or backing showed, but I was able to color it with a similarly colored marker and its nearly impossible to see now.
The detail of the horse head on the chape looks great, the only thing I was disappointed about was the seam where the two halves of the very end piece were joined is a little more visible than I would have hoped.
I am still a little torn on the 'mounting' system where there were two brackets of sorts for fastening the scabbard to a belt. In my opinion they just don't quite feel like they belong when I hold the scabbard. They are a little thin and the edges are quite straight/sharp while the rest of the designs feel more natural and flowing. If I were to make any suggestions for improvement, I think doing two leather straps (like the UC scabbards) would have been a more appropriate way to handle the rigging.
Overall, it is a fantastic piece, consistent with the look and feel of the collection. The price isn't just a bargain, it's a steal for what you get! Anyone who owns Herugrim should be placing their orders for one of these, and if you don't own Herugrim, you should go buy one so you have a reason to get one of these.
Thank you Thranduil for all your hard work and dedication through this project!
Shoot him an email, he'll add you to the list I'm sure. 
