THE AMERICAN SPADROON: Ah yes, the spadroon! That most lambasted of swords and yet also the least understood. So how does this popular repro fair when it comes to representing “the perfect encumbrance?” WHAT IS THIS: Though I did not purchase this off KoA, I feel the piece I bought via a different seller is reflective of what KoA is offering here. So right off the bat, this is meant to represent the US Model 1840 NCO Sword of the Mexican-American War, American Civil War, and Spanish-American War aaand there is a problem of accuracy. Prior to about the 1870s, the M1840 NCO was not carried in a steel scabbard but a leather sheath with brass hardware. Windlass also sells a newer, updated version of this sword with a more accurate grip design and leather scabbard; if visual accuracy is what you want, that is the better choice. ACCURACY: In addition to practicing historical swordsmanship, I also handle and collect original swords on a regular basis. As such, I have handled several M1840 NCOs and can *confidently* say that this isn’t quite accurate to the M1840 NCO in handling or looks…but it’s a fair attempt. The originals I’ve handled feature far superior distal taper, going from about 9.56 mm at the base to 4.76 mm mid-blade to 2.38 mm at the tip. This major tapering resulted in the originals being lightning fast and responsive in the tip when making wrist cuts, to the point that the things moved liked greased lightning. Windlass’s offering is far too meaty in the tip and too narrow at the base to match that by any means, with the blade thickness being basically uniform and without distal taper. But is that a bad thing? Despite how inaccurate this feels, taken on its own merits, it feels wonderful! The presence of the blade feels very manageable and responsive yet reasonably strong in the hand, and it is very stiff and stout for thrusting. While not very accurate to the US M1840 NCO sword, it none-the-less feels like a pleasant treat to use. Just a shame the grip kinda ruins it. THE GRIP IS AWFUL: Oh Windlass, why oh why did you make this the worst grip I have ever handled in my life? I’ve held dug-up swords with bare tangs that felt better to use than this. In attempting to copy the original’s half-faux wire grip, they turned this nice sword into a cheese grater. Not even all that accurate to the OG grips either. Without grip tape or leather gloves, swinging this felt like my hand wanted to die. Windlass did fix this on its updated M1840 NCO by hewing more accurate, but I haven’t handled that release so I’m not sure if it still has the same issue. OVERALL: For all its issues of accuracy and cheese grating, I adore this thing. Layering some grip tape onto this, it has become my favorite repro to mess with and do drills with. I still long for the day when a true masterclass spadroon repro will come out that truly matches a 19th century original, but I can happily make do with this. Your mileage may vary when it comes to the grip, but I still recommend this. Certainly makes for a great starting sword for a first-time buyer.
