I’d like to begin this review by saying a few positive things about this sword and Kult of Athena. The sword was shipped in good time and securely wrapped. On first glance everything looked very good. Even my wife commented on how beautiful it is. The scabbard was nice, the blade was shiny, the hilt appeared to be nicely cast, the distal taper was acceptable, and the pommel peen was nicer than I’ve come to expect on swords in this price range. Even the wire wrapping on the grip seemed sturdy and evenly applied. The problems began when I grasped the handle as though to cut with the sword. Though the handle is long enough for my average sized hand I found the knuckle on my index finger pinched by the forward part of the hilt. I tried adjusting my hand on the grip, but nothing helped with the discomfort. I’ve held other sabers in the past, but none have felt this uncomfortable. I looked it over carefully to see what might be causing the problem. After looking at the photos of this and every other Civil War saber in your catalog it seems that the brass hilt on my sword is swept back more than on any other saber, as though it was stood on the pommel and the bow drooped like soft candle wax. In comparison to all the sabers in all the pictures the front of the hilt should have been more square to the root of the blade. All of this would have been acceptable if I only purchased this sword for display. I paid extra for the sharpening service with the intent that I might do some casual cutting with it (the sword edge was pleasingly sharp). Consequently, this is the most disappointing sword purchase I’ve ever made.
