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Del Tin Falchion Review

The Del Tin Falchion is a historically accurate replica of this mean battlefield weapon that was commonly encountered in the hands of conscripted peasant soldiers during the medieval period in Europe.

In this hands on review we take a look at what you get for your money, from a collector who was looking just to purchase ONE good sword - and they hoped this would be it.

Let's see how it turned out for him.

Del Tin Falchion (13th century) 5132 Review

Review by SBG member Vyuun

Hey all! This is my first sword review, and based on my sword budget, also probably my last. Prior to this purchase, I've collected mostly cheap stainless steel blades made in China that I purchased off ebay. Nothing high quality, just a few swords and knives that looked cool. However, I had been craving to acquire something more authentic and better made than the Chinese knockoffs. I've always loved falchions in various games (D&D and Dark Souls fans may know why), so I decided that's what I'd get. Thanks to the help of some people on this forum, I found one that fit my tastes.

Against my bank account's better judgement, I splurged and purchased Kult of Athena's Del Tin 13th Century Falchion. It just arrived in the mail today. I haven't done any cutting tests yet (it's difficult to do in downtown Cleveland), but I thought I'd review the sword itself.

Historical Overview

The extent of my historical knowledge of this sword comes from the "Falchion" wikipedia page:

"A falchion (/ˈfɔːltʃən/; Old French: fauchon; Latin: falx, "sickle") is a one-handed, single-edged sword of European origin, whose design is reminiscent of the Persian scimitar and the Chinese dao. The weapon combined the weight and power of an axe with the versatility of a sword. Falchions are found in different forms from around the 11th century up to and including the sixteenth century. In some versions the falchion looks rather like the scramasax and later the sabre, and in some versions the form is irregular or like a machete with a crossguard." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falchion

This Del Tin model is a modern reproduction of a cleaver Falchion, as opposed to a cusped Falchion (think the Grosse Messer), and as far as I can tell, replicates the examples found on the wikipedia page well.

Initial Impressions

Kult of Athena had excellent customer service throughout the purchasing process. They responded quickly to questions and called me when they needed clarification on my order. My only complaint regarding the shipping would be that they never sent me a shipping confirmation email. I was surprised to see my sword arrive. They did, however, tell me earlier this week that it would be shipping "in the next couple days." It just would have been nice to receive confirmation and a tracking number.

The sword arrived in a long cardboard box and was packaged with crumbled up packing paper. It seemed sufficient.

Statistics

Blade Length: 23 3/8"
Handle Length: 3 3/4"
Overall Length: 30 1/4"
Guard Width: 3 3/4"
POB (Point of Balance): 4 3/4"
COP (Center of Percussion): I'm not sure what this means...
Weight: 3 lb 2.5 oz

Components

The Blade

I paid extra to have the sword battle-ready, and the blade is indeed very sharp. The blade is made of tempered Chrome-Vanadium steel with a hardness of 50HRC. It is smooth and straight with no noticeable nicks or flaws. There is some black discoloration on the unsharpened side, but I assume that's normal. The end of the sword is appropriately wider than the rest of the blade.

The Handle

The grip is wood with a dark brown leather cord wrap. It doesn't slide or twist and has no visible holes or cracks. It seems very secure, though it can be hard to hold tightly if you have sweaty palms.

The Guard

The guard is small and thick. One of my main concerns with ordering swords is that the guard will rattle or come loose. I'm happy to report that the guard on this sword feels very sturdy and well secured.

The Pommel

The blade tang has been peened to the pommel and shows no signs of looseness.

Handling

As a 5'7'' male who is not in great shape, this Falchion feels rather heavy when swung. Anyone taller or who lifts weights would probably find this blade more comfortable though. Still, it is to be expected that a sword designed to chop like an axe would be heavier than your typical medieval sword. Until I get stronger, I like to wield the sword with two hands.

Conclusion

Overall, I am very pleased with the Falchion. It is made with high quality and there's a sense of power to be felt when holding such a weighty blade.

If you can afford the $378 price tag, I would highly recommend this sword!

WHERE TO BUY

Vyuun picked up his Del Tin Falchion HERE at Kult of Athena for $378.95 - and as they are pretty much the only North American supplier who stocks Del Tin, and does not overcharge, it was the best deal he could hope for.

I hope this review of the Del Tin Falchion has been helpful. To return to Falchions, Scimitars, Messers and Sabers from Del Tin Falchion Review, click here