Kit Rae Swords:
The Exotath

The Exotath sword by Kit Rae is the second fantasy sword in my collection by this artist, unlike all of the other models from the "swords of the ancients" collection, it is both visually stunning, quite well put together and highly imaginative..

in this brief review, we have a close look at this piece of artwork in steel - that while it is not a functional piece - is still easily worth the modest price tag..

Kit Rae Exotath Sword Review

Review by SBG Editor in Chief, Paul Southren

Steel
Weight
Price Range

Stainless Steel
5lbs
US$136

The swords of the ancients do not exist in a vacuum, but have rather a very rich tapestry behind him which can read about on kits website here: Kit Rae's Story of the Swords of the Ancients

In the case of the Exotath, the legend describes these as a twin pair of dark Elven swords - Exotath deriving from (the made up Elven words) Exo (oracle) and Tath (steel). As the story behind the swords extremely in-depth, I would recommend having a read of all the background information provided on kits website - a few simple paragraphs cannot begin to do the story justice..!

Suffice it to say that one look at this incredibly mean and intricately fashioned blade suggests that the rich story came first, and the swords themselves are made to fit this vision..

Weighing in at a whopping 5lbs, these swords do not feel all that heavy in the hand: primarily because they are balanced less than an inch from the hand guard (pictured below).

Marking the Exotath's point of balance (P.O.B.)

If this were a functional sword, it would make it fairly agile for a sword of this weight. Suffice it to say that it is kind of fun to wield, though the weight does tend to strain the forearms a little.

Of course, as it is not supposed to be a functional sword, this really is something of a mute point, but it is well enough made that you can swing it around in the back garden without fear that it will suddenly come apart on you.

THE BLADE

Since the majority of the detail and true artwork of this sword is in the hilt, we might as well begin by describing the relatively straightforward stainless Steel blade.

The unsharpened blade itself is somewhat leaf shaped, with a fuller that terminated only a few inches before the natural tip, which is not in any way blunted or otherwise dulled.

Close to the mid point of the sword there are the first of two tooth like flare points, below the second of which is wrapped in leather over a double sided 'mini-spear' - the execution of which is exceptional.

Above the leather wrapping there are elvish runes up to the handguard on one side, and the obligatory Kit Rae Swords of the Ancients etching on the other. This contemporary writing detracts from the swords feel somewhat and in my opinion would be better served with a sticker that you can peel off if so desired..

HILT AND HANDLE

While the blade is fairly unremarkable until we start to get down towards the hilt, the hilt itself is incredibly detailed and ornate.

The handguard itself is essentially a kind of goats head/double bat wing amalgamation, as you can see the pictures is incredibly well cast and detailed.

From here it kind of flows on into the leather wrapped handle, which is neatly stitched on one side.

My only complaint is that the leather does shift ever so slightly when the sword is in use, though as this is of course a decorative piece, it is certainly no deal killer and I've seen 'functional' swords with much worse movement.

From here, the handle narrows kind of molds into a sharply pointed (and quite deadly) pommel decorated with Elvish script.

I find extremely interesting is that the entire sword seems to kind of flow from the blade into the guard into the handle into the pommel in an almost seamless manner. Overall, the execution of the hilt is exceptional - no looseness, no flash from casting and no defects resulting in extremely aesthetically pleasing design.

CONCLUSION

The more I see a Kit Rae's work, the more I like it.

The Exotath is quite simply a feast for the eyes - and extremely well put together. My only real criticism is that I would LOVE to see the blade of the sword made from well tempered carbon steel, however - it more than fulfills its function as a beautiful decorative piece unlike the Mithrodin from the swords of the ancients collection, is a must-have for any fantasy sword lover.

PROS

Extremely attractive with a very high level of attention to detail

Well packaged with several bonuses adding a nice touch

CONS

Non functional/purely decorative

WHERE TO BUY

The Exotath has a recommended retail price of US$198- though few online sword sellers charge the full price, with most averaging around the $150 mark.

However the best place I have seen it available from a reliable sword seller is for $136.99 here at Trueswords.com which is a steal for a piece of fantasy art of this caliber.

hope this review of the Exotath Sword has been helpful. To return to Decorative and Functional Fantasy Swords from Exotath Sword Review, click here