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Irish Kern Sword Review

The Kingdom of Arms Irish Kern Sword is a faithful replica of an actual antique Irish sword (Oakeshott Type XIX) used by the Gaelic mercenary warriors known the Kern.

Hand made by the artisans from Blade Culture International in the Philippines, in this hands on review we take a look at this particular design up close and personal.

Kingdom of Arms Irish Kern Sword

Review by SBG member, Aikidoka

Irish Kern sword by Kingdom of Arms review

The Irish Kern Sword and Tatami mats sliced by the Factory Edge

Historical Overview

From the Kingdom of Arms website:

"The Irish Kern Sword - A Kern was a Gaelic warrior, specifically a light infantrymen, in Ireland in the late middle ages. Sometimes this army was composed of displaced nobility and other times commoners who were in search of loot, these were mercenary forces that saw action in many conflicts across the British Isles."

The five single hand Irish swords pictured above are housed in the Nation Museum of Ireland. The Irish ring-pommel sword from Kingdom of Arms is similar in size to the second sword in the image above (PORTGLENONE). It has a 3.8 inch grip and a 7.5 inch wide S-shaped guard. The grip length of this example is by far the longest of the 5 swords. One of the swords has a 2.8 inch grip, another is 3 inches even, and the other 2 swords have grips that are 3.25 inches. Unfortunately, only about 1/3 of the blade has survived, so we don't have an accurate weight or length for this sword.

Full Disclosure

I am not affiliated with Kingdom of Arms or Clyde Hollis. I bought this sword at full price with my own money.

Statistics

Blade Length: 33.75 inches
Grip Length: 3.8 inches
Overall Length: 40.25 inches
Guard Width: 8.25 inches
POB (Point of Balance): 7 inches
Weight: 2 lbs 10.5 oz

The Blade

The 33.75 inch blade has a 2 inch ricasso and a fuller that extends halfway down the blade.

The Hilt

hilt of the irish kern sword with disctinctive ring pommel

The hilt has an S-shaped guard that is common to these Irish ring-pommel swords. The grip is 3.8 inches in length. The pommel is a straight cylindrical shape, with the tang visible as it passes through the ring to be peened to a peen block on the end of the pommel.

The Scabbard

As can be seen in all the pictures above, this sword comes with a leather wrapped, wood core scabbard. It has a brass chape and decorative band, and it has buckles to allow it to be attached to a belt.

Handling Characteristics

As I describe in the following video, I realized after my initial cutting session that I should have been holding the sword with a finger over the guard. Gripping the sword without a finger over the guard, the sword is heavy and unwieldy, and the grip is very uncomfortable to cut with. Once I started using the finger over the guard, the sword became much more lively, the grip became perfectly comfortable, and the sword gained more functionality as false-edge cut are now possible using this grip.

Test Cutting

Conclusion

PROS

Sharp edge from the factory
Solid construction
Fairly accurate historical production of this sword type

CONS

Heavier than listed of website
Decorative engraving on blade has sharp edges

The Bottom Line

This reproduction of an Irish Ring Hilt sword performs well and is a good value at about $600. I look forward to seeing more mid-range ($500-$700) European swords from Kingdom of Arms.