Claymore vs. Claymore: Seeking Scottish Steel...And Truth

Have you ever had a type of sword you just NEEDED to own? Like you’re a “Conan The Barbarian” movie fan, and you had to have Conan’s Father’s Sword and the Atlantean just so you can enjoy “the life” all the more? 

Well I have, and I do. And it is a great Scottish Claymore. 

Aside from the raw power and beauty of these Highland monsters, I had practical reasons for my most recent acquisition. I had owned one previously, but I needed a new claymore to replace the one from...ahem...DSA...that had, let’s just say, problems with its construction. Problems that, honestly, wouldn’t let me swing  it safely. 

So, to find the iconic Gaelic brand I would be adding to my collection, I let my fingers do the walking across the keyboard, and I fired up Google for the online window shopping that I love best. 

I was aiming for a top-shelf Claymore at a bargain-basement price (if I could get it), and we all know where I went for that. I started in the first place, the best place everyone knows to start, Kult of Athena (KOA), and took a look at all the Caldonian Cattle Killers I felt I could afford:  

Ritter Steel:

Del Tin:

Kris Cutlery:

(Thrand’s) Medieval Shoppe:

Deepeeka:

After a lot of back and forth, and examining the many choices that suited my tastes and budget, and handling preferences and aesthetics, it became apparent that the Chinese-made Hanwei Scottish Claymore was the great sword for me. 

First Impressions Are Everything
Returning home from work, I could see the box was huge. I knew a beast slumbered just beneath that tape and cardboard, and, as I felt the energy radiating from my big brown rectangle, I couldn’t wait to strip her down and get a look at her goodies. 

Like that time my folks were gone for the weekend, I was not disappointed: 

The Specs:

Overall Length: 55 3/3''

Blade: 41" 

Weight: 5 lb 3 oz

Edge:  Sharp

P.O.B.: 5 3/8''

Thickness: 5.7 mm - 3.4 mm

Width: 45.9 mm

Grip Length: 10 1/2''

Pommel: Peened

After disrobing her from her plastic fetters, swinging this thing around for just a few minutes, and feeling the legit gravitational pull this sword had when you got her up to speed through the air, I knew she would be an absolute savage when sharpened; cutting through bottles and targets of all sizes with equal abandon. 

The cutting review from KOA gave some credence to that assumption:

But alas, at the writing of this, I haven’t had it sharpened and tested just YET. Peter Hamlin and Precision Sharpening (less than a mile down the road) JUST closed down, so I’ll have to send it out to Wes Beem and the Lonely Wolf Forge to get it done right. 

Soon. So soon...  

Is It Really A Claymore Though?

Now, some of you may be sitting there - all in an historical huff - thinking aloud:

“Um actually, sir, if you are not referring to the single-handed Scottish Basket-hilt Broadsword, you are NOT correct in calling it a ‘claymore,’ just saying.”

In times past, I may have agreed with you on to the total lack of ambiguity, or even the historically-incorrect nature, of the term when talking about this two-handed sword. 

But that was before Henry Yallop. 

“Who, in the name of Hamish’s fiery pubes is Henry Yallop?,” you retort.

Let me illuminate. 

Henry Yallop is none other than the Keeper of Armour and Edged Weapons at the Royal Armouries in Leeds in the U.K.

He states: 

“We at the Royal Armouries, like many museums still have [the] claymore on the catalogue for two-handed swords, and use “basket-hilt” for all swords of that type, whether German, English, Scottish etc. This is mainly for convenience, much like ‘mortuary hilt’ is used, and was born of the time - but clarity is important so that is in part why it prevails. (+1 for the Two-Handed Greatsword)

However in the strictly scholarly sense this was long ago reviewed. 

In his 1996 entries for “Culloden The Sword and the Sorrows” catalogue the late, great A.V.B Norman states that the two-handed Highland sword was in Gaelic “claidheamh dà làimh (clare-de-lay)(Note: Albion Agrees).” (+1 for the Single-Handed Broadsword)

In this [article] he draws on two [other] articles of another former great of the field: Claude Blair. Norman reserves “claidheamh mòr” for Scottish basket-hilts with two-edged blades, those with single (or ‘back sword’) blades being “claidheamh cùil,” and the rare cases of those with curved blades he terms “claidheamh-crom.” (+1 for the Single-Handed Broadsword)

But perhaps the most pragmatic approach is summarised by Dr David Caldwell (retired Principle Curator of National Museum Scotland, and current President of the Scottish Society of Antiquaries) in his 2005 article: 

“Claymores: The Two-handed Sword of the Scottish Highlanders.” 

“The term claymore itself has been the subject of much confusion. Fortunately, [it has been] sorted out in two articles by Blair [above]. Basically, the word ‘claymore’ is an English rendering of the Gaelic “claidheamh mòr,” meaning great sword.

When the word first made its appearance in the English language in the late 17th century, it undoubtedly meant “a basket-hilted sword,” the typical weapon of the Highlanders of that time. (+1 for the Single-Handed Broadsword) 

16th and 17th century Scottish Lowland sources, on the other hand, described Highlanders as having “twa-handit swerdis.” (+1 for the Two-Handed Greatsword)

There are no recorded usages for the term “claidheamh mòr” in Gaelic prior to the early 19th century, at which time it meant ‘broadsword’, presumably a single-handed weapon. (+1 for the Single-Handed Broadsword) 

*****IMPORTANT INFORMATION BELOW. PAY ATTENTION*****

Collectors and scholars, however, have long understood that “claymore” is a particular type of two-handed sword - the subject of this article - and have tended to avoid using the term for basket-hilted swords. We [the civilized sword community] will therefore continue to refer to these two-handed swords as “claymores.” (pages 47-48) (+1,000,000 for the Two-Handed Greatsword)

This last sentence, outlining David’s practice, is the one we follow at Royal Armouries, for the reasons he states.” (+1,000,000 for the Two-Handed Greatsword)

So Call it A Claymore:

There you have it!

Though there has been much mystery, confusion, linguistic inclination, and geographical preference enshrouding these legendary Highland weapons (depending on which Scotsman or researcher you ask and at what time), it is clear that the scholars of TODAY - the Royal Armouries at Leeds, the National Museum of Scotland, and the Scottish Society of Antiquaries - have met, conferred, and come to a most important, common, and modern accord.

The nomenclature we have always wanted to give our beloved two-handed steel behemoths has been formally bestowed on the truly great swords we have all always known and loved, once and for all.

It is, therefore, officially, I think, safe once again to call this:

The one, the only, the CLAYMORE!

A Modern Experience with Ancient Forge

The Draw:

Have you ever seen something you simply had to have? Like there was a time for you when something could have cost $10k and you were already Googling “how to second mortgage?”

Back in June 2015, it happened to me.

As a member of many of the sword communities on Facebook, I happened upon a newcomer; peddling his wares from somewhere in sunny Soria, Spain. Javier Sole from Ancient Forge seemed enthusiastic, friendly (a must for a lot of sword groups out there), and his work, at first glance, was BEAUTIFUL.

But the one piece that caught my eye almost immediately was the William Wallace Greatsword from 1995’s “Braveheart.” And, while the movie version itself IS NOT true to the actual sword in the museum at Sterling, Scotland, there have been countless reproductions – Ritter Steel, Del Tin, even Albion – that have done collectors true justice.

This one simply captivated me in a way that no other sword really ever had (except maybe for the DSA Guardian. Ok, the DSA 10^TH Century Viking, too).

The point is I made enquires.

Shipping to the US? Yep. Sharp? Yep (enough). Price? Less than $500?! Sign me up.

Then came the offer, from Javier, for complete customization:

“You can customize?,” said I. Like how? Can you do a bear’s head pommel?

“Sure thing!”

“Wait, what? You mean I can have a roaring bear head at the resting end of my sword, so I can name it Mathghamhain (Mahon, “Bear” in Gaelic, representing the famous warrior brother of High King Brian Boru)?”

The price was now hovering somewhere around $600.

Shut up and take my money this instant!

The Wife:

I set to writing. “These are all the reasons and justifications why I need this blade, hun.” Sound familiar? I haven’t purchased a sword in 2 years…It’s not that expensive if you compare it to others…I deserve this because it’s my birthday…You know I love Braveheart.

The list went on.

And so, on a quite night in August, I put PayPal to work. My money was gone. My heart was elated. My anticipation was peaked.

The Wait:

7-12 weeks. Not bad. I accepted that. Maybe even a few more for the customization? For this piece? No problem. I knew hand forged, hand cast materials take time. This isn’t Forged in Fire. I’m a patient man.  So I waited…

And waited…

And waited…

Come November 2015, I sent a few quick messages to Javier to confirm that we were still on schedule.

We weren’t.

The caster had destroyed the mold for the pommel, but Javier neglected to inform me. More time passed. The caster needed to be spoken to, AGAIN.

More time…

February came. Half way through, dejectedly, I told him: “Scrap the pommel project. Return to the original and send me the weapon.” The dream was dead.

Or so I thought…

The Follow Through:

True to the spirit of great customer service, Javier pushed through and DEMANDED the caster fulfill his promise. He saved the sword! More than that, he offered his sincerest apologies, AND made me a gift of a custom Scottish Dirk for my trouble! Wow, was I impressed. 

After much fanfare, and exchange of “in-progress” photos, the weapon was finished and on its way! I received shipping numbers, dates to expect her, everything you need to really get excited about a sword.

She arrived. I wasn’t home.

Fuck.

She was delivered the next day, and my mother in law snagged her up and settled her neatly against the wall of the foyer inside the door.

She was safe (the sword) and she waited for my hand.   

The Look:

I can’t do this weapon justice in words. It’s simply magnificent. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves:

• The Process:

·   

•     The Pommel:

·

•     The Blade:

The Feel:

Handling this sword, I can honestly say it lives up to its BEASTLY name. At a little over 3 pounds, and approximately 49 inches, it feels like a great sword should. It sings through the air with immense power behind it, and generally just jumps when you half sword.

There is no fuller on the blade, but I’m not sure I would want one. Form is tough with this blade b/c it is so long, but I am sure a more experienced swordsman than myself, better trained in Fiore or Talhoffer, could pull it off.   

Now, being made of mild 1045 carbon steel, I’m not sure how it would react steel on steel, but I know that Javier knows his craft and knows what his clients expect. He explained to me, in great detail, how his heat treat went, and it seemed (again, I am no expert) to be up to the standards of the industry.  

As for the balance, it is exceptional for so much blade. It’s about half way up the quarter-length wrap, and is not too heavy like some other weapons I could name (again looking at you DSA Guardian)

The Video:
Ok, enough talk. Let’s see this thing in action, hmm?

The Experience:

The experience with Ancient Forge has to be taken in context. I was excited about the fabulous Celt-inspired design and the custom fabrication of the sword and bear’s head pommel (maybe too much so). I put Javier through the ringer in terms of design of said pommel as well, and because I was paying a high price for my first custom, I made sure that it was turning out my way.

In prefacing all of this, I am going to give you the pros and cons, and let you decide for yourself based on the look of his work from his site, ANCIENT FORGE, and his Facebook Page. 

Pros:

Aside from the stunning works of art that his swords actually are, Javier offered incredible customer service and live updates (when asked for). He was in contact with me constantly via Facebook Messenger for responses, made payment easy and efficient through PayPal, and converted everything for me from Euros to Dollars, to give me a clear indication of what the upfront costs would be.

More than that, he pushed his caster to get the bear’s head done even at a cost to himself. I am sure when he told me his conversations with his caster were “difficult” and “angry,” he wasn’t lying. He made a promise, I paid him, and he delivered. That is not lost on me.

Even MORE than that, as recompense for my waiting so long, he MADE ME a knife! Who does that? No one gets anything for free in this life, but, for this one instance, I did:

Javier guided me through the process, let me know when things were amiss, and made amends. That’s all you can really ask of a blacksmith/business. Right?

The peen is solid, the sword looks great, and the blade, even semi-sharpened (as international law allows) cuts through water bottles/jugs/my brother in law’s hand with the right swing. I dig it.

Cons:

Even with so much high praise, things were rocky throughout the entire, almost year-long process with Ancient Forge. 

Starting in November 2015, as I mentioned, I needed to initiate contact with Javier about the progress of the sword. It seemed, at times, that no progress was even being made on the sword, like my project was being ignored in favor of other ones. Of course, this could be due to him making up to 20 different weapons at one time, mine included. I never thought I was special (and that’s ok).

The bear’s head pommel was a disaster. It was on again. It was off again. The caster was not working out. It was cancelled. It wasn’t cancelled. No updates at all as he outsourced it to someone else. Things happen, but that was rough. If you say you can do custom work, by God, make sure you have someone who can deliver in a timely fashion.

The wait was torturous. Almost a full year to make one sword? That is too long. I was never worried that he would run off with my money, but when 2015 turned into 2016, I started to get a little nervous.

Finally, from a construction and durability standpoint, the sword is "journeyman" at best. Recently, the crossguard began to rattle and move. I had to make minor repairs to it myself and, to remedy the situation with Javier (which he offered to do), I would have to send it back to Spain. I also learned that Javier is “still perfecting his craft” (which, again, I can understand), so he was more than a little aware things might come loose. 

Bottom line is if I pay $600 for something, especially something that is designed to withstand impact, it better hold up for the longer than half a year (with only sparse use for backyard cutting).

Overall:

While my sword is amazing, and I love the look of it, I would not, personally, do business with Javier’s forge in the future. I am very aware of the capabilities of his forge, his customer service, and the final product. For that price, and that type of headache (worth it, I guess), I will keep my money and my commissions Stateside. 

Perhaps when he has more experience, better materials (5160 steel+), and a solid process to ensure nothing moves, rattles, or falls apart, I may revisit.

Would I recommend him to others? Not before they read this post, and understand what they may be getting into.

Does that make me smart? A bad person? Too particular? A total asshole?

I’ve been called worse…but it's all the truth.

You can decide for yourself.