Please Note: This new version of this sword has a redesigned scabbard design for superior drawing and sheathing of the sword
The Balaur Arms Type XVIIIc takes its inspiration from some of the famed wide-bladed early 15th century warswords of the Mameluke Arsenal of Alexandria; with our collaboration with swordmaker LK Chen this version of the Type XVIIIc was able to become a lively performance cutting sword. The blade is both wide and stiff, and well-capable of cleanly and decisively slicing tatami and bamboo targets or puncturing to great ability.
The blade is forged from GB 60Si2MnA high carbon alloy spring steel and is well tempered to a 54-55 HRc hardness. The sword has a sharp edge as factory standard from the manufacturer for a smoothly crafted edge that removes the efficiency loss from a secondary bevel for optimal cutting. The shallow hollow ground blade cross section not only reduces weight, but also ensures that there is minimum drag as the blade bites into and passes through its target. The blade has a tapered profile and is intended for efficient cut-and-thrust use – it retains the necessary rigidity for thrusting.
The crossguard and pommel are crafted from stainless steel with a satin polished finish. The crossguard resists loosening because it has an internal wedge-shaped channel that ensured a tight friction fit when mounted onto the blade tang and shoulder. The tang was then hot-peened over the peen-block pommel component to anchor the blade into the hilt and ensure a robust construction. The hardwood grip is crafted from two halves of wood which glued at the seam over the tang and then bound in tight leather. This construction method for the grip ensures that even if the wood were to shrink slightly it would not compromise the tightness of the sword hilt. Swords with friction-fit peens can loosen over time if the wooden grip shrinks and then leaves a gap in that friction-fit for the hilt. The method used for this Italian Longsword removes that possibility by keeping the grip keeping the grip fitting separate from the pommel and guard.
The sword is paired with a tough wooden scabbard which is tightly bound in well-stitched red leather and completed with a stainless steel chape and highly detailed and medieval gothic-styled stainless steel locket.
Please Note: The hue of the leather can range from a burgundy oxblood-like hue to a color that is more like a vibrant red and ranges in between due to manufacturer dye batch variance
Ryan (verified owner) –
Just got this thing in the mail today and it is scary, handles like a hand and a half sword so its plenty nimble for its weight, havnt done any cutting with it yet but I can tell this thing is just a beast, came sharp enough but not quite to my liking, that being said it only took a minute or 2 to get hair popping sharp on a stone, sings like a church bell when you tap it or flick the blade and the hilt is totally secure, good finish for the price point, not a perfect finish but not bad by any stretch, and the scabbard is halfway decent and fits nice and tight and I can’t shake the sword out of the scabbard but it does have some wiggle towards the tip, overall for the price point you can’t beat this thing
rockmodenick (verified owner) –
Lovely balance and good clean lines!
When I saw the different manufacturer, higher price tag, and different materials, I figured this item might be a bit different from my previous Balaur purchases. Those were overall positive, with certain aesthetic criticisms that limited how highly I could rate them.
While the bevel grinds, especially near the tip on one side, aren’t technically perfect, they’re so close I noticed even slight imperfection. And that’s all it is – SLIGHT imperfection. The blade bevels go directly down to the cutting edge, too, which seems very keen. I’ll update this review with actual cutting performance once my next batch of tatami comes in.
The guard, grip, pommel and peen are all excellent. The inset in the pommel is almost exactly the size of a quarter, in case someone wants to put a crest or heraldry there. The scabbard is the best I’ve ever received for a Balaur, and they were all very good so that’s saying something.
Moving the sword around feels excellent – I can one hand it without too much strain, and it moves like a dream in two. It’s freaking BIG. This thing is long and husky, yet also especially pointy. I feel that a sword with this design will probably delight a lot of people that normally go for fantasy designs, as it almost has that aesthetic, while being a practical and effective weapon.
Can’t wait to cut some mats with this.
Ray Blundell (verified owner) –
I recevied mine-alaxendria sword today ,I ordered the munitions grade.The pronal is slightly atpered towardes the top the peened is dond goodwasn’t rough the peened part on top of the promal has got some marks but over all lools good.The wrape on the handle has couple of places where the leather showes the inside of the leather , on the riser in the middle of the two in middle of the handle there is little lip of the leather where is meants.Over the leather wrap is done very well, again these are things I have seen on standard grade modles,Length of the handle is7&1/4″,also the handle tapers towardes the top.The guard is 9&7/8″ and don very well.The weight of the sword out of the scabble is 3.8oz, the pob is 3&1/2″ from the guard.The blade is turned just a fraction in the guard-gap where blade fites in the guard is good,little space there but not bad.The blade came sharp like the other l k ghen blades,When I cut some water bottles today it cut very well alouth with any sword one has to get the edge alightment right through the cut.The blade does have some slight twists in th blade but you have to really look for them.On mine the tip was sharp,not like the one in the only review I could find,the alexandra sworh he used in the review he sd that the tip about an inch and half wasn’t sharp.On my scabble one side the wood was seperated little form edge of the scabble ,but already took care of that.You have to be carfull when taking the sword in and out of the scabbard due to the metal on the sides of the pice that fites over the top of the scabbled.Again I say the handle wrap on the six balaur arms swords are as good as I have seen on any of the other brands of medieval swords out there.Also the weight,the balance,the handlling,the over all constrution on them is the best over all I have seen on any other brand especialy at this prices.I will admit the ronin katana euperion swords I own are very tough,But in the sharpness,and handling,and over looks I feel the belaur arms swords are a better deal-in comparison to just one other brand,That why I all ready own six of them.Last but not least the distill taper on mine is from 6&1/4 mm to 2mm,I rather like the thinner blades.This 15th century type xvIII Alexandria sword is a unique sword and a must have for any serious medival sword collector.Cult of athena and fedx did a good job getting this sword to me.Rember only cut water bottles,mats and bamboo,safe cutting Ray Blundell
Ray Blundell (verified owner) –
Up date on cutting single mats,cuts fantastic! Ray Blundell
alientude (verified owner) –
Outstanding sword with room for improvement.
Putting aside the QC issues from Kult of Athena, the sword itself is lively, a joy to move around, and is an excellent option for an XVIIIc sword without spending over $1000. While I do have a few quibbles with the design – the profile could be less triangular, adding to the sword’s width at the sweet spot to improve cutting performance – they are relatively minor.
Except for the sharpening. Mine is wildly inconsistent. Going down the length of both edges, millimeter to millimeter, the edge changes from crazy sharp to dull. This leads to a sword that vastly underperforms when cutting. With a proper sharpening, it would sing right through targets.
My full review is available here: https://youtu.be/LBtzKiPdPTc
Jeremy Garren (verified owner) –
Competent and worthwhile for the price, though mine has a few flaws.
I just received one of the newer ones, Standard Grade, from the October 2023 production. I am mostly pleased with it, though it has a few more issues than I would have expected based on reviews.
First, the good.
The sword is handsome and lively in the hand, with good overall balance. The blade geometry looks excellent, and the heat treatment seems good, though having not done any cutting practice or abusive testing, that is mostly based on the observed flex in the blade. The blade is sharp, though not uniformly so, with some parts razor sharp and other parts a bit dull to the touch. The leatherwork is well done, though not quite as refined as I have seen in some cases. The color of leather on mine was more of a burgundy/oxblood than the photos here, but the description does say it may come that way. I don’t dislike the color, though I might have preferred it to be a bit more vibrant.
Next, the flaws.
First, the primary center bevel of the blade is not lined up with the center of the cross-guard and handle, by about two millimeters (measured). This is a more noticeable issue since it is right at hand level. I don’t expect will substantially affect cutting performance, but this was the most disappointing issue.
Second, there is a slight but noticeable bend in the blade such that it bows to one side – probably by no more than a few millimeters at the tip, but I was able to spot it while holding it and then confirmed by setting it on a flat table and seeing how it lay on each side.
Third, the wood core of the scabbard has a crack in it right up near the top. I plan to seal this up with some epoxy resin. Fixable, but a bit frustrating. The scabbard is a decent fit, though there is some rattle and the sword easily would slide out if tilted upside down.
erich_ellis (verified owner) –
First, full disclosure. I own many Balaur swords, both pre and post LK chen made. I also own a bunch of LK chen swords that are not part of the Balaur arms line. I can honestly say that when all factors are accounted for, including price, LK Chen is my favorite sword maker so please don’t take anything I say here as demeaning to the brand itself.
The bad- Mine has the same slight bow that other reviewers have mentioned. Otherwise, there are a few reminders that this is a hand made item and the leather could be nicer compared to other LK chens.
The good- All around clean build and a real intimidating shape. This is definitely a main villain level coolness factor sword in its shape and form.
My expectations vs reality- After complaining about the sword community asking for backyard cutting toys, my hope was that this was going to be a backyard cutting toy. When comparing 18c from the market with something like the Harriot Dean sword, you realize that even the Albion isn’t wide enough in the foible to be accurate, and is probably balanced too far back. This blade is closer to a Castillion sword, i.e. an actual triangle, and is balanced like any other longsword, the difference being more mass in the forte, hilt and guard. The foible on this weapon is thin and slender, making the sword fast and responsive for its weight. Don’t expect a forward balanced chopper when you order this weapon.
Duane H (verified owner) –
My favorite cutter hands-down. Well made, chimes like a bell, and good looking too! I did sharpen it up, hone and strop so it is scary sharp now. Scabbard fits well and overall a great value!
Watch and listen… https://youtu.be/y5uSice63BQ?si=4NOePzHeJTd2yhBi
Jansen (verified owner) –
Wow, this sword cuts tatami mats and bottles like butter and feels great to swing around. I bought a blemished grade and the cross guard was loose but I was able to shim it tight by hammering in copper wire. I had to take off a star due the cross guard not being pressed/hammered on like historical swords. The fit and finish is not that of an Albion but is still quite good given the price, I would recommend it if you want a good cutting longsword sword on a budget.
Ryan Hackett (verified owner) –
Very scary cutter. Gotta say right off the bat, this is the sharpest right-out-of-the-box sword I’ve ever received. The temper is exceptional, fit and finish are clean consistent and handsome, though not the same level of attention to detail as say, an Albion or Lockwood. Handling is incredible! This blade feels like it barely weighs anything at all. At this price, the only area I can really criticize is the scabbard, which while it appears clean and well constructed, has an extremely loose fit (easily modified, but still) and just doesn’t feel like it’s made with very high quality materials (very light/weak wood, cheap leather). Considering the price, to drop a full star from the review for the scabbard feel excessive, I’d drop 1/2 a star if it were an option.