The Hungarian Saber by Cold Steel is an swift and decisive cutting saber with a good balance that lends itself well to practical cutting use. Its blade forms a thinned “hatchet point” tip to create a flattened cutting plane ideal for slicing through objects with minimized resistance; the blade thickens toward the base to ensure that it remains durable, resilient and well-mounted. The blade was forged from 1055 high carbon steel which has been well-tempered and polished to a mirror sheen. It is durably mounted into a hilt of steel which was completed with a leather-wrapped grip of wood and brass rondel embellishment.
The sword is paired with a thick and tough scabbard of leather with steel fittings and steel hanging rings. Please Note: The fit of the sword to the scabbard can vary from tight to loose.
Hungary by virtue of its position on the world map is a country that straddles the cultural influence of both the East and the West. This influence is, of course, directly echoed in Hungarian weapons. The Hungarian Saber is primarily a cutting, slashing weapon mostly used from horseback although thrusting with it on foot was not unknown. The blade of our saber is made from 1055 high carbon steel with a hard spring temper. It has a hatchet point making it wider at the tip or point than at the guard. The guard of our saber has very wide sturdy quillons. The wider quillons offer greater protection to the hand and forearm. Also because of their greater width, a skilled swordsman can catch a blow aimed at his hand, wrist, or forearms with a minor twist of his wrist as the long quillons cover a lot of real estate and minimal movement by the defender is all that is required to block the path of an oncoming blade. The leather scabbard is, in a word, gorgeous. Its fittings are attractively arranged and provide a light, bright contrast to its black leather base.
Henry Brown (verified owner) –
I generally enjoyed the balance and feel of this sword. The specifications were consistent with those advertised so no surprises there. Being a sabre with a wide point it naturally is blade heavy to some extent but yet still has a lively feel. The edge is sharp and cleanly cut through inch and a quarter live bamboo with no visible damage to the edge or contours of the blade. The hilt remained rattle free throughout the test cutting. It ought to because not only is the through tang secured with a nut on the pommel but there is a threaded brass bolt which passes through the two rear langets, the grip and the tang to secure everything, (I know because I Xrayed the hilt,) and I suspect Cold steel has added a good dolup of epoxy as well. This hilt is not going anywhere.
The scabbard is thick black leather with steel mounts and serves its intended purpose. They also got the carry rings locations right enough to enable the sword to be worn. A good value for the money. My only complaint it that the minimal decoration on the blade, featuring a decapitated Turk, is well executed the inscription ought to be in Latin according to my tastes.
Chris Bertolozzi –
Great sword, light, well balanced. Especially appreciated the help from Dave and his team on this one.
0kay8ye (verified owner) –
During my last visit to the Museum of History (Targoviste, Romania), I asked multiple attendants what type of weapon Vlad Tepes (Dracula) would have deployed against the Ottomans. They pointed at a large cruciform longsword just to move me along. Upon further research, I learned Vlad would have been trained with Turkish shamshirs and Hungarian sabers. More than likely, this would have been the type of sword he used. and decapitation (as etched on this saber) would have been far more merciful/preferable to the death many Ottoman soldiers endured. As for the quality of the saber itself, it appears to be a rebadged/upscale Windlass. Cold Steel swords/reproductions have improved dramatically since they moved production to India. This sword came shaving sharp out of the box and feels as rugged as it is nimble in hand. Kult of Athena always provides an additional level of quality control as well. Shipping time was fast and packaging is exquisite. Extremely proud to own this saber.