My new Windlass ATLANTEAN sword

This is a new line of Atlantean Sword of Windlass, this sword its very strong, fantastic !!

Very nice looking sword mate. I have read/seen all the bad and good reviews of this and the other swords in the line and i think they look pretty good for their price. I am glad to hear with the later models like yours Windlass seems to have taken note and fixed the issues with loose pommels etc. If i were in the market to get one of the two i'd pick the Windlass myself over the Marto. You at least know the blade is sound. Shame they stamped their name in the blades centre though. Still very worth the money.

Just be careful with it!! I have test cut with both swords and disassembled both and there are some major problems with these "battle ready" swords. The dimensions on both were way off in some areas on both swords too. The temper is bad, the final grind is horrible, and the hardware really is poor quality. I am a bladesmith and was really disappointed in the quality as this company used to turn out some really decent stuff. If the licensing with Conan properties wasn't so outrageous and the politics so thick, I would buy in and start selling my versions of both swords myself. Now that my kids are old enough to work in the smithy I was asked by many to build the blades and seriously thought about buying in and selling these blades. But with the economy the way it is here in the US and the prospect of more doom to come, my mind was made up for me. Blade sells have really dropped off! Perhaps things will get better and my kids can take the torch and build them on a large scale some day. Windlass could have done alot better for $325. With the machinery they have at their dispossal and the cheap labor in India it wouldn't have hurt them to take a little more time on the fine points and used better materials. If a person wanted to they could fix a few of the problems and make a little better weapon out of them both. But this is just my opinion and you can take it as you like.

My friend Alex and his Atlantean Windlass Steelcrafts !

sandrobrandiao, that's a nice looking Atlantean in the photos. I have been so out of touch with the "world of swords" in the last few years that I was not aware companies like Windlass and Marto were making Atlantean replicas (I've not been doing any sword exploring on the internet). I have an Albion Atlantean (number 43 of 1000 as I recall) and I love it, but it seems everyone who visits my home wants to paw all over it when they see it mounted on my wall. I end up constantly having to clean and maintain it.

There are times that I've been tempted to put my Albion sword safely away from the view of visitors and acquire a less expensive replica to take its place on my wall ... from the video that you have there of Alex and his Atlantean, it looks like a pretty lightweight piece ... definitely looks lighter than my Albion Atlantean.

bladesmith, I was also interested in your post a couple of lines up ... am I understanding correctly that if someone is looking for one of these swords merely for the purpose of wall display they're fine, but, if one is looking to use them to cut through things such as tatami mats these swords are easily damaged?

They may be fine to cut mats with but nothing more serious than that. There are numerous problems in the construction of these "battle ready" swords. I could go into detail but the list is fairly long. For a wall hanger or a show toy they should be fine but don't expect to use them as a real weapon. They will break!! The hardware is also of concern as it is made of Zamak (zinc, aluminium, magnesium, and copper- strength depending on which strain of Zamak is used). The bronze finish will not hold up to even moderate handling either. The test subjects we have started to lose their "bronze" look and turned a bright golden red as the finish began to wear off. This happened before test cutting was conducted and was a result of being handled several times to check balance etc. I saw the signs of a very thin elector plate job. I can post pics if you need to see what I speak of. The hardware is also very easily dinged and scratched. For a real steel sword that is going to take considerable time in care I would go with a Marto stainless if you simply want a wall hanger. I am a professional bladesmith and know swords and knives so that is where my view points come from. I hand forge all of my blades and cast all of my own hardware. So I have a slight idea of what I am talking about in my area of profession. Not attempting to be an arrogant ass but am simply letting you know that I am not a troll who is blowing smoke. When I see "battle ready" attached to any sword I expect it to be battle ready. That is my biggest problem with these swords. They are cutting wall hangers and that is it. But this is just my opinion and you can take it as you will. I am not trying to discredit or endorse any company. I am simply posting information from years of forging blades. Best to you all and may your road lead you to where you wish to be.

Thanks, bladesmith. I always get a little "red alert" go off in the back of my mind whenever I see any sword that says "Battle Ready". Again, the only reason I'm looking for an Atlantean that will serve as a nice wall-hanger is because I want to put my Albion Atlantean away for safe-keeping to keep all the hand prints off of it. Why everyone seems to want to head straight for it, pull it from the display and then paw all over it leaving tons of finger and hand prints on the blade is beyond me.

Thanks for the info and the wise food for thought. :-)

Hello all, Just wanted to jump and say that I own all three of the Windlass Conan swords and the shield I am really very happy with all of them. No they are not Albion but they are also less then one tenth the price. As far as cutting anything, what more then mats and water jugs is anybody going to use it on anyway. I have owned two of the Albion Atlanteans and never used them on anything other then jugs and mats. Way to expensive to risk them on anything tougher. I also think that Windlass my have improved the swords from the initial run. I read of loose hilts and such when they first came out. I purchased mine in the last several months and all are very tight and solid. I have handled them all frequently and haven't had any of the finish come off. So maybe they got it straighten out. I would say for the price and what you are intending I wouldnt hesitate. The Martos are as far as I am concerned are not even safe to swing around.
Congratulations sandrobrandiao on your Atlantean.

Hi all and hey Alexander it's great to see you here. I have to agree with you Alexander i have spoken now to a few people who own the Windlass swords and all have said they feel pretty good especially for their price. I don't own one although i came close to getting one but i did own a Marto father's sword. It was a nice replica and also very solid but i have never seen one taken apart. I have the Windlass and i at least know they have a sound blade. And as alexander said what more than water bottles and mate is going to be hit with it? I would have loved to have bought the Albion's,especially the father's sword but it was just too out of my price range for something i'd mostly display. I mean i'd have never used it at that price.

Excaliber Steel i'd go for one at that price for a wall hanger or if you are interested give me your details and i'll pass them to my friend if you like mine. I have to say if i saw your's i'd rush to it to BUT i'd have more RESPECT then to handle it. Look sure but i'd never take it from it's display. I'd be pretty upset at that to.

No problem Excalibur. I never mind helping out someone who wants to learn about blades. My point in you going with the stainless is the point that you made with your Albion. If people handle the blade of the Windlass you are going to be cleaning and oiling it just the same. That is unless you want rusty finger prints all over it. And there is little diffrerence in the Marto and Windlass. The hardware looks exactly the same and you are just looking for a wall hanger anyway. Most people can't tell the diffrence between the real thing and a copy. Just look at the diffrences between the Albion, Marto, Windlass, and even the original swords. When you do get a cheaper copy list the faults in it to show the rest what I am speaking of. Whether Marto or Windlass you will see the mistakes right away. My whole point in going after the Windlass swords is the point that they call them "Battle Ready". They simply are not!! And they should not be treated as a play thing. Other wise someone is going to get hurt. And most likely an innocent bystander. A friend, wife, girlfriend, kid, or my favorite the camera man you asked to stand in front of you while you do some test cutting. Then you will have to explain to the cops and the medical team how that person got that huge gash or how they ended up with a 3' piece of steel protruding from their chest just so you could imagine yourself as Arnold in Conan. There are stress points on these blades and over time they can split the steel. Even if you just cut water bottles or mats. Unless you know how to cut properly you are going to cause stresses in the blade, period. And even if you do everything perfect all the time there is always going to be that one mistake. Are you really willing to risk the chance? Are those who are cutting with these blades taking them apart and checking them for stress cracks and loose components on a regular basis? Have you taken your sword apart to see how it is made? Do you know where to look for these problems and what they look like? A sword is no diffrent than a firearm. You must know how it operates, how to check it for problems, how to clean it properly, how to operate it properly, etc. How many of you would pick up a gun and just pull the trigger without knowing anything about the gun? You should treat swords with the same respect! I have witnessed too many "accidents" with swords and knives to just set back and let people think that swords are play things. They are not! I know holding the fabled Atlantean while listening to the Conan sound track gets many peoples hearts going but let it stay at that. Hold it, look at it, put it on the wall. And if you never plan on cutting anything serious with it why even worry if the blade is high carbon steel? Kind of pointless isn't it? It's like buying a muscle car with a V6 in it. If you don't know anything about swords swallow your pride and ask someone. There are plenty of knowledgable people out there who can tell you what you need to know. Don't take Joe Blows, who has never worked with blades or seriously handled one, word for it. Why do you think there are so many mixed reviews on these swords? Too many experts. Would you buy a plane and attempt to fly it simply after reading reviews and comments on the internet? And would you tell others that it was a good plane even though you really didn't know anything about it or how to fly it yourself? After testing these blades I called Windlass and offered to write an honest review of the blades and told them of alot of the problems I had found. So far they have not called me back but have fixed many of the flaws that no one else caught. Wonder why? I didn't even ask for payment I simply told them that I did not want anyone to be injured and that they could make a better product. Why help a rival company? I have a vested interest in the blade world and don't need any new goverment regulations due to someone seriouly injuring another. I have enough to deal with now. I have kindly offered my years of experience here in attempting to help those who want to know. So take my words of experience as you will and do as you wish. Just be careful for everyone else's sake!! Pride is an excellent servant but a poor master.

Alexander62 wrote:

Hello all, Just wanted to jump and say that I own all three of the Windlass Conan swords and the shield I am really very happy with all of them. No they are not Albion but they are also less then one tenth the price. As far as cutting anything, what more then mats and water jugs is anybody going to use it on anyway. I have owned two of the Albion Atlanteans and never used them on anything other then jugs and mats. Way to expensive to risk them on anything tougher. I also think that Windlass my have improved the swords from the initial run. I read of loose hilts and such when they first came out. I purchased mine in the last several months and all are very tight and solid. I have handled them all frequently and haven't had any of the finish come off. So maybe they got it straighten out. I would say for the price and what you are intending I wouldnt hesitate. The Martos are as far as I am concerned are not even safe to swing around.
Congratulations sandrobrandiao on your Atlantean.

Thankyou very very much !!

This Atlantean Sword is made up of latex material right? If yes then I agree to you that this sword will be durable enough to use it. I have father's sword from the same brand and it is so solid that I can use it in sword larp fighting  Finally I will say that may be you will get hurt but this sword will not get a scratch.

I see this topic has moved to the top once again. Been busy all summer so haven't had time to be on here. So I have another few swords, knives, axes, spear tips, etc. under my belt and still say the Windlass is not a real usable sword. It is a wall hanger period. It doesn't matter if it is made of real high carbon steel or not. The point is, it is not a well designed or well made blade. Period! I have years and years of experience in hand forging, hand grinding, heat treating, etc. swords and knives. So correct me if I'm wrong but I think I know what I am talking about when it comes to swords and knives. i still own and over see my own bladesmithing company for goodness sake. I have cut with and tested hundreds of them, my own and other companies, and know what to look for and what a real sword should feel and look like.

I know I shouldn't get too worked up about this but people could be hurt or, heaven forbid, get killed due to people who know little to nothing about blades posting their thoughts and view points on a subject I will wager they know little to nothing about. The Windlass sword is not battle ready nor should it be used for cutting by inexperienced sword handlers. Let me say that one more time, THE WINDLASS SWORD IS NOT BATTLE READY NOR SHOULD IT BE USED FOR CUTTING BY INEXPERIENCED SWORD HANDLERS! And should not be taken or advised as such. It has many weak points that no one has yet to point out in their posts. If you want to write about a sword fine. But give the good and the bad in an informed manner. If you do not have the training or knowledge on the subject then just post that it is a nice sword in your opinion but you can not really comment on it's usability. And being made of "high carbon steel" means nothing! Big deal if it is made of high carbon steel. If the engineering of the sword is off, the heat treat, the geometry, the harmonics, etc. it is nothing more than a high carbon door stop. Any common Joe off the street can shape a piece of high carbon steel into a sword shaped object. But unless he knows how to make it right it will not pass the test, period.

A sword is not just a straight piece of steel that stays dormant as you swing it. Yes it flexes and moves even when you are just cutting water bottles and mats or simply swinging it around. I have seen many a sword break just cutting mats! I have even witnessed them coming apart while someone was swinging them around like an idiot not knowing how to handle a blade correctly. I could post all of the different ways in which a sword moves and flexes but I would like to see the experts chime in on this and tell me how this all works. If one wants to argue with me then do so in a well articulated manner not just getting backing from friends or like minded people and videos of someone chopping water bottles (with no offense intended whatsoever, the guy in the video really needs to get training on how to handle a sword properly for his and other people's safety, and seriously no offense). This proves nothing and puts the novice at risk of injury. If those who wish to differ on the subject could tell me where the weakest point on the blade is on these particular swords I would be grateful if they would post this information so others can make an informed purchase. Can they tell me the problem with the tang on these swords? Have they tore down and inspected the blades and hardware for problems that need to be or should be addressed? If not please refrain from arguing with someone who has years of experience in sword making and metallurgy who is simply trying to help others make an informed purchase. Can said people explain to me the different types of high carbon steel and what properties make them differ and how to heat treat them. Can they tell me how to heat treat a good stainless steel sword that will perform and cut as well as any high carbon steel sword? If someone out there who is in love with the Windlass Atlantean or Father's sword can explain all of this to me and have an educated discussion with me then I am all for it. If not stop letting your pride in a sword you bought drive you to telling people it is a great sword. My point in posting on the sword is to keep people safe and let them know just what exactly it is they are buying. And yes I have personally tested and tore down both of these swords in my smithy and have real world experience with both. And yes the versions I personally tested were later versions when the fixes were supposed to have occurred.

The reason the Windlass is much cheaper than the Albion is due to one simple fact, workmanship. The Windlass is cheaper due to the fact that it is an inferior blade made from inferior materials and manufactured in an inferior manner. The final grind of the blade and construction processes show this blatantly. Yes the Albions are higher priced but they are designed as a real weapon if one chooses to use them as such. They have their problems too but they attempted to make the swords as usable as possible. I will explain all of this in a later post when the experts have all chimed in and had their say. I will lay out the problems and weak points of the Windlass so future buyers and current owners will know what to look for to make sure their sword is still in good shape. I personally would not pay for an Albion. They are way too pricey. But I understand where they are coming from with licensing, dealing with Conan properties, etc. I can not honestly say that I would do it any cheaper.

I am not trying to get people to buy an Albion. I am simply trying to tell them that the Windlass is not a real sword and to hang it on the wall and just look at it.

I did not come to this site to have a pissing contest over who knows more. But if I showed up at your place of employment and started telling you how to do your job and how I thought it was done I would bet you wouldn't like it very well. Especially if I had no idea or just a minimal idea of how your job worked and proceeded to tell you you were wrong and that I knew more. Get my point fellas? I will gladly post on different swords and swords in general and share my many years of knowledge. Knowledge of the sword and it's use are disappearing fast. Especially with all of the misinformation that is on the internet from people who have handled a few blades and think they know it all. I have spent many hot and nasty hours next to my forge and over my anvil and have failed more times than I like to think of. Hell, I still have swords that break on me in the testing process and I've been doing this for a long long time. But when you have spent countless hours at the forge, hand grinding a blade, lower a glowing orange blade into a quench tank, hand finish it to perfection, get a perfect edge on it, and then chop a dead pig's or cow's head off and then in two with it that is when the real pride comes into play and you know that you are holding a real weapon. Will it ever see use? Who knows but at least myself and my customers know that if the blades need to be used that they will get the job done and done right without failing. Isn't that the reason one buys a "Battle Ready" sword anyway? If not one would settle for a wall hanger and call it good.

I see right through the guys who love the Windlass swords veil of manly pride. They believed that they bought a "Battle Ready" sword made of real "high carbon steel" and it made them feel like they had finally made it within the ranks of their heroes like Conan. But if Conan were to hold and inspect their swords he would laugh and throw it to the ground. Have the right kind of pride in your sword and nothing more. Do not put it on a pedestal where it can be easily knocked off and shattered into pieces. Why even go through the hassle of caring for a high carbon blade if you never plan on using it anyway? Stainless doesn't rust and the Windlass and Marto look almost exactly the same. Neither of which look anything like the real swords from the movies no matter how you might argue the point. It is the same argument I used to hear when I was drag racing. A guy would go buy a "muscle car" with a 6 cylinder and brag it up that he owned a Camaro, Charger, etc. and that he was in the muscle car club. Then when it came down to it he got upset when he was asked what motor he had and we that owned the real muscle cars would tell him he had the look but not the muscle so he owned what looked like a muscle car but until he dropped a big block in it he was not in the club and wouldn't be able to keep up with us when it came time to race. In his heart he knew he couldn't keep up with our cars and his bull headed arguments were driven by pride and pride alone and made absolutely no sense to anyone who knew anything about cars. And after all of his grandstanding he wouldn't race us. He could wow the people who didn't know any better with his showing off and one tire squeal jobs but even they grew to know better as they learned more and more from guys with real cars. His car looked great in the driveway and that was fine if that is what he wanted. Nice car? Yes. But when he started to walk around with a big head and bragging that he owned, drove, and knew about real muscle cars is when it became a problem. We never looked down on a guy who wanted the look of the muscle car but didn't want or need the power or expense that came with owning a big block car. But when some guy started talking around town that he had and was building up a real beast that is when we raised an eye brow. We worked hard on our cars and spent countless hours and vaults full of money in building and bettering our cars. And to have some guy talking it up like he was one of us without earning his spot that bothered us for sure. We always took in the new guys who were just starting out and wanted to learn the game and taught them everything we knew. It made the whole thing more enjoyable and fun. And we could steer the new guy away from mistakes we had made and save him time and money. And in the end when he did well we felt a certain amount of pride in helping him out and were happy to see him run with us or even beat us in a race. That is the way it is in anything done in life. Whether cars, swords, you name it that is the way it is. So please do not let pride rule your life and make you blind to the facts of life and certain things. Keep an open mind and learn as much as you can from those who know and have been down the road you plan to travel. For who starts a real journey without asking for advice and learning all that they can before starting out.

Bottom line: Let wall hangers be wall hangers and let real swords be real swords and don't try to intermix the two or we will have a misinformed public with a bunch of mutts on our hands.

Best to you all and may your road lead you to where you wish to go!