This thing is well built and solid but, man, is it heavy! Weight is listed at 3 lbs. 4 oz. but it feels much heavier. Unless you have the upper body strength of Conan, this sword would be pretty much restricted to chopping. I think you would be pretty well skewered if you tried to fence with it. If nothing else, it should certainly work to build arm and wrist strength. I ordered mine sharp and was initially upset when it barely cut the heavy brown paper blade wrapper but it cleanly sliced standard typing/printer paper. A mild indoor swipe at the shipping box chopped almost halfway through. The back swedge was not sharpened. The blade looks to be 3/16 inch stock with a saber grind beginning between about 1/3 to 1/2 up the blade and a secondary bevel. POB is 4 inches in front of the basket. COP? Who knows - striking the pommel and basket produced absolutely no vibration. There is a very little distal tape and what there is seems to be due to the swedge grind. Holding the flats in the light will reveal plenty of rippling. The scabbard is thick, stiff heavy leather with steel chape and locket. It holds the sword securely but you do have the pay attention sheathing to avoid the front projection of the basket.
I have read a few threads about MRL swords that have been turned into project blades. A ridiculous amount of weight can drop by applying a distal taper, since their blades tend to be thick all the way to the point. Basket hilts carry a good chunk of weight in the hilt, but it would get a lot more lively if you put the blade on a diet. It would be a high risk, low reward project, but it has been done.
If so From KOA Scottish Cutlass - 500920 This is actually better regarded as a dussage, or dussack. Others might call it a Sinclair hilt...........but Overall Length: 31 1/2'' Blade:25'' P.O.B.: 3 3/4'' Thickness: 4.1 mm - 2 mm Width: 46.4 mm - 54 mm Grip Length: 3 1/2'' Pommel: Threaded Seems about right. 3lbs 4oz may seem like a lot but that's less than my favorite single hand reproduction, an A&A Black Prince. I have longer swords than that which weigh less but feel heavier, in a static sense. Otoh, my modern genuine military swords from the 17th to 19th century are typically lighter but I don't own any baskets like this. Baskets add a lot of weight and that's a broad blade. You can figure the cop scientifically, or fool around with light blows to wood. Figure the cop should be no closer than where the raised back edge (yelman) begins. Wherever the strikes transmit the least vibration will be about where the cop is. https://sciencedemonstrations.fas.harvard.edu/presentations/center-percussion https://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/center-of-percussion.html https://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/bats/cop.html You can also eyeball the forward point of rotation with the waggle test but the basket somewhat hampers that. Grow stronger. Or just sell it. GC
