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Main => The Armoury => Reviews => Topic started by: Sir James A on 2015-10-04, 19:06:11

Title: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir James A on 2015-10-04, 19:06:11
I posted about HEMA equipment in another thread and realized I should post a review of BKS, since I believe I'm the only one who has one of their feders. They are, as I understand, new to the market this year. I handled mine at Longpoint prior to purchasing, and they have been open to feedback on them as well.

The blade is a couple inches short of what I would prefer, but would be right for someone around 5'6" to 5'8". The tip is a flattened and widened tip, instead of the rolled tip found on many other feders, and I like it; it seems to get better grab (purchased) on thrusts since it isn't as rounded. On the other hand, you don't get as much "sword wind" (the noise from swinging the sword) as that little round hole of the rolled tips will give you. A minor concession, and completely pointless for actual combat. I also like the wide schildt (the flared part of the blade near the handle), but that is also a personal preference.

Mine has an acorn style pommel, and a twisted bar crossguard. I like the distinct styling of it. It is reminiscent of the Arms & Armor Schloss Erbach crossguard (http://www.myarmoury.com/review_aa_schloss.html). It was originally the normal steel color, but I blackened it myself. Here is a photo:

(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11896193_10206716965459414_4238474292015419840_n.jpg?oh=863088bb85c87d4a3506152b8bbcacdd&oe=569E6092)

My complaint with this is that after using it for a few weeks, the hilt bent. Substantially. We were drilling zornhaus, and it looked like a banana. I had handed it to our instructor, who was using it when it bent. I saw him hand it back, said "Uhhh...." and he straightened it back most of the way, by hand, before we thought to get a picture. This was an interesting phenomenon because we learned: (a) the tang isn't heat treated, and (b) the grip is actually just leather wrap directly over the tang, without a wooden core; a classmate figured that out because bent wood = splinters and it never made a sound nor splintered, and I can't see any wood underneath (while still assembled).

I was scared to use it, lest it break on me. I wrote to BKS, who confirmed the tang is not heat treated. BUT, they also said they will straighten it for me as well as heat treat it too. They offered to pay shipping both ways, but as they are at MD Renn Fest, I'm going to drop it off in person. I forgot to ask about getting a wood core for it, but if not, I may redo the grip/handle myself.

While it is more expensive than most feders ($550), one of the great things about it is that it has a lifetime warranty. They told me to keep using it, and if it breaks, they will fix or replace it; so they stand behind their warranty.

The best part, in my opinion, is that they are local to the DC area. So no shipping overseas, customs, etc, in the event of a warranty claim or modification request. And as a vendor at a few events, you have the chance to handle their swords prior to purchase.

I plan to keep this as my primary go-to class/training sword, and use an Ensifer Heavy for tournaments.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir William on 2015-10-07, 14:33:16
BKS doesn't do wood grips so far as I can recall, its always been leather wrap over steel tang for all of their models.  Not sure why, that's just how they do it.  A shame something that expensive failed from the start- but a lifetime warranty's a good thing to have.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir Edward on 2015-10-08, 16:48:12
Oh, I also located BKS at MDRF. They lost their booth there about 10 years ago, but as of this year, they've teamed up with Dagger Dan, and have a collection of weapons available on the wall of his booth.

EDIT: corrected
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir William on 2015-10-08, 17:53:04
I look forward to seeing them, then.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir Wolf on 2015-10-08, 20:24:17
I thought they were gone for some time from MDRF?
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir Edward on 2015-10-08, 22:10:43
I thought they were gone for some time from MDRF?

Yep, about a decade ago.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir James A on 2015-10-08, 23:03:15
Oh, I also located BKS at MDRF. They lost their booth there about 10 years ago, but as of this year, they've teamed up with Dagger Dan, and have a collection of weapons available on the wall of his booth.

EDIT: corrected

Ah, excellent, thanks!
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir Wolf on 2015-10-08, 23:49:30
bah lol if i would come more i would notice these things hahahaha
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Jon Blair on 2016-07-20, 19:13:15
BKS doesn't do wood grips so far as I can recall, its always been leather wrap over steel tang for all of their models.  Not sure why, that's just how they do it.  A shame something that expensive failed from the start- but a lifetime warranty's a good thing to have.
I have one of their (few?) wood grip swords. It is a heat-treated bare blade (the type XVIII single hand sword blade) I had bought from Albion that BKS polished up for me and built a hilt. I had to push them way past their comfort zone to make a wooden grip, and they still wouldn't wrap it, but they did do it.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir James A on 2016-07-21, 01:20:59
Since this post got bumped... almost 6 months later, I still have no sword. No response to emails. Voice mail box is full. No idea if I'll ever get the sword back, or fixed, and I was brave enough to try one of their prototype feders since they were a vendor at a tournament last year. I've not had the sword almost as long as I had it, assuming I ever see it again.

Stay away from BKS. Not recommended at all.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir William on 2016-07-22, 14:11:46
It's almost become a trend these days.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Thorsteinn on 2016-07-22, 20:08:39
Since this post got bumped... almost 6 months later, I still have no sword. No response to emails. Voice mail box is full. No idea if I'll ever get the sword back, or fixed, and I was brave enough to try one of their prototype feders since they were a vendor at a tournament last year. I've not had the sword almost as long as I had it, assuming I ever see it again.

Stay away from BKS. Not recommended at all.

Poke Duke Icefalcon see if he can help, and from now on just buy from him. I've had a single issue with him before about not being 100% honest about what his kit was for, BUT you do always get what you order.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir Rodney on 2016-07-24, 05:08:07
Since this post got bumped... almost 6 months later, I still have no sword. No response to emails. Voice mail box is full. No idea if I'll ever get the sword back, or fixed, and I was brave enough to try one of their prototype feders since they were a vendor at a tournament last year. I've not had the sword almost as long as I had it, assuming I ever see it again.

Stay away from BKS. Not recommended at all.

Poke Duke Icefalcon see if he can help, and from now on just buy from him. I've had a single issue with him before about not being 100% honest about what his kit was for, BUT you do always get what you order.

Yep.  As most people in this community know, Ice is solid!
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir James A on 2016-07-31, 03:34:58
Since this post got bumped... almost 6 months later, I still have no sword. No response to emails. Voice mail box is full. No idea if I'll ever get the sword back, or fixed, and I was brave enough to try one of their prototype feders since they were a vendor at a tournament last year. I've not had the sword almost as long as I had it, assuming I ever see it again.

Stay away from BKS. Not recommended at all.

Poke Duke Icefalcon see if he can help, and from now on just buy from him. I've had a single issue with him before about not being 100% honest about what his kit was for, BUT you do always get what you order.

Yep.  As most people in this community know, Ice is solid!

He doesn't do swords. I've bought from him multiple times before and everything except the mail sleeves was a good experience (sizing was horrendous, should have been a few months for delivery but was something like 18 months). In stock was always great.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Thorsteinn on 2016-07-31, 04:50:47

He doesn't do swords. I've bought from him multiple times before and everything except the mail sleeves was a good experience (sizing was horrendous, should have been a few months for delivery but was something like 18 months). In stock was always great.

Sir James he does do weapons since getting involved in BOTN/HMB.

Icefalcon Armoury In Stock Weapons (http://store.fastcommerce.com/icefalcon/in-stock-weapons-ff80818136de843b013741482a853fdd-c.html)
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir James A on 2016-08-03, 01:53:09

He doesn't do swords. I've bought from him multiple times before and everything except the mail sleeves was a good experience (sizing was horrendous, should have been a few months for delivery but was something like 18 months). In stock was always great.

Sir James he does do weapons since getting involved in BOTN/HMB.

Icefalcon Armoury In Stock Weapons (http://store.fastcommerce.com/icefalcon/in-stock-weapons-ff80818136de843b013741482a853fdd-c.html)

I wouldn't use any of that for proper HEMA (without getting into the argument that BOTN / HMB "is HEMA"). Mayyyybe the swords are acceptable (I'm highly doubtful), but if he wants $595 for a federschwert and has a single picture roughly the size of a deck of cards, with no information at all? No way.

I'll save $100 by buying a tried and proven Albion instead (how often can you say that??)
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir James A on 2016-08-15, 22:50:00
Finally caught Kerry on the phone. He said he'll be at MDRF, so I'm going to meet him there on opening day.

He also said they've improved the heat treating / blades, so, if I wasn't attached to the feder, he'll swap it and give me a new one.

If it happens, that's pretty cool. We'll see in a few weeks.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Jon Blair on 2016-08-16, 13:41:04
Good to hear they are making it right. Hopefully it all works out.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir Wolf on 2016-08-16, 20:16:47
.............. this year...... or next? lol
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Sir James A on 2016-08-18, 00:00:28
.............. this year...... or next? lol

Wait, is the question when will I get my feder back, or when are you gonna come hang out with us?  :o
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: MDJouster on 2016-08-18, 13:07:09
Sorry, to hear you had troubles with BKS.  I've known Kerry for ages.  He's a good guy and stand by his swords but some times you have to prod him a wee bit.  His shop is off of Marriotsville road and he has an annual "fire and brimstone" metalworking/blacksmithing/knifesmithing event which is worth checking out.
He has made wood handles (Krissie has a lovely rapier from him with a purpleheart/silver ring handle) and I can imagine just about every other option you can imagine for your sword.  I usually don't think of him for plain practice gear but his prices are pretty good.
Come to think of it I had to chase him quite a bit for that rapier.  It was intended to be a Christmas gift and he managed to deliver it late Christmas eve.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Lady Jouster on 2016-08-25, 14:20:17
I, too, am sorry to hear you had a bad experience with BKS. Kerry's work is great, it just can be a bit rough getting it out of him, as Mike mentioned. My rapier is, to this day, the most gorgeous sword I own. I really need to use it more, I so miss fencing.

We also have a pair of BKS swords we use for catching rings and chopping lettuce in our joust show. We have beat the snot out of those swords and they've taken a beating and survived. He's a great guy who does really nice work, if a bit scatterbrained. I hope you get your replacement at opening day (is that this Saturday?) and love it!
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Thorsteinn on 2016-08-25, 16:43:14
There is also Adam over at On the Mark Armoury.
Title: Re: Baltimore Knife and Sword (BKS) feder review
Post by: Lord Dane on 2016-08-31, 02:27:01
There is also Adam over at On the Mark Armoury.

Spoke to Adam recently on FB. Nice guy.