Cas Iberia Hand and a Half

[CEastwood]

OK, I promised some people a few months ago that I would update everyone on the Cas Iberia Hand and a Half (http://www.casiberia.com/product_details.asp?id=SH2106 ) that I know has been kind of a favorite for quite some time as a cheap ($129 + shipping) yet well-made first blunt.

I ordered one back in October through a local retailer and when I went down to pick it up, I (wisely) decided to check it out before paying. Much to my dismay, I found that Cas-I has completely changed the design of the blade and ruined this once great, economic option for us. The worst things they did was to make the blade EXTREMELY whippy and they now use much more inferior material and craftsmanship on the grip (they also replaced the wooden scabbard with a plastic one, along with other more minor changes and aesthetic changes that just do not appeal to me, like putting in three fullers that run the entire length of the blade). I thought that perhaps the blade I got was a "special" version that they send to these crappy retailers, so I called Cas-I (and spoke to Cassie, ironically) to find out what the deal was.

After some discussion and explanation, Cassie told me that the design change was done at the request of and to better appeal to "re-enactors and role-players". This, I was told, is a permanent change in their blade designs. Alas, it seems that another sword maker has pissed all over their own products and expects us to just lap it up. Mmm mmm.

There are still some of the old design blades out there, but be careful and ask before you pay and be extra careful buying from retailers that carry this blade, since Cas-I has NOT informed their retailers of the blade design changes. If a retailer is "out-of-stock" they will undoubtedly be ordering the new blade design. Find a retailer that has had them in-stock for the last 4-5 months, because that's about when the change happened. Anyway, sorry to be the bearer of bad news for anyone looking to purchase this blade.

On a happy note, I did just purchase a "Liechtenauer" from Albion while in Vegas at the Antique Arms Show this last weekend (BTW: Thanks for a great experience John and everyone that was in Vegas). Anyway... Awesome purchase, I must say. Well worth the money spent.

[Randall Pleasant]

Thanks for the update. Truely sad news, I had a lot of respect for the Cas Iberia Hand and a Half. I own one, plus 2 of their single hand swords, and have encourage a number of our new members to purchase it. It is always sad to see a company let go of quality. Looks like I will now be encouraging them to save their money for an Albion Liechtenauer.

[Mark Driggs]

It's looking more and more like Albion is the only way to go. Sure, their entry level sword will be 3x as much as a regular blunt, but it is worth it. For those interested in purchasing a sword with Albion soon, get your order in before Feb 5th. They are doing a price increase for the new year. Now, if they'd only release those practice messers before then...

Mark Driggs
Arma Provo

[CalebChow]

Hey all, I really apologize for resurrecting this ancient thread, but it has suddenly become a rather large concern of mine.

I own one version of the Paul Chen/CAS Iberia/Hanwei (jeez this company has a lot of names) practical hand and half, but I've learned that there are multiple versions of this weapon and was wondering if anyone could send me a private message linking a picture of the old version that was considered "ok" to use.

Mine has the lousy plastic scabbard, but it's not whippy at all...and I'm not sure if mine has "three fullers" or not. I got it from kultofathena back in 2009, so hopefully what I got was the old version!

Btw, apparently there's yet ANOTHER version out now that has a much smaller pommel, but the description specifically states that it's for re-enactment and stage combat.

Thanks!

[william_cain_iii]

The original part of this post referred to the 4th Generation version of the Hand and a Half, I believe.

the 5th generation is not in the least bit whippy. It has a stiff blade, reasonable pommel size, and an acceptably safe blunt edge. I dislike it because it's fairly short and I prefer a bit more blade and grip overall, but there are members of my group who are fond of it.

[CalebChow]

The original part of this post referred to the 4th Generation version of the Hand and a Half, I believe.

the 5th generation is not in the least bit whippy. It has a stiff blade, reasonable pommel size, and an acceptably safe blunt edge. I dislike it because it's fairly short and I prefer a bit more blade and grip overall, but there are members of my group who are fond of it.

Do you happen to know what the "three fullers" look like?

The sharp version of the sword looks pretty different from the blunt one.

Sharp:
http://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/cas/images/2034gt.jpg

Some version of the older blunt with the giant pommel:
http://www.swordnarmory.com/PhotoDetails.asp?ShowDESC=N&ProductCode=SH2106

The blunt one has two ridges that form the fuller, and after a foot or so the ridges converge into a single ridge. It doesn't look like it's 'three fullers" though, so I'm not sure what the OP is referring to.

[william_cain_iii]

The second picture has three fullers. Look at the image of the sword to the left, and you'll see two 'ridges'. The three hollow 'valleys' between the ridges are the fullers.

Honestly, I think it's more a case of a central fuller and hollow ground sides.

[william_cain_iii]

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... Generation

Here's what the current version looks like.

[CalebChow]

The second picture has three fullers. Look at the image of the sword to the left, and you'll see two 'ridges'. The three hollow 'valleys' between the ridges are the fullers.

Honestly, I think it's more a case of a central fuller and hollow ground sides.

That's what thought. Curses, that means I've got the lousy kind. The super old ones must be extremely stiff then, since the one I have is hardly whippy at all.

O well, at least it's clear now. Thanks for the info!

Looks like it's back to the wasters, it was nice knowing you Mr. PaulChenHanweiCasIberiaPracticalhandandahalf.

Hopefully I'll be able to get an Albion without dying from starvation within the next two decades.

[william_cain_iii]

You could sell it on Ebay or Craigslist, and get the Kult of Athena 5th gen version. It's only 100 dollars, which is basically Waster price.

[CalebChow]

You could sell it on Ebay or Craigslist, and get the Kult of Athena 5th gen version. It's only 100 dollars, which is basically Waster price.

Nah, it's taken too much abuse for it to be worth anything.

The three fullers of mine don't run the entire length of the blade like the OP said (as in, the blade looks just like the 5th gen), so maybe I've gotten an older version.

In any case, I'll probably stick with wasters for a while.