This $300 Reproduction Kilij Surprised Me...

Not my words, but apparently many people consider the Ottoman kilij to be the most powerful cutter. And a sword supposedly favored by Vlad Țepeș AKA Vlad the Impaler, the intimidating historical figure that inspired good old Dracula.
Be that as it may, this is a budget sword by the standards of the functional sword reproduction market. Will it hold up to my tests? Let's find out!

*** Specifications ***

Overall length: 92 cm (36'')
Blade length: 75 cm (29-1/2'')
Blade thickness: 3.5-4mm (1/8''- 3/16'')
Weight: 1.1 kg (2 lbs 7 oz)

Material: 1060 high carbon steel
Hilt construction: Peened handle scales

*** Pros / Cons ***

+ Affordable
+ Cuts very well
+ Comfortable grip
+ Strong, durable blade

- Simplified hilt with no details
- Blunt yelmen (false edge)

*** Where to find it ***

*** Sources / picture credits ***

*** Music credits ***

"Desertland Theme" by Alexandr Zhelanov
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
Used with artist's permission

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*** Social media ***

#skallagrim #sword #review

[yokaipinata]

Skall: Complains about the lack of decoration.

Skall earlier: Did away with the tassel.

[mehdiaridhi]

Finally some justice for this sword it's always katana vs. Long sword debate but this sword was one the few sword that were actually extensively used in the battlefield

[johnnivek]

As someone who doesn't have the budget for thousand dollar swords but detests wall hangers i always love it when you review and test affordable swords that manage to perform well.

[angryclown]

I love how it went through that water bottle and still was able to clip the corner off that board without slowing down

[JustGrowingUp]

I'm so glad that we're starting to get good and cheap reproductions for this types of swords!

[taylankammer]

Indeed the word "kılıç" literally just means "sword" in Turkish, such that if you asked a Turkish person today to describe a "kılıç" they may simply describe a European sword, since we see those more commonly in mainstream media. Or, for example, if you showed them a katana, they might call it a "Japon kılıcı" i.e. literally "Japanese sword".

Same as how "katana" pretty much just means sword or blade in Japanese, though I guess a Japanese person would be likely to think of an actual Japanese katana if you asked them to describe a "katana." Because it has a lot of cultural value to them, unlike modern Turkish culture which doesn't care much about historical Turkish swords. I didn't even know about the Yatağan or ever even heard of its name until I was a teenager and researched various sword types online, despite growing up in Turkey.

Another example would be how "Messer" literally just means knife in German. If we're sitting at the breakfast table with a German person and I need a butter knife, I would ask them to please hand me a "Messer". You could say "Frühstücksmesser" i.e. literally "breakfast knife" but you would only use that word if you really needed to disambiguate.

Pronunciation tips: the dotless i in kılıç is a bit difficult to explain but I'd say it's like a very short "uh" sound. One analogy I can think of in English is the last part of "Michael", which a Turkish person might spell "Maykıl" if they knew nothing about its proper spelling. The ç at the end is basically a "tch" like in kitchen. A Turkish person might spell kitchen as "kiçın".

[edwardscarlet]

I have been waiting for you to do a Kilij. This is honestly one of my all time favorite blades from it's background, design, and damage it can inflict!

[fransthefox]

Skall. If you want a high quality Kilij, check out Kilij Osman Baskurt. He makes very impressive, historically accurate replicas. He is very passionate about it and takes the accuracy very seriously, down to the specific species of wood used for the handle and scabbard. He makes wootz as well, which is extremely good for a historical steel, with flexibility similar to spring steel, good corrosion resistance, and carbides, which is a beneficial impurity. But he also makes blades of modern steel of your choice (he likes spring steels and 1075).

And if you want the actual best draw cutter, go for the Pala. Which is a subtype of Kilij.

[dlatrexswords]

Awesome overview Skall! Very nicely done. Since you were asking about historical examples; on most Kilij there is complex distal taper. It depends on the time period but for longer examples like this it would be common to see 7-6mm at the shoulders tapered down to 2-3mm before the start of the yelman. The sharpness of the yelman will vary (both with style and region and time) so to have it unsharpened is not unheard of.

This example is showing a mix of characteristics of Turkish swords from a whole bunch of different time periods, so the end result is a little muddled. The lack of distal taper is offset by the fuller running through the whole thing: these are more common in older (pre 16th century) blades, but have the advantage of being more shallow on historical swords.

You’re very fair in point out how this is a “bargain price” and with that in mind I think this is OK, as long as folks don’t assume this is historically representative. Glad it seems to work so well as a sabre!

[Frawgz]

Even the cut in the piece of wood on the bottle follow through at 7:02 is clean !

[MarcusVance]

They sent me one for review as well, and it's a lot of fun.

[RauschenPauli]

i actually kinda like the look of the sword. it does look basic but i like that. also 300 for this seems nutty! well done to the craftsman that made this

[timdedeaux]

I think the sword looks great, and it's good to see that it's solid and well made. Another great review from Skallagrim

[puffin]

Nice review! To me the sabre Vlad has in that portrait definitely looks more like a 17th century Hungarian type, judging by the shape of the pommel, and the outfit seems to match that period too. The artist probably went with what was popular during his own time :)

[kounurasaka]

The one thing that sticks out to me about the design is we often only see the blades of rich or wealthy people. I kind of like the idea of these just being the swords of the regular, common officer. Not a high ranking member of the army or the king, but a sword that a small battalion leader might have. It's simple, not very nice to look at, but it still gets the job done.

[dominiclapinta]

Mirror polish can be remedied by using a very fine sand paper sponge and polishing it. I've done this with inexpensive blades, and it makes them look better

[ClipsFromMaine]

It’s a beautiful sword, and I kind of want it… I decided that all swords I buy from now on will be spring steel, though. Compared to my traditionally made katanas, my ones with spring steel blades are 100 times more durable. And since I like to swing my swords at things, that durability is important. Thank you for the video!

[Mortablunt]

Skall, you're looking trimmer today. Keep it up, Skallafit! We're all rooting for you! Skallafit! Skallafit! Skallafit! Skallafit!

[grimreaper_cz]

Always makes my day when Skall uploads :)
And even when I'm not interested in HEMA, I love all the weapons u show us.

[dogu_kaya_]

I did not see that coming :)
Skall thank you so much for the amazing video. As always you did an amazing review and test. ⚔️⚔️⚔️ Greetings from Turkey