Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Recently got my hands on both the type XIIIa war sword and type XIV arming sword offered by Kingston Arms, and I have to say, I'm in love!




The type XIIIa is quite a beefy-feeling sword, with a definite tip-leaning balance (PoB is around 5.75" I believe), though still very lively in the hand and lighter than you would think for such a wide cutting- oriented blade. The blade is just under 33", so it fits a nice sweet spot of being long enough for good reach in a two-hander but still being short enough to feasibly be employed in the closer confines of a dense forest or mountain pass.

The type XIV is an incredibly light sword, coming in at 2lbs 1oz; it is definitely the lightest sword I own, even over the Windlass Centurion gladius I have. The balance is just over 5", and it is incredibly nimble. The blade length is 28 3/16", putting it clearly on the shorter end of the arming sword spectrum; it's the perfect size for the cramped quarters of a forest skirmish.

I personally like the comforting beefiness of the war sword, and will probably end up carrying it more during my ranging treks to come than the other. However, I can't get over how perfectly designed the type XIV seems to be for the average Ranger, allowing good use by itself, with a shield or buckler, or in conjunction with a dagger or longer companion blade like a Coustille or langseax. Even so, I think I'll be carrying the larger sword for the time being.

Nice! I like the looks of the Type XIV. The belt designs look interesting, but the leather is too thin.

Yeah you’re not wrong on the belt leather, they’re temporary until I get better belt leather and can tool/dye them.

really awesome

Be careful with Kingston swords if you plan on cutting with them. I have the XIV and love it, but the first one I had bent right where the blade meets the guard. CAS replaced it and the new one is totally fine, but I gave it a serious once over to make sure. Kingston's QC is super hit or miss.

If I had the funds and access to a workshop I would grab two of the XIIIs and do them up as a set. One as Anduril and the other as Boromir's sword, "...in fashion like Anduril but of less lineage."
I think that the two handed, shorter type XIII would fit the aesthetic of the spare descriptions we got from the book. This type is weighted in a way that to me seems a nice balance for either sword and shield or two handed fighting. The Kingston is a little on the heavy side, but still totally workable.

Thanks for the warning!

Yeah I’m a big fan of the XIII style for Middle Earth, it feels a little closer to being a post-Migration style blade, from an era where most armor would still be maille hauberks like described in the books.

Have you had a chance to dismantle the XIII yet? How is the symmetry on the fittings?
Asking because both of the XIVs I have seen had guards that were a bit off. Nothing awful, but noticeable.

The symmetry on the guard is very good, and so is that of the pommel. The pommel does mount very slightly twisted off center when tightened, but not too bad.

I'm not going to lie. Between Elleth's XIV and the Valiant Armoury Vision Milan I'm currently drooling over, I've really come around on the XIV being a match for a Ranger blade. Congrats on the new swords!

Thank you Cimrandir!

I am a huge fan of the XIV blade shape in general. It’s extremely well suited to both the cut and the thrust, and its shorter length is perfect for closer quarters.

I had a Windlass XIV for a while, but it just felt too clunky to me in the hand. It needed a lot of material taken off and a decent amount of distal taper added to make it feel good in the hand in my opinion. This one, however, feels perfect.

Oh, I’m sure Elleth and Odigan could tell you alllll about the modifications they had to make to that Windlass XIV to turn it into The Sword Beneath the Cloak hahaha

Haha I bet! That sword is actually the one that set me down the type XIV path!

Cimrandir wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2023 2:53 pm Oh, I’m sure Elleth and Odigan could tell you alllll about the modifications they had to make to that Windlass XIV to turn it into The Sword Beneath the Cloak hahaha

Oh dang! I either never realized or completely forgot that the sword from that project started out as a stock Windlass blade!

Barandir wrote: ↑Sat Apr 29, 2023 2:14 am Recently got my hands on both the type XIIIa war sword and type XIV arming sword offered by Kingston Arms, and I have to say, I'm in love!


The type XIV is an incredibly light sword, coming in at 2lbs 1oz; it is definitely the lightest sword I own, even over the Windlass Centurion gladius I have. The balance is just over 5", and it is incredibly nimble. The blade length is 28 3/16", putting it clearly on the shorter end of the arming sword spectrum; it's the perfect size for the cramped quarters of a forest skirmish.

I picked up the type XIV a little while back, but haven’t done anything with it yet, other than a few solo plays. It has a great feel.
I’d love to hear about when you put it through the paces. I think its gonna be a good cutter.

I’m gonna be moving here this weekend, and once I get settled in the new place I intend to finally put together a cutting setup. The edge on my XIV has a pretty pronounced secondary bevel, however. I’m probably going to have to adjust that before I can do much successful serious cutting with it.