Cold Steel Hunting Sword, 10 3/4",Black

I have heard that a Hanger is a "Cutlass with a pretty hilt" I would say that this describes this "Hunting Sword/Hanger perfectly; it is a pretty sword.When you take the sword and scabbard out of the box the sword is not in the scabbard so be careful when unpacking the blade. There will also be some grease on the blade that you will probably want to wipe off.Both the sword and the scabbard are pretty and functional. The rosewood handle with the silver nickel pins give a great grip and might be a little uncomfortable to hold for a long time but not terrible; you can always wear gloves if your hand gets sore . The sword is very well balanced and it feels lie there is almost no weight to it when you are handling it.The blade and point are sharp. The blade is not razor sharp but it will cut paper out of the box. I might try to find someone who knows how to sharpen a sword but it is not necessary to do so.Overall, I would recommend this sword to anyone who is looking for a decorative and functional sword in this style of hunting sword/hanger/cutlass.

Just received my Cold Steel Hunting Sword and I'm pretty happy with it. I do like Cold Steel, and after several purchases have developed certain expectations. This is a very sturdy and solid piece. The hilt is carved hardwood with silver/steel pins and feels great though I'd recommend a glove or gauntlet unless you have a sword enthusiasts (or farmers) calloused palm. The hilt is nice and kind of flat so handles with no issue's regarding edge alignment. It is quite pretty and will look stunning hanging from my belt at SCA events, HEMA events, and Renfaires that allow you to wear your steel. Because I'm in the US I expect, the edge is superb. For pell practice, cutting water bottles and tatami mats I anticipate loads of fun. This is very much the standard for Cold Steel Design. Meaning, upside it's a great cutter and built really solid. Downside, there is no distal taper all the way up to the false edge. So, the blade is not so nimble as you would expect in a European hanger or German hunting sword of the period this is meant to represent. If for whatever reason I have to take it into a sword fight (which I never expect to do but you never know) I'd be inclined to take a pistol, buckler or rondella as well.

It is nice. Very good edge, Cold Steel is however a good forgeOnly issue was it took the vendor a little more time then expected to ship it and it was a little pricy

This sword is perfect for one handed cutting practice, or wearing to ren fairs ect. It looks gorgeous and cuts decently well even with the factory sharpening. Im sure some professional sharpening would make this sword even more effective for cutting, but out of the box the edge is okay as you might expect from cold steel. However purely on aesthetics this sword wins out over alot of other budget swords because it looks alot fancier then it really is. Sure the "chrome" effect on the guard and pommel looks a bit cheap up close, but from a distance it looks great. The studded handle is both gorgeous and comfortable to many of my club mate's surprise. I have seen others report durability issues with the guard, but as im not intending to go fight pirates or 15-16th century soldiers I cant complain about that too much given the price. It handles well, is controllable without losing its blade authority and cuts decently. All while coming with a scabbard which altho cheap, looks good from a distance just like the sword, making this a perfect one and done sword for someone looking for something to carry around Ren fairs and occasionally do some cutting practice with.

I took away a star because there was dried grease on the hilt components that is taking quite a bit of time and metal polish to remove. Otherwise it seems well constructed and tight. It's reasonably sharp out of the box and will slice paper with only minor dragging. I also have a CS Messer which seems livelier in the hand than this blade despite being longer. The Hunter's blade is thicker stock which makes it feel heavier and deader, at least to me. On the other hand, this is much prettier. The scabbard holds the sword securely but does rattle. The show side of the locket and chape are quite decorative while the back is smooth. There is a hook on the scabbard so if nothing else you can just hang it on a ordinary belt. The grip is well shaped to orient the edge and though it looks uncomfortable, it really isn't. Not comfortable, mind you, but not painful. Now if the lower guard doesn't break like it did on Skallagrim (look on Youtube) this will be a very decent sword for the price I paid ($200 on sale). Even if it should break in the exact same manner, it would still be functional.

This is an amazing value! If you want to embrace your pirate spirit, this will do it! Now the problems people have with the bad casting causing breakage in the D guard make sense. But for less than $200.00, how can you pass up the opportunity to have just a fun sword? The finish on the blade was outstanding, but the finish on the other metal furnishings was a bit lacking. Again, for the price, you literally can’t beat it.