Do All CAS Swords Have Screw-On Pommels?

Uath

Uath

Joined
Oct 25, 2003
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I'm really getting bothered by this.

I've got several CAS swords. Do they all have screw-on pommels?
I just can't stand the idea of having a sword where the tang is a screw and the pommel is just screwed on!

I have a favorite seax, a hanwei. Please tell me there isn't a stupid screw welded on to the tang.

If there is a screw, is the tang itself turned into a screw, or is there a screw welded on? Not that it matters. To me, it turns a sword into a piece of carnival crap.

That's it!!!!! I'm not buying anything that isn't full profile tang (with scales) or has a peened-over tang. I refuse to buy anything else with a screw-on! That just SUCKS!!!!!!!!!

If a manufacturer doesn't mention how they attach their handle, I'm going to assume they're just making another screw-together sword. Why do they do that? Is it just easy for them?

I feel cheated.

I understand the Cold Steel Gross Messer has a stupid screw-on pommel. True, it has a full profile tang, but then they weld a screw to the bottom of the tang and screw the pommel on.

Cheated........Carnival Crap!

Can you imagine anything screwed together not shaking loose when steel meets steel?

I'm bothered, it seems that most of the swords I've bought advertising themselves as "full tang," are really blades with thin, little screws running through the handle.

What do "yall think?
 
Uath said:
I'm really getting bothered by this.

I've got several CAS swords. Do they all have screw-on pommels?
I just can't stand the idea of having a sword where the tang is a screw and the pommel is just screwed on!

I have a favorite seax, a hanwei. Please tell me there isn't a stupid screw welded on to the tang.

If there is a screw, is the tang itself turned into a screw, or is there a screw welded on? Not that it matters. To me, it turns a sword into a piece of carnival crap.

That's it!!!!! I'm not buying anything that isn't full profile tang (with scales) or has a peened-over tang. I refuse to buy anything else with a screw-on! That just SUCKS!!!!!!!!!

If a manufacturer doesn't mention how they attach their handle, I'm going to assume they're just making another screw-together sword. Why do they do that? Is it just easy for them?

I feel cheated.

I understand the Cold Steel Gross Messer has a stupid screw-on pommel. True, it has a full profile tang, but then they weld a screw to the bottom of the tang and screw the pommel on.

Cheated........Carnival Crap!

Can you imagine anything screwed together not shaking loose when steel meets steel?

I'm bothered, it seems that most of the swords I've bought advertising themselves as "full tang," are really blades with thin, little screws running through the handle.

What do "yall think?
Click to expand...

I can't speak to the construction methods of various CAS Hanwei pieces, I'm not particularly interested in them and so haven't looked into how they are constructed. Typically, you should be able to tell for yourself. Even a well done peened over tang should be visible at the butt of the pommel under most cirucumstances. Look for a small outline of where the tank was peened over and then ground down flush with the pommel.

That aside, I wouldn't put that Hanwei stuff in the same category with "carnival junk" however. Some of their pieces are junk, some are wildly ahistorical, some are closer, most have corners cut in order to keep the prices "reasonable." Most of them are far better then the stainless trinkets that you would pick up at your local ren faire.

Personally, I prefer stuff that is closer to historical norms, supports individual makers and for the most part is made in the United States or the UK. I would suggest checking out Arms and Armor, Albion or any of the many talented individual makers. It sounds like you are ready to get something a little better.
 
The threaded stuff Hanwei puts out aren't crap, but they do make a bunch of peened stuff. The Tinker Viking, for instance. Not sure about the seax, but you could give them a call or write them an email and they would love to answer that question for you. Delores Ezel and Blake Pogue are are great folks to talk to. :)
 
The Hanwei Seax is beautiful. They don't make them anymore. I just want to know exactly how the handle is attached. It was sold as a "Full-tang." What does that mean anymore? I'm suspecting that it's got a screw welded to the tang. I gave it to my dad, thinking it was made like an original Seax.

I just don't understand why makers aren't up front about how they attach their handles. It's important to me! It should be important to everybody.

I think that's why they recommend so strongly against chopping tree limbs with them. The stupid screwed-on handles will shake loose within three blows. I'm speaking from experience. Just take your Windlass Sword, or your CAS, and chop a good tree-limb with it. Go ahead, I just did with my "full-tang" hand and a half sword. Watch what happens.

Oh I'm sorry, that's not suggested by the manufacturer. How delicate.

So, It turns out that most of the swords I have been buying are screwed-together crap. I have three swords that have a full-profile tang. The rest are welded-screw garbage.

I think people should be aware. This is a sword forum.

I guess they're good for hanging on the wall....
 
I understand why you might be frustrated, but I can't help but feel as though it's a bit of an over-reaction. Remember, for instance, that many swords with threaded tangs can be peened providing that the tang passes through the pommel.
 
Kult Of Athena does a good job disclosing which of the swords and daggers they sell have peened or threaded tangs. Seems to me more of Hanwei's stuff has peened pommels these days.
 
i just got the Hanwei wakazshi and its a user and full tang.

Cant speak for the rest of his stuff.
 
Uath said:
I think that's why they recommend so strongly against chopping tree limbs with them. The stupid screwed-on handles will shake loose within three blows. I'm speaking from experience. Just take your Windlass Sword, or your CAS, and chop a good tree-limb with it. Go ahead, I just did with my "full-tang" hand and a half sword. Watch what happens.
Click to expand...

So you take a sword thats not made for chopping trees...and specifically says not to...and you chop a tree with it. And then you are surprised when it fails?
 
Most modern swordmakers use threaded tangs welded to a half tang with the pommel screwed on and the tang then peened to secure it (hot or cold). I know that Albion USED to make their swords this way but that their next gens are all hot peened on full tangs as they were made traditionally. This definitely makes for a much more secure fit.
That said, aside from Albion, I don't know who hot peens and who screws onto threaded stock. You would have to ask the maker individually. Lutel for instance, has a page showing how they make theirs and the only difference with them is that they use 3/8" threaded stock instead of 1/4". I think you will end up paying a good bit more for a sword made this way but I think also that the extra cost is well worth it because if a maker is paying that close attention to the pommel, he's probably also paid close attention to the proportions of the whole sword so that the buyer will get a sword with superior performance all around.
 
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