Cold Steel 1830 Napoleon Saber,Black

Yes it is a real cold steel brand saber. The blade bends easily to 30 degrees (as far as I was willing to push it) and springs back to straight. The one I got shipped with a very slight twist but I actually like to see that because it is supposed to be hand forged and heat treated. A twist or bend is often the result of heat treatment. It does not ship very sharp at all, I had to spend a few hours on the belt grinder to get a reasonable edge bevel but that's also fine. Fit and finish are amazing with no gaps or rattling at all. I've now done some pretty rough chopping with it and after cutting down small oak trees and a few dozen shrubs I wanted gone, there are no problems with it of any kind. Biggest problem is handle size. It is a bit too small and it seems smaller than historical examples, not allowing me to get a proper grip. But that is clearly visible in the pictures. Scabbard is terrible, there is a strip of plastic and foam keeping the blade from rattling which will get torn out the second or third time you unsheathe the saber. But all these complaints are secondary, 99% of what I care about is blade quality. Yes it's carbon steel and yes it is properly heat treated as advertised. I will happily pull this baby out when ever I want to do some cutting.

Fast and nicely balanced. Nice finish and really sharp, I have no doubt this is a battle ready sword. Also, you can open a bottle of Champagne with this saber, which is, needless to say, an impressive and classy move!

An excellent sword. After cleaning, when I inserted the sword into the scabbard and then removed it, one of the interior plastic liners came out. I was able to place the liner back inside the scabbard properly and ensure the end tip was engaged in the slot provided.

First off you must understand, this is not a mighty cutter meant to sever a body in twain. It's a fencer, a death by a 1000 cuts, and thruster. It's balance is great, it's light in the hand, with a very fast blade. If your looking for a fencer this is your blade. If your looking for cutting a 50 gallon plastic drum filled with water in half, go with something else.

Got this guy in 2013, beat the hell out of it, amazing quality for what it is, will update if I ever break it.

Bought this for a friend who wanted to open champagne bottles with it (I know... but it really is a thing!). Not the first sword I've purchased. I found this one longer than I expected and very heavy. Not well balanced and awkward to hold. Perhaps because it was meant to be used as a cavalry sword? I have a Henry V which I like much better. About 10 inches shorter and very well balanced. Worded as a gift, but I wouldn't get one for myself.

The blade cracked. I have only cut single layers of cardboard and paper with this saber, and today I noticed the blade is cracked about 16" from the tip. I am outside of the return window so I am requesting a replacement from cold steel. Extremely poor quality. This blade was supposedly "British proof tested" which if I had to guess was the source of the horizontal crack considering it has spent most of it's time leaned up against the wall. Edit: Cold steel exchanged the saber for a new one. The transaction was smooth.

The blade is loose. It easily twists, however does not slip front to back or side to side. It just twists 10-15 degrees in the handle. A very beautiful sword however defective. Returned.