Review Details
The Suontaka Viking Sword
Product Review (submitted on 6 March 2016):
The detail and craftsmanship of this sword are stunning. Its not only an excellent cutter but it looks amazing on show.
Its a little heavier than seems to be standard but only by a small amount and I didnt find the extra weight a problem at all. Snap cuts were a little slower to recover from but on the whole its balanced very well and is lively.
I was concerned that due to the lack of leather around the handle that it would become uncomfortable to wield but its actually very nice in the hand for extended periods of time and it caused no rubbing or problems to my hand at all.
There were some impurities on the blade in a couple of tiny places but hardly noticeable. For a blade of this price its actually very nice to look at.
The scabbard is fantastic. The leather smells gorgeous and the fittings are the icing on the cake when it comes to the outstanding aesthetics of the sword. The throat of the scabbard doesnt quite touch the cross guard of the sword which means that about 5mm of blade is exposed. Its not dangerous. Theres no sharp edge exposed, its just the way the scabbard is shaped to match the cross guard. If it was much more expensive theyd have made it fit snug, im sure but its really not a problem.
The belt attached to the scabbard is decent enough and well made. Its very long so you could wear it looped in the old viking style. Unless you have a 50 inch waist you will likely need to put more holes in the belt so that it fits because the pre punched holes start very long in the leather.
The pommel is slightly miss aligned when looking down the length of the blade and comparing it to the alignment of the cross guard. Its only a tiny misalignment and will vary from sword to sword but this is common of cheaper swords but I thought it worth mentioning.
The sharpening service was ok. Not great but serviceable. It can cut paper but not smoothly. Just going over it with a smoother stone would make it so much better but its definitely a usable and decent edge for bottle cutting.
Overall I do recommend this sword. The build quality besides the little niggles I mentioned is very solid. For the price mark it is above and beyond what you could expect in terms of design and looks. Its one of the most beautiful swords ive ever seen and its also a joy to use and is very practical.