Cold SteelColichemarde Sword with Uniquely Shaped Blade, Grey/Silver, one Size (CS88CLMS)

Mine came well packaged, sharp, and in excellent condition. The colichemarde is for those who like a small sword with a more traditional flat blade profile. Instead of being triangular and stiff, the base is uniquely widened and thick, but also sharp from tip to hilt. The guard is very minimal, just a knuckle bow and I think would be perfect if only the pointed ends of the clamshell were removed (they can rub into your side at certain angles) and I wish the grip did not have an oval shape, but rather the v-shape like the companion dagger has. Otherwise it's one of the best swords I've seen and handled in the CS lineup.

Such a beautiful weapon. Very sharp, definately not a toy. It's like a rapier, but significantly easier to use. Very light, makes using it a breeze. The chunkier bit near the hilt makes it stiff and avoid the "whippy" problem of most lighter rapiers.I would love to give this 5 stars, but this came very dirty in the box. Normally swords come with some oil on them, this isn't that. The bag it came in was covered in this gross particulate which mixed with the sword oil in the bag. It's like the bag was dunked in a swamp before the sword was put in. I got the maching parrying dagger and that had the same problem. I've gotten multiple cold steel wearing in the past and these are the only ones with this problem.All in all, great sword but be ready to spend some time cleaning it. For the love of God, dont open that box near any furnature.

While I'm hardly a professional fencer, I've done enough bladework in my day to know a good sword when I hold it. This is one such sword.First, the cons, which are few:1) I find the finger loops a touch small for my (very average) hands. They are not welded to the hilt or guard, however, so enlarging them is merely a matter of finding an appropriate punch, a suitable mallet, and a sturdy bench to support a handful of blows.2) Upon arrival, the scabbard fit to the blade a little =too= snug. A dab of beeswax and a few hard sheathings got blade and wood into a happier balance.3) The top inside edge of the scabbard itself is not treated or finished in any way. As part of dealing w/ issue no. 2 I applied beeswax all along the throat of the scabbard. Period-appropriate, cheap, easy fix!Now for the pros:1) This is a real, serious weapon. While the edges are not razor sharp, they are sharp, and a good thrust from this sword could easily prove fatal. HANDLE WITH CAUTION. I recommend peace-tying her as soon as possible. Before even considering stage work, you'll want to heavily rework this blade to make it safer.2) This sword is =exquisitely= balanced. The centre of gravity lies roughly 2.5 cm in front of the guard. While someone used to fencing foils or epees might find this a bit far forward, for an historic weapon this is spot on. She handles very, very well once one is accustomed to her (relative, yet still sleight) weight.3) The craftsmanship -- barring the aforementioned fingerloops -- is =excellent=. The wire wrapped hilt feels good to the hand. The blade is well-formed and could probably take an even sharper edge. It's spiff and shiny right out of the shipping container.I will confess; I splurged on this as a costume accessory, and have found so much more. This sword is truly a delight to wield. I will similarly confess that I wrapped a Denix cutlass shipping box w/ a old washcloth & a few metres of artist's tape & have punched many, many holes in that with this sword. At under $300 USD this is practically a steal. I doubt you will find a better blade for even twice this price.

The condition of this sword was lacking. I've had $20 swords from Bud K show up in better condition. The blade was well oiled but it had gritty material in it. When wiped clean, the residue on the towel was very clearly black. I wiped out gently multiple times and got black reside each time. There are definitely scuffs along the blade. It is quite sharp but you can very clearly see defects in the edge with the naked eye without even getting close. There was some kind of black grease at the base of the blade where it meets the guard. The guard looks to have drops of adhesive all over it and there is some sort of white residue in the cracks and crevices. I would have thought that it might be some kind of false patina but it wipes off. There is a gap at the top of the wire wrap on the hilt.BE FOREWARNED! This does come with a scabbard but it ships OUTSIDE THE SCABBARD IN A LOOSE RECTANGULAR CARDBOARD "SLEEVE"! IT'S A GIANT RAZOR BLADE WITH A CARDBOARD BOX AROUND IT! BE CAREFUL OPENING!I just expected better overall quality from a sword at this price.The only other complaint I have is that the point isn't quite as refined as I was hoping. It will pierce for sure, but I had the impression it was a finer point. No big deal though.It's still a very cool blade design, I would just recommend buying buying at a sub $200 price point.

The sword I received from Amazon came shiny and bent. The finger holes are way too small for your fingers. It is a good looking sword, but the grip feels loose and the wire around it felt like it was coming undone. Overall I was very dissatisfied and had to send it back. The packaging was also very damaged with almost no protection for the sword in the box. This was one of two Cold Steel swords I ordered in the same order on Amazon, both of which I returned because of poor build quality and major issues. They were both bought from the Cold Steel Amazon section, too and were not listed as "sword seconds."