Armory Replicas™ - Star Sword of Kahless Bat'Leth - Carbon Steel Blade, Nylon Handle Wrap

I cannot believe that this Bat’leth has not been reviewed yet! I love it! First of all, let’s clear the air – this “Armory Replicas Star Sword of Kahless Batleth” is not an exact replica of the Sword of Kahless as shown on the Deep Space 9 episode “The Sword of Kahless.” The Bat’leth from the show was the sword that Kahless himself forged thousands of years ago in lava from a strand of his hair. However, it is obvious from the images and description of the Armory Replica that it does not have the “Damascus steel” striations, the Klingon language on the blade, and the size is obviously different. That being said, it is a smaller, AWESOME, functional Bat’leth in the exact shape of the famed Klingon sword. It looks very modern, and something that Klingon “special forces” might carry (more on that later).SIZE DIFFERENCES: According to Heritage Auctions, the Sword of Kahless prop made for the movie measured 59.75” wide from tip to tip – basically 5 feet wide. It was a true “broadsword,” equivalent to a Scottish Claymore (56” total length). This Armory Replicas Bat’leth in contrast is 32” wide, or close to 3 feet wide, so it is a bit over half the size of the Sword of Kahless. Using European armory as a comparison, this sword is more like a “hand-and-a-half” sword or a “one-handed” sword – something akin to a Viking sword. You could not use the DS9 “Sword of Kahless” with one hand, but you can wield this Armory Replica Bat’leth with one hand if need be, but preferably two. I'd suggest getting a tape-measure out and measuring out 32" - it is still a great size.CONS: The Armory Replicas Bat’leth comes with a small stamp that reads “china” on the underside. Not a big deal, and not too obvious.The Klingon symbol looks like a simple spray-paint job, but still looks nice.The sharp edges have one or two poorly ground portions, so it is a bit rugged, but that doesn’t detract too much in my opinion.The Bat’leth comes with some oil on the blade (I imagine the blade has the potential to rust if exposed to the elements, which is why the majority of the Bat’leth has a black coating).PROS: It only costs $50 – that right there is reason enough to not complain at all! Where else are you ever going to find a beautiful, functional Bat’leth for that price!This Bat’leth has some heft, and it feels like it could cause some real damage. At the same time, is very manageable.The sword is awesome, and it is real. The points and edges are sharp (real blades) – I was able to cut paper with it. I have yet to test it out on harder targets, but I hope to eventually.MODS: The Armory Replicas Bat’leth comes with a thin nylon wrap on the handle, which is better than nothing, however, it does not offer as much control for the hand as I would like and I developed some pain from wielding it. I removed the nylon wrap and purchased some thicker, heavy duty cotton wrap (as seen in my pictures), and rewrapped it, which gave the handle more body and I now have much better control and less hand pain. I would recommend doing this if you plan to practice with it.MY BACKSTORY FOR THIS BAT'LETH: I take this sword to be a tactical weapon carried by the Special Operation forces of the Klingon Honor Guard, which serve Klingon Chancellor as his bodyguards and surgical strike teams. If you’ve played the old PC game, “Klingon Honor Guard” you know the Honor Guard is tasked with protecting the Chancellor and undertaking special covert operations against enemies foreign and domestic. This Armory Replicas Bat’leth is small enough to easily carry while large enough to do a lot of damage. My backstory is that after the Dominion War, Klingon scholars discovered a manuscript written by Kahless detailing the “Sword of Kahless” in word and lithograph This discovery was the first time anyone had ever seen the Bat’leth shape (After all, Worf and Kor had decided to keep their discovery of the real Sword of Kahless a secret). In honor of this historic discovery, Chancellor Martok outfitted the Honor Guard with full-sized modernized versions of the Sword of Kahless to distinguish them from the weapons of other warriors in the Empire. But for covert operations, tactical missions, and surgical strikes on enemies of the Empire, the Honor Guard carried smaller 3 foot long swords – small enough to be comfortably carried on the back while crawling through air-ducts, wielding disrupter rifles, or fighting in tightly confined environments. Unlike conventional Bat’leths, which are highly reflective steel blades, these Bat’leths were forged with a reflection-dampening black coating to evade shining in light when drawn from the shadows on unsuspecting enemies. Wielding these "Star Swords of Kahless," the Honor Guard struck new fear into the enemies of the Empire, honoring the great Kahless himself.

I seriously love the looks of this. 2/3 size is ok, but I'll be first in line if they make a sharp, full version. I think there are some other areas of it that can be sharpened too. It's a beautiful display piece. I've not yet actually done anything with it because it's a bit different than other martial arts weapons as far as handling. Should the zombie apocalypse happen, it's in my office where I'll be ready.

Got this for my Son who is a SUPER STAR TREK fan. Looks really nice. He's gonna love it. It's actually a little bigger than I expected. Even though it's not full size (4 ft) it's a perfect size for display.

It is a very good piece, just not as big as I hoped for... its about a 2/3 size Bat'Leth. But looks great, wields well and its very - very sharp. Looks cool too.

My wife loved this as a wall art piece. If you are a true Klingon warrior, might not be durable enough for you.

Thanks for an item that is for a toddler. Not for an adult. My mistake in that I saw you would give me a warrior’s weapon. You got my money. Enjoy it. I will will look elsewhere for a proper Bat’leth.

Its' attributes have already been most eloquently listed. It is the perfect size for human use. For me the wrapping on the handle is somewhat thin, but adequate. I'm going to add more wrapping and it will be perfect . It will be perfect to maintain the honor of my family. I most highly recommend this bat'leth. It is very sharp, and can be brought a sharper state, but there is no need.

I would like to have seen it bigger. Came with the tip damaged.