Review - Castille Armory Sparring Jian

The Specs

• Overall length: 96.7cm
• Blade Length: 80cm (From rear of guard)
• PoB: 12cm (From rear of guard)
• Weight: 829g
• Flex weight: 7.65kg (F3)
• Tipping: Rolled (Optional selection)

Tl;dr A very premium sparring jian, with a premium price to match.

Rating: 4.5/5

Balance and Handling:

The first thing I noticed was the blade’s presence in the swing, in a good way. This jian feels like a Qing era jian, handling like many of the antiques I’ve handled from the late Qing Dyanasty. Dominant in the cut, with an agile tip, very capable of being used for both cut dominant and thrust dominant styles. But enough inertia and presence near the guard to not be bullied in the parry, or bind.

It weighs 829g and the PoB is at a close 12cm, but that also accounts for the longer than typical blade compared to antique jian of the era, and some sparring jian, especially wood. The Castille Armory website lists the blade length as 74.4cm long, which appareas to be measured incorrectly from the front of the guard, and specifically states ‘While both blade variants are of common profile, we added 2 inches to the overall length to adjust for the size of the modern practitioner.’ While I don’t agree with the logic (there’s nothing about modern people that determines whether the blade balances and handles based on their height), it is the approximate length that modern steel sparring jian seem to have settled on so it is compatible without giving an advantage or disadvantage based upon length and weight.

B&H: 4.75/5

Construction:

The blade is made from carbon steel (likely 5160 like many of Castille’s sword blades), and has a rolled tip (ordered by email request, for an additional cost). It has a slight concave construction, almost impossible to see in photos, but it goes the full length of the blade and is very gradual. It has both profile and distal taper. This gives it a much wider edge than expected for its weight.

The tang is very solid, with multiple rounded steps down from the shoulders to the tang, which is further reinforced in a three plate construction. Going all the way to the end before smoothly transitioning into an M6 threaded tang for the pommel nut to screw down onto.

The guard is made of hardened 4130 carbon steel. I requested a custom antiqued bronzed finish, which I wish that my photos did justice (I am not a great photographer). It looks incredible in person. It did cost substantially more (100 USD on top) but it’s not required and is purely an aesthetic choice. This one was the “Cloud” design (Yunzhi) option which was a common design in antiques, and is my preferred aesthetic style. Castille does have a second option which will appeal to others, they call it the Bat style, but more resembles the lotus style guards in antiques.

The pommel is made from the same steel and is fastened with a closed cap nut that is inset into the pommel. They all have the custom bronzed finish.

The grip will definitely be a devisive feature for many people. It’s made out of PLA plastic, but is heavily contoured. The grip is particularly rough in the hand, and feels very similar to rayskin. I personally quite like this grip, especially when training and work up a sweat. And when sparring, I’m wearing a glove and don’t really notice it. But many people don’t like roughness of rayskin, and those people will most likely not like this grip. However the size and shape is fantastic. At this price point, something like a wooden grip, with a traditional wrap would have been nice, but overall, this is a working and training tool. Plus plastic doesn’t expand or shrink with humidity changes when shipped around the world.

On flex, I selected the F3 flex and it weighs in at 6.60kg of flex from the pommel on a zeroed set of scales. Which is very comfortable when being thrust by it. It also flexes smoothly through the last 2/3rds of the blade, and has a rigid forte, which is good for parrying. And the blade doesn’t seem to wobble around when swung.

Overall, the construction and fit is very very good, the tolerances are tight, and go together well. In conclusion, put together very well, and with loctite on the threads, doesn’t loosen up.

Construction: 5/5

Aesthetics:

This is a very very attractive jian, and one of the only Cloud/Yunzhi style guards available on the market. However, the standard finish is a bit plain and boring, with a dull finish. However, with the bronzing, this jian pops and is easily my favourite sparring jian aesthetically. Going from the reactions of people when they see it in person, I’m not alone in this opinion.

It’s also good to see having proper ferrule’s between the guard and the grip, as well as on the pommel. They were almost universally present on period jian, and while it’s easier to construct a jian without them, they assist in keeping all the parts in place, so they don’t come loose. The attention to detail, while still being functional is very reminiscent of the aesthetic style in many jian of the late Qing and Republican eras.

Sparring Performance:

I’ve used this jian for approximately 2 hours of sparring, on top of 4 hours of contact drills, with parry riposte. And selected drills that would also be fairly rough on the sword to put it through its paces. The plastic tip that came with the jian didn’t fit well on the sword, frequently catching on my opponent’s blade and being pulled off the sword causing stoppages until I sat down and put the regular leather tipping on instead.

The guard (after some deliberately targeted strikes for testing) has only the most minor cosmetic scrapes, and in comparison to photos from an associate who has been using them regularly for over a year, minimal damage to the guard occurs over time. This is extremely well put together, and while it’s an inevitability that dents and scrapes will happen, the design and hardening of the guard lead to long term durability in sparring.

I found that due to the shape, my hand (and glove) was more protected than usual, and the clear bell-like ring when the guard was hit made it obvious when the guard was taking the hit and doing its job. It performed incredibly well in sparring.

I tend to have a thrust orientated style of jianfa, and the tip was very agile and able to be put on line and thrusts landed very easily and accurately. And feedback from my sparring partners was that it felt more nimble and agile to face against compared to my previous/current sparring jian. Personally, it did feel like I was able to move my hand, escaping it a bit faster than I was used to, but not so much that it changed how I fight in a noticable manner, or that it gave me an advantage compared to my opponent’s weapon, or my other jian. Throwing cuts felt quick and esay, with presence in the cut when parried, or in a bind. Like all flat bladed sparring jian, it is impossible to use techniques that require the central ridge, or the rigidity of an real jian, but that is a minor issue compared to the safety of training partners. Overall, pretty much a perfect sparring jian for someone who likes their jian to handle a bit closer to late Qing era, compared to Republican era, while still having a comparable reach to the current standard lengths of sparring jian. Too great a reach advantage or disadvantage, while period accurate in some ways, definitely influences the way people train.

Sparring Rating: 4.8/5

Price:

The price is definitely the largest obstacle for this jian. In sparring selections (HEMA/SCA C&T 26mm blade with F3 flex) it comes to $540 USD plus $60 USD for a rolled tip so $600 USD total. Plus shipping. For international buyers, you will have to pay shipping twice (once to a US based shipping service, then international shipping on top). Castille Armory does do semi-regular sales, for example Black Friday sales, etc. My recommendation is to wait for a sale and purchase it then.

That said, for the price, you get a very premium product, and a fantastic jian. However, it’s definitely for someone who is very serious about their practice and knows that they will get plenty of sparring out of it to make it a worthwhile expenditure. At the end of the day, it is the most expensive option on the market, and that prevents getting a great mark on price.

Price: 3/5

Overall Thoughts:

For a very long time Castille’s jian had been the only sparring safe steel jian on the market (the occasional competitor popped up and stopped offering jian) and the price was a major barrier to getting it, because to use it in sparring in CMA, you needed to buy at least 2. With the growing number of cheaper options out there, it makes the Castille a more viable option for people who want a premium sparring jian.

It holds up fantastically, looks incredible, handles like a real jian, and is everything I have wanted in a sparring jian. However, it would be nice if the Rolled Tip (or a spatulated tip, like is offered on many of their other swords) was available directly on the website. Having to email and have a separate invoice and payment to get the rolled tip (especially at $60 USD on top of an already expensive sword) was rough. Especially when other swords have an $11 USD spatulated tip option. As someone who worked in digital marketing for a while, minimising the effort the customer has to go through to actually purchase what they want is always a good thing.

The Cloud guard is fantastic, and very protective, although with gloves could have been closer to the deeper Ace of Spades guard that would provide extra hand protection, but at 4cm of depth, provides substantially more protection than others on the market.

This jian will be getting a lot of use in sparring, competition and training. And I highly recommend it if money is no object, or you’re looking for something that is more premium than your existing swords, and your club is already on steel.