A Question of Swords

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I own a couple. Do I think of them as serious self defense weapons, no not really. That's what my 1911 is for. But I have studied their proper use, and capabilities.

While at the Shot Show I had the pleasure of interviewing Sword Maker Tinker Pearce, and Blade Smith Juan Ortiz. I wrote up a piece on my blog if anyone is interested, "A Sword in the Hand." It really is an interesting discussion.

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
 
I have a bunch of belt swords that I need to work out with once I'm comfortably ensconced in a place of my own. They're "real" enough.
 
My kid brother brought me back a tulwar from Afghanistan,And I have the sword my grandfather recieved upon graduation from Annapolis in 1911.I also have a nice repro of a CSA artillary sword that everyone mistakes for a Gladius Iberius,and my personel favorite an NCO 's cutlass,pattern of 1860.Several Thomas Hawks,and throwing knives,with a coupla crossbows in cas I run outta bullets for my Trapdoors.Though,that's highly unlikely,as I've just finished loading 177 .45-70's.
 
Accidental double post, but it gives me a chance to give some (possibly) useful info, instead of just a snarky comment, as with my previous post.

My favorite swords are double-edged short swords. Probably the best example out there is the gladius. A sword of this size is small enough to keep around, yet big enough to be effective. If guns went away, I would keep my qama close by.

The other "sword" that I consider practical is the kukri. Just about any size is available, and they carry well. The Gurkhas have shown that a kukri can be part of one's daily kit. I personally like a plastic sheath with a partially open front and a snap and strap across the spine of the blade, near the handle, to hold it in place. The kukri is better than most swords as a tool for doing work, while maintaining its usefulness as a weapon. I remember watching a construction worker in Mendocino County, CA using a kukri as a drawknife for shaving a long pole. Try that with a double-edged sword.

All my best,
Dirty Bob
 
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Yeah, I carried a lighter model HI kuk (a 19" Chitlangi whose handle I wrapped in black grip tape) in the field at Fort Lewis. We were supposed to carry a machete as part of our gear, to clear lanes for our sight poles...
 
I have some. It isn't a heavy collecting focus, and they'd be a weapon of convenience or last resort, at most.

In addition to the random militaria, my family has accumulated a small hoard of U.S. military swords, sabers and cutlasses over the years. People often don't realize these are real swords with real steel, not fantasy sword trash. They do not have a sharpened blade, but do come to a sharpened point that could run through an attacking animal. It's a shame that modern standard Army sabers use a plastic handle; some of the vintage sabers are really extraordinary works of art.
 
I wasted money on two "battle ready" swords 9 years ago. For the price of both of those, which was $150 each, I could have gotten two SKS rifles or a pistol or something else useful in 1999....

Their 'best' use in 9 years was questionable but cool bachelor pad wall ornaments.

Now they sit, spotted with rust, and completely useless.

They are sharp, durable and nice, but have no use. They really need to be sharpened and polished to remove the surface rust.

I'll sell 'em to you if you're interested!
 
I have about 40 decorator items that could be confused with swords, about ten swords that look like decorator items, and four swords that are obviously nothing but swords. Couple of Paul Chens, couple of adequate chinese copies of japanese blades.
 
Dirty Bob & Others, what sort of swords are out there commercially, of usable quality, which are like a gladius (short-ish and 2-edged), but have a long enough handle to get two hands on (at least 9-10", but preferably 12"+)?
 
They are sharp, durable and nice, but have no use.
Click to expand...

But then again, neither do 99.9999999999999% of people's home defense rifles, home defense shotguns, home defense handguns, CQB/"fighting"/"battle" rifles, tactical/sniper rifles, etc., etc. :)

I think the use is the same as a home defense gun. In the event you are too groggy and/or adrenaline-pumped to figure out where your gun & ammo is and point and pull a trigger, grabbing a contact weapon and swinging may be your first instinctual (and correct and effective) reaction to an immediate threat upon wakening. I have a short sword (Cheness ko-katana) and a British model 1907 bayo in the bedroom for just such purpose. The sword is also a decorative item. And they make better conversation pieces than guns when talking to a somewhat-anti-gun person. And, you can take them out in the yard and USE them, or "play with them", unlike a gun, by slice up some mats or water bottles or whathaveyou. One of the best $200s I've ever spent was on the Cheness. And if you keep it lubed/protected, it will not rust and will stay looking great.
 
I have a couple. My favorite is a Mineral Mountain Hatchetworks kindjahl a ladyfriend gave me as a gift in the mid-1990's. If I were going to go after somebody with a blade, this'd be my first pick.
The other is a Paul Chen tai chi sword, the straight type not the saber, that I picked up very cheaply. I don't do tai chi, but my little girl loves Disney's Mulan; the main characters use very similar swords. So it hangs on the wall in her room. We get it down once in a while, usually after a viewing of the movie, and she brandishes it.
 
a couple. a Blackjack Knives "Black Panga" (not sure if it counts as a knife or a shortsword), a Bark River Knife and Tool blade that I guess would be a small saber or cutlass, a Naval Cutlass and a Naval Dirk by Cold Steel. along with 5 Cold Steel machetes (heavy, light, kopis, short and long sax), a Cold Steel Rifleman's Hawk, a mace, and some other blunt stuff.

and a wakizashi and a ninja-to, both pretty much showpieces.
 
I've had three.
I currently have none, but there are a couple Del Tin's on my wishlist. One of them will have to be re-hilted to get what I want but I still think that would be easier than going the custom route.
 
i have one, but it is really not for defense. i have guns for defense. why bring a knife (although, it is a BIG knife) to a gun fight?
 
Swords

I had to get one when the forced me into that half-stripe between the two full ones. Not that the one with a sword knot on it would be dangerous to much more than cake . . .

Wound up with a heirloom piece through absurdly complicated 9read relatives & family), USN sabre probably from inter-war period, as it is a mix of brass for brightworks but a soligen-marked blade. Might suffice if one needed to recreate a Sand Pebbles boarding scenario (straight cut-n-thrust 1852 model just not a first choice).

Have a nice Paul Chen katana, along with a very cheap claymore knock-off (which will stay polished just long enough for kilt-wearing occassions).

Hve debated halberd versus naginata--either are moot until I have a stable income again.
 
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