If you were told that you could carry a sword (just one sword)what type would you carry? As for myself I would probably carry around an Atrim or something. They are light fast and cut very well. Or perhaps an Albion in house sword...
If you had to
- Thread starter Lord Soth
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Oh. I do carry a kukri as a backup weapon.
(I can get away with it because I'm a mortarman, and we have to be able to cut fields of view out to our aiming poles. Since a mortar is my primary weapon, and I also have an M4, I guess I'm in deep trouble if we get down to blade distance.)
It's here, but I've wrapped the handle and brass on the scabbard with black grip tape.
John
(I can get away with it because I'm a mortarman, and we have to be able to cut fields of view out to our aiming poles. Since a mortar is my primary weapon, and I also have an M4, I guess I'm in deep trouble if we get down to blade distance.)
It's here, but I've wrapped the handle and brass on the scabbard with black grip tape.
John
kannonfyre
Member
Roman Gladius. T'was my favourite weapon for H.A.C.A fights.
George Hill
Member
For real combat?
A simple cutlas would do me well.
Cold Steel sells one that would fit that bill.
They also sell decent Katanas. I know a Katana is the unimaginative choice... but its a solid choice due to the longer handle. I like the longer handle.
A lightsaber would be the ultimate.
A simple cutlas would do me well.
Cold Steel sells one that would fit that bill.
They also sell decent Katanas. I know a Katana is the unimaginative choice... but its a solid choice due to the longer handle. I like the longer handle.
A lightsaber would be the ultimate.
Brian Williams
Moderator Emeritus
Gladius
or something like the Sting from LOTR
The problem with Sticker vs Slashers is you need a good shield to hide behind to get up close for the thrust.
Where a slasher will allow some distance from your fellow combatant
or something like the Sting from LOTR
The problem with Sticker vs Slashers is you need a good shield to hide behind to get up close for the thrust.
Where a slasher will allow some distance from your fellow combatant
A rapier is the only sword even approaching being quick enough to thrust or slash to use in this day and age. They were being designed and used in the age of early guns and unarmored combat. A great demonstration is in the otherwise excreable movie Rob Roy wherein the villian's hired swordsman is just cutting Liam Neesons character apart with impunity until he gets too cocky and cleaved by the much slower claymore.
Speed definitely killed in swords when armor was removed from the equation and the man respected his opponent.
Speed definitely killed in swords when armor was removed from the equation and the man respected his opponent.
George Hill
Member
I liked Rob Roy. One of my favorite films.
And Liam did use a Claymore, he used a typical Scottish Broadsword.
And Liam did use a Claymore, he used a typical Scottish Broadsword.
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/paradoxes.html
Check this out Boats. The rapier is great but not always great.
Check this out Boats. The rapier is great but not always great.
George Hill
Member
If the rapier was so good... why did the US Cavalry, Napolean's Cavalry, Army and Marine Officers - from around the world, Etc, etc, etc... move to Sabers?
Sir Galahad
member
1796 Light Cavalry Saber. Or a Gladius.
George Hill
Member
Tamara
Senior Member
An Atrim what? He's a full line maker, right?
Wilhelm
Member
I have a gorgeous spatha that is my primary hand to hand weapon.
Wilhelm
Wilhelm
Gray_Fallen
Member
I'm very surprised - everyone is mentioning classical sword styles, I may have missed it, but I didnt see anyone mention a single modern sword or sword maker like Steve Ryan, Jerry Hossom, David Winch, Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works, Barry Dawson, or even Wally Hayes.
Okay, yes, some of those guys use classical patterns, but they update them to work for today.
Personally I'd go with one from either Jerry Hossom, or Laci Szabo.
I think Jerry has forgotten more about balance, edge geometry, and steel qualities as it pertains to modern swords than any of us are going to hope to know. He makes some really nice pieces, that can be had just about anyway you desire them and would be right at home on the modern battlefield. Check him out, www.hossom.com and www.BladeArt.com also carries a lot of his stuff.
Szabo doesnt make his own stuff, he designs it and has custom makers make it - and he makes some really nice pieces, radical but nice, serious, fighting cutlery. His Modern Gladius is a really nice looking piece,b ut I would probably go with the All American (Not the All American II), as it is a simpler shape, very straightforward and would be easy to handle, for utility and killing. (Its a sword - dont mince words.)
His site is www.szaboinc.com
Modern steels, modern materials, modern ideas of close quarter warfare, modern design concepts. Modern swords all the way - please.
Okay, yes, some of those guys use classical patterns, but they update them to work for today.
Personally I'd go with one from either Jerry Hossom, or Laci Szabo.
I think Jerry has forgotten more about balance, edge geometry, and steel qualities as it pertains to modern swords than any of us are going to hope to know. He makes some really nice pieces, that can be had just about anyway you desire them and would be right at home on the modern battlefield. Check him out, www.hossom.com and www.BladeArt.com also carries a lot of his stuff.
Szabo doesnt make his own stuff, he designs it and has custom makers make it - and he makes some really nice pieces, radical but nice, serious, fighting cutlery. His Modern Gladius is a really nice looking piece,b ut I would probably go with the All American (Not the All American II), as it is a simpler shape, very straightforward and would be easy to handle, for utility and killing. (Its a sword - dont mince words.)
His site is www.szaboinc.com
Modern steels, modern materials, modern ideas of close quarter warfare, modern design concepts. Modern swords all the way - please.
Tamara
Senior Member
I was unaware that folks had grown harder to cut in the last few hundred years.
Gray_Fallen
Member
Nooo - they havent. Methods of building edged weapons, and the materials to do so, has increased greatly however - and there are different considerations in modern warfare than in warfare 3 or 4 hundred years ago that need to be taken into account. And modern makers/designers do take such things into account.
Gray_Fallen
Member
Correct me if I am wrong - but I didnt believe swords were meant for cutting through steel armor in the first place.
There are different sword styles, with different missions. Some blades are designed specifically to penetrate armor. I have a "Ganga Ram Special" kukri that is modeled after very old kuks...designed to chop through armor.
The POINT, though, is that protective gear today is less resistant to sharps than that of yesteryear (since modern armor is designed to defeat lightweight ballistic threats, whereas old armor was designed to protect against sharps).
John
The POINT, though, is that protective gear today is less resistant to sharps than that of yesteryear (since modern armor is designed to defeat lightweight ballistic threats, whereas old armor was designed to protect against sharps).
John
Sir Galahad
member
I have a raven's beak war hammer that would deal quite nicely with steel armor. 
But it's not a sword.
I heard about a recent, huge one-sided melee in the Congo where one tribe decided to get rid of "those others" once and for all and wiped out a thousand with just spears, bow and arrows, machetes, and a handful of guns in just a couple days. That's just machetes. In edged weapons over knife length, the modern casualty tally is swinging hard (if you'll pardon the pun) in favor of the machete. Spears are still killing plenty of people each year in Africa, but that's a pole weapon. These weapons, the machetes, spears and also the bows and arrows are made from materials (such as scrap iron and hoe handles and native woods) on hand, of which there is plenty. Seems the Carter Center for Peace can get nations in Africa to give up their firearms, but all that darn scrap metal laying all over the place is just too hard to get rid of.
But it's not a sword. I heard about a recent, huge one-sided melee in the Congo where one tribe decided to get rid of "those others" once and for all and wiped out a thousand with just spears, bow and arrows, machetes, and a handful of guns in just a couple days. That's just machetes. In edged weapons over knife length, the modern casualty tally is swinging hard (if you'll pardon the pun) in favor of the machete. Spears are still killing plenty of people each year in Africa, but that's a pole weapon. These weapons, the machetes, spears and also the bows and arrows are made from materials (such as scrap iron and hoe handles and native woods) on hand, of which there is plenty. Seems the Carter Center for Peace can get nations in Africa to give up their firearms, but all that darn scrap metal laying all over the place is just too hard to get rid of.
JShirley, what I also find interesting is that body armor which can stop certain bullets is poor against knife (and almost surely sword) thrusts. Kind of odd isn't it... Amazing what one can learn on the Discovery Channel...
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