Is it bad to want a sword?

[carebear]

And that makes those "historical replicas" superior to the same sword of the same design the same bladesmiths could have made with modern metallurgy and materials exactly how?

I daresay those same bladesmiths could use a newer steel, whatever modern methods have been developed over time to save time at the forge, and a slightly more "ease of maintenance" and durability grip system and build "modern" versions that will do exactly as well in all aspects of "swordlyness" but with less time and effort and the same quality and level of craftsmanship. Probably lower cost and efficiency in large production quantities as well.

Older isn't necessarily better just because it's older. Newer doesn't necessarily mean some kind of quantitative or qualitative lessening has occured simply because it's newer.

It isn't a matter of "fixin'" anything, I fail to see where that perspective is coming from or being promoted by anyone, it's kind of a straw man.

I understand harkening back to days of yore and all that but it's an affectation when quality is truly not on the line. There's a lot of modern stuff available the Roman military would adopt in a heartbeat if you sent it back in time. They cared more for efficiency than tradition, when given the chance.

 

[kronckew]

Only bad in England, where I understand swords and sharp knives are banned without a special permit and a good reason to own one. (Collecting, or an interest in English history, are not good reasons.)

Jim

not accurate, OK to own & use on your own property, at re-enactment events, or anywhere else where a legitimate use can be established. no permits required. police frown on you carrying one in public for self defense or otherwise, burden of proof is on you that it was not for offensive purposes. use of one for self defense in the home would probably get you in trouble, but would depend on the circumstances and what sheeple process you. law is unclear & subject to interpretation. only a 3in. or under single edged non-locking folder is allowed for EDC, again, if you defend yourself with it it becomes an 'offensive' weapon. royal mail will cheerfully deliver them from overseas or internal sources.....

some of mine:



my dha's and my mainz gladius (not shown), along with a nice 19th c. pedang (also not shown) are my favourites.
my mexican machete is a bit light, ok for brush, vines but no real point and a bit too flexible.

kukhris are good general purpose weapons/tools and can approach sword-like dimensions

and a gratuitous pic of one of my dogs:
custom dane axe and a spatha shown along with my helmet & war door.


one final note: those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

Pen gun: Mightier than the sword.
Sword gun: Mightier than the pen gun...

 

[JShirley]

What exactly is a sword gun?

 

[carebear]

Picture a gun sword...

Now, real quick, flip the image.

That there is a sword gun.

 

[Cromlech]

http://www.ruble-enterprises.com/PFsword.htm

 

[White Horseradish]

Well, for a sword gun this comes to mind:

 

[geim druth]

Nice collection Kronckew, especially the longer sword 2nd from the right. Is that a dha?

Regards to everyone at the CSA consulate.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

Sword gun. Well, gunblade, actually.

(But I was quoting American Dad, really.)

 

[Cosmoline]

Older isn't necessarily better just because it's older. Newer doesn't necessarily mean some kind of quantitative or qualitative lessening has occured simply because it's newer.

True, but then again there's much to be said for the tried and tested. That tactical Gladius you cited to is a good example. The design reduces the angle of the blade at the stabbing point, which undercuts (ha ha) the main thrust (ha) of that type of blade.

 

[wolf_from_wv]

If you have no more room on your walls to put another sword, it might be bad...that you bought a house that was too small...

$22 for both at the flea market. Price indicates quality.

 

[carebear]

Just remember Cosmo, I'm the one who said it looked like a gladius to me. The maker didn't call it that. There's any number of roughly similar bladeshapes out there from numerous cultures. It might be based on one of those or it may indeed just be his own shape.

I just call "shorterish stabby-type swords" gladii because it is what pops into my head. Don't tar the guy with my misnaming.

It would be unjust.

 

[spyderdude]

If having swords is wrong, I don't wanna be right!

This was what I collected before I got into firearms.

 

[Owen]

I've been dying for a rapier for a few months now.

 

[Skofnung]

It is certainly bad for your wallet if you want a good one!
Pick a style you like and get a good one.

rbmcmjr, that espada looks truly wicked!

 

[JohnnyRockets]

Horge

Horge, Where can I get one of those?

 

[Dr.Rob]

I would rather like to have a Russian Kindjal as well as a proper pirate-y cutlass, as opposed to the costume-y one that hangs with my captains' coat.

http://www.reliks.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=1950 some are made straight like a Qama, or dare I say it? Ilbarsi Knife.

It's when you start jonesing for a SHOVEL that we worry.

http://www.spetsnaz-gru.com/spetsnaz-entrenching-shovel-1.htm

 

[Speer]

I've got a Cold Steel chisa katana. Heavy bastard, but a friggen chainsaw. Like a machete from hell. Although CQ can be uneven, resulting in some duds escaping into the market, CS and Chen make very good mass produced weapons; that is, good for the money. The higher end stuff, Albion in particular, is for the, er, "serious collector". Truly wonderful pieces, but they'll bite your wallet.

 

[horge]

JohnnyRockets,

Hi
As I PM'ed one of the mods, I got the sword from one of the myriad
roadside bladesmith/vendors in Batangas (towards Lemery/Taal).
Asking price is well inder US$20, and friendly haggling is good manners.
Ambulant vendors from Batangas do often come to Manila, but the
price then has to cover their fare to and from.

The sword is one of several traditional designs, which unfortunately go by
many different names, depending on which region of the Philippines
you ask in (I have to giggle at the mishmash of names applied by
online vendors of Philippine blades, and even by published authors)
In this case, the vendor called it a panagos, or piercer (Tagalog).
The steel, from point to at least about 5 inches, is extremely hard,
and the balance on it makes transition stikking very easy, without
detracting from slashing "weight".

Batangas province is the birthplace of the balisong, and the southwestern
part is rich with bladesmiths. However, since every tenth man seems to be
a blademaker, it can be hard finding the best of the best. Price is no guide
at all. The scabbards/sheaths also tend to be baduy or cheesy, with
a touristy "Philippines" embroidered into a leatherette skin.

The sheaths/scabbards from down in Mindanao are much more handsome,
but the blades are almost invariably POS in terms of metallurgy (see below,
a US$7 small keris from Marawi).





(I've been told that if you want pretty, go to a Muslim blademaker.
If you want a blade that means business, go talk to the Christians. )

Batangas is great for blades, coral reef snorkelling, and trekking. The people
are warm and friendly, and the carabao milk is to die for. I try to visit there
as often as I can.


horge

 

[Frog48]

I've never had any interest in swords, and like you said, I cant think of any actual use for one nowadays.

But... if you want one, by all means get one. Why? Because you can.

 

[22-rimfire]

I'd love to have a well made sword. I missed the period when you could pick up WWII Japanese swords for cheap. Now good replicas cost as much as those fine old blades did in the 1980's. Many were 500+ year old blades that were picked up during the war.

 

[Sniper X]

Actually most of the Katanas carried by Japanise officers in the war were "war swords" not made with the same type steel or with the quality anywhere near the musium peices that were used in the Samurai days. Almost all those originals not destroyed in the early days of Japan stayed in the families and are worht from thousands to millions of dollars.

 

[hso]

SniperX,

To add a little more detail, the vast majority of swords were made at the time of the war. A few, very few, family swords were remounted in field furniture for the sons of sons of samurai to carry. A very few of those were brought back to the U.S. as war trophies. My understanding is that the majority of family swords that were picked up by U.S. troops were picked up during the occupation following the war when the impoverished japanese were broken and willing to sell/trade family treasures to survive.

 

[sakimoto]

its not bad!

go ahead, buy yourself a sword, you deserve it! I have one that is homemade, and two in the making. all hand made. takes me a long time. but eventually they get done. There is a saying, "if our guns are taken away from us, can we use swords". Just a thought, rots of ruck....saki

 

[kronckew]

Nice collection Kronckew, especially the longer sword 2nd from the right. Is that a dha?

yes, that one was a bring back by a chindit. he'd picked it up from a japanese soldier who no longer needed it. we think the japanese had picked it up from a burmese who no longer needed it. the blade has silver inlays



the one on the right in my earlier post above is also a dha (burmese) or a darb (thai) but from a more tribal background, may be thai. the rounded 'point' is sharp.

this one is a bit more decorative, but still a battle blade:





staying with swords, one of the last designs to be issued was the dutch klewang cutlass which originated in the dutch east indies, now indonesia, in the early 20th c. many were captured and re-issued by the japanese when they came by, the americans also aquired them and it may be the last official US bladed weapon to be made and issued for actual use. may be referred to as the M1941. mine is made in solingen and was liberated from a german s-boot in the english channel. they are apparently still being used by the US by NCO's in naval training schools, and by a special unit in indonesia. 'cold steel' liked it so much they've made a copy & also make a longer version. (mine is one of the early non-CS originals tho)



i saw a moro gunong (also known as a punal) in it's scabbard further up, here's mine out of the scabbard. the phillipines made some of the finest laminated steel weapons of recent centuries as the US found out after we took over from the spanish...

the wavey gunong (this one is a recent mfg. & is kinda touristy, more a decorator than a user like the one just above it) can be found in heavy sword length and is then normally called a kris (they come fully waved, straight or combinations), and is a heavy slashing variant of the more delicate indonesian keris thrusting weapon. they , along with the barong, have been known to cut a man in half.

the lower dagger is indonesian, which is a whole 'nother collection.....

a good reference on moro weapons: Frederico's Moro Swords

a good general reference on ethnic swords and edged weapons: Eth. Reasearch site

p.s. - sakimoto, i spent a few weeks in japan back in the late '80's and bought a katana that had been made traditionally by a swordsmith rated as a 'national treasure' (if you have to ask how much it cost, you can't afford it) - i think there were only two smiths so rated at the time. took two weeks to get the permits to export it home, it was probably the finest weapon i'd ever own. unfortunately a burglar admired it at my ex-wifes house in phoenix, az. while i was working in saudi, so it is no longer with me.