Cut or thrust what's your favorite sword pattern

not2sharp

not2sharp

Platinum Member
Joined
Jun 29, 1999
Messages
19,876
Swords come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some are little more than large knives, while other military swords are so large and heavy that they can barely be handled while on foot. So tell us which do you like?

 
Being Asian, I'm probably a little biased towards oriental swords
biggrin.gif
In all seriousness though, I seem to prefer curved blades like the scimitar, katana, and Chinese broad sword. I'm more partial to cutting than thrusting, and my preferences reflect that. I like the various straight edged swords as well, but, as with on women, curves just seem to really do it for me
biggrin.gif


------------------
Simon Yu

"I look at it this way. If things get much worse I'll be too dead to care."
 
I like 19th century short swords. They represent a compromise between weapons and tools and come in a seemingly endless variety of forms. The creativity set free by the power of industrialization can clearly be seen in these pieces.

Some are tools of the hunt, others are large camp knives for 19th century combat engineers, and many more were personal weapons of last resort.

They were a last harah for edge weapondry just before the modern battlefield eliminated them all together.

 
I agree with Simon - curves are the way to go.
There are some excellent straight swords, and one - the British 1908 pattern - is a superb fighting weapon - but it just don't look right.



------------------
"..it is foolishness and endless trouble to cast a
stone at every dog that barks at you.."
 
I think there is a misconception here about sword weights and uses. A lot of this comes from misrepresentation from movies, books and a general public being misled to thinking a sword should feel and work like a modern fencing foil. "Wallhangers" being made by some companies that are nothing more than slabs of bar stock with pretty hilts...and feeling very "dead" in the process.

Now I am not pointing fingers at anyone..this last observation coming from some early "Toledo" wallhangers that were becoming available in the early 1970s gave many people the wrong ideas. Unfortunately, some are still around or being made.

When you look at actual weights...a single handed Medieval sword weighed between 1 1/2 to 2 pounds with the balance of blade and hilt that makes it very much "alive" in the hand. You do not want a sword so "hilt heavy" the blade feels "whippy" and yet not so blade "heavy" it like swinging a bar. There is a fine line and why the best swords came from the master smiths who made the customwork. Why many mass produced weapons for armies had to make a choice and sometimes...well.

Hand and a half swords weigh abit more and the Claymore with its 38 - 42 inch blade/14-16 inch long hilt would weight about 5 or abit less. By no means something you can "barely" lift! I am 5' 6" and have a mid 11th ce Viking sword that Kirby made for me based on an actual piece found in a Viking Age Finnish Woman's grave....I can handle it very well.

Jogging or Running is very hard at first when you start. Going to a gym and using the light weights will feel like a ton at first until you start to work out more. Not using a sword or weilding it will feel awkward and heavy ...no matter what it is it ....at first.

I invite you to get a copy of Ewart Oakshotte's "Archeaology of Weapons". He writes very well and speaks on this subject that will enlighten.

You can get this as a reprint from Barns and Noble.com for about $10 now.



 
Laurie Wise, Welcome to the forums and I appreciate the recommendation and will check out that book. Good to see you here!

G2

oh and Cut would be my favourite...for now anyways.

------------------
"The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions!"
Take the time to read your Bible Now, don't be left behind...

G2 LeatherWorks
 
Laurie,

Welcome to the forums.

Oakeshott's book is excellent (especially got a kick out of the Ubbi character in chapter 9 - talk about a real Conan the Barbarian).

You might also want to read Richard Burton's "The Book of The Sword"

Both, are basic references for anybody who is into swords.
 
Thank you for the "welcomes" and glad to see the Bladeforum has a "Swordforum" now.

I have Burton's book somewhere and have to find it. Have not read it in awhile but remember it was pretty good. Oakshotte is 'the' basic excellent reference though and his writings on Swords stand up very well since his first printing in 1960.

Come on over to NetSword sometime and sit awhile.
 
Good info for this sword newbie, thank you very much.

Right now, based on what I would like to have, it would be wakazashi/katana and sabres.

Also, welcome to BF and to the Sword Forum, Laurie.

Harry
 
Laurie-Welcome aboard

------------------
The thorn stands to defend the Rose, yet it is peaceful and does not seek conflict
 
Don't forget Oakeshotts other book - the Sword in the Age of Chivalry.
He also wrote a series of books for young readers about mediaeval European weapons and armour which are excellent reading for someone new to the field.



------------------
"..it is foolishness and endless trouble to cast a
stone at every dog that barks at you.."
 
Got that one too! And I think it might be in reprint. Another good one is Hilda Ellis Davidson's "The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England" and I think this one is in reprint as well.
 
Though I don't specifically have a favorite pattern, the sword that I practice with is a Hartsfield Katana.
 
That is a bit like saying "pick your favorite firearm." Different designs serve very different purposes.

For utility, I like the Kopi/Machaira/Kukri designs.

For a long blade, the Katana reigns, as it is probably the best sword design overall.

My favorite short sword is the Gladius, which is very efficient and deadly, just like the Legionnaires who used them.

But the absolute best is the "Kris blade Dragon Slayer" from SMKW. This sword is the equivalent of the "nine inch double-barbed Rambotron Ninja deathmaster" that is so popular with 11 year olds and hicks around the world.
 
I am holding out for the Survival version of the Rambotron Ninja Deathmonger. I'm sure that SMKW will get one sooner rather than later.

 
I personally love the Scottish claymore. Granted this sword is large and cumbersome, but the romance around the pattern and the time used is enough for me. It also helps that my family still carries its clan name and my some of my family still holds the family lands. I have a family heirloom passed down the line to me that has the typical forward swept guard with the quillons. The blade shows signs of wear and age and is the most prized possesion I own.
 

The two handed Claymore need not be cumbersome and they really are not.

As with most swords, these were made for the clansman who was to wield it originally. When you grip close to the guard, a well made Claymore is suprisingly very "uncumbersome" and with both hands very "handy" indeed.

There has been some missconceptions about Great swords in general. About two months ago, on "A&E" there was a series of shows about Arms and Armour from Great Britain. One dealt with how the Great Swords were used going by some surviving "Schools of Fence" manuscripts/drawings of the time. By pieceing together a form of exercises based on these....the swordsmen found the use very swift and agile. Nothing like previous thought.

These Claymores would have been practised with by their owners until they too could feel very comfortable with them. Considering some of the feuds, raiding and fighting the English, Swordplay was a serious art. Not all would have been masters, of course, but most Highlanders would have had a passing familiarity with their weapons.

Many of these later became "Bearing Swords" for Clan Chiefs while far more were cutdown to make the blades for the later Beaknose Baskethilts or early Ribbon Baskethilted broadswords.

To have one intact like yours would be a prized heirloom.



[This message has been edited by Laurie Wise (edited 08-12-2000).]
 
I have a basket hilt also, however its condition is very poor due to it being misused by some of the family. As for the claymore being cumbersome I am used to practicing with straight bladed boken. Plus as you said the sword was made for a specific clansman. Still it is a truly beautiful sword.

------------------
SSgt Christopher Wardlow
USAF Security Forces
425th ABS Izmir Turkey
 
I just wanted to reinforce what Laurie said. As someone who is using the historic manuals to recreate Medieval fighting arts, I can say that hand and a half and two handed swords are much handier than most people realize. Most weigh between 3 1/2 to 5 pounds. The heavier two handers that were in vogue in the Renaissance were a bit heavier though. Medieval swordsmanship is much more fluid than movies would have you believe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top