The best long blade / sword discussed

Minuteman · Dec 4, 2014

The other day, I had a very interesting discussion with a fellow MDS member and friend. He gave me some great advice, and changed my thinking on this subject in many ways.

Question: What's the ultimate sword for actual, modern combat?

Here's one opinion, what's yours?

bbrown · Dec 4, 2014

Katana for actual combat, without a doubt.

Minuteman · Dec 4, 2014

That's what I originally thought too. And what lead me to wanting to explore this question further. I think the legend of the Katana exceeds it's actual application as a fighting blade. Simply put, there are better swords, that don't enjoy the same hype.

Check this contest out:

joppaj · Dec 4, 2014

Since I have no training, I'll be swinging the sword like a baseball bat if it's a two handed hilt. I'll need a heavy blade. Maybe a cutlasses/ boarding cutlass style, good for one handed fighting up close.

GHETTO BLASTER · Dec 4, 2014

Oldie but a goodie, the gladius made with modern materials would be quick and stabby.I also like the idea of a tomahawk or war hammer. I think in modern times with our total lack of honor quick fluid strikes would be most effective.

budman93 · Dec 4, 2014

Minuteman said:
Check this contest out:

Wow, that was really freaking boring.

DC-W · Dec 4, 2014

I'd have to go with the Longsword. Despite my lack of training, I can almost guarantee I'd be pretty deadly with it.

It's got good reach, is bladed on both sides (sorry Katana), and allows the use of both hands for increased leverage. All good things for a noob.
Regardless, training and stamina take precedent.

I'd rather have a spear or partisan over a sword, but that's not an option in this thread

That video above is really awesome.
I've grown a liking to this guy's channel.

wrc · Dec 4, 2014

Smallsword. Plate armor is out of fashion.

navyis2 · Dec 4, 2014

http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/rodent-rucki-cg/

INMY01TA · Dec 4, 2014

bbrown said:
Katana for actual combat, without a doubt.

This.

lilgibby · Dec 4, 2014

Katana without a doubt. limited training with it as a young teen when i trained in Japanese jujutsu (before learning to box and train in bjj) We had to practice with them to attain our next belt along with a bunch of other weapons. But ill never forget slicing those bamboo mat things and the power i felt in doing so. Its without a doubt an eloquent blade at the least.

AntiGun · Dec 4, 2014

Machetes have been used effectively in Africa. There are whole villages that attest to this.

Roneut · Dec 4, 2014

wrc said:
Smallsword. Plate armor is out of fashion.

Good point. Most swords in Europe from the Early Middle Ages onward were fought with by people in some kind of armor, though from I think the 1400s onward you do see manuals (Fior di Battaglia, Meyer and a few other German ones) where men fight with longswords and no armor, usually for judicial duels. Around this time you start to see split in martial styles between military sword fighting and civilian sword fighting. In the latter, the smaller faster sword was what seemed to grow out of that.

Honestly though, I think it boils down to the right tool for the job, both for the situation and the type of fighter you are. If I had a crowd of people after me in mostly open space, I'd go with a longsword or better yet, a Montante. For one on one, a small fast rapier.

alucard0822 · Dec 4, 2014

for a duel or fencing, IMO Basket hilt claymore backed by a parrying dagger, a little shorter and broader than a rapier, a heavier refinement of the smallsword, better defense than most any European or Asian sword, more options on offense, one of the last swords designed to primarily combat another sword on foot. Add a firearm to the mix though, and anything larger than an OKC3s just uses space that could hold ammo

wrc · Dec 4, 2014

navyis2 said:
http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/rodent-rucki-cg/

Oh, nice. Glad to see they're still in business, I haven't looked them up in years.

To be my idea of perfect, as sort of a cut-and-occasional-thrust weapon (like a wakizashi), I'd like the blade to be 18-20" ... but 15" is still good. This is in a good steel, so all the better.

GUNSnROTORS · Dec 4, 2014

alucard0822 said:
for a duel or fencing, IMO Basket hilt claymore backed by a parrying dagger, a little shorter and broader than a rapier, better defense, more options on offense, one of the last swords designed to primarily combat another sword on foot.

Nice choice.

Good points on the importance of reach, Minuteman. The story (true I believe) of Abe Lincoln's duel comes to mind.

In honor of the movie Rob Roy (playing right now on Dish) I'll go with a Basket Hilt Claymore, as well.

Any other time it would be a forged folded katana and a sake daru.

alucard0822 · Dec 4, 2014

GUNSnROTORS said:
Nice choice.

Good points on the importance of reach, Minuteman. The story (true I believe) of Abe Lincoln's duel comes to mind.

In honor of the movie Rob Roy (playing right now on Dish) I'll go with a Basket Hilt Claymore, as well.

Any other time it would be a forged folded katana and a sake daru.

Impossible to argue against Liam Neeson's choice in swords. Jedi master, Lion king of Narnia, taught Batman, Obi Wan and Darth Vader how to fight, Leads the A-team, punches wolves, and he's M-Fing Zeus.

I love Katanas, took a class to learn to use one, own a decent one, but they are more specialized and limited than most would admit. The Samurai used bows, spears and polearms long before they would draw their Katana, even then it was designed to defeat armored samurai on foot, and was on the loosing side plenty of times aggainst fast unarmored opponents usually armed with shorter swords or other blunt and edged weapons.

wrc · Dec 4, 2014

glistam said:
Good point. Most swords in Europe from the Early Middle Ages onward were fought with by people in some kind of armor, though from I think the 1400s onward you do see manuals (Fior di Battaglia, Meyer and a few other German ones) where men fight with longswords and no armor, usually for judicial duels. Around this time you start to see split in martial styles between military sword fighting and civilian sword fighting. In the latter, the smaller faster sword was what seemed to grow out of that.

Honestly though, I think it boils down to the right tool for the job, both for the situation and the type of fighter you are. If I had a crowd of people after me in mostly open space, I'd go with a longsword or better yet, a Montante. For one on one, a small fast rapier.

I quoted in full because these are good points.

I'd like to build on this, though. You see the duel/military sword split happen, and that begins the decline of military sword use. Civilian sword use continues, both for dueling and self defense. As gunpowder technology appears, the use of the sword (and spear, and bow...) in battle is a dead end.

However, the use of a sword by "gentlemen" continues. One man can't field a continuous volley of shot. But, one man can hold a dingy inn hallway, or an alley, or a corridor behind the baths with a sword.

Now that "swordfighting" morphs into duels and self defense in the 17th century, the weapon changes to the circumstance. No one is wearing armor. Impromptu fights happen in dark, relatively confined places, not battlefields. It is hard to swing a sword in a room, and it is hard to defend against a band of club-wielding thieves with a long weapon. Thus we get the rapier and then the smallsword. There's the idea of a "threat cone" and "standoff distance" involved, but I don't want to get too boring.

Many here justly love katanas. Consider, though: Even in Japan, the wakizashi was used over the katana in street fighting. It's just more handy. The katana is a weapon for the battlefield.

I've watched some awesome Kendo. I've seen what I would swear is just not possible. Still, I would never, never ever use a katana in a world of 8' ceilings and 3' hallways.

joppaj · Dec 4, 2014

wrc said:
Still, I would never, never ever use a katana in a world of 8' ceilings and 3' hallways.

That was part of my thinking when I answered as well.

DC-W · Dec 4, 2014

alucard0822 said:
Impossible to argue against Liam Neeson's choice in swords. Jedi master, Lion king of Narnia, taught Batman, Obi Wan and Darth Vader how to fight, Leads the A-team, punches wolves, and he's M-Fing Zeus.

He's also a hypocritical liberal anti-gun dweeb.

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