The best long blade / sword discussed

[wrc]

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

I got the cold steel "1917 Cutlass" as a gift. It is pretty nice! But, like most Cold Steel products it is way, way heavier than it needs to be.

It is a cut-and-thrust sword like you mentioned in your original post. It has a 25" blade, so it is relatively short. It is a "mere" 34oz. You feel that weight when you move it.

In a hallway, it is awful. It is too heavy to be fast on the thrust. The blade geometry works for thrusting, but it isn't "fast". Fast is what you need for a thrust.

And when you swing it (much like a bat =) ), you are telegraphing like mad. In tight quarters, you can't get velocity early to make it count if you get rushed.

If they made the blade 22" long, and 12oz lighter, it would be damn good. But, CS really goes for the "can I pry manhole covers up with this??" market, maybe because overbuilding with inexpensive steel means they need less QA to put out a product that doesn't break.

 

[Minuteman]

I just discovered that you can order this 1917 sword and others from Walmart.

Much can be said about the last evolutions of any weapon that was actually being used/developed for combat. I believe the last true production sword for combat was very similar to the 1917, but straighter, and intended more for stabbing than slashing. Stabbing was determined to be much more effective than slashing; then came firearms which made most every other weapon obsolete. http://humanevents.com/2011/02/15/t...-weapons-combat-separating-myth-from-reality/

I watched a very interesting military training video, it was the US military bayonet training course. Much different and much better bayonet training than I received in Army basic training.

Also agree, that length matters more for dueling or combat outside; neither is likely in these times. So a short sword or large/long knife is superior.

No country continues development of swords for combat, they are now only ceremonial. However the tomahawk has evolved and truly been fielded in large numbers across the military, but it's role is more multipurpose. Also, looking at current military issue knives reveal common features that would serve any camper/hiker/outdoorsman very well. But that could be a different thread.

 

[EODJoe]

For the last ten years before I retired from the military I always carried a tomahawk. It was small enough to not get in the way and had multiple uses. Very good at breaking windows and interior doors on occasion as well as giving me a warm fuzzy as a possible last ditch weapon. The spike on the back of the head could work its way through cinder block (or mud walls) to make observation holes in a fairly short amount of time. I have also seen a kukri carried and used quite effectively as well as being a devastating close combat edged weapon in the right hands.

 

[WeaponsCollector]

I'm a big fan of Badger swords made by Badger Blades, they're the guys at the Renn Fest who like to chop up steel anvils and concrete. The swords are as indestructible as you can get and they are even bullet proof!
If you need to chop a car in half and deflect bullets, this is the sword for you.

 

[Fox123]

http://www.coldsteel.com/Product/88CLMS/COLICHEMARDE_SWORD.aspx

/thread

 

[bbrown]

Those demonstrations are pretty impressive. Is there one demonstrating how well the Badger blades recover from being bent over a mandrel like was done in proofing British bayonets (those marked with the big X bending proof mark)?

 

[Half-cocked]

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

There were whole villages... but yes. A lot of dead Tutsis can attest to that.

 

[Second Amendment]

I've been wanting a sword. Where does one purchase one? And what would I expect to pay for a decent one?

 

[Doctor_M]

Sabre or basket-hilt... not as fast as a rapier, but better able to defend against a more meaty weapon.

That being said... the real answer is AK-47.

 

[AntiGun]

Sabre or basket-hilt... not as fast as a rapier, but better able to defend against a more meaty weapon.

That being said... the real answer is AK-47.

with bayonet

 

[BradMacc82]

Sabre or basket-hilt... not as fast as a rapier, but better able to defend against a more meaty weapon.

That being said... the real answer is AK-47.

with bayonet

Garand has a longer bayonet, and better range.

 

[Fox123]

Colichemarde, has the thrusting precision of the rapier, and the strength enough to parry off heavier slashing weapons.

Plus it was the sword of Washington.

 

[Fox123]

Garand has a longer bayonet, and better range.

Mosin

 

[BradMacc82]

Mosin

I was waiting on who would offer that counter.

Probably the better tool for the job. It's a rifle, a spear, a bludgeoning tool - all in one package.

 

[Huckleberry]

Give it a good edge and you're GTG.

Short, Folds compactly for ease of carry

Saved many a Grunt's life

 

[Huckleberry]

2nd Choice would be a kukri preferably with a Gurkha attached to watch my back

 

[WeaponsCollector]

Those demonstrations are pretty impressive. Is there one demonstrating how well the Badger blades recover from being bent over a mandrel like was done in proofing British bayonets (those marked with the big X bending proof mark)?

Part of their demonstration includes bending the blade to a nearly 90 degree angle around a pole, they can't be broken and spring right back after being bent.

 

[cow goes mooo]

 

[llkoolkeg]

Interesting videos and they all have their, ahem, points. As many different bladed weapons as I have, I actually do not possess the one sword that I personally think would be most useful to me in the widest range of circumstances...a tactical(not tacticool) ko-katana of ~22"-24" blade length made of L6 bainite steel as forged by Howard Clark. Why? Because it would be FOR ME the best all-arounder and would not be overly deficient in any one area.

The problem with most of these "contests" is there are suppositions and rules attached to them. A real fight is dirty and without boundaries or referees. I mostly own traditional blades made of traditional materials in the traditional configurations save the use of very modern steels. To my knowledge, the best modern swordsmith and best modern sword material is Howard Clark's L6 bainite steel. Why a ko-katana instead of a regular katana or wakazashi? A ko-katana has a full-sized guard or tsuba, a full-sized handle or tsuka, a full-length tang for strength, balance and leverage yet a blade that is shorter but no less powerful than a full-length(~28"-30" cutting edge) katana, which is impractical in tight quarters. I would use a combination of traditional and modern materials to dress the blade based on their strength, durability and resistance to bad weather conditions.

But they lack the reach of the longsword or rapier! Yes, but they parry better with the thick spine, cut better with the heavily-supported and weightier curved edge and they have WAY more leverage as a two-handed weapon. Real rule-less sword-fights were not the back-n-forth elegant swashbuckling duels you see Errol Flynn involved in. They were quick, dirty, underhanded and bloody affairs. The ability to surprise, trip-up, throw-off-balance, drive into poor footing or confined area and overwhelmingly overpower had far more to do with your success than an extra foot of length on your quick but whippy straight one-hander with a nice guard. Ko-katana are able to be used effectively with either one or two hands as the situation demanded, thrust and penetrate well, cut and slash amazingly and are able to be used in tight quarters without being too heavy or slow.

If I had to pick a one-handed-only sword, I'd probably have a nice 1860 heavy cavalry sword forged for me but they are just too long, slow and open-field dependent compared to a ko-katana. Rapiers and colichemarde offer a pretty good compromise between cutting and thrusting weapons but I prefer a more powerful curved blade and would take an arab scimitar over one of those any day...even over say a Scots basket-hilt. Keep this in mind- you are trying to trick, scare or blitz your opponent into stepping, slipping or falling backwards into a limiting, disadvantageous position where he can be quickly cut down before he has a chance to cut you. The longer a blade fight goes, the less chance you have of surviving it before bleeding out. You need to feint, attack ferociously and disallow your opponent any opportunity to strike back because any hit can be disabling if it hits an extremity or vital area.

I'm no licensed bladed-combat expert or veteran but have a good bit of experience with swords and enjoy cutting various things with them. My opinion is just that...and nothing more.

 

[Brychan]

Outside in the open a bastard sword, inside a good dagger.