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Author Topic: My first sword  (Read 5105 times)

Stand_watie

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My first sword
« on: March 18, 2006, 06:15:10 PM »
I bought an Indian sword today at the gunshow. I thought it would make a nice wallhanger. I was standing there pondering whether I should throw 25 bucks on a piece of decoration for my wall when a young fellow (about 12) behind the table piped up "Make me an offer, mister". Hey, how can I resist that? 20 bucks later (I assured the little guy that he'd be a millionaire by the time he was his dad's age) I'm on my way out of the gun show with my new sword and a lovely green velvet scabbord. I'm sure it would be no good in a genuine battle, and the handgrip is obviously designed for people with much smaller hands than me (I can only get three fingers through it), I suppose Indian hands are smaller, but I think it will go well on the wall above my new Duke print.

Anybody have good display suggestions as to the best way to hang this that will show it off at it's nicest profile? I'd like the blade to show, but then again, the scabbord is really pretty.


Incidentally, did you know that even (some) 35 year men, when they buy their first sword get the difficult-to-resist impulse to try it out in the parking lot on a bush? Fortunately I resisted, or you'd be seeing me on cops, but there's something about 36 inches of shiny steel that make you want to hop around and shout 'h'yaahhhh!!!' while chopping something. Maybe I've read too much Tolkien and that's just me. Never mind that part. I'll probably break something here in the house before the evening is through though.
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Azrael256

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My first sword
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2006, 07:05:56 PM »
Sounds like a good deal to me.  I do recall the chop something impulse.  Mine was a few branches from a cedar tree.

I have always liked to display edged weapons either on some kind of sheild (preferably with a coat of arms), or just plainly on the wall horizontally.  With European style swords, you can get away with vertical, especially if you have a whole bunch of them laid in an arc with the points all pointed at the same spot or the blades crossed.  I would go with a couple of nails, maybe period style (or that looks period...  some period other than right now will do.  Think rough, iron, and square.).  You'll need several more to make it look right.  A lone sword can only hang on the wall by itself if you've spent your life laying low your foes with it and have now retired.  By the way, swords are an addiction, too.
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Tallpine

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My first sword
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2006, 07:16:22 AM »
What does one have to spend to actually buy a usable sword?  (not that I would know how to use it anyway)

I've heard that most "decorative" swords will break off at the grip if you actually try to chop anything with it.
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Werewolf

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My first sword
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2006, 07:32:04 AM »
Quote from: Tallpine
What does one have to spend to actually buy a usable sword?  (not that I would know how to use it anyway)

I've heard that most "decorative" swords will break off at the grip if you actually try to chop anything with it.
I've looked into this (on the internet) - about 2 years ago so I don't remember the manufacturers.

Weapon's grade swords will run from $300 to well into the thousands. European style weapons grade i.e. broadswords, long swords, rapiers, bastard blades, claymore's etc are the least expensive while the oriental blades are the most. I do remember that Cold Steel offers a variety of weapons grade (so they say) European style swords starting in the low 200's. I wouldn't trust their oriental blades though - just my opinion.

A genuine Samurai blade made in the heyday of the art (about 1200 AD thru 1650 AD) can run from 4 or 5 thousand all the way up to the hundreds of thousands of dollars and are as good today as the day they were made.

Many will disagree but I consider the samurai swords (kitanas, tanto's etc) the finest blades ever made. It could take up to a year to make one what with the constant folding, hammering and refolding. Then when the blade was done putting a variable temper on it. Pure works of 100% functional art.
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My first sword
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2006, 07:33:30 AM »
Stand_waite- Congrats on your purchase! I don't want to discourage you, but I would have safety concerns with cutting anything with a display piece. They are generally not made from the best steel and can easily break, injuring your or bystanders.

Tallpine- The minimum normally starts at $200, with the Paul Chen Practical Katana.
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Werewolf

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My first sword
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2006, 07:37:53 AM »
Quote
Tallpine- The minimum normally starts at $200, with the Paul Chen Practical Katana.
FWIW it is my understanding that the Paul Chen blades are really just practice blades and are designed to do the cutting exercises. Blade on Blade I've read that they don't stand up to the beating very well.
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Trebor

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My first sword
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2006, 11:41:51 AM »
There's a good discussion on buying quality swords at, of places, THR. Look in the Non-Firearms weapons forum. Lot's of great advice there. I'm too lazy to go there and get the URL and post a link. You can find it easily yourself.
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Strings

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My first sword
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2006, 01:15:14 PM »
There's also a LOT of misinformation out there about "combat capable" swords, especially as pertains to the Japanese blades. And the variances in fighting styles for different blades can make for different potential weaknesses. Ferinstance, I have a
"decorative" rapier that is perfectly tempered, with a narrow tang. In a broadsword, I'd be leary of breaking off the hilt, but the style of combat the rapier was designed for would be fine with this piece...
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Silver Bullet

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My first sword
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2006, 04:01:36 PM »
From a standpoint of looks, I kinda like the American Civil War officer swords.
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Strings

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My first sword
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2006, 04:16:25 PM »
>From a standpoint of looks, I kinda like the American Civil War officer swords<

I have to think you haven't seen some of the classical rapiers out there then... Arms & Armor
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Harold Tuttle

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My first sword
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2006, 03:26:06 AM »
most of the gun show stuff comes from India:
http://www.deepeeka.com/store/comersus_listCategoriesAndProducts.asp?idCategory=27

i bought this one many years ago:
http://www.deepeeka.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=3249

after some time with Mr Arc Welder, it now has a solid hilt
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RaggedClaws

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My first sword
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2006, 07:00:24 AM »
I'm a big fan of European swords, from the knightly sidearms to cavalry sabres.  I own a number of antiques and reproductions and I studied historical fencing for a few years.  

The biggest thing to keep in mind when looking for a "real" sword is to AVOID STAINLESS STEEL.  Stainless steel is far too brittle for a sword, and a sword (or sword-like-object) made out of stainless steel will definitely fracture when you hit something with it.  A real sword needs to bend and flex.

You can get a nice Del Tin or Cold Steel for around $300 unless the prices have risen greatly in the last couple of years.  For that price, you can often find an actual late 19th century or early 20th century military sabre.  Just make sure that it is not dress blade, which are usually slimmer, more flimsy, and chromed.
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Guest

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My first sword
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2006, 07:07:10 AM »


 Hi'Yaaahhh! Smiley
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Strings

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My first sword
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2006, 07:10:50 AM »
>The biggest thing to keep in mind when looking for a "real" sword is to AVOID STAINLESS STEEL.<

that's gonna kind of depend on the stainless you're talking about, what it's Rockwell is, and a host of other things...

 For a LONG time (may even still do it), many knife makers talked about their great "440C, high carbon steel". Problem: the "C" stands for "chromium", and there's 0 carbon in the stuff. Even brought a chcmical analysis into a local cutlery shop, to prove my contention...
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My first sword
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2006, 07:49:03 AM »
This web site says that there is about .95-1.20% carbon in 440C.

 "Grade 440C is capable of attaining, after heat treatment, the highest strength, hardness and wear resistance of all the stainless alloys. Its very high carbon content is responsible for these characteristics, which make 440C particularly suited to such applications as ball bearings and valve parts."
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Strings

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My first sword
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2006, 09:34:25 AM »
funny... the stuff we ordered (which is where I got the chemical analysis) listed everything down to the fraction of a percent, and carbon never showed...

 'Course, that COULD mean that 440C means different things from different companies.

 And, although not good for swords, a WONDERFUL steel for knives is D2. Bear in mind, it starts life at a Rockwell harder than most steels AFTER tempering (and, as a result, is an absolute bear to work with)...
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Guest

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My first sword
« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2006, 11:56:49 AM »
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S. Williamson

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My first sword
« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2006, 04:27:55 PM »
I've always wanted a Himalayan Imports kukri. Smiley



Their 18" WW2 model.

As for swords, though... Tongue



The Cold Steel Chinese War sword. Cheesy
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Harold Tuttle

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My first sword
« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2006, 06:47:52 PM »
the HI Himalayan  Katana is a nice price for some serious steel

i love my Uncle Bill special WWII Khuk
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brimic

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My first sword
« Reply #19 on: March 21, 2006, 12:15:10 AM »
I saw a short show about this company: http://www.albion-swords.com/  on TV one morning. It showed how they made swords from start to finish, how they tempered them and tested them. One of the craftsmen demonstrated the temper of the blade, by putting the tip of a blade in a vise and bending the blade in nearly a circle.  They also tested a blade by taking a overhead chop at the lip of an open steel 55 gallon drum where the sword cleaved about 6 inches into the drum. Neat stuff.

Cheap swords breaking off ar the hilt? One of my college roommates bought a katana- I think he said he paid $250-300 for it. We we screwing around with it one day chopping pumpkins, full soda cans,  and other assorted crap with it. On probably about the 6th swing the sword had taken, the blade broke off about 4" from the hilt and went flinging dangerously and almost hit another roommate. Total POS.
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RaggedClaws

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My first sword
« Reply #20 on: March 21, 2006, 04:08:20 AM »
Those Albion swords are beautiful works of art.  I've seen and handled them firsthand and if I had the money and didn't already own all of the swords I wanted, I would buy one in any instant.  I have purchased Del Tin swords from Albion Armorers in the past (I'm not sure if they are a Del Tin distributor anymore) and their customer service is top-notch.
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