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Post by genocideseth on Aug 23, 2009 22:47:52 GMT
Yea, it is all technique. A curved blade may be more beginner friendly. But depends on geometry as well, as Kenyon said. I had a katana that cut worse than almost any straight bladed sword and required a lot of technique, as it had horrible geometry.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2009 22:48:58 GMT
I'm still sticking with the flanged mace in a clip holder. I wouldn't use the ring because of how hard it is to draw quickly. But I think I like bloodwraith's survival knife/shortsword as my knife in an armpit sheath. I would sharpen the back edge for the first inch or 2 from the point for stabbing, but would otherwise not change it. Beautiful piece.
Sure, my mace will give up a lot of reach vs a sword or a pipe or a crow-bar, but it's FAST and Devastating. And by the time I am using it instead of my 1911, I will have taken the time and opportunity to make a shield. Using which, I can reach my preferred combat range easily vs a human. And it doesn't take a very big or heavy shield to give me a major advantage over the untrained (so I don't need my coffin shield; a center-grip kite or round will do fine).
The knife will serve as hunting tool until it serves to craft hunting tools (snares, spears, javelins, bow and arrows).
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2009 22:52:22 GMT
And just for kicks, you can have a pro build you a fully-formed spear base for the blade, with metal fittings, in case you really want to have one available in the event of a complete reversion of society to medieval technology. You'll be ahead of the game! If you're going that way, have your scabbard designed to be a spear haft. Just take the scabbard off your waste, flip the sword around, lock it in place however it's designed to be done, and you have a short spear. When you need to travel or just done need the spear, take it apart and sheath the sword in its "haft." It's modern materials that make this an excellent choice.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2009 23:08:13 GMT
Taran, what exactly is a clip holder? I know that is sounds self-explanatory, but I'm not sure how it works other than it clips the mace in place. That would definately be a better idea than having a ring, and it would make drawing the mace about as fast as drawing a sword or a knife, correct? I also like the idea of clipping the scabbard onto the sword and turning it into a spear. Ancient, I must thank you for posting this thread, because it has quickly become one of the most educating threads I have encountered so far.
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Post by genocideseth on Aug 23, 2009 23:10:51 GMT
I agree with Kenyon. I learned quite a bit.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2009 23:15:31 GMT
Think a spring-loaded vice that doesn't close all the way and has a curved inner face. hmmm, let me seeif I can find a pic. I'm pretty sure I can find a pic of a plastic one, but plastic only lasts so long. The metal, spring-loaded clips hold more securely, last longer and can be made by hand as long as you know how to make a spring... hmmm, my google-fu is weak... This is the best I can do:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2009 23:18:24 GMT
I have the general idea now. So it basically holds the weapon in place once you push the handle into the clip, but to draw the weapon all you have to do is pull it free?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2009 23:44:00 GMT
If you're going that way, have your scabbard designed to be a spear haft. Just take the scabbard off your waste, flip the sword around, lock it in place however it's designed to be done, and you have a short spear. When you need to travel or just done need the spear, take it apart and sheath the sword in its "haft." It's modern materials that make this an excellent choice. That's so awesome. You have my love forever, for coming up with such a gimmicky concept. And yes, yes, yes, I fully concede the viability of a mace in the role of survival sidearm. Especially with a carry method suitable for rapid deployment. Regarding the clip holder, I can see that working if it's constructed right and is strapped at an angle across the back. As you pulled the handle forward over your shoulder, it would lever the rest of the weapon out of its clips and launch it right into a down-stroke at your target. Rar. Kenyon and Seth, you are quite welcome, and I'm right there with you. I've gone from Know-Nothing to Internet Expert in 11 pages flat. In fact, I'm prepared to call my original question just about answered. This thread is eleven pages long at this point, and a pretty definitive treatment of the subject, if I may say so. Only one other concern comes to mind, and it was brought up in the knife discussion: construction of the hilt. Now, in knives, a riveted or injection molded handle is done and done as far as I'm concerned. I have no desire to take apart my knife, really. As long as the concealed portions of the tang are safe from corrosion or degradation, I'm happy to have a permanently installed handle. On my sword, though, I like the idea that it should be disassembleable. It's going to be a tactical sword, facing a rough existence in a survival situation. I like the idea that I should be able to strip it down to bare metal, make sure everything's ok, clean and polish or remove rust as necessary, and also replace the grip if it should break. I understand that with modern materials like Micarta, this is an extremely remote eventuality, but the sword handle is a lot longer than the knife handle and subject to different stresses. Finally, there is the versatility aspect of a blade that I can make into a spear. (Call me crazy, but I'm just loving that.) So assuming we do want the hilt to be modular, and we want to be able to take it apart and put it together in the field, how shall it be constructed? Assuming we don't want to use screws, from which the heads and threads can be stripped over time by use or disaster. Not one to ask questions without offering ideas, I offer the following: a wrapped hilt. Innovative, no? But seriously. Wraps are strong. (Consider the wraps that they wrap around concrete bridge supports, which hold the shattered concrete together after an earthquake until the repair crews can bolster and replace it.) So you make it like a tsuka, with the possible exception that the two halves are sandwich buns on a wide tang (as in the tactical swords) or that only one of the two halves molds around the tang. Whatever works best. Furthermore, the components of the handle are construct of modern materials, and the pins which pass through the tang are integral to one of the two halves. So you mate one grip to the other through the tang, and then just wrap it up in a binding of your choice. It would be tedious to disassemble (and even moreso to reassemble), but it would be simple and robust, and unlike screws, this a wrap is easily replaceable with whatever cordage or tough fabric you can find. Thoughts? Critiques? Better ideas? IS there a way around using screws in a disassembleable hilt?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 0:06:43 GMT
If you're going that way, have your scabbard designed to be a spear haft. Just take the scabbard off your waste, flip the sword around, lock it in place however it's designed to be done, and you have a short spear. When you need to travel or just done need the spear, take it apart and sheath the sword in its "haft." It's modern materials that make this an excellent choice. That's so awesome. You have my love forever, for coming up with such a gimmicky concept. What? You never did that as a kid with your toy swords? What's wrong with you? anyway... Well, if you use a mace, you have the same end as an axe... Not that you would really want to take it apart unless replacing the haft, of course... I would actually clip my mace on my left hip for an upward diagonal first strike, like a sword. It leaves my back clear to hold my pack for gathering useful stuff I find or for carrying my gear when I am moving my camp. For added security, when I don't expect combat, I can tie my mace to my side in case of clip failure (which should be pretty remote if the clip is constructed correctly, but the clip will eventually fail). Then I am relying on my knife/shortsword in an emergency, until I can untie my mace.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 0:09:25 GMT
Thoughts? Critiques? Better ideas? IS there a way around using screws in a disassembleable hilt? As I understand it, a traditionally constructed katana used pins to hold the grip pieces to the tang. Even on a knife, pins would be acceptable, so long as you had a way to keep the pins from falling out. Like a wrap that passed through a hole in the pin...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 0:18:16 GMT
"Why yes, my sword is held together with cotter pins. Why do you ask?"
The problem with pins that protrude is that they interfere with your group. You don't want to gouge your hands as you hold tight or slide up and down the hilt. If the pins are internal, though, and only serve to keep the basic position of the slabs, while a wrap provides the force that binds everything together, it makes for a uniform surface with decent friction.
Unless there's a better way...
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Post by genocideseth on Aug 24, 2009 0:54:28 GMT
I never had that problem with a katana. But I never repeatedly used on for survival either.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 3:23:26 GMT
Wrap the wrap to the same or higher level than the pins' end. Isn't that what they do with katanas?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 3:47:29 GMT
did i say starlust?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 4:07:27 GMT
Dang this topic is spreading like wildfire!
Alright, since I cant have everything I want for every situation, I'll take a good falcata, as the point has been brought up that I can fashion a spear, bow, and shield later on.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 5:13:07 GMT
That's quite a blade, Phillip. Wild.
Yes it is, Kajim, thanks to some tender ministrations. Duly noted on the falcata, by the way. Any particular reason you favor that design?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 6:20:04 GMT
To me it came down to Falcata and Ox Tail Dao. If I had to cut through anything other than flesh in a pinch, I trust the durability of the Falcata more for "when an emergency demands that you cut, chop, or pierce through something in short order, with no time to properly employ your knife and baton technique." It seems to me that it's small enough, and can be drawn quick enough against most adversaries to make an effective weapon against much in the "out of ammo" situation, it seems durable enough to take a bit of abuse, and in the zombie scenario, I trust it's head-busting capabilities. The Ox Tail strikes me as a bit more of a delicate weapon, one that I think I could sheer flesh easier with, but more likely to take serious damage in the afore mentioned emergency situation. So long as I can craft a shield at some later date, the Falcata is the Survival Sword for me.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 20:24:06 GMT
For indestructible handles that's what I do: I take thick leather or wood an cut out the form of my handle in a micarta scale type. But instead of pinning them to the tang, I wrap the tang + leather scales with tape and then I put a cord wrap with a leather cover over it. I have NEVER had one of these handles break, shift or damage in any way. And they are as comfortabe as any wooden handle with a leather cover. If I wanted to protect the tang I'd wrap it in a water proof sheet and then I'd put the handle over it. If I have to remove those handles to make that kind of spear I can take the whole handle apart without problems. If you keep everything clean you can remake the handle again using the same materials. If you get the whole thing dirty you might have to exchange the tape with a new one but tape really doesn't take much room in our survival bag so I can take some with me.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 20:38:37 GMT
Outstanding, chenessfan. Good to know I'm not completely off base.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 21:19:45 GMT
Wow, a lot happened on this thread this weekend I did not have time to login until now. I couldn't find my nice drawing of a Chinese Ripping Sword I had done years ago with an IBM mainframe graphics program that I was good at, so I did this drawing in Paint, which I am NOT good at, but at least everybody will be able to see that this is quite a bit different than a hook sword, and much more tactically applicable, since it always has available edges and points at ANY distance. And while having a shield in one hand is a tried and proven method, I think a second weapon is even better This is my first time using PhotoBucket, so I hope this link works <a href="http://s640.photobucket.com/albums/uu124/swordspeedster/?action=view¤t=ChineseRippingSword.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu124/swordspeedster/ChineseRippingSword.jpg" border="0" alt="Chinese Ripping Sword"></a>
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