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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 22:27:21 GMT
Hey, I'm looking for a hand and a half sword. I have a couple Windlass sword but thier blades are too whippy by far for my taste. I really like the cold steel hand-and-a-half but I dont know if thier swords are any good. I know thier knives are wonderful but I dont know about the swords. They're a little steep anyway. I'm looking for and extremely tough beater with a very stiff blade but I dont know any. Also (if possible) id like it if the balance point is close to the hilt but this isnt too much of a problem since I take them apart and customize them half the time anyway. I dont make the blades though so I've got to buy that.
Anybody have a suggestion???
(That was offely long-winded for that simple question)
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 22:32:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 22:41:37 GMT
thanks hey whaddaya know about hanwei, and the Tinker line???
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 22:44:53 GMT
I have a Hanwei/Tinker Norman that is sharp. For its Oakshotte category (type X, and type Xs are supposed to be flexible for cutting) it is stiff. I don't know how the other swords in that line are, but I have heard good things about them. You can purchase the bare blades if you want to make a hilt for yourself.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Oct 7, 2009 23:10:34 GMT
The Hanwei Tinker line swords are very good from what I've seen. they have their issues as do all swords but I think the bastard sword or longsword might be something you like. they will likely be stiffer than your Windlass swords depending on which Windlass swords you have. which do you have by the way? that will help us know just how stiff you are looking for.
The Valiant Armory or Hanwei/Tinker sworsd might make you very happy as both brands are excellent sword but maybe you want something stiffer like a Gen2 or DSA?
what swords do you have that are too whippy for you? what do you expect from your sword? how stiff should it be?
if you want the most stiff and the most tough look at GEN2 and DSA swords.
if you just want a really good sword look at Valiant Armory and Hanwei/Tinker
take a close look at my recent hanwei/Tinker bastard sword review and you'll see a spot in one video where I cut through a 2 by 6 I was using as a table top for my cutting stand for bottles. it went through the board effortlessly. I barely even noticed.
I also chopped a brick with my Hanwei Tinker Early Medieval Single Handed Sword (EMSHS) with no damage to the sword. reports I'm hearing about the rest of the H/T line suggest they are all extremely good swords with only a few minor problems.
my Valiant Armory Practical Long sword has easily cut through double rolls of tatami on bamboo cores and triple rolls of tatami and my VA practical Arming sword shows similar levels of performance.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 23:18:48 GMT
I was thinkin maybe Hanwei's antiqued hand and a half never had a hanwei though
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 23:24:34 GMT
ive heard that DSA swords are extremely tough
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 23:36:00 GMT
if I can ever get the money id really love to get a gen2 black prince ive heard they're about the toughest hand and a half swords you can get
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 23:38:35 GMT
DSA and Generation 2 swords are the most durable. Hanwei and Valiant armoury PRACTICAL and SIGNATURE lines are good performers, but not quite as durable. Hanwei has a little more durability than the VA practical and signature lines. I don't want to sound misleading because I do not own any swords from Generation 2 or from DSA, but everyone that owns them says that they are extremely tough. I do own a Hanwei (the norman) and a Valiant armory practical longsword. I know that my Norman is tough because I have struck my cutting stand and knocked it over without damaging the sword. I have my doubts about the VA longsword, but I have batted bottles and it hasn't been damaged YET. However, the VA longsword performs very well and is paper cutting sharp. So I think that it really depends on what you want. DSA swords are not very sharp from what I hear (they are blunt, but you can pay for a sharpening service, which isn't very good from what I have seen in reviews). Generation 2 offers a lifetime warranty on their swords and they come sharp (once again, from what I have heard in reviews and from owners). Please don't make any decisions based on what I said. I only own the Hanwei Norman and Valiant Armory practical longsword, so everything else that I said is from observing.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 23:57:57 GMT
thanks a lot I think ill try to get the money to get a gen2 black prince
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Oct 8, 2009 0:35:08 GMT
One thing I'd mention, springboarding off Tom K and Jonathon's comments, is that Valiant Armoury sort-of has has "pre-Suttles" and "with Suttles" lines. Sonny Suttles, who I believe purchased VA in 2006 (or so), has really made some great moves by getting input from Gus Trim and Christian Fletcher---these are the blades, from the Practical and Signature lines, that we're all rah-rah about.
From what I've read, the pre-Suttles range of Valiant Armoury swords ran to heavy, plain, and very loose of historical interpretation. I have no experience with them, and probably never will. This is not a slam on VA, because I'm really enthusiastic about the new directions VA is going in. I only mention this because there are still some of the old line VA swords at vendors, priced appropriately, and I wanted to make sure you knew the distinction between VA now and VA then.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2009 0:48:28 GMT
VA swords are gorgeous blades but they're a little steep for me. To me a sword is only as beautiful as it is functional, and if it has extra little bits of detail, so be but it doesnt matter if it doesnt perform equally as well. however, I am speaking only from view as ive never owned a VA sword.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Oct 8, 2009 2:07:03 GMT
snip! To me a sword is only as beautiful as it is functional, and if it has extra little bits of detail, so be but it doesnt matter if it doesnt perform equally as well. snip! I entirely agree----I went with the VA AT303S, the sharp arming sword, in plain jane configuration. It's got a beauty to it, but a spare, utilitarian beauty. (I'm not trying to talk you out of the Gen 2, I've read good things about them.)
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2009 2:13:44 GMT
I would go for a DSA if your looking for stiffness I have their Black knight I havent gotten around to sharpening it yet but I have managed to put it through its paces and it is a stiff and it is tough as nails the con is that when its that tuff it is pretty darn heavy but if your like me you might just enjoy that heavy weight
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2009 2:38:36 GMT
stiff doesn't necessarily mean good or strong, just FYI.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Oct 8, 2009 3:34:20 GMT
that which bends needs not break, that which flexes need not bend.
I would (and have) hit my VA at304 on all sorts of hard targets including a steel dumbell (accidentally!) and it has not suffered at all. yes it's pretty flexible but flexible in a good way. European swords should flex. people forget that katana are the only swords that should be as stiff as a katana. entirely different swords and entirely different reasons and ideas behind them.
thrusting swords tend to be stiffer than cutting swords, so the Hanwei Tinker line longsword should be stiffer than the AT304, I know the H/T bastard sword is stiffer than the AT304. the 304 cuts better though.
also to note: like Valiant Armory has good lines and bad so does Hanwei. with Hanwei Euro swords I only like the Tinker line. if Tinker isn't in the name and Hanwei is I say don't buy it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2009 3:55:19 GMT
yeah here here
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2009 4:09:18 GMT
For a stiff blade, nothing beats DSA...but that comes at a pretty high price in other category.
Gen 2 black prince is also pretty stiff and it does have a really close PoB...but there are quite a few thing that are kinda annoying about it.
The hanwei tinker bastard sword and longsword both have very stiff blade for nice stabbing and has close PoB as well. These are probably the best bet for a good stiff blade and still not give up on other aspects of a sword without spending too much money.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2009 15:10:58 GMT
If you're looking for a sword that's built tough, and can take a beating and come back begging for more, DSA and Gen2 are your best bets. DSA swords, however, run around the same price range as the VA Practicals, and they tend to be a lot heavier. While in some models, the weight and balance comes out alright, it's still a really heavy sword.
I own their Medieval Knight. I love it, and it does it's job without a single complaint. The new peened pommels are nice, as I don't have to worry about tightening up my fittings after a few swings. However, DSAs ship blunt unless you get the sharpening service, which isn't that great. Because of how hard the blades are, they're a semprini to sharpen, but hold an edge pretty well once you get it put there. Considering both them and the Gen2 swords are at the same pricepoint as the Valiant Practicals, you'd probably be better off going that direction for a good, solid sword. And if you talk to Sonny, he may be able to do a regrip on it for not a whole lot more than the cost of the sword to begin with. Check with him about custimization if the 303 or 304 don't suit your tastes off the bat.
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Post by shadowhowler on Oct 8, 2009 18:32:46 GMT
stiff doesn't necessarily mean good or strong, just FYI. Thats what she said...
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