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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Dec 16, 2009 23:45:09 GMT
the most powerful one handed cutter I own right now is probably my MHAT XII with the CF/AT Antioch very close behind. that 1557 though refuses to be ignored, it can cut amazingly well for its size and type. it is a lot faster than the other two but does lack some of their power.
I tend to think a big type XIIIb or Xa/XI could be amazingly powerful cutters.
then of course there's things like falchions and Tulwars, and katana can be used one handed and I hear they cut pretty well. TFW has a War Golok that looks like a one handed execution sword, I bet that critter could cut like mad. it's really hard to say what the most potent is but there certainly are some mean cutting swords running around in history.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2009 23:45:42 GMT
I don't have much personal experience, but I agree with Ebon.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2009 0:14:52 GMT
I think it's always going to be based as much on the individual weilding the sword as it is about the sword itself. For me, lighter swords cut better than heavier ones. But for someone who's bigger and stronger, a heavier sword will probably cut better. other than that, which summarizes the point of this thread, I would guess the falcata because they were designed to me an axe with a handle, so I would guess they could smash (I don't know in what way you mean by "potent" but I would guess it means that it would deliver the most devastating blow) through stuff most swords would just cower at, of course, if handled properly.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2009 2:52:13 GMT
Hey Tom, I'm an idiot, and I don't know what MHAT stands for, would you enlighten me?
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Dec 17, 2009 13:00:10 GMT
MHAT= Mike Harris Angus Trim which means Shooter Mike took an old ATrim 1429 and reshaped it into a type XII with custom hilting. it's the single hander I used to cut through the tatami on bamboo that left the top standing twice, and I've also cut through a triple roll of Mugen Dachi tatami with it. so yeah, it has some serious power. and it still moves well too ;D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2009 16:09:46 GMT
Aha, now I know! Thanks.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2009 20:11:12 GMT
Whichever one you know how to use? What if I don't know how to use any sword? Or if, alternatively, I know how to use all of them?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2009 20:29:51 GMT
I should've known someone would do it. If you don't know how to use a sword then asking a question like this is rather ridiculous, why? He doesn't actually define what he means by potent and has used it incorrectly. If you don't know how to use a sword how do you define what you actually mean? I can think of a number of definitions for potent.
If you know how to use all of them you are a bloody liar because there are too many swords from too many cultures that would take you several lifetimes to learn how to use.
Ultimately it comes down to what you know, also the definition of single handed is extremely broad.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2009 20:42:35 GMT
Well, BW, I don't think it impossible to learn something from every sword culture that we have record of...of course, this doesn't speak to proficiency. I have allowed even myself to get button-holed into thinking that a certain way is the ONLY way to go about things, whether it is swords or business or life in general. We should not be too quick to judge simply based on historical precedent- even back then they had to allow for the odd prodigy who could pick up any weapon and wield it reasonably well from a simple understanding of the intent.
To answer Anders' question, if you don't know how to use a sword, THAT should be your first order of business because there's just no way for you to quantify which would be best if you have no experience at all.
Having said what I said before, I won't lie to you- I'd be inclined to think you were a bloody liar too if you were to tell me you knew how to use any and every sword ever made....if only because some swords we barely know the provenance on, let alone how it was wielded- most of what we 'know' is by the efforts of others, research, research, research and of course, cataloguing.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2009 20:42:40 GMT
Whichever one you know how to use? What if I don't know how to use any sword? Or if, alternatively, I know how to use all of them? Then I guess the answers would be: None All ;D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2009 21:30:31 GMT
I should've known someone would do it. If you don't know how to use a sword then asking a question like this is rather ridiculous, why? He doesn't actually define what he means by potent and has used it incorrectly. If you don't know how to use a sword how do you define what you actually mean? I can think of a number of definitions for potent. Given the context, I would assume the definition here would be: "most potent as in delivering the best cuts provided the user does not know what he or she is doing." Put another way, which sword delivers the best cuts as a result of its physical properties? I think that's a valid enough topic for discussion. I meant it as a hypothetical scenario, no need to take it literally. In a sense, it's the same question as the one above: can we evaluate the performance of a sword while assuming that the skill of the wielder is not a factor? Then I guess the answers would be: None All ;D In other words, you are claiming that all swords are equal in performance. But if that is true, why do we have such huge variation of swords?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2009 22:08:48 GMT
The reason the skill of the wielder is so important is because different swords require different body mechanics in order to cut with more efficiency or to cut well at all. It's not that one sword is inferior and therefore requires skill to compensate. The skill and knowledge is required to simply understand how the sword should be used. This applies to all swords.
If someone has virtually no knowledge of how to use a sword they will likely swing it like a baseball bat. I've seen this many times. Will the sword cut well when used improperly like this? Not likely. It will certainly not cut as well as it was designed to cut.
The point is that if you have no knowledge of how the sword should be used than you will likely use it improperly. How would this demonstrate the swords cutting potential? It's not being used in the manner in which it was engineered to be used.
So here's a wanky example, read slowly and it might make sense.
If I ask you "What is better in a racing car, an automatic transmission or a manual?" The answer is manual right? but that requires training. So to truly decide which one is better we'll take the driver out of the equation and just ask, "which is better when used by someone with no training such as yours truly?" Well I don't drive a stick so it would have to be the manual. (Or if our driver had never driven at all, the automatic would still be far easier) Now we know that an automatic transmission is best for racing, right? Because it's better than a manual when skill is not evaluated. But all we've done is measured the manual out of it's context. We've evaluated it in a manner it was never meant to be evaluated in. Does that give us a truly accurate image of these two machines? Not at all!
I hate trying to write an argument on a forum like this. It's so dang hard to get anything to make sense! It's so much easier in person.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2009 0:21:42 GMT
Then I guess the answers would be: None All ;D In other words, you are claiming that all swords are equal in performance. But if that is true, why do we have such huge variation of swords? Nope. Wasn't saying that at all. My answer was tongue in cheek. But let's look it more deeply... If you have no skill in swords, none of them will be potent. A SLO or an Albion will make no real difference to you. You suck. If you are skilled enough to use all swords equally then you can turn the biggest POS into an extremely potent weapon. Albion or SLO is as deadly in your hands. You are a death machine no matter what you are using.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2009 0:46:44 GMT
I'll stick to my Jian and Dao. Why do I consider these swords "potent"? They are what I know (in a rough estimation of the term, as i am but a student not a master) how to use. Simple as that.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2009 9:52:22 GMT
light saber
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2009 16:28:01 GMT
Just can't help yourself, can you?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2009 21:50:36 GMT
For me, it'd would probably be a shaska. I like how it was designed to deepen the cut when you pulled it free.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2009 13:46:33 GMT
Whichever one you happen to be on the receiving end of.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Dec 19, 2009 15:14:47 GMT
M28 to answer that one I think more information about head shape would be needed. they are impact weapons; if their weight, balance, and length are the same they will hit with very nearly the same force. the only deciding factor then will be how effectively the head concentrates that force and how well the shaft material transmits or absorbs it.
if I had to make a choice I would vote for the flanged mace if it has a steel shaft as some did. because I think the steel/iron shaft will absorb less of the impact force than wood and because steel is denser the head of the mace would be smaller and therefor concentrate the force to a greater degree but this is all guesstimation.
I do own a Windlas flanged German Mace and I can tell you it is a fearsome weapon. if I'm wearing any kind of armor I'd rather be hit by a sword anyday, even one that I have sharpened than that mace.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2009 15:50:21 GMT
Mace is probably one of the most lethal weapons to a man in armour because you can stove parts of the armour in locking your opponent into his suit and opening jagged pieces of metal on the inside which cut him to ribbons. Only thing worse is a warhammer with a pick attachment.
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