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Post by chrisperoni on Oct 16, 2010 5:42:47 GMT
My wife is hinting that I might be getting a sword for xmas- so right away I started to leave links and pics for the Kris Cutlery Gladius on the computer as that's my first pick fer sure. But I also thought I should give her more affordable options (that's only fair right? Of course part of me wants to just give her one choice and no other gift ideas, he he- but that's not nice :twisted: )
I also have the Windlass Qama as the low price option- which I would love to get and fix up into a gladius.
so what about a sword in the middle price wise? I guess my requests for the suggestions would be to be priced somewhere around $100-$150 range, and good for cutting not just looking like a gladius.
Lay it on me man! Whaddya think?
(oh, and lets all work the jedi mind trick on her too- "this is the gladius you've been looking for...")
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Oct 16, 2010 5:53:27 GMT
The only ones I could find in that price range, Chris, were the Windlass Pompeii and Gladiator Sword ($149.95 and 129.95$ on KoA, respectively).
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Post by Odingaard on Oct 16, 2010 6:04:26 GMT
Moved topic to proper category for further discussion.
Hmm, this is an interesting question. Most gladii run around the $200 range. So, going that extra $50 will open up a whole world of better alternatives. Honestly, I would just save a little more coin and get a GenII Pompeii or the Valiant Praetorian. I detest the Windlass gladii, neither of them are constructed very well.
Lower than $200, if you are not going to get a Windlass, you'll go with a Deepeeka; and then you are taking a big risk on your investment - because if the heat treatment is non-existant (which I have yet to have a Deepeeka that was properly H/T); and you get are stuck with a $120 wallhanger. The thing with Deepeeka is really sad in a way, because they have some really spot on historical looking gladii - and a large selection of them at that.
So, my answer to your problem would be save up and additional $50 and give it to your wife to put with her gift money to get me a better gladii.
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Post by chrisperoni on Oct 16, 2010 7:11:16 GMT
I hear ya Vincent and Odingaard, that's just my issue; finding ant good gladii in that middle range. Maybe it's just not out there...that's not really a problem. It's just that we usually give each other different gift ideas in all kinds of price ranges for each other and if family asks- and the more gladii options the better my odds right? What are the shortcomings of the Windlass ones? Ric really gives praise to the Kris Cutlery gladius- that along with the idea of just offering to 'fill in' wherever she tops out on for spending might just be the way to go...really though for all I know she might just get me what's on the top of my list anyway... or who knows? Come to think of it I do have a continuously changing list of swords I'd like to have and she might just go with a kat, or bastard or whatever...or nothing  it's all just up in the air but so much fun to daydream over. I am hinting heavily on a gladius but with all my ramblings about swords I never know when she's actually paying attention and when she hit her limit and is just smiling and nodding :lol: |
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Oct 16, 2010 7:23:41 GMT
I can't really speak to the Pompeii, but I remember the review said it was pretty sturdy, if not historically accurate; I think the review in question is on the main SBG page. As for the Gladiator sword, by Ric's accounts, it's a sweet little sword and I've heard talk of him keeping it under the couch for when the zombies come.
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Post by RicWilly on Oct 16, 2010 21:34:11 GMT
Chris, $150's a barren price range for gladii excepting Deepeeka and I don't disreguard them anymore myself. Eques knows a lot more about historical gladii than me and I agree Deepeeka's can be functional if a bit soft, not the worst thing. I intend to get a few of their models yet, tho I'd avoid their Roman Maintz Gladius - AH2005. I have one of those and it's just ugly in real life, in my opinon.
If you want something a bit tougher you'll need to spend some more unless you want a Windlass and I agree with Odin there. The blade on the Pompeii and Mainz have that triangular riccasso that I destest also. I have the Mainz and it's got a plastic grip as well and the steel plate on the guard rattles after some use.
Now, I really like the Windlass Gladiator for the price granted I've never seen a gladius with those type fittings and the grip came a bit loose right off. Fixed it easy enough with some wood fill but it was a little tricky getting that screw on pommell straight again. I hate screw on pommels unless they round, then you don't have to worry about getting them straight after disassembling but I rant. The gladiator would be a great prodject sword if you just hate the fittings, I just love the blade on it.
My next gladius will probably be the VA Praetorian, I'm liking the look of that one and a couple trusted forumites give it good buzz.
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Post by chrisperoni on Oct 17, 2010 4:25:00 GMT
If I had to choose I would pick the Mainz style as my preferred- but they are all great. I like the waisted look.
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Post by chrisperoni on Oct 17, 2010 6:42:16 GMT
I hear you Eques, about saving up The thing is my questions here were to help give my wife choices for a gift for me so it comes down to how much she wants to drop- that's why I was looking for something in that 100-150 range. Instead I'm just going to leave this thread open on the computer all the time  so she'll notice the suggestions |
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Luka
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Post by Luka on Oct 17, 2010 22:36:41 GMT
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Post by chrisperoni on Oct 18, 2010 3:50:05 GMT
Eques: Thanks for looking into Find-it for me/us. I'm always leery of a seller I've not heard of before.
edit/add: but with your extra research I feel better
That is a f****ng great idea! Going on the list for sure. I'm actually alreay making my own hilt for a gladius blade I picked up a while ago.
Here's what I've decided to 'suggest':
-Windlass Qama
-Windlass Lakonian
-Albion Maintz bare with h.t.
-VA Praetorian
-Gen 2 Maintz
-KC Roman Gladius
I'd be pig in poo happy with any of them
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Post by SPQR on Nov 17, 2010 14:57:42 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2010 17:21:21 GMT
Hey guys. I've joined maybe only two weeks ago and man I sure love this site! This will be my first post on the ancients, so here goes. I love Roman swords and have read quite a bit on them. The short swords were mostly for thrusting. If soldiers were caught hacking with them they would be punished. The average legion grunt was more afraid of his "seargent" than any enemy. My point is, if you get one of these swords you're supposed to be stabbin stuff not swinging and hacking. What fun is stabbing stuff? In my opinion. The shorter Roman swords to me, are more of a wall hanger/display sword anyway. The unheat treated sword will do just a good a job on an intruder as a heat treated sword. By the way, if an intruder did enter my house, I would grab a short sword or bayonet, not a bastard sword...close quarter fighting and all. However, if you want to get a spanish type long Roman sword (hispada?) I think heat treating and blade quality come into play more since this sword was made for swingi'n and hacki'n. Sure I would rather have a "real" short sword but to me looks play more of a role than function for a peron of average monetary means.
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Luka
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Post by Luka on Nov 24, 2010 17:39:22 GMT
Where did you hear that Romans were not allowed to cut with their gladii? Primary sources from Roman wars with Greeks say that Romans did cut, and they describe limbs cut off.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2010 18:57:52 GMT
I didn't say the Romans "Never" hacked. If you however want to cut someones limbs off, its kind of hard to stab someones arms off. Ceasar cut the hands off several thousand of his Gaulic enemy so they could return to their villiages and spread fear into their people. Ive read in several places that hacking was discouraged. You dont have to belive me. In tight formation with short swords, it really difficult to swing a short sword over the tall roman sheilds. Besides just look at the shape of the short sword. Its made for thrusting.
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Luka
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Post by Luka on Nov 25, 2010 0:10:02 GMT
I agree with all that, just the thing with punishing the soldiers who hacked seemed strange to me and I wondered if you have some documentation for that. I agree both gladius design and roman tactics encourage thrusting more than cutting.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2010 17:27:14 GMT
Sorry Bud. I dont have any "documentation". I did read it in one of my books of roman generals where one of them got very pissed off when during training he saw slashing. I'm not making this up. I'm sure he wanted the soldiers first instinct to be a thrust not a slash. And for good reason. I copied this from a site I saw recently that describes this method:
• Roman sword training emphasized stabbing over slashing (though both were possible with the gladius) for several reasons. First, stab wounds were almost invariably more fatal than slashing wounds. Slashing wounds were typically shallow, rarely piercing vital organs. Stabbing wounds, even if they did not pierce an organ, were more prone to infection. Also, slashing exposes the arms of the soldier and necessitates more moving of the shield than stabbing does. In order to work effectively, the Roman legions required an almost-impenetrable wall of shields and that, in turn, necessitated a stabbing motion. Still, as enemies broke ranks, or if the legions were overwhelmed, slashing could and did occur.
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Post by SPQR on Nov 29, 2010 21:31:48 GMT
The evolution of the Roman gladius spans the adoption of theGladius Hispaniensis, the early rather long wasp wasted blade of the Celts from the Iberian peninsula, through the shorter Mainz and Fulham blades that still showed the narrow waist in the blade down to the stereotypical Pompeii straight sided, short stabbing sword. Later in the empire we see blades get longer and become Spatha (and shields become oval and even round) as the Army composition changes and tactics are altered. Some of the earlier narrow wasted blades are well suited for a slashing stroke, and are indeed shaped for such. We know that by AD 79 (the year Pompeii died) that the straight sided blade had become dominant, but by no means universal. The Gladius Hispaniensis became standard equipment in the legions only after the reforms of Marius around 180 BCE, and lasted into the early principate, roughly around 30AD or so, when the modified blades began to come into fashion, culminating in the Pompeii. The Mainz and other blade types still turn up in places that should show much later types. Also remember that training and discipline varied widely among legions, and in large measure were at the pleasure of whoever was in command at the moment. Equipment was far from standardized and in many cases very probably was based on what was available locally (I'll point to the find of cane arrows at Dura-Europos for this). If the chief armorer of the legion liked the older blade styles, guess what he had his smiths make? If the Legate ordered new straight sided blades, he'd make and issue them.
I can see a general becoming angry when his legionaries are using tactics suited for the older blades when armed with the newer, straighter blades.
So don't think that the "Roman gladius" is only for stabbing- it depends which one you mean!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2010 22:18:46 GMT
Hmmm very interesting. Good points indeed. I was thinking about the short sword that is usually depicted in movies. I would like to see a poster/graphic showing the evolution of Roman swords and shields (maybe with a brief explanation of tactics) that would be frameable. I guess it would be nice to have the same thing for Medieval swords/shields as well! Any graphic artists out there? Could probably sell these espeacially around here. $$$
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it's all just up in the air but so much fun to daydream over. I am hinting heavily on a gladius but with all my ramblings about swords I never know when she's actually paying attention and when she hit her limit and is just smiling and nodding :lol: 
so she'll notice the suggestions
