Custom "Weapon," Sword Catcher Concepts
May 8, 2011 13:54:37 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 8, 2011 13:54:37 GMT
Hey all, got to working wiht some ideas, but before I get into exactly what they were, I guess I should state that while I'm still new with owning and wielding weapons, blades in general have been a passion of mine for some time now, and it got to the point where if a buddy showed me a weapon they bought, I could tell them where (generally) the design came from, the evolution of the blade in reference to combat and purposes, but more specifically, the purpose behind the shape and how it would be wielded because of it. Recently I've started trying to apply that in the opposite direction, brainstorming ideas for semi-customized blades for various purposes, styles etc.
Usually these ideas work out rather well, but I've got two that I wanted some opinions on, because I feel they need a lot of work but can't think what to do about them... but anyway, here they are:
1. This one would be a medium blade (approx. 29 in. incluing handle) whose secondary purpose would be disarming opponents with long blades. Towards this end, theere are only a few major differences between this and the average Bowie. First, on the back of the swept-back clip point it would have a hook... I should say swoop, because it wouldn't be sharpened, but would have about a 1/2-inch gap between it and the spine of the blade... which brings me to my next point, that the spine would have to be extra thick (3/4 in?) and slightly swept forward, rather like a Kukhri or a Falcatta, but not so prominent; this would be for leverage, which I'll get into later. Finally, the hilt/tsuba... It would be triangular in basic shape, with a point in front of the knuckles about two inches, with the back only protruding about two inches from the spine, but extending out a good three inches or so... and here's where we get into technique.
This would be meant to be used in conjunction with another weapon, generally using an X-block; at this point, this weapon would be aligned along the length of the opponent's blade, but perpendicular to it, a twist of the wrist to catch the blade between the hook and the hilt, and then either a downward press, or prferably a strong upward jerk.
Now, the issues... I feel that even with the spine leaning forward and the handle having a reverse swoop, due to the size of the handle (and the fact that the opposing blade is much larger) there won't be enough leverage to do more than detain or force aside the other blade... and with the way the blade is caught, there's nowhere to apply additional leverage with the off hand.
2. This one... I cna't even call it a knife, so I'll just describe it, since it's almost purely fantasy. Basically, it would start off with a strong C-curved blade going forward... think the egyptian scythe-swords, or a sharp question mark Now, the inside of this curve would be thick and dull, with only the outside top part being sharpened, and leading towards a spike going backwards... more on that later. Now, the final tail of the crook would be bent sharply inwards, almost to where it's pointing down... and here's where it gets really weird. The hilt of the blade would be shaped like an arrowhead, facing forward as the crook is, with a straight line going out, and two bars arching sharply back towards the handle, leaving a several-inch gap.
Now, technique... this is another sword-catcher, but a much more radical concept based more on a combination of an oriental Axe and a giant bottle-opener than anything else... basically, as the opponent's blade is at mid-level, this thing would slam forward, using the arrowhead catch of the hilt and the upper end of the crook to pincer it in place... at this point, since the back end is dull, a hand can be placed there to add the leverage necessary to bend/break the blade, or one-handed can simply be used to deflect it nicely; and, since the top portion is sharpened, there is ample opportunity for transitioning from the catch to a smart upward back-hand slice. Also, since the handle is straight and the curve does not begin until after the hilt, it can be turned around and used like the spiked end of an english warpick... and with a crescent curve on the back end of the hilt acting to protect the wrist, there should be no issues.
Alright, so after all that I'm done spilling... any advice, ideas, criticism, or resources would be appreciated... I haven't been on these forums in two years so my account got deleted, but I know this is a great place to go for fun and help.
Usually these ideas work out rather well, but I've got two that I wanted some opinions on, because I feel they need a lot of work but can't think what to do about them... but anyway, here they are:
1. This one would be a medium blade (approx. 29 in. incluing handle) whose secondary purpose would be disarming opponents with long blades. Towards this end, theere are only a few major differences between this and the average Bowie. First, on the back of the swept-back clip point it would have a hook... I should say swoop, because it wouldn't be sharpened, but would have about a 1/2-inch gap between it and the spine of the blade... which brings me to my next point, that the spine would have to be extra thick (3/4 in?) and slightly swept forward, rather like a Kukhri or a Falcatta, but not so prominent; this would be for leverage, which I'll get into later. Finally, the hilt/tsuba... It would be triangular in basic shape, with a point in front of the knuckles about two inches, with the back only protruding about two inches from the spine, but extending out a good three inches or so... and here's where we get into technique.
This would be meant to be used in conjunction with another weapon, generally using an X-block; at this point, this weapon would be aligned along the length of the opponent's blade, but perpendicular to it, a twist of the wrist to catch the blade between the hook and the hilt, and then either a downward press, or prferably a strong upward jerk.
Now, the issues... I feel that even with the spine leaning forward and the handle having a reverse swoop, due to the size of the handle (and the fact that the opposing blade is much larger) there won't be enough leverage to do more than detain or force aside the other blade... and with the way the blade is caught, there's nowhere to apply additional leverage with the off hand.
2. This one... I cna't even call it a knife, so I'll just describe it, since it's almost purely fantasy. Basically, it would start off with a strong C-curved blade going forward... think the egyptian scythe-swords, or a sharp question mark Now, the inside of this curve would be thick and dull, with only the outside top part being sharpened, and leading towards a spike going backwards... more on that later. Now, the final tail of the crook would be bent sharply inwards, almost to where it's pointing down... and here's where it gets really weird. The hilt of the blade would be shaped like an arrowhead, facing forward as the crook is, with a straight line going out, and two bars arching sharply back towards the handle, leaving a several-inch gap.
Now, technique... this is another sword-catcher, but a much more radical concept based more on a combination of an oriental Axe and a giant bottle-opener than anything else... basically, as the opponent's blade is at mid-level, this thing would slam forward, using the arrowhead catch of the hilt and the upper end of the crook to pincer it in place... at this point, since the back end is dull, a hand can be placed there to add the leverage necessary to bend/break the blade, or one-handed can simply be used to deflect it nicely; and, since the top portion is sharpened, there is ample opportunity for transitioning from the catch to a smart upward back-hand slice. Also, since the handle is straight and the curve does not begin until after the hilt, it can be turned around and used like the spiked end of an english warpick... and with a crescent curve on the back end of the hilt acting to protect the wrist, there should be no issues.
Alright, so after all that I'm done spilling... any advice, ideas, criticism, or resources would be appreciated... I haven't been on these forums in two years so my account got deleted, but I know this is a great place to go for fun and help.
