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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jul 2, 2011 16:19:13 GMT
Gents: Well, the long-delayed Cold Steel line seems to have hit KOA, and amidst all the pipe-backed sabers there's a tulwar. Err, talwar. www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... ian+Talwar Ordinarily I probably wouldn't be too susceptible, but right now I'm reading Harold Lamb's retelling of the Baburnamah----the autobiography of Zahir-ud-din Mohammed Babur, more generally known just as Babur. You know the expression "all that and a bag of chips"? Well, Babur was all that and the factory that makes the chips. Descended on his mother's side from Tamerlane, and on his father's side from some guy, what was his name again? Oh yeah, on his father's side he was descended from Genghis Khan. Babur became king of Ferghana when he was thirteen----and I've been to the Ferghana valley, and it's bewitching, lovely and serene to this day. Babur also ended up conquering India and setting up the Mughal dynasty, and his grandson was Akbar the Great. In other words, right now I'm talwar-susceptible. So talk me out of it! I know, I know, the blade on the CS talwar is sorta-kinda that of the 1796 light cavalry saber, which had been derived in turn from . . . the talwar. But there was, so I've read, a later tradition in India of recycling European blades with indigenous hilts. Anyone?
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jul 2, 2011 16:20:46 GMT
*Crickets chirping*
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Jul 2, 2011 16:23:21 GMT
GET IT! REVIEW IT! GET REVENGE BY HAVING YOUR REVIEW MAKE ALL OF *US* GET IT! :mrgreen: That, my friend, is my sincerest advice. -Slayer
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Post by william m on Jul 2, 2011 16:29:21 GMT
uhm... You should go check out some local antique shops or auctions and handle a real one. I don't really like them at all as they are just not very comfortable for me to use with the extremely cramped grip and being forced to use the hammer grip.
Also the cold steel's tulwar doesn't look very historical as the grip seems to have been stretched and the blade just doesn't look like any tulwar blade I have ever seen.
Real ones can be bought at 90 USD
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Luka
Senior Forumite
Posts: 2,848
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Post by Luka on Jul 2, 2011 18:44:50 GMT
Antique tulwars are very beautiful and elegant weapons with excelent quality blades, I'm really not sure if Cold Steel version deserves being the sword to represent indian tulwar in someone's collection...
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jul 2, 2011 21:43:35 GMT
Once I deep fry them with some salt and Tabasco, THEY'LL CHIRP NO MORE! :twisted:
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jul 2, 2011 21:44:45 GMT
You know, I think I've actually gotten to the point where I know enough to do a review on a sword. (I used to think: steel with a handle, point and edge; how complicated can it be?)
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jul 2, 2011 21:48:31 GMT
William:
This may be the first time I'm regretting moving away from Houston. The pawn shop, antique shop, gun shop selection was much broader there. One of the things that I liked was the a-historicity of the CS version---I've held a few tulwars in the past that were "close gripped" and thought a longer handle might suit me better.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jul 2, 2011 21:51:24 GMT
Luka:
You definitely have a point. However, I'd be reluctant to cut much with an antique blade, and I'm still in the "enthusiastic cutter" stage. Of course, if I had the CS version and later picked up an antique, I could cut with the beater, and practice elegant forms with the antique. And grumble about "Man, they just don't make them like they used to . . . . "
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Post by chrisperoni on Jul 2, 2011 23:39:19 GMT
It will be around to buy later if you still really want it. Set a date, say 2 weeks after you finish the book. If you still can't get it out of your head then maybe its meant to be-- but it's likely the 'lust' will have worn off by then. If the 2 weeks goes by and you haven't even thought of/looked at it during that time then you beat the harpie songs calling to you.
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jul 2, 2011 23:48:46 GMT
I thought it was a siren's song?
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Post by william m on Jul 3, 2011 0:15:31 GMT
I have yet to handle a decent tulwar, I suppose they must be very rare! All of the tulwars I have handled have been of munitions grade quality. The handles are usually the same design but the blades can differ quite a bit, although they are usually quite poor quality.
With regards to cold steel stretching the handle, I don't really like it when companies take liberties with designs like that, especially when it comes to viking swords thinking that people had smaller hands back then. ho hum.. :?
Still think you need to go find an antique one and see if you like the style first.
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Post by chrisperoni on Jul 3, 2011 0:17:30 GMT
yeah,,.. that's the one
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Luka
Senior Forumite
Posts: 2,848
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Post by Luka on Jul 3, 2011 0:30:10 GMT
I have only theoretical knowledge about them as I handled only one, but Cold Steel is definitely not a good representation of one, if nothing else because the blade doesn't look like any I have seen on a tulwar in either books or on net and is probably just a 1796 blade with a tulwar looking hilt. I'm not saying it's not worth $200, just that it's not a sword you could show someone and say: "look, this is how tulwar looked like and handled back than..."
Kilted, have you thought about Greybeard casting you a nice bronze tulwar hilt for a bare blade? A bare blade could be found to look more like real tulwar blades...
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jul 3, 2011 3:05:25 GMT
WHERE'S THE SMITE BUTTON! I should smite Luka! . . . because having a Greybeard custom sounds like a really good idea.
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Post by Maynar on Jul 9, 2011 0:28:45 GMT
I saw this title and all I could think of was,
*music* Take Me Out to the Ball Game... :lol:
Sorry.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jul 10, 2011 14:15:47 GMT
Talk me out of a tulwar Talk me out of this sword I need a saber and battle axe that I can wield from a fast horse's back So I'll shop shop shop at KOA if its not in stock it's a shame! For it's one, two, three swords I've bought at the repro weapons game!
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Luka
Senior Forumite
Posts: 2,848
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Post by Luka on Jul 10, 2011 20:21:26 GMT
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jul 10, 2011 21:40:17 GMT
Lovely, lovely blades. Ah, wootz!
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Post by thana357 on May 19, 2014 8:42:59 GMT
It had been 3 years since I read this thread and finally I get a hold of cold steel tulwar with a good price ($90 out the door at the parking lot sale , it would have been cheaper if I grab more stuffs but my arms get tired hauling swords and knives around ) I have original CS version that came out ten years ago so I can compare them side by side. Upon return home I discovered that it was not sharpen that explain why it was on sale .No biggie because I can sharp the blade myself and in about an hour I have useable cutting edge ready for some bottle cutting. The blade is wickly curve like M1896 , well it is after all M1896 blade mount on the Talwar hilt. Cold steel did their home work and shorten the handle by about an inch and it make all the different because now the disc pomel will not dig into my wrist during a swing like the original one .The disc pommel now press up against the bottom of my palm adding leverage and strengthen my grip .I discover that I can control this Talwar much better than the old version .The blade slice up water bottle and some Brisk tea bottle with good healthy swing.
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