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Post by Neovenetar on Jul 21, 2011 12:48:14 GMT
Well first of all let me just say, hi everyone I'm a new member. I hope your all nice, kind people and whatnot. Right then, let's get started. I really need to get my first sword! I was thinking that I want something "Apocalypse worthy" as such. My budget is £100 maybe £150 at a stretch. As you can tell by now, I'm from the UK so I use pounds ans such, basically dollars and pounds are almost equal in value so that makes no problems. However there are some swords which are not available in the UK, keep that in mind. Anway: £100 budget, Needs to be sturdy and require little maintenance. Doesn't really matter if it's Euro or Japanese or anything else. Preferably an agile sword. So I have a few in mind: Cold steel gladius machete Cold steel katana machete Hanwei tac wak Hanwei iberia line euros (agincourt, river witham, war sword, etc.) Hanwei dark sentinal John barnett basket hilt At a stretch: Hanwei banshee Hanwei tac kat Hanwei Pudao Hanwei claymore I think that's pretty much it. Any feedback would be appreciated!  |
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Post by Todash on Jul 21, 2011 12:57:17 GMT
Just wanted to say welcome to the group. The guys on here are very helpful.
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Post by Neovenetar on Jul 21, 2011 13:00:00 GMT
Why thank you. I also say that I'm probably quite a bit younger than all you guys, but you all seem like friendly people.
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Jul 21, 2011 13:38:04 GMT
Welcome aboard. I hope you find what you are looking for.
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Post by Northern Wanderer on Jul 21, 2011 15:12:57 GMT
Apocalypse-worthy swords, its good to theorise what will be useful by your side in the irradiated mutant infested wastes of post civilisation, a good test of a swords durability.
I'm not usually a great fan of cold steel, but the advantage of a machete, is that it can be used for other activities than fending off the zombie horde, the Katana machete has generally gotten good praise and is more useful at clearing foliage than its design might imply, I would personally stay away from the gladius, which though it looks cool seems a bit gimmicky, though that's just conjecture having not handled it, the cold steel kurkri machete catches my eye, and appears to be a workman's version of the legendary Gurkha weapon, which lets admit we want, but cant really afford. it comes in a two handed version as well. bulkier but with more chop.
while the machete or kurkri would be more universally useful, it is more satisfying, at least until the apocalypse comes, to own a weapon more pleasing for backyard cutting, The Hanwei tactical Katana and wakizashi have good reviews, and are seemingly easier to maintain than traditional Katana. unfortunately living in the UK leads to punitive restrictions on Katana ownership, currently Katana are only legal to own and trade as long as they are "traditionally" manufactured, I love the idea of a modern Katana, but could not tell you were to buy one, if you can find a reputable dealer in the UK that has them to hand well done, but I wouldn't recommend importing one, customs may seize the sword, and you wont get it back.
most of the Katana reviewed on this site would be legal to own, but shipping will put most of them out of financial reach, back on home soil my favourite company is BearArm Ltd, who manage both medieval-weaponry.co.uk and oriental-weaponry.co.uk. the latter has a couple of very real completely legal Katana for about £140-£150, they are from hanwei's practical line, my recommendation is the practical XL, its been reviewed on this site and comes up favourably, its at the top of your price range, but it might be worth saving up a couple more weeks.
good grief this post is getting long, sorry, I write in such a wordy way.
On to the Euro's, John Barnett is hit and miss, a risk when going for something "apocalypse worthy". hanwei's old euro line is perfectly functional, if a little less elegant than some, there are good reviews for the Hanwei mercenary sword, a hand and a half that falls bang in the middle of your price range. at the top end you have the Tinker pearce line, for about £140 I would get the awesome Hanwei tinker bastard sword, a nimble and satisfying weapon, if you wanted to push the budget more you could save and get the renowned Hanwei tinker longsword, reviewed on this site - once its properly sharpened its a truly incredible cutter and excellent handing sword.
so in my incredibly round about way:
- Cold steel Katana Machete
- Cold steel Kurkri Machete
- Hanwei Practical XL Katana
- Hanwei Mercenary
- Hanwei/Tinker Fullered Bastard Sword
My favourite would be the Hanwei tinker bastard, i own a couple of H/Ts and they are amazing value for money, im sure you wont regrets shelling out a little more for one,.
Welcome to SBG. you're going to fit right in.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Jul 21, 2011 15:23:20 GMT
Welcome to the forum!
£100 - £150 is about USD 160 - 240. You've got quite a lot of swords in that range to choose from, no doubt. As a note, KoA DOES ship to the UK, but be aware that sword laws in the UK prohibit any curved swords over 20 inches (50cm) from being imported. You'd be all set for European swords, though.
Within that price range I would suggest the Hanwei/Tinker's, they go for about 150-170USD. They are great performers and are based on designs by Tinker Pearce. In the past they have had some problems with shipping rather dull swords, but I recently purchased two and both came with good, useable edges. So I think you'd be fine, and if it worries you just put a note in the "special instructions" box when you order asking to pick one with a good edge. KoA always listens. The good thing about these swords, especially for you, is that they are excellent bang for the buck (rivaling swords several times as costly) and will still give you budget left over for the shipping cost.
The most "agile" of those swords IMO is the Fullered Bastard Sword. It's a medium length but even in one hand the sword is fast, and it cuts like a laser. The Early Medieval Single Hand Sword has good blade presence and cuts great but I would not necessarily describe it as agile. The Norman was much more enjoyable to handle but the brazil nut pommel takes some getting used to, and it still was not quite as lively as the Fullered Bastard.
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Post by Neovenetar on Jul 21, 2011 17:38:20 GMT
Well I've taken a look. The Mercenary sword does look good I must say, but it might be a little too expensive, £116 but I might stretch to it. The war sword seems to fit the bill, but seems a bit whippy. I do believe I can get the tak wak and tak kat, as it is the blade that must be traditionally forged, rather than the fittings. The bastard sword looks pretty amazing, but sadly I doubt I'll have the money.
Shipping to the UK might prove at bit troublesome so I'll stick to Oriental Weaponry and Medieval Weaponry.
So at the moment I say it's kinda like this:
Mercenary sword - good, but it's a thrusting sword rather than a cutter.
War Sword - Fits the bill, fiberglass scabbard is a plus too. whippiness may be a problem though.
Dark sentinel - Nobody's said anything on this one yet
Bastard sword - looks VERY good, however price is an issue
Practical katana XL - out because the edge is fragile and price
Tactical kat/wak - also fit the bill quite well
CS machetes - well.... they're machetes apart from the katana and gladius. I already have a latin machete
Ok, so we have a few options then.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Jul 21, 2011 18:18:57 GMT
Where are you looking that has the H/T Bastard being pricey? On KoA it's only £101
I'm guessing for oriental swords you just have to purchase from a seller in the UK?
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Post by Neovenetar on Jul 21, 2011 18:36:58 GMT
Hmm, it's $175 on kult of athena. Add on shipping and that'll be about £150
Yea, I'll have to get oriental stuffs from the UK.
your profile picture is scary...... it's kinda like "Son.... YOU STOLE MY MAKEUP AGAIN?!"
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Post by Neovenetar on Jul 21, 2011 18:48:08 GMT
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Aaron
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Posts: 2,369
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Post by Aaron on Jul 21, 2011 18:56:09 GMT
I accidentally used the price for the unfullered bastard sword. You're right the fullered one is about £107.
Yeah I've used this picture of a few years on various forums...bit of a Twisted Sister fan. :lol:
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Post by Neovenetar on Jul 21, 2011 18:59:24 GMT
Oh I just thought of something that seems good. what about the hanwei river witham sword? seems sturdy and looks quite good too.
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Post by Northern Wanderer on Jul 21, 2011 19:17:10 GMT
A universal pain of English enthusiasts, distance and tax. Kult of Athena is sadly based State-side, once shipping and tax is paid the price is on a par with the £145 of medieval weaponry. if that wasn't the case i don't think i'd have any space on my walls.
I was too fussy for the Hanwei practical XL as well, It would only be used in a dojo setting, just in case though,
The dark sentinel has a reputation as a monster of a cutter with a durable blade that can cut 2x4's (longways). and is available UK side from oriental weaponry.co.uk (under the sabre section if you're already looking) at £86, it's a steal,Im more of a euro guy but i think i might get one! Im certain as a cheap and tough backyard beater it would do fine, don't think zombie's would like it either.
The Hanwei/Tinker bastard with a fuller really is great, I wouldn't count it out. but don't scrape the bottom of the bank account, they're so popular that they are not likely to go out of production any time soon.
You can never have too many machetes. period.
I would say the sentinel, if that sort of thing is for you, if you are leaning more to Euro swords, i would personally go for the mercenary over the war sword, from the looks of it I reckon it would slash just fine. if a jab with that thing doesn't stop whatever post apocalypse monster is coming at you, i'm not sure the best cutter in the world would help.
As for price BearArm Ltd is the best I have found so far, in my experience with Peter Schofield and his team are professional and polite, my products arrived on time and i was provided with the tracking info. good deal I reckon.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Jul 21, 2011 19:17:52 GMT
Review here: sbgswordforum.proboards.com/inde ... read=16225 It's far and away from being accurate to the original sword and is quite heavy for a sword of that size. Personally I would not bother but that is just my opinion. If the sword suits you then by all means go for it. Just be aware that it won't be on the same level performance- or quality-wise as many other entry level European swords (such as the H/T line). If you're ok with that, then it may not be a bad choice. Otherwise I would recommend just saving up a bit more. It's an answer I hate to hear but the CAS Iberia swords really aren't worth it IMO. |
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Post by Neovenetar on Jul 21, 2011 19:32:31 GMT
Ah yea, now it seems much worse, lol. As for the dark sentinel, I'm not too sure about it. I mean, it's long, cheap and what have you. but it seems a bit.... impractical. I mean I don't see how you could wear it or anything. but it's still an option.
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Post by Neovenetar on Jul 21, 2011 19:39:29 GMT
Oh, There's still the hanwei Pudao. Not a sword, but still a cheap alternative
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Post by Cole Chang on Jul 21, 2011 19:44:41 GMT
I had a Dark Sentinel once but traded it away. The thing to remember about the Dark Sentinel is this: it is a LARGE sword, but under 2 lbs. How do you achieve that you ask? Easy, the blade is very thin and very whippy. Not necessarily a bad thing of course as the sword is very light and fast, however, I think in an earlier post, you didn't like a certain sword because it seemed whippy, so I felt I should mention that about the sword. That said, I do miss my Dark Sentinel from time to time...it made me feel like a muscle man, holding such a big sword as if it were nothing! As for your question, I would take a look at www.kriscutlery.com. They have some pretty nice stuff. I have their 25" katana, sometimes referred to as a ko katana, or a chisa katana. I like it a lot, and it's very solidly made. If you want a cutter for the apocalypse (who doesn't), and don't know how to sharpen a sword (me), and don't have easy access to someone who can sharpen a sword (me), then I would be careful of anything from Windlass or Hanwei. Hanwei's famous (for good reason) Cutting Jian has, according to some reviewers, come as sharp as a butter knife. My own Tacky Wacky is probably a little sharper than that. I've had a couple of swords from Windlass. The Heron Mark Sword, a Knob head sword cane, and the Italian Bastard sword. All very nice pieces, and they all have an edge comparable to a butter knife. Cold Steel on the other hand, love em or hate em, comes very sharp. When I got my double edged katana from them (also known as a kogarasu maru), the blade was so sharp that when I was cleaning the grease off the blade, I shaved a thin piece of skin off my thumb. No real damage except to my dignity! Cole |
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Post by Neovenetar on Jul 21, 2011 19:55:04 GMT
Ok thanks for that input.
Right, so here we have the new list
Dark sentinel - Seems to be good, huge sword + fast = anime sword. anime sword = awesome in my books
Tak Wak - Fast, light. but a bit on the short side for me
Tak Kat - Seems to be almost on par with the DS except sharper and more expensive
Did your dark sentinel come sharp?
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Post by Neovenetar on Jul 21, 2011 20:24:41 GMT
Right, I've decided to go with the dark sentinel. Thank you all for helping me decide
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2011 1:46:58 GMT
My first sword was a Dark Sentinel, tremendous bang for the buck, really a lot of fun to cut with and, as a beginner, I whacked it into my cutting stand plenty of times with no damage to show for it. However, it came with a pretty dull edge, I used an Accusharp on it. If I had that to do over again I'd use the Harbor Freight belt sander I've since bought, but I got away with it and it put a pretty decent edge on. I think you'll be happy with the Dark Sentinel, it's a big, handsome blade and really quite a value.
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