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Post by TheNewDavout on Dec 8, 2011 5:41:37 GMT
Recently, I've attended a few SCA rapier practices, as they are the only local group doing any sort of rapier combat, and I was talking to a member, who used a hanwei practical sidesword, and noted that the guard required occasional maintenance, as it deformed with repeated blows to it from other rapiers of the same weight. I'm just wondering, has anyone else experienced this? Is it common with other rapiers and similar complex hilts? how would a higher end sword, say, Arms and Armor compare in this regard to the Hanwei? Better still, does anyone have evidence of historical occurrences?
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Razor
Senior Forumite
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Post by Razor on Dec 8, 2011 6:16:23 GMT
No it's not common with rapiers and other complex hilts to have this problem. All my sharps and training swords never had this problem that the Hanwie side sword have been having. What I have been hearing about Hanwie side sword sharp or practical, it's more of a sword for looks than function.
I have a Hanwie practical basket hilt backsword and a Zen Warrior rapier, and I use them a lot and have had them for years. They are holding up fine and I have even use them againts higher end training swords.
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Post by Anders on Dec 8, 2011 16:27:06 GMT
I'm pretty sure there's a complex-hilted sword in the Swedish Royal Armory that belonged to one of the kings, where part of the guard is damaged from a blade that actually managed to cut through it.
I remember seeing it in person when I visited Stockholm, but I can't find any info on it right now.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Dec 8, 2011 16:43:56 GMT
I think it should be specified whether the complex hilts actually break/are damaged at the hooped/curved/whatever parts of the hilt, or if they break at the welds/thin parts where they connect. For example, look at this side sword:  I would expect the prominent rings to get whacked on a lot and the quillions to get bent out of shape on occasion; however, I think I would actually expect the most likely parts to be actually broken to be where the rings meet the quillions and the two narrower... strips, whatever, at the bottom of the picture there that would go on the left side of a righty's hand. To me, I think it's more likely that a weld would fail than the rings actually break, at least on a guard constructed out of proper steel rather than stainless like the side sword. |
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Post by TheNewDavout on Dec 8, 2011 21:35:51 GMT
To clarify, on the sword mentioned in the original post, nothing broke off, the two prominent rings simply became heavily bent and required straightening back to their original position.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2011 17:43:48 GMT
I own the Hanwei Side Sword, sharp version. When I received it the rings were not lined up quite right. So, with a rubber mallet I slowly worked the rings back into true. In repsonse to the question: "Are the rings on this sword soft?", I would reply with a "yes". Cutting with this sword is fine, and the edge that came on it out of the box was fantastic. But to use this sword in actual combat or sparring... I just couldn't, it is too beautiful.
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