cold steel gim vs cold steel gim

After a bit of searching and some luck I finally found the original and discontinued model of the cold steel gim.
It is pretty strange how two very different swords share the same name. Before I actually held the blade I thought it would handle just like the current model of the cold steel gim, but nope, the original feels alot different.
The fittings on the original which I call the "bat gim" becasue it has a bat on the guard, are very different, though they have the same color scheme, and both swords share a rose wood scabbard, only the bat gim has a lacquered one.




the handles are very different, the bat gim has a very slim cord wrapped grip that is very similar to the jade lion gim, while the current one has thicker wood handle with the grooves for more grip. ( I actually like the grips on both)



Now, the main difference in the swords. The Blade.

The blade on the original is thick and heavy, it is twice as thick as the new gims blade, but just as sharp. It has a point of balance at 6 and a half almost 7 inches from the guard, while the standard gim has a pob of 3 and a half inches.
The bat gim is a pretty heavy one hand sword, but I really like the feel of it in contrast to the standard gim which is very fast and light, the bat gim is heavy and brutal.
I also did some flex test on the blade and after flexing the blade returned to true with no problem, which is something the thicker jian have had trouble doing in my experience.




It's a very nice sword and I think it is interesting that this model eventually became the cold steel gim that everyone knows and loves, though it started off as a very different sword, it's a shame cold steel discontinued this model.