|
Post by ckerler123 on Mar 15, 2018 2:31:19 GMT
Hey everyone, I came across this Dha for sale on Ebay from Thailand, the seller claims it to be hand forged out of 1095 carbon steel and tempered to 59 HRC, it also mentions that it is a "threaded-to-pommel tang" which I don't know if that is similar to the way European pommels are sometimes threaded, or if this sword is in fact peened but just described in a weird way. Is that an authentic crafting process for this type of sword? Do you guys think this sword is worth what the seller is asking in combination with the long wait time it will take to come in the mail? Thanks for taking the time to respond. The sword: www.ebay.com/itm/Handmade-Krabi-Krabong-Sword-Hand-Forged-Traditional-Thai-Sword-Daab-Dha/282865311758?hash=item41dc16200e:g:cS4AAOSwRYFalnb4
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Mar 15, 2018 2:41:00 GMT
Looks like a newly-made piece for martial arts practice to me. Price isn't outlandish, but I'm not sure what these usually go for.
I'd read the pommel bit as having a threaded tang onto which the pommel screws down. Is that traditional? I don't think so, but I could be wrong. I believe these are usually just glued in with natural resins, but some may be peened or threaded, or this may be a modern choice.
|
|
|
Post by ckerler123 on Mar 15, 2018 5:03:55 GMT
Hmm that seems to make me wonder about how well it will hold up with use, I know a lot of threaded pommels can often come loose or can possibly cause the wood to crack if they are used pretty hard. If I were to buy this sword, I'd probably use it for light to heavy test cutting and stuff like that, so I'm not sure.
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Mar 15, 2018 5:32:43 GMT
It's probably geared more towards form practice, but I'm sure it'll handle light cutting with ease.
Threaded pommels are not ideal for long-term integrity, keyed and peened does better for that, but they do generally allow the ability to rework parts more easily. If you damage the grip, somehow, on a peened sword, you'll have to figure out how to sandwich the tang with new wood, or grind of the peen to remove the pommel. This comes with the problem of not being able to re-peen; you'll have to take metal off at the shoulders of the blade to move everything up so you can have enough to peen again. This, obviously, shortens the blade. With a threaded pommel, you just unscrew it and screw it back on when you're done.
I only find threaded pommels a concern when they're misaligned. This could happen because the wood compressed after fitting and now there's more thread exposed, in which case you'll need to screw the pommel down further which may leave it out of line with the blade, guard, etc depending on its own shape. If it's a cylinder, no problem. You'll probably have to add washers or other spacers otherwise.
Over-tightening can also be a problem, as it will enact its own stresses on the wood and mess with shock absorption and the like.
When most folks talk about problems with threaded pommels, though, the real concern is the tang. If the thread is cut directly into the tang of the sword, it's usually fine, but if it's a separate (usually welded on) piece, that could potentially become a weak point and may suddenly fracture, leaving your blade to go where it pleases.
There's also the keyed pommel with a threaded nut, but I don't think that's what we can expect from this sword.
Honestly, it's probably one of the better options for a modern dha that's actually somewhat traditional. As opposed, that is, to Hanwei's Banshee. Dha-inspired?
|
|
|
Post by MOK on Mar 15, 2018 5:53:45 GMT
I wouldn't call this all that traditional, either, actually. None of the old examples of this style of dha I've seen ever had a Japanese style habaki like this, and none of them had a pommel quite like this - a simple plate or tubular cap would be most common, or a bulbous hollow cap on the fancier metal plated examples - and a full length tang is also very atypical, even aside from the threading (which is an entirely modern feature). All in all, I think it's a modern sword for krabi krabong practice, as stated in the title. The blade shape is nice, though!
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Mar 15, 2018 11:32:26 GMT
I didn't even notice the collar/ferrule/habaki-thing. I also wasn't 100% on the pommel, either, but I'm giving some leeway for the modern market. Likewise tang etc. Probably a solid enough sword, if untraditional.
|
|
|
Post by Jordan Williams on Mar 20, 2018 7:03:02 GMT
Hmm that seems to make me wonder about how well it will hold up with use, I know a lot of threaded pommels can often come loose or can possibly cause the wood to crack if they are used pretty hard. If I were to buy this sword, I'd probably use it for light to heavy test cutting and stuff like that, so I'm not sure. In my experience threaded pommels are very capable of taking abuse. Even some antique swords have threaded pommels, such as the Italian M1860/M1871 cav swords. As long as it's well made it should be fine
|
|
kaiyo
Member
Posts: 1,201
|
Post by kaiyo on Mar 20, 2018 7:17:50 GMT
|
|