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Post by dinvaas on Jul 11, 2019 23:15:48 GMT
Hi, newbie here looking for a recommendation on a strong longsword or greatsword option, preferably a nice longsword with some extra grip length For my background, I've had experiences with several swords in the more budget friendly range and want to start working my way up to more mid-range items. I've owned several Ronin Katana products and both my Euro models, the guard has come slightly loose after cutting some heavier targets to test if the famous durability I've come to recognize their katanas for and have experienced myself transfers over to their Euro line. Having owned several Dojo Pro models, I know I can trust RK to make strong swords that feel like they can tank anything you can throw at them but with repeated disappointment in their Euro line, I want to try looking at more higher quality European swords I can trust to not fail me in the event I want to get a little rough with my swords. Because hey, these aren't dainty fragile things, much as we try to pretend otherwise. I have my eye on a few potential ones that I'd like to get more feedback on after scouring through reviews here, youtube, and any other source I can find. The first is the Valiant Armory Zombie Slayer www.valiant-armoury.com/collections/signature-collection/products/va-307-signature-collection-the-zombie-slayer-tactical-long-swordI'm very attracted to the overall utilitarian minimalist design of the sword and while most mentions I find of it are generally positive, there's very little information people say about it otherwise other than "It's a good sword and I like it." And of course, there's Skallagrim's review video of it from back in 2015. But that was four years ago and I'd like to be updated to any changes in quality. So I'd like to get more information on it if possible. The second is the Del Tin Braveheart sword Because who doesn't love bigass swords, right? But I hear some mixed things about Del Tin, particularly in their fittings being less than ideal for their price range. Has anyone had any personal experience with this sword or are there other swords of this design that are worth investigating? The final sword I'm considering is the DSA Longford. I've always wanted a Darksword blade but given their hit or miss history, I've opted to stay away from them. I know they are improving with every step but I know there are still some people getting the odd lemon in the batch, but I've never heard of anything about this model in particular and I've not been able to find any sort of reviews, so I don't know anything good or bad about the build. Should I risk taking the plunge to see how much they've improved or look elsewhere? Any other recommendations are greatly appreciated. Again, while I won't be using it on heavy targets regularly I'm looking for something I can use on medium to heavy targets should the urge hitand as much as I'd love to, don't have the budget for an albion. And thank you in advance for your time and whatever help you can offer.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2019 1:50:04 GMT
Welcome aboard The Valiant Zombie Slayer is for all intents and purposes Gus' old tactical longsword www.swordforum.com/vb4/showthread.php?99051-FS-Atrim-Tactical-Longsword-Custom-ScabbardThere is the APOC that is along these lines but not the elegant longsword casiberia.com/product/apoc-atrim-broad-sword/sd35580I've always liked the longsword but have never handled either the originals or the Valiant. I do have a couple of large ATrim swords and a tall Del Tin 5157 I have owned and handled a number of Del Tin swords and the fittings themselves are ok but the grips might be their largest fault at times. What I am seeing in pictures show the grip quality has slid a bit. The 5155 and 5157 model are quite lively and of those two, the 5155 gets better marks as a little stiffer. A lot of the larger Del Tin swords are a bit clunky and on the heavier side. The tangs on the extra long grips have been known to bend under heavy use. As with many suppliers, there are occasional casting pits but honestly don't dtract much. The Braveheart (5154) seems like it has always been liked by the owners but some of the others (the 2160 and 5140 for instance) on the dead side of handling The 2160 particularly just lumpy weight. The A&A German Bastard about the same weight as the Del Tin 2160 but much more fun to wield. I still have the 5157 and a variant of the single hand 5160, while looking at a couple of other single hand swords. The Valiant slayer looks like a nice package, albeit bucks for that nice scabbard and rig. The handle/tang is drilled and could get micarta or other grip slabs.
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Post by dinvaas on Jul 12, 2019 13:54:01 GMT
If that's the case I probably won't be getting the del tin.
What about the Darksword Armory one? Can anyone tell me about that one or any other similar models they have?
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Post by Darth Paunch on Jul 12, 2019 15:36:51 GMT
If that's the case I probably won't be getting the del tin. What about the Darksword Armory one? Can anyone tell me about that one or any other similar models they have? Darksword Armoury is a dangerous can of worms; every time one opens it up it explodes right away. I will TRY to stay out of the discussion this time; but if youre looking for a SOLID, RELIABLE sword, made by a TRUSTWORTHY company - stay the HELL away from DSA. MY conclusion an d recommendation, raised from MY experiences with five of their swords over some seven years now. Quite a lot of people share my feelings and experiences, others dont.
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Post by dinvaas on Jul 12, 2019 18:05:52 GMT
If that's the case I probably won't be getting the del tin. What about the Darksword Armory one? Can anyone tell me about that one or any other similar models they have? Darksword Armoury is a dangerous can of worms; every time one opens it up it explodes right away. I will TRY to stay out of the discussion this time; but if youre looking for a SOLID, RELIABLE sword, made by a TRUSTWORTHY company - stay the HELL away from DSA. MY conclusion an d recommendation, raised from MY experiences with five of their swords over some seven years now. Quite a lot of people share my feelings and experiences, others dont. That's what I figured would be the case, but I still wanted to ask on the off chance that the improvements they've been making actually warrant an investigation. I've always liked the sort of aesthetic DSA puts into their swords but given such a history of hit or miss quality control and more people being unhappy with their products I thought it best to ask first. That being said, what would you recommend for that sort of similar approach? I do want to move on from budget friendly beginner swords and look more into the more mid priced range of swords but I simply don't know where to start Out of every company I've purchased from, I do trust RK the most but I often find their Euro models have fittings that don't match the quality of their japanese models. Would it be safer to just stick to their Dojo Pro line rather than try to venture out into unknown and potentially unsatisfactory territory?
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Post by rjodorizzi on Jul 12, 2019 19:56:58 GMT
Hi There!
So, darksword definitely has improved, and for a long time I sort of tried to call that out every time the can was reopened. That being said, their business practice is still shady AF and you can do A LOT better for the money. I've got an excalibur and an eindride that I like from them but that will probably be the last I procure from them given the recent shadiness (just dealing in marketing.) But my experience with them has been, thankfully, positive.
If you are looking to move up the food chain in durability/cost I would recommend Valiant Armoury Signature line. It's in the realm of 400-600-ish and comes with a full package (scabbard and belt.) Now again if durability is your primary focus you would probably be best looking at a Zombie Tool (you can get it done in a satin finish if you want something less Apoc themed.) I think from a durability standpoint they are hard to beat and the Diphos is a GREAT piece.
That being said you could always start looking at going up slightly higher and shooting for an Atrim through Longship or looking at one second hand, all our decent choices. The second hand market right now is particularly good to buy from since things are slow and you can really get some incredible deals!
Happy hunting!
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Post by Darth Paunch on Jul 13, 2019 6:15:48 GMT
Rjdorizzi is absolutely right spot on considering Zombie Tools... pity they dont have a Longsword/Greatsword design - yet. I can literally beat the sh*t out of 'em beasties; Skallagrim needed a rifle bullet to destroy his one... still a great video. A reavercleaver, if i remember correctly.
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Post by dinvaas on Jul 13, 2019 6:26:56 GMT
Rjdorizzi is absolutely right spot on considering Zombie Tools... pity they dont have a Longsword/Greatsword design - yet. I can literally beat the sh*t out of 'em beasties; Skallagrim needed a rifle bullet to destroy his one... still a great video. A reavercleaver, if i remember correctly. I remember they had a longsword design once upon a time that they retired. The Big Bad Wolf, I think they called it. I was still learning my way around with budget swords from Hanwei and Ronin Katana by the time they retired it. If they were to ever bring that back or introduce something similar to it, I have every intention of jumping on that as quickly as I can. But until that happens though, how do Valiant Armory blades compare in terms of durability for the price? The general consensus I hear is that zombie tools are as close to indestructible as you can get, so how does a VA rank in comparison?
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Post by Darth Paunch on Jul 13, 2019 8:42:02 GMT
It depends what you want to do with your sword; everytime i read something like "built like a tank" and "abuse" it gives me the shivers... swords are not ment to hack away at trees, blocks of wood, ice blocks, tire pells and stuff like that. Go with it for a shield, fine... a shield gives in under force of impact, or better, the person behind it. Then again: Longswords werent meant to fight against shields; our typical 15th century Longsword is already more of a civilian weapon, for showing off, fighting off bandits or settle things in a duel. A real Twohander on the other side... Oh, and that Zombie Tools sword, that was quite small. A Bastard perhaps, surely no Longsword or Twohander.
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Post by dinvaas on Jul 13, 2019 14:07:36 GMT
It depends what you want to do with your sword; everytime i read something like "built like a tank" and "abuse" it gives me the shivers... swords are not ment to hack away at trees, blocks of wood, ice blocks, tire pells and stuff like that. Go with it for a shield, fine... a shield gives in under force of impact, or better, the person behind it. Then again: Longswords werent meant to fight against shields; our typical 15th century Longsword is already more of a civilian weapon, for showing off, fighting off bandits or settle things in a duel. A real Twohander on the other side... Oh, and that Zombie Tools sword, that was quite small. A Bastard perhaps, surely no Longsword or Twohander. Oh I am aware that such terms aren't well received and using swords like axes intentionally on a regular basis will stress the sword. But even though fighting sword to shield wasn't ideal, swords often did find themselves striking at shields and armor in ways that were less than ideal, even in the hands of well trained individuals. Even today with the modern practitioner, we do still hear occasional tell of misaligned cuts that sail through water bottles but still hit the hard ground. Cause, you know, human error is and always will be a thing we work with. I want something that can endure that sort of stress in the event that the sword can find itself subjected to that level of abuse - intentional or otherwise. And my experience with beginner budget friendly swords has taught me that I won't find that in lower end European swords. I've had good luck with katanas that can handle that sort of stress for the price but I've yet to be able to find a longsword that can match that in the price range I'm used to.
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Post by Darth Paunch on Jul 13, 2019 14:50:18 GMT
Never had problems with my "lower end" euros and misaligned cuts; not with my H/Ts, my Ronins nor with my Cold Steel swords. Hit wood with them quite often - unintentionally...
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Post by dinvaas on Jul 13, 2019 15:00:14 GMT
Never had problems with my "lower end" euros and misaligned cuts; not with my H/Ts, my Ronins nor with my Cold Steel swords. Hit wood with them quite often - unintentionally... Maybe I'm just getting some bad luck with them then? Whenever I make mistakes that result in striking the stand for my targets, it results in loose cross guards. Both my RK Euro 7, Euro 1, and my Hanwei Mercenary have all had this problem. I've done my best to repair them using shims but it didn't really help much at all after several attempts on each sword and I've pretty much just given up on the idea of those swords ever having 100% tight fittings again.
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Jul 13, 2019 15:04:09 GMT
Have you considered a H/T Great Sword of War? I don't own one ---yet---but I've heard almost unanimously across the board in reviews that this thing is a *beast*. I can attest to the strength of the construction of the entire H/T line, and the GSOW should be no different. This will probably be my next sword purchase. Like you, I want something that can take a thrashing and not crater on me. I don't really put my swords to much use, but it's nice to know there's one there that can take it...if so needed.
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Post by dinvaas on Jul 13, 2019 15:11:16 GMT
Have you considered a H/T Great Sword of War? I don't own one ---yet---but I've heard almost unanimously across the board in reviews that this thing is a *beast*. I can attest to the strength of the construction of the entire H/T line, and the GSOW should be no different. This will probably be my next sword purchase. Like you, I want something that can take a thrashing and not crater on me. I don't really put my swords to much use, but it's nice to know there's one there that can take it...if so needed. I have considered that one but I prefer peened pommels. I'm also considering a Hanwei Scottish Claymore as well. I hear mentions of it occasionally failing however ; lot of mixed reviews about it. Some people say its amazing, some people say its crap and I can't get a real sense of where it leans. I'd also like to see it disassembled at some point as well but have never been able to find anything about anyone taking one apart to inspect the construction overall.
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
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Post by christain on Jul 13, 2019 15:17:44 GMT
Same here on the claymore. I have one, and it seems solid...but I'm not really sure about the construction either. It's a peened construction, but I've never seen one torn down either.
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Post by dinvaas on Jul 13, 2019 15:36:17 GMT
Same here on the claymore. I have one, and it seems solid...but I'm not really sure about the construction either. It's a peened construction, but I've never seen one torn down either. Sounds to me like its time to put that bad boy through some science experiments All seriousness though, I do love the look of the claymore and if I could find one for a reasonable price I'd love one. The Hanwei is obviously the first and easiest choice due to its price ($240 on KoA last I checked) I just want to know its going to live up to the reputation of its designs history before I take that plunge. If it turns out to be a strong sword that won't crater and can take that thrashing we want it to take, hell I'll buy 3!
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christain
Member
It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
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Post by christain on Jul 13, 2019 16:43:43 GMT
The one bit about the construction on the Hanwei claymore is the steel pin that runs through the langet down the fuller of the blade. No doubt, this is an afterthought to prevent rattling of the blade against the langet. Mine doesn't rattle when struck on the flat of the blade, and the whole thing seems solid...but it still makes me wonder. It can't really add *that much* to the overall strength of the sword, and I've never seen this done on any other claymore....so...as I said...maybe an afterthought. (?) Anyway, I like the sword....but I'm not gonna be the guinea pig to tear off my grip. There's gotta be a photo of a broken one torn down out there...somewhere.
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Post by dinvaas on Jul 13, 2019 16:56:09 GMT
The one bit about the construction on the Hanwei claymore is the steel pin that runs through the langet down the fuller of the blade. No doubt, this is an afterthought to prevent rattling of the blade against the langet. Mine doesn't rattle when struck on the flat of the blade, and the whole thing seems solid...but it still makes me wonder. It can't really add *that much* to the overall strength of the sword, and I've never seen this done on any other claymore....so...as I said...maybe an afterthought. (?) Anyway, I like the sword....but I'm not gonna be the guinea pig to tear off my grip. There's gotta be a photo of a broken one torn down out there...somewhere. Yeah, I've seen that rivet and I actually quite like it, it's one of the reasons I'm attracted to that Hanwei in particular. And you'd think there would be pictures of one broken down and disassembled for our viewing pleasure, but I've never been able to find one. Maybe one day. But for now the Hanwei Claymore is definitely on my list of options among the VA signature line. I know those are two vastly different price ranges but as long as the sword is strong, you get your money's worth on either end. And at the end of the day, that's what matters.
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christain
Member
It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
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Post by christain on Jul 13, 2019 18:25:05 GMT
I've also thought of a H/T bastard sword blade with claymore fittings. Maybe not quite as large as the Hanwei claymore...but...no doubt, no sweat. Something to think about....
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Post by dinvaas on Jul 13, 2019 21:41:59 GMT
So with all this information, I'm pretty much narrowing it down to either the Hanwei Claymore or something from VA's signature line. Either their Zombie Slayer or the VA-402 Kriegshwert.
I wanna lean toward the VA but I don't want to discount the Hanwei simply because of its price, especially since the feedback I've received has told me that I still have very good options in the lower end range. Can I maybe get more insight on why I should choose one over the other beyond higher price? What about Valiant Armory's construction warrants higher the price points?
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