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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2008 0:21:20 GMT
Hello all. I have a dilemma and was hoping for some opinions to help me through this. I am going to be buying myself a birthday present in the form of a sword very soon, and I am having difficulty making the choice. I want a nice looking sword that is a solid cutter, and doesn't handle like a crowbar. So obviously this whole website was a massive help (and curse) I got to see many swords reviewed, but I saw several I liked, so it made the choice very hard. I was thinking a curved sword, because most straight and plain medieval style swords don't appeal to me very much, generally. The two main swords that caught my eye were the Cold Steel Shamshir and the Cold Steel 1796 light sabre. I have read both reviews (many times) and still can't choose. The shamshir is more elegant and has a subtle vicious look to it. Whereas the sabre shows brutal efficiency. The first thought that entered my head when I saw it was skullsplitter, heh (jokingly) So I was looking for opinions on those swords, or reccomendations if you think another sword might appeal to me more. My range is pretty much up to 300$ ish, I would like something curved probably and something solid. The reason I am leaning towards the sabre is because is seems like a more solid cutter. Though it is a weird/stupid example, this is one of the ways I think of how sturdy a sword is. If there was a zombie outbreak ( I know I know, but it can make you think about the sword's reliability) which sword would you trust to hold up more as a slicer/chopper. Sooo, sorry for the long post, but yeah, opinions and such are welcome of course. And again, sorry for the zombie example, but it was all I could think of Edit: Forgot to ask, I heard that cold steel swords could be unwieldy, was wondering if it applied to those two swords, and if so, how bad it is and such.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2008 1:17:08 GMT
The Cold Steel Shamshir is the same blade as the Windlass Shamshir, just different fittings. Both are under 2lbs I believe, so they shouldnt be unwieldy. All I know about the 1796 is that the hilt is threaded, not peened, which some don't like.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2008 2:02:13 GMT
I bought factory second 1796 saber couple of months ago and I have little bit problem with it because the edge is dull .I have tough time cutting plastic bottle and milk jug with it. This is only Cold steel factory second item that disappointed me .I am not sure about the one that pass the inspection and mark as factory first but I handle a few 1796 saber at Cold steel parking lot sale in May and found them to be heavy (I handle about 4 of them on the table there ) .
Shamshir is elegant , beauty yet deadly and it has very good review here.
In case of Zombie attack you need a good katana 'cause if you swing those sword one hand you will get tired really quickly .
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2008 2:16:46 GMT
As I am new to real swords myself, all that I can do is wish you luck in finding what you are looking for. I am sure that you will get all of the information that you need from these guys. Most are very knowledgeable and all are very eager to help.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2008 23:18:10 GMT
As I am new to real swords myself, all that I can do is wish you luck in finding what you are looking for. I am sure that you will get all of the information that you need from these guys. Most are very knowledgeable and all are very eager to help. I hope so. I am going to be ordering the sword soon, so opinions would be awesome. I honestly like the look of the shamshir more I think, but it seems like the sabre may be more solid and stand up to heavier targets.
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Post by waltznjack on Aug 12, 2008 20:55:20 GMT
I recommend the Scottish one handed sword by Valiant in their practical line. Find a sword shop in your area and try it for handling and feel. It looks great and handles like a dream. I do not like the other Scottish sword as reviewed by Iestin because the guard looks too unwieldly and unproportioned. He purchased this sword from Cult of Athena and it is made by Gen2 which is normally a quality mfg on the budget end of sword buying. I learned my lesson! Do not buy sight unseen, but try the sword in person if at all possible. Establish your requirements but be prepared to change them if you find a sword that makes you drool to own it. Historical accrucacy sounds fine but if you want a using sword it must fit your hand and balance well. A blade heavy sword is fine for chopping such as my Valiant PV Celtic which is heavy, anthropomorphic, and two handed from a practical point of view. It also is more clunky than the Gen2 Celtic which is about three inches shorter and strikingly beautiful. Do not rule out a katana but be prepared to pay around $300 or up for a quality katana. Quality and beauty and cutting are the hallmarks of a good katana. Also buy a regular katana without bo-hi. I purchased a Cheness SGC with is very blade heavy and a little too heavy for a katana but it is a specialized cutter made for heavy cutting. But it is very well made. I also purchased a very sharp (literally and figuatively) Onuyri Bujinkan from Cheness which is about three inches shorter than a regular katana. Personally, I recommend either Hanwei or Cheness katanas with a differentially hardened blade for looks such as a hamon (temper line) which is reassuring to me. I prefer Cheness but either will do nicely. Medeival European swords are a mixed bag and prone to have problems in the tang area because the tang is too narrow for the blade weight, a problem which is non existant in a katana with a proper tang and two mekugi and mekugi ana to anchor the tsuka to the tang properly although tradition requires only one. While we are on the subject of tangs, many two handed and hand and a half swords have tangs which are too short and result in a broken handle. These European swords are too heavy (Norman, Viking, etc). The long swords are too long for really practical use other than cutting or reinacting. There are plenty to choose from almost too many and the pitfalls are many in their purchase. Hope this information has helped you and maybe saved you some money to boot! Waltznjack and harmonica ;D
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2008 17:46:30 GMT
Any last minute suggestions either way? I am planning on ordering the sword later today, and I am thinking the Cold Steel shamshir. By the sounds of it, it is a vicious cutter that is solid. And I haven't really heard a bad review of it besides little rare things. And most people seem to like the handle, and very few say it feels tacky or rubbery. It would be a lot less confusing if people who hadn't actually held the sword didn't comment on the handle or what they heard about it. But oh well. ;D So any comments are welcome!
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Post by oos3thoo on Aug 13, 2008 17:49:26 GMT
I bought factory second 1796 saber couple of months ago and I have little bit problem with it because the edge is dull .I have tough time cutting plastic bottle and milk jug with it. This is only Cold steel factory second item that disappointed me .I am not sure about the one that pass the inspection and mark as factory first but I handle a few 1796 saber at Cold steel parking lot sale in May and found them to be heavy (I handle about 4 of them on the table there ) . Shamshir is elegant , beauty yet deadly and it has very good review here. In case of Zombie attack you need a good katana 'cause if you swing those sword one hand you will get tired really quickly . Unless the Katana was ultra thick and huge, it would not be a good weapon. A zombie attack would most likely require a serious sharpened crowbar.
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Post by oos3thoo on Aug 13, 2008 17:57:22 GMT
As far a sword would go for zombies, get some sort of bludgeon for it instead. But if you are presistant on the sword, or want one for collection and could possibly be used in a zombie attack, I would suggest something two handed. And something reliable. Here are some options: Cheness Oni-Yuri (Preferable, mainly because it is both stealthy and has leverage, and yes, the Kaze would be a bad option.) Anything two handed from Darksword And if you are crazy serious, something from Badger Blades. Vay Duong is selling one fore a little over/under? 300$ As far as one edge weapons go, look into Cheness 9260 series or most things from Darksword, but Cold Steel should do as well, as they are supposedly pretty damn tough.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2008 22:29:23 GMT
Mmm, just laid eyes on the Cold Steel 1830 Napoleon Saber and I'm tempted to try that. Argh! Must decide!
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Post by lol74 on Aug 13, 2008 23:22:34 GMT
How about the practical pro by hanwei, it has a 14.5 in tsuka with a longer and thicker blade, let's see the zombies stand up to that! Oh and it's also in the sub $300 range which is, what I understand, this forum is all about.
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