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Post by fredrickhudson on Nov 6, 2023 9:48:30 GMT
I'm currently contemplating the purchase of the 72" Berserk Guts Dragonslayer sword, and I'd greatly appreciate any input from individuals who already own or have experience with this piece. I found one on replicaswords.us but want to know if someone already bought from there. Specifically, I'm interested in insights regarding its craftsmanship, handling, and overall satisfaction with the product. Your feedback would be invaluable in helping me make an informed decision. Thank you in advance for your assistance!
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mrstabby
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Post by mrstabby on Nov 6, 2023 14:51:30 GMT
Hi, welcome. Do you want a wallhanger or a usable sword? If I see the correct sword, it's more like a sword like object and, if made of steel, would be not a usable sword. I think there are aluminium versions which would be more wieldable, but neither would make a usable sword to be honest. Unless you really thin out the blade, and make it less wide, like in the thread about making a usable version, but these are also much shorter, nowhere near 72".
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Post by blackprince on Nov 6, 2023 15:53:28 GMT
For clarity: this is a decorative sword.
The term “sword like object (slo)” is often mis-understood by those new to the hobby. This sword will likely snap at the tang sooner or later if you use it because it is made of stainless steel and cast hilt components. That is, if you don’t damage your rotator cuff first; a 13+ lbs sword is too heavy for the human body to effectively handle the way a sword designed for martial arts can be handled.
It will excel as a display piece because stainless steel usually needs no maintenance and does not rust.
Hope that helps.
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Zen_Hydra
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Post by Zen_Hydra on Nov 6, 2023 18:29:18 GMT
As has been already mentioned, the replica you are considering for purchase is not a functional sword in any way. It's meant as a decoration, and that's all. Even slowly moving it around like it was a real sword risks catastrophic failure in the sword and/or your body. Even if you spent thousands of dollars on a 1:1 scale custom order from a reputable swordsmith, the Dragon Slayer sword from Berserk is never going to be a functional weapon. At a certain point, human tissue just isn't capable of growing strong enough to withstand the stresses of the inertial forces involved in wielding a lever of that size and mass. Realistically, you'll either need to settle with having a Dragon Slayer reproduction that is just an art piece for your wall, or having a swordsmith make a custom weapon that is visually informed by Guts' sword, but reproportioned in a manner that allows it to function safely as a sword should.
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mrstabby
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Post by mrstabby on Nov 6, 2023 18:35:51 GMT
A LARP/foam version could be wieldable and look nice, though I have no real knowledge about this stuff. (I remember seeing someone walking around with one I think)
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Post by blackjackjolly on Nov 6, 2023 19:33:11 GMT
Oof. I'd be _really_ wary of making this particular design out of stainless steel, even as a cosplay prop. The junction of the hilt with a blade that wide is going to take a lot of stress. Stainless steel is going to be way too fragile. (That junction is a common point of failure even in historical swords made of heat-treated carbon steel.) You'd probably be OK (but tired) carrying it, but don't swing it around.
(FWIW, there are some YouTube videos floating around of [very fit] people swinging around giant swords of this scale as a kind of weight training. But they clearly don't have much control, and even if the sword were engineered in such a way that it wouldn't break, it still looks really dangerous to do around people.)
I second the recommendation to find a foam version. That way you can carry it around at cons and stuff without being a safety hazard.
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Post by blackjackjolly on Nov 6, 2023 20:36:43 GMT
I'm also kind of skeptical of the advertised weight of "about 13.2lbs", even if you assume the smallest dimensions listed in the FAQ:
"It starts from the handle and is 15-18 inches wide. It narrows to 6-9 inches and sharpens to a 6-inch point....38.5″ to 52″ blade length."
So we have a trapezoid with a 15" base and a 6" top that is 32.5" high (not counting the point), which 341.25 sq in area. Now add a triangle with a 6" base and 6" height, which would be another 18 sq in of area, for a total of 359.25 sq in of surface for the blade alone.
Now, stainless steel is roughly .28lbs/cu in, so the sword would need to be, on average (not accounting for distal taper) about .13" thick in order to weigh ~13lbs. That would be an OK thickness for a 1-handed sword, but way too thin for something this size. It would droop like a...droopy thing, if it could support its own weight at all. And that's not even factoring in the handle.
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Post by blackjackjolly on Nov 6, 2023 20:47:17 GMT
Oh, now I'm in math mode. If you use the LARGEST dimensions, the blade would need to average .082" (about 2mm) thick to be in the 13lb range. If we make the blade average .3" thick (the base thickness of a Regenyei 72", 7.5lb greatsword), it would weigh 49lbs. If it were aluminum instead, it would still be 17lbs.
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mrstabby
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Post by mrstabby on Nov 6, 2023 20:51:14 GMT
Oh, now I'm in math mode. If you use the LARGEST dimensions, the blade would need to average .082" (about 2mm) thick to be in the 13lb range. It is.... Look:
Can you imagine how floppy this is?
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Post by blackjackjolly on Nov 6, 2023 21:43:23 GMT
I have visions of it waving like a palm frond.
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rschuch
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Post by rschuch on Nov 6, 2023 22:01:45 GMT
Jeez. C’mon, it’s a toy, people. I 3rd the foam suggestion. To even ask about “handling” and craftsmanship is silly. I get we all have to start somewhere, but you might as well as the handling characteristics of a NERF gun. This isn’t about comparing distal taper on a Windlass/Deepeeka vs an Albion or VA or historical accuracy. The UC stainless LotR stuff are toys too, but at least there’s a bit of restraint in that they were usable on screen and therefore the replicas should be somewhat plausible, if not usable. But something like this based on a cartoon? Just make something out of cardboard and have fun with it. It’s worse than mall ninja junk.
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Post by toddstratton1 on Nov 7, 2023 4:12:23 GMT
Jeez. C’mon, it’s a toy, people. I 3rd the foam suggestion. To even ask about “handling” and craftsmanship is silly. I get we all have to start somewhere, but you might as well as the handling characteristics of a NERF gun. This isn’t about comparing distal taper on a Windlass/Deepeeka vs an Albion or VA or historical accuracy. The UC stainless LotR stuff are toys too, but at least there’s a bit of restraint in that they were usable on screen and therefore the replicas should be somewhat plausible, if not usable. But something like this based on a cartoon? Just make something out of cardboard and have fun with it. It’s worse than mall ninja junk. Usually something like this is used for cosplaying a character. Although foam swords can also be used for larping, which can be really fun in its own right. Those swords do not weigh 13 pounds haha , OP just don't swing it around like you would other swords or you're going to injure yourself most likely. It's not a weildable weight to swing around safely as a sword even if just foam.
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Post by izzy on Nov 13, 2023 15:15:28 GMT
Hey Fred Check this out big Heavy, but usable. 4 pound 9 oz Beast, 55 Inches overall:
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