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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Dec 9, 2023 22:31:34 GMT
I do, mine is the Gen2/Legacy Arms Maintz gladius, bought 2012. I wanted something for theoretical home defense and I always liked the Romanes . It's not historical correct, hand and a half grip, hexagonal cross section looking like it has a fuller, ... ok, it sinks in a little bit. But it's razor sharp, pointy as hell and I wrapped the grip to oval for better edge alignment. And I can train longsword moves without hurting my ceiling. And as I like to say: With a short sword you always parry with the forte! Somehow I embosomed the misspelling of Mainz. We could make a nostalgic X-mas thread. The winner is allowed to keep his sword.
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Post by randomnobody on Dec 9, 2023 23:17:54 GMT
My first "real sword" was a Hanwei Practical Katana. It's still my favorite modern sword. I doubt I'll ever get rid of it, but it sorely needs some upkeep.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Dec 9, 2023 23:21:10 GMT
Picture?
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Post by randomnobody on Dec 9, 2023 23:29:53 GMT
Picture? None presently available. Didn't realize it was a requirement. Perhaps on the morrow.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Dec 9, 2023 23:32:55 GMT
No requirement, just nice.
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Post by eastman on Dec 9, 2023 23:45:23 GMT
First real sword was the Del Tin "Joinville" Type XV as sold by Museum Replicas in the late 1980s (probably 1988). It was based on a sword in Oakeshott's "Records of the Medieval Sword" found in the MET's collection which is generally now considered to be a Victorian reproduction / fake.
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Post by larason2 on Dec 10, 2023 1:10:17 GMT
Cold Steel Gross Messer that my mother in law had gotten a hold of. It was all scratched up, dull, knicks in the edge, rusted in the scabbard, with the pommel broken off. It had the original riveted handle, but the original scales smelled very strongly of smoke, and had been covered up by hockey tape! I cleaned all the rust off with sandpaper and mineral oil down to a very fine grit, as well as sanded out the knicks in the edge, cut off the scales of the handle and rehilted it with hide glue, oak scales, cotton cord, and skived leather. I didn't know it was missing the pommel, otherwise I would have recreated it! Love the feel of it, reminds me a lot of a katana!
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Post by BryanW on Dec 10, 2023 2:18:05 GMT
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Post by Curtis_Louis on Dec 10, 2023 4:33:10 GMT
I still have my first real sword (DSA Claymore). I purchased it in 2008 in a knee-jerk impulse, prior to discovering SBG and the sword community. That sword is directly responsible for leading me here.
I also still have my first sort-of real sword, a made in Japan Wakizashi that I paid waaaay too much for in 1983.
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Post by toddstratton1 on Dec 10, 2023 8:07:41 GMT
My first sword was a wall hanger katana with a rat tail from Chintown in NYC when I was 11 in 2001, it's still at my parents house in CA. My first real sword was an Albion Crecy, still one of my favorite swords. Maybe the only sword I would keep if I hypothetically could only have one European sword.
That's how much I like it, but the fun of medieval swords is how different they all handle, feel, and differences in blade typologies for different specialties etc. I don't feel as inclined to have a bigger Japanese sword collection, as difference aren't as stark between different swords. Mostly just length of blade, and Bo hi versus no hi, less dramatic differences in blade gemeotries, and differences in edge profiles for various intended uses.
I know it gets a ton more nuanced, but at least for my needs and as someone who also practices kenjutsu, I only feel the need for maybe 2 or 3 katana which serve different purpose. Excuse my rambling lol
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Post by leviathansteak on Dec 10, 2023 8:38:06 GMT
Cold Steel Gross Messer that my mother in law had gotten a hold of. It was all scratched up, dull, knicks in the edge, rusted in the scabbard, with the pommel broken off. It had the original riveted handle, but the original scales smelled very strongly of smoke, and had been covered up by hockey tape! I cleaned all the rust off with sandpaper and mineral oil down to a very fine grit, as well as sanded out the knicks in the edge, cut off the scales of the handle and rehilted it with hide glue, oak scales, cotton cord, and skived leather. I didn't know it was missing the pommel, otherwise I would have recreated it! Love the feel of it, reminds me a lot of a katana! I had one of these as my first real sword too. Looking at your photo, it kinda looks better without the pommel!
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mrstabby
Member
Posts: 1,357
Member is Online
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Post by mrstabby on Dec 10, 2023 8:42:52 GMT
I got my first sword, which was sold as being usable, as a birthday gift around 2005, and it wasn't. Rat Tail tang, that bends when you put any force on it. Put me off swords for years. Went for knives instead for a while. My first really usable sword would have been Hanwei Henry V around 2015, which unfortunately arrived with a heavily warped blade (real corkscrew), seller didn't have a second example but had a Windlass XIV, so I said I'll take the XIV since the Henry V felt too heavy for me anyways. At the same time I had bought a Windlass De Joinville from a different shop that arrived before the XIV. De Joinville had a very loose grip (it could rotate around the tang by 5-10° and tilt so it would move by 1mm), seller said all of their examples had the same issue, so it went back. So do I still have my first real sword? Technically no. The XIV, the only one that arrived without issues I still own though.
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Post by izzy on Dec 10, 2023 10:53:16 GMT
Edit, blast my memory...No. I gave my Paul Chen DaDao bought in the 90's to my brother, that was purchased about 13 to 14 years before the Gen 2 ( pompeii style) Gladius. The Dadao was an exchange with the vendor ( now gone) for a TaiChi sword, that while it did have a live blade was too thin and floppy for my taste ( 1990's manufacture). The Dadao was really nice.
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Post by pellius on Dec 10, 2023 15:44:53 GMT
My first sword was a gift from my dad; a Longquan liuyedao. Though a bit heavy with only minimal distal taper, it boasted a DH blade with a visible hamon, robust tang, and a convex cross section. At a little over 36” oal, it was a legitimate cavalry saber. Handling was a bit heavy but not ridiculous for the type. The recurved S shape profile was gorgeous to my eye.
Though not an expensive sword by any measure, it was a “real” sword, and was my first foray into a hobby I had wanted to pursue for a very long time.
Though separated by distance, my dad and I went on to engage in the sword hobby together for a number of years before he died.
Of course I still have that liuyedaao.
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Post by Sir Thorfinn on Dec 10, 2023 18:00:47 GMT
My first 'real' sword, was bought about 1983. My squire has it. (though nether of us are active) I'll see if I can get pics. It's an interesting sword.
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rschuch
Member
Sharp blades are good to have, if Shire-folk go walking, east, south, far away into dark and danger.
Posts: 831
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Post by rschuch on Dec 10, 2023 19:55:09 GMT
Yep. My dad got me these at a flea market back when I was in high school (1982 or so?). Didn't get my next real one until just a couple of years ago. Attachments:
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Greg E
Member
little bit of this... and a whole lot of that
Posts: 1,312
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Post by Greg E on Dec 10, 2023 20:44:28 GMT
Mine was a first generation Albion Crecy. I sadly sold it when I got back into rifle collecting.
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Post by squalembrato on Dec 10, 2023 23:36:47 GMT
My first real sword was the Cold Steel Warrior Katana which I got in mint condition in 2001 for $50 at a pawn shop.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Dec 10, 2023 23:53:14 GMT
So far it's 2 weeks before Christmas and the winner is "Yes", so we all can keep our first swords!
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Post by randomnobody on Dec 10, 2023 23:53:57 GMT
My first real sword was the Cold Steel Warrior Katana which I got in mint condition in 2001 for $50 at a pawn shop. Man, it was only a few years later, at a gun show, where I was weighing the PK vs the Warrior. Dealer wanted $200 for the PK, $500 for the Warrior. I was absolutely not sold on the Warrior, especially at $500, so settle for the PK at a much gentler $200. Found out later I could have bought one online for $150, but figured the extra was worth it to be able to handle it first.
$50 I'd have gone for much more readily.
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