LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Sept 15, 2011 20:52:02 GMT
Mentioned this on the old forum a couple years or more ago, but just wanted to revisit it. (Probably inspired by Windlass's tempting new Atlantean--yet I'll probably pass on it since I struggle w/ justifying the purchase of an 8-pound sword. :roll: ) Could the "Atlantean" still look almost identical to its movie design and still be of a functional? I think so. Point A--the obvious one--is start with stock of the proper thickness and have full distal taper. No surprise there; there are makers on this forum who've done that, or a variation of that. Not quite to the weight-reduction I'd like to see, but close. The big sticking point, though, is the presumption of the hilting components being of cast solid bronze. But just go with me on this: what if we say they aren't? What if the sword is done with a whole, one-piece, organic hilt. Carved wood, with a "bronze leaf" finish? I really think an "Atleantean" could come in at under four pounds this way--and "Ah-nald's" Conan not so stretching in the credulity department. (Oh, and to reiterate another idea: Conan's father's sword was cast rather than forged because it's NOT steel. It's a grey-looking bronze. That's why it's weaker and broken by the Atlantean; it's why they held steel in regard--because despite revering steel they didn't actually know how to forge it; and it's why Thulsa Doom was disappointed in it when searching for true steel. Yeah, a stretch, but it works. Just sayin'. )
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Sept 15, 2011 19:44:45 GMT
Just a quirky side note from my own "Dark Ages" of sword use and collecting, around 15-20 years ago when (non DT made) Windlass Euros were all screw-on pommels, and I was having them come loose when test cutting. It was particularly bad with my Atlanta Cutlery "War Sword" (a less expensive ripoff of the DT 5143). But I came up with a surprisingly effective, if "non-historical" solution. That is, I "keyed" together the entire hilt--guard, handle, and pommel-- by stitching a single piece of rawhide that extended over them all. My main thought at first was simply to make the wheel pommel incapable of turning. I'm sure, however, it had the added effect of distributing stresses so that the entire assembly acted as one. It looked weird, but performed beautifully; in those days I had a steady supply of roadkill deer carcass to test on because of my neighbor's job w/ the DNR picking them up. Not a single test cut, even to hip bones, fazed the War Sword from that point on, when its "poor design" originally made even plastic bottles cause it to loosen every one or two cuts. In any case, I haven't found a need to revisit the technique in many years. But the "weird" look kind of grew on me because of how well it worked (nothing is as pretty as effectiveness!), so I still might go back to it on something someday.
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Sept 15, 2011 19:26:49 GMT
Brilliant idea! (Especially because of its simplicity--just like the so-obvious-I-missed-it cutting down on the guard. I LOVE K.I.S.S. solutions!)
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Sept 14, 2011 22:36:33 GMT
I was thinking about more buying a lobed pommel and making a new, slightly even more extended handle. Feasible?
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Sept 14, 2011 21:27:59 GMT
I used to own a couple movie props from Taras Bulba (Tony Curtis, Yul Brynner) where the blades from surplus original 1906's were used to make "shashki." Believe it or not, used them a lot in cutting practice of light targets--and was surprised at how effective they were. "Unsharpened" too, but just great blade geometry. Glad I gave them to a good friend and a family member as gifts (w/ copies of the film of course ) rather than just selling them.
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Sept 14, 2011 7:59:05 GMT
Wow--very nice. I had a variety of thoughts on how to customize a fantasy "Viking longsword" over the years, but I especially respect the economy of thought you achieved here! (IIRC the GSOW is a hex nut construction? If so, perhaps I could pull off something similar with my own visions and easily give one a lobed pommel?)
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Aug 17, 2011 2:37:33 GMT
Knife? No. Nor are most knife defenses like a sword. Not based on existing case law, as I'm not even aware of any cases to begin with. But absolutely from principles of what, for a civilian, is considered "self defense."
Marc MacYoung's online resources are far more in-depth than anything I'll go into, but most people are grossly in error with folk conceptions of what is considered "reasonable" in self-defense situations. Even in one's home.
Self defense, in a legal sense, requires that the person in question have done everything in his/her power to avoid having to use lethal force in the first place. If armed and walking through a neighborhood where one has been previously threatened, for example, it's considered evidence that the armed person was looking for a confrontation, and negates the self-defense argument.
Even within your own home, if there is any indication one was relishing the idea of having to use a weapon, there's an extremely high likelihood the DA in that jurisdiction will prosecute. Worse, even if there is no criminal liability prosecuted, anyone can file civil suit. As my original C&C instructor--no "bleeding heart" shrinking violet by any means--put it, "Rest assured that you will almost certainly go bankrupt in legal proceedings if you ever have to use your firearm ... because even if your attacker was a two-time gang-tatted convict who battered down the door to your bedroom to go after you in a corner, he has a brother/sister/mother--probably with no money and even more incentive--who will sue you. And find a lawyer willing to take the case in a heartbeat."
(In other words, the timeless paradox of defense. "You need to be willing to recognize and act on a legitimate threat in a split-second, yes, but doing so successfully will still ruin your life. So it better actually be your life at stake.")
This is all why you want to use an effective ammo (e.g. a Golden Sabre) but don't want to use an "exotic" (e.g. expensive frag rounds specifically designed for good home defense). It's why you want to have an amiable smile on your C&C permit, not look like a scowling psycho.
And it's why, even if you have swords, you want to keep them secure--and instead use an effective but "normal" weapon in home defense. News flash: most people will look askew at those of us who have swords. We all know it. Ergo, using one in a real maiming or killing, even "self defense," will rarely evoke understanding in the legal system. And yes, that advice has come straight from a number of people I've talked to in law, C&C training, and law enforcement.
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Aug 16, 2011 19:45:24 GMT
Very nice! I've taken a liking to war hammers and love unique designs; yours certainly is one.
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Aug 16, 2011 19:10:03 GMT
Agree with Anders. Aesthetically, not to mention because a lot of groups are treating longsword as "foundational" and because I dream of fictional characters with longswords, I have a psychological impetus to veer toward two hand use.
Unfortunately, I've found over the years that my own thought processes and especially my build (average height but thick across chest and shoulders) is MUCH more conducive to one-handers.
For recreation might I suggest getting one of each and figuring out for yourself?
As for "home defense" I'd only echo what others have said. It's a legal quagmire you'd want to avoid. Better off with a non-lethal arm and/or a gun and proper training. (Believe it or not, you'd probably have an easier and more straightforward legal process to deal with after having used a gun than a sword.)
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Aug 15, 2011 17:47:50 GMT
That is a very beautiful Jian, NIM7. Is there a website link to the maker you can share?
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Aug 10, 2011 22:12:49 GMT
Nice to see. I have the CS version and it is my absolutely favorite sword. (Which is a bit of a problem, as I keep looking at other types I want to buy, only to know I'll only get another Shamshir with the money instead! )
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Aug 10, 2011 22:00:58 GMT
Seriously, am I the only one who has perfect luck with the Dark Sentinel?
I have two now--and they absolutely zip through even multiple bottles in one cut.
Though both are modified. One suggestion that might be affecting people's perceptions is that I had to add a pommel on the second one after cutting down the handle a few inches and for a short time I had sudden problems that originally mystified me.
I'm guessing, Celtic Ninja, that you have your lead hand right up against the guard, and I realized when I did with the shorter handle it was causing the blade to trail, "point back," rather than get full extension on impact. Causes a huge difference.
But w/ the full-length original handle, if you take a wide grip, or a narrow grip but both hands back, I bet you find the cutting power's there!
(Regarding the OP that's what makes me wonder why Hanwei has such problems w/ other Euros, if they can sharpen DS's fine.)
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