Thread: Guide to buying a workable sword?

Several years ago I got it in my head that I was going to learn martial arts. Putting the cart before the horse, I bought a high quality sword in Toledo Spain. After receiving it I decided that I would really hate myself if I swung such a beautiful sword and wrecked it. I now have a $600 mantle decoration and still haven't started learning martial arts.

If you want something that you can use in different situations you might try the follow site. A good brand at a good price:
Gerber Apocalypse Kit
TOP ART & DESIGN STORIES | NOVEMBER 22, 2011
http://pulse.me/s/3p5Ng

Edit : don't forget the zombies....that's the main reason I want one...but that will Be next year...

I agree! You can never be too prepared!

For those nay-sayers..

5 Scientific Reasons a Zombie Apocalypse Could Actually Happen | Cracked.com

Originally Posted by Theseus

Several years ago I got it in my head that I was going to learn martial arts. Putting the cart before the horse, I bought a high quality sword in Toledo Spain. After receiving it I decided that I would really hate myself if I swung such a beautiful sword and wrecked it. I now have a $600 mantle decoration and still haven't started learning martial arts.

Slightly off topic but I had a similar notion a while back, I took a few months of Taekwondo training, but my old body just can't keep up with my young mind, fastforward to a year ago when a co-worker and Judo instructor said I should learn Judo. I asked him why, he said; "So you can protect yourself." My response, "I have a gun." I wish I had a picture to remember the look on his face.

Originally Posted by Johnus

Never take a knife to a gun fight. Check with a local dealer and take a home defense class.
Otherwise, stick to the baseball bat by the door.

That always sounds real good on paper and in the movies In reality, plenty of well-armed cops and civilians have been killed or seriously injured by knife wielding attackers at typical fight distances - always within 21 feet and often within arm's length. At close range, blades are rapidly deployed and devastatingly effective weapons that can cause massive trauma a long time before you can execute your picture perfect drawstroke. Statistically, your chance of surviving a close-range encounter with a gun-wielding attacker is about 35% - facing an edged weapon attack, this goes down to about 15%... But hey, don't take my word for it - participate in some good force-on-force training and see what happens !

Originally Posted by HamburgO

That always sounds real good on paper and in the movies In reality, plenty of well-armed cops and civilians have been killed or seriously injured by knife wielding attackers at typical fight distances - always within 21 feet and often within arm's length. At close range, blades are rapidly deployed and devastatingly effective weapons that can cause massive trauma a long time before you can execute your picture perfect drawstroke. Statistically, your chance of surviving a close-range encounter with a gun-wielding attacker is about 35% - facing an edged weapon attack, this goes down to about 15%... But hey, don't take my word for it - participate in some good force-on-force training and see what happens !

Off topic, as usual. Using or carrying firearms here is really really rare but carrying knife not so long ago used to be as popular as carrying pistol in US. Even today not all cops or military personnel carry firearm.
I remember back maybe 40 years ago my late great uncle once said when drunk: "Damn these kids nowadays. They do not know how to fight with a knife. They just stab and poke when they should cut. That is what happens in a world where young ladies drink vodka and young men eat vegetables"
He was a vet from German army but obviously he had done some practice with his knife too when younger.

A few years back I worked in the security industry, we had it rammed home to us on several occassions, that a bladed weapon is very effective, and distances can be closed quite rapidly...Faster than you can draw a gun in many cases.
I have a very large collection of bladed things myself. Insofar as swords go, I prefer my paired Rapiers when there is room to move, and for limited room, I also have a Cutlass (but a machete would do the same thing). Other swords in my collection include a two handed Broadsword and a Ninjato. I did years of martial arts of various forms, including Italian and Spanish fencing (sword training).
For home defence, however, I think the original inhabitants of this country were onto something with a weapon called a 'Nulla Nulla'. I have one that lives beside the bed. Then again, so do the swords, Buckler (small shield) and most of the other bladeware...


Mick

Sailor, I really really enjoy visiting Finland when I can. By God, now there is a country where you're not a real man until you've made your own knife and you can still wear it outside your pants and not get hassled by everyone. A couple good friends were helping with a forging demonstration in Helsinki and another smith was wearing a 12 knife on his belt the whole time. Probably ten or twelve policemen stopped by to watch the striking and not a word was uttered about the blade. I would have thought that in the "big european city" that would have caused some problems. At the last Helsinki knife show a good bunch of the customers were police. But maybe it's the company I keep over there.

Your uncle reminds me of a bunch of guys I had some alcohol with. They all talked just the same.

My grandfather used to say basically the same thing. He'd say that guns were for war and robbing banks. Learning to properly use a knife was better for self defense than a gun.

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

Sailor, I really really enjoy visiting Finland when I can. By God, now there is a country where you're not a real man until you've made your own knife and you can still wear it outside your pants and not get hassled by everyone. A couple good friends were helping with a forging demonstration in Helsinki and another smith was wearing a 12 knife on his belt the whole time. Probably ten or twelve policemen stopped by to watch the striking and not a word was uttered about the blade. I would have thought that in the "big european city" that would have caused some problems. At the last Helsinki knife show a good bunch of the customers were police. But maybe it's the company I keep over there.

Your uncle reminds me of a bunch of guys I had some alcohol with. They all talked just the same.

Carrying any kind of blade is illegal these days but still many carry them. Might be that it has always been illegal, i do not know.
I've never heard that cops would have taken knife away from anybody unless he/she has first given any sign of violent behavior etc.
Maybe that is why attitudes towards carrying a knife are liberal because people here have always seen knife as utility tool, not as weapon.
Probably that is also why most popular knife type is just a simple & small traditional work knife and little 'bear claw' that my wife has. A traditional womens knife. You as a knife maker surely know these models.
While work knife is not the most beautiful knife there is, it is surely most useful for general purposes. A simple, small and handy tool for various tasks. There are many other models that look better or whatever but they are usually made for one purpose only or then the size is impractical.
In the army we were supposed to carry either sissipuukko or leuku but almost everyone carried their own work knifes instead. I never did like sissipuukko, maybe it was because i didn't get used to the handle. Leuku is too big even to be a weapon and i never found any reasonable use for it back then. Nowadays i use mine for chopping firewood, it is very handy for it.