Gladius: Point me in the right direction

Universities have whole departments of historical studies. Why just study texts when you can role-play for a better understanding of what it took to survive in an ancient war? We have medieval villages, preserving the handicrafts of earlier times.

If you aren't interested in this, fine, go baton a few logs and pretend you're surviving the Donner Party. We each have our different ways of learning and relating to what interests us. Mocking people with different interests is petty. Go read another thread.
 
BePrepared said:
I personally can't stomach CS's machete line... i have a couple of their kukris, and they're too thin to be used for anything but yard work

I prefer more substantial blades.
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I beg to differ. CS Kukris have some serious chop, especially for the price, and are actually thick compared to machetes I have used to take down plenty of trees, ie. Tramontina machetes.
 
Well I doubt you'll find a real gladius for under $100.

The Windlass Qama would be your best bet in that price range. Cobra Steel makes a kindjal which is a bit more tacticool and is within your price range.

Some other swords in the 150-200 dollar range are the Windlass Pompei Gladius, the Valiant Armoury Praetorian Gladius, and the Generation 2 Wasp-Waisted Gladius.

Note that none of these are completely historically accurate (not up to the standards of meticulous reenactors) but they are all decent swords and probably every bit as durable as a real legionary's sword would have been.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Universities have whole departments of historical studies. Why just study texts when you can role-play for a better understanding of what it took to survive in an ancient war? We have medieval villages, preserving the handicrafts of earlier times.

If you aren't interested in this, fine, go baton a few logs and pretend you're surviving the Donner Party. We each have our different ways of learning and relating to what interests us. Mocking people with different interests is petty.
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Very Nice stated, I agree 100%:thumbup:
 
If you wanted a reasonably historically accurate and combat ready gladius this is as good as it gets for non-custom: http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/swords-albion-mark-nextgen.htm#Roman

But yeah, sorry not going to be in your price range! :) and that price does not include the scabbard either!!

I'm sure there may be some gladius-like objects for $100 but if you want to go gladius, you gotta pay the $$$

Good knives are cheap compared to good swords...
 
Daniel L said:
If you wanted a reasonably historically accurate and combat ready gladius this is as good as it gets for non-custom: http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/swords-albion-mark-nextgen.htm#Roman

But yeah, sorry not going to be in your price range! :) and that price does not include the scabbard either!!

I'm sure there may be some gladius-like objects for $100 but if you want to go gladius, you gotta pay the $$$

Good knives are cheap compared to good swords...
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To be fair, you're making the assumption that the historical gladius was a good sword! Some were, sure, but as a whole they were mass-produced pieces just like today. And many of iron, no less, rather than steel. So many of the inexpensive ones might actually be better than some historical examples were! Not saying they are--just saying they might be. :D
 
Kris cutlery makes a Claudius but it is going to be more than100.
I like their pinuti. Check them out as they do run sales.
 
don't care in the slightest about historical accuracy

i actually prefer modernized versions.

the PERFECT gladius IMHO is the Busse Gladius, but i can't afford $2000
 
BePrepared said:
don't care in the slightest about historical accuracy

i actually prefer modernized versions.

the PERFECT gladius IMHO is the Busse Gladius, but i can't afford $2000
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You could always get someone to experiment and make you a custom. Might be cheaper if it is their first attempt. But that CS version would probably be your best best for something seriously workable. However when you say you want a modernized version...a gladius was a great sword for its time, but there have been advances and better designs have come out since then. In my opinion. I don't think you're going to find many swords built for hard use, because as I said, they're all wallhangers in their own way. Either they're real and very expensive, or they're decorative and breakable. Plus it is pretty illegal to carry one around. :p
 
i piece of 5160 steel, properly heat treated, and assembled well, is not a wall hanger.

This idea that modern swords are not usable is based on pretty much nothing. It doesn't take a master bladesmith to produce a 20" blade that will handle extreme abuse and function flawlessly as a weapon.

I would say you're probably right about most low end asian swords... katanas and the like, but a gladius is a design that would not require any special geometry or metals to produce a fully functional weapon at least as good, and likely better than what was produced at the height of the Roman Empire
 
BePrepared said:
i piece of 5160 steel, properly heat treated, and assembled well, is not a wall hanger.

This idea that modern swords are not usable is based on pretty much nothing. It doesn't take a master bladesmith to produce a 20" blade that will handle extreme abuse and function flawlessly as a weapon.

I would say you're probably right about most low end asian swords... katanas and the like, but a gladius is a design that would not require any special geometry or metals to produce a fully functional weapon at least as good, and likely better than what was produced at the height of the Roman Empire
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I call them wallhangers not based on functionality, but rather the fact that they're gonna be stuck in the general vicinity of your house. It's illegal to carry a sword in public, or even in your car. If you get pulled over, you can be called into account for that thing, thus it would probably be sitting in your trunk.

I for one see swords the same as I see guns. Serious implements, but if someone is carrying them, they are carrying them to injure or kill. Historically they are beautiful things, but that "as a weapon only" thing is a big turn off to a lot of people. May I ask why you want a sword that can take extreme abuse?
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
For me it primarily is a factor that regardless of if anyone else is able to spot a piece as a wallhanger I'll still KNOW it's a wallhanger and I can't stand the idea. I want to be able to play with my toys, and I never liked the gaudy nature of display pieces or the disingenuous nature of them (mimicking a real functional item.) Rubs me the wrong way on so many levels. So if I have a sword it's going to be a functional one.
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+1. Well said.

Same thing holds with my "safe queens." All are beautifully functional. Typically too elegantly functional to use! Yeah, I know that doesn't make sense.
 
BePrepared said:
i piece of 5160 steel, properly heat treated, and assembled well, is not a wall hanger.

This idea that modern swords are not usable is based on pretty much nothing. It doesn't take a master bladesmith to produce a 20" blade that will handle extreme abuse and function flawlessly as a weapon.

I would say you're probably right about most low end asian swords... katanas and the like, but a gladius is a design that would not require any special geometry or metals to produce a fully functional weapon at least as good, and likely better than what was produced at the height of the Roman Empire
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That might be the crux of your dilemma. A functioning sword isn't rocket science. People have been making them for 1000s of years.

But, I would imagine, the "mass sword market" is probably driven by folks getting in ninja/katana battles in their backyards with air, water bottles, and the odd bamboo stick. So "old school functionality" is probably low-priority to manufacturers who could produce a sub-100 dollar product.

Which means one might be stuck going to a custom maker.

Or figuring out how to turn a leaf spring into one onesself! (Hey, if Rambo can do it in a movie...anybody can! :D)
 
RemyKaze said:
I call them wallhangers not based on functionality, but rather the fact that they're gonna be stuck in the general vicinity of your house. It's illegal to carry a sword in public, or even in your car. If you get pulled over, you can be called into account for that thing, thus it would probably be sitting in your trunk.

I for one see swords the same as I see guns. Serious implements, but if someone is carrying them, they are carrying them to injure or kill. Historically they are beautiful things, but that "as a weapon only" thing is a big turn off to a lot of people. May I ask why you want a sword that can take extreme abuse?
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there may come a day when i need to use something pointy in the manner for which it was designed... when that time comes (and we all hope it doesn't) i'd much prefer to have weapons that i can trust to be both lethal and durable.

I don't buy guns that don't shoot bullets, i don't buy chainsaws that don't cut wood, i don't buy knives that don't hold an edge, and i don't buy swords that can't be used to kill a person if such is needed

I'm a collector, but only inasmuch as i have lots of toys... but i take my toys very seriously.
 
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