Hello and a Question

Blasto

Blasto

Joined
Mar 6, 2001
Messages
791
Hello all. I've been stopping into this forum for a couple of weeks now. I'm almost completely new to the sword world and I was wondering if you guys could answer an odd question. I think you'll have fun with this, judging from prior threads :) Let's say that a fellow wanted to go into the woods and be able to slice as many small tree branches as quickly and efficiently as possible. You know... swing at the branch, and a split second later it silently falls to the ground. Anything ½" or smaller. It'd have to hold a good edge and be fairly quick I'd imagine.

I need this sword for two reasons. One, to do just what I described above, for a short film I want to make. Second, because I can see no logical reason for me not to own a sword :D I'm willing to spend up to and around $300.

I would really appreciate any ideas from you sword-savvy folk. Thanks!
 
Hey Blasto,

There is absolutely no logical reason not to own a sword. For the price range you specify and the reasons you want it I would suggest something from Kris Cutlery. Their stuff is pretty tough (with exception of a few blades I have heard about) and it is also pretty cheap. Would you care to go into detail about this film? To be honest slicing trees with a sword sounds like a good way to get a bent or chipped sword no matter which one you get.
 
Although technically not a sword, the first thing that comes to mind is a good Machete. Chopping brush is after all, what the machete was designed for and swords are not intended for this. Even the best made swords can be quickly destroyed by this sort of abuse.

Avoid the military surplus models or the chinese knockoffs. Look for a good quality cutter with a blade of 22 to 25 inches. (The longer it gets, the more difficult it is for a beginner to safely wield. PRACTICE FIRST!)

Try,
http://www.ontarioknife.com
(Avoid the ones with the "D" handguard. Gotta be the worst grip design ever.)

You can also check with local hardware stores. Avoid anything made in Asia, but generally, anything made in Central America will be good quality.

If a Machete isn't "flashy" enough to look good on film for you, consider one of Himalyan Imports Ang Khola Khukris. While it's also not exactly a "sword" it will stand up to any abuse you care to put it through.

http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
HI also has a forum here at BFC for more specific questions.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=739

If you're really sold on the idea of a sword for this job, take the time to download and watch this video first.
http://www.thehaca.com/Videos/sword_break01.avi

This is a gentleman named John Clements and the footage shows him abusing a Del Tin sword (very good quality) and then paying the price.
It's worth seeing.

I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, please feel free to join in.
We rarely bite people's heads off.
:D
 
Blasto, I concur with Ken Cook. Pop over to HI (Himalayan Imports) and check out their version of a Katana and their Tarwar. Under your price range and HI stuff is guaranteed for life. They are not "Classic" styles, they are Nepalese interpretations of the styles. As a result, they are heavier and thicker. HI stuff is top notch, the service is unsurpassed, and the crew over there in "the Cantina" is the most helpful group of guys on the forums. Sort of like the Balisong forum, but an older crowd with different interests. You may even develop a strong case of HIKV.;)
 
You're a beginner and you want to chop down trees with a sword? I think you're asking for trouble here Blasto. Swords are not toys, they're weapons, and playing around with them can get you hurt. The sword can break causing sharp pieces to go flying all over the place, or you may not be able to control your swing, which can have tragic consequences. Just some food for thought.
 
The film, by the way, is a martial arts comedy of sorts. It's about a character named Ned the Ninja. The idea of the film is that there are droves of people out there, fantisizing about bladed combat and extreme physical skill. Only Ned the Ninja gets a little to caught up in these dilusions. Ned the Ninja is an accountant by day, and blade for hire by night. It's a bumbling super-hero sort of thing, with dilusions of grandure.

And it sounds like some good advice and info so far. But I think I need to clarify something. I will not be making a habit of cutting trees. In fact, I do not intend to go lumberjacking around the back 40. I'm talking small green twigs here. And I'll just be doing it a few times for the film. I've played around in the woods and can do this with a BM42 Balisong. I know I don't have the skills or experience to do anything with a sword aside from killin' twigs. Aside from this small task of defending the public from branches, I want to keep this sword and go into serious training. I'm a stickler for quality and function. I enjoy the style of most Japanese swords, but am up for anything.

I dowloaded that video too. I'll make sure to be extra careful. I don't have the balls to take on a tree that size anyhow. :D
 
For $300 or less it'd be hard to find anything you could really call a "keeper" sword for real Japanese sword arts. Your best bet in that case would be Hanwei's Practical models or something from KC. For the movie concept...probably something like Ontario would make sense.

Shinryû.
 
Only Japanese style in the most vague sense, but Ted Frizzell's work sounds like what you're looking for I used one of his swords to do a bunch of branch clearing/firewood one weekend at my Dad's cabin. Not really what it's meant for, but it worked amazingly. Stuff is guaranteed for life as well. Use it to chop up Cadilacs for all I care, these swords ROCK.
 
Kumdo - if you want to advertise swords for sale, please do the right thing and pay for advertising.

Kevin
 
In all fairness, he seems to just be recommending a manufacturer that he has had good luck with. That is what boards like this are typically used for. If he is the manufacturer then I guess you have a point, but I'm not sure.
 
Well- I DO sell them, but I intentionally left out my signature line to avoid any commercial intentions. Fact is, Ted's swords in my opinion are exactly what this gentleman is looking for. If he or anyone else is interested in his stuff, he needs to contact Ted directly. I owned a bunch of his stuff long before I represented an internet presence for him.

Spark, are you saying that I can't recommend Mineral Mountain's stuff if there are people asking questions about, say, the "best bowie for camp stuff" or "reasonably price swords" or whatever?

In the good old days of this forum, no one ever seemed to have a problem with my "gentle pushes" for MMHW. I am first and formost a knife geek, but I do take orders for Ted because in my opinion he needs more exposure.

Please tell me now if you are saying I can no longer talk about Ted's knives and swords on these forums.
 
Kumdo,
While all the nuances of the sales policy are not yet ironed out, and there will be minor glitches here and there until it is completely figured out, I don't really believe Spark is telling you what blades you can and cannot discuss.

However, you are a dealer, and even though your heart may be in the right place, any post you make that recommends the specific brand you sell is going to come across looking like an effort to make a sale. In short, like an advertisement.

How to "fix" this?
I honestly don't know.
I suggest you email Spark and talk to him about the matter, I'm sure that you can both reach an equitable solution.
 
Hello Ken. I e-mailed Spark about the situation a couple of days ago but haven't heard back yet. Since then, I've been very aware of all the posts by makers throughout this site that are blatantly "advertising" their knives. Just this morning I read posts in the gallery section, the custom knives forum and in the tomahawk forum, where makers are showcasing new stuff and items they are selling.

My intention is not to "bust" them for doing something wrong. Exactly the oposite. I think people should be able to show and talk about their knives, etc., throughout these forums. We're not talking about money-grubbing commercialization in a public domain. The spirit of these forums is to discuss and trade information on bladed tools. Distributors and makers shouldn't have to feel like they are doing something wrong by showcasing their wares.

A lot of makers were angered by the recent deciscion that forbid posting pictures of their own knives- knives they were submitting for our consideration in the custom knives section. I don't blame them. While I can, and will, honor any rules or guidelines that BF moderators establish, I hope that they will consider the opinions of all the members here.

Please post any opions on this matter. BTW, is there maybe a better section to discuss this?
 
I think perhaps too you didn't understand what he was saying. He is asking that if you do advertise with intent to make a profit, that you buy a membership on this forum. The bottom almost completely fell out from under the ad market on the Internet, and it's expensive to run a site, I know, it's been hard on me to run mine and mine is hosted for free... If you are indeed trying to create profit from this then I do agree with Spark that you should get a membership, though I do feel that he might have been better off to approach the issue in more detail so as to be more clear on what he meant.
 
Dangus,
I just happened to find this message. Hope my reply isn't too late.
Movies and theatre is the fine art of "fakeing it." It will look a lot better if you cut the branches first (use a saw ?) and put them back on with something you can 'cut' easily with a dull blade. I use hot glue for things like break-away chairs.
Making it look good, Lynn
 
Dangus,
Sorry, that should have been Blasto. His origional question was about film use.
Lynn
 
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