Looking for a sword of this type that's not garbage...help?

Joined
Aug 16, 2015
Messages
732
Hiyas guys!

I've been looking for a sword to replicate the pictures shown below for some time now, but sadly, all I can find are the garbage mystery steel 3 piece welded tang bombs that are sold to pre teens....

They seem to call this a Pu Dao but in my experience and research all I can find as a Pu Dao has a closer to 5.5/6foot pole and a shorter head that's more broad leaf shaped...I've never seen anyone offer a version of this sword that was worth owning and have come with my hat in m hand and my tail between my legs seeking help....

1. What officially is this weapon called?

2. Has anyone seen one for sale by a decent quality company?

I've gone so far as to have bought a Zombie tools Mack Daddy-O in thoughts that if no other options exist, I can cut the ring pommel off it, drill out the handle slab pins, and rehandle it with the longer handle.... though that poses problems as well.... the handle shape is less than ideal for the project though it has the length to truly make a full tang version...

Any thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?





Internet photo of the Mack Daddy-O for reference to what I was talking about above... the handle has a bit of wave to it which is not easily seen in this picture which IMHO makes it less than ideal for the conversion, and it's also narrower than I think I'd like so that once the wood slabs were attached it would have gaps between the slabs about 1/4 inch thick....unless you just sanded it down even, but then, if going that route, I guess I'd just leave the applied handles, you wouldn't gain enough to make it worth fooling with....

 
Check out the SBG sword store. Under the "Forge Direct" section. They have something close to what your looking for. It looks a bit smaller than what you have pictured above.
 
Reminds me of the swords that were particularly designed to cut the legs off of enemy horses. Pretty beastly cutters.
 
Reminds me of the swords that were particularly designed to cut the legs off of enemy horses. Pretty beastly cutters.

that's a zhanmadao, which don't look like this. Modern reproductions of pudao and dadao are commonly sold as "horse-chopping sabers"
The zhanmadao is the inspiration for the wet dream of japan fanboys, the semi-fictional nodachi.
 
Here I am, late to the party again. The only Chinese-inspired pole weapon that looks like a usable cutter is the Hanwei Pudao. The "Combat Steel" or "Heavy Metal Steel" polearms all seem to have questionable mountings, except for some of the socketed tiger forks. Honestly, I haven't handled a kwandao in over a decade, but they don't appear to have changed much in appearance at least. If the Mack Daddy-O (totally jealous of that one, by the way) isn't scratching the immense chopping power itch, then allow me to start another wild goose chase for you. The bagua dao is like an elongated version of the standard Chinese willow leaf saber, with a hilt that is long enough for 2 hands. Most of the bagua dao you see are wu shu weapons, thereby having the strength of folded tinfoil. But Cold Steel did one a while back with their usual "let's overbuild it" philosophy, and that one looks like a prime candidate for re-purposing as a polearm. I picked one up off the parking lot factory 2nd pile for $60 at the time, intending to do just that eventually. I am betting that there is a full tang in there, but the pommel is peened on and I have never sat down to start cutting it off just to see. The blade is really thick in the forte, too, so it looks possible to cut a new shoulder into it and extend the tang if required. Good luck on your quest, and if you do go full Ahab and bag the white whale, post it up!
 
Back
Top