Need Help!!

philthygeezer

philthygeezer

Joined
Aug 6, 2002
Messages
746
This was posted in haste, but I solved my problem. :footinmou :o :o :o :barf:

Maybe I should ask something else...

I know! What would be the best sword for an unskilled n00b like me to start out with: Everest Katana, 25" Sirupati or 25" Kumar Kobra? I am 5' 9" with a tendency to edit my posts right after I put them up.:D

Hey Ferrous. are you planning on posting much over the next couple of days?;)

4 AM and haven't slept yet...:yawn:

G'nite all...
 
A 21 INCH CHITLANGI BY KUMAR.30oz
and guess what i got one to go.:)
 
The katana definitely!!!:D The Sirupatis and Kobras are "like" swords but the Kat is the real deal!
 
Define "sword"...

If you want something with which you can practice Japanese sword arts such as iaido or do test-cutting (a martial art in itself), by all accounts the HI katana will beat most anything made outside Japan or the top-flight custom shops in the USA.

If you want a practical thoroughbred weapon that's easy to handle, cuts like a lightsaber and *looks* terrifying enough to make the bad guys think twice about tangling with you, I recommend a 25" 2-lb sirupati, such as Sher makes. It'll also cut and shape wood and clear brush pretty darn well, for use on the 365 days in the average year when (God willing) your life isn't in mortal peril.

If you want the best long-series utility cutting tool in the world, which also happens to be a superbly balanced and ergonomic weapon, almost certainly capable of decapitating dragons with a single blow (tho' I must confess I haven't tried this test myself; better ask Cliff Stamp), buy a 25" Kobra.

Personally, I'd go for the Kobra; because chances are you'll find yourself using it for a whole lot of other, mundane stuff as well as sword practice - which means, among other things, you'll very soon grow so accustomed to its weight and feel that it'll feel like an extension of your arm and hand. This quality, in a weapon, can't be bad.

My theory about why the Gurkhas are so handy with their khuks in battle is that they've grown up using them for every darned thing in their everyday lives. Familiarity breeds confidence.
 
The same system works with rifles, Pistols, knives, and tomahawks. and even grenades.:D
 
I don't have one, and only held one once.
But for a sword-like blade I'd go with
the tarwar. That's on my list for a
"get soon" purchase.
I have the 25" Kobra and 20" Sirupati
and I'm still trying to master them.
Beautiful blades,
but I think the longer the khuk
the more skill you must develop
to use it efficiently and Safely.
The bent-blades, khuks, work for me
at 18" and under.
A straight blade like the tarwar
I think is great for those of us
who want a longer chopper.
Katana is longer, but more of a
slicer, dicer weapon.
The tarwar I could use as a machete.
The katana I'd be hesitant
to take out in public.
Here's a katana thread link from the HI website.
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Foru...ensive independent test of the Everest Katana

[netscape users: I think the link may be too many characters for Netscape to follow.]
 
The Tarwar looks cool and I think it might be useful for more than a wall-hanger.

:confused: Lots more questions now...

Is the tarwar a Nepalese sword or is it born of some other nationality?

Is it the easiest (ie. safest) design for a non-experienced person like me to wield? Is it definitely easier to use than a sirupati or kobra?

I noticed that it doesn't seem to have a guard on it. Would my hands slide up onto the blade in thrusting with it?

Can I use a two-handed grip on the handle?

I like the idea that it can double as a chopper/machete in the bush. Has anyone tried it for that? Does it perform as well or better than a 15" AK? How does it split wood -better than kobra or sirupati? Could I kill a black bear with it?:eek::D

Thanks for your time,

Phil
 
PhG:

The 30" Sirupati would do better at killing the bear.

It would also do a better job of seeing you took time off to recover from your hernia operation.
 
"Is the tarwar a Nepalese sword or is it born of some other nationality?"

As I understand it, it's uniquely Nepalese. It sounds a bit like "tulwar", the ubiquitous Indian 'scimitar', but the designs are very different.

"Is it the easiest (ie. safest) design for a non-experienced person like me to wield? Is it definitely easier to use than a sirupati or kobra?"

Ain't ever handled one; but, looking at the specs, I believe it's a big, heavy blade with a distinctly forward balance; my guess is that it'd be slow to move and hard to change direction with, though by the same token it would deliver an extremely forceful cut. Personally, I believe it'd suit the more experienced user; also the user with greater than average strength & stamina. The long sirupatis and kobras are, in my experience, very user-friendly in terms of ease of handling, because they're so perfectly balanced.

The main argument against the tarwar as against the long series khukuris, IMHO, is that it doesn't have the hooked blade profile, which is what makes khukuris so exceptionally efficient at cutting. Except that the tarwar is vastly stronger (and heavier, and slower) you might as well buy a cheap Army-surplus machete and have done with it.

"I noticed that it doesn't seem to have a guard on it. Would my hands slide up onto the blade in thrusting with it?"

There is always that danger. However, the tarwar doesn't strike me as optimised as a thrusting weapon...

"Can I use a two-handed grip on the handle?"

Looks that way. Same goes for the long sirupatis & kobras
 
So I'd get a hernia from swinging these types of blades around? Scary.

I have seen so many things about swords portrayed in print and film, and I am a fantasy novel buff as well (Terry Brooks, C.S.Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien). Read 'Lord of The Rings' in grade 2 and got hooked that stuff for life.

Having a katana would be cool but I agree not very useful for me. One of my favourite movies is 'Highlander', as well as 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'. Movies make people want to own stuff too. :)

All of these influences make me want to handle a real sword and gain some experience to better understand what I read. I am an inquisitive sort of fellow with a habit of trying to understand everything I come across.

However, I don't want to get something that requires a whole lot more than extreme care in use. I have learned only a little bit of Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, and Karate, but nothing beyond the first two or three forms. Certainly no weapons kata. I don't want to hurt myself, just dead trees and brush. I handle firearms quite safely, so something that would take about that amount of vigilance would be OK. Safety is always paramount in my philosophies about pointy-sticky things.

I guess I am just thinking about getting a Really Big Knife:D, but want to justify it by having some utility work it can do well, like clearing brush and chopping wood. The black bear thing was a tongue-in-cheek reference to that longish thread a little ways down the list.;)


Thanks for the advice so far,
Phil
 
My Tarwar (sword) doesn't seem slow to me, but maybe it's my size. I'm not so tall, but I'm a good sized feller at 275 pounds.;)

There's a slight guard that I'm sure will keep your hand's safe in a thrust, but in my mind the sword isn't for thrusting.
It is definitely a 2 hander, but also works well with one hand for me.
The only thing close to long and slender I have to compare with is my 18" Gelbu Special and the 21" G.S. in the form of the Millennium Special.
I think the sword is a little slower than the 18" GS, but then it would be slower compared to almost any knife/sword of shorter size.
The sword is definitely quicker than the 21" GS aka Millennium Special IMO!
Using your left hand, if your right handed, on the back part of the handle makes any potential or two handed sword or knife much quicker than a one handed knife. Learned that from my Brother Finn, other wise known as Quoquigi.:)

Geezer wrote:
Is it definitely easier to use than a sirupati or kobra?"
Click to expand...
With my limited experience with a Kobra I'm gonna say the Tarwar falls somewhere in between the Sirupati and the Kobra.
Nice compromise if you ask me.

Oh!!!! And as to being able to use it as a machete I would say it would be fine for that as long as you remember what a machete is actually for.:p

Mine has the dayumed flat almost hollow ground edge that I absolutely hate, but a few minutes on my belt sander would fix that right up.:)

H.I. is the only knife producer that I know or have ever known of that the customers look forward to getting knives they have to fix up to use, with the blems and such.:rolleyes: ;)
 
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