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Dang, that's some serious flexibility to bend that far. Could have been really ugly if it had failed at some point.
 
might have been a good lesson to an annoying in-law if it had failed because the fragments could have caused serious damage. And if not then Blue should have caused serious damage :D Why would anyone think that is acceptable?

Kron, we finally found something you don't have an exceptional example of? I am shocked, shocked I say. What ARE you waiting on? a gap like that in your collection? Not acceptable. LoL, I do notice however that you have a friend with an exceptional example of it, so I suppose if your castle armory is a bit stuffed I can understand that.
 
for a really flexible blade, see this indian pata gauntlet sword:
[video=youtube;FTwVfHkLtK0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTwVfHkLtK0&feature=youtu.be[/video]

was watching a 'new' (for us in the uk) show last nite, where people bring stuff to a group of 5 antique dealer/buyers who bid on it hoping to get something they can sell on to their clients.

this episode included 2 japanese swords, one edo period (late 19c) katana that didn't sell, one 600 yr. old wakiszashi that did.

anyhow, they all touched across the blade to see how sharp it was, a big no-no. the guy trying to sell it was wearing white gloves and holding the blade on a cloth, he did immediately wipe the blade, but the proper etiquette is don't touch the blade. (it sold for a few kilo-pounds uk.)



i do have my eye on a kaskara, in an online auction, unfortunately so do some others :) ce la vie. few more days to go...
 
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For what it's worth he was flexing and inspecting the blade for 5 or so minutes before he went for the full bend, so I guess he was somewhat confident it'd take it. Maybe it's an acceptable way to test a Chinese wushu style sword?

The blade is fairly thick and not particularly easy to flex either, at least for me. This guy was a granite worker though, can't imagine what would have happened if the blade snapped under all that pressure.
 
i have a wush paractice sabre , the last third is quite flexible,the rest not so much. they're designed to flex and make noise when swung sharply. i can bend the front bit 45 degrees or so, probably more but i don't want to push it. the edge is not sharp (and yes, i do have a red silk scarf tied to the pommel:)). i also have two dao sabres that ARE sharp and do NOT have flexi-blades, tho they are distal tapered. (hanwei & TFW)
[video=youtube;ggjcFRdhK90]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggjcFRdhK90[/video]
you can hear and see the blade wobble.
 
while i wait on that kaskara, i picked up a dhal buckler. 14" dia.
the inside has 4 rings corressponding to the external bosses with a pad tied for hand protection, the two blue
covered rope grips areheld in one hand to hold the thing.
dhal.jpgdhal2.jpg

and a bullova 'moustache' axe,20c, 24in. long haft
new bulova.jpg
 
kronckew said:
i have a wush paractice sabre , the last third is quite flexible,the rest not so much. they're designed to flex and make noise when swung sharply. i can bend the front bit 45 degrees or so, probably more but i don't want to push it. the edge is not sharp (and yes, i do have a red silk scarf tied to the pommel:)). i also have two dao sabres that ARE sharp and do NOT have flexi-blades, tho they are distal tapered. (hanwei & TFW)
[video=youtube;ggjcFRdhK90]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggjcFRdhK90[/video]
you can hear and see the blade wobble.
Click to expand...

That dude is plumb squirrely ain't he?
 
wiggles about a bit, dasn't he! he's got mussels in places i don't even have places.
here's another with even more sword noise & wobbling. those running & dropping splits look painful. they must be eunuchs or have had their balls pushed up and taped.
[video=youtube;Kja_qZHOyP8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kja_qZHOyP8[/video]
 
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interesting point, kinda like a barb in reverse. granny would say 'be careful with that thing, y'all could poke somebody's eyes out' (both at once) :)
cool grip, sturdy bolster & guard, warapped area, checkered area, and a finger grippin' good pommel. is it tfw's std. razor sharp?
 
kronckew said:
interesting point, kinda like a barb in reverse. granny would say 'be careful with that thing, y'all could poke somebody's eyes out' (both at once) :)
cool grip, sturdy bolster & guard, warapped area, checkered area, and a finger grippin' good pommel. is it tfw's std. razor sharp?
Click to expand...
The grip is sturdy an fine when holding. Its also feels lighter and a bit faster than my Minasbad when i swing it around. Yes it's pretty sharp. I tried it now on my arm. And the hair fell off. :-)
 
i've measured that, it's the TFW effect. i think they add asmovian theotimolene to the alloy as a secret ingredient. the hairs are severed 0.01 seconds BEFORE the edge contacts them.
 
Things sure nice looking, some fine craftsmanship in that bad boy for sure.
 
image.jpgimage.jpgJust got this presumably brand new Sudanese arm dagger in the mail. It's a nice, functional dagger. It came with two needle/tweezers like things, any idea what they're for?
 
If you like flexible blades should look for an Urumi. One of those Indian martial arts use them, starts with a K but I can't remember the rest. They hold it rolled up then sort of whip it but it has an extremely sharp edge.

An antiques seller TOUCHED a nihonto blade with bare fingers? Idiots!! You know, I don't think the Samurai even have a punishment for touching someone else's sword...they just knew no one would every do that LOL. You should have seen the "process" when I loaned one of my blades to the Tokyo National Museum for a display after it was classified Juyo Token. Aside from all the paperwork about 6 people had to match the paperwork to the blade and then additional paperwork for the koshirae with another 4 people assigned to that. Each person came over and asked permission before they started working with the sword. Even though that was what I was there for and they all knew it. They wouldn't even start until they had asked me. And of course not a single bare hand wa in sight when they were working.

Ballistol, That is a really nice clean work, I like that about that maker. It looks like it is nice and sturdy too. I guess the "reverse barb" as Kron calls it very accurately would help keep it from getting too deep and stuck in a body you just stabbed? LOL, really not sure but it does look good.


Blue, they are exactly what they look like tweezers. I have seen Arm Daggers with "sets" similar to Khuks they sometimes come with awls and tweezers. Not sure why, but it seems to be sort of a traveling medical pack or something <shrug> fairly unusual but one of the nicest Mahdist daggers I have seen had them. They usually fit behind the blade on the back of the scabbard.
 
Shavru said:
If you like flexible blades should look for an Urumi. One of those Indian martial arts use them, starts with a K but I can't remember the rest. They hold it rolled up then sort of whip it but it has an extremely sharp edge.

An antiques seller TOUCHED a nihonto blade with bare fingers? Idiots!! You know, I don't think the Samurai even have a punishment for touching someone else's sword...they just knew no one would every do that LOL. You should have seen the "process" when I loaned one of my blades to the Tokyo National Museum for a display after it was classified Juyo Token. Aside from all the paperwork about 6 people had to match the paperwork to the blade and then additional paperwork for the koshirae with another 4 people assigned to that. Each person came over and asked permission before they started working with the sword. Even though that was what I was there for and they all knew it. They wouldn't even start until they had asked me. And of course not a single bare hand wa in sight when they were working.

Ballistol, That is a really nice clean work, I like that about that maker. It looks like it is nice and sturdy too. I guess the "reverse barb" as Kron calls it very accurately would help keep it from getting too deep and stuck in a body you just stabbed? LOL, really not sure but it does look good.


Blue, they are exactly what they look like tweezers. I have seen Arm Daggers with "sets" similar to Khuks they sometimes come with awls and tweezers. Not sure why, but it seems to be sort of a traveling medical pack or something <shrug> fairly unusual but one of the nicest Mahdist daggers I have seen had them. They usually fit behind the blade on the back of the scabbard.
Click to expand...

One thing that frustrates me is that it seems like every human beings default response to seeing a blade, especially one of my HI kukris is to run their hands all over it. I'm still not sure what to do about it, because it's like it's the default response, and some of these people are my friends. Two of my roommates are former blacksmiths, so I am less annoyed when they do it, though still not a fan. I wish people at least asked first.

I have to wonder if that barb might have been either for catching a blade, or as a means of attacking after having your blade parried in certain ways.
 
That's the good thing about kukris no family or friends can pull them out of the sheath without it having to draw blood.
A myth the Gurkha allegedly came up with and I believe probably to deter curious people from touching their stuff all the time.

Seriously, you tell some "please don't touch it". However looking at blades they seem in another world so that the request doesn't register and they touch.
 
I have a rule with several variations.

You can instantly know much about someone if they look at a bladed weapon and the first thing they do is to touch it with bare hands.

Also, if someone at the range handles your bow or gun without asking first.

Even if it's my old time friend I always asks before handling their property.
 
from 'a desert dies' by michael asher. 1986



Capture 001.jpg

kabbashi was a village just downstream a few miles from omdurman in the sudan.
 
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