Short sword recommendation?

res1cue

res1cue

Joined
Feb 2, 2010
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I would like to pick up a short sword that is rugged. Ideal blade length would be 15-19" ballpark. I'd like to keep it under 150 if possible.

Basically, a mainz style gladius would be ideal, and I have the cs gladius machete, but I would like an actual sword, not a machete. I have checked CAS iberia's site with no luck. Been eyeing the CS scottish dirk, but the blade is only 13".

Any recommendations?
 
If you like the CS Dirk you might want to check out the Windlass Early Scottish Dirk. It hits the low end of your length requirement and the blade is pretty sturdy. The hilt is nicer than it looks in the pictures and the blade itself is very light and fast and not blade heavy at all. It will probably come with a cosmetic scratch or two on the blade and the scabbard will be too loose to hold the blade until you shim it with balsa or birch veneer, but it's very serviceable.
 
The Windlass Mainz style gladius is right in the price range you've mentioned. It isn't historically accurate, nor does it come with a sharpened edge, but I believe sharpening service can be had for a nominal fee from either Windlass or a reseller like KoA.
 
Most of the stuff that will qualify as "rugged" will run at least 200, probably more like 250ish. You might give Kris Cutlery's selection a look, as well as Scorpion blades. I think they've got some stuff that might fit. From my own experience, cost of steel and labor and heat treating would cost pretty close to 150, if not higher, on a short sword from a custom maker, however.
 
Some of those Windlasses sound like a pretty good option. How come when it comes to survival knives, people are really uptight about full tangs that aren't squared off, but looking at the windlass gladius, that is effectively a rat-tail tang!
 
Because people typically don't realize just how strong a properly made stick or rat tail tang can be. ;)
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Because people typically don't realize just how strong a properly made stick or rat tail tang can be. ;)
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I'll give you that, but wouldn't force from impacts be localized at one point over time and create a stress fracture and a point of failure?
 
Not if the shoulders of the tang are properly rounded, the fit of the handle/hilt components is tight, and the tang is of suitable size and shape for the specific blade and intended method of use. Parangs/goloks are very popular these days and traditional ones all have rat tail tangs. :)
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Not if the shoulders of the tang are properly rounded, the fit of the handle/hilt components is tight, and the tang is of suitable size and shape for the specific blade and intended method of use. Parangs/goloks are very popular these days and traditional ones all have rat tail tangs. :)
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Indeed. Same with the leuku in Finland where they used rat tails so that the birch handle insulated the wielder from the cold of the steel in sub-zero conditions. Pretty extreme use conditions right there.
 
Properly made hidden tangs are stout and have been used on more blades throughout history than any other method. Improperly made ones suck and break easily. Improperly made ones are usually found on knife-like-objects where the manufacturer took advantage of the fact that the customer can't see the tang to save 1/1000th of a cent off their material costs by making just enough tang to hold the handle in place on the flea market table.
 
For that price I would check out Kris cutlery in the Philippine sword section or the Baselard in the medieval swords, but that is kind of a low price point for a sword.
 
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