Wood chopping

L

LONE WOLF

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Oct 10, 2004
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why do I keep hearing that chopping wood is not good for a sword? If it is desighned to cut throu chainmail and leather it should cut wood.
 
Swords and armor evolved together. One to beat the other. Swords and armor changed one anothers designs for centuries. Whole books are written on the subject. A sword used against chain or plate would be a thrusting sword primarily. Axes and maces were used to defeat armour by cutting or crushing. Swords were actually pretty rare on the battlefield and were used by those who could afford it, the nobility. The common soldier had a spear, polearm, axe or mace. Swords were not designed to cut armor, but to poke holes through it. Again, only nobility could afford chain or plate. The average guy on the field was relatively unarmored. Somebody else here has more and better knowledge about all this than me I am sure.
 
An axe is made to cut wood. A sword is made to cut/pierce your fellow man. Different targets. Chainmail and leather don't equate to a log.
 
Get a kukri , then you can chop tree limbs and people limbs !!!
 
LONE WOLF said:
why do I keep hearing that chopping wood is not good for a sword? If it is desighned to cut throu chainmail and leather it should cut wood.
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SwordForum.com said:
Though used in war the true rapier was really a civilian phenomenon, it being recognised by most authorities that the soldier in combat required a more robust weapon. Therefore, alongside the rapier there always existed broader-bladed, slightly shorter weapons, which could be used to thrust and had sufficient weight of blade to cut. This type of sword had many minor variations and names but was known in the English Civil War as a "good stiff tuck".
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One of the major commanders of that war, George Monck, was the one who coined the term, "a good stiff tuck." He recommended against issuing rapiers to the general soldiers as they would abuse them by using them to chop firewood and other such menial tasks that destroyed the blades, The tuck was a shorter, heavier sword with a wider blade that was better able to take such abuse.
 
mete said:
Get a kukri , then you can chop tree limbs and people limbs !!!
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Im ordering one of those 16$ el cheapo budk ones soon. I would order an atlanta cutlery one but i had a bad expeirience with atlant cuttlery once.
 
Lone wolf, order one from Himalayan Imports. From what I've read on these forums, you can't buy a better kukri.
 
Great idea! A khuk is basically a short sword, beats a machete hands down and is a way cool limb whacker. I love my nameless el cheapo gunshow blade. Haven't used an axe since I bought it last May.
 
Just beware of sneaky deflection and rotating grip when you are chopping with a kuk', you might end up with a few centimeters of metal across a foot, which is not exactly cool, there is a particular way to handle kuks, better use a golok, it's simpler and somewhat safer while being as much as efficient :D
 
Hey LW, keep your eyes open in the HI forum for Yang Do's steals, posted about once a day. You can get some great kuks for super reduced prices, 50-75 bucks in many cases. They are awesome.
 
Have a look at the Himalayan Imports Forum in the Manufacturers section of this website. Great knives, and the denizens of that forum are a great bunch of guys. Besides khukuris HI makes something they call a Himalayan Katana -- it's not a traditional Japanese katana but it's very functional.

You don't need a credit card to buy online; dealers are happy to take a postal money order. They'll take a personal check too but they'll usually wait for it to clear.
 
i remember Tactical Knives reviewing a couple of swords once. a busse american kensei and a Laci Szabo short sword. these were both modern designs and they tested them as brush beaters to no ill effect.
 
I can cut a 2 by 4 in one swipe with my 2 handed bush sword (about 33" oal)...it's no machete in terms of speed but it will cut tall grass, and it's stiff and fast enough to get through a lot of free hanging rope (like the 3" ropes from ships). I normally have a chainsaw in the bush but the sword is lots of fun.
 
I have said it before in other venues that I don't believe in cutting 'hard targets' with a sword. Not my sword. I believe it shows a certain disrespect and dishonors the weapon to cut something, for the sole purpose of seeing if it will cut that particular something, simply because you cannot restrain the urge. That said, y'all do as you like. With your swords...
The sword was invested in history as the 'Noble Weapon' for the high purpose of killing men. It was used according to chivalric codes (though I am sure the exception was the norm). Obviously there are differing opinions about swords and differing capabilities of swords. Some, designed as an inexpensive side arm for the lowly footsoldier may have the necessity for 'double duty' to reduce clutter. I don't imagine a 'knightly' sword being abused this way. Of course by the time of the English Civil War and George Monck, posession of a sword was not such a matter of honor and the footsoldier was a feature of battle and not just a peasant with a polearm.. Fodder none the less.
 
Have to agree with Merek on that one. Different strokes for different folks of course but I'd never use one of my swords for chopping brush. It's a weapon, if I want to clear brush I'll use a brushaxe.
 
Of course by the time of the English Civil War and George Monck, posession of a sword was not such a matter of honor and the footsoldier was a feature of battle and not just a peasant with a polearm.. Fodder none the less.
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Interestingly, during the English civil war common footsoldiers were issued tucks instead of rapiers (or any kind of cutting sword) so that they wouldnt be tempted to abuse them by chopping wood and clearing brush etc...
 
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