[rogerhb]

Seeing as we have lots of questions of firearms,... how about swords?

If you want a sword to last, I presume you would not want a chromed one as continually sharpening it is going to wear back the chroming, but then you have the problem with rust.

[backstop]

are we talking of rapiers, sabres, cutlasses or what here ?

r,

b

PS Fat lot of use swords are for getting rabbits for the pot !

[rogerhb]

In theory type wouldn't matter, the chroming issue would apply no matter the type. I was thinking of the standard "British Army Infantry Sword" which is straight with a basket hilt.

Sabres are normally used from horseback with a sharp point for the charge and curved for slashing as you go past.

Cutlasses are a navy weapon for a melee in a confined space.

Rapiers/epees are fine for fencing but far too delicate.

[BrownDog]

A chrome plated edge weapon would be an ornament, IMO.

As an aside, chrome plating is quite nasty to the environment.

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BrownDog', 'A') chrome plated edge weapon would be an ornament, IMO

[backstop]

An old friend of mine, while boating on a quiet country canal, did once get a swan with a sabre - one clean swipe - and then had hell's delight in getting hold of it - but it tasted of the bottom of the canal so he ended up wishing he hadn't.

Sabre wasn't chromed as far as I know.

r,

b.

[BrownDog]

Perhaps. Hara Kiri is ceremonial, technically speaking.

[Specop_007]

Make sure you dont get a wall hanger, or it wont matter if its chromed or not.
Personally, i wouldnt mess with chrome. Proper sword steel is just that, proper sword steel. You dont want to ruin the qualities of a good blade for showmanship.
And good blades are not cheap, not by any stretch. I could buy another AR for what I'd spend on a good sword.
Theres also some budget swords which are still very usable. Names elude me at this point.

[Jack]

Good swords need not be expensive...

Cold Steel

[Specop_007]

Here we go, ran a Search on Brain.

Angel Sword

Albion Sword

Swords online
I've been told the Miyamoto Musashi blade is a quality blade.

Kris Cutlery I've heard these are a good value in blades.

Star Fire swords

Atrima

Himilayan Imports

Theres also a few really good sword forums, I recommend spending some time reading through them.
Sword forum

Blade forum

Sword Forum bugei

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', 'G')ood swords need not be expensive...

Cold Steel

[Jack]

No list would be complete without an entry for Chrise Reeve knives - Link

[gego]

If you are looking for a good hand to hand combat weapon, check out the flea markets for a good heavy meat cleaver. Holds a good sharp edge, just a little oil keeps away the rust, and is a nasty little weapon that does not require a lot of training.

[Chocky]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')eeing as we have lots of questions of firearms,... how about swords?

[Dukat_Reloaded]

At army surplus stores, they sell throwing knives a pack of 10 for acouple of bucks each one with a different colour handle. Could be worthwhile if you have time to learn to throw knives as you can kill a target from a distance and then pickup the knife again, kinda like a gun but with unlimited ammo and quiet.

[Carmiac]

I'm one of those medieval recreation guys who practices fully armored swordplay every week, and I would have to recommend against using a sword as anything but a weapon of last resort.

First, a gun beats a sword any day. Period.
Second, someone carrying around a sword is going to attract a heck of a lot of attention and, Highlander aside, it isn't exactly easy to conceal a sword.
Third, using a sword, any sword, any style, requires a heck of a lot more skill than you think. You will need to put a lot of effort into training.
Fourth, getting a hold of a well made, well balanced live steel sword is rather tricky. There are a lot of crappy imitations out there and precious few smiths that know enough about what makes a good sword to actually make one. No one mass producing swords makes one that I would feel comfortable using in a real fight. No one.

If you are looking for a servicable weapon to carry around without attracting too much attention, think about the aforementioned aluminium baseball bat, a hardwood staff or even a 6' piece of small diameter pipe, like electrical conduit.

[Doly]

What about throwable knives? They're reasonably small to carry without attracting attention and they have a much larger range than swords. Plus, they probably make good carving knives as well, which you can't say of swords.

[Carmiac]

Heh, reminds me of a wedding I was at. A large wall decoration sword was used to cut the cake.

Anyway, throwing knives are nice, as are throwing axes, which I prefer, but be prepared to spend quite a bit of time practicing before you can hit something reliably.

[Z]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Carmiac', 'A')nyway, throwing knives are nice, as are throwing axes, which I prefer, but be prepared to spend quite a bit of time practicing before you can hit something reliably.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Carmiac', 'I')'m one of those medieval recreation guys who practices fully armored swordplay every week, and I would have to recommend against using a sword as anything but a weapon of last resort.

First, a gun beats a sword any day. Period.
Second, someone carrying around a sword is going to attract a heck of a lot of attention and, Highlander aside, it isn't exactly easy to conceal a sword.
Third, using a sword, any sword, any style, requires a heck of a lot more skill than you think. You will need to put a lot of effort into training.
Fourth, getting a hold of a well made, well balanced live steel sword is rather tricky. There are a lot of crappy imitations out there and precious few smiths that know enough about what makes a good sword to actually make one. No one mass producing swords makes one that I would feel comfortable using in a real fight. No one.

If you are looking for a servicable weapon to carry around without attracting too much attention, think about the aforementioned aluminium baseball bat, a hardwood staff or even a 6' piece of small diameter pipe, like electrical conduit.