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How can you call these two out, and let the foolishness that is Maersk slide by? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
How can you call these two out, and let the foolishness that is Maersk slide by? overlooked his last post... Quoted:
If we're talking one ultimate do it all general purpose mêlée weapon, Zulu style Assegai takes it. If we're getting into knives/swords for mêlée, the Filipinos (Moros especially) brought them to their design apex. Kris, Kampilan, Pira, Panabas, Barong and Punal......they improved on the Karambit too..... no better bladed weapons exist on earth IMO.....only vintage Katana and vintage mid 19th century bowie knives come close. i don't reject the first assertion out of hand, based on the success of the jo--a japanese short staff of ~50". legend has it that musashi was only ever defeated once. the story goes that he dueled a guy named gonnusuke, and won. magnanimously, musashi chose not to kill the samurai. gonnusuke had a good long think, and decided that reach was the key. thus he developed the jo--which was substantially longer than musashi's sword--using techniques from sword, bo, and naginata. gonnusuke won the rematch, and returned the favor by not killing musashi. whether the story is apocryphal or not, the short staff is demonstrably effective against shorter swords, and is still taught to japanese police today. if i understand correctly, the assegai is approximately the same size, but with a thrusting/cutting head. that would indeed make a fearsome weapon against a sword (though usually at a substantial disadvantage against longer polearms). as for swords from the philippines, i'm not familiar with them at all, so i can't comment except to say that anyone who talks about a "best" sword without discussing context is usually not worth listening to. |
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a much better choice than a katana, who its whole purpose was to kill unarmed farm workers.. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Swedish M1685 Rapier. It's been used to kill Papists, Turks, Slavs, Danes and many more. It's proven. https://d2mpxrrcad19ou.cloudfront.net/item_images/562404/9168482_fullscreen.jpg a much better choice than a katana, who its whole purpose was to kill unarmed farm workers.. This is really just a scottish basket hilt with less hand protection. So you may as well have the one with more protection. Attached File |
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FIFY. Polearm > sword. Swords are for movies. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Or in a 1v1 situation you just FIFY. Polearm > sword. Swords are for movies. Swords came after the spear. There is a reason that they remained extremely relevant on the battle field throughout history. |
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I have tomahawks.
Are they perfect? Probably not. But lets be honest, the only thing I'll ever do with them will probably be throwing them for fun. Which I love doing and have done thousands of times. Thus, I'll take something I can go out and throw and have fun with any day over a sword or pole arm that will sit in my closet and do nothing for years and years. I mean, what am I going to do with a sword, go out and cut bottles of water with it and post the videos on youtube? |
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silliness. View Quote Yeah, they're not remotely heavy. My Type XII greatsword is about as big as functional swords get (some of the Landsknecht zweihanders were massive) and it's only 3 and a half pounds. I think people get confused by those gigantic bearing swords they see in museums and think those were actually usable weapons rather than the parade displays they are. |
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I've been told that a spear is a superior weapon to a sword, but I'm curious why. it makes sense that a spear is better to the untrained user, but what about a expert with a spear VS. an expert with a sword? would the spear still win? it does have a longer reach... View Quote It's all about reach and it's hard to counter a spear thrust versus sword swing. |
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so you find yourself in a post apocalyptic world with severely limited ammo availability... you can use your firearms and bows, but need a melee weapon for protection. what is the superior option? a sword? a long spear? short spear? tomahawk? axe? this thread is brought to you by game of thrones (which has me wanting a spear) View Quote A wooden club that's about a third smaller than a baseball bat, with some metal around the striking end. If properly built it'll never need maintenance, and will outlive whatever conflict that caused it's need in the first place. A Brooklyn Smasher from Cold Steel would be another good tool. |
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Some of my 3D rendering work. Sadly, not a real person. View Quote I actually removed my comment when the most probable answer (video game) became apparent. Kudos (I think, not sure what 3D rendering entails) on your work. Between your Type XII greatsword, that avatar, and your response, I hope you realize it's entirely possible you just achieved ARFCOM Level V Edged Weapon Mastery, Legend Class. The sword stands on it's own merit, of course, but the selection committee will need to see more of your artwork. Congratulations. |
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I like my Tops 230 machete. http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd492/mistwalkershollow/TOPS%20Machete/DSC_0543.jpg View Quote The machete is the official sidearm for most of the world. The Ontario military version is really good, I have one that has been worked hard including my dumbass buddy chopping the blade directly into concrete. I ground a new edge on it and it just keeps going. |
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Or in a 1v1 situation you just hack down his spear. Even stout hardwood shafts are going start snapping after being hit a few times. If the swordsman is smart he will ignore the user and focus on disabling the weapon. Spears are fun with friends and a good choice against novices and as a novice. View Quote Have you done this? It is much more difficult than you make it sound. Even with a shield Beyond that the idea of cutting a spear shaft with a sword is 95% nonsense. Very stout wood unsupported being cut by a light fast blade...repeatedly hitting the same spot, while its trying to kill you. Good luck. I practice HEMA, reading distance is critical to success. A pole arm let's you have a margin of error. People who know their shit can use one on close still defensively and as a blunt, it almost transitions to long sword like binds and guards. |
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Another vote for the Smatchet - not too big/heavy, not too small, two cutting edges, and very pointy for thrusts.
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I'm sure somebody mentioned this already, but a wrecking bar will fuck people up pronto. http://ep.yimg.com/ay/fireadesource/36-pry-crowbar-wrecking-bar-5.jpg View Quote WAY too slow. |
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You rang? http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q403/RZR900/Tool%20Kit/20161204_195022_zpscrmqqqgg.jpg http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q403/RZR900/Tool%20Kit/20161204_194737_zpsolsozuvv.jpg View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Paging the member with the transmission spider gear on a hickory club. You rang? http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q403/RZR900/Tool%20Kit/20161204_195022_zpscrmqqqgg.jpg http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q403/RZR900/Tool%20Kit/20161204_194737_zpsolsozuvv.jpg Yeah, that'll fuck someone up. |
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overlooked his last post... i don't reject the first assertion out of hand, based on the success of the jo--a japanese short staff of ~50". legend has it that musashi was only ever defeated once. the story goes that he dueled a guy named gonnusuke, and won. magnanimously, musashi chose not to kill the samurai. gonnusuke had a good long think, and decided that reach was the key. thus he developed the jo--which was substantially longer than musashi's sword--using techniques from sword, bo, and naginata. gonnusuke won the rematch, and returned the favor by not killing musashi. whether the story is apocryphal or not, the short staff is demonstrably effective against shorter swords, and is still taught to japanese police today. if i understand correctly, the assegai is approximately the same size, but with a thrusting/cutting head. that would indeed make a fearsome weapon against a sword (though usually at a substantial disadvantage against longer polearms). as for swords from the philippines, i'm not familiar with them at all, so i can't comment except to say that anyone who talks about a "best" sword without discussing context is usually not worth listening to. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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How can you call these two out, and let the foolishness that is Maersk slide by? overlooked his last post... Quoted:
If we're talking one ultimate do it all general purpose mêlée weapon, Zulu style Assegai takes it. If we're getting into knives/swords for mêlée, the Filipinos (Moros especially) brought them to their design apex. Kris, Kampilan, Pira, Panabas, Barong and Punal......they improved on the Karambit too..... no better bladed weapons exist on earth IMO.....only vintage Katana and vintage mid 19th century bowie knives come close. i don't reject the first assertion out of hand, based on the success of the jo--a japanese short staff of ~50". legend has it that musashi was only ever defeated once. the story goes that he dueled a guy named gonnusuke, and won. magnanimously, musashi chose not to kill the samurai. gonnusuke had a good long think, and decided that reach was the key. thus he developed the jo--which was substantially longer than musashi's sword--using techniques from sword, bo, and naginata. gonnusuke won the rematch, and returned the favor by not killing musashi. whether the story is apocryphal or not, the short staff is demonstrably effective against shorter swords, and is still taught to japanese police today. if i understand correctly, the assegai is approximately the same size, but with a thrusting/cutting head. that would indeed make a fearsome weapon against a sword (though usually at a substantial disadvantage against longer polearms). as for swords from the philippines, i'm not familiar with them at all, so i can't comment except to say that anyone who talks about a "best" sword without discussing context is usually not worth listening to. Context is bladed weapons in the Philippines largely grew out of farming/land clearing/butchering tools and would still be excellent all purpose weapons/tools today. That is the context of my judgment of them as "best". |
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You rang? http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q403/RZR900/Tool%20Kit/20161204_195022_zpscrmqqqgg.jpg http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q403/RZR900/Tool%20Kit/20161204_194737_zpsolsozuvv.jpg View Quote I'm picturing the faces on the jury with that thing sitting on the evidence table. Maybe your lawyer could go with early 20th century pie crust edge decorator... |
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I bought one of these ditch bank cutters for the end of days. It works pretty good in trimming ditches. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/35058/s-l1000-117676.JPG View Quote Some folks call it a sling blade mmm hmmm |
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I'm picturing the faces on the jury with that thing sitting on the evidence table. Maybe your lawyer could go with early 20th century pie crust edge decorator... View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
I'm picturing the faces on the jury with that thing sitting on the evidence table. Maybe your lawyer could go with early 20th century pie crust edge decorator... This thred delivers! |
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I'm picturing the faces on the jury with that thing sitting on the evidence table. Maybe your lawyer could go with early 20th century pie crust edge decorator... View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
I'm picturing the faces on the jury with that thing sitting on the evidence table. Maybe your lawyer could go with early 20th century pie crust edge decorator... Now if the Zombie Apocalypse that every ARFCOMMER secretly dreams of ever really happens...well that is another matter all together! |
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A short, "Gladius" style sword in one hand and a tomahawk/light axe in the other. Or...if you're a fucking master of Kali/Escrima/Silat like myself....a large knife and a sword will do just fucking fine. View Quote my son and I came up with this idea as the best all in all load out unless you make one of those homemade bludgeoning devices like the transmission gear on the hickory or weld up a device like the Arfcommer did. those are wicked tools. |
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Some folks call it a sling blade mmm hmmm View Quote Sling blade's a sickle. Whatcha got there in landscaper parlance is often called a bush axe. Light, good reach, tough, razor sharp double sided hook blade and a hickory handle. I'm declaring that the garden shed winner. Sorry Mongo001, OP did say we had limited ammo. You come for my roasted gopher with that and I'm going all Indiana Jones on your ass. |
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Have you done this? It is much more difficult than you make it sound. Even with a shield Beyond that the idea of cutting a spear shaft with a sword is 95% nonsense. Very stout wood unsupported being cut by a light fast blade...repeatedly hitting the same spot, while its trying to kill you. Good luck. I practice HEMA, reading distance is critical to success. A pole arm let's you have a margin of error. People who know their shit can use one on close still defensively and as a blunt, it almost transitions to long sword like binds and guards. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Have you done this? It is much more difficult than you make it sound. Even with a shield Beyond that the idea of cutting a spear shaft with a sword is 95% nonsense. Very stout wood unsupported being cut by a light fast blade...repeatedly hitting the same spot, while its trying to kill you. Good luck. I practice HEMA, reading distance is critical to success. A pole arm let's you have a margin of error. People who know their shit can use one on close still defensively and as a blunt, it almost transitions to long sword like binds and guards. It's admittedly not the best idea, but spear vs sword leaves little alternatives unless you want to off hand grab the shaft and try to control it as you attempt to get to the wielder. Quoted:
You just described how alot of viking swords were made (pattern welding) I wouldn't say "a lot". More like "swords for the ancient worlds 1% were made this way". Quoted:
If we're talking one ultimate do it all general purpose mêlée weapon, Zulu style Assegai takes it. If we're getting into knives/swords for mêlée, the Filipinos (Moros especially) brought them to their design apex. Kris, Kampilan, Pira, Panabas, Barong and Punal......they improved on the Karambit too..... no better bladed weapons exist on earth IMO.....only vintage Katana and vintage mid 19th century bowie knives come close. Assegi is way too short to be a spear and not versatile enough to make up for the lack of distance. Phillipino "swords" are short and, in more then a few instances, based off farm implements. Hardly what I would call "no better bladed weapon". In the wide variety of the worlds melee weapons Asian weapons are some of the worst. |
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http://www.zombietools.net/shop/deuce-ii/
OMG I think I'm actually in love |
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Bohemian Earspoon...excellent band name. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Another vote for polearms. Make mine a Bohemian Earspoon. Bohemian Earspoon...excellent band name. I didn't even think it was a real thing until I looked it up. Not bad... |
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Only "vintage katana...come close."
Why only vintage ones? Please tell me what magical properties traditional Japanese forging techniques imbued on these blades. I love that shit. |
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I would accept "flaming sword" http://www.pcgamesn.com/sites/default/files/fallout-4-shishkebab.jpg View Quote Where is that picture from? I'm a nerd for fallout fan art/fiction. |
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Swords came after the spear. There is a reason that they remained extremely relevant on the battle field throughout history. View Quote ^ someone has not read any military history and is just spouting things they wish were true again. Even the Japanese considered the Katana the weapon of last resort. Like the pistol in today's warfare. |
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Only "vintage katana...come close." Why only vintage ones? Please tell me what magical properties traditional Japanese forging techniques imbued on these blades. I love that shit. View Quote Because the "magic" of having shitty iron deposits requiring significant amounts of smelting and purification of the ore is somehow better because of some mythical spirituality of the sword. Katana's don't hold a candle to their European counterparts in the totality. |
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Because the "magic" of having shitty iron deposits requiring significant amounts of smelting and purification of the ore is somehow better because of some mythical spirituality of the sword. Katana's don't hold a candle to their European counterparts in the totality. View Quote What?! No no traditional katanas are the pinnacle of edged technology. Bloomery pig iron is superior to crucible steel because the spine is soft and the edge is so hard it can cut through other swords! |
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What?! No no traditional katanas are the pinnacle of edged technology. Bloomery pig iron is superior to crucible steel because the spine is soft and the edge is so hard it can cut through other swords! View Quote I KNOW! Needing days worth of smelting to get acceptable steel is totally better then overnight in a clay crucible! It's folded steel!!!!! |
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It's admittedly not the best idea, but spear vs sword leaves little alternatives unless you want to off hand grab the shaft and try to control it as you attempt to get to the wielder. I wouldn't say "a lot". More like "swords for the ancient worlds 1% were made this way". Assegi is way too short to be a spear and not versatile enough to make up for the lack of distance. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Have you done this? It is much more difficult than you make it sound. Even with a shield Beyond that the idea of cutting a spear shaft with a sword is 95% nonsense. Very stout wood unsupported being cut by a light fast blade...repeatedly hitting the same spot, while its trying to kill you. Good luck. I practice HEMA, reading distance is critical to success. A pole arm let's you have a margin of error. People who know their shit can use one on close still defensively and as a blunt, it almost transitions to long sword like binds and guards. It's admittedly not the best idea, but spear vs sword leaves little alternatives unless you want to off hand grab the shaft and try to control it as you attempt to get to the wielder. Quoted:
You just described how alot of viking swords were made (pattern welding) I wouldn't say "a lot". More like "swords for the ancient worlds 1% were made this way". Quoted:
If we're talking one ultimate do it all general purpose mêlée weapon, Zulu style Assegai takes it. If we're getting into knives/swords for mêlée, the Filipinos (Moros especially) brought them to their design apex. Kris, Kampilan, Pira, Panabas, Barong and Punal......they improved on the Karambit too..... no better bladed weapons exist on earth IMO.....only vintage Katana and vintage mid 19th century bowie knives come close. Assegi is way too short to be a spear and not versatile enough to make up for the lack of distance. 2. An Iklwa (Zulu assegai, which is what I was referring to) has a 2 1/2 foot shaft capped with a foot long double edged blade. It's very versatile as I can thrust, slash or parry with it and have more precise control over its movements than a sword of comparable length. It might not give me as much reach or space as a longer spear, but I'm not sure I see the need for something with a 5+ foot shaft. The Iklwa/assegai is also much less cumbersome to lug around. Pairing an Iklwa with a Barong would make for one deadly combo. 3. Like I stated in an earlier comment, Moro/Pinoy weapons are great precisely because they came from multiuse tools. Hell, alot of great mêlée weapons are tools (Clawhammers, various knives, ect)....the fact that they are compact is a positive. Fast, precise and deadly in familiar hands. |
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At 74 dollars, you could afford a few spares. https://images.knifecenter.com/thumb/1500x1500/knifecenter/coldsteel/images/CS95BOASKa.jpg View Quote Got one. |
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Context is bladed weapons in the Philippines largely grew out of farming/land clearing/butchering tools and would still be excellent all purpose weapons/tools today. That is the context of my judgment of them as "best". View Quote but that's not what you wrote. you wrote "no better bladed weapons exist on earth". so better at what than what, and how did you test them against one another? |
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Bag of dicks. No one wants to fuck with the guy swinging an entire bag of dicks.
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Bullwhip. Have you ever tried closing the distance on a man with a bullwhip? Didn't think so.
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Katana's don't hold a candle to their European counterparts in the totality. View Quote more silliness, every bit as bad as the people claiming superiority for the katana because japan. many of you guys sound like the "is devgru or CAG more badass?" threads. a sword is like a fighter plane--it is a series of design tradeoffs. the katana evolved to do a thing in a particular environment. unless you know off the top of your head what that thing is and that environment is, you can't make a sound comparison. is the rapier "better than" the type XV? it depends entirely on what you are doing. understand, if i had to choose one all-purpose sword for serious business, it would probably not be a katana (for several objective reasons). but anti-fanboying is every bit as silly as the positive version. have a sense of perspective. |
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more silliness, every bit as bad as the people claiming superiority for the katana because japan. many of you guys sound like the "is devgru or CAG more badass?" threads. a sword is like a fighter plane--it is a series of design tradeoffs. the katana evolved to do a thing in a particular environment. unless you know off the top of your head what that thing is and that environment is, you can't make a sound comparison. is the rapier "better than" the type XV? it depends entirely on what you are doing. understand, if i had to choose one all-purpose sword for serious business, it would probably not be a katana (for several objective reasons). but anti-fanboying is every bit as silly as the positive version. have a sense of perspective. View Quote This is exactly what we are talking about. A single curved edge with a tsuba for hand protection may win in one area: cutting. Outside of that the longer blades of the Euro swords with their better crossguards or basket hilts and 2 edges is far superior to the Katana in a fight. And everyone knows Type XVII with hand and half hilt is best sword. Duh! |
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^ someone has not read any military history and is just spouting things they wish were true again. Even the Japanese considered the Katana the weapon of last resort. Like the pistol in today's warfare. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Swords came after the spear. There is a reason that they remained extremely relevant on the battle field throughout history. ^ someone has not read any military history and is just spouting things they wish were true again. Even the Japanese considered the Katana the weapon of last resort. Like the pistol in today's warfare. Way to throw in a jab as if you know anything about me sheesh. I'm thinking that your comment is not arguing either of the two facts that I stated. It is unquestionable that spears were created before the sword, and that after the sword was created it lasted on the battlefield for just as long as the spear did. Yes the facts are that the pole arm was the weapon of choice when two ancient armies met on the battlefield. I did not dispute that. But all suggestions in this thread are tools in the tool box. To suggest that the sword was (or in the context of the op would be) irrelevant is silly. |
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