The cold steel gladius has a thinner edge geometry, and is made to cut brush, where the honshu gladius is more like a beveled sword. Like you experienced the machete type blade cuts brush so much better. Loved your video I always enjoy comparison videos. Thanks for making this.
Have seen so many Honshu products fail in that area. They seem to put the frigging holes in just about everything they make. They also break a lot at the guard.
The United Cutlery Combat Commander Gladius is the perfect middleground between these 2. Its light but also has great edge geometry to bite into what you hit.
Yep, I've had one for about two years. Its very nice. Light weight so very fast. Blade is a bit shorter then it should be. I am planning on getting the Honshu version soon.
@@bernisweltredsun1245 Honshu is actually just the name of a brand/design team that makes a specific line of modernized swords to sell through the United Cutlery distribution network. Honshu makes quite a few different non-Asian swords. They do sell this one as the "Gladiator Sword" (gag) under the Honshu series name
Swords where never meant to chop wood. Clear light brush, maybe. I have the Cold Steel Gladius. It is marketed as a Machete, not a sword. At least the one I have was. A sword is meant to cut "Soft" targets, or stab them. Also, the Honshu Gladius is only that expensive, if you get the D2 steel version.
I've got the Honshu D2 seax and the Cold Steel machete Gladius and yeah, that machete will hack thru all the shrubs and branches you can give it! Chopped up a bunch of bait with the seax including sharks and Rey's. Still shaves. I've only sharpened it once... A blade for every job lol! Great video btw...
SAME HERE! I ordered one, and it took many months to come. It was Dull unsharp! I waited a few more months and bought a WHOLE NEW one. It too was dull! I still havent had them sharepen yet. I dont know who to have sharpen them correctly
For what its worth, I ordered a Cold Steel Gladius, when it arrived, It had a blunted tip, and the final grind was never done. What I received was basically a movie prop for an extra in the very back of the scene, when what was advertised and promised was a razor sharp edge, and a work ready tool. Yeah, I only payed less than $50 (dont remember exactly) but it was a useless tool. It took so long before I heard back from Cold Steel about it, I decided to just sharpen it myself. It does cut amazing now, and will go through pretty much everything I throw it at, but if I was going to be getting essentially a blank, that is what should have been advertised. I know that I am far from the only one who has had to deal with this. Based on that alone, there is no way I am ever buying from Cold Steel again, unless I have it in had first.
SAME HERE!!! I ordered one and it came unsharpened! I waited many months again and i bought a new one and it came again, unsharpened! I have them both and i dont know who to have correctly sharpen them for me.......
Yep. Ordered a kukri machete from them and it was basically a butterknife. Luckily there's a grinder at work where I was able to put a decent working edge on it.
Wow, you guys must be getting all the lemons. Every Cold Steel product I've ordered came actually sharp out of the box. Always came with a good working edge. But that never stops me from doing a super fine finishing edge to make it hair popping sharp.
Edge geometry is the big difference. The Cold Steel has the longer bevel to assist in biting through stuff. The Honshu has a micro bevel. If the bevel were brought further inward on the blade or even ground in to blend with the bevel of the whole blade rather than have a secondary bevel, it'd be fantastic.
At a glance, the Honshu has a fuller (groove) down the middle & several holes near the hilt. The purpose of a fuller is to lighten the blade, for better handling, as well as to improve the structural integrity (i.e. think I-beam vs. a solid bar), neither of which are normally an issue with a short sword like a gladius. The holes through the sword near the grip are strictly "eye candy", as far as I can tell. They neither significantly lighten the sword ("skeletonizing") nor do they serve any useful function (or add any useful functionality.) They just add more potential points of possible failure, weakening the blade - esp. under hard use - without adding any redeeming features. In stereo sound systems, this would be called "techno-gloss"; the pretty colored lights & shiny chrome trim that make the system look more attractive but have exactly zero effects on the sound of the music coming out of the speakers. That's fine enough, in a "wall hanger" sword that only needs to look kewl; but not something I'd desire in a sword that I'd use in a close quarters combat / home defense situation.
It's the secondary bevel/ micro bevel that United cutlery puts on all their honshu line. It turns a sword into a long knife. It is extremely frustrating, The micro edge gives it a sharpness and edge that most people will be happy with, people that are not really using the sword for anything other then a grown up backyard toy, but for actual hard use cutting the micro edge sucks, they do it because it is cheap, fast, and easy to put a mico beveled edge on a sword or knife, instead of properly sharpening the sword. I almost wish they would sell them dull and let the consumer put their own edge on it, then ruining a perfectly good piece of cutlery with that secondary beveled edge.
@shockwave6213 Yes, you can. With some work, That is 100% correct. But it will never cut the same as if the secondary bevel was never there. It will always have that thickness that slows down your cut, but yes blending them secondary bevel will greatly improve the cutting ability. Hope that makes sense.
I own a cold steel Gladius machete bought on the era when Lynn Thompson used to own cold steel (CS) before GSM took over CS and it is an awesome blade with an excellent factory edge and sharp point. Nowadays people have been complaining that the GSM era CS Gladius machete is coming out with no edge and the point is not pointy or sharp 🤷. At this point even the Honshu version with its D2 steel and even less quality versions like the Gladius machete by the Reaper brand in stainless steel (still it is a full tang blade to include the one piece blade structure reaching the pommel of the machete) are better choices nowadays than the GSM CS era Gladius machete 🤷
The cold steel gladius has a thinner edge geometry, and is made to cut brush, where the honshu gladius is more like a beveled sword. Like you experienced the machete type blade cuts brush so much better. Loved your video I always enjoy comparison videos. Thanks for making this.
Thanks alot. I'm glad there are some who enjoy them as much as I do making them.
I would never buy a machete/sword with holes in the blade. Its a structural weakness you can not afford if shit hits the fan.
Have seen so many Honshu products fail in that area. They seem to put the frigging holes in just about everything they make. They also break a lot at the guard.
I just don’t get it , a purely aesthetic waste
The United Cutlery Combat Commander Gladius is the perfect middleground between these 2. Its light but also has great edge geometry to bite into what you hit.
Yep, I've had one for about two years. Its very nice. Light weight so very fast. Blade is a bit shorter then it should be. I am planning on getting the Honshu version soon.
Its only United Cutlery who are pale enough to name a roman type sword/machete "Honshu." Facepalm.
@@bernisweltredsun1245 Honshu is actually just the name of a brand/design team that makes a specific line of modernized swords to sell through the United Cutlery distribution network. Honshu makes quite a few different non-Asian swords. They do sell this one as the "Gladiator Sword" (gag) under the Honshu series name
Swords where never meant to chop wood. Clear light brush, maybe. I have the Cold Steel Gladius. It is marketed as a Machete, not a sword. At least the one I have was. A sword is meant to cut "Soft" targets, or stab them. Also, the Honshu Gladius is only that expensive, if you get the D2 steel version.
Machete has a thinner blade
Never send a sword to do a machete's job. 😁
Appreciate you video 📸 demonstration of those to items you own and your opinion also 😊
I've got the Honshu D2 seax and the Cold Steel machete Gladius and yeah, that machete will hack thru all the shrubs and branches you can give it! Chopped up a bunch of bait with the seax including sharks and Rey's. Still shaves. I've only sharpened it once... A blade for every job lol! Great video btw...
SAME HERE! I ordered one, and it took many months to come. It was Dull unsharp! I waited a few more months and bought a WHOLE NEW one. It too was dull!
I still havent had them sharepen yet. I dont know who to have sharpen them correctly
Once you do get an edge on it, you will be extremely delighted in it's performance.
For what its worth, I ordered a Cold Steel Gladius, when it arrived, It had a blunted tip, and the final grind was never done. What I received was basically a movie prop for an extra in the very back of the scene, when what was advertised and promised was a razor sharp edge, and a work ready tool. Yeah, I only payed less than $50 (dont remember exactly) but it was a useless tool. It took so long before I heard back from Cold Steel about it, I decided to just sharpen it myself. It does cut amazing now, and will go through pretty much everything I throw it at, but if I was going to be getting essentially a blank, that is what should have been advertised. I know that I am far from the only one who has had to deal with this. Based on that alone, there is no way I am ever buying from Cold Steel again, unless I have it in had first.
Sounds like you got a bad one. Mine came like a razor and still eats scrub brush
SAME HERE!!! I ordered one and it came unsharpened! I waited many months again and i bought a new one and it came again, unsharpened!
I have them both and i dont know who to have correctly sharpen them for me.......
Yep. Ordered a kukri machete from them and it was basically a butterknife. Luckily there's a grinder at work where I was able to put a decent working edge on it.
Wow, you guys must be getting all the lemons. Every Cold Steel product I've ordered came actually sharp out of the box. Always came with a good working edge. But that never stops me from doing a super fine finishing edge to make it hair popping sharp.
D2 steel , is hard to put a edge on but once you get that edge on point ut with cut through bone , convex is best for a blade that size 😊
Edge geometry is the big difference. The Cold Steel has the longer bevel to assist in biting through stuff. The Honshu has a micro bevel. If the bevel were brought further inward on the blade or even ground in to blend with the bevel of the whole blade rather than have a secondary bevel, it'd be fantastic.
At a glance, the Honshu has a fuller (groove) down the middle & several holes near the hilt. The purpose of a fuller is to lighten the blade, for better handling, as well as to improve the structural integrity (i.e. think I-beam vs. a solid bar), neither of which are normally an issue with a short sword like a gladius. The holes through the sword near the grip are strictly "eye candy", as far as I can tell. They neither significantly lighten the sword ("skeletonizing") nor do they serve any useful function (or add any useful functionality.) They just add more potential points of possible failure, weakening the blade - esp. under hard use - without adding any redeeming features.
In stereo sound systems, this would be called "techno-gloss"; the pretty colored lights & shiny chrome trim that make the system look more attractive but have exactly zero effects on the sound of the music coming out of the speakers. That's fine enough, in a "wall hanger" sword that only needs to look kewl; but not something I'd desire in a sword that I'd use in a close quarters combat / home defense situation.
It's the secondary bevel/ micro bevel that United cutlery puts on all their honshu line. It turns a sword into a long knife. It is extremely frustrating, The micro edge gives it a sharpness and edge that most people will be happy with, people that are not really using the sword for anything other then a grown up backyard toy, but for actual hard use cutting the micro edge sucks, they do it because it is cheap, fast, and easy to put a mico beveled edge on a sword or knife, instead of properly sharpening the sword. I almost wish they would sell them dull and let the consumer put their own edge on it, then ruining a perfectly good piece of cutlery with that secondary beveled edge.
It's still totally possible to reprofile the edge bevel and blend it in. I do it with all my budget blades
@shockwave6213 Yes, you can. With some work, That is 100% correct. But it will never cut the same as if the secondary bevel was never there. It will always have that thickness that slows down your cut, but yes blending them secondary bevel will greatly improve the cutting ability. Hope that makes sense.
I own a cold steel Gladius machete bought on the era when Lynn Thompson used to own cold steel (CS) before GSM took over CS and it is an awesome blade with an excellent factory edge and sharp point. Nowadays people have been complaining that the GSM era CS Gladius machete is coming out with no edge and the point is not pointy or sharp 🤷. At this point even the Honshu version with its D2 steel and even less quality versions like the Gladius machete by the Reaper brand in stainless steel (still it is a full tang blade to include the one piece blade structure reaching the pommel of the machete) are better choices nowadays than the GSM CS era Gladius machete 🤷
For the price of the cold steel, you really are getting a great functional tool.
I have 2 of the CS Gladys. I re ground the edges to be wickedly sharp so no beating on wood for me. I also used Duracoat on the flats
I love the Cold Steel gladius that is thicker and not a machete. It’s more expensive, but fully functional.
Is it just me or does the honshu seem to preform visibly better than the cold steel blade? the cuts look much cleaner.
stab with honshu slash with cold steel as it is more a machete as mentioned. I wonder about there new historic forge mainz gladius (honshu)
Cool
swords are meant to be used to chop down trees they're meant for flesh
Cold steel is a machete. I know I have one. It’s a good sword.
New subscriber, looking forward to watching more of your videos brother, stop by sometime friend 🔥🔥🔥😎😎😎❤️❤️❤️
I've seen a Honshu Spartan sword snap at the hilt
Saw that one. Terrible design. The gladiator is exceptional though
The non-D2 Spartan seems to have that vulnerability. Not so the D2 version AFAIK.
YOU CAN BUY A REALLY GOOD MACHETE FOR $20-$30, WHY WOULD YOU SPEND $180 + TAX & SHIPPING FOR A P.O.S. MADE IN CHINA
It is made in China. But to my surprise it is no POS. I put it to t he test and it survived.