It is absolutely wild it took this long for honey to get caught in this scam. They've been doing this pretty much free of criticism for damn near a decade
@@CrustaceousB bro you need to realise how gullible and foolish the average person is. I immediately recognised that these sponsors were all scams years before they get exposed. They’re obvious. But the average person?
Hey Tyranth and Shad, a few points to help with the history of these swords. Yes this is reasonably representative of a peidao (佩刀) or 'waist sabre' from the Ming Dynasty. Compared to Japan which has huge conservation in design philosophy on it's swords, China has a tremendous level of variation in fittings and shapes, especially across the dynastic periods. There are times when both China and Japan engaged in cultural exchange both officially and unofficially. The Ming period showed large numbers of Japanese blades being purchased by the Ming court, as well as captured due to engagements with coastal Japanese pirates. These spawned a variety of different types of Dao that use Japanese style blades, from small single handed types, up to big two handers, all of which blend a mixture of Japanese and Chinese aesthetics. That said, this is not one of those examples: the rayskin underneath the grip has been used in Chinese sword decorations since at least the Han dynasty. The angular style of fittings is called Fangshi (方式) and is more common during the Ming and eventually falls out of favor in the Qing. The grip wrap is done in ming style (distinct from the Itomaki we see on a japanese tsuka), and the arabesque metal work is all common for Ming aesthetic. The one hilt element that might be Japanese inspired is the round style disc guard: it is unclear exactly when they became common on Dao again (having previously been a cross under the Mongol Yuan Dynasty) and it is possible that the use of the round Hushou Pan is taken from the Japanese Tsuba. The 'habaki' is a Tunkou (吞口) , and comes from Central Asia and is found on Chinese designs before the Song Dynasty, but more consistently after the Mongol invasion. The ferrules are called daoba shu (刀把束) and can be angular, but should not be painful to the touch. The blade is in the style of either a yanlingdao (雁翎刀) goose feather sabre or liuyedao (柳葉刀) willow leaf sabre, depending on its curvature which is hard to see from the video; the Liuyedao would have been more common in the Ming. Sorry to hear this example was a bit rough in its hilt construction but from an aesthetics point of view this was very faithful to a Chinese waist sabre from mid Ming Dynasty.
To add on you your comment, I own a Wo Yao Dao from LK Chen and the biggest gripes they have for the handle design is historically accurate. China kept this handle design for centuries. I personally hate the rectangular shape of the hilt. Even with the wrap I can feel hot spots forming on my hand after a few swings. I feel like I need to do physical conditioning just so I can comfortably swing the sword. I don't have this problem with any of my other swords. China's earlier swords are very comfortable to use so I would be interested in know why they changed the design to something that has so many sharp angles on the handle. They must have liked it, since this general handle design stuck around for at lease 4 centuries.
@@QseftJohn I think the overall reason why the handle design/material/construction changed that way is the gloves & gauntlets getting more and more common, so much so that they could be conceivably used everyday, outdoors. Also, remember: "China" is a seriously large place overall, with the climate wildly varying from one place to the next, right past "some mountains" or stuff like that. So, I think having at least a partial protection for the palm/fingers could very easily justify shifting the priorities from the sword kinds of larger blades' handles' "comfort" to the more streamlined, "you grab this, and you cut with this; it's the same old shit" utilitarian approaches.
@@QseftJohn Wo Dao actually meant Japanese dao so a Kanata with Wo meaning Japanese . For the sharp handle, I think this is due to the dao shad had seems to be more focus on esthetic than function as to me it looks a bit Chinese fantasy themed.
I absolutely love and appreciate that you guys do not hold back with your reviews...brutally honest. I realized that you guys are potentially losing money by being so honest. Even with an affiliate link, your honesty is very likely going to get you zero clicks for this sword. I appreciate these reviews so much that I'm becoming a member to help keep them coming.
There goes another supplier you never see again :( But i do really like that you simply tell it like it is, even when knowing it will upset the suppliers.
From what I understand, it's a company linked with scams. So they're probably trying to get some initial people with the link. That being said, I have no personal history with this company, and thus everything is a bit hearsay.
@unnamed47 honey is the one I heard about, never heard anything about the other 2. And since my information is all from secondhand sources, it should be taken with a grain of salt. I would advise anyone looking to make large purchases to look into any company they are purchasing from.
Thank you for your honest reviews on these swords. Even when you have an affiliant link and were asked to review the sword, you remained honest, and I appreciate that
Even a $100 - 150 is too good for this mess, $5 or .10 cents *would* be the more appropriate price. Heck even a single penny for this is being generous.
Yeah reminds me of what you'd occasionally find in the malls in the early 80's when I was a kid in "oriental" import shops reeking of cheap incense and over priced ornamental garbage.
My 150 bug sharpened stage fighter made by arms&armor (czechk republic, not the expensive one) could chop through that whole damn beam without having any issues. Just for reference what can be done and how bad the thing in this video is.
I feel like 700 for a high end historical replica, that isn't sharp, and is meant basically as a wall hanger is okay. But I feel like durability/construction still should be solid.
I like this format for testing different blades. I would recommend a digital layover or short screen cut for the scores/comparisons. 19:17 Nobody can see the blade information. This would be very helpful, and I believe helpful to the sword community as a whole. So we know if we are getting shafted when purchasing "what should be" some decent blades. Great Video.
I appreciate that even though going through and seeing the handle construction was supposed to be members only content that you guys shared your findings since they were relevant to the review.
A pokey handguard implies either wearing a protected hand with a glove made of thick leather or mail, practicing with it until your hands have callouses on their callouses, or poverty-budget construction (usually the latter).
Authentic Chinese construction for the Chinese sword. Looks like all of the effort went into making the blade pretty. Give the spare some TLC and keep it as a wall hanger, imo. Round out the sheath edges and give it a good handle, and it will at least be pretty to look at.
Nah, you have to not be accused as a traitor. Must be a good idea at the time. I'd suggest they have to be multi functional weapons for their economy, like a kopesh or sickle etc. 'Easier training for the peasants' or shortswords 'so more can defend themselves' though these could backfire. Something too expensive is usually best, but not damascus I think that's too obvious. Stainless steel would be good 'to reduce maintenance' relying on chromium. Folded steel isn't bad due to the labour costs. Maybe Odachi as they require joining steel & super expensive & awful as a general weapon. Lantern shields etc are where you get more elbonian potential 'then they can fight at night! And stay warm!' Definitely war elephants.
I got my Katana of somehow the same smithy. Had to pay about 300€ and had a plastic cord-wrapping. Blade is nice. Sword is sharp, and fits my length. This item there? Double the price? Nope at all!
It's true that "Dao" just means "single bladed sword", however I would say it's not fully restricted to Chinese style. In the eyes of a Chinese, a Katana is a "Japanese Dao". Also based on their website, I can see there's an option to choose "sharpened" or "unsharpened". Did they send you one of each?
Dao mostly mean knife or any single edged blades there are pole arms being referred as big dao in some historical texts. And nowadays katanas are usually translated to Japanese dao or samurai dao in chinese.
You'd think at this point most companies would have figured out that there's an easy formula to make great swords. Pick a design from history, make it out of spring steel, make sure it has a full tang, and make sure the hilt doesn't hurt your hand. It's an easy win every time. And then they can still make Damascus and differentially-hardened ones for people who want wall-hangers.
Those aren't defects in the steel, it's an oiled blade and that's lint and dirt you're seeing. It's all but impossible to keep a blade looking photo quality pristine with any oil whatsoever on the blade...you need a lint free cloth to wipe the blade and something like a painter's booth if you want it to stay that way for pics. These guys have neither and they're outside.
all swords have their own strengths and weaknesses, nothing is ever perfect even if it's "perfect for you", that just means you don't deal in anything that exposes its flaws and thus it's flawless to you.
These are definitely those mass production Daos. Like on ROM, they sell Daos and Jians for as much as their Katanas. Id love to see one of those Jian in action
I dont usually watch the sword reviews, but I think ill come back to them. This was a good video and I look forward to the members only one. For the algorithm!
Skallagrim was recently sent a blade from SwordIs of similar quality and price point. I'm starting to think that they don't understand what quality means.
Personally, I've been pretty satisfied with Swordis's experience and their swords they offer so far, but HanBonForge definitely has some explaining to do with the handle and tang on this one. As for the handle, as a practitioner with experience using Chinese Dao swords, I can say that it is made that way to bite into your glove. Chinese swords also come with a lanyard that ties around the user's hand. These blades were mostly used by cavalry, and as their nickname "General of War" suggests, whereas the Jian are known as "Gentleman of Weapons," most Daos were made for the battlefield.
I have seen these online before and thought the same thing about the faux jewel settings on the handle. I agree the wood looks good. I'm glad you tested them, I was curious myself and you have saved me not only space in my wallet but in my brain as well. Thank you. BTW, On similar chinese dao, I have cut the bad part of the tang off, drilled new holes and fit a simple two piece full tang handle. Add a "D" guard or cup.
Another fantastic video Shad. I love these reviews so much as your always so open and honest always wanting to find positives amongst all the negative things. Keep up the great work.
I appreciate your efforts and information regarding these items. I think the main problem some customers forget, is that these “replicas” are nothing more than wall hangars. These expensive gewgaws are just meant to look good at best. Any practical use is “beyond their remit”. There isn’t usually much authenticity, either. Your reviews are appreciated in the collecting and re-enactor communities who just usually want good quality replicas. Living in the UK, you could collect authentic firearms that had been deactivated, which was enough for some collectors and re-enactors as these items are a part of our history. However, we are stuck with officials who’d put a cork on the tines of our forks if they could get away with it, for safety 🙄. Good kit does cost, usually because of authentic materials or authentic manufacturing techniques. However many fakes are not above charging high prices for old rope t try and convince you they are the real deal. Always keep an eye open for inauthentic shoddy work; materials, details. Don’t trust anything that doesn’t list composition of materials, especially in medieval kit. If you do find a great supplier; support them with word of mouth as well as purchases. Give these brilliant people a way to stay in the market. They obviously can’t compete with mass producers, but their work is more likely to be accurate and well made. Your doing great work. Keep it up, fellas. 👍🍻
I'm with you guys on the blade design, beautifully proportioned with a gentle curve I really like. I am a Katana fan (stifles a yawn?), I like gently curved blades and this Dao looks awesome. Handle size and shape looks good too. I don't use the swords in my collection, I live in the UK and you can get arrested for just looking at a blade let alone swinging one about outdoors, even in your own garden, just not worth the risk, so won't be hacking anything with mine if I get one. This is definitey in my 'want' list, looking forward to your test.
That bend was nasty, I have never seen a blade bend so easily, looks like no tempering at all in the main body of the blade. I understand the advantage of a tempered edge/softer back but that was gnarly!
Eureka! Weight vs volume should be possible to figure out what kind of steel it is. Go Archimedes! (After it has been stripped down to just the metal in the blade.)
Have you guys looked into Kult of Athena? They have a huge selection of blades, armor and accessories and their site is good for showing how they are assembled and are better at calling out how battle-ready the weapon is.
I love the honesty, but I also love the attempt to give credit where it's due. I'm always fond of focusing on where something can improve, so when you do something with the blade, since I don't know much about the reason it was weak in the epoxy very well, I'd love to see that be a focus in the video as to how you're improving it with the new hilt. With comparison to this video for example.
As it relates to the wrap, I prefer the Chinese style of outer wrapping then the Katana style which tends to dig into the hand. At least, the ones I have handled.
Dao were frequently made in Japan & imported to china, one of their swords known specifically as 'wodao' or japanese single edge sword. They were usually designed for chinese preference but it varies in period. This is partly why japanese carried so many swords as a sword exporter, to keep the craft alive between wars. Chinese could make excellent weapons of course but when they had long peace only those smiths making for guards etc survived, thus demand exploded every war. Thus there are time periods when most are imported from Japan. I believe Japan used higher quality sourced steel vs it's katana too, & katana were maximising their bad iron sources. Interesting history, but yes, they can share similarities with katana as they're made by the same people.
You can grind a tang say 3” down into the base of the blade. Then trim off the threaded end of the rat tail tang. That ought to give you enough strength to resist bending. Shortens the sword, but it won’t suck as much.
I love that they are honest about the quality of the sword despite it being an affiliate. It’s a great chance for companies to prove their products to customers.
I have a very similar dao (I believe this is a YanLing Dao, roughly-meaning goose-quill saber) from L.K.-Chen. They offer it in Damascus or through-hardened monosteel (if I’m getting this right). I was aware the spring-steel would hold up better, but the Damascus was so beautiful that I got it. Given you got the through-hardened monosteel version, you should give it a try: I can’t speak for all of them, but mine’s a good sword. :)
looks like it was made more as a wall decoration, or like it's halfway between wall decoration and functional. Would love to see Tyranth make a new handle and stuff for it if possible
It is a pretty wall hanger... Would you consider shortening the blade a few inches to recreate the tang and weld on a suitable piece of steel to fill out the tang in the handle. You could create a 'short' Messer.
Fiskars makes a $40 brush axe with a fiberglass handle and curved blade. I chopped down small trees with that sucker and only had small rolls, not even a chip on the blade. I'd pay $20 for that sword because at least it'd be fun breaking it.
The traditional Chinese doa sword has a fatter blade tip to help with slicing and it's supposed to have a cloth at the end that you use to distract and to wrap around your arm for more power
For pattern-welded damascus steel (not wootz damascus) you need not one type of steel, but at least two types of steel: one for light, and one for dark parts of the pattern, isn't it?
Knife maker here, yes typical pattern welded steel will be 15N20 which is a tool steel with high nickel for toughness and corrosion resistance(the light part in the pattern)and combined with a simple carbon steel, usually 1095 or 1084(the dark part of the pattern), but I have seen some with just 2 carbon steels with different amounts of carbon but that makes a much more subtle pattern. There are actually blades out there with more than 2 types of steel.
I saw a similar-ish looking sword (in so far that it has a single edged curved blade and a "reverse" grip) on Skallagrim's channel, the "Lancelot Supreme Cutter" that is apparently a complete beast. Might be worth checking out (depending on price etc.)!
This would be a chance to put a cool fantasy handle on the extra sword. One that you admire and maybe matches a similar shaped sword in a movie/series/game.
I know it's not a traditional sword, but i would love to see how durable a swamp rat free rein 28 wakizashi is. They are a bit expensive but Jerry Busse might be willing to send you guys one for free. He does on occasion send people stuff for free for them to test.
That sword (or sword-like object) really calls for a good shortening much like a broken katana, cut off the tang, make a new and better one and give it a second life as a short langesmesser
For Tyranth. There are many variations of dao. The one we typically think of is the "oxtail saber." Don't ask me the Chinese name, I mix them up all the time. There's also the willow leaf and goose quill designs, and a few others that I can't remember the name of. Some have straight blades, some are curved. Some flare at the tip, some taper. Some handles are straight, others are recurved. They can be one handed or two handed. Dao is kind of like the word falchion. There's a whole typology associated with them. If only someone had done a review of the Elmslie typology for reference... 🤔
So this style of Dao is a cavalry saber, the lu yin Dao means willow leaf knife/blade it became the standard of Chinese military swords after the Yuan ( Mongle dynasty). The grandparents of this sword are the mongle and Turkish stepp horse peoples single bladed swords. Being used by horse back itwas kinda on the beefy side
Well part of it is at least higher carbon, that’s the only way to get contrast in the Damascus pattern. A lower and a higher carbon steel making a pattern weld(Damascus)
Make sure to delete Honey before going to the affiliate link so they cant steal Shads commision!
It is absolutely wild it took this long for honey to get caught in this scam. They've been doing this pretty much free of criticism for damn near a decade
@@CrustaceousB Linus known this for years but did not notify anyone. Shows how trustworthy he is really.
@@CrustaceousB bro you need to realise how gullible and foolish the average person is. I immediately recognised that these sponsors were all scams years before they get exposed. They’re obvious. But the average person?
100% most people will download and never think of it again
I read the fine print on honey. It was definitely not worth it after reading 🤣
What i can appreciate is that even though there is an affiliate link you guys were honest..that doesnt happen often on youtube keep it up guys
Hey Tyranth and Shad, a few points to help with the history of these swords.
Yes this is reasonably representative of a peidao (佩刀) or 'waist sabre' from the Ming Dynasty. Compared to Japan which has huge conservation in design philosophy on it's swords, China has a tremendous level of variation in fittings and shapes, especially across the dynastic periods. There are times when both China and Japan engaged in cultural exchange both officially and unofficially. The Ming period showed large numbers of Japanese blades being purchased by the Ming court, as well as captured due to engagements with coastal Japanese pirates.
These spawned a variety of different types of Dao that use Japanese style blades, from small single handed types, up to big two handers, all of which blend a mixture of Japanese and Chinese aesthetics.
That said, this is not one of those examples: the rayskin underneath the grip has been used in Chinese sword decorations since at least the Han dynasty. The angular style of fittings is called Fangshi (方式) and is more common during the Ming and eventually falls out of favor in the Qing. The grip wrap is done in ming style (distinct from the Itomaki we see on a japanese tsuka), and the arabesque metal work is all common for Ming aesthetic. The one hilt element that might be Japanese inspired is the round style disc guard: it is unclear exactly when they became common on Dao again (having previously been a cross under the Mongol Yuan Dynasty) and it is possible that the use of the round Hushou Pan is taken from the Japanese Tsuba.
The 'habaki' is a Tunkou (吞口) , and comes from Central Asia and is found on Chinese designs before the Song Dynasty, but more consistently after the Mongol invasion. The ferrules are called daoba shu (刀把束) and can be angular, but should not be painful to the touch. The blade is in the style of either a yanlingdao (雁翎刀) goose feather sabre or liuyedao (柳葉刀) willow leaf sabre, depending on its curvature which is hard to see from the video; the Liuyedao would have been more common in the Ming.
Sorry to hear this example was a bit rough in its hilt construction but from an aesthetics point of view this was very faithful to a Chinese waist sabre from mid Ming Dynasty.
👆All of the above! Most well made Chinese dao should be like a nice messer. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t come close.
To add on you your comment, I own a Wo Yao Dao from LK Chen and the biggest gripes they have for the handle design is historically accurate. China kept this handle design for centuries. I personally hate the rectangular shape of the hilt. Even with the wrap I can feel hot spots forming on my hand after a few swings. I feel like I need to do physical conditioning just so I can comfortably swing the sword. I don't have this problem with any of my other swords. China's earlier swords are very comfortable to use so I would be interested in know why they changed the design to something that has so many sharp angles on the handle. They must have liked it, since this general handle design stuck around for at lease 4 centuries.
@@QseftJohn I think the overall reason why the handle design/material/construction changed that way is the gloves & gauntlets getting more and more common, so much so that they could be conceivably used everyday, outdoors.
Also, remember: "China" is a seriously large place overall, with the climate wildly varying from one place to the next, right past "some mountains" or stuff like that.
So, I think having at least a partial protection for the palm/fingers could very easily justify shifting the priorities from the sword kinds of larger blades' handles' "comfort" to the more streamlined, "you grab this, and you cut with this; it's the same old shit" utilitarian approaches.
@@QseftJohn Wo Dao actually meant Japanese dao so a Kanata with Wo meaning Japanese . For the sharp handle, I think this is due to the dao shad had seems to be more focus on esthetic than function as to me it looks a bit Chinese fantasy themed.
@ I have handled a few of LK Chen’s dao and that one is by far the worst of the angular grips that he produces in terms of comfort.
I absolutely love and appreciate that you guys do not hold back with your reviews...brutally honest. I realized that you guys are potentially losing money by being so honest. Even with an affiliate link, your honesty is very likely going to get you zero clicks for this sword. I appreciate these reviews so much that I'm becoming a member to help keep them coming.
blade steel type: damascus steel
....feeling like a temu listing at that point
My thoughts exactly.
What is temu listing?
High Carbon Chinesium
100% original lookalike.
@Athanatoi Temu is like Wish it's nearly all really cheaply made products for very, very low prices.
1:40
The bird breaking the silence is golden. I'm glad you left that in there.
Agreed.
Impeccable cosmic timing.
Had some real Ed Edd n Eddy energy.
I was wondering what Shad was laughing at.😅
Two australians turn a sword into a boomerang
Are you saying they reversed the cultural appropriation??
You guys put a ton of effort into these daily videos! Kudos! Love this!
Glad to see the videos in my feed again. Missed you guys!
There goes another supplier you never see again :(
But i do really like that you simply tell it like it is, even when knowing it will upset the suppliers.
Then don't hand people garbage and expect a good review lol
From what I understand, it's a company linked with scams. So they're probably trying to get some initial people with the link. That being said, I have no personal history with this company, and thus everything is a bit hearsay.
@unnamed47 honey is the one I heard about, never heard anything about the other 2. And since my information is all from secondhand sources, it should be taken with a grain of salt. I would advise anyone looking to make large purchases to look into any company they are purchasing from.
@@Marcus_Postmayeah i was 1 click away from buying a Darksword Armory Anduril for $700 but after further research I'm glad I did not
Damn, it looked decently nice too. It would make for a decent wall hanger were it not so expensive!
what should you do with the blade on the "surviving sword"?
A: affix it to a garden gnome and have it guard the castle....
Wait, do they have gnomes in the Shadlands?
Thank you for your honest reviews on these swords. Even when you have an affiliant link and were asked to review the sword, you remained honest, and I appreciate that
FOR THE ALGORITHM
For the Algorithm!
Definitely working because I haven’t seen Shad in my feed for quite a while. 😂
@beegirlkp I see it everytime lol
For the Algorithm!
Algorithm 🤖🤖🤖
This might have been fine as a 100-150 wall hanger or beater. Nearly 700 dollars? This quality is not acceptable.
Even a $100 - 150 is too good for this mess, $5 or .10 cents *would* be the more appropriate price. Heck even a single penny for this is being generous.
Yeah reminds me of what you'd occasionally find in the malls in the early 80's when I was a kid in "oriental" import shops reeking of cheap incense and over priced ornamental garbage.
My 150 bug sharpened stage fighter made by arms&armor (czechk republic, not the expensive one) could chop through that whole damn beam without having any issues.
Just for reference what can be done and how bad the thing in this video is.
I feel like 700 for a high end historical replica, that isn't sharp, and is meant basically as a wall hanger is okay. But I feel like durability/construction still should be solid.
@@markg1537 High End? 700 Bugs? Historical Replica? Wall Hanger? Solid Construction? Damn, so many words that don't fit with each other all.
I like this format for testing different blades. I would recommend a digital layover or short screen cut for the scores/comparisons. 19:17 Nobody can see the blade information. This would be very helpful, and I believe helpful to the sword community as a whole. So we know if we are getting shafted when purchasing "what should be" some decent blades. Great Video.
I appreciate that even though going through and seeing the handle construction was supposed to be members only content that you guys shared your findings since they were relevant to the review.
"Disappointing" is definitely the right word. It *looks* so good, and it's let down by the cheap part.
It was a sad and disappointing day
when I discovered my universal remote control did not, in fact, control the universe.
Not even remotely.
Says a lot about a review channel when they're willing to be critical of the stuff their sent.
A pokey handguard implies either wearing a protected hand with a glove made of thick leather or mail, practicing with it until your hands have callouses on their callouses, or poverty-budget construction (usually the latter).
Authentic Chinese construction for the Chinese sword.
Looks like all of the effort went into making the blade pretty.
Give the spare some TLC and keep it as a wall hanger, imo. Round out the sheath edges and give it a good handle, and it will at least be pretty to look at.
So it's essentially a really expensive wall-hanger.
I love how you can tell by the score-board that these guys are probably fans of Top Gear.
Damascus means a miss match of whatever steel we had all thrown together.
Alas it has become a buzzword in anything metalworking.
I think this is the perfect sword for the Kingdom of Elbonia.
Rare Forgotten Weapons Shadiversity crossover
Kingdom of Elbonia employs the classic warfare. Cheaper and proven 700 years ago.
Nah, you have to not be accused as a traitor. Must be a good idea at the time. I'd suggest they have to be multi functional weapons for their economy, like a kopesh or sickle etc. 'Easier training for the peasants' or shortswords 'so more can defend themselves' though these could backfire. Something too expensive is usually best, but not damascus I think that's too obvious. Stainless steel would be good 'to reduce maintenance' relying on chromium.
Folded steel isn't bad due to the labour costs. Maybe Odachi as they require joining steel & super expensive & awful as a general weapon.
Lantern shields etc are where you get more elbonian potential 'then they can fight at night! And stay warm!'
Definitely war elephants.
@@mandowarrior123 I agree with your choices , it definitely will bankrupt and.or hamper the military of a middle-age Elbonia.👍🏻
😂😂Get Catbert on this!!
Glad to see you showing up in my feed more recently! Here's one for the powers-that-be!
So it's a $600 wall hanger...
That's worth $200
I have 55$ wall hanger katana that is better made than this crap.
I think he said that he has a $200 sword that's better quality then the $600 so it's worth less then $200
Even less
I got my Katana of somehow the same smithy. Had to pay about 300€ and had a plastic cord-wrapping.
Blade is nice. Sword is sharp, and fits my length.
This item there? Double the price? Nope at all!
Less like $50-$75 US
@9:50 Very nice drawing motion on those cuts Tyranth. Great to see. not too little, not too much, just right.
It's true that "Dao" just means "single bladed sword", however I would say it's not fully restricted to Chinese style.
In the eyes of a Chinese, a Katana is a "Japanese Dao".
Also based on their website, I can see there's an option to choose "sharpened" or "unsharpened".
Did they send you one of each?
Hopefully not, neither seemed sharp lol
they ones referred to a Japanese sword a wo dao literally knife of the wo people
Actually it means knife! So does "Messer".
Dao mostly mean knife or any single edged blades there are pole arms being referred as big dao in some historical texts. And nowadays katanas are usually translated to Japanese dao or samurai dao in chinese.
No, the blades just weren't sharp. And I'd bet that it's because the edge was so hard that they couldn't sharpen it properly.
You'd think at this point most companies would have figured out that there's an easy formula to make great swords. Pick a design from history, make it out of spring steel, make sure it has a full tang, and make sure the hilt doesn't hurt your hand. It's an easy win every time. And then they can still make Damascus and differentially-hardened ones for people who want wall-hangers.
Based on the handle decorations alone, Flea Market vendors have gone big leagues apparently.
I know absolutely nothing about metalworking. But the dimples and holes in the blade at 0:52 made me doubtful of the quality of the sword.
After watching Man at Arms Reforged up until the Russian guy left, I have to agree. The replicas they forged *would* be a lot better than this.
Those aren't defects in the steel, it's an oiled blade and that's lint and dirt you're seeing. It's all but impossible to keep a blade looking photo quality pristine with any oil whatsoever on the blade...you need a lint free cloth to wipe the blade and something like a painter's booth if you want it to stay that way for pics. These guys have neither and they're outside.
@@Skinflaps_Meatslapper Thank you for the clarification.
The edge test finally making them try to break it just goes to shows that some swords are more prone to breaking when edged too hard
all swords have their own strengths and weaknesses, nothing is ever perfect even if it's "perfect for you", that just means you don't deal in anything that exposes its flaws and thus it's flawless to you.
That's how hardness on the mineral scale works, typically harder minerals are more prone to breaking and cracking rather than bend
🤨📸
I just realized I should have phrased that differently
@@hydrogenbond9570
Yet even after an edit, you still didn't change it. 😆
A man of culture I see
KatanaUS
SwordIS
What's next, FalchionID?
Edit: I didn't realize they were going to suggest making it a Falchion when I made that comment. 😆
I have extrapolated a heavy metal drum beat from the slow motion sounds of your armor, lol. It's actually quite brilliant.
These are definitely those mass production Daos. Like on ROM, they sell Daos and Jians for as much as their Katanas. Id love to see one of those Jian in action
If you're willing to sacrifice a bit of length and might be able reprofile the tang transition and beef it up a bit when you put a new handle on it.
I was at 5:39 and noticed the video was uploaded 6 minutes ago. Hi Shad.
I dont usually watch the sword reviews, but I think ill come back to them. This was a good video and I look forward to the members only one.
For the algorithm!
Skallagrim was recently sent a blade from SwordIs of similar quality and price point. I'm starting to think that they don't understand what quality means.
Skall too? Who's next to suffer, Metatron?
If you're referring to the polearm he got, that was from Swords of Northshire. But yeah, the construction on it was rather lousy.
Personally, I've been pretty satisfied with Swordis's experience and their swords they offer so far, but HanBonForge definitely has some explaining to do with the handle and tang on this one.
As for the handle, as a practitioner with experience using Chinese Dao swords, I can say that it is made that way to bite into your glove. Chinese swords also come with a lanyard that ties around the user's hand. These blades were mostly used by cavalry, and as their nickname "General of War" suggests, whereas the Jian are known as "Gentleman of Weapons," most Daos were made for the battlefield.
Disregarding technicalities, I think looks-wise this blade is beautiful!
Yes, it's decorative and I'm all for it, a long as you inform your customer it's decorative and ask the price for a decorative sword.
@@karinefonte516 The fact it's NOT advertized as decorative and priced as if it's real, is the part where the sc*m comes in.
overpriced wallhanger
I love this channel, forgot it existed but glad one video got reccomended so I went back and watched a few videos
I have seen these online before and thought the same thing about the faux jewel settings on the handle. I agree the wood looks good. I'm glad you tested them, I was curious myself and you have saved me not only space in my wallet but in my brain as well. Thank you. BTW, On similar chinese dao, I have cut the bad part of the tang off, drilled new holes and fit a simple two piece full tang handle. Add a "D" guard or cup.
It's called temu sword.
Another fantastic video Shad. I love these reviews so much as your always so open and honest always wanting to find positives amongst all the negative things. Keep up the great work.
Whatever you do with the sword. Reinforce that Tang.
I appreciate your efforts and information regarding these items. I think the main problem some customers forget, is that these “replicas” are nothing more than wall hangars. These expensive gewgaws are just meant to look good at best.
Any practical use is “beyond their remit”. There isn’t usually much authenticity, either.
Your reviews are appreciated in the collecting and re-enactor communities who just usually want good quality replicas. Living in the UK, you could collect authentic firearms that had been deactivated, which was enough for some collectors and re-enactors as these items are a part of our history. However, we are stuck with officials who’d put a cork on the tines of our forks if they could get away with it, for safety 🙄.
Good kit does cost, usually because of authentic materials or authentic manufacturing techniques. However many fakes are not above charging high prices for old rope t try and convince you they are the real deal. Always keep an eye open for inauthentic shoddy work; materials, details. Don’t trust anything that doesn’t list composition of materials, especially in medieval kit.
If you do find a great supplier; support them with word of mouth as well as purchases. Give these brilliant people a way to stay in the market. They obviously can’t compete with mass producers, but their work is more likely to be accurate and well made.
Your doing great work. Keep it up, fellas.
👍🍻
I'm with you guys on the blade design, beautifully proportioned with a gentle curve I really like. I am a Katana fan (stifles a yawn?), I like gently curved blades and this Dao looks awesome. Handle size and shape looks good too. I don't use the swords in my collection, I live in the UK and you can get arrested for just looking at a blade let alone swinging one about outdoors, even in your own garden, just not worth the risk, so won't be hacking anything with mine if I get one. This is definitey in my 'want' list, looking forward to your test.
That bend was nasty, I have never seen a blade bend so easily, looks like no tempering at all in the main body of the blade. I understand the advantage of a tempered edge/softer back but that was gnarly!
I would love to see you guys get a set of hardness testing files to add to your reviews of the blades you are breaking :D
Eureka! Weight vs volume should be possible to figure out what kind of steel it is. Go Archimedes! (After it has been stripped down to just the metal in the blade.)
Have you guys looked into Kult of Athena? They have a huge selection of blades, armor and accessories and their site is good for showing how they are assembled and are better at calling out how battle-ready the weapon is.
They have. Shipping to Australia is super expensive though.
I love the honesty, but I also love the attempt to give credit where it's due. I'm always fond of focusing on where something can improve, so when you do something with the blade, since I don't know much about the reason it was weak in the epoxy very well, I'd love to see that be a focus in the video as to how you're improving it with the new hilt. With comparison to this video for example.
This would've at least been a decent display blade if the handle and fittings were better.
That poor affiliate link lol. The mark up on that must almost be infinite.
As it relates to the wrap, I prefer the Chinese style of outer wrapping then the Katana style which tends to dig into the hand. At least, the ones I have handled.
Hey, you finally got shorts!!! Keep the channel alive!
Dao were frequently made in Japan & imported to china, one of their swords known specifically as 'wodao' or japanese single edge sword. They were usually designed for chinese preference but it varies in period. This is partly why japanese carried so many swords as a sword exporter, to keep the craft alive between wars. Chinese could make excellent weapons of course but when they had long peace only those smiths making for guards etc survived, thus demand exploded every war. Thus there are time periods when most are imported from Japan. I believe Japan used higher quality sourced steel vs it's katana too, & katana were maximising their bad iron sources.
Interesting history, but yes, they can share similarities with katana as they're made by the same people.
From what others said, and I could find, it's the other way around. Japanese used the dao that they imported from China, then came up with the katana.
You can grind a tang say 3” down into the base of the blade. Then trim off the threaded end of the rat tail tang. That ought to give you enough strength to resist bending. Shortens the sword, but it won’t suck as much.
Ayyy this got on my feed
same oh snap... within 5 minutes even
I kinda like it as a ceremonial sword
Thank you for your honesty.
That tang makes me think it won't be much more than a expensive wall hanger or vegetable knife
Love the knowledge about what to be looking for in a comfortable and effective sword!
I love that they are honest about the quality of the sword despite it being an affiliate. It’s a great chance for companies to prove their products to customers.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but ebook titled The Elite Society's Money Manifestation might be the answer you’re looking for
Don't normally watch sword videos but I love this channel
I have a very similar dao (I believe this is a YanLing Dao, roughly-meaning goose-quill saber) from L.K.-Chen. They offer it in Damascus or through-hardened monosteel (if I’m getting this right). I was aware the spring-steel would hold up better, but the Damascus was so beautiful that I got it. Given you got the through-hardened monosteel version, you should give it a try: I can’t speak for all of them, but mine’s a good sword. :)
Looks like you turned it into a fantasy whip sword!
Great job on an honest review.
Thanks guys.
looks like it was made more as a wall decoration, or like it's halfway between wall decoration and functional. Would love to see Tyranth make a new handle and stuff for it if possible
I've always liked the design of the dao.
It is a pretty wall hanger... Would you consider shortening the blade a few inches to recreate the tang and weld on a suitable piece of steel to fill out the tang in the handle. You could create a 'short' Messer.
Fiskars makes a $40 brush axe with a fiberglass handle and curved blade.
I chopped down small trees with that sucker and only had small rolls, not even a chip on the blade.
I'd pay $20 for that sword because at least it'd be fun breaking it.
The tang bending is moreso a problem with the handle that didn't support it enough. However it is correct for the tang to be soft.
8:52 forbidden stool
😂
The traditional Chinese doa sword has a fatter blade tip to help with slicing and it's supposed to have a cloth at the end that you use to distract and to wrap around your arm for more power
@Shadiversity I got a copy of Shadow of the Conqueror for Christmas, very much looking forward to cracking it open and reading.
Tyranth, your next video should be one fixing the handle on that sword and maybe an hot oil bath.
I do really love ALL Shadiversity videos!!!! ❤
For pattern-welded damascus steel (not wootz damascus) you need not one type of steel, but at least two types of steel: one for light, and one for dark parts of the pattern, isn't it?
Knife maker here, yes typical pattern welded steel will be 15N20 which is a tool steel with high nickel for toughness and corrosion resistance(the light part in the pattern)and combined with a simple carbon steel, usually 1095 or 1084(the dark part of the pattern), but I have seen some with just 2 carbon steels with different amounts of carbon but that makes a much more subtle pattern. There are actually blades out there with more than 2 types of steel.
So it's more wallhangery.
I checked the affiliate link for funsies. They've changed the blade steel type to: Folded Steel, 1095 Carbon Steel.
The moment they said "Damascus," I was just waiting for Shad to comment on the term.
I saw a similar-ish looking sword (in so far that it has a single edged curved blade and a "reverse" grip) on Skallagrim's channel, the "Lancelot Supreme Cutter" that is apparently a complete beast. Might be worth checking out (depending on price etc.)!
Here's the usual full support for channel growth.
This would be a chance to put a cool fantasy handle on the extra sword. One that you admire and maybe matches a similar shaped sword in a movie/series/game.
Great video guys. Thanks for the content.
I know it's not a traditional sword, but i would love to see how durable a swamp rat free rein 28 wakizashi is. They are a bit expensive but Jerry Busse might be willing to send you guys one for free. He does on occasion send people stuff for free for them to test.
I appreciate your honesty.
Big respect for being honest even with a free sponsored sword.
That sword (or sword-like object) really calls for a good shortening much like a broken katana, cut off the tang, make a new and better one and give it a second life as a short langesmesser
Oof, 600+ for that? Thats an expensive wall hanger. Get the romance of men. Cheaper, better quality
Is there a site that sells quality blades that aren't cheap? Like blades that are reasonably priced yet they aren't cheaply made.
WIth how cheap the handle is, I almost expected the blade to go flying out of it and break the camera.
For Tyranth. There are many variations of dao. The one we typically think of is the "oxtail saber." Don't ask me the Chinese name, I mix them up all the time. There's also the willow leaf and goose quill designs, and a few others that I can't remember the name of. Some have straight blades, some are curved. Some flare at the tip, some taper. Some handles are straight, others are recurved. They can be one handed or two handed. Dao is kind of like the word falchion. There's a whole typology associated with them.
If only someone had done a review of the Elmslie typology for reference... 🤔
So this style of Dao is a cavalry saber, the lu yin Dao means willow leaf knife/blade it became the standard of Chinese military swords after the Yuan ( Mongle dynasty). The grandparents of this sword are the mongle and Turkish stepp horse peoples single bladed swords. Being used by horse back itwas kinda on the beefy side
Well part of it is at least higher carbon, that’s the only way to get contrast in the Damascus pattern. A lower and a higher carbon steel making a pattern weld(Damascus)