One of the Lightest & Fanciest Swords... Is it Good?
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- This is the White Serpent by LK Chen, a reproduction of a Ming Dynasty jian (double-edged Chinese sword). Quite a fancy design, with beautiful ornamentation and elegant profile.
Let's see how well made it is, of course complete with cutting test on soaked tatami mats and "armored" water bottles (wrapped in thick leather). In this review I'll tell you my opinion of the fit & finish, handling, and practical performance.
** Specifications **
Overall length: 97.5 cm (38'')
Blade length: 76 cm (30'')
Blade thickness: 6.5 mm (1/4'') tapering down to 3 mm (just under 1/8'')
Weight: 830 g (1 lb 13 oz)
Point of balance: 11 cm (4-1/3'') from the guard
Blade material: 3 options - GB 60Si2MnA (equivalent to 5160), or pattern welded T10 tool steel, or 1060 carbon steel + T9
Hilt assembly: Full-tang, pinned
** Where to get it **
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** Music credits **
"Liyan" by Elerya
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)
"Radakan - Mist Forest" by Janne Hanhisuanto
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Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
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Used with artist's permission
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The reason I love this guy as much as I do isn’t just because the man has knowledge for days, it’s that he isn’t shy about his personal biases. It’s because, he is also very good at setting those biases aside while using a certain weapon, and giving his honest opinion on the results
I like the beard. All about that beard, boy.
@@StephenDeagle Does that mean you like bearded axes too?
yeah , also he talks just about the swords , he doesn't go into politics besides the pragmatic "that is illegal" , he rerely talks about battelfield tactics or whatever you have to infer by reading manuals and stuff , he just gives you stuff you can find out by handling the sword and having experience in handling the sword
@@davidegaruti2582 Oh i know that, i've been following Skall for three years or something.
I was just making a joke on the notion of bearded axes since Interior Dasein mentioned the beard is the main thing he likes about Skall.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to write such a clarification though. If this was my first video, it would have probably gotten me more interested than i already was.
I think that's a pretty basic requirement for reviews, but thank you. :)
My friend, who’s a cold weapon enthusiast, once explained to me(for simplicity) that a good sword makes you want to swing it.
this is how i explain picking up and liking a stick in my hand while camping
i truly believe theres something inside soke of us that just knows what a good stick is and is not
Cold weapon?
@@domosrage5434 Do they mean the brand cold steel?
@@jamescanjuggle return to monke
@@leobuana7430 🐵🫂💪
Still pretty impressive that it can cut into tatami as well as it does given it's such a light sword.
LK Chen has been doing some impressive work.
Yup, wasn't expecting that it would do so well with a heftier target.
Also surprised to see you here haha, see you a lot around the fh subreddit, ig I wasn't the only one there that share an interest in the historical side of cold arms fighting.
@@VryTox Oh yeah! It's a small world for people who are into these kinds of things!
Weight distribution, sharpness
I bought this one a few months ago. My very first sword. I wanted something that was both functional and highly decorative and this one nails both categories, in my opinion.
Chinese blades are so beautiful, I've seen it in some of your other videos. The simple shape of a smaller guard and thinner blade really tickles my aesthetic fancy, even when compared with delightful classics like many english longswords can boast. If I were to collect swords, something like this would be right up my alley. Even the designs on the blade (close-up) mesmerized me.
Great review. I like that you consistently point out the significance of what kind of combat the weapon is intended for (in this case, dueling an unarmored opponent) and how that affects the weapon's characteristics.
I hope you had fun making this one, and that it does well - I certainly had fun watching it.
It’s cool to see you review this, I’m glad they sent you one. I purchased one at the beginning of this year for tai chi, I have been training for several years and wanted a nice sword to practice with. I’m pretty happy with mine. As to your double-handed grip, there are some tai chi forms that do used a two-handed grip on the sword but none of those seem to be intended as a cutting technique, usually it’s a block or shove. I’m surprised you didn’t show off the cool silk bag it came in! Worth noting, I feel, is that the sheathing action seems to cause the scabbard fittings to jostle around a little and has caused some of mine to begin tearing small holes in the wrap. Also, I opted for the version made of spring steel because I much prefer the look of the solid blade instead of pattern welded steel. Thanks for abusing yours so I don’t have to abuse mine, I’ve been very tempted to test it’s metal (mettle. Hah) but I didn’t want to tear up my new toy either. Thanks for the video!
Taijijian 42 has a two handed thrust near the beginning, but the hand is underneath the other hand to support, not both grabbing the handle.
Definitely intended as a one handed sword though, and I can't think of a one handed straight sword form that would suggest a two handed slice, but there are two handed blocks, shoves, and thrusts at times.
Chen has a two-handed downward chop, now that I think about it. I thought the pommel on this sword would get in the way but it hasn’t been a problem. Feels great to practice with
I love Jian's! Its was one of my favorite weapons to train with.
Provably the most elegant looking weapons ever
I like the fact that you show yourself not being in top fighting form too. Your sloppier cuts show that even the best swordsmen aren’t at their best all the time, and practice is important no matter how good you are at something.
It also highlights the sword's capabilities. Even in the hands of a wielder not at their best, it still performs effectively.
While you were studying the blade, I sat on the couch and ate pizza.
Being good, and being Master-Class.. are two very different things. That said... even if you had achieved Masterclass levels... if you do not keep your tools sharpened (practice occasionally), then your ability can start to degrade.
For me.. I used to do Chinese martial arts training, anywhere from 4 to 8hrs minimum, per day, every day... for a solid 5 yrs... before easing up on my training. At that level of man-hours, and at that level of Intensity... I achieved Masterclass levels of performance, in record timeframes.
Masterclass Level = The maximum potentials that your body is capable of outputting... AND being able to repeat this same potential, on every single execution... without a single flaw or variance.
At that level... I no longer needed to train my kicks... for example. I already learned, and fully mastered them, to their fullest potentials. I just had to repeat a few of them, at least once a week... to maintain those potentials.
Weapons play is not much different, than hand to hand combat and training methods. They both operate on the same principles.
One of Chinas secrets to precision, is slow-motion training. When moving the arm, and or sword... in slow motion... you can no longer rely on momentum to help guide and maintain your vector. You start to develop "Surgical" levels of precision... where you have strength and precise micro-control, all along the entire line / vector.
Try doing slow motion pushups. 12 seconds down... 12 seconds up. You will quickly realize the difficulty level, change drastically, compared to standard pushup pace.
@@johndough8115 ok
Yeah, he's been out of training for a while.
I'm really liking seeing him cover more Chinese weapons. They tend to get overlooked in media with japanese swords normally taking the spotlight for asian weaponry
also it's interesting comparing this reproduction to the original in the images. The bronze openwork ornamentation on the original would have required a lot of work and skill to create, as well as the tooled details on the non-open parts. it's perfectly reasonable that the repro one is just cast and cleaned up instead with minimal hand tooling. If they completely authentically recreated the original ornamentation it would have to cost so much more.
Skall, you are a class act mate, informative, fair, transparent, consistent, enthusiastic and clear.
Thank you. :)
Ming dynasty last from 1368 a.d to 1644 a.d. This sword isn't for combat but for gifting purposes, historically warlords will offer tributes like swords to another person of high status. Jian like this is not a common sidearm for the actual footsoldier at the time, they are equipped with dao (big machetes) and crossbows, and in less numbers muskets(not of European origin).
Interesting. I was wondering if it was intended more as a status symbol and court sword, but for that it's remarkably functional as a weapon.
@@Skallagrim The details may vary for the exact time period, but during Ming dynasty (and many other), it is documented that civilians are not allowed to wear weapons in public. For peasants in certain area the government would even try to control the amount of weapons each household can have. Practicing martial art among civilians is also banned. So other than certain enforcers and Emperor's escorts you wouldn't see people wearing weapons in public, as paintings from the period have shown. It seems that you are right.
Oh and they are very commonly used to exorcise ghosts funnily enough, which makes sense since I wouldn't want an exorcist to bring a zhan ma dao into my house hahahaha.
@@the-core-experience I heard of no weapons ban during the Ming. Civilian militias were very much a necessary thing throughout the empire. Wearing weaponry by the gentry especially for Japanese swords were even a vogue at one point. Civilian martial arts both armed and unarmed flourished during the Ming. Are you thinking of the Yuan?
By the Late Yuan, crossbows got phased out by hand mortars & the handgonnes
By early Ming, the standard sidearm became the Handgonne or Pike, paired with a Dao.
By Mid Ming, it became Matchlock or pike & Dao (For the South), Handgonne/matchlock & Dao (For the North)
By Late Ming, it became Matchlock & Dao
@@possumsam2189 riiiight they are match locks not muskets I forgot what they are called for a sec
I've been looking for something like this for a while now, thank you for the review!
Damn, your video description is quite thorough and well-put together.
The close up shots are really great in this video!
Great video Skall, LK Chen always makes good stuff from what I've seen online and the two I own are my best swords along with an Albion of course but honestly close to that level for half the price.
Could also be more of a representation weapon, like a public servant epee or officer sword.
Nice ornaments and very light, so it looks good and can be carried the whole day.
And if needed, it can be used to intimidate peasants or defend against criminals.
Throughout most of Chinese history private ownership of weapons was strictly forbidden and banned, and carrying a sword was a part of the of badge of office for a lot of ministers, especially more rural ones. So you're probably not wrong.
This is the kind of sword a local judge or politician might EDC.
Thanks!
The jian is such a beautiful sword, even without any garnishes. If you get a chance watch some of the kung fu forms using it, very insane to see. I think its meant to be a very agile sword with lots of small, quick thrusts
really glad to see a sword review from you. It has been a while and I truly enjoy your reviews 👍
@skillagrim Kung Fu practioner here. The jian (in the style here as there were earlier, heavier battlefield weapons in the Warring States era) was a "Gentleman Scholar's" weapon which would have been seen in use like the small sword. Almost like jewelery and self-defense around town and while traveling and of course, for the occassional duel.
Was there much of a duelling culture in China among the upper classes as compared to, say, 16th century Italy or France?
@@althesmith Oh definitely. Probably not entirely with the same concepts, but it's not something foreign to them.
@@althesmith No, not at all.
Duelling was illegal and was harshly prosecuted.
Anything resembling duelling would have been especially looked down on by the upper class. Meaning both parties would have lost face and any respect or official positions among the upper class in addition to facing harsh legal punishment.
There was a lot of poverty and violence. But fighting was generally less tolerate when compared to European countries.
It's a complex issue and I'd need to write an entire essay just to get a basic overview of the major modes of violence in Ming and Qing dynasty China.
But in short, no not a duelling culture.
Wrestling and in some cases boxing or stick fighting contests were common in village culture as forms of entertainment in certain seasons or demonstrations of skill. They were also used in some cases to settle disputes between martial arts teachers in terms of teaching rights or social territory. But the huge majority of the time those aspects would have been hashed out using various other means such as social pressure and connections.
Even when it came to contests between teachers or martial practitioners they generally went out of the way to avoid live blades or risk of serious injury. No one wants to end up getting beaten, having their fingers crushed, being imprisoned or being executed (those things were done to extract confessions or as legal punishments)
So things like sticks, wooden swords, or wooden spear shafts with balls of wadded cotton and cloth impregnated with ink or chalk (to mark hits) were often used instead.
In contests between martial teachers or practitioners of swordsmanship swords carved from hardwood were often used, just as they were for two person live training.
But live blade sword duelling over matters of honor was not really part of the culture and would have been met with extremely harsh punishment (ie death imprisonment torture or a combination thereof) when it occured (which not being culturally accepted would be extremely rare).
This doesn't mean people didn't get into sword fights outside a military context.
But it was normally more a matter of someone attacking someone else rather than two people agreeing to duel with swords.
Swords worn by members of the upper class we're normally high grade examples with more refined hilt decorations of swords common in the culture.
So they did function as a class statement via having recognizably expensive workmanship.
Aside from that their function was self protection rather than duelling.
@@TeaSerpent Private duels involving blades and deathmatch still existed in the 1920s in China... This may answer all your assertions without references...
@@althesmithDefinitely existed all throughout Chinese history, but it’s peak definitely would’ve been around the late warring states till the Han dynasty. During that era buying a Jian was a type of culture and status (as well as a weapon) just like how people like to buy expensive cars these days, and this culture ranged all the way from the lowest classed farmers and up to even the emperor (who had a 7尺5寸Jian that would’ve been longer than 165cms. Dueling was also a heavy part of that culture, with even schools opened just to train the art of dueling, there were even special training swords that had a d shaped or even a shield guard just for this purpose.
Wouldn't mind seeing more sword reviews from different makers. Very informative as always.👍
I really liked this review a lot. i can see, hear, and feel an authenticity in your review. Your videos have been very spot on recently. I hope your fan feedback has helped you.
Swords like these are best for practicing moves and just having fun, it feels great when weight doesn't bother you
Very good coverage of types of cold weapons. The Chinese Jian sword is a very ancient weapon👍🤝
If double edged blades were not banned in my country, I would definitely buy one of this sword, looks so beautiful
Thank you for reviewing a Jian.
The speed and agility of such a blade makes it very intersting.
Yep. I'm a jian guy. And I do want me one of those! Beautiful piece there.
I love these swords, they're like if a viking sword had turned into a smallsword (being strictly for wearing around and duels between gentlemen, no shields) without going through as many steps or changing nearly so much.
Skall still making sword reviews helps me feel grounded in reality.
I greatly appreciate the "at this price range" qualifiers!
Nice, i love the look of that piece
I cannot add to the comments already given, but to say I love it when you review jians and daos. I agree, LKChen makes some very fine ones.
WOW!!!! What a beautiful piece. Almost reminds me of the Green Destiny from the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon movie. Light, fast, flexible and probably quite deadly.
I love the jian. Such a beautiful sword
damn.. skal
that was a damn good sword
and a damn good video my guy
I'm glad to see you back into the groves and I loved watching your enthusiasm about the sword. Might check it out if the price is under my budget lol
Hilt reminds me of Theoden's sword.
finally a sword rev. Thank you.
As an Asian American who's getting into HEMA, I absolutely loved seeing this. It was so nice to see fair reviews of swords from my general background and that it is a genuinely well made and an effective sword for what it's intended to be.
I absolutely love the look of the Jian in general.
Great content as always, brother. Very nice to get your take on the products out there.
Rather than fiddle with how to praise your meticulous insight I'll simply state. Delightful review.
Always love a good sword review! Thanks Skal!
Always been a fan of chinese one handed swords. Light weight and quick to swing. Very effective in my opinion.
An absolutely beautiful sword, and it's lovely to see such a piece of art still be functional, as well!
I used to dream of owning a true combat ready version of this sword, but I couldn't find any private armourer who was willing to forge one for me (even when the appraised price went into the US $800 to $1,100 range). I guess it was simply too specialised and out of the normal range of most products made by them. Granted, the last time I inquired about any of that was over 20 years ago, too.
no way this expensive, especially if it's 20 years ago. I guess you got scammed because you look european
@@fanyechao2761 can't have gotten scammed if he didn't buy, also, look European?? What??
@@MODElAIRPLANE100 Chinese sellers used to charge white people more money for the same products, because they are richer and don't know the real price
@@MODElAIRPLANE100 he thinks the original commenter asked this in Asia. I think he asked around in the west and got rejected.
Hope you got one by now. And if you haven’t, maybe this review was helpful.
Bought this sword about a month ago. I love it.
Thanks for the honesty, Skall!
Nice jian. Looks nice and blasts through light and medium targets, even though it's light and quick, it can even cut tatami with proper form. Nice enough to display! When reviewing, I think you're supposed to slap the pommel to show the flex, and flick the blade with your fingernail so we can hear the 'water song'. It should be springy and ring like a tuning fork, each sword has it's own pitch and tone.
I don't know about anyone else, but I could just hours of Skall (and friends) just doing practice cuts on tatami and other stuff. Those are definitely my favorites parts to watch
I really want an LK Chen sword and this just further reinforces that desire.
it's gorgeous. i love that *shick* sound when swords fit perfectly into scabbards
Bro, you're fun to listen to. You're a great conversationalist. 🙂
I've heard nothing but great things from LK Chen. This sword, several Han dynasty swords, and his 1796 cavalry saber too all have stellar reviews from multiple people.
I remember the sword was meant to fight against scale mail armor. The wielder would bend the sword with a downward bow and press forward so it would move the tip up and under the scale mail killing the opponent. They are very flexible and that bend was one of the highlights of the better swords.
Seeing this light dancer of a blade just glide through tatami is incredible. Sure the dowel is an issue, but it still does well enough against it.
Nice, comprehensive review.
I love these Chinese replica swords.. I definitely feel they are amazing...
I won't know until I hold one myself
The Jian was a beautiful sword design
Don't feel too embarrassed about having suboptimal form on some of those cuts. Few people watching have ever held a real sword, and even fewer would be able to cut half as well at their best. I've only had a couple opportunities to try real cutting and it's a very humbling experience. Trying your hand at these kinds of skills is a great way to check one's ego. My hat's off to anyone who can achieve clean cuts, even more so when they have the courage to attempt it on camera. I know we're all our own worst critics, but you did great man! ^_^
The same excellent quality videos as always. Hope the algorithm grants you more mercy in the future.
6:15 I was about to say, it must be a really good sword according to the review so far. 😅
One lk chen i would love you to analyse is the Wo Yao Dao.
Same, but imo prefer seeing the yan ling first
@@winsunwong5648 I prefer he actually finish up the review on the Zhanmadao & the Liao Twin Peaks Dao
@@possumsam2189 I dont think hes going back to those, why would he need to? tbh im not a huge fan of the liao peaks dao personally. If he was to do another dao i want to see either the yanling or tang zhan ma dao, both swords more famous in china.
@@winsunwong5648
It all depends on whether LK sent him a review sample (I didn't think he did).
That is one beautiful blade, i like the look of it.
"Push it all the way in."
"Really tight."
"Firm tug."
As a Chinese myself I always thought jian with this kind of blade shape are just status symbols and not practical for fighting. But it performs much better than I imagined
6:25 The guard doesn't have a serpent and flower motif. It has a dragon and cloud motif
Those are swirls
The jian is one of my favorites
Nice review! I would like to try this!
Nice weight loss, keep it and the informative content up.
Great review video
Ahhh, this is what i train with in tai chi training. Mastering a jian takes decades. The intention is making cuts with the tip, neck, wrist (disarming) and other locations. Heavier versions are also there, those can pierce very well. I have one of those as well, and it's good for training, about 2 kg. So if your form isn't good, you feel it quick quickly,:-))
2 handed use is also used, depending on the size and person.
Another they ought to consider doing a reproduction of is the 8 foot jian of the First Emperor. While it wasn't really intended to be a weapon, Qin Shih Huang Di, while his guard were unable to defend him, managed after a couple of tries to finally unsheathe it and bring down the assassin Jing Ke who attempted to off him with a dagger. I'm not sure how many would actually like to own such a sword but I do think it would be an amazing piece of ancient weapons history given how spectacular this sword was to behold.
Whuaaaat? Swords do not weigh 17kg like movies and games make us believe? 😅😅😅
Beautiful one!
I would love to see a military Saber review :)
If you tie it on your back like a Chinese costume piece, it looks very cool and can also be held by hand. You need to install a Chinese knot or something at the end, which is quite cool!
Its always nice to see sword reviews even if i could never afford one even if i saved for it. Instead my savings will go to a sharper, cutting edge over the top Pc.
That stylish sword looks like fit for some light dueling at a fancy gentleman's club. I'm having a hard time picturing this being used by someone not dressed in the Ming dynasty equivalent of a fine suit.
I'm even using the two-handed Han-style jian, and it's still usable with just a couple fingers. Not that I'd really do that in a fight, js, they're SO light.
New subscriber I love the videos man. You put out great content keep it up. SKOL!!!
its gorgeous thats for sure
The Jian is easily my favourite sword, with only the sabre (straight) of equal preference. My bias is usually based on a combination of aesthetic, discipline, effectiveness/application, and ofc my own personal strengths.
Really been enjoying discoing your channel, dude. Keep up the great work, bc your passion and thirst for knowledge is shared by the rest of us!
Very cool
The Simpson comic book guy irl is one of my new guilty viewing pleasures
That serpent motif you mentioned about around 6:25 is a dragon.
And the "flowers" are stylized clouds.
The gentleman’s Sword if you know what you’re doing It’s extremely effective
Jian are lovely, elegant swords. I have aways preferred the look of a Dao though.
One thing to note here, in many Chinese "wuxia" films, heroes are often seen carrying an ornate weapon such as this. For instance, there was a similar jian in the famous "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". This one certainly reminds me of the sword from that movie even though it's set during the Qing Dynasty, a magnificent film nonetheless.
Ming and Qing period art/design tends to be fairly similar outside of a few major differences in costume. Also unfortunately Wuxia films aren't the greatest for historical accuracy, especially considering many have a rather fictional Jiakong setting
@@My-nl6sg I suppose you're right about that aspect, also given how jian were mainly a noble's weapon, they rarely ever saw any real action. For instance, the 8 foot jian carried by the First Emperor was never intended to be used in combat, more of a showpiece to exhibit his power and status, the ruler was forced to use it when his personal guard failed to defend him during a confrontation with an assassin and his cohort who had infiltrated the Qin royal court. Alone and without any assistance, he ducked and dodged the assassin's blade while struggling to unsheathe the unusually long (The length of the blade made drawing the weapon difficult!) sword. When he finally succeeded in pulling it from its sheathe, backed against a wall he managed to stab the killer several times before he fell to floor dead. That's the only situation in Chinese history I've ever heard about a jian actually being utilized, a king down on his luck with no one to protect him and his only piece being something more for art and show rather than combat, he was either really brave or desperate to even bother using it!
@@My-nl6sg I do need to add that technically all swords during the early dynasties were jian, but the design went all the way to the 19th Century, even after they were no longer issued as a military side arm except to royalty as gifts and symbols of status.
@@sethguest781 The Jian was still very popular as a military standard issue sidearm during the Han Dynasty, even mass produced, meanwhile there were also very ceremonial Jian in use. But by the Tang Dynasty the single edged Dao became the dominant military sidearm. Since then the practical use of Jian has indeed significantly faded.
babe wake up new sword review
great looking sword
A beautiful sword, some pretty cuts, perhaps not my speed but I can appreciate it for what it is
It's stunning!
I didn't think mishandling a sword could go quite the way it did here. Interesting!
extended, handshake-esque grips are very much an intended option with jians, yes.
Been doing chinese martial arts for about 18 years noe and appreciate the good faith review of a flashy straight sword. Against armor, this sword aint doin much, but straight swords i felt were always meant to be similar to western style rapiers
My girlfriend bought me as an anniversary gift. It’s really beautiful and well made. But there are a few issues (maybe only mine, which means the quality control is not that great. Or something messed up during shipping.) First, the hand guard is a little bit loose after my cat knocked it off the shelf (only about 2 feet tall). Second, the wooden material inside the scabbard is really crumbled, there are a lot of wood crumbles sticking on the sword every time you pull it out. Third, the scabbard fitting is really tight at beginning, but it’s quite loose after I pull it out and back in for a few time, thus the sword is not tightly held in the scabbard now. I never use it for any hardcore test, so these deviations shouldn’t appear.
A fancy sword indeed! So fancy that your opponent might get distracted.
My stew was great today. Thanks
beautiful Jian