Many decades ago, I met a guy at college who was proud of the sword he had brought to hang on his dorm wall. He took it down, swung lightly once, and the blade and tang "parted company" at the bad weld. That was a sad camper.
The US military pulled a similar stunt when they "upgraded" their M-7 bayonet to the M-9 bayonet/field knife for infantry. The M-9 received a midsized Bowie style knife blade, and a beefy polymer grip. But there is only a dinky little rattail tang to anchor that blade to the handle, so there have been lots of troopers snapping their knives right in two. What is shameful is that the weapon was marketed as being built up in order to be useful in far more tasks than just a rifle combat blade, but the pygmy backbone of the thing belies all the hype and reduces the beautiful piece to a modern day Achilles.
I've read the patent file for the M9 bayonet, it's available online. The rat-tail design is intended to strengthen the handle so it is less likely to break during a twist or bend motion when fixed to a rifle. The rod that connects to the blade works as a spring under stress. If that intention worked well is another story.
@@9SS94Cr I'm reading it right now. It looks more like the tang was meant to bend or deflect prior to the blade breaking so it could be used to pry without having to worry about breaking the blade. From US Patent 4821356: "The knife blade includes a short tang which is secured to a tang rod which acts as a core for the handle. The rear of the handle is secured to the tang rod or extension by a threaded adapter which loads the tang rod in tension. The tang rod is manufactured of a stainless steel having a higher degree of resiliency than the bayonet blade whereby any deflective forces on the handle, if it exceeds the predetermined load on the blade, will cause the handle and tang rod to deflect rather than applying fracturing stress on the blade. At first glance, a bending handle would appear to be unacceptable, but in fact such a property insures that the bayonet may be used for prying without danger to the blade." I'm guessing that the heat treatment of the tang is crucial to how durable it is. The M9 has had a bunch of different manufacturers, so I can see some of them snapping because one of the OEM's screwed up the heat treatment.
The description in the patent reads like a glaringly apparent weakness is being marketed as a beneficial attribute or strength. That seems pretty brazen to me. 😒
Appreciate the integrity and diligence in your decision to give a candid review and update. - The guy who ranted about ruck marching everywhere on your tomahawk post in sticks and steel.
Matt Easton: "But these are sold as functional swords. That, I'm afraid my-" Me: "He's gonna call me his friend!" Matt Easton: "-watchers..." Me: "Ohh... okay..." -_-
I got the Oakeshott XVI "Archduke" from Dynasty Forge a while ago. Really nice sword aesthetically and fit wise, but it was unbelievably top heavy. It had a leverage weight greater than my greatswords, more akin to a wood chopping axe. I'm glad to see mine wasn't the only unwieldy piece by them, cause I had considered that perhaps it was just a dud and might've gotten another one. And seeing the tang on that Smallsword makes me doubt the viability of mine now. For the price, that's inexcusable.
For anyone who takes apart swords, do a favor and buy a "zvs induction board" off Amazon/eBay and use it to apply heat to the sword tang under the handle. It's a GREAT tool to take down glued up swords
Thank You So much Matt, I noticed in pics the blade was too wide. had they made some serious modifications that would've made a decent Colichimarde. I came So close to buying that smallsword, so very glad I didn't. Thank You for the review. BTW, I know it's been closed for a while but Jacob's Armoury made stunning smallsword Replicas. I think he had to quit due to health issues.
Great vid, thanks! EDIT: Speaking of smallswords. I just watched Stardust (2007) and was impressed by many details (it's a very fun movie), including some nice period-contemporary-swords (world-building). I would love to see your 'historical breakdown' on that movie and it's sword-fights, Matt. Cheers
Matt, you should go ahead and put some welly on it and see what happens. On camera of course. Destructive testing is always informative. Just be sure to use safety equipment, gloves, face shield, etc.
I do sport saber fencing, and we have nearly indentical tangs to the epee blade you have. I've seen it snap at the tang once or twice in the past 14 years, but yeah it really isn't much of an issue.
I've fenced a lot of epee blades and I have friends who compete epee and I've never heard of one snapping at the hilt. Dynasty forge should be ashamed that a tiny little epee blade has a better tang to blade construction than they have.
Yeesh, ouch. I'd almost call it a rat tail tang you'd see in a wall hanger, sword like object than one I'd see in a practise blade. Glad you caught it.
I've seen rat tails on crap tier "Toledo" wall hanger rapiers from the 1970's that were more substantial. Absolute lawsuit waiting to happen tier by dynasty forge for a smallsword.
That discolouration right near where the tang connects to the blade makes me wonder if it's welded on. I couldn't quite see, (watching on a phone) but that has to be a common method for extra crappy sword construction.
Fun fact: The Duelist store was founded by Iron Maiden's lead singer Bruce Dickenson. I have an old sabre mask of theirs. Are they still around? I thought they closed a several years ago.
Hey, Matt. Quick question: for a lefty who can't seem to find a good quality rapier/sidesword in his price range, would the LK Chen shield guard jian be a good alternative? I've generally been interested in straight bladed cut and thrust swords more than other types, and I really love my flying phoenix sword more than most others I've tried (still can't afford Albion or even most Del Tin). I just feel more comfortable having a decent sized cross guard on a sharp blade. Thanks.
Hell of a thing! I'm also glad you found it, too. With the proper physical protection of course, I think it would be interesting to see what little it would take for that one to fail.
I've been wanting to get a sharp reproduction smallsword to go along with the Baroque portion of my musical repertoire! Been looking at the Del Tin one, even though it has a rather atypical blade geometry. Have you ever handled one of the Del Tins, Matt?
@@andreweden9405 might be worth consider buying an antique one rather than a reproduction. On the pricing scale of antique swords they are still relatively affordable. I have bought ones as cheaply as £300
@@akashahuja2346 That is a wonderful choice as well, court swords are common and very affordable. Nicer smallswords sell for a few grand, Fagan Arms, however do have payment plans. I nearly bought a Spanish dueling rapier...very similar to a smallsword, however no knucklebow.
With some dremel time and sandpaper to the inner surface, you could probably make the guard an acceptable weight to reuse. And if you're not worried about the surface finish in there, you could probably cut out the sandpaper.
Is it just me, or was there a weld mark on the tang of the smallsword blade? If a sword was gonna snap, I suppose the tang isn't the worst place safety wise, but snap prone blades just make me nervous.
On second though it might have been a copper alloy sleeve? Can't tell. Perhaps a similiar deal to the tinned brass I've seen between the guard and corners of the blade on repro Hutton sabers, a sort of a bushing / buffer between two hard points.
Could be a weld, could be different coloring due to different tempering (hilts are supposed to be softer so they don't break). What worries me most is the extremely sharp corners where the tang meets the blade- stress risers all the way around. If it was properly welded *and* properly tempered it would resist breaking better but the tang is still too small for that chunky blade. If it breaks there you have the whole blade essentially pinwheeling off in a random direction, the tip and broken end moving very fast with all of the blade's mass behind it. I think a smaller piece with less mass would be less worrisome but that's a guess.
@@markfergerson2145 ah, I forgot to consider an aggressive temper on the tang. I see what you're saying about a twin sharp ended blade moving where it may, but for me what I'm terrified of is a snap where the foible transitions to the mid section of a blade, let's say 75% of the way to the tip, which during a thrust could cause the deliverer of the thrust to essentially fall forward if the resistance suddenly gave out, thus running their fencing partner through. I mean, we often are aiming at the heart. Especially with stiffer HEMA weapons, it makes an 850 newton plastron seem reasonable; The 350N standard was to my knowledge, simply borrowed from traditional fencing with it's lighter arms. I often riposte with a thrust from the bind in saber, so this hypothetical makes me uncomfortable.
Would be fascinating to see you and Tod put your heads together to analyse some fictional weapons for practicality - I'd be particularly interested in your take, for instance, on the Klingon mek'leth, bat'leth and d'k tagh from Star Trek. Much is made of Dan Curry's martial arts experience, so I'm curious to see how his designs (taking into account the fighting styles he made up for the show) compare to, say, other fictional weapons with more or less convincing designs. I've seen a few analyses - Shad's skewering of the bat'leth, Skallagrim's mek'leth test and so on - but the broader analysis in your and Tod's weird weapon videos, with the sparring element, would add a really interesting angle.
Other ridiculous fictional weapons that could be amusing and/or interesting could include powerfists/chainfists from Warhammer, the very tip-heavy Uruk-hai swords in the Lord of the Rings films, that sort of thing.
Please let me know what you think about swords forged in India. I have a few and have found them though rudimentary when finished the steel has held up to my abuse. These things are hammers that I have stumbled upon. I found really low priced spring steel Viking style swords on the “Norse tradesman” site and bought a couple to beat the hell out of because they were about $250 American... well, these swords have cut down 4x4 posts without bending... they have chopped through 2x4 framing boards with nails in them cutting the wire soft steel nails in the process with absolutely minimal damage to the edges... if you ever show a super cheap good fun sword to just go ape with maybe you could mention them. I am pretty happy with the abuse my two have withstood so far. . Thanks for your great videos. I see you
Hey I have just subbed up to your channel and got to say a massive thank you. I have been searching for a hobby for basically all my life. Anyways long story short I'm going through some life stuff at the moment. But watching a clue of your videos I have just so many questions, if you're happy to help give me some pointers (excuse the pun) that would be awesome. I'm from the south of the UK 😁
So I am apart of a fencing club and I was really interested on how you could turn a smallsword hilt into an epee. Does anyone know of a video showing the process?
9:20 "put some welly into it" That's a new one to my American ears. Regardless, it is quite shocking such a beefy, over-built blade has such a spindly little tang. Thanks for the PSA.
Go "give it some welly" is a euphemism for going faster, specifically in a tractor, as in you will press the accelerator with a boot shod in a Wellington Boot.
You were being kind by calling this sword "over weight." It is a fat pig compared to an original smallsword. I believe that the smallsword marketed by Cold Steel is essentially the same item though from my personal experience I think it has a beefier tang. I carried one reenacting for a few years and have a picture of Dolly Parton hugging me while I'm wearing it. Ahhh..., memories!
so would you say that a modern epee blade is a modern steel, and a springier steel than what a blade would best be made of, so actually a functional blade should be expected to bend more (because the softer steel will have a cuttier edge), and therefore the tang should actually be more substantial with more significant taper than the epee blade? (whereas in this example, we see that the epee has actually more taper, as well as more beef).
I've been fencing for over 50 years, mainly foil and épée and I've only had one épée blade break at the tang. I'd like to try small sword fencing as I'm getting more and more fed up with how sports fencing is deviating from good swordsmanship. Can you recommend a good weapon?
I have recently started smallsword, it's a lot of fun, as an ex sport fencer myself it's fascinating to learn just how little sports fencing resembles an actual combat system. Learning all the good stuff like using the left hand to deflect and blade grab, throwing in a bit of grappling too. Disarms are great fun as well.
@@Mikedartagnan I built my own but you could easily make something up yourself that would work, just use a junior size epee blade as this is an equivalent to real smallsword blade length. People get a bit to caught up in having their smallswords look exactly like the originals but it's learning the technique that is important and you can do that with a basic foil (French grip obviously). I do have a feeling that more manufacturers are going to be making smallswords soon, smallsword seemscyo be increasingly popular.
@@Mikedartagnan I'm London based and I actually train at Matt's club. Although smallsword is not one of the systems that is officially taught at Matt's club, quite a few people do it and sparr with smallsword there. I also get some private smallsword and sabre coaching by a fantastic instructor based near London.
Huh! That's a real shame. Well, I'm glad you found out. I was about tho think that maybe it was designed to be used with heavy gloves, but it's too inconsistant.
Idk Matt... I have been around metal... A lot... I have seen smaller or thinner pieces... Seriously surprise me.. and people... I would like to see a stress test now... Or.. what it takes to Actually Break the tang... Or will it just bend...
Its probably useable if you weld that blade directly into a steel hilt. Counteracts the weight of that thick blade and with a proper weld you can smash bricks with it and it wont come off.
If you make the part of the tang next to the blade thicker, the wood of the grip covering that part will have to be thinner making it weaker. Plus you then have to hand-carve the cavity in the grip with broaches and tiny chisels to fit it instead of just drilling a straight hole.
It’s not very feasible. I suppose a very good welder might be able to weld a new tang on. But as pointed out, that absolutely would ruin the heat treat of the blade, at least part of it (the part that should be the strongest). So, you would have to weld it, anneal it, then re-heat treat the entire thing, then refinish. Not very feasible at all.
@@philw8049 And as Mat said, they're prone to warping in heat treat which can be fixed by a competent smith but it's a lot of extra work. To get it done properly would likely cost more than just buying a decent sword.
It's a bit complicated but historically the fencing epee was the practice sword of the duelling epee. The fencing foil was the practice sword of the smallsword. However... the modern fencing epee blade is an excellent analog for the actual smallsword blade (a super light triangular section hollow ground blade). On a well crafted hilt it handles very much like the real smallsword.
Been after a small sword with a foil top gaurd for a while like that one. I just can never find one without the 8 figure top gaurd. And the closest I can find is a court sword.
Aren't these sword manufacturers supposed to know their business? What if someone is harmed by a snapped off handle? These swords are not sold as decorative wall hangers only are they? I think they should go through some proofing method before being sold to people who might use them as intended or unintended. They should be built to withstand actual use.
Jeez - I'm an amateur blacksmith and frequently make knives - my puukko and lueko have beefier tangs than that! Scary to have a blade with that weight and inertia supported with something so fragile.
He's in Scotland so not far from you and needs some assistance as he has parkinsons. But Jacob's armoury he casts replica small sword hilt parts. Might be worth looking into for your club
I bet there are a half dozen positive RUclips reviews of this sword >_> I got conned into an overweight, badly proportioned kopis by Skall of all people, so it happens everywhere.
If you're gonna try to snap steel, please put protective goggles on ! Cybernetic eyes are not ready yet, and when they'll be, you'll probably get ads for free to play games in middle of a fight.
It annoys me why sword makers do not try to get anywhere near the sizes weights and integritys of the swords they are supposed to be based on and then use cheep steels and cast hits and parts made from cheep material's yet charge people a fortune for what they think they will be paying for💪🤬🇬🇧
Smallswords, to me, are the ultimate evolution of the sword after wheel lock pistols made armor obsolete. The flintlock pistol and smallsword were the main features of that last phase of personal combat before the age of edged weapons ended and the age of gunpowder took over. Cheaper flintlock pistols essentially ended swords for personal defense.
The sabre would get my vote. It stayed in military service as an officers and cavalry weapon up until WW1, well into the age of repeating firearms. They only became finally obsolete with the advent of fully automatic fire.
@@hazzardalsohazzard2624 No need to apologize! I am clearly one of 'those guys' too! The katana is a formidable weapon and amazing object in its own right, but I don't think it can be called the 'ultimate evolution' of the sword. The manufacturing technique dates to about 900ad in Japan, and the material (bloomery steel) dictate certain limitations. (Thick profile, limited length, relatively easily bent). Blast furnace crucible steel allows for stronger, more precise alloys, better homogeneity etc, which makes the sabre etc a feasible design. So you get a blade that is harder, tougher, longer and lighter than a katana. In addition the one handed grip allows even longer range plus you can hold a flintlock or howder pistol in the other!
@@hazzardalsohazzard2624 What you are referring to is the Shin Gunto, and there a few arguments as to why I think your assertion is probably incorrect. Gunto, or military swords, were manufactered industrially and issued to troops from the Meiji period; these were NOT manufactured in a traditional fashion nor for the vast majority of IJN/IJA history did they resemble traditional Japanese swords. There are accounts of senior Japanese officers choosing to wear heirloom blades in the field, for example Sakurai Tadayoshi alleges that he saw a general wearing one with an obi during the Russo-Japanese war; if this is true, it was exceedingly rare and probably looked on by the rest of the officer corps as exceedingly quaint. It was only in the 1930s that the type 94 and 95 Shin Gunto, which resembled a Shinken (or Katana), began to be manufactured. It is inappropriate to refer to this or any Gunto as 'Katana' since these are manufactured industrially and en masse. Certainly, they were never referred to as such by either service at any time. But beyond this point, the reasons for issuing such a sword are compicated. Japanese officers were required to wear and carry swords as part of their office; this is a convention which would have been understood by any scholar of European military history. It was a badge of office. The switch to a domestic style over a Western one only reflected the shift in outlook within the Military, holistically. The IJA did develop Toyama ryu battodo in order to train officers in the use of the sword, and this formed the partial basis for their justification of the introduction of the Shin Gunto; however the practical efficacy of this in combat is rightly disputed, since there are very few verifiable accounts of Japanese officers scoring kills on targets who weren't restrained (although there are a lot of verifiable accounts of the other). One practical explanation is that the Japanese officer was trained in the sword in the same perspective as the Japanese enlisted solder was trained in the bayonet. Officially, the IJA inculcated its troops with an inclination to close with the enemy, to the range of cold steel, in an effort to overcome the dependence on technology and the allegedly corrupted and weak mindset that came with it. In this context, it was appropriate for the Japanese officer to carry a weapon which complimented that of his men. But the reality is certainly much more mundane: it was simply a way to save resources. Throughout the history of the IJA, ammunition was always a precious commodity. It was easier to equip a soldier with a rifle than it was to properly train him to fire it. This is why Japanese soldier spent far more time practicing with the bayonet than they did on the range. It's also why the Japanese continued to use strip-fed heavy machine guns, and why SMGs were never issued at platoon level. It belied a deeper logistical handicap of the IJA in general. It was easier to issue officers with cheap swords, spend more time training bayonet fencing, and claim it was all part of a deliberate plan than it was to address the fundamental failure of the system. The other practical explanation is that in an army incorporating precious little in the way of electronic communications, it made sense that officers could be easily identified in the field; likely, it might also have been considered an asset to morale - how better to convince men to attack uphill with bayonets than to set an example by brandishing a shiny blade? So describing the Shin Gunto as the ultimate evolution of the military sword is, imho, inappropriate. It was arguably not an evolution - certainly not the ultimate evolution - but rather a flagrant regression. Beyond it's application as the instrument of atrocity, it might be a contender for the most overrated piece of mass-produced, issued field equipment in modern military history.
@@ChrisMasna You're right. Thank you. I was thinking half the thickness and you get 8 times less stiff (less resistant to elastic deformation) but in this case yield strength (permanent deformation) is more interesting so four times is accurate.
Sometimes your vids could do with a "TLDR" either in the description or spoken at the beginning. As informative and well done as it is, sometimes it gets a bit rambling and one has to search for the 1-3 sentences giving an answer/explanation to the video title.
Am I the only one who thinks Madden Dove head first into a banana split Sunday and just did wipe his face cuz that's what his beard looks like I always thought he was blonde LOL but no offense Matt I love your videos
Hahaha! I know those feels. "This thing is a piece of junk! Im going to smash it!!!!!!!!!!" ... *wince* ... "Okay maybe I'm just going to put it down and leave it alone instead...."
Many decades ago, I met a guy at college who was proud of the sword he had brought to hang on his dorm wall.
He took it down, swung lightly once, and the blade and tang "parted company" at the bad weld.
That was a sad camper.
it really does seem like you should just buy a windlass most of the time.
@@tsmspace My Windlass 1840 US NCO sword is completely unusable. The handle wasn't even connected to anything.
@@keeganowens8949 weird. mine feels good, cuts good, feels nice.
@@tsmspace Mine had a rattle from the very start, but once I even tried to swing it it all came apart immediately.
@@keeganowens8949 did you buy it new?
The US military pulled a similar stunt when they "upgraded" their M-7 bayonet to the M-9 bayonet/field knife for infantry. The M-9 received a midsized Bowie style knife blade, and a beefy polymer grip. But there is only a dinky little rattail tang to anchor that blade to the handle, so there have been lots of troopers snapping their knives right in two. What is shameful is that the weapon was marketed as being built up in order to be useful in far more tasks than just a rifle combat blade, but the pygmy backbone of the thing belies all the hype and reduces the beautiful piece to a modern day Achilles.
I've read the patent file for the M9 bayonet, it's available online. The rat-tail design is intended to strengthen the handle so it is less likely to break during a twist or bend motion when fixed to a rifle. The rod that connects to the blade works as a spring under stress. If that intention worked well is another story.
@@9SS94Cr I'm reading it right now. It looks more like the tang was meant to bend or deflect prior to the blade breaking so it could be used to pry without having to worry about breaking the blade. From US Patent 4821356:
"The knife blade includes a short tang which is secured to a tang rod which acts as a core for the handle. The rear of the handle is secured to the tang rod or extension by a threaded adapter which loads the tang rod in tension. The tang rod is manufactured of a stainless steel having a higher degree of resiliency than the bayonet blade whereby any deflective forces on the handle, if it exceeds the predetermined load on the blade, will cause the handle and tang rod to deflect rather than applying fracturing stress on the blade. At first glance, a bending handle would appear to be unacceptable, but in fact such a property insures that the bayonet may be used for prying without danger to the blade."
I'm guessing that the heat treatment of the tang is crucial to how durable it is. The M9 has had a bunch of different manufacturers, so I can see some of them snapping because one of the OEM's screwed up the heat treatment.
The description in the patent reads like a glaringly apparent weakness is being marketed as a beneficial attribute or strength. That seems pretty brazen to me. 😒
@@texasbeast239 yeah, totally agree, that is some really disingenuous language there
It's almost like the US Ordinance Office is terrible at what they do
Appreciate the integrity and diligence in your decision to give a candid review and update. - The guy who ranted about ruck marching everywhere on your tomahawk post in sticks and steel.
Matt Easton: "But these are sold as functional swords. That, I'm afraid my-"
Me: "He's gonna call me his friend!"
Matt Easton: "-watchers..."
Me: "Ohh... okay..." -_-
He's not your buddy, pal!
Don't get too caught up in parasocial relationships, friend.
@@Olamina-c1y I'm not your friend, buddy.
He often hits his friends with swords for fun! Maybe less bruising to be a watcher😹
@@tadzhiks Im not your buddy, partner!
As a swordsmith I wouldn't use that tang for a bloody stilletto let alone a serious sword blade.
miniature 3" replica maybe? 🤣
I got the Oakeshott XVI "Archduke" from Dynasty Forge a while ago. Really nice sword aesthetically and fit wise, but it was unbelievably top heavy. It had a leverage weight greater than my greatswords, more akin to a wood chopping axe. I'm glad to see mine wasn't the only unwieldy piece by them, cause I had considered that perhaps it was just a dud and might've gotten another one. And seeing the tang on that Smallsword makes me doubt the viability of mine now. For the price, that's inexcusable.
Bit of correction. That bit on the retired epee blade is "hemi-cylindrical" rather than hemispherical.
For anyone who takes apart swords, do a favor and buy a "zvs induction board" off Amazon/eBay and use it to apply heat to the sword tang under the handle. It's a GREAT tool to take down glued up swords
55⁵
Thank You So much Matt, I noticed in pics the blade was too wide. had they made some serious modifications that would've made a decent Colichimarde. I came So close to buying that smallsword, so very glad I didn't. Thank You for the review. BTW, I know it's been closed for a while but Jacob's Armoury made stunning smallsword Replicas. I think he had to quit due to health issues.
Great vid, thanks!
EDIT: Speaking of smallswords. I just watched Stardust (2007) and was impressed by many details (it's a very fun movie), including some nice period-contemporary-swords (world-building). I would love to see your 'historical breakdown' on that movie and it's sword-fights, Matt. Cheers
Matt, you should go ahead and put some welly on it and see what happens. On camera of course. Destructive testing is always informative. Just be sure to use safety equipment, gloves, face shield, etc.
I do sport saber fencing, and we have nearly indentical tangs to the epee blade you have. I've seen it snap at the tang once or twice in the past 14 years, but yeah it really isn't much of an issue.
I've fenced a lot of epee blades and I have friends who compete epee and I've never heard of one snapping at the hilt. Dynasty forge should be ashamed that a tiny little epee blade has a better tang to blade construction than they have.
That tang was anorexic.
There must be a reason why Angelo wrote not to make you tang thinner to fit it into the hilt, but to enlarge the hilt instead.
Phew!! Just in time. I was thinking of getting one of those. You've just saved my hundreds of quid!
Yeesh, ouch.
I'd almost call it a rat tail tang you'd see in a wall hanger, sword like object than one I'd see in a practise blade.
Glad you caught it.
I've seen rat tails on crap tier "Toledo" wall hanger rapiers from the 1970's that were more substantial. Absolute lawsuit waiting to happen tier by dynasty forge for a smallsword.
Have a good Christmas Matt, you and all the family.
That discolouration right near where the tang connects to the blade makes me wonder if it's welded on. I couldn't quite see, (watching on a phone) but that has to be a common method for extra crappy sword construction.
9:20 "If i just put some Welly on it." British people never cease to amuse me.
“If I just put some welly into it.”
The most British thing I’ve ever heard.
I'd actually never heard the term before, but easily understood what it meant from the context. :)
Put some Wellington in it, like the Duke of Wellington, like how he clobbered Napoleon.
@@AaronLitz vision is 20/20 in context
Fun fact: The Duelist store was founded by Iron Maiden's lead singer Bruce Dickenson. I have an old sabre mask of theirs. Are they still around? I thought they closed a several years ago.
Hey, Matt. Quick question: for a lefty who can't seem to find a good quality rapier/sidesword in his price range, would the LK Chen shield guard jian be a good alternative?
I've generally been interested in straight bladed cut and thrust swords more than other types, and I really love my flying phoenix sword more than most others I've tried (still can't afford Albion or even most Del Tin). I just feel more comfortable having a decent sized cross guard on a sharp blade. Thanks.
Hell of a thing! I'm also glad you found it, too.
With the proper physical protection of course, I think it would be interesting to see what little it would take for that one to fail.
Merry Christmas 🎄
🤺
I've been wanting to get a sharp reproduction smallsword to go along with the Baroque portion of my musical repertoire! Been looking at the Del Tin one, even though it has a rather atypical blade geometry. Have you ever handled one of the Del Tins, Matt?
Del Tin makes beautiful swords, I have several. Fulvio Del Tin may make a historical smallsword blade for you. email and ask, he is a very nice man.
@@mallardtheduck406 , Thank you for the information, and suggestion!
@@andreweden9405 might be worth consider buying an antique one rather than a reproduction. On the pricing scale of antique swords they are still relatively affordable.
I have bought ones as cheaply as £300
@@andreweden9405 You're Welcome!!!
@@akashahuja2346 That is a wonderful choice as well, court swords are common and very affordable. Nicer smallswords sell for a few grand, Fagan Arms, however do have payment plans. I nearly bought a Spanish dueling rapier...very similar to a smallsword, however no knucklebow.
With some dremel time and sandpaper to the inner surface, you could probably make the guard an acceptable weight to reuse. And if you're not worried about the surface finish in there, you could probably cut out the sandpaper.
Is it just me, or was there a weld mark on the tang of the smallsword blade? If a sword was gonna snap, I suppose the tang isn't the worst place safety wise, but snap prone blades just make me nervous.
On second though it might have been a copper alloy sleeve? Can't tell. Perhaps a similiar deal to the tinned brass I've seen between the guard and corners of the blade on repro Hutton sabers, a sort of a bushing / buffer between two hard points.
Could be a weld, could be different coloring due to different tempering (hilts are supposed to be softer so they don't break). What worries me most is the extremely sharp corners where the tang meets the blade- stress risers all the way around.
If it was properly welded *and* properly tempered it would resist breaking better but the tang is still too small for that chunky blade.
If it breaks there you have the whole blade essentially pinwheeling off in a random direction, the tip and broken end moving very fast with all of the blade's mass behind it. I think a smaller piece with less mass would be less worrisome but that's a guess.
@@markfergerson2145 ah, I forgot to consider an aggressive temper on the tang. I see what you're saying about a twin sharp ended blade moving where it may, but for me what I'm terrified of is a snap where the foible transitions to the mid section of a blade, let's say 75% of the way to the tip, which during a thrust could cause the deliverer of the thrust to essentially fall forward if the resistance suddenly gave out, thus running their fencing partner through. I mean, we often are aiming at the heart. Especially with stiffer HEMA weapons, it makes an 850 newton plastron seem reasonable; The 350N standard was to my knowledge, simply borrowed from traditional fencing with it's lighter arms. I often riposte with a thrust from the bind in saber, so this hypothetical makes me uncomfortable.
Would be fascinating to see you and Tod put your heads together to analyse some fictional weapons for practicality - I'd be particularly interested in your take, for instance, on the Klingon mek'leth, bat'leth and d'k tagh from Star Trek. Much is made of Dan Curry's martial arts experience, so I'm curious to see how his designs (taking into account the fighting styles he made up for the show) compare to, say, other fictional weapons with more or less convincing designs.
I've seen a few analyses - Shad's skewering of the bat'leth, Skallagrim's mek'leth test and so on - but the broader analysis in your and Tod's weird weapon videos, with the sparring element, would add a really interesting angle.
Other ridiculous fictional weapons that could be amusing and/or interesting could include powerfists/chainfists from Warhammer, the very tip-heavy Uruk-hai swords in the Lord of the Rings films, that sort of thing.
Have you ever thought of doing a tour of Leon Paul's factory in a vid? (IIRC they manufacture their stuff in London)
As a blacksmith, sans forge at the moment, I'd be ashamed to sell that kind of poor quality work to a customer.
What would you do with a sharp replica smallsword anyway? Test thrusting??
Please let me know what you think about swords forged in India.
I have a few and have found them though rudimentary when finished the steel has held up to my abuse. These things are hammers that I have stumbled upon. I found really low priced spring steel Viking style swords on the “Norse tradesman” site and bought a couple to beat the hell out of because they were about $250 American... well, these swords have cut down 4x4 posts without bending... they have chopped through 2x4 framing boards with nails in them cutting the wire soft steel nails in the process with absolutely minimal damage to the edges... if you ever show a super cheap good fun sword to just go ape with maybe you could mention them. I am pretty happy with the abuse my two have withstood so far. . Thanks for your great videos.
I see you
Hey I have just subbed up to your channel and got to say a massive thank you. I have been searching for a hobby for basically all my life. Anyways long story short I'm going through some life stuff at the moment. But watching a clue of your videos I have just so many questions, if you're happy to help give me some pointers (excuse the pun) that would be awesome. I'm from the south of the UK 😁
So I am apart of a fencing club and I was really interested on how you could turn a smallsword hilt into an epee. Does anyone know of a video showing the process?
I just wanted to say I'm a big fan of your RUclips videos! I wanted to ask you it's you know 0f the swords from the show outlander!
I suspect that the tang on the Dynasty Forge blade was welded on; and if Matt is able to snap it off, it was welded on poorly.
My suspicion as well. Just shaping a rat tail to look roughly like the real thing so they can multiply the price.
9:20 "put some welly into it"
That's a new one to my American ears. Regardless, it is quite shocking such a beefy, over-built blade has such a spindly little tang. Thanks for the PSA.
Go "give it some welly" is a euphemism for going faster, specifically in a tractor, as in you will press the accelerator with a boot shod in a Wellington Boot.
What dark depths do your other Dynasty Forge swords have to be plumbed? I look forward to your investigative journalism, Matt.
You were being kind by calling this sword "over weight." It is a fat pig compared to an original smallsword. I believe that the smallsword marketed by Cold Steel is essentially the same item though from my personal experience I think it has a beefier tang. I carried one reenacting for a few years and have a picture of Dolly Parton hugging me while I'm wearing it. Ahhh..., memories!
Uh... called this up and got a Superdry advert. Coincidence or conspiracy?
so would you say that a modern epee blade is a modern steel, and a springier steel than what a blade would best be made of, so actually a functional blade should be expected to bend more (because the softer steel will have a cuttier edge), and therefore the tang should actually be more substantial with more significant taper than the epee blade? (whereas in this example, we see that the epee has actually more taper, as well as more beef).
Let's start this again: " A detachable pummel...o.
Cult Member: "A spadroon wouldn't fail like that!"
xD
Of course not, the Spadroon is the infallible ultimate apex of sword evolution.
The only redeeming quality here is that it provided a pommel.
How sturdy are the complex hilts? How much does it take to break or cut through one? Forgive my ignorance
So some manufacturer was trying to reinvent the wheel. Thanks for this video know I know a manufacturer whose products don't meet my standards.
I've been fencing for over 50 years, mainly foil and épée and I've only had one épée blade break at the tang. I'd like to try small sword fencing as I'm getting more and more fed up with how sports fencing is deviating from good swordsmanship. Can you recommend a good weapon?
I have recently started smallsword, it's a lot of fun, as an ex sport fencer myself it's fascinating to learn just how little sports fencing resembles an actual combat system.
Learning all the good stuff like using the left hand to deflect and blade grab, throwing in a bit of grappling too. Disarms are great fun as well.
@@akashahuja2346 It certainly sounds good fun. Where did you source the weapon? I'm not sure where to obtain them.
@@Mikedartagnan I built my own but you could easily make something up yourself that would work, just use a junior size epee blade as this is an equivalent to real smallsword blade length. People get a bit to caught up in having their smallswords look exactly like the originals but it's learning the technique that is important and you can do that with a basic foil (French grip obviously).
I do have a feeling that more manufacturers are going to be making smallswords soon, smallsword seemscyo be increasingly popular.
@@akashahuja2346 I see Leon Paul make one - basically a foil guard and a No. 2 épée blade - currently out of stock. Where do you fence smallsword?
@@Mikedartagnan I'm London based and I actually train at Matt's club.
Although smallsword is not one of the systems that is officially taught at Matt's club, quite a few people do it and sparr with smallsword there.
I also get some private smallsword and sabre coaching by a fantastic instructor based near London.
will the small sword hilt make sense on chunkier curved or cut oriented swords?
Just interested, how much costs this smallsword?
Huh! That's a real shame. Well, I'm glad you found out.
I was about tho think that maybe it was designed to be used with heavy gloves, but it's too inconsistant.
Thank you for this.
have you considered turning that disc guard into a dope ass medallion?
is it welded on or integral? Oh, some surviving gladii are a lot like that, or at least scary thin. Still, that is pretty sad.
Idk Matt... I have been around metal... A lot...
I have seen smaller or thinner pieces... Seriously surprise me.. and people...
I would like to see a stress test now... Or.. what it takes to Actually Break the tang... Or will it just bend...
"If I go like this, I might be able to snap this thing off"
**determined senate noises**
*Dew it!*
Its probably useable if you weld that blade directly into a steel hilt. Counteracts the weight of that thick blade and with a proper weld you can smash bricks with it and it wont come off.
why don't they have tangs that taper gradually from thick to thin?
Having build smallswords, a tapered tang is a nightmare to fit to a grip.
Parallel tangs mean you can just drill the pommel and grip.
If you make the part of the tang next to the blade thicker, the wood of the grip covering that part will have to be thinner making it weaker. Plus you then have to hand-carve the cavity in the grip with broaches and tiny chisels to fit it instead of just drilling a straight hole.
Can you fix the too small tang? Or is it a display only piece?
I suspect welding on a new tag would wreck the heat treat.
It’s not very feasible. I suppose a very good welder might be able to weld a new tang on. But as pointed out, that absolutely would ruin the heat treat of the blade, at least part of it (the part that should be the strongest). So, you would have to weld it, anneal it, then re-heat treat the entire thing, then refinish. Not very feasible at all.
@@philw8049 And as Mat said, they're prone to warping in heat treat which can be fixed by a competent smith but it's a lot of extra work. To get it done properly would likely cost more than just buying a decent sword.
love the videos keep it up been watching for years
My understanding was an epee and a small sword are the same thing does Matt mean fencing epee?
It's a bit complicated but historically the fencing epee was the practice sword of the duelling epee.
The fencing foil was the practice sword of the smallsword.
However... the modern fencing epee blade is an excellent analog for the actual smallsword blade (a super light triangular section hollow ground blade).
On a well crafted hilt it handles very much like the real smallsword.
Keep all the hilt parts together and fit them to a spadroon blade!
Are there any decent sharp smallswords on the market at all?
Thank you for this video. You have saved someone money and possibly prevented a serious injury
Almost want you to take apart other Dynasty Forge swords to inspect their construction too.
Been after a small sword with a foil top gaurd for a while like that one. I just can never find one without the 8 figure top gaurd. And the closest I can find is a court sword.
Some English smallswords had oval guards instead of the double shell guards
white bearded matt, i shall save this for my colection of matts
You can only use the Matts in your collection in the right context of course.
Aren't these sword manufacturers supposed to know their business? What if someone is harmed by a snapped off handle? These swords are not sold as decorative wall hangers only are they? I think they should go through some proofing method before being sold to people who might use them as intended or unintended. They should be built to withstand actual use.
Matt the beard looks good on you!
Jeez - I'm an amateur blacksmith and frequently make knives - my puukko and lueko have beefier tangs than that! Scary to have a blade with that weight and inertia supported with something so fragile.
He's in Scotland so not far from you and needs some assistance as he has parkinsons. But Jacob's armoury he casts replica small sword hilt parts. Might be worth looking into for your club
So . . . there is a problem with the Tang Dynasty . . .
I bet there are a half dozen positive RUclips reviews of this sword >_> I got conned into an overweight, badly proportioned kopis by Skall of all people, so it happens everywhere.
If you're gonna try to snap steel, please put protective goggles on !
Cybernetic eyes are not ready yet, and when they'll be, you'll probably get ads for free to play games in middle of a fight.
Can you wear gloves, eye pro, and then snap it on camera?
YOu have to make a Short acutally snapping the tang (wiht eye protection).
I wonder what their other European swords are like?
It annoys me why sword makers do not try to get anywhere near the sizes weights and integritys of the swords they are supposed to be based on and then use cheep steels and cast hits and parts made from cheep material's yet charge people a fortune for what they think they will be paying for💪🤬🇬🇧
thanks for the warning
Smallswords, to me, are the ultimate evolution of the sword after wheel lock pistols made armor obsolete. The flintlock pistol and smallsword were the main features of that last phase of personal combat before the age of edged weapons ended and the age of gunpowder took over. Cheaper flintlock pistols essentially ended swords for personal defense.
Not true at all. James bowie lived in a cheap flintlock era but he didnt trust them as did many people of the 1750-1850s.
The sabre would get my vote. It stayed in military service as an officers and cavalry weapon up until WW1, well into the age of repeating firearms. They only became finally obsolete with the advent of fully automatic fire.
@@hendrikvanleeuwen9110 I hate to be that guy, but it's probably a katana. Since Katanas were handed out to Japanese soldiers since WW2.
@@hazzardalsohazzard2624 No need to apologize! I am clearly one of 'those guys' too!
The katana is a formidable weapon and amazing object in its own right, but I don't think it can be called the 'ultimate evolution' of the sword. The manufacturing technique dates to about 900ad in Japan, and the material (bloomery steel) dictate certain limitations. (Thick profile, limited length, relatively easily bent).
Blast furnace crucible steel allows for stronger, more precise alloys, better homogeneity etc, which makes the sabre etc a feasible design.
So you get a blade that is harder, tougher, longer and lighter than a katana. In addition the one handed grip allows even longer range plus you can hold a flintlock or howder pistol in the other!
@@hazzardalsohazzard2624 What you are referring to is the Shin Gunto, and there a few arguments as to why I think your assertion is probably incorrect. Gunto, or military swords, were manufactered industrially and issued to troops from the Meiji period; these were NOT manufactured in a traditional fashion nor for the vast majority of IJN/IJA history did they resemble traditional Japanese swords. There are accounts of senior Japanese officers choosing to wear heirloom blades in the field, for example Sakurai Tadayoshi alleges that he saw a general wearing one with an obi during the Russo-Japanese war; if this is true, it was exceedingly rare and probably looked on by the rest of the officer corps as exceedingly quaint. It was only in the 1930s that the type 94 and 95 Shin Gunto, which resembled a Shinken (or Katana), began to be manufactured. It is inappropriate to refer to this or any Gunto as 'Katana' since these are manufactured industrially and en masse. Certainly, they were never referred to as such by either service at any time. But beyond this point, the reasons for issuing such a sword are compicated. Japanese officers were required to wear and carry swords as part of their office; this is a convention which would have been understood by any scholar of European military history. It was a badge of office. The switch to a domestic style over a Western one only reflected the shift in outlook within the Military, holistically. The IJA did develop Toyama ryu battodo in order to train officers in the use of the sword, and this formed the partial basis for their justification of the introduction of the Shin Gunto; however the practical efficacy of this in combat is rightly disputed, since there are very few verifiable accounts of Japanese officers scoring kills on targets who weren't restrained (although there are a lot of verifiable accounts of the other). One practical explanation is that the Japanese officer was trained in the sword in the same perspective as the Japanese enlisted solder was trained in the bayonet. Officially, the IJA inculcated its troops with an inclination to close with the enemy, to the range of cold steel, in an effort to overcome the dependence on technology and the allegedly corrupted and weak mindset that came with it. In this context, it was appropriate for the Japanese officer to carry a weapon which complimented that of his men. But the reality is certainly much more mundane: it was simply a way to save resources. Throughout the history of the IJA, ammunition was always a precious commodity. It was easier to equip a soldier with a rifle than it was to properly train him to fire it. This is why Japanese soldier spent far more time practicing with the bayonet than they did on the range. It's also why the Japanese continued to use strip-fed heavy machine guns, and why SMGs were never issued at platoon level. It belied a deeper logistical handicap of the IJA in general. It was easier to issue officers with cheap swords, spend more time training bayonet fencing, and claim it was all part of a deliberate plan than it was to address the fundamental failure of the system. The other practical explanation is that in an army incorporating precious little in the way of electronic communications, it made sense that officers could be easily identified in the field; likely, it might also have been considered an asset to morale - how better to convince men to attack uphill with bayonets than to set an example by brandishing a shiny blade? So describing the Shin Gunto as the ultimate evolution of the military sword is, imho, inappropriate. It was arguably not an evolution - certainly not the ultimate evolution - but rather a flagrant regression. Beyond it's application as the instrument of atrocity, it might be a contender for the most overrated piece of mass-produced, issued field equipment in modern military history.
maybe it is time for a Matt Easton small sword trainer?
An honest assessment
That almost looks like the quality of a Bud-K sword......barely useful as a display only.
but, but, they are historical Replicas that can hack off limbs...*Saracasm", lol 🤣🦆
Half thickness is 4 times weaker so it's even worse than one might think.
Shouldn't be 4 times? since cross-section is about area, not volume.
@@ChrisMasna You're right. Thank you. I was thinking half the thickness and you get 8 times less stiff (less resistant to elastic deformation) but in this case yield strength (permanent deformation) is more interesting so four times is accurate.
well... at least if it breaks at the handle your not likely for someone to get hurt...
If you don’t like that sword you could send it to me, I’ll treasure it knowing it came from you Matt!
A no to this smallsword. A yes to this beard!
A beautiful deadly weapon 😍
Does your tumbnail feature a unshaved, tired-looking Brit threatening you with a smallsword? Mine does!
Matt: Remember to drink water troughout the day!
Those hands look dehydrated on the closeups! Gotta hydrate, man!
A thin tang on a bigger blade, is like the weak link of the weak link of a sword.
Could likely use it, or parts of it, to make a trophy.
Looks like it has a weld, too.
So! This is an overpriced wallhanger?
It was probably for a wallhanger.
Wow.
The Epee's tang just handed that "combat ready" sword it's ass.
Dynasty forge is hot Garbo 🔥
Sometimes your vids could do with a "TLDR" either in the description or spoken at the beginning. As informative and well done as it is, sometimes it gets a bit rambling and one has to search for the 1-3 sentences giving an answer/explanation to the video title.
Matt: The guard is VERY overweight -_-
Guard: THEN PAY WITH YOUR BLOOD!!!
Oh dear, what a rubbish design! I think most of us figured out pretty quick it'd be a tang issue.
Am I the only one who thinks Madden Dove head first into a banana split Sunday and just did wipe his face cuz that's what his beard looks like I always thought he was blonde LOL but no offense Matt I love your videos
Hahaha! I know those feels. "This thing is a piece of junk! Im going to smash it!!!!!!!!!!" ... *wince* ... "Okay maybe I'm just going to put it down and leave it alone instead...."