Keep it simple stupid. This sword is a perfect example of that. Not trying to re-invent the wheel in the name of the rule of cool. Just a functional blade for a functional man. Gotta love it.
Aw, that's wonderful! Also, as a bonus, both your user name and image fits your comment! (I'm surprised you found your way here so quickly after Shad posted this! ;P )
A Scottish man visits Alaska for the first time. He goes for a hike and sees a moose. He asks the park ranger, “Oi! What animal is that then?” “That’s a moose,” the ranger replied. “A moose!” exclaimed the Scotsman, “If that there’s a moose, dear laddie, ye must have rats the size of elephants then!”
Im really happy there are so many videos from you guys now and at the same time really sad since you are forced to do this to survive. I wish you guys the best
@@palpatinethesenatehog7086 It's all across the platform since December 20. According to Odysee, "RUclips has recently implemented additional anti-competitive measures that limit our ability to automatically sync videos from RUclips to Odysee for creators who have opted into this service." Unless channels manually upload to Odysee, their recent YT videos will not appear on that platform. 🤬
The Peter Jackson's films had a real swordsmith helping with the production. In my opinion all the swords In the film would be totally serviceable. Even Elronds sword or Glamdring. Although I always suspected the reproductions were more wallhangers they still have great designs.
I dunno about Anduril though. If you look at the scene where Aragorn draws it for the first time inside the tent, the blade is so long and thin you can see the upper third or so wobble as if it was a halloween prop. They went overboard with it IMO.
@@0predaking0 Elven* Also, funnily enough, The Last Alliance having such swords in the movie are heavily lore inaccurate, same with the reasoning they gave for making Orcrist into a single-edged blade in The Hobbit adaptions. According to Tolkien the Numenoreans learned their smithing and swordcraft from the Noldor, so the High Elves in TLA should not have been using single-edged stuff akin to glaives and falchions like the Silvan/Wood Elves do, but rather more "elven" mastercrafted equivalents of longswords and spears. For example, movie Gil-Galad - the last Noldor High King - has something more akin to a glaive, while in the source material it is explicitly called a spear. It is also stated that among the Vanyar, one of three types of High Elves (Noldor and Falmari Teleri, the latter related to the Teleri that became the more common Sindar and Silvan, or Grey and Wood Elves respectively. Nobility like Thranduil, Legolas and Celeborn are Sindar, with most of the "commoners" in Mirkwood and Lorien, like Haldir, were Silvan. People like Elrond and Galadriel were among the rare few Noldor still in Middle-earth during the third age, all of the Vanyar and most of the Noldor were in Aman/Valinor and the Falmari split across the Aman/Valinor coastline and the off-shore island Eressea as they were the foremost mariners among the High Elves, to the Noldor's craftsmen and the Vanyar's artists) spears were preferred over swords or bows. (PS I approve of your username and I wish Beast Wars would have shown or told what happened to the Predacon's namesake, the eponymous Predaking combiner team)
@@The_Real_Mr_Al In the director's commentary, they mention that the Anduril prop was so long that it couldn't be drawn from its sheath, which is why Aragorn always already has it in hand in every scene he wields it.
That is a great design. A friend of mine had a replica of it and something that people may not notice about the sword is the twisting crossguard, which is a neat little detail.
So nice to hear positive content from Shad. Been watching so many of your rants that it kind of tured me off of your channel for quite some time. Glad to see a positive vibe for once. Would love to see you analyze the various steel and silver swords from Witcher 3.
My take on the little extra stuff on Aragorns sword is that it was made for him by the elves. Which is why it kind of resembles Glamdring, and it has some of the more difficult and extra embellishments that your typical man made sword wouldn't have. Elves would have the time and the skill to make a weapon like that.
Finally some proper appreciation for the Ranger Sword! My all time favourite sword of any media and hence why I am trying to save up for Valiant Armory's Ranger sword! Perfectly functional and sexy af! Simple yet beautiful 👌🏻
I think that triangular shaped riser is there to give the blade more support, and to give the handle more grip on the blade itself, it's probably not meant to be so much a looks thing but a design necessity. Think about this too, this sword is designed to potentially fight off orc swords and the like, it may be a subtle way to keep larger swords from sliding down the blade and hitting full force the cross guards, potentially damaging them! Or, just giving the handle more grip on the blade when striking those larger blades. It gives the handle more grip on the blade and distributes the force of sword strikes!
I could see some of the flare/decor being there to tweak balance for the wielder. Some of the extra weight might be to shift point of balance towards the hands
I always loved swords like that and this is exactly what I hate about fantasy games and their itemization. Somehow the developers think that the swords get better if they are made out of huge chunks of crystals and animal parts... The last time I liked a sword in World of Warcraft was when it started and even then only the low level weapons looked like actual useful swords.
The idea of using crystals, monster parts, ect. makes sense in fantasy or sci-fi because those materials in said media generally have some special thing that makes them more desirable as material than steel or iron. For instance let's look at Ebony from the TES universe. It's in some ways similar to our world's obsidian, but is supposedly the blood of the (kinda)dead god Lorkhan. It's exceptionally difficult to work with, exceedingly rare, & astronomically expensive. But in exchange it's virtually indestructible, beautiful, and the base material of some of the most powerful weapons and armor ever created in that universe. So making weapons and armor out of it makes sense if you can actually get your hands on enough to do that with. Things like using a dragon's fang for a spear tip also makes sense in a lot fantasy because that fang is likely not only stronger than steel but potentially even magical in nature depending on the universe in question. So yeah IRL it makes little sense to use crystals or animal bits. But fiction doesn't have to play by our rules and shouldn't be expected to.
@@AeronHale My problem isn't with the material itself, but the way they use it. They try so hard to make unique looking weapons that they end up with things that look nothing like useful, normal swords.
@@Soseman Ah ok yeah that's a very fair criticism and something I also don't like. Weird exotic materials are one thing, but functional form is another. They may be different things but they should never be separate.
I think it's a perfect sword. Even your small Gripes about the Crossgaurd makes sense to me. If that is his Ranger Sword. That is a sword designed over the years with two things in mind. The enemy they face and the wielder of the blade. The Rangers have greater physical abilities than typical humans so that slight addition of sword weight would be negligible. And they were always fighting against enemies more numerous than they were. Possible with less time for blade maintenance and repair. So those blades needed to be stronger and more able to weather prolonged battles against many foes.
1:32 If you took ANY factory-made sword into the middle ages, even a cheap one, they would be in awe at the accuracy and precision of the weapon's craftmanship and the quality of the materials
Sure, that's true for a lot of facets that don't matter that much, but I am hesitant to agree on actual functionality. To your point, the average factory-made sword is straighter than your average masterwork in period. The factory sword doesn't have a slight bend. The factory sword doesn't have a minutely longer crossguard on one side. The factory sword's taper is far more steady. You can keep listing tolerance issues like this until tomorrow, but these byproducts of modern machining matter relatively little to whether the sword is actually good. As others mentioned wallhangers, a lot of those awful wallhangers would stun craftsmen from the middle ages with their amazing machining quality - that doesn't mean they are better swords though.
@@leonthayne Eh. Haven't you heard the famous quote from Henry Ford about how if you asked people what they wanted, they wouldn't ask for cars, they'd ask for better horses? It's possibly apocryphal, but the point remains that most people think inside their current paradigm.
I think you guys should look at Faramir’s sword. I feel it is an excellent example of a functional LotR sword that is often over looked. Also, my favorite United Cutlery wall hanger.
I think I read somewhere that the handle was designed for a hand and half and not two hands (then you would have your hand fully on the pommel, just to gain a bit of control in certain situations instead of keeping both your hands on the handle all the time). I also remember a note about the central ring being made to help with grip when only wielding the sword with one hand. I don't know if it would explain this different design compared to the other longsword.
I have Darksword Armory's interpretation of the sword and I usually end up gripping low on the pommel for more leverage. It's very comfortable, so that was probably the design intention.
Agreed 100%. Aragorn's ranger sword is a fine balance of practicality while still lookin pretty. Anduril is prettier and more flashy and I think longer but the hilt does look less comfortable/less practical to hold with the metal pommel extending bit too far up the hilt.
Awesome, as I like ya fortifications & firearms vs melee weapons vids. Will u make vid about the weapons, armor, buildings & so on from Matt Braly's Disney Amphibia (Australia 🌏 size continent & show name) in the future? 🥺
His ranger sword has been my favorite since day one. It’s what he used for 90% of the movie. The scene when he’s telling Boromir to give the ring back to Frodo. That hand sliding off…sold!
You guys clutched the heck out with these shorter vids. Even though you aren't going as deep as normal which i do prefer these videos are still good enough. And the shorter time does make it more digestible, something i can watch during a break at work for example. Plus you and Tyranth's chemistry and interactions are honestly the best part about these videos. Especially since you often don't agree on everything but it doesn't feel one sided ever or just everyone circle jerking the same points.
I love that you guys have different opinions and almost fight about it, just don't offend each other too much lol. Good friends are hard to come by these days.
Something that I think lends credence to the thicker cross guard is that in Middle Earth there are creatures that have super human ability to wield enormous and devastating weapons. I think it could be a reasonable decision to make the cross guard slightly thicker just incase he encounters one such superhuman being. Most cross guards can handle the impacts of normal combat and don't need to be thicker, but under extreme situations you might want that extra strength/support.
The Stider sword and Glamdring are my favorite swords in all of the LOTR for all of the reasons discussed here. I love how they are basically the human and elven versions of each other. They're both the most functionally basic designs of their respective cultures, and often overlooked.
I like simple and functional designs. I have a longsword from Böker, Germany I really like. I think it cost me something like 250-300 euros, don't remember exactly and it's no longer available. No idea who is the actual manufacturer but the hilt is almost identical with the two-handed falchion you have shown in your videos a few times. It's extremely functional with no decoration whatsoever, a very simple cross guard, a scent stopper pommel and a leather cord-wrapped handle with nice oval shape so you know where your edge is facing. Nice craftmanship, just no bells and whistles. The scabbard is maybe a little cheap looking, it's just wood with matt black paint and plain stainless steel throat and chape, but it's sturdy and nicely made. I have considered covering it with thin leather to make it look a little more "authentic" looking but haven't gotten to it yet.
What I love about most swords from LotR, is how elegant they are in their simple design. They look beautiful, and sensible, a work of art meant for use. The parts around the cross guard may be purely aesthetics, but it's a balance, aesthetics matter, especially for a mastermade sword. The flairs give it identity and personality. The fact that they're barely detrimental means the design nails the balance.
The little triangular protrusion you're not sure about, I'd just make it thinner. It looks fine aesthetically, and it's on the part of the blade where decorative elements don't really hinder cutting functionality, so just thin it down if you're worried about weight.
I'd suggest the crossguard oddity is really not a detriment to the weight, get rid of it and shave a few grams off, but simultaneously move the COM in a way you may then want to compensate for by adding more metal somewhere else, which in this case would probably mean making the blade a bit thicker at the cross guard to get the balance you wanted, or finding a way to hollow out the pommel a bit more so it can stay the same size/shape you want. When you are talking about such small weight gain overall it really only matters from the balance point POV. I'd also posit that the ring won't change the handle scales or break the hilt up at all, you could do it that way but only if you were being lazy in the modern world so can weld a bit of threaded rod to the bottom of the blade and just lathe turn and tap the pommel and rings to screw onto it (which is a good way to make a prop version of something like this really quickly, repeatable and easily with a rather basic lathe). But if I were making it for anything other than a quick and dirty prop so the blade must have a decently solid tang that ring would be turned filed to the rough profile of the wooden hilt and then brazed on to some thin metal sheet/wires that go under the wrap and probably pins into the wooden core - the fit then doesn't need to be hugely perfectly as any gaps will be hidden by the wrap so can be filled with something like pine resin or wooden wedge if needed (which it probably won't be as it isn't a greatly tapered handle).
The Ranger sword is just a prime example of how simplicity, functionality, and just some SMALL touches can really make an ordinary sword seem incredible and stand out
If those triangular bits were a quarter inch farther from the blade your eyes would slide right off them, they’re so common on medieval and renaissance swords. The details of the pommel, the riser and the crossguard are stylistic choices, variations on themes again seen in medieval and renaissance swords, nothing more. Tyranth, your bespoke katana is the same thing, historical but not. Please, do Glamdring, but I’m crossing my fingers that you get one that cuts. You really haven’t done the Conan swords? Really? Wow, please do ASAP! And again Tyranth, remember that the eight pound original was not made for your average swordsman. You can’t complain that it’s too heavy until you bulk up like Arnold back in the day and THEN swing it around.
Excellent content as always guys, I agree that Aragorn's Ranger sword is overlooked, despite the fact it the one he uses most (in the films). I can't split Anduril/Narsil and the Witch King's sword (and yes, I'm ignoring the round handle) from being my top in the franchise, but this is up there.
If you Look at triangle piece from the cross guard it is a visual part that clicks into place with the scabbard and makes it look really good in the scabbard. You would have to change the scabbard if you took it away.
I told my husband I wanted Aragorn's sword for Christmas. He thought I meant Anduril, but I specified that I wanted Strider's ranger sword. It's the sword Viggo carried around New Zealand with him, and I've always loved the look of it. My replica now proudly hangs on the wall with Aragorn's curved knife above it.
this one I've always preferred, I'm always a sucker for the slight upcurve in the crossguard, and the metal riser on the grip! and that pommel, hoowee do I like scentstopper pommels, it's like this sword was made for me lol
Wait... now Tyranth has his channel, I would love to see you guys design your own trainer swords. To see your preferences, differences, and designs....
If I were to change anything about Aragorn's ranger sword, I would thin out the cross guard a bit, delete the center and upper handle ring things, and enlarge the pommel. It's not just about how much metal is in a handle, but also where it's located. The changes would allow just a little bit more leverage further balancing the sword without adding any additional weight.
Such a beautiful design and a beautiful reproduction. The quillons could have their thickness dimension scaled to three quarters or two thirds without compromising their strength. This would also allow them to seamlessly merge with the triangular flanges on either side of the base of the blade. The ring in the middle of the grip made me think of a finger ring (of a type not unlike a Ring of Power or the One Ring).
TLDR: There are 3 different ways that that center spacer on hilt that are all less time consuming than you'd think, but still take enough time to be more costly if you want them fitting as tightly as possible. There are actually at least 3 ways that the center spacer on the hilt could be done. The first way that you could do. It is that you could do it shape the center ring like wrap a ring of metal around the center of the hilt. And forge welded in place after you have. Like Chard, the center of the wood and then shape it from there to smooth out the weld line. The second way is that it can be a solid piece of metal, separating 2 different parts of the hand the third way could be, that could be a blending of the 2 that it's a fitted ring around the. The round is too separated hilt pieces, that is resessed into the like a sockets on the top of the embodiment of the respective handle pieces.
Just showed my wife lord of the rings for the first time. She saw it when she was just a child. Watching her reactions was so great. Meanwhile im staring DOWN the action scenes like holy crap this movie is so much better than i remembered
The ferrul under the guard and the rise on the guard are for reducing the chance of the tang breaking off. It means it is more durable for heavy use in the wilds, which is exactly where Aragorn was using it.
I did a double take when i saw the thumbnail for this. I have the same sword, but by accident. I was shopping for a short bow to target practice while hiking, but instead this showed up. It was a very strange day.
7:40 Is there a good chance that this is so thick ONLY because it's a wall-hanger? I do like this design principle in just about everything (given superior functionality)...simple, with character.
Really like the sword. As mentioned by both of you, I add something to the middle part of the part may be a problem with drawing from and putting back the sword into the sheath. Please more content. ^^
I agree about the hilt. You should be able to comfortably fit all, or at least most, of your second had on the second half of the hilt before hitting the pommel and the sword would be perfect. You COULD also add a bit more off a distinct point, more of a distal taper, and remove that weird riser on the crossguard but those are all nitpicky preference things. Overall Aragorn's ranger sword is one of my favorite swords, if not THE favorite sword, in the entire LOTR franchise. It just hits that right balance of aesthetics, practicality, and something that you would ACTUALLY use.
Perfectly nice, I'd say. I'd be happy to have it on my wall, as others have said. My walls may be bare, but i have dreams of a wall with a Stargate, a Sting, a Star Fury and White Star (maybe even B5 itself), a functionally redesigned Master Sword (similar to the theoretical changes in one of Shads older videos), and maybe something Pokemon - Shiny Mega Rayquaza has an awesome look.
That extra bit of metal above the crossguard could give the same effect as the small piece below the crossguard. I would have to see it in the scabbard but it could be there to give aesthetic framing for the leather of the scabbard. The big question is: is the scabbard tipped in metal and does it have a metal ring halfway down?
Having recently returned from Japan I thought now I can legitimately purchase a Japanese Katana. Not being able to spend thousands of dollars on a genuine certified Katana by a licensed Japanese swordsmith I was pleasantly surprised to see your review of the Katana replica blade. I have now ordered one of their swords that happens to look very much like the blade and scabbard owned by a Japanses lord circa 1350, currently on display at Odawara castle.
Sometimes, simple and basic is the best. As we've seen from the (worryingly) abundant amount of mall ninja "weaponry," extravagance isn't required to have an amazing looking and functional weapon. However, I very much do like Glamdring because it does have a little flair as per the elven design that its origin was, but was still simple and gorgeous. As per the little triangle riser, I feel if they curve it inwards so that the point of the riser it as the blade so it gives it a dome kind of profile, it would meet it the middle of removing redundancy but keeping the aesthetic of the riser being there.
Of course it's not, but it's one of the originals 😅 LotR has something most creators and writers forget - time. LotR was created on basis of "previous world" ie The Hobbit by adding time to it. Same as why New Vegas is great - it's based on Van Buren design documents and set several decades after with assumption that all the events DID happen. So when creating your own world, don't be afraid to make one and then let it die to passage of time for 50 or 100 or 200-300 years. Then set a new story with your original one first draft serving as historical background. Edit: sorry, from thumbnail I've thought that the topic would be the setting, not the swords of it. Nah, the movie swords are perfect as they're made for real living human user.
The Wtich King Sword is one of my favorites. Then this followed by Faramir. Of course, if you fix the handles to be smooth hexagonal and flip the cross=guard on Faramir then it is second for me.
A few years ago, I got a used (but in great shape) “Borderwatch” sword made by Christian Fletcher, which is a pretty damn good version of the Strider sword from the films. It is a fantastic sword, and handles gloriously well.
Would you guys ever be interested in using these wall hanger replicas to rehandle actual swords to make them more functional? If you guys find the time and resources that is.
A fantasy will always have a range of more and less practical weapons. But the lotr trilogy decided this would be way closer to realistic than most universes. And it helps keep the fantasy grounded even with its more crazy elements and lore. When Aragorn holds a sword it helps him feel like a real soldier. A real king. He can flourish. He can thrust. He can parry. All of it is comfortable and natural. Nothing gets in the way.
Shad fact: The reason there was a balrog in the mines of Moria in The Lord of the Rings, is because of Shad. One day as Shad was on his morning stroll he came across a balrog and his aura terrified him so much that the balrog fled as far as he could and ended up in the mines of Moria.
Personally prefer/gravitate towards the High-Elf/Gondolin trio of Glamdring/Orcrist/Sting (just love their movie designs and am a bit nostalgia biased towards the Hobbit) I have a mega soft spot for Aragorn's ranger sword tho, I dressed up as a Ranger for Halloween back in grade school after Fellowship came out and had a very nice looking plastic version (that I used for swordfights w/ relatives and friends). Interestingly, that plastic toy version incorporated that part on the lower blade into the crossguard as you mentioned to make a nice diamond shape (presumably to cut production costs). If it looked that good on a plastic toy it would have been amazing for an actual sword.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Keep it simple stupid. This sword is a perfect example of that. Not trying to re-invent the wheel in the name of the rule of cool. Just a functional blade for a functional man. Gotta love it.
Makes it perfect for the rangers. They're always on the move, patrolling and hunting. Carry weight and functionality are going to be major concerns.
I'm proud to have my late Father's LOTR Ranger sword replica.
Sounds like your father was cool.
Fair
Hope your father wasnt Denethor Steward of Gondor
Aw, that's wonderful! Also, as a bonus, both your user name and image fits your comment! (I'm surprised you found your way here so quickly after Shad posted this! ;P )
@@evenjohansen4584 Thanks. Just happened to get the notification on time for once
A Scottish man visits Alaska for the first time.
He goes for a hike and sees a moose. He asks the park ranger,
“Oi! What animal is that then?”
“That’s a moose,” the ranger replied.
“A moose!” exclaimed the Scotsman, “If that there’s a moose, dear laddie, ye must have rats the size of elephants then!”
ROFLMAO 🤣
Not gonna lie... took me a second... lol.
@@Bacher108same, hahaha. It's a good one, though.
Buwawahahahahaha thank you for a much needed laugh 😂
Willy: “Aaaagh! Turn off the noozle!”
Nelson: “Noodles?! What noodles?!”
Willy: “The _noozle!_ The noozle a’ the end of the hoose!”
Im really happy there are so many videos from you guys now and at the same time really sad since you are forced to do this to survive. I wish you guys the best
Thanks mate, we'll do our best to keep it up
@@shadiversity what happened to your odysee channel though?
@@palpatinethesenatehog7086 It's all across the platform since December 20. According to Odysee, "RUclips has recently implemented additional anti-competitive measures that limit our ability to automatically sync videos from RUclips to Odysee for creators who have opted into this service." Unless channels manually upload to Odysee, their recent YT videos will not appear on that platform. 🤬
When I was little, I overlooked the ranger sword because it was too plain. Now, as an adult, I think it's a beautiful masterpiece
Well, there's the phrase "keep it simple" for a reason. Even as a kid, over designed weapons never made sense to me.
The Peter Jackson's films had a real swordsmith helping with the production. In my opinion all the swords In the film would be totally serviceable. Even Elronds sword or Glamdring. Although I always suspected the reproductions were more wallhangers they still have great designs.
Those elfic sword are more like machete if I'm not mistaken
I own a handful of reproductions. They are definitely wall hangers
I dunno about Anduril though. If you look at the scene where Aragorn draws it for the first time inside the tent, the blade is so long and thin you can see the upper third or so wobble as if it was a halloween prop. They went overboard with it IMO.
@@0predaking0 Elven* Also, funnily enough, The Last Alliance having such swords in the movie are heavily lore inaccurate, same with the reasoning they gave for making Orcrist into a single-edged blade in The Hobbit adaptions. According to Tolkien the Numenoreans learned their smithing and swordcraft from the Noldor, so the High Elves in TLA should not have been using single-edged stuff akin to glaives and falchions like the Silvan/Wood Elves do, but rather more "elven" mastercrafted equivalents of longswords and spears. For example, movie Gil-Galad - the last Noldor High King - has something more akin to a glaive, while in the source material it is explicitly called a spear. It is also stated that among the Vanyar, one of three types of High Elves (Noldor and Falmari Teleri, the latter related to the Teleri that became the more common Sindar and Silvan, or Grey and Wood Elves respectively. Nobility like Thranduil, Legolas and Celeborn are Sindar, with most of the "commoners" in Mirkwood and Lorien, like Haldir, were Silvan. People like Elrond and Galadriel were among the rare few Noldor still in Middle-earth during the third age, all of the Vanyar and most of the Noldor were in Aman/Valinor and the Falmari split across the Aman/Valinor coastline and the off-shore island Eressea as they were the foremost mariners among the High Elves, to the Noldor's craftsmen and the Vanyar's artists) spears were preferred over swords or bows.
(PS I approve of your username and I wish Beast Wars would have shown or told what happened to the Predacon's namesake, the eponymous Predaking combiner team)
@@The_Real_Mr_Al In the director's commentary, they mention that the Anduril prop was so long that it couldn't be drawn from its sheath, which is why Aragorn always already has it in hand in every scene he wields it.
"I love the length, I love the... I'm a big fan of it."
Caught himself.😂
Perfect length-girth ratio.
Boromir's sword is my favorite from The Lord of the Rings. But Aragorns Ranger Sword is still a thing of beauty
Truth!
That is a great design. A friend of mine had a replica of it and something that people may not notice about the sword is the twisting crossguard, which is a neat little detail.
So nice to hear positive content from Shad. Been watching so many of your rants that it kind of tured me off of your channel for quite some time. Glad to see a positive vibe for once. Would love to see you analyze the various steel and silver swords from Witcher 3.
Aragorn's ranger sword 10/10 would swing again
My take on the little extra stuff on Aragorns sword is that it was made for him by the elves. Which is why it kind of resembles Glamdring, and it has some of the more difficult and extra embellishments that your typical man made sword wouldn't have. Elves would have the time and the skill to make a weapon like that.
Finally some proper appreciation for the Ranger Sword! My all time favourite sword of any media and hence why I am trying to save up for Valiant Armory's Ranger sword! Perfectly functional and sexy af! Simple yet beautiful 👌🏻
Happy to say I own one of them! Hangs on my wall as of about ten days ago.
I think that triangular shaped riser is there to give the blade more support, and to give the handle more grip on the blade itself, it's probably not meant to be so much a looks thing but a design necessity.
Think about this too, this sword is designed to potentially fight off orc swords and the like, it may be a subtle way to keep larger swords from sliding down the blade and hitting full force the cross guards, potentially damaging them! Or, just giving the handle more grip on the blade when striking those larger blades. It gives the handle more grip on the blade and distributes the force of sword strikes!
This is my second favorite sword, only behind Glamdring, which is my top favorite
Simple, yet elegant
I could see some of the flare/decor being there to tweak balance for the wielder. Some of the extra weight might be to shift point of balance towards the hands
I always loved swords like that and this is exactly what I hate about fantasy games and their itemization. Somehow the developers think that the swords get better if they are made out of huge chunks of crystals and animal parts... The last time I liked a sword in World of Warcraft was when it started and even then only the low level weapons looked like actual useful swords.
The idea of using crystals, monster parts, ect. makes sense in fantasy or sci-fi because those materials in said media generally have some special thing that makes them more desirable as material than steel or iron.
For instance let's look at Ebony from the TES universe.
It's in some ways similar to our world's obsidian, but is supposedly the blood of the (kinda)dead god Lorkhan.
It's exceptionally difficult to work with, exceedingly rare, & astronomically expensive.
But in exchange it's virtually indestructible, beautiful, and the base material of some of the most powerful weapons and armor ever created in that universe.
So making weapons and armor out of it makes sense if you can actually get your hands on enough to do that with.
Things like using a dragon's fang for a spear tip also makes sense in a lot fantasy because that fang is likely not only stronger than steel but potentially even magical in nature depending on the universe in question.
So yeah IRL it makes little sense to use crystals or animal bits.
But fiction doesn't have to play by our rules and shouldn't be expected to.
@@AeronHale My problem isn't with the material itself, but the way they use it. They try so hard to make unique looking weapons that they end up with things that look nothing like useful, normal swords.
@@Soseman Ah ok yeah that's a very fair criticism and something I also don't like.
Weird exotic materials are one thing, but functional form is another.
They may be different things but they should never be separate.
I think it's a perfect sword. Even your small Gripes about the Crossgaurd makes sense to me. If that is his Ranger Sword. That is a sword designed over the years with two things in mind. The enemy they face and the wielder of the blade. The Rangers have greater physical abilities than typical humans so that slight addition of sword weight would be negligible. And they were always fighting against enemies more numerous than they were. Possible with less time for blade maintenance and repair. So those blades needed to be stronger and more able to weather prolonged battles against many foes.
Aragorn had great taste.
Man, I love swords.
1:32 If you took ANY factory-made sword into the middle ages, even a cheap one, they would be in awe at the accuracy and precision of the weapon's craftmanship and the quality of the materials
Assuming you are excluding wall hangers, of course. They didn't care that much about the dimensions being perfect, but they did care about utility.
Better *not* take any mall ninja weapons to the medieval age then, unless you want to be laughed at.
Sure, that's true for a lot of facets that don't matter that much, but I am hesitant to agree on actual functionality. To your point, the average factory-made sword is straighter than your average masterwork in period. The factory sword doesn't have a slight bend. The factory sword doesn't have a minutely longer crossguard on one side. The factory sword's taper is far more steady. You can keep listing tolerance issues like this until tomorrow, but these byproducts of modern machining matter relatively little to whether the sword is actually good. As others mentioned wallhangers, a lot of those awful wallhangers would stun craftsmen from the middle ages with their amazing machining quality - that doesn't mean they are better swords though.
If you showed them that, they'd probably wonder why you would use it to make swords instead of more advanced weapons.
@@leonthayne Eh. Haven't you heard the famous quote from Henry Ford about how if you asked people what they wanted, they wouldn't ask for cars, they'd ask for better horses? It's possibly apocryphal, but the point remains that most people think inside their current paradigm.
Glamdring is my favourite sword from Weta
I think you guys should look at Faramir’s sword. I feel it is an excellent example of a functional LotR sword that is often over looked. Also, my favorite United Cutlery wall hanger.
It's an Amazing Sword! Thanks for covering it!
I think I read somewhere that the handle was designed for a hand and half and not two hands (then you would have your hand fully on the pommel, just to gain a bit of control in certain situations instead of keeping both your hands on the handle all the time).
I also remember a note about the central ring being made to help with grip when only wielding the sword with one hand. I don't know if it would explain this different design compared to the other longsword.
I have Darksword Armory's interpretation of the sword and I usually end up gripping low on the pommel for more leverage. It's very comfortable, so that was probably the design intention.
I love the Lord of the Rings swords
Agreed 100%. Aragorn's ranger sword is a fine balance of practicality while still lookin pretty. Anduril is prettier and more flashy and I think longer but the hilt does look less comfortable/less practical to hold with the metal pommel extending bit too far up the hilt.
If you ever do a fight autopsy, please do game trailers like the High Isle dlc for Elder Scrolls online
Awesome, as I like ya fortifications & firearms vs melee weapons vids. Will u make vid about the weapons, armor, buildings & so on from Matt Braly's Disney Amphibia (Australia 🌏 size continent & show name) in the future? 🥺
It's Glamdring. Beautiful sword.
His ranger sword has been my favorite since day one. It’s what he used for 90% of the movie. The scene when he’s telling Boromir to give the ring back to Frodo. That hand sliding off…sold!
You guys clutched the heck out with these shorter vids. Even though you aren't going as deep as normal which i do prefer these videos are still good enough. And the shorter time does make it more digestible, something i can watch during a break at work for example. Plus you and Tyranth's chemistry and interactions are honestly the best part about these videos. Especially since you often don't agree on everything but it doesn't feel one sided ever or just everyone circle jerking the same points.
Your videos have been popping off all over my feed as of late (same for Tyranth's!), so whatever you're doing to the algorithm, keep it up!
9:30 you need to hold the swords further down when comparing 😂😜
Great video Shad!
0:13 yeah cuz those are two different scenes happening at way different times and situations.
I'm in complete agreement so: For the algorithm!
True, the metal working on the hilt adds weight, but some of it is where you want to balance the less tapered blade.
I love that you guys have different opinions and almost fight about it, just don't offend each other too much lol. Good friends are hard to come by these days.
Something that I think lends credence to the thicker cross guard is that in Middle Earth there are creatures that have super human ability to wield enormous and devastating weapons. I think it could be a reasonable decision to make the cross guard slightly thicker just incase he encounters one such superhuman being. Most cross guards can handle the impacts of normal combat and don't need to be thicker, but under extreme situations you might want that extra strength/support.
The Stider sword and Glamdring are my favorite swords in all of the LOTR for all of the reasons discussed here. I love how they are basically the human and elven versions of each other. They're both the most functionally basic designs of their respective cultures, and often overlooked.
I like simple and functional designs. I have a longsword from Böker, Germany I really like. I think it cost me something like 250-300 euros, don't remember exactly and it's no longer available. No idea who is the actual manufacturer but the hilt is almost identical with the two-handed falchion you have shown in your videos a few times.
It's extremely functional with no decoration whatsoever, a very simple cross guard, a scent stopper pommel and a leather cord-wrapped handle with nice oval shape so you know where your edge is facing. Nice craftmanship, just no bells and whistles. The scabbard is maybe a little cheap looking, it's just wood with matt black paint and plain stainless steel throat and chape, but it's sturdy and nicely made. I have considered covering it with thin leather to make it look a little more "authentic" looking but haven't gotten to it yet.
Gandalfs Glamring and the Ranger Sword are my favorites.
What I love about most swords from LotR, is how elegant they are in their simple design. They look beautiful, and sensible, a work of art meant for use.
The parts around the cross guard may be purely aesthetics, but it's a balance, aesthetics matter, especially for a mastermade sword. The flairs give it identity and personality. The fact that they're barely detrimental means the design nails the balance.
I have the Sting, The Glamdering, Striders sword, and Striders dagger all on my wall.
The little triangular protrusion you're not sure about, I'd just make it thinner. It looks fine aesthetically, and it's on the part of the blade where decorative elements don't really hinder cutting functionality, so just thin it down if you're worried about weight.
You guys should reach out to darksword Armory. They have all the LOTR swords in as functional weapons, and they have the ranger knife
I'd suggest the crossguard oddity is really not a detriment to the weight, get rid of it and shave a few grams off, but simultaneously move the COM in a way you may then want to compensate for by adding more metal somewhere else, which in this case would probably mean making the blade a bit thicker at the cross guard to get the balance you wanted, or finding a way to hollow out the pommel a bit more so it can stay the same size/shape you want. When you are talking about such small weight gain overall it really only matters from the balance point POV.
I'd also posit that the ring won't change the handle scales or break the hilt up at all, you could do it that way but only if you were being lazy in the modern world so can weld a bit of threaded rod to the bottom of the blade and just lathe turn and tap the pommel and rings to screw onto it (which is a good way to make a prop version of something like this really quickly, repeatable and easily with a rather basic lathe). But if I were making it for anything other than a quick and dirty prop so the blade must have a decently solid tang that ring would be turned filed to the rough profile of the wooden hilt and then brazed on to some thin metal sheet/wires that go under the wrap and probably pins into the wooden core - the fit then doesn't need to be hugely perfectly as any gaps will be hidden by the wrap so can be filled with something like pine resin or wooden wedge if needed (which it probably won't be as it isn't a greatly tapered handle).
Shad and Tyranth channel releasing some of their best work lately.
It's a bit plain but very elegant.
The Ranger sword is just a prime example of how simplicity, functionality, and just some SMALL touches can really make an ordinary sword seem incredible and stand out
If those triangular bits were a quarter inch farther from the blade your eyes would slide right off them, they’re so common on medieval and renaissance swords.
The details of the pommel, the riser and the crossguard are stylistic choices, variations on themes again seen in medieval and renaissance swords, nothing more. Tyranth, your bespoke katana is the same thing, historical but not.
Please, do Glamdring, but I’m crossing my fingers that you get one that cuts.
You really haven’t done the Conan swords? Really? Wow, please do ASAP! And again Tyranth, remember that the eight pound original was not made for your average swordsman. You can’t complain that it’s too heavy until you bulk up like Arnold back in the day and THEN swing it around.
Excellent content as always guys, I agree that Aragorn's Ranger sword is overlooked, despite the fact it the one he uses most (in the films).
I can't split Anduril/Narsil and the Witch King's sword (and yes, I'm ignoring the round handle) from being my top in the franchise, but this is up there.
If you Look at triangle piece from the cross guard it is a visual part that clicks into place with the scabbard and makes it look really good in the scabbard. You would have to change the scabbard if you took it away.
I told my husband I wanted Aragorn's sword for Christmas. He thought I meant Anduril, but I specified that I wanted Strider's ranger sword. It's the sword Viggo carried around New Zealand with him, and I've always loved the look of it. My replica now proudly hangs on the wall with Aragorn's curved knife above it.
One day, Shad will learn how to pronounce Andúril correctly
this one I've always preferred, I'm always a sucker for the slight upcurve in the crossguard, and the metal riser on the grip! and that pommel, hoowee do I like scentstopper pommels, it's like this sword was made for me lol
Wait... now Tyranth has his channel, I would love to see you guys design your own trainer swords. To see your preferences, differences, and designs....
Last time they did that shad named his blade Tyranth
If I were to change anything about Aragorn's ranger sword, I would thin out the cross guard a bit, delete the center and upper handle ring things, and enlarge the pommel.
It's not just about how much metal is in a handle, but also where it's located. The changes would allow just a little bit more leverage further balancing the sword without adding any additional weight.
Such a beautiful design and a beautiful reproduction. The quillons could have their thickness dimension scaled to three quarters or two thirds without compromising their strength. This would also allow them to seamlessly merge with the triangular flanges on either side of the base of the blade. The ring in the middle of the grip made me think of a finger ring (of a type not unlike a Ring of Power or the One Ring).
As a proud owner of one of those replicas i have to agree with Shad it really is a beauty
I'd love to see a review of orcist!
TLDR: There are 3 different ways that that center spacer on hilt that are all less time consuming than you'd think, but still take enough time to be more costly if you want them fitting as tightly as possible.
There are actually at least 3 ways that the center spacer on the hilt could be done. The first way that you could do. It is that you could do it shape the center ring like wrap a ring of metal around the center of the hilt. And forge welded in place after you have. Like Chard, the center of the wood and then shape it from there to smooth out the weld line. The second way is that it can be a solid piece of metal, separating 2 different parts of the hand the third way could be, that could be a blending of the 2 that it's a fitted ring around the. The round is too separated hilt pieces, that is resessed into the like a sockets on the top of the embodiment of the respective handle pieces.
I'd love to see functional lotr swords so you can test them.
A little bit of extra weight in the hilt of a longsword is not a bad thing. It will bring the point of balance back further.
A wall hanger I actually own! Absolutely love it!
I do really love ALL Shadiversity videos!!!! ❤
Just showed my wife lord of the rings for the first time. She saw it when she was just a child. Watching her reactions was so great. Meanwhile im staring DOWN the action scenes like holy crap this movie is so much better than i remembered
The ferrul under the guard and the rise on the guard are for reducing the chance of the tang breaking off. It means it is more durable for heavy use in the wilds, which is exactly where Aragorn was using it.
I did a double take when i saw the thumbnail for this. I have the same sword, but by accident. I was shopping for a short bow to target practice while hiking, but instead this showed up. It was a very strange day.
Funny that you uploaded this today. I just watched the entire lord of the rings trilogy for the first time yesterday.
That's the one I've always wish/wanted to own since the movies release, simple, functional but looking cool.
I love your videos! I would love to see you review Jane and the Dragon sometime. It’s right up your alley!
I've never seen LotR, and the Ranger sword does look like a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. There's beauty in simplicity
That's why I went Dark Ranger t10 tool steel... I wanted a functional LotR sword.
7:40 Is there a good chance that this is so thick ONLY because it's a wall-hanger? I do like this design principle in just about everything (given superior functionality)...simple, with character.
Valiant Armoury out of Texas makes a fully functional version out of spring steel. It's an absolutely beautiful sword!
The riser at the crossguard, I agree with Tyrant on this one
Really like the sword.
As mentioned by both of you, I add something to the middle part of the part may be a problem with drawing from and putting back the sword into the sheath.
Please more content. ^^
First sword I bought as a kid was a United Cutlery Ranger Sword. Perfect way to spend my birthday money. I still have it.
I agree about the hilt. You should be able to comfortably fit all, or at least most, of your second had on the second half of the hilt before hitting the pommel and the sword would be perfect. You COULD also add a bit more off a distinct point, more of a distal taper, and remove that weird riser on the crossguard but those are all nitpicky preference things. Overall Aragorn's ranger sword is one of my favorite swords, if not THE favorite sword, in the entire LOTR franchise. It just hits that right balance of aesthetics, practicality, and something that you would ACTUALLY use.
PLEASE do a breakdown on the swords from both the OG Conan movie and the remake with Jason Momoa.
Next video: Peter's sword from Narnia. My personal favorite.
Perfectly nice, I'd say.
I'd be happy to have it on my wall, as others have said.
My walls may be bare, but i have dreams of a wall with a Stargate, a Sting, a Star Fury and White Star (maybe even B5 itself), a functionally redesigned Master Sword (similar to the theoretical changes in one of Shads older videos), and maybe something Pokemon - Shiny Mega Rayquaza has an awesome look.
That extra bit of metal above the crossguard could give the same effect as the small piece below the crossguard.
I would have to see it in the scabbard but it could be there to give aesthetic framing for the leather of the scabbard.
The big question is: is the scabbard tipped in metal and does it have a metal ring halfway down?
Having recently returned from Japan I thought now I can legitimately purchase a Japanese Katana. Not being able to spend thousands of dollars on a genuine certified Katana by a licensed Japanese swordsmith I was pleasantly surprised to see your review of the Katana replica blade. I have now ordered one of their swords that happens to look very much like the blade and scabbard owned by a Japanses lord circa 1350, currently on display at Odawara castle.
Has anyone made this sword functional with sharpened spring steel? I still think glamdring is my favorite but I'm biased to love leaf blades.
Unironically one of my favorite swords in any fantasy movie.
I wish they would do a video of swords that meet that are both really functional but also really good looking
Sometimes, simple and basic is the best. As we've seen from the (worryingly) abundant amount of mall ninja "weaponry," extravagance isn't required to have an amazing looking and functional weapon. However, I very much do like Glamdring because it does have a little flair as per the elven design that its origin was, but was still simple and gorgeous.
As per the little triangle riser, I feel if they curve it inwards so that the point of the riser it as the blade so it gives it a dome kind of profile, it would meet it the middle of removing redundancy but keeping the aesthetic of the riser being there.
Of course it's not, but it's one of the originals 😅
LotR has something most creators and writers forget - time. LotR was created on basis of "previous world" ie The Hobbit by adding time to it.
Same as why New Vegas is great - it's based on Van Buren design documents and set several decades after with assumption that all the events DID happen.
So when creating your own world, don't be afraid to make one and then let it die to passage of time for 50 or 100 or 200-300 years. Then set a new story with your original one first draft serving as historical background.
Edit: sorry, from thumbnail I've thought that the topic would be the setting, not the swords of it. Nah, the movie swords are perfect as they're made for real living human user.
Bought this sword a few months ago at a fan expo. I now want to buy more
The Wtich King Sword is one of my favorites. Then this followed by Faramir. Of course, if you fix the handles to be smooth hexagonal and flip the cross=guard on Faramir then it is second for me.
Shad's love for LOTRS tells me that JRR did what he sent out to do when he wrote the books and that is create a timeless classic of fantasy.
This has always been my favorite sword in all of fiction.
A few years ago, I got a used (but in great shape) “Borderwatch” sword made by Christian Fletcher, which is a pretty damn good version of the Strider sword from the films. It is a fantastic sword, and handles gloriously well.
Would you guys ever be interested in using these wall hanger replicas to rehandle actual swords to make them more functional?
If you guys find the time and resources that is.
A fantasy will always have a range of more and less practical weapons. But the lotr trilogy decided this would be way closer to realistic than most universes. And it helps keep the fantasy grounded even with its more crazy elements and lore.
When Aragorn holds a sword it helps him feel like a real soldier. A real king. He can flourish. He can thrust. He can parry. All of it is comfortable and natural. Nothing gets in the way.
Shad fact: The reason there was a balrog in the mines of Moria in The Lord of the Rings, is because of Shad. One day as Shad was on his morning stroll he came across a balrog and his aura terrified him so much that the balrog fled as far as he could and ended up in the mines of Moria.
Personally prefer/gravitate towards the High-Elf/Gondolin trio of Glamdring/Orcrist/Sting (just love their movie designs and am a bit nostalgia biased towards the Hobbit)
I have a mega soft spot for Aragorn's ranger sword tho, I dressed up as a Ranger for Halloween back in grade school after Fellowship came out and had a very nice looking plastic version (that I used for swordfights w/ relatives and friends). Interestingly, that plastic toy version incorporated that part on the lower blade into the crossguard as you mentioned to make a nice diamond shape (presumably to cut production costs). If it looked that good on a plastic toy it would have been amazing for an actual sword.
Love to hear your comments on the swards used by the "baddies " in Willow.
2:45
Maybe it stands for the hills and mountains Rangers are expected to traverse?