Any sword fans? European or Asian style?

[redneckninja]

Any sword fans out there?

I did competitive European fencing in college, and I keep a sword by the bedside beside the pistol.

I've got two katana, but I've recently been eyeing a rapier and saber for more cut and thrust action.

500784 - Musketeer Rapier - $238.50

Cold Steel 1917 Saber : Battle Ready Swords

 

[warthog]

European and I even want to sell a load of mine. Was never a big fan of the Japanese swords and I also fenced in college. Sabre.

 

[redneckninja]

Heh. I always viewed viewed saberists like Keith Moon from the Who. Crazy.
I never understood the right-of-way in sabre... Though I did place third in a sabre tournament at Ball State once simply by thrusting.

I was mostly epee and foil.

 

[warthog]

I was also on the epee now and then, never cared for the foil though.

It has been a while since I fenced though so I also have trouble following the matches when I catch them on YouTube or TV. I am a big guy and was even bigger back then so my coach also taught me to use my size to intimidate with the sabre. It did seem to work si nce it is more of a contact sport, I enjoyed it. No man can beat a woman if both are skilled with the foil. The center of gravity they have gives them better ability to make really convincing feints. I graduated UIUC in 90 with a masters. EIU was where I fenced most though, and I transfered to UIUC then worked a while since I was paying and didn't really want a lot of loans to repay.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

Cool! I took a semester of fencing in college at IU Bloomington. I had a great time, but did not go beyond that. We covered an intro of epee, foil and sabre. I really liked the epee and sabre, but if I were going to go hacking at someone in an open space who also has a sword, I think I would like to try a Rapier.

The best part of the class for me was learning to use swords and the competition. The second best part of the class was the four or five students who really would rather have taken a stage fighting class, but could not get in (not sure one was offered that semester).

 

[redneckninja]

Nice. I don't think I ever fenced anyone from the central Illinois area. I did one tournament in Chicago once. I was mostly fencing from '94 to 97 at Ball State. We competed mostly in Indiana. IU, Purdue, and Notre Dame and such. I fenced for a while in Louisville around 2003-2004.

I've actually thought about getting back into it here in Indy, but I'm not sure how my knees would hold up.

No man can beat a woman if both are skilled with the foil.

Heh. I'd argue that that goes for epee and sabre too. we had some kick-ass girls on our team.
I get what you are saying about the center of balance, though.

So what's the best European sword that you've held?

 

[redneckninja]

Cool! I took a semester of fencing in college at IU Bloomington.

Around what time were you at IU?

Definitely try a rapier if you get a chance. A well balanced one will almost move itself.

Did the stage fighters add some drama?
We didn't have any of those, but we did have some guys who did fencing in the round with the SCA. They were interesting.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

Around what time were you at IU?

Definitely try a rapier if you get a chance. A well balanced one will almost move itself.

Did the stage fighters add some drama?
We didn't have any of those, but we did have some guys who did fencing in the round with the SCA. They were interesting.

I took fencing around 97 or 98. A very good friend of mine taught our class, I think he fenced for our club sport team. He was the kind of guy who would give full effort in every physical activity from work to sport and come up bleeding and smiling every single time. We competed in a lot of things and I gave as well as I got, but with a sword, I was barely a student.

The stage fighters wanted to learn more about flourishes and dancing with swords. I'm not belittling them, they just were not nearly as into learning how to poke holes in people as some of the rest of us were. They were all in all, good sports.

I bet the SCA guys were interesting.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I always figured a gladius would be a good sword to have, but in the open, one on one, I figure a rapier would eat it's lunch.

 

[warthog]

I did SCA as well. I would agree, women are better fencers in general, (must be a design flaw ()

I do have a fondness for sabers in general. Though I would say spears really rule an organized battlefield.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Any sword fans out there?

Have a training dao, jian and tiger hooks.

Have several sets of 8 cuts.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I really want a "Patton saber".

 

[warthog]

The CS 1917 Saber isn't a bad choice for the money, back to the original question.... lol
I have both it and the Cutlass and I once had the original version of the Saber too... the 1917 series are pretty nice for the money and I like the blued blades as far as care goes.

Here is a look for an idea of size, wasn't holding it for any other reason so no comment as to my form.

 

[warthog]

I really want a "Patton saber".

Cold Steel used to make one IIRC though they called it something else.
It is all about thrusting with little use otherwise IMO. I would be happy to challenge you with a saber vs your foil any day and lets even use blunted swords and not any sort of "Fencing" rules and see if people still think an extremely light and fast sword is an advantage versus a heavier, not as fast blade. I will take the heavier blade any day...

 

[Wanderer]

I have a couple of swords in my blade collection.

 

[ol' Huff]

I really want a "Patton saber".

A gladius would be awesome we some but I'd hate to use it in a duel. By the by, the year after you took his class Murph took second in the Big Ten (lost to an Olympic alternate). When he moved out to Boston he fenced in a club and was doing well then he met Jen and that was the ballgame.

 

[warthog]

sabers, golok and a cutlass...

 

[warthog]

Cold Steel makes a machete in the form of a Gladius and it is pretty inexpensive. There are some others like Windlass that make a good Gladius for not a lot of money that is easy to sharpen or you can get them to do it for small fee.

 

[tradertator]

The only long blade work I've done is with the shorter stuff doing FMA, like a Ginunting. Still really need to add a pair to the collection for some Doble Baston stuff, got my eye on a Biegler

 

[spencer rifle]

How about good old American?

Also did college fencing, but only allowed to do foil. Epee hurts. Probably would have loved saber.