# Opinnion Needed regarding Swords **URL:** \ **Category:** Kung Fu Forum\ **Created:** [February 7, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131 "2005-02-07T13:20:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chizica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Chizica](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Chizica)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/1 "2005-02-07T13:20:06Z")
I am currently researching swords to purchase. Have done a search on all the threads here on this forum, and want to get feedback from anybody who owns a sword. Please give responses as to what type of blade you own and why you purchased it. Balanced or Not? Price? Manufacturer? etc… Thanks in Advance Chizica ---
**Author:** ![David\_Jamieson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/david_jamieson/32/19_2.png) [@David\_Jamieson](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/David_Jamieson)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 2:02pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/2 "2005-02-07T14:02:17Z")
steel is either strong or slag. blade is either sharp or blunt. craftsmanship is obvious in pretty much anything. Look for quality stuff. There is a catalogue available here. [http://www.martialartsmart.com](http://www.martialartsmart.com) lots of swords in it from practice wodden ones, to flimsy wu shu demo ones, to weighted but not very well built to pretty good. If you want a master crafted sword (who doesn’t) don’t expect any 87$ deals on it. You get what you paid for. a few Hundred is not unreasonable for a decent sword. A few thousand kciks it up a notch and when you wanna have the collectors items, well, you gotta be rich first. any check that catalogue. most people will go for weight and feel in martial arts weapons practice. authenticity and usability is pretty much moot with these things. ---
**Author:** ![Chizica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Chizica](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Chizica)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/3 "2005-02-07T14:07:54Z")
This has been done. I have browsed the martialartsmart website. I did take an interest in the All Brass sharpened Dragon Well Sword, but haven’t seen any reviews on it, good, bad, or indifferent. Any thoughts on this particular blade? Also, does anybody have any thoughts on this site? [http://www.lqsword.com/gsjje.asp](http://www.lqsword.com/gsjje.asp) ---
**Author:** ![David\_Jamieson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/david_jamieson/32/19_2.png) [@David\_Jamieson](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/David_Jamieson)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/4 "2005-02-07T14:10:02Z")
[http://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2003-42,GGLD:en&q=Chinese+Sword](http://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2003-42,GGLD:en&q=Chinese+Sword) ---
**Author:** ![Starchaser107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@Starchaser107](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Starchaser107)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/5 "2005-02-07T15:19:13Z")
you can run a few searches here, there have been many debates about swords here time and time again. ---
**Author:** ![Chizica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Chizica](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Chizica)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/6 "2005-02-07T15:34:03Z")
Done the search… Googled Chinese Swords and come up with alot of information. I guess the best thing that I could do is to pick up a sword and test it out. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Jamieson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/david_jamieson/32/19_2.png) [@David\_Jamieson](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/David_Jamieson)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/7 "2005-02-07T15:36:24Z")
> I guess the best thing that I could do is to pick up a sword and test it out. well, that’s one step you could take. But if ya don’t know a lot about swords or sword play, then keep garnering info. a good swordsman can make a stick a dangerous weapon. In other words, it’s not the sword that makes the swordsman. ---
**Author:** ![Chizica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Chizica](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Chizica)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/8 "2005-02-07T15:48:59Z")
Well.. When i say test it out, I don’t mean going around and swinging wildly like a madman. I just mean, examining the blade(without touchingit of course) for balance, checking out how the blade is seated into the hilt, making sure the guard is quality…etc. You know, just the stuf to make sure that the blade is of somewhat quality. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Jamieson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/david_jamieson/32/19_2.png) [@David\_Jamieson](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/David_Jamieson)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/9 "2005-02-07T16:04:09Z")
couple of things to look for. Full tang. quality steel (this can be difficult to assess if you lack the eye of a blacksmith) ask a lot of questions such as how does it hold an edge. check for softness, check for brittleness (you don’t want it to shatter when you hit something a little hard) there are reputable manufacturers of bladed weapons. It is in your best interest to find out who these companies are. Cold steel is one, Han wei forge is another. Don’t worry so much about the distributor as the manufacturer. There’s a lot of pakistani rail steel out there and while it is weighty, it is pig iron mostly, can’t hold an edge and is often too heavy for practical use. ---
**Author:** ![Starchaser107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@Starchaser107](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Starchaser107)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/10 "2005-02-07T16:16:11Z")
I didn’t mean google, I meant here on kfm forum there is a search option you can search these forums. we’ve covered many topics on swords. ---
**Author:** ![Starchaser107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@Starchaser107](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Starchaser107)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/11 "2005-02-07T16:17:58Z")
and more specifically, are you just looking for all swords in general or , broadswords..or straight swords? ---
**Author:** ![Chizica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Chizica](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Chizica)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/12 "2005-02-07T16:23:21Z")
Just straight swords. ---
**Author:** ![norther\_practitioner](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/norther_practitioner/32/214_2.png) [@norther\_practitioner](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/norther_practitioner)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/13 "2005-02-07T17:13:11Z")
ok, so what is your pricerange, and what are you looking to use the sword for? ---
**Author:** ![Chizica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Chizica](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Chizica)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/14 "2005-02-07T17:15:58Z")
Price is between $150 - $250 USD for now and the use is just for pracitce. Even though just for practicing, I’d still like to have a quality blade. I won’t be cutting anything. ---
**Author:** ![GeneChing](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.kungfumagazine.com/geneching/32/96_2.png) [@GeneChing](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/GeneChing)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/15 "2005-02-07T17:21:39Z")
Chizica This is one of our FAQs. I just did a special issue to address such FAQs. [You’ll find many of yoru answers in this issue.](http://www.martialartsmart.net/kf2001226.html) ---
**Author:** ![Chizica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Chizica](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/u/Chizica)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://forum.kungfumagazine.com/t/opinnion-needed-regarding-swords/31131/16 "2005-02-07T18:35:53Z")
Thanks Gene I have the magazine right in front of me, but it still prompted t me to ask the question to get feed back from people who have had more experience with a sword than I have(which is currently none). By the way, the issue was great.