Dont Waste Your Money! - How to Avoid Bad Swords

[@LuckySketches]

Skal: Makes a video sponsored by a sword supplier Also Skal: Recommends a different sword supplier

[@chrisfan3450]

I think it’s so people don’t think or assume that his opinions are fake and are given to him by the people he are sponsored by.

[@stevencaskey9440]

Recommends Kult of Athena Supplier ---- Completely Bashes one of their swords of being Complete Trash minutes later.

[@jobdylan5782]

@@stevencaskey9440 that's like saying don't shop at Walmart because they sell a bad brand of ham

[@jonathanh.2483]

At least we know he isn't being paid to lie and praise them.

[@QualityPen]

He was nicer than usual to Windlass Steelcrafts. Personally I think that brand is a very mixed bag. Their kukris are shoddy worksmanship and arrive floating around a bag of machine oil. Their Falcata is pretty, but it handled clumsily and the guard rattles after just swinging it at the air a lot in drills. I don’t think I will buy from Windlass again unless I see something I really want, it has great reviews, and the price is right.

[@IamIK3]

I really appreciate your integrity when it comes to sponsors. You’re always fair, but never fake enthusiasm just because they sponsored you.

[@doctorpc1531]

"mostly good experiences" - now that's a phrase I'm ready to believe is genuinely what he believes.

[@FantasyAddict95]

and he informs us of affiliations so we can beware of biases, though as seen, he is very fair.

[@G00N3YC4NG]

A respectable youtuber, that's for sure.

[@chickenduckhappy]

Fake enthusiasm is the worst plague of youtube 😂

[@gordonross3270]

You mean like when hes sponsored by that phone game???

[@Ameritard]

The perfect way to avoid bad swords is being too broke to afford a sword in the first place, I've mastered that tactic

[@LawkzBro]

I see you're also a man of culture.

[@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115]

It seems we learned from the same teacher.

[@Delete_System32]

And a way to avoid pregnancy is to practice abstinence.

[@freeziboi3249]

@@Delete_System32 Another way is being unfuckable, I'm real good at that.

[@Ameritard]

Dis Boi Yeah same, I could teach a class

[@someduder]

as a blacksmith myself, i will just say that spring steel usually have alot of ¨stress¨ in it, and do have a tendency to crack sometimes during forging. so if youre gonna buy a sword that is forged out of spring steel, be aware of possible (very rare) crack

[@Kravzhenko]

I recommend annealing spring steel, it reduces greatly the amount of stresses in a steel

[@someduder]

@@Kravzhenko yea, i usually do that once in a while

[@Stormscythe378]

How does one get into being a blacksmith? Is there a legitimate place you can go to learn? Very curious.

[@someduder]

@@Stormscythe378 what i did was to apply to a blacksmithing school here in Norway (which i still go to). Now, i can see trying to find a blacksmithing school can be really hard. But what you can do is to ask a local blacksmith if he could teach you, or even become his apprentice. If you do not have a local blacksmith, fear not! You can start on your own by getting cheap stuff to start out with. Try to get a hold of railway for an anvil, get any hammer that you can find. The tricky part can be the forge, but i suggest you check out building a "simple DIY forge" - by Torbjörn Åhman.

[@Stormscythe378]

@@someduder Thank you for the information, Much appreciated!

[@acousticnoisemachine]

Hold on, you're saying that the hellblaster sword I bought when I was passing through Sioux Falls, SD at the Big Rig Gas 'N Go ISN'T high quality? That doesn't seem right.

[@LawkzBro]

i mean, come on! it's called hellblaster, HELLBLASTER for pommel's sake, if that's not good, then what is?

[@shawnwolf5961]

F

[@warped_rider]

I personally went with the Alfonso-X, this baby is sharper than a katana!

[@thelordchancellor3454]

Ah, I see you’re a man of Harald Deathwolf.

[@laniusmaxon5281]

In my mind I accidentally read that as Assblaster instead of Hellblaster.

[@God_gundam36]

My freind buys swords from wish. Yes he still thinks Vikings had horns

[@imdone8243]

The fact that you're his friend, is concerning to me.

[@annasstorybox7906]

I would genuinely worry about him injuring himself or people standing close when he attempts to wield one of the "swords" he got...

[@editorrbr2107]

@@imdone8243 lol. Damn.

[@SoulBean75]

😅

[@NotCapitalist]

Me: Has no desire to own a sword. Also me: Watches 20 minute video on sword buying.

[@siennapetruka1704]

The last sword I bought was from museum replicas, it was the "build your own sword" when it came the build and the fit&finish was amazing. The only concerns I had were that I had payed for sharpening and the blade came dulled, and they didn't include the "free gift" that was supposed to come in orders over $100. I contacted customer service and they were very helpful. they refunded the cost of sharpening, and explained that the free gift couldn't be included since it was shipping to Canada and would not get passed customs. they then offered me 10% off the next order (which I still haven't used). All in all, great experience, great sword, great place to buy and deal with

[@sean-1538]

Sienna Petruka would you be willing to share that code for the 10%? Lol

[@jordanhicks5131]

Love doing business with MR, they always have treated me right and their customer service is great

[@robertmilanese1523]

I'm the one who came up with the Create your own sword program. After I was let go because of an injury on the job they stopped adding options. It would have done so much better if they kept it going. Its one of the biggest things in my life that make me mad. Cause I came up with such a popular thing that got wasted... really sucks

[@StSubZero]

@@robertmilanese1523 Maybe another company will be willing to provide a revival on Create your own sword. Much like how Gearbox allowed Duke Nukem Forever to see the light of day.

[@sebastianriz4703]

@@StSubZero I wish that Gearbox didnt. That game was baaad.

[@90lancaster]

Oh owning those Gunblade revolvers would upset two UK laws at the same time. 'Neat'

[@jbloun911]

I use to joke about how ridiculous it would be if a Government would actually ban knives, the UK has proven me wrong.

[@edwardmieczkowski5145]

Laughs in american

[@loupdeguerre]

@@jbloun911 technically in france a spoon is considered a weapon. Of course nobody will ever arrest you for holding a spoon in the street but it's still in the law xD

[@wisewigga7129]

@@loupdeguerre lmfaoo its like that one gumball episode

[@gartengeflugel924]

I don't own any swords, neither will I in the near future but I always find your videos quite interesting to watch. The artistic aspect of swords and how to properly use them is what fascinates me most.

[@majinfreecell]

How to avoid bad swords? Pfft, that´s easy. Just install a mod that shows you the stats.

[@notgray88]

Just max enchant your sword with mending and sharpness 5 duhhhhh

[@aaahah9931]

Sharpness 7 Durability 10 Range 3

[@lowit9875]

Sharpness 32767

[@buildawall5803]

@@lowit9875 t2b2

[@ThatSubhumanRatscallion]

@@notgray88 Wooden sword(legendary) Dmg -240388329 value 937274884950281737

[@BrazenBard]

"Katana, blade is unsigned" = "Swordsmith was embarrassed." ;)

[@nhansen197]

If a katana is not sharp as a razor blade it wasn't made in Japan.

[@BrazenBard]

@Watch JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE!!!!! Look at my bio ...You are aware that the "swordsmith was embarassed" is an old joke about katanas sold through auctions and the like, right? I refer you to www.japaneseswordindex.com/jokes.htm

[@alunrogers464]

@@nhansen197 that's a fallacy. You can buy iaito swords from Japan.

[@nhansen197]

@@alunrogers464 I stand corrected. To be honest I've never seen one being sold by either a shop or a vendor of any sort. Every sword I've seen that was from Japan was sharp as a razor blade and that included the wall hangers.

[@alunrogers464]

@@nhansen197 you can buy them from shops or on websites. Look it up.

[@PizzaTheHutt69]

"I don't care how much you bench brah. There's a reason why they were a certain weight." Excellent advice, love your videos!!

[@stevenumerator]

I was watching on a different KZbin account at the time, but I still remember your videos in Europe. If I recall correctly, the first one of your videos I ever saw was about your bad experience with shooting a semi-automatic handgun and how you preferred revolvers. The room you were recording in was pretty dark, but everything you said made perfect sense so I started following your videos way back then. Thanks for all the years of entertaining content, and here’s hoping for many more!

[@robkphoto5530]

I absolutely love how you acknowledge that not everyone is making $15 an hour and for many even $50 is a lot of money. It always felt very disheartening when KZbinrs talk about hundreds of bucks as being "super cheap" and "pocket money" or when they give the advice of "just save up a little and get this thing it's worth it" not understanding that there are people working for a $1-$2 an hour among their subscribers.

[@fauxmarmorer9544]

15 is minimum wage here, but uh, it's California 😂 so the living wage is about 25

[@hereniho]

"Here's a cheap $0.96 sandwich you can make at home! Okay, so for our first step, get out your $200 Stand Mixer..."

[@davidpaytonsapiary6911]

This does help a lot. A friend and myself are wanting to train in sword combat but we don't have a large budget. Now we have a few things to look for that may help with our purchases.

[@malikbeat]

Respect for the quality reupload. The live version was a little all over the place

[@Skallagrim]

It sure was. :)

[@TheJayde]

I really appreciate the fact that you disclose your relationship with Kult of Athena. Much respect for that.

[@mandolore19]

Sponsored by Windlass! Movin' on up, dude. Skol!

[@K4RN4GE911]

I don't make a lot of money where I work, like 20,000 a year max, so your budget weapon reviews have been a total help. As soon as work starts again for the spring, I'm definitely gonna get that Shrade spear and the Kingfisher Machete, because you've pretty much inspired me to take up collecting as a side hobby.

[@44SCB]

There are some good quality LOTR sword replica's, but that's because most LOTR swords are actual practical historic designs.

[@eds1942]

Darksword Armory does some nice ones. But, from what I hear, their quality can be quite inconsistent.

[@GumaroRVillamil]

The oficial replicas are all decorative wallhangers. Pretty, but non-functional. Some manufacturers do make some Lotr-inspired blades, "ranger", "elvish" or such swords. Way back in the day Gen2 made a really good "ranger" hand-and-a-half sword

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

eh i wouldnt exactly call them good quality. darksword armory has loads of issues and the other "functional" lotr swords ive seen havent really been good quality, more so just barely functional.

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

@@eds1942 not so much inconsisent. they seem to have consistantly had quality control issues and failures. seems more like its the random good sword that comes from them. which is unfortunate as they are made in my country sooo if they were up to par id be buying them buy the truckload.

[@edi9892]

The Glamring and Anduril look nice and the latter is pretty close to historical swords, but the replicas are mostly unbalanced overweight trash without decent tapering.... Making functional shorts words or sabres is actually easy by comparison.

[@SnootyMcBooty]

As a bladesmith, I commend you for your knowledge! It’s very rare that I find collectors that are aware of the inherent issues with Stainless Steels alloy composition. The rule of thumb I’ve always adhered to is, if the blade is longer than 12”, it shouldn’t be made from SS, as the chromium makes it too brittle.

[@MotionlessParadox]

Thanks again for the two-handed sword recommendations! Gave me a goal to work towards!

[@simbadg13]

To sum up the vid for those that don't have time. 1.) Does it have a removable pommel. *BUY* 2.) It does NOT have any pommel. *SAY BYE BYE*

[@Ranstone]

Your Icon violates the Geneva convention. I literally not kidding... XD No like, really. I'm not joking. You can't use a red cross unless you're an actual medic. Weird...

[@simbadg13]

@@Ranstone while yes that is true, im not using the medkit for any kind of commercial/business use. The image is from L4D2's medkit (they had and still have the red cross on the medkits) and I use it ONLY as my YT profile pic. Also in America the laws enforcing the geneva international laws are more relaxed in this situation. I know in the UK its law is heavily enforced. Hey if the red cross wants to send me an official message saying to take off the red and white part I will. BUT I don't think they want to waste time on a small video game medkit that is used as a profile pic on yt by a nobody. That only besides you, me, and lawyers care about.

[@TheDeceptiveMoss]

END THEM RIGHTLY!

[@cyrinaefox6828]

@@simbadg13 You rebel, you.

[@PhantomDruid]

Who wants a removable pommel? lol. If it's not peened I generally won't buy

[@ermenher8381]

I can confirm that the Deepeeka Brass Hilt Great Sword is terrible; its clumsier than a sledge hammer and bent being swung with out any contact. It is a prime example of the need to be careful when purchasing a sword especially a cheap one.

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

deepeeka anything is generally a reason to stay away. not such a great brand. id rather just go buy the 60$ rosewood musashi shirasaya and then buy a set of cheap fittings from ronin katana and make a project out of it. 50$ for a handle just need to drill the holes for the pegs and fit it with some files. tsuba is like 50$ or less. the blades on the musashi swords are fucking sweet for the money. so youd end up with a pretty cheap and awesome sword with a bit of time in fitting it together.

[@A-G-F-]

Depeeka is the lowest quality brand that is acceptable

[@sojjjer]

Handsome Jack my first sword was the 12 century crusader from them. It feels like I’m swinging a cast iron skillet on the end of lead pipe. Deepeeka usually sucks but apparently their cluny sword is weirdly good

[@sebastianriz4703]

My first sword was an 20 one from some unknown wish brand. I knew it was garbage but I had some fun with it. I shortly bought my own katana from Swords of Northshire and I just got lucky that I bought from an good brand.

[@thatchannel195]

@@bmxriderforlife1234 yeah well not everyone wants Japanese swords

[@fattiger6957]

I think every sword collector has a story about their first purchase being a PoS. Mine was a $50 Highlander katana I bought at a flea market. Full garbage there; stainless steel blade, sheet metal scabbard and PLASTIC GRIP. But, I was a dumb 14 year old and the internet was pretty new at the time. I haven't graduated much higher. The best sword I have is a Hanwei Mercenary longsword. Decent functional sword, but on the heavy side (about 4.5lbs) and the grip is too thick for my disproportionately small hands. If I had the tools and skill, I would make a new grip.

[@Picurs]

Well, to be fair, it's probably really hard for a tiger to grab a sword with their paws. Maybe you should try using your mouth, like wolves do.

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

.......lucky me? my first purchase was a "gunto" that was actually just a nihonto blade stuffed into random gunto mounts that were clearly from another sword.....made a few thousand dollars profit. shoulda kept it.

[@Tkoutlosh]

My first sword is longsword bought at some 'reenactment and stage combat event maybe more than 10yrs ago'... not light one with 1,8kg, but this is not that bad for its 130cm... it is handforged, historically accurate construction, well fitted I still like it. For 130USD back then. While not my best, still quite good sword. But it is blunt, majority of swords in central Europe are made as blunt stage combat swords. But not so rarely good for quite interresting prices...

[@franknbeanz147]

my first sword was Gunto replica it was pretty cool for practicing then I watched Ruroni Kenshin and tried cutting a tree -_-

[@nobsherc]

@@bmxriderforlife1234 like most historical gunto?

[@ShagShaggio]

Thank you for going the extra step to put out a proper video on this. The livestream was a bit clunky and hard to follow at times, no offence. I can see using the livestream to gather information about the types of questions people would like answered but as a viewer this type of video is much better for getting the info I'm looking for. Its also easier to share these videos. Its always kinda awkward sharing livestreams like yours, even if they do contain a wealth of good info. If someone isn't already accustomed to your unique style of quirkiness, again no offence, it can be a bit off putting. Regardless, this was nicely done and very helpful, also quite timely for the upcoming holiday season. Thank you. Cheers

[@Skallagrim]

Yep, I know what you mean. The streams tend to be a little... special. :)

[@Gottaculat]

I'm so torn between my hobbies: Archery, blade collecting, and shooting firearms. Some of those swords at Cult of Athena make me drool, but then I'll see a great buy at a gun shop for the same price and be like, "gun or sword? ... Gun or sword?" The clear solution is to make more money, but then I might end up going for a truly awesome hobby: piloting aircraft. Not RC aircraft; real aircraft. Sucks having expensive hobbies, but I just can't get into knitting or stamp collecting. XD

[@brucetucker4847]

The main reason I collect guns but not swords is that I can shoot the guns. I just can't imagine that cutting could hold my interest nearly as long. Not to mention that you don't get the roiling clouds of smoke and glorious reek of brimstone you get with black powder guns.

[@scythescythe884]

Knitting is NOT cheap when you make a cloak or gambeson... My sister nearly killed me when I tried to comission her to knit me one!

[@fosatech]

Hobbies are hard to dedicate time between, but firearms are more useful than swords. If you want to collect firearms, that's cool, but if you want to actually defend yourself, collecting a bunch of crappy guns is not the way. 1 good pistol. 1 good rifle. Belt, chest rig, NODs, PC and armor is the way to go

[@lmaolmoo4147]

Rc planes are not cheap. You could probably get into flying planes for cheaper.

[@editorrbr2107]

Yarn is really expensive, if you get the high-end stuff. And some stamps cost more than a mansion.

[@a.wilson4809]

Favourited in the event that I find myself in a position to buy a sword. Interesting as always. I knew a bit about the steels before hand but the insight into the tang was appreciated.

[@MrBboer]

I'm always amazed by the fact that I realy don't care about swords, but still watch your videos from time to time. You are very passionate about your hobby and I admire that. I love to see people talk about almost anything as long as they are passionate about the subject. Skallagrim you intrigue me because of that, keep doing what you are doing.

[@Riceball01]

One place that Skall forgot to mention is Easton Antique Arms for genuine antique military swords from the 18th - 19th centuries.

[@Askorti]

But those are, or should I say, *should* be wall-hangers. Not because they're bad quality, but because they're valuable antiques. You should not use antiques for test cutting. Of course what you do with the sword you buy is entirely up to you, but if you destroy an antique it's a bit of a loss for all of us.

[@Riceball01]

@@Askorti As long as you're not doing abusive testing with them, like cutting tree branches or pallets, it shouldn't matter. Cutting water bottles and tatamis mats with them should be fine, these swords are antiques but they aren't delicate relics. You probably wouldn't want to do a lot of testing with a particularly fine example that's in like new condition and cost lots of money but one that's a bit of a beater and didn't cost too much .

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

@@Askorti nothing wrong with cutting with antiques. you just have to be smart about it and be respectful to the blade. look at how many antiques are used daily in japan for test cutting. my former sensei test cuts with a blade thats like 350 years old. dont do abusive test cutting and use it sparingly(you dont really need to test cut all that often, alot of people do it more often then necessary because its fun) even matt cuts with antiques. sure certain things you should be smart and leave alone due to value or historical importance, but by that point you should be able to afford to have someone make a perfect replica of it.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

@@Riceball01 I see you are a fellow advocate of contextually applied thrusting and pulling ;)

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

@@Riceball01 i wouldnt cut water bottles or cardboard with an antique. cardboard and paper dull blades extra quick. and waterbottles can leave more scratches then necessary. tatami is fine. pool noodles are fine. some trick cutting like a sheet of thing paper suspended from a single point on a line would be fine. cause then its like one cut just to show precision and skill. rolled up newspaper would be a little much IMO. just cause itd wear the blade out quicker then need be.

[@44WarmocK77]

Hey, i really enjoyed that rambly version a lot! Something really refreshing to listen to while working on some of my projects. I'd listen to those any other day, no questions asked!

[@Ranstone]

You Skall were actually the one who taught me how to recognize well made swords from SLOs. You and @Scholagladiatoria.

[@hilcovanbreeschoten720]

6:31 - 7:05 Finally someone who really understands (and bonus points for the monocle). And I mean in general, not for swords specifically.

[@datpolakmike]

Wow most of the websites look like they're from 2005 lol

[@IkusaTakuma]

because most of them are stores that almost exclusively sell swords. Unlike budk where people buy all sorts of souvenirs from them, these sites probably don't get all that much money to maintain a higher quality website. I mean, if I'm wrong feel free to correct me, but I'd assume that's why they look that way.

[@datpolakmike]

@Charles Lee Ray still... Gross

[@bodyno3158]

@@datpolakmikeThose websites’ main customer group generally give zero fucks about web design, they want high quality swords, not fancy websites. And most of these websites' "developer" are blacksmiths or "some boi in the shop who knows a bit computer shit", those guys are professionals in forging、woodworking or jewelry making, but they are amateurs in web developing. But if they can provide a nice sword, a 2005-ish website doesn’t matter much, right?

[@G00N3YC4NG]

Actually they look more like from the 1600's

[@no_nameyouknow]

Well, plenty of nice looking web sites are total scams.

[@Aladino-ITSY]

A 1900 likes to only 1 dislike!!!!! Is this the best likes to dislikes ratios ever? Skal. I think this really reflects how much your fans love you.

[@martinsmith9054]

I find that as I progress through ownership of various swords, I am willing to consider the higher priced items since they pay more attention to weight, balance, finish and distal taper. I've even considered genuine antiques, although these may not be suitable for backyard cutting.

[@ENIGMAXII2112]

Yes.... Sneaky! (at 21:37).... But coming from yours truly who has been collecting swords. Genuine and some replica for the past twenty five years. I can easily say. You know your stuff! You know what you are talking about!! You also have a wonderful enthusiasm.. As always, Mr. Skallagrim. Good Work!

[@acloud7604]

Buy bad swords so that only good swords exist in the market.

[@LawkzBro]

quality is subjective, if you believe that a good sword should fall apart and never cut, then you can get some amazing swords for really cheap

[@fhf794]

Sometimes the hardest choices require the strongest wills.

[@boiledelephant]

Analogous anecdote: years ago when I was trying to sell stuff on the auction house in WoW, someone was flooding the market with loads of hugely underpriced stacks of the item I wanted to sell. So I decided to be clever and just buy him out, and bought them all. Spent most of my money doing so. Unfortunately it just encouraged him, and he immediately assumed there was a bigger market for it and farmed a load more, then flooded the market even more. In the end I messaged him and offered to sell him it all back at a loss, because I'd run out of space to store it all.

[@acloud7604]

@@boiledelephant That's the most Anarcho-Capatilist shit I've ever read.

[@A-G-F-]

Thats... not how capitalism works

[@tylerfrisk4320]

Love how you mentioned Reliks. Their shop is in my town! Like 15 minutes away from me by city bus!

[@Bjornsson09]

You should review Archangel Steelcrafts! I just got a bastard sword from them, and holy smokes, I'm smitten.

[@VenomDDD]

That monocle had me in stitches... beautiful. Very informative video. Thank you for this.

[@atomichorizen3987]

i would use kult of athena if i didnt have to pay bloody $200 USD for shipping for a item that might get rejected at the border

[@babayaga9723]

Atomic Horizen as one says in my country « ça sent le vécu »

[@davidbengtsson4964]

@@babayaga9723 or as one says in my country "kuken min är fast i en brödrost"

[@babayaga9723]

David Bengtsson where in north Europe does it come from?

[@davidbengtsson4964]

@@babayaga9723 sweden

[@babayaga9723]

David Bengtsson do you have ppl setting fire to churches as in Norway ?

[@jayreed9603]

I have been a welder for a long time just got in to Smithing the information you give really give me something to look out for in my on work as well as others

[@bryanc2262]

Got a knife (damascus) with 15N20 and 1095. Ordered an Albion long sword, the Agincourt from Kult of Athena.

[@Hostility1812]

I’ve been looking at getting the agincourt war sword from there. Thinking about getting the Crecy dagger too

[@westwass]

Ha! Me too! Not only was it at a good price point, it was one of the nicer looking swords. Should receive it some time in summer.

[@darkjannn]

The amount of care you put into even the description of this video is amazing. Please continue to adhere to your lofty standards!

[@beefshorty1234]

The way I see it is if I go buy a nice rifle or pistol that’s $500-1000+ I should invest in a battle ready quality sword.

[@Phier554]

Never take a knife to a gun fight.

[@The_Lag_Monster]

You'd be better off putting 2k away and getting both.

[@SamnissArandeen]

Rifles for $1k, that'll be the day. The trigger alone for mine cost $250

[@bennyjetsaroundtheworld9047]

As a chef who works with knives everyday im intrigued how diligent you are on your knowledge of different types of steel! Cool to see for sure

[@skyfranx7710]

"I don't care how much you bench bruh"

[@alexcunningham8505]

When you said this is worth a second watch, you weren't joking! Great info, thanks for the quality content Skall

[@KGODSMACKC]

I want a fully functioning Revolver Gunblade from FF8 thats chambered for .500 S&W. Where there hell can i find someone to forge it for me?

[@TheStaniG]

GREAT VIDEO for beginners and people just getting started in swords. Im glad when I started I did actual days worth of research before throwing my money down on a sword. I noticed many of the sneaky shortcuts people try to get away with in listings and a lot of missing info on specifics that are necessary to tell a good sword listing.

[@aldor9357]

Are those swords good enough to slay some goblins?

[@kelvinklauck]

Oh my

[@firepower7017]

Just get a Kalashnikov. You pretty much kill anything from evil armies or good guys of your choice Edit: warning Weebs aren't eligible to own one

[@germanolivares7072]

You need a gladius or something short to be able to swing it inside the caves.

[@thetemplar8167]

Stick with the CO² tactics, you'll kill them and not even need to enter.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

@@firepower7017 I'll stick to my govt. issue improved G3 thank you very much.

[@rexolson2219]

I always feel much more informed from your program

[@MetaSynForYourSoul]

Thank you Skall! I love swords but have so little idea on how to get a good one I've bought 2 wall hangers and nothing since so I don't waste money. I've been interested in getting that Chinese dao broadsword that your wife has. I do Chinese martial arts and always wanted a dao broadsword that could really cut.

[@ClergetMusic]

Being long winded isn’t an issue when the content is as good as yours is. I could have watched this for an hour.

[@Psiberzerker]

I made my own, but then that wasn't a matter of avoiding bad swords. It was more like learning to make decent swords, then polearms when I realized A: They're a lot easier to make more effective, and B: They're a lot more effective than swords, too. Incidentally, that's why the only swords I have are a Chinquedea, and a Tuck. Those were the easiest swords to make, well enough to be serviceable. After that, I mostly concentrated on making Armor.

[@Psiberzerker]

Oh yeah, I also have to point out the competition: There's a lot more of it in the Sword Replica industry than polearms, for instance. Pretty much just Cold Steel when it comes to mass production polarms at affordable prices, before you get into bespoke with custom price-tags included. Unfortunately, there's also a lot more demand for swords than say reproduction Lucerne Hammers (My particular favorite) and spears. Which is ironic, considering the fact that spears were always more common, And more useful than swords. They just don't have the cool value, I suppose?

[@AuburnInAutumn]

Swords have always been symbolic and often showed status, very romanticized. They use more metal and are more expensive so only the wealthy would bother to buy one for self defense rather than use a knife or an axe.

[@Psiberzerker]

@@AuburnInAutumn Are you telling the weaponsmith, or the martial artist, and collector that swords use more metal? Than what, a warhammer, a halberd? Oh, an ax. Yes a sword uses more metal than a knife, but what kind of ax? Just FYI, the Langets that hold the 3 piece head on a Poleax use about as much metal as a sword. I know this, because I've actually made axes, and swords.

[@Psiberzerker]

Honestly, the reason why swords are so difficult to make is because they have LESS metal. If you make an anvil out of a mix/mash of pig iron, and tool steel, it doesn't matter, because the mass of it takes the strain, and heat from forging. A well made sword is a ribbon of metal. It has to be just about perfect, not too stiff, and not too springy, so it doesn't bend, nor break with use. Not too heavy, perfectly balanced, tempered to hold an edge, and tapered with an edge bevel for cutting. It's complicated, that's why they were more expensive: It takes a master craftsman, not "more metal."

[@Psiberzerker]

Update: I made a hanger!

[@Kentworlds]

Man your amazing. Thank you i am new to sword collecting. I had few swords years ago. Please keep up the fantastic videos. I look up to you bro

[@Luceked]

3:10 Cult of atchena has great prices but shipping to Poland is 120$!!!

[@KeesKouwenberg]

I am a beginning sword collector, I collect for about a year or so, and this video is a great help. Thank you. And I subscribed of course :)

[@RULERofSTARS]

Tod's workshop?

[@Ranstone]

He didn't mention M Tinker P either, but it's just 'cus he can't name them all.

[@Wingzero90939]

Great stuff I bought a dagger from him. To be honest with you the shipping is what kill you so save up extra for that.

[@non-masturbatingtyrannosau3476]

Tod's workshop is amazing

[@Draedaja]

I'm not planning to ever own a sword... and I could watch your videos for days! Just so informative, well organized and articulated, nice to watch, really. :)

[@linguisticallyoversight8685]

I have a friend who has a crucible Forge a blast furnace a blacksmith anvil and armor anvil as well as a hoast of metalworking tools from the late 1800s I've been trying to talk him into letting me use it to make a sword 😀 but so far no luck

[@nucleonegro9762]

linguistically oversight 86 bummer, i wish i had all that gear to make a custom armor and weapons, too bad he doesn't let you use it

[@linguisticallyoversight8685]

@@nucleonegro9762 it's more or less he doesn't have the time to watch over me while I do it and to teach me the s*** I need to know kind of busy granted he only uses it to do fourying is a Fourier you know the people that make horseshoes

[@alexpjp9082]

I have a 40 pound (weight) anvil, many old hammers, a makeshift forge i made out of a 20 pound (money) pot, homemade insulation mix and some scrap metal which seems to pass the spark test so i might be able to harden... I am at uni atm but as soon as Christmas roles around I will be swinging a hammer.... il probably be shit... but it sounds fun regardless.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

@@alexpjp9082 I've got all I need to start forging except for a good anvil, and I've already forged my first sword in a master smith's forge between his lessons a few years ago. It was made from good steel off of a scrapped harrow. Unfortunately I wasn't skilled enough with steel forging to avoid tiny perpendicular stress fractures all along the ridge of the blade :/

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

buy a belt grinder. convince him to let you use the forge to heat treat. make a sword blade via stock removal and watch he'll end up being like yoooo i want one. just be like "dude i just need to heat the blade up to dunk it in water, its a fucking forge its designed to get hot like that, im not even gonna use any of the other stuff"

[@buyswords]

Swords of Might is no longer around, but we were the ones who founded it and have a new site up now. Love your videos BTW!

[@1234wowww]

What's the song at 0:28 ?

[@corvoerin3766]

darude sandstorm

[@average1310]

Midnight city - M83

[@-smp-scientificmethodpersp838]

The title made me think this was the most useful video ever. The person making the video have me assurance that it's a trust worthy source

[@sim.frischh9781]

Skall, want me to send you pics of my swords? It would probably drive you insane XD

[@bioemiliano]

Wanna see my sword babe?

[@Ballenxj]

Thanks for the tutorial. I am now studying the dos and don'ts of sword buying, and this has been a big help. Thumb up.

[@TommiHonkonen]

If I ever buy a blade other than the ones I buy from varusteleka there has to be a text that says hand made in japan.

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

soooo youll never buy a real katana? cause no real katana says hand made in japan......also a load of really nice japanese knives dont. also japan can only make katana..... also alot of japanese knives are over rated. alot of them are nice but you can get better for the money.

[@Ranstone]

Japan makes really crappy swords from my experiences. I'm referring to craftsmanship, not design. The Katana can be a fine sword, but a lot of Japanese sword smiths nowadays end up making swords from old military vehicle axles or scrap metal, which have stress points, and inconsistencies... I don't mean to sound overly patriotic, but the best modern sword smiths really do tend to live in the US of A. (Or Sweden.)

[@Wingzero90939]

Kick Saunders you do have a point with Sweden, especially Peter Johnsson he makes amazing stuff. Weta workshop also does too. They are from New Zealand.

[@steventaylor2932]

Most people on KZbin, you ain't got 3k for a sword you are screwed, Skall here are some options for people on a budget or have other priorities over swords. I've bought 1060 carbon swords for about £70 for tameshigiri they do the job OK I've built a frame to straighten them if the cut is off. You don't need to spend a fortune for something to have some fun with. I've also learned tsukamaki so I can replace the ito. You just got another subscriber.

[@Forndrome]

Any more info on that longsword from Royal Armories? The only thing I could find is this: collections.royalarmouries.org/object/rac-object-3187.html, which they state is a fake made in 1890. Compared to the sword (original) shown in this video though, it doesn't seem to be the same sword as there's no ricasso or fuller. I'm interested because I really like that hilt, and Peter Johnson made a replica as well

[@filipdragicevic4732]

I love swords and their art of use, but I never knew where to look for those with good quality and akcetable prices so thank you man this was wery educative and useful 👌😀

[@bradeki2997]

What Skallagrim said : "Those are signs that show you that corners were cut in the making of this sword." What I heard: "Those are signs that show you that coroners were caught in the making of this sword." What my brain did with this information: *SWAT teams raiding a morgue as coroners frantically attempt to hide their illicit swordsmithing practices before inevitably being led out in handcuffs for flooding the streets with cheap, poorly made weapons*

[@JinKee]

Forged from the iron in the blood drained from the dead of this fair city.

[@jurisjancevskis9076]

Hahahahahahaahahaha

[@The_Irish_Fox]

Lmao

[@MercenaryJames]

Can agree, Kult of Athena is where I've made all my armor and sword purchases for HEMA and personal use and they've been great.

[@Cz82]

Ronin also has pretty good quality for price no?

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

ronin has fucking amazing quality for the price. however on their katana at least.....the fucking wood is trash UUUUGGGGGGHHHH also the handle wrap quality is really inconsistant. their original european swords had loads of issues. the new ones look friggin amazing. and i hear their chinese swords are exceptionally nice.

[@adamsummerford5698]

Coldsteel is a favorite of mine, and Musashi for Asian weapons. The featured sword is slightly longer than a typical Viking sword. There's great advice for purchasing swords in this video and it's one of the better informative videos on swords I've seen. For some reason I expected to see how much hell you could put the sword through and how well it could stand to demonstration tests. Your video is very insightful especially to new sword purchasers, vOden would be proud.

[@TactiClaus]

Can you do a video on the most effective ancient melee weapons against large predators?

[@nunya_bizniz]

Spear

[@buildawall5803]

How u like that silver

[@Chaumyk]

It's been a long time since i've seen ypur videos pop up on my feed. Good job with the weight loss man.

[@tomasmcgrath5766]

Check the pommel quality.

[@peterlane7128]

Make sure its throwable.

[@TheDeceptiveMoss]

This is key

[@aidan_with_an_a3471]

Everybody needs to check

[@scythescythe884]

If it's not throwable I'm not buying

[@TheNinjaOfChrist]

Great video and I personally use kult of Athena myself and you definitely need to have knowledge if you want to buy a sword from traders but I highly recommend kult of Athena if your new to collecting swords

[@linguisticallyoversight8685]

What company or whatever makes the best basket handled Scottish or arming swords ?

[@robertmanson5922]

armour class makes some truely beautiful baskethilts

[@CaledonianMusic]

For what? HEMA, Re-enactment or a sharp? For HEMA I actually assembled my own, for buying I'd say Castille Armoury For Re-enactment - Armour Class, not so for HEMA, they have comparatively short blades (although perfectly historical), they don't have rolled or spatulated tips and most importantly, they are designed for re-enactment - not HEMA For sharps I'd say Castle Keep Swords in Skye, Scotland - these are EXPENSIVE, but utterly amazing.

[@MarcoC72186]

Castle keep - Rob Miller

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

what the other two said about castle keep or an antique if you want a sharp. you could get a antique in really nice condition for probably less then a modern made one and as long as you dont abuse it, there shouldnt be any problems. however personally id say get the modern one. then get an antique down the line. would make for a nice display when not in use.

[@ElDrHouse2010]

albion

[@caseystewart5590]

Thank you for all the info Skall! I have learned SO much from your channel! Also here are two recommendations for first time buyers or frustrated 2nd time buyers, coming from a collector of 18+ years with 33 swords, not including axes, maces, hammers, shields etc. For an excellent European sword sharp and fully functional, the Windlass European Sword. Affordable, well built, light, sharp, just excellent. For an excellent Asian sword sharp and fully functional, the Hanwei Practical Katana, has all the qualities as listed above. No first time buyer will be dissapointed with those 2 swords, or any buyer really, especially the European. Again Skall thank you so much for all the information and entertainment you provide! I just wanted to throw 2 specific swords out their for your viewers who are just starting the adventure ⚔🗡. -Casey in Florida

[@DiamondkeyOwO]

But bruh I bench so much

[@babablacksheep3950]

Then get a high quality bench from a reputable bench vendor. Don't get it from that always on clearance sales furniture vendor.

[@jasondearborn2349]

Best sword advice from my go to weapon review guy. Thanks Skall

[@Bishop_Heahmund]

Vor Europe I can recommend Battle-Merchant.com. They have a great selection, good prices and the costumer service is also competent.

[@confusedpotato5017]

Are the swords good quality?

[@Bishop_Heahmund]

@@confusedpotato5017 they have a vast selection of swords and other sorts of weapons. Although I have not bought any swords yet (only axes, axe heads and knives, which have been great) I am sure you can find a great sword there.

[@confusedpotato5017]

@@Bishop_Heahmund Alright, thanks! And thanks for answering that fast!

[@mannypardo1080]

Great redo! It's also good seeing more independent craftsmen being mentioned. Keep up the great work!

[@DarthWall275]

Avoid bad swords: Buy a gun instead.

[@luckylikey9280]

how would you do swordfighting with a gun?

[@DarthWall275]

@@luckylikey9280 It was a joke. But like Indiana Jones, I guess.

[@matthewpham9525]

Yeah, I just got an IO Inc AK yesterday, can’t wait to try it out.

[@joshuaking9408]

Avoid bad guns: Buy a half-track with a mounted flak cannon.

[@brokenwave6125]

@Eren Özgür Honestly bad swords and knives are way more common than bad guns. Why? Bad guns tend to explode...and can't legally be sold. Swords that break the first time you hit something are sold. Even shitty guns like Hipoints are actually functional. And essentially every brand named gun will at least be fine and do what they need to do...even if they arent great.

[@sevenproxies4255]

Durable tools are usually advertised if they're made with chromium and vanadium. I don't own functional swords, but considering how tough and corrosion resistant chromium vanadium tools tend to be, I'd feel pretty confident purchasing a sword made with those materials. But it's nice to have a confirmation that it's good stuff.

[@darrianweathington1923]

upgate!!!

[@fableblades]

Thankyou @Skallagrim for the recommendation for Fable Blades. I was just made aware of this by an email enquiry. I very much appreciate your support. Brendan 🤗

[@boredgamer7841]

I'll just tape a few knives together on a wooden stick, that will have to do

[@erichusayn]

Agreed. Kultofathena is by far the best place. Great idea for a video dude. Going to help out a lot of people...

[@voidstar5563]

"Danilion said he bought a sword that was so good it was like stealing it. Was I used it, the blade snapped in two." Gerat

[@owenstephens3389]

The longer I look at these characters that you've arranged in the manner that you've chosen, the more I become confused.

[@lorensbaratti7526]

Hi Skallagrim, I’m sure to pres a hot spot saying this but, i have waited so long. I like very much your practical videos on “swords buy advise” like this one and those you have made like “best value sword” and the video of your “best sword”, and for my self, every time I think to buy a sword I watch one of your dedicated video before, because I feel that you made worthy content for buyers, and we can trust your opinion, because you are so precise and so picky (and for swords buyers is actually a merit). But I really love katanas (and so tachi), because of the martial art that I’m doing. I know that is not the most appealing kind of sword for you, but I can’t think about anyone better than you (especially because you would be so pointed) talking and reviewing those kind of swords, and I think it would be, with no doubt, a huge amount of katakana lovers, that are waiting for your opinion on this topic, because I think also eastern martial artist (like me, and I’m sure there are many on your channel) value your opinion on sword very highly. And we would really like to hear your opinion, because we trust it.

[@paullilly7921]

Ive recently started doing minor smithing with home depot steel and ill say your videos helped a ton mate! Keep up the awesome content

[@navigatorofnone]

Awesome tunic it suits you skall. 👍👍👍

[@Timbo5000]

Coincidentally I was thinking of purchasing that viking sword you talked about in the beginning as my first sword. Quite curious for your next video

[@MrPeekaBOOM]

Great instruction. Thank you. I am going to use your link to purchase a German rapier from the Kult of Athena. And not to be shameful, but I like that you don't mention a recommendation and I searched the comments and found three mentions of "Battling Blades." Look what I got from Battling Blades and see if something is wrong.

[@daviddiberardino4018]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm planning to fabricate a sword by myself and your videos are full of precious tips. Thank you!

[@kieranlock3070]

Cracking vid man! I will say i bought the Depeeka Cluney sword begining of the year. Now i have a hanwei longsword, a windlass, and a del tin. I prefer this to all of them and it was cheap as chips. Its not notched , it cuts beautifully and better than my del tin despite being a thrust weapon, the balance is only slightly off. I think sometimes cheap makers xan suprise you. Some depeeka is rubbish but ive seen some good stuff.