REVIEW: Zombie Tools Diphos - A post-apocalyptic tank sword

** Specifications **
Total Length: 90 cm (35.5 in)
Blade Length: 64 cm (25 in)
Point of balance: 9 cm (3 1/2 in) from hilt
Weight: 1.44 kg (3 lbs 3 oz)
Material: 5160 high carbon spring steel
Cross-section: Lenticular, with fuller
Blade testing footage: • Testing the Zombie Too...
** Where to find it **
www.zombietools...
** Pros / Cons (more + or - signs = higher relevance) **
+ + Extremely durable steel, strong assembly, takes hard abuse without issues
+ Precise fit and finish, crisp grind
Unique style
- High price (although excellent quality)
Not as lively and agile in the hand, compared to other swords of similar length
Relatively short blade
** Verdict **
This is one hell of a sturdy, badass sword. It's very well made and can take a massive beating without breaking or significant damage, as well as deliver powerful cuts. It doesn't have the agility or finesse that accurate reproductions of historical swords tend to offer, but it's very appropriate for its theme.
The price is nothing to sneeze at, but if you like this style there are not many alternatives (other than different ZT blades), and the quality is remarkable for sure.
Want to help fund future videos?
/ skallagrim
My Facebook page:
/ skallagrimyt
Music: "No More Dawn" by Arkhane
/ matthew-brown-214

[@DWU1999]

"What's this sharpened crowbar?!" Dr. Freeman would like to speak with you...

[@Askorti]

***** Or maybe, just maybe, he might not be a gamer. Or Half-life might be older than he is himself...

[@sizor3ds]

Alpha PHENIX get the orange box immediately

[@uselessDM]

It's no like Half Life is mentioned in every other comment section on the internet when there is a number three involved or something...

[@Blackpapalink]

useless1997 If I remove all "F"s from Half Life then divide the number of letters by two, I get three... HALF LIFE 3 CONFIRMED.

[@MegaMax111111]

Blackpapalink No, Hal Lie 3 confirmed.

[@kouriichi]

From a design perspective, this sword would be great in a zombie apocalypse. A heavy, nearly indestructible blade is perfect against meat/bones, the shorter length makes it very viable indoors, and a two-handed grip gives you far more power on a swing. A longer sword may give you more range, but in most housing you'd have trouble swinging them around. Short ceilings, rather thin halls and limited movement room would make them far more inferior unless used exclusively for stabbing. Where as The Diphos has a shorter reach, and fills the roll many military weapons do. Extremely close quarters combat. Like a Bullpup rifle, its clear the Diphos is designed to take up less room, without sacrificing raw power. Its heavier weight is a bit of a double edged sword though (HA HA! Who hasnt heard that sword pun a billion times?). A heavier sword would be better at killing zombies, no doubt about it. It also lends to the sword's overall strength. But you will tire more easily using a heavy weapon. And tiring in a zombie apocalypse is the same as holding your arm out of a moving vehicle. You would need to be more physically fit to use it for an extended fight (which zombie excel at).

[@Dalxein]

Actually, I think a lot of the brilliance of the sword comes from the fact that, as you've shown in the testing video, it's INCREDIBLY well-suited to tasks other swords might not be- non-combat ones in particular- such as chopping wood and destroying obstacles. It's a survival sword- a sword and an axe, but you only have to carry the one thing. The shorter range might be a detriment in combat, but it's still effective AND has all that added versatility for surviving whatever apocalypse you find yourself in.

[@ThePowerExcess]

*pommel* Did I do good?

[@handle_m1]

P O M M E L O M M E L

[@meatballg8655]

+Ayy Lmao POMMEL P O M M E Lob it at them

[@loganplourde886]

Chuck it at his knob

[@ohmaigods]

Power Of Men Made to End them Lively and rightly

[@JohnDoe-on6ru]

Eh, you did alrightly.

[@davidvanau3182]

There seems to be a problem. There's no pommel. That limits your ranged combat options.

[@markuspruudel23]

***** Agreed. Although, you could always unwrap the leather grip and use it to end your opponent rightly!

[@darealrulezbreaker9493]

hahaha, i love this running gag :,D

[@Player_Review]

da real rulezbreaker He hates it, which sadly makes it more fun.

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Just throw the whole thing always works

[@Rislear]

+da real “Eg0Yst” rulezbreaker could you link me to the original video of where this running gag came from?

[@conradpickl1921]

"Ugh what's this a sharpened crowbar?" 12:50 That made my day. xD

[@danmenard6917]

Historically, Greek Xiphos blades didnt have much in the way of a hand guard either, so there's that.

[@blackbite50]

probably used mainly with a shield.

[@jjc5475]

and they didnt have a pommel...

[@assassintwinat8]

i think they didn't find much of a point, since the xiphos, or the sword in general, was a back-up weapon. greeks almost always fought with a shield, and their primary weapon was the spear. they really only used their sword when the spear broke or was lost/thrown. and since they were so short, the shield was right there, anyway

[@anthonydelonga7181]

@@assassintwinat8 blade and sorcery

[@anestischatzibeis]

@@assassintwinat8 true. For Spartans, the main weapon was the shield (i know, sounds strange) called oplon (meaning weapon)

[@kaelhate1791]

Lol. Please review the combat effectiveness of a sharpened crowbar,

[@Skallagrim]

You mean a Cold Steel sword? :)

[@magicalframe9441]

+Skallagrim OOOOOOOOOH

[@ignatius__teo]

is Cold Steel good?

[@livchamps9573]

SHOTS FIRED

[@salvadorfonseca7]

From my understanding.. NO!

[@QuorkQTar]

That's very well done! You showed very well how you can stay neutral about the blade even if you got it for free. I hope ZT will value your honesty and still give you stuff to review!

[@Skallagrim]

QuorkQTar They have already given me three blades, which is already a lot more than I could possibly ask for. :)

[@QuorkQTar]

That's probably true as well. Though might be they value the input that much they'll be still interested in further ones ;-) So long story short - just like the Reaver Cleaver, in RL it is mostly suited as a fancy alternative to an axe and to a knive for craftsmen with style? *g*

[@Leafia_Barrett]

Honestly, if I had enough excess disposable income to consider buying swords, I think the Diphos would work perfectly for me. I quite like the design, and as you already acknowledged, nobody can fault the quality of be sword, it's expertly crafted by almost any perspective, considering its "intended purpose".

[@Mrjman554]

That blade is quite a bit over what I can afford, but if I could I'd buy that in a heartbeat.

[@whbite3rwe]

Just a thought on the shorter blade. During a zombie apacolypse one will often have to clear buildings. A longer blade will be a hinderance to close quarters fighting. Second, the target to hit is of course the skull. So the heft of the heavier blade and the ability to swing it two handed would kive you the skull splitting power a lighter one handed sword would not.

[@AdminiumWarrior]

"I've done things to it that you'd normally never do." -Skallagrim 2014

[@masterkeep]

Thank you for reviewing this blade. I went to their website after you reviewed the Reaver Cleaver & was drawn to this blade. A very fair review & you hit on my one problem with this sword, the cost [because I have a very tight budget].

[@PheonyxJay]

But you can't end the zombies rightly...

[@fourteencrows1244]

Pheonyx Jay yes!!!!! hahaa END THEM RIGHTLY

[@nicebro4824]

who let you be this funny! ahahahahah

[@rewt127]

I personally love zombie tools items because they are a local company so there is pride in that something so cool can come from my home town, but also I've seen their shop. Everything is handmade and that means every blade you get is essentially unique

[@NGMonocrom]

For killing zombies, you have to balance the shorter blade length disadvantage with the fact that drawing it would require a fraction of a second less time over a longer sword from its sheath. That could be important. And if you do get surrounded, a two-handed option will give you more power behind each slash than a one-handed one.

[@StevenSmith-pt8rz]

True,But keeping zombies at farther than arms length is preferable since they have a tendency to bite and carry disease.🤪

[@Jedi_Jed]

Funny, I just saw it and thought “That would fit in my car.”

[@CMJBhandZ]

Your channel is great and I've been spending my spare time watching your old videos during the past few days. Keep up the great work!

[@xXxLolerTypxXx]

The leaf-shaped thick blade makes the blade better for chopping heads off. With a sword, that's pretty much the only way to kill a zombie, so a long and balanced sword wouldn't be good against zombies, I think.

[@mussolman]

I'd imagine a skillful swordsman could thrust through a zombie's skull and take out the brain.

[@xXxLolerTypxXx]

Maybe, but I think a decapitation is much easier.

[@xXCamrocXx]

mussolman Depends on whether a single thrust to the brain would kill a zombie. It may be necessary to destroy the whole thing, or else decapitate it.

[@mussolman]

Ayumu Yukimura Yeah, really depends on who's writing the zombie apocalypse. Sometimes it's enough to whack them over the head with a bat, but in Return of the Living Dead. for example, you'd have severed limbs trying to kill you.

[@clapjumper847]

A decapitation isn't worth it. Even if it were the TWD zombies, a well-placed trust to paralyze it from the neck down (chop/thrust to the back of the neck) should be good enough to dispatch a zombie.

[@SecularMentat]

Your reviews are always nuanced. That's not a bad thing, it's more extensive and asks many questions and addresses them intelligently. So even if this was 'vague' it was still extremely informative.

[@jackdodson163]

If there ever was a zombie apocalypse, I call dibs on teaming up with skall!

[@rafaeluzcategui8378]

If I may, really good sword for the purpose it was made, but then when compared to the first longsword wow, I could really tell the difference. The longsword looked so professional, and the steel was shiny and just really awesome. Also the weight, for that length! Some really major characteristic artistic work as they used to do it, compared to the modern sword, yeah, the zombie one it's still miles away from those ages.

[@TheTeddyIsALiar]

To me this seems perfect in a theoretical zombie apocalypse scenario. It is brutal and durable. In a theoretical zombie apocalypse you would want something that provides basically a refined form of bludgeoning to kill zombies.

[@GideonGleeful95]

All of the Zombie Tools weapons look awesome. I love their ultimate weapon joke as well.

[@TimSaidthat]

Fighting them at a distance is a good thought, but won't happen. Long blades keep HUMANS at a distance because we have a fear of being cut and slashed. Zombies dont have that fear and will just keep walking or running at you. If every single fight was 1v1 in a open space then sure, but if not you're going to run into deadly problems with a long blade.

[@charlottewalnut3118]

TimSaidthat actual zombies will still have instinct the dead cant walk its more like hyper rabies

[@trailblazer632]

@@charlottewalnut3118 whens the last time you came across an animal with rabies that feared um... Well.... Anything? Ive already shot a rabbid raccon with a shotgun and had the thing crawl towards me still trying to bite me until i ended with my pistol. I doubt theyd fear a sword any more than the thing that blew off a limb.

[@IgabodDobagi]

Despite having difficulties with the production of this video it came out really nice. Glad you worked things out in the end. Thanks for the review.

[@VelikiHejter]

In my opinion battle scars look good on any blade as long as the edge is not nicked or wavy.

[@kylebates3627]

The diphos has quickly become my favorite production sword, thanks for bringing Zombie Tools to my attention skall.

[@NoWay1969]

Truly badass looking sword. When you discount the lack of a good crossguard by saying that you don't need to parry when fighting zombies, WTF? You're completely ignoring the possibility of zombies with swords. Draugr? Need I say more. You need to go visit a sword factory somewhere. That would make an excellent video.

[@Reavenator]

Zombies are too stupid to use swords

[@NoWay1969]

Reavenator depends entirely on your setting. Skyrim zombies use swords and armor.

[@Reavenator]

No Way That's because Draugr were warriors. The Diphos is most likely meant for a modern zombie apocalypse, so it is unlikely that you'd meet a zombie that can use a sword.

[@NoWay1969]

Reavenator What if the zombie apocalypse strikes at a renfaire? or a zombified Skallagrim? Skallagrim may be able to hold his own for a while, but I am pretty sure lindybeige is eating brains right at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. and eating them with a sword.

[@subbss]

No Way LOL @ imagining a zombie Skall...

[@CMs_Tech_Land]

Looks like a modern take on the Greek Xiphos with additions such as the longer grip that allows space for your other hand (hence Diphos, I guess). The Xiphos, from the examples I've seen, did not have much of a crossguard either so they've obviously kept it fairly close to the older designs.

[@BlackTemplar124]

11:55 You learned your lesson after the Reaver Cleaver "incident" huh? Good that you can poke fun at past mistakes though. Also, I swear, every single person that collects blades/weapons (including myself) has that same frigging coat.

[@thatchannel195]

Where's it from?

[@sxipshirey]

I find your videos oddly relaxing. I am packing about to fly from Norway to NYC and listening to this. Your are my Bob Ross.

[@VelikiHejter]

Honestly, if I was going tactical, or better said tacticool, I'd choose a machete, kukri, long knife or tomahawk and not a sword. Considering how often you would need a hand to hand weapon on the modern battlefield, not counting specialized branches of military, E-tool and a knife are sufficient. If I would be asked to forge a modern military sword, and that is something Matt Easton once asked, I would make something lite, for ease of carry, nimble, to avoid body armor and resistant clothing, with enough piercing power to go through those, if needed, with enough hand protection to give you some safety and not make it unnecessarily bulky. Basically a small sword. Even worse, it would have a single edged, coated blade, probably composite material hand guard and rubber handle. It would be a monstrosity.

[@SAsgarters]

You also want to make it short, unless you want it constantly getting in the way. There's no comfortable way of wearing a sword in a vehicle, and I'd imagine people would just start doing what they are doing now when the weapons are too long to be carried comfortably, namely leave them behind. Something with a rigid and narrow blade (if you intend to get through or around clothing, vests or eg. flak jackets), with a total length of around 50cm (which is already a bit too long). Sounds a lot more like a rondel dagger than a sword, though. ;) In my opinion, swords are going to stay obsolete until someone actually comes up with a lightsaber, or that one folding sword from one of the newer Star Treks.

[@VelikiHejter]

SAsgarters Well, in my experience, if you deem something important enough you are going to make it work, no mether how uncomfortable it might get. For example, i kept my M-76 battle rifle, designated marksman weapon, even when I was appointed to be trained as a vehicle commander(BVP M-80), although I was given a choice to exchange it for M-84 Scorpion pistol. It was tempting, M-76 is a fairly long and heavy rifle, not only that it gets in the way inside the vehicle and during embarking-disembarking process(and those maneuvers are critical even for the vehicle crew), it is also a killer during the morning lineup and it is a lot of gun to clean. But considering that every member of mechanized infantry unit is a infantryman first and that my life would, most probably, depend on my personal armament at some point, i chose to keep my infantry rifle, as our drill sergeant have advised. So, back to the subject, I would make a sword blade 60cm (24 inches) long with the entire length of the weapon of around 75cm(30 inches), just to keep it in small sword size, with lose belt and leg attachment, to stop it from dangling around too much but not to hinder movement, and optimized for easy detachment during embarking vehicles and similar actions. But it is all purely fictional and based on presumption that such weapon would be needed and useful, and I, honestly, don't think that it would be.

[@SAsgarters]

Radovan Dragović I'm glad to see that you had the right attitude towards your weapon, but based on what I've seen in the military, too many people don't. I don't even like to entertain the idea of a sword in modern military use. If we have to _pretend_ that it's useful just for the sake of argument, the whole point of discussing it is already lost.

[@VelikiHejter]

SAsgarters Yup, most of the guys, especially vehicle operators (those guys that operate vehicle armament) did exchange their M-70AB2 rifles (folding stock Zastava AK47 variant), which is much smaller and lighter weapon than the M-76, for pistols. As for the swords, I do not think that those would be useful even in hand to hand combat any more. As you must know, most of the hand to hand combat today happens accidentally in enclosed space while clearing buildings, bunkers, tunnels... and I do not think that in such environment swords would be better than a knives or a daggers.

[@Sicarius_Avindar]

If you want a Khukri, then look up ZT's Vakra or the Hellion. Machete: Pretty much anything they make. From what you are describing, you would want something like the Bone Machete. (Just walking about Zombie Tools because I have the website open and can't be bothered going to any others)

[@blazegunshark]

I love the reference to the time you shot that cleaver with a 7.62 rifle. Adds to the character of the video.

[@leonardjenkins8968]

If the sword was too long it would be difficult to us in buildings and homes.

[@darkmage07070777]

Nice review. And I like the new summary screen at the end, really drives home the main points of the review.

[@x511100x]

12:50 I laughed so hard when you said that xD

[@TheFunnykid33]

9:20 zombie tools also makes a naginata which would be great for that but it would still be limited to open spaces, i think the shortness of the diphos helps in the setting of a zombie apocalypse since there would probably be a lot of looting of buildings and what not which would require you to be able to swing in a small space

[@JimRiven]

Wait, if the tang goes all the way to the hilt and is riveted on, does that not classify the Diphos as a knife?

[@kolyo9624]

Another Lindybeige viewer, I see!

[@Todesnuss]

By medieval definitions and if it had only one edge, yes.

[@50TNCSA]

Калоян Кутийски who doesnt watch him LOL

[@TSotP]

Todesnuss That's handy though. Because every 'sword' zombie tools sells except the Xiphos and Diphos are Knives. I'd love a Deuce II

[@TheJoritomo]

Калоян Кутийски Wait, Im completely honest now.. did you meant that in a bad or a good way? :D

[@Nashi_likes_games]

Because of the theme, and only because of it, I'd guess the two handed handle would serve as a way to input more raw power, opposite to it's usual use. The length, however, would be a huge problem, but you could probably hold that sword by the end of the hilt, near the pommel to slightly extend the reach. Doesn't help that much but still something. Also, I would love to see a sword fighting zombie that isn't clumsy, that would be awesome.

[@aspen1869]

"Eeeuuuggghhhhh sharpened crowbar" lmao

[@Ericonamor]

You really went out of you way with this review, really liked the presentation and that you considered comparison with other swords. Good work.

[@Skallagrim]

Ericonamor Thanks!

[@KenseiSwords]

Skall I can see it's big and black but it looks a bit floppy like you're having trouble keeping it stiff.

[@pashow6486]

Do I just have a dirty mind or were you actually trying to make that as innuendo as possible

[@KenseiSwords]

It's a nice hat.

[@CODtriggerhippy]

always nice to see the entire sword in 1 piece in the review

[@JohnDoe-on6ru]

I don't think that's steel, it's probably mithril...

[@rouge-ish324]

No way, mithril can't bend from human weight

[@Zagaroth]

A thought about it's weight & length: that weight might add to the durability. Per the setting, getting a replacement might not be easy, so having a blade that can take a beating might be more important than a fine tuned highly mobile lightweight blade that might not take as much of a beating. And I could see that blade being made out of literal car springs :)

[@SpiritsRiseR2]

Do you know of any other large swords with a leaf blade profile?

[@scottfreeman1997]

That was a great review. I am interested in what kind of swords iron age fantasy (Conan's Hyborian age), could really make with pattern welded iron. I think this is what Conan would really have wielded.

[@bhfeiceholder9573]

Also... Have you ever owned and or reviewed a sword from Darksword Armoury? Would you recommend a sword from there or do you know any other place? They tend to make their swords from Carbon Steel and Damascus, aswell as they used to have spring. I'm not sure if they make them anymore. I am just looking for an actual sword that would

[@bhfeiceholder9573]

....that would be on par with an actual sword from the Midieval Era. Or better. A reply would be most appreciated. Thank you.

[@Skallagrim]

Bhfeice Holder In that case I'd recommend these: ww4.aitsafe.com/go.htm?go=kultofathena.com/albion.asp&afid=28632&tm=14&im=1 ww4.aitsafe.com/go.htm?go=kultofathena.com/armsarmor.asp&afid=28632&tm=14&im=1

[@bhfeiceholder9573]

Thank you, it is most appreciated.

[@Skallagrim]

Bhfeice Holder No idea, sorry. I'm located in British Columbia.

[@diraltmcallister3523]

Woah woah woah, you're in BC?

[@dlazos81]

Just an idea, you can use an elastic cord on the upper holes of the holster to make a homemade extra safety to keep the sword more secure while still being able to quickly use it.

[@AlsoSprachOdin]

You didn't really touch on how well the sword would perform damage-wise. Can it go through a human skull in the hands of a reasonably muscled guy? How about arms and legs? I think rot and decay would make muscle and fat easier to cut through, but I might be wrong. So many more questions to answer, man!

[@Skallagrim]

AlsoSprachOdin That's what the blade tests were for, which as I mentioned are in a separate video, linked in the description.

[@AlsoSprachOdin]

Oh, okay. Thanks.

[@scapegoht9537]

No sword can go "through" a skull. At best, machetes and other swords intended for chopping could cleave a skull. But if the skull is your focus, an axe or bludgeon is your best bet, unless you have the tools and skill to sharpen such a sword regularly. A sturdy, tough spear wielded by a skilled, muscular, individual would work better, but if you *MUST* have a sword, then use a machete or a Dadao copy.

[@valrommusdaemones1364]

watch the testing video

[@NoahWeisbrod]

The minimal guard is not just from the "zombie" theme. A xiphos has a smaller guard. And I would just like to point out the name "diphos" means "double light".

[@toryunaminosaki1022]

That blade is amazing, and I was gonna bring up what happened to the last one...but i think that horse has already been beaten to death, become a zombie, and beaten again..so i won't ;p

[@kfgrip]

The Diphos blade length and two handed grip lends to my mind a TRUE Bastard sword layout.Slightly shorter blade than a true long sword coupled with a two handed grip. Bastard swords are my Favorite Sword design.

[@MegaKnight2012]

I am curious to know what you think of Cold Steel's products? They make a lot of historically accurate blades and work very diligently on durability. I'm actually rather surprised you having put anything on your channel about Cold Steel's blades yet

[@johnaron2235]

He did He hates them.

[@kylebates3627]

first of all, no they don't make historically accurate swords, secondly, Skall boycotts cold steel like any decent person should because they're a bad company who doesn't care about their customers.

[@CoolGuyAtlas]

Kyle Bates I just found out about Cold Steel a week or so ago, and was looking at some of their products namely their reproduction Scottish weaponry like the Dirk and Basket Hilt sword. Can you go into detail about why they're bad. I'm just curious.

[@MegaKnight2012]

I'm also curious what Skallagrim says about Cold Steel. I only found three videos when I KZbind him and Cold Steel

[@kylebates3627]

Aye, sure man. To cold steels credit, they use decent steels and they know how to put a decent edge on their blades, but they make them far too heavy. Pair that with the fact that they have almost no quality control to speak of, you very well could get a blade, that when you open up the box, it's covered in rust and warped. Look at the kult of Athena bargain area, and you will see that it's mostly cold steel weaponry that all are warped and pitted, and to make it even worse, it will say "This problem is so common that many just accept it as factory quality" Now, if that alone wasn't bad enough, they also have no idea how to fit a handle to a blade, and the wooden handles tend to be made of poor quality wood and the peening tends to come loose easily, which if you don't know how to peen yourself, makes it very hard to fix them. Lastly, like I said, they don't really care about their customers. I've had one experience myself and you can find hundreds of other examples out there, but if you call their customer service and tell them about these flaws, they're going to basically insult you, blaming whatever factory problems there were on you instead of accepting they fucked up, and refuse to refund or replace your product. Hope that helps, I'm not trying to needlessly bash them, but they are really not a good company. ATB.

[@lyconxero457]

Thank you for your honest review of this blade. You pretty much summed up WHY I'm actually going to buy this blade being that the quality is excellent, it's made in the good 'ole USA (which is actually less important than the fact that they seem to be real people who answer your questions and care about the product they are creating), and the design is something that struck me immediately when your wife unsheathed it in that first video. Honestly, the zombie tools website doesn't do their blades justice with the pictures that they show. They look so much more impressive in your videos or in other people's videos for some reason; like their character gets to show through more and you can really see the details. I was already looking at their website after your review of the Reaver Cleaver because I've been looking for a durable blade that will hold up to real use but was steered towards the Diphos because the design is just so beautiful. The cost doesn't really seem that bad to me because it's a quality product and the aesthetic is something that I've not seen in a functional blade. I'm actually looking forward to whatever new models they come up with as well. Who knows, maybe they'll make that almost historically accurate weapon that'll make Skall super happy that still retains the killallzombies aesthetic.

[@Skallagrim]

Lycon Xero I'm glad that you found the review helpful.

[@technomancermagus8357]

I'm really interested in the style (( I actually own 2 of their blades already)) but the fact that they gave them to a person like Skall for review makes me value them more. I know these types of reviews have to be hard for him because on one hand, the sword is clearly counting on the theme as part of it's selling point, and it seems that the theme in question is just not his bag when it comes to swords. I hope he keeps up the reviews on products like this because it really gives me an idea of what I'm getting IE, not the fastest of blades, but something that will take the abuse I'd dish out on it and keep on going.. and the theme is there. So it's a "real" fantasy blade that you can actually do stuff with and not worry about it flying apart and stabbing you in the chest because you banged it on a table. :)

[@MichuV5]

could it be used as a tool? if Steel is so great, you could have something which is great, cool looking and good weapon at the same time usefull tool. kinda like an axe

[@Turtle-bd4re]

Yeah a saw or cleaver would be pretty good, you could probably use it as an axe aswell XD. ZT also makes knives and stuff if you are interested.

[@philpowell9111]

I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL!!! The best review channel when it comes to zombie tools

[@Jomppexx]

Badass hat

[@jackdodson163]

And sword

[@Alpha.Phenix]

Jack Dodson and T-shirt

[@Blarghasaur]

And beard

[@rickdeckard1075]

***** lol so leave, or stop drooling

[@rickdeckard1075]

***** lol, just messin with you damianos, thx for being a good sport

[@digsfossils]

I would have expected you to mention the COP. Great non-bias and honest review. I think you did a fine review! Thumbs UP! Why would a longer blade with a similar point of balance feel lighter? I would have thought a POB closer to the hilt would make the sword feel lighter. Assuming of course that both swords weigh the same.

[@Skallagrim]

Digs Fossils-n-Knives Think about how the point of balance would be further away from the point in case of a longer blade. Comparatively the balance point on the shorter blade is closer to the center of the blade.

[@erikchristensen745]

A question i hope that either Skallagrim or some other guy who knows a thing or two about forging can answer. Often in Hollywood movies like Conan the Barbarian (the one with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and in cartoons such as Avatar the last airbender, you see swords made in a specific way. The way it is made is that they take some metal, melt it in a pod, then poor the liquid metal in a sword formed shape and proceed after some time to hammer it into shape. However when you watch real black smiths such as AWE me´s men at arms, so see them take several metal strips, heat them up and hammer them into shape. My question is would a sword made in a casting mold (like described at the beginning of this text) be any good as a fighting sword or would it break the moment it saw any real combat?

[@kylebates3627]

You very much can cast a steel sword like that, what ZXUL23 describes with steel is the modernised way of making a sword, but way back when before he had rolled sheet steel, man had to make his own out of iron ore in a crucible. Some people would cast it into a mold, and others would forge out the raw ingot, and where we use a belt sander today, they would use a file to bring down the high spots from the hammer marks and to finish the edge after it was heat treated. Cast swords do fine in combat as long as they are tempered correctly, in fact, crucible forged steel is what brought us things like the Ulfberht and other old wootz steel, things we herald today as super steels. Hope that helps.

[@Tyler_Lalonde-]

casing isn't the best way i think because it could have air bubbles in it. modern steel isn't cast like in avatar. it comes out and is compressed to get rid of air bubbles.

[@KurNorock]

@@kylebates3627 no. That's wrong. A cast steel sword would be far too hard and brittle to be an effective weapon. And forging it afterwards would only make it even more brittle. It never happened. Also, the ulfberht swords were not made by casting. It is actually unknown how they got such quality steel at the time, but they do know they were not cast. What they do know is that they were pattern welded steels, which you can not get by casting, only forging, which was becoming the prominent method of making quality serious in Europe at the time. And when I say "quality steel" I am using that word within the context of the time it was used. Compared to today's steels, it is utter garbage. It is in no way considered a "super steel" by modern standards. It might have been considered a "super steel" in the 10th century, but not today. Not by a long shot.

[@kylebates3627]

@@KurNorock yep, four years ago me was an idiot.

[@comingviking]

Have to agree with you on the style. I have two swords from Zombie Tools, and love them for the style. The Spit, an Assegai inspired spear, and the Ferrous Wolf, a somewhat Viking inspired number. The Wolf has the same finish as the Xiphos, and is quite beautiful in my eyes. And equally sturdy, I imagine. The Spit has a very long handle, equal to the blade lenght, and a clublike pommel which makes both ends of it equally dangerous. Zombie Tools really got the rough style right since they started.

[@NoMastersNoMistress]

Any looter skulking into Skal's home not carrying a firearm is likely to leave in several pieces. I do wonder though, if you just had a blade like this to defend yourself, someone with a baseball bat might make short work of you. Opinions?

[@DominusCypher]

I'm pretty sure you'd be cut to piece if you went with a baseball bat against someone with a sword.

[@Danak0325]

I think he prefers none lethal weapons against people, and most likely he would just use one of his guns.

[@j699freek]

Unless you stab the fuck out of them :3

[@AlissahKat]

All you have to do is pretty much turn your wrists to cut them, meanwhile they have to make slightly bigger swings, and if youre hit in anythig other than your head, youre still in teh fight. Just keep making light cuts with teh sword, and theyll eventually lose too much blood to continue (I think it goes pretty fast, not sure). So yeah, keep your distance while they bleed. If they attack, theyd pretty much impale themselves on your sword, which they wont do if they care about thier own life :P.

[@DominusCypher]

***** The problem with a baseball bat is that you are more limited in the areas you need to hit to instantly kill or disable someone. A sword with a sharp edge that cuts through muscles, blood vessels, etc. is far more likely to put you down and it offers more options when striking at your opponent.

[@Sentay0]

Im loving these Zombie Tools stuff for the win.

[@akumabito2008]

Nice sword, but too expensive. Could you do a review on a decent sword for the poor? ;D

[@VioletRM]

Lol "poor" is a relative term in the sword community

[@thatchannel195]

Ronin Katana European Longsword Number 1

[@aaronobst0140]

Just pulled the trigger on buying one (see what I did there?) Told ZT this review convinced me. Keep up the great work Skall.

[@Volvith]

We need to abandon guns and go back to swords... :3

[@birdfromirl8467]

Why?

[@CarlosRivera-jp9jh]

love it make your dreams come true. on the other hand I like guns. moral crisis😭

[@Incensement]

Because it's a lot more entertaining, has a certain romantic charm to it aaaaaand would solve our overpopulation problem.

[@ChadKakashi]

yeah... nothing like seeing an officer chopping a black guy to pieces...

[@BrianSmith-jx7td]

Volvirth you know if there ever was a zombie apocalypse that would eventually happen eventually the world would run out of bullets and the only thing left would be blades

[@wojpm2000]

You know Skallagrim, I feel that your assessment was fair and you are right it all depends on the taste of the individual, I myself am saving up for a couple of their blades including the Diphos, but yes I think this was a helpful and fair assessment, (THUMBS UP!!!)

[@pjfett44]

right....... high caliber fire arms....... totally stupid right :)

[@ghoulishgoober3122]

pjfett right........lack of ammo....... totally plausible right :)

[@treadheadpete4770]

The possibility of combat between someone armed with this sword and other "Zombie Apocalypse " survivors (something we have seen lots of in the various movies/TV shows) makes a larger hand guard a very good idea indeed. I think you are on the right track there. Nice weapon, hard to beat good spring steel.

[@sizor3ds]

4:13 thats what she said

[@arKiteX3]

I think your concerns regarding the guard are very legitimate from the fantasy perspective as well. While the guard won't be used for parrying, another concern (specific to zombies) is non-fatal strikes: wielding the sword with two hands (for improved accuracy), you stab at a zombie, but miss the brain, and with its continued pursuit it runs itself through until it's literally chewing right at your guard; you're going to want a substantial guard keeping your hands from said undead, and preferably something to keep it from sliding all the way down the blade in the first place. (Something like Parierhaken or an analogous secondary ``guard''; sorry, I don't really know the terminology at all, having only stumbled on your channel a few days ago.) For a similar reason I think a shorter blade, which may be more easily retracted in such situations, may have its own set of advantages.

[@Xorrin]

This sword is sexy

[@Alexandersync]

Thorough and entertaining review, as always.

[@knechtor5648]

nice hat

[@knechtor5648]

you should review the hat

[@SirNeopiggy]

yespls

[@CrnogorskiNacionalista]

you should review the coat

[@corbinfathandme]

Review the beard, I want to get one like it but I am torn on whether or not I should.

[@sarowie]

Just would like to say: Good review. Based on your test footage, you looked very happy and impressed by this sword and that still shines trough in this video, but you added why you specifically would not buy this particular sword. Good job. Zombie Tools got what they where looking for (you mistreating the sword and being impressed of how well it takes it), while you keep your integrity as someone who enjoys historical sword fighting. I image someone looking for informations about the Diphos before purchasing it and sees you the first time. The only negative thing some could think when seeing this, is that you mistreat the sword, but as this is your intention, that is just a perspective thing. (that the Zombie Tool Diphos delivers what it is claiming makes the review of course both easier and harder to execute, but I here I speak as a subscriber: This makes it more interesting how you review it and what your conclusion is)

[@orion3253]

No.

[@Skallagrim]

Ken Clark Yes.

[@orion3253]

***** Maybe.

[@tally9542]

Ken Clark I DON'T KNOW. CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION!

[@joshuaruskauff8812]

Chloe Fox No.

[@justanaverageguy912]

Chloe Fox you're not the boss of me now!

[@firefliesburntheworld]

Personally I would pay the money for it though my problem is deciding on the design I'd like to own the most - ZT have so many great blades to chose from!

[@GorathHyun]

Thank you for making these wonderful reviews. I love your honesty and the torture tests as much as they are cool to watch, offer practical visual basis for the points you make. I've been considering investing into a piece from Zombietools since I like the style. This has helped a fair bit in my decision. I look forward to your future videos and thanks for a your hard work. -=G=-

[@zavvax]

I would say that the historical swords were made to fight more agile things that bleed. The zombie sword was styled for less agile things that don't. So, in my head, for the purpose of the weapon, it is a good sword. I am enjoying your show, well done. 👍

[@floydwhite1990]

Because of you and your reviews of zombie tools. I have look into more of there products, and would like to know what you thought of the The Deuce II or the Apokatana. Thank you for your time and keep up with the great work, always enjoy your approach blade reviews.

[@VolrathMTG]

Not sure if you know, Skall, but, they apparently lightened the sword quite a bit. I'm sure they took your advice to heart. Impressive, really.

[@firebeardsecret-fire9552]

They did! In the video he said it was 3 pounds and 3 ounces (1.49 kg). Currently, it is 2 pounds and 14 ounces (1.3 kg) www.zombietools.net/shop/diphos/

[@BunnyOfThunder]

So, this is inexpert speculation and 6 years late, but: the short length and weighted end might be good if you're often in close quarters and are trying to de-limb zombies who are grabbing at you. If you're in a hallway, you might have more trouble getting a good swing with a longer weapon, and the heavy cleave might be good for crippling an enemy that feels no pain.

[@Crusader537]

the shortness of the blade in my opinion could be for the fact that in zombie survival u need to raid things like houses for supplies so much like the cutlass it was designed for u use in confined spaces like hallways and such

[@morrisseyowesmemoney]

I thought your stress test spoke for itself, but thanks for the proper review.

[@phillycheesetake]

I love 5160, 9260, hell, any high-carbon silicon steel. They're like magic.

[@avatar11792]

Gotta admit, a virtually indestructible sword (w/proper maintenance and care of course) would damn post-apocalypse. Don't have to worry about your weapon breaking nearly as much. Looks like would make a great backup weapon to a warhammer. I like. :)

[@riku32194]

Æ(I) know that this was from a year ago and Æ only mean to critique/add more info, but from what Æ read on their site, it's supposed to a remodeled version of the Xiphos, which is/was an ancient Greek sword, and it too had a guard that wasn't very big, and if Æ remember correctly, it was mainly just a thrusting sword and secondary to a javelin, so, it wasn't really used for parrying....

[@Rurike]

Those last gloves looked like some kinda badass boxing glove, cant imagine it be too comfy punching with those though

[@TheEsseboy]

I must hand it to you skall! For working alone you do a great job! These reviews are the most objective I`ve found!!! You should be really proud of your self :) Greetings from Finland, have a good one mate :P

[@thomasdayhoag6652]

Great review as always Skall! I especially enjoyed the testing video :)

[@jpbrenneman]

Great review and testing video. I'd love to see this guys little brother the Xiphos.

[@SparkArmoury]

I would love to have that sword!!! It screams postapoalyptic skyrim steel sword, I like the shorter blade as its more useable indoors but the two handed grip increases speed and power, good for urban zombie use

[@benjaminkeepfer8968]

That intro......... Priceless!!

[@FCLT23]

You sold me on this thank you for your videos! I own it because of YOU!

[@Slender_Man_186]

Damn, now that's a proper modern long sword. Can take a beating, looks pretty bad ass, has a good bit of weight behind it, comfortable grip, reasonable price, a unique look, quality materials, and the only real problem I can see is the lack of an effective guard.

[@rsimeon77]

Good review . How much was shipping to Canada ? Is the blade Differentially heat treated ? Did the edge damage easily removed and resharpened ?

[@Jedi_Jed]

Personally I think they use the zombie thing to avoid negative attention. I think heft is only bad against an opponent with a nimble sword. This thing seems great against baseball bats, axes, pipes, and machetes. You know the real zombies of our world.

[@kaimagnus5760]

Is it odd that I prefer a heavyer blade? The 1.44 kg Blade sounds about the weight I'd prefure. The length offers a small loss of reach but in a Zombie setting you'd likely face multiple foes in minimum space so you may not always have the clear space for a longer blade. The Two Handed grip I'd have to handle one to decide on though. The only thing I have against it is a slight bias against the leaf shape since the few I've handled weren't to my personal liking. But even still I'd defenatly pay 650 USD for that blade.

[@nucleardrake9981]

I'm sorry for being "that guy" but the diphos based on the handle size and blade length seems to be a hand-and-a-half-sword. which is meant for being small and light enough for one hand but sturdy and easy to use with one hand as well.