SICKLE vs. SWORD... It's Intense.

[@Gakulon]

That hook around the neck is delightfully brutal; the sickle is definitely cool enough to build character concepts around like those from the beginning

[@alphastronghold715]

Possible character idea as well: a fighter with the grappler feat who uses the sickles for said grappling. They seemed quite effective at that in the video, and honestly a lot of the flaws seem to be counteracted if using heavy armor.

[@crimsonzone8984]

Like that wolf guy from the second puss in boots movie

[@connerymilne6466]

I am reminded of when I used to spar in martial arts, the biggest advantage I could have was to just have longer arms than the other guy

[@admirallister7847]

I'm nearly 6'6 and it's the only thing that keeps me going when I spar with my friend with far better footwork than me

[@sirreginaldfishingtonxvii6149]

*sad short noises*

[@RohandaveSingh-xz6td]

Yeah but only for striking because being shorter actually makes kne better and grappling

[@cosmiclive4437]

I love the audible groan after having to get bodied for using the sickle. Having that much of a reach disadvantage sounds extremely frustrating, I agree.

[@sidecharacter7165]

A shield might help you get in close where you have the advantage.

[@512TheWolf512]

Anyone who ever used a sickle for their intended purpose for more than 10 minutes could tell you that it's not at all an innocent and unassuming tool

[@gergokerekes4550]

freshly sharpened it is a scary tool, like a machete. just with that you know it is dangerous, the sickle looks soo "tool-ish" but damn keep your hands way above cutting height or you might have to collect your fingers from the grass.

[@512TheWolf512]

@@gergokerekes4550 just like with a scythe. And if you don't keep it properly sharpened, it won't do it's job at all

[@gergokerekes4550]

@@512TheWolf512 yeah, where I live there is at least one accident with them each summer my wife is a surgeon and she pulls ER shifts a lot, she once had to suture more than 40 centimeters becouse some poor guy got cut with one in his leg and the blade rode up his bone gnarly stuff. effective tools, but damn they require more attention than many would expect.

[@512TheWolf512]

@@gergokerekes4550 yeah I nearly sliced my right index finger off this summer when sharpening a scythe

[@deli8878]

@@gergokerekes4550 Dang that's gnarly. Just to elaborate you mean like the blade didn't cut into the bone so it deflected and rode up the bone, ending up leaving a hanging piece of flesh off the bone? If so that's one ugly and messy scene/

[@stevetaylorftw]

Mismatched matchups with your analysis really help me understand what makes a weapon “good”. Thanks for doing this! More, please!

[@rocconatale9503]

there is no good or bade type of blade only individuals that are either good or bad with that blade, im trained in kama (japanese short blade sickles), have beat swords, but at the same time have lost a few times to individuals using sais, because they offer more utility but do the same job in essence, controlling your opponents arc of attack. so there is almost no such thing as a bad weapon, granted there are some but even those few that are genuinely bad, like the lantern shield (google it) which only works to its full potential at night have had people that were wildly successful with them. it is a matter of the time and effort each individual is willing to put into any given weapon that determines its value in combat. my instructor always used to tell me "weapons may break men, but it is the man who makes it a weapon"

[@Skallagrim]

@@rocconatale9503 Well, different weapons have pros and cons, and some are at a serious disadvantage against others. When a fighter is able to win with an inferior weapon it simply means that their skill / experience / physical fitness is far enough ahead of the opponent to compensate for that disadvantage.

[@rocconatale9503]

@@Skallagrim thats what i just said though. And you are agreeing with me the individual is what makes the weapon dangerous. I have seen people beat longswords with a foil the weapon means nothing its the person that uses it. *at least in sport* i will say though that in actual combat the disadvantage feels much more real and is enough to psyche almost anyone out when you realize your weapon of choice is under a foot

[@Nerdnumberone]

@@rocconatale9503 something like the sickle is still a "bad weapon" in this sort of fight because you need a significant skill differential to even make it a fair fight. The sickle user is playing on "hard mode". Just because there exists a person who can beat you with their dominant hand tied behind their back doesn't mean that having a hand tied behind your back isn't objectively a disadvantage. A weapon can't win or lose a fight on its own, but it can certainly make it harder or easier, therefore we can rate weapons against each other.

[@rocconatale9503]

@@Nerdnumberone you literally cant. A weapons effectiveness is entirely based on the person wielding it. objectively comparing weapons based on pros and cons means nothing. The only thing it allows you to do is determine which are harder or easier to learn. It does not speak to their effectiveness and to even attempt to imply otherwise is asinine. I've spent most of my life training with a variety of martial weapons im good with some bad with others but the weapons themselves are nothing more than tools, the utility of the weapon is determined by the craftsman just the same way that any other tools effectiveness is.

[@devanpretorius451]

if you added a hand guard, it would probably have been better, still looks really cool and for a rogue/ assassin seems perfect. Great vid and gives insight into how tropes might be better implemented in media and gives a great learning experience. Thanks for great contene!

[@grits_taste_good415]

Why not a clam shell gauntlet?

[@devanpretorius451]

@@grits_taste_good415 Maybe, I dunno. I jus really like guards that cover the hand like Skall's photoshopped picture of a sickle with a hand guard. Edit: Also I imagine having a sword hit directly on your knuckles even with a gauntlet like that would probably be very painful, which isn't really a problem with full hand guards that are attached to the weapon, nut hey, I have never really spared with anything but Skall did mention this in some of his vids.

[@davyhype6502]

The shotel is op

[@davyhype6502]

Does the shotel solves the issue of sickle

[@devanpretorius451]

@@davyhype6502 alot of shotels don't seem to have that much of a guard but are much longer so has other advantages but no it doesn't really because it is a long curved sword, not a short sickle as Skall shows off in the video, but thanks for reminding me of it, it is still under appreciated and cool despite not really relating to the discussion. :D

[@kounurasaka5590]

The thing that I find the most interesting from these kinds of tests, is how likely it is that each fighter would end up with some kind of injury. Assuming both fighters are of comparable skill, even the victor is still walking away with some cuts and stab wounds (assuming limited armor options). It really makes me wonder how common debilitating injuries would have been even for those who survived most battles.

[@youremakingprogress144]

Excellent work! I love the technical breakdown, the sparring footage was illuminating, and there were plenty of laughs to be had. I also think it's impressive that Skall doesn't take himself too seriously and doesn't treat the sparring as a competition. High five to Sindri, too. (Is that his real name, or a nickname from the mythical dwarven smith?)

[@ezrafaulk3076]

To sum it all up, *no* weapon's perfect, every single one has its strengths and weaknesses, and the one you pick should always be what works best for *you* and the situation *you're* gonna be in.

[@mitchelrowe6915]

Which is not likely going to be a sickle... Badass tho

[@feritperliare2890]

And since you are limited by money and the likelihood of situations a single weapon should be your answer so what should it be? For self defense probably a sword I think is fair and in times of war the spear is great

[@mitchelrowe6915]

@@feritperliare2890 9mm

[@civilprotectionunit8145]

@@feritperliare2890 I think a halberd might be better

[@victoriazero8869]

@@feritperliare2890 Historically, at some point, the sword *was* the expensive option. This wasn't different whether it's in Europe or Japan. Sickle is cheaper than swords like it's not funny. Hell they're much cheaper even in modern age, a good sickle is cheaper than dirt wallhanger.

[@y_magaming9798]

There's a Korean group that was using a double ended scythe against a katana or samgakdo. Love that group

[@tekinahlat7378]

Are they dead?

[@bigheadrhino]

I think you're talking about Weaponism. I love that channel.

[@anthonychristian3179]

@@tekinahlat7378 lmao

[@marcogenovesi8570]

Interesting, they seem to be much more viable than daggers against bigger weapons

[@rocconatale9503]

With proper training you could use either against larger weapons. I would take someone with a sword using a daga and in fact have in scrimmage, but yeah sickles and kamas are objectively better at fighting outside of their weight class

[@TrueFork]

clearly sickles are meant for dual wielding

[@rocconatale9503]

@@TrueFork no one said they werent?

[@nkyfong]

@@rocconatale9503, except for ninjas.

[@rocconatale9503]

@@nkyfong thats not true. Kama the japanese sickle are almost strictly dual wield with the exception of some kata that are designed for kodachi and kama, there are however kusurigama (chain kama's) that typically only have a kama on one side and a counter weight on the other that you can use as a hammer. So no even most ninjas dual wielded them since kusurigama is one of the harder weapons most of them wouldnt have been using it everyday

[@junemoeggenborg1873]

For me the really cool thing is hearing your mindset and possible improvements! Because all i could think was "wait, that sounds like a Chinese hook sword!" Longer reach, fairly complex hand protection, yet still with the advantages of the sickle!

[@adambielen8996]

Well that would be a bit more similar to a one handed Dacian Falx.

[@TheLithp]

I was thinking, "Besides the guard, you could add a point that extends beyond the hook for stabbing," only to realize that I just reinvented the oddly-named chicken sickles.

[@bartweijs]

If I remember correctly, there were some Kusarigama with handguards for that particular reason. However; any actual farmer would much rather grab his pitchfork, sharpened spade or threshing flail as an improvised weapon. Also, sickles were extremely light, thin and made from plain iron, not steel. A moderate strike from a twohander would go straight through the blade.

[@panoctic]

now i remember the guy from sleepy hollow, decided to grab two sicles to fight the horseman then gets cut in half.

[@falfires]

The SNICK-SNACK of double sickles before a bout seems hella intimidating.

[@jarcuadanantus28]

Man, I really love these sickle videos. They're just so interesting. But if the main drawback is the lack of reach, what if instead of a rapier and dagger, one's offhand was the sickle?

[@tommeakin1732]

This has only just occurred to me, but do you think one of the companies that create these synthetic weapons would custom build your requests as part of what would essentially be a sponsorship deal...? I know it'd be painfully inefficient and expensive for them to just build a very small number, but I honestly know nothing about their manufacturing process to know how expensive it'd be for them. I was just thinking it'd be kind of cool if you could look at a weapon like this sickle, speculate on what would improve it (like added hand protection), have someone build a practice version for you, and then you go and spar with it ^^

[@rocconatale9503]

a lot of them are either made of similar stuff as fencing foils or neoprene both are usually done with molds, pretty expensive cause each new design is a new mold entirely

[@jarongreen5480]

By the way Skallagrim, this was brought to mind by the reference in video, but I actually played Castlevania for the first time recently and it was really awesome! I see why you reference it all the time.

[@GeorgeCowsert]

Now I wanna see what using the sickle as an off-handed weapon could do, sortof like how Rapier and Dagger fighting is considered to be superior solely because you have something to attack with mid-parry.

[@Reverend_Salem]

especially since the sickle seems to be fairly good as a parrying weapon. paired with a good sized onehanded sword it likely would be a great combo.

[@tiltskillet7085]

Great video. Apart from the ease of hitting with the swords, the percentage of hits that looked like they'd be immediately debilitating was much higher.

[@kyleepratt]

Jesus Swashbuckling Christ you two are fast. The redirection of the sword tip and full swing, and the reaction of the sickle to meet it is just so impressive.

[@Profile__1]

Hey Skallagrim, I'm sure you've already been told, but I'd suggest for you to get into making more "shorts." They seem really popular, and I know they typically get a ton of random viewers in too. Your content has always been super interesting and highly immersive, plus you yourself are a really interesting speaker/narrator/educator with how you approach topics and teach. I think Shorts would definitely benefit you with the numbers and stuff as well as give you the opportunity to do more one-off skits or topics. But this is just a random recommendation coming from a random fan.

[@manuelunger9360]

Agree

[@comradebork]

I hate shorts so much I'm watching naked. The problem is navigation: shorts have inferior and awkward controls.

[@Profile__1]

@@comradebork That's true, but I think KZbin is definitely going to mess around with that soon since most of their views and interactions are coming from those.

[@johnbennett1465]

@@comradebork apparently it depends on the app. On my Android tablet, I see both with the same viewer and therefore the same controls.

[@dux5525]

I thought that you don't make much from Shorts though.

[@markrod20]

Now I curious how sickle would do against spear and other weapons with long shaft. Hooking against those weapons should be more deadly I think. It was a pleasure to watch all this sparing. It's very intresting see this weapon in action. I still think in a fantasy setting giving weapon like this to undead creatures is a good idea. They don't care about being damaged, but can go full offense with it bypass enemy armor by slashing weak spots.

[@A_Medieval_Shadow]

The video where each step is stopped and shows what is happening right there is very neat

[@arly803]

any thought to follow up with an improved combat sickle? i.e. a hand guard and somekind of cross or hook at the base of the blade to catch+hold a blade.

[@shaderax_storm6165]

Obvious answer to deal with reach issues is to put it on a stick... That's a scythe. Or put it on a chain, that's a kama. I do like the Khopesh though, a blacksmith close to where I live makes beautiful bronze ones... I wonder if there was a sword made for cutting round corners?

[@kris4786]

@@shaderax_storm6165 there are African swords for hooking shields and striking around them.

[@rocconatale9503]

@@shaderax_storm6165 kamas are not on a chain. kamas are short bladed front facing sickles, kusurigama is the chain sickle

[@rocconatale9503]

@@kris4786 although the continent was Africa the swords were egyptian and persian not african the shotel was the ethiopian one and it wasnt meant to disarm like the khopesh or the shamshir is. although it is capable of doing so.

[@rocconatale9503]

@@kris4786 my bad i just noticed you were talking about stirking over shields which is exactly what the african one is for lmao

[@hgd_hanylovely7544]

Its funny because in "My Country" we actually still uses sickle ,specifically palm sickle as notorious for being one of the most commond weapon for street fighting , maybe because it was able to counter machete and really good at stabbing and grabbing people but idk more

[@lukahumar1371]

The sickle would definitely be a devastating weapon with minor improvements, it does need some hand protection though. I'd maybe try a longer handle too (not by much tho), possibly with a hidden dagger in it for that bonus assassin points

[@Schenkel101]

Next episode, sickle and hammer fighting

[@I_am_ENSanity]

If you have good armor I could imagine dual wielding scythes could work. Use one hand to always bind while the other focuses solely on damage.

[@sky_tricks_ya6823]

I JUST LOVE THE INTRO "PEASANTS GONE WILD" LMFAO

[@scottmacgregor3444]

Looks like you had some fun experimental sparring. Good on you.

[@Ranstone]

In all honesty, I would still feel uncomfortable using a sickle against an unarmed attacker. Every real fight I have ever lost was because my grappling sucks. I _need_ the ability to stab to feel confident.

[@sidecharacter7165]

Make the outer edge as sharp as the inner then maybe?

[@boredchild6631]

Learn wrestling

[@Cold-Blooded-Jay]

The sickle just looks awesome. When you land a hit, it's like a preying mantis grabbing a grasshopper.

[@FantasticFourJohnnyStorm]

Pick it up.

[@rommix0]

pick... it... UP!

[@jacobgrossman794]

Boosting the algorithm, I love your content skal, you should do a video on different types of shields!

[@gigaslave]

This looks like the kind of fighting style Sly Cooper would use with his sickle-like cane.

[@DaLottiePirate]

Skall, some of your dodges against the longsword... uff mah man, smooth!!!

[@Mepholar]

Very fun to watch. Still feels like there is potential to the grapple play of the sickle, but pursuing it feels like a fun novelty. I understand short blade vs short blade isn’t your main pursuit but would watch it any time you post more sparring. There is a frenetic energy to it thats momentum + technique, whereas longer reach weapons rarely showcase the momentum. Would love to see a longer handled sickle with a hand guard. Not to mention if there are any hooked swords with edge on the inside. If you have already made a video of such swords would be great segue to link/ thumbnail.

[@DesignerBerg]

I friggin love the camerawork, editing, commentary and overall epic content of this video! It's even better than the last one!

[@trychydts]

I love these in-depth analysis.

[@alone4156]

Damn! That catch and throat slice to the right. Chef's kiss and s***

[@alone4156]

Last one, I promise for now, your channel is the first one I look for when I turn my Smart TV on my friend

[@romerus6087]

Can't a sword just overpower those tiny sickles? I mean, it seens that a proper sword would have enough force to push those sickles even when parried, making contact with the body. Of course I have no idea of how this works, i'm just speculating. EDIT: haha, never comment before watching the whole video. Got my answer at 11:00.

[@minaminasstudios8492]

0:33 Or a scary wolf who’s supposed to be the embodiment of death!

[@laason1091]

These sickle videos have been really great, my favorite type of content on your channel. More more more

[@Ryan-wm7wt]

You could adopt a lower fighting stance to compensate for the shorter weapon to defend from leg attacks. Though the average farmer would likely not know advanced combat stances and a knight or dedicated soldier would likely just use a better weapon lol. Great video Skallagrim.

[@felixheitzer2262]

Thank you for giving us more sickle vids. I really think that of the more "outlandish" weapons/ the ones that would have been derived from tools, its one of the more feasable ones. Therefore studying their usabillity and effektiveness makes a lot of sense.

[@temushin]

These are the really important questions that need answers. Totally on-board for this content.

[@lolaldanee2743]

The sparring footage is really good quality, respect, Sir!

[@shadowdwellerm3113]

Im soo glad you decided to continue experimenting with the sickle!!! i very much enjoyed this video as well! id be curious to find out how sickles would be against short or long axes or a pair of hatchets?? like two farmers having a disagreement, if mite work or not?? it would be amazing if someone could make you a pair of sickles with hand guards to see if that would make much of a difference , obviously reach would still be an issue against those longer weapons, it would also be interesting to see if a bit of longer handle would make any difference to the reach of the sickle?? but not scythe length or to hear your thoughts on if it would make a difference!! keep up the great work! truly appreciate the efforts that you put into your videos!

[@zacharyharwell351]

Just from watching the sparring, a Kama design with a D-shaped handguard and some short nails on the sides would seem to be a good set up: - The projection of the blade further away from the grip should assist in snagging the blade and the limbs of the opponent (though may require a technique adjustment) - You maintain a similar edge-length, though it is more straight (and perpendicular), than truly semi-circular - It allows an easier time with a "stab parry" due to the longer, straighter edge (For clarification, I refer to stabbing with the spine of the blade toward the angle of attack, much like trying to parry with the point of a pollaxe/halberd or axe) - The D-Shaped guard provides total frontal protection while also providing support for "ripping" type slices (yanking the blade through the target) and disallowing you to disarm yourself - the side nails (think like a Kriegsmesser) provide for some protection on the side of the hand, at least from sliding down the haft of the Kama style weapon. Thoughts on this? Note: Alternatively for the guard, you could have a somewhat narrower disk/Tsuba style guard that has a similar knuckle guard attachment for a very similar effect

[@brungrisatre5968]

I loved the video and seeing the sickles in action. Even if they're not an ideal weapon, it's still a joy to watch. Thanks Skall!

[@ConnorSinclairCavin]

One of the best ways to really learn good natural flow with this type of weapon is to watch a slow motion of manti or blade armed shrimp varieties combat.

[@shaidrim]

Nice vid as always. Like the double pov.

[@simoneriksson8329]

Cool video! The sickle faired better than I would have guessed!

[@valentin_bunin]

Imagine a usual sickle paired with a sickle with a carbiner like lock, so when the sword get into it, it cannot go out.

[@GaiusIncognitus]

DUDE! Perfect! This video is absolutely perfect. I love the thoroughness of your testing. I'm glad you show 1st person cam first for the experience, then the 3rd person cam for the explanation. I'm happy you had the text explanations of which hits were effective or not. I even like that you gave the simple answer right at the beginning of the video so people without the patience can still get the satisfaction. I think a PART 3 is due in which you pair the sickle with a variety of weapons and see what the most effective combination would be. Dual sickle? Sickle and straight blade? sickle and axe?? When you find that ideal combo, train with it for a couple weeks and try to entrench the techniques for dual short-range fighting with that combo. It could be a cool part 4 to revisit the fight after training. Seriously, you could make like 60% of your future uploads be this kind of testing weapon(s) against weapon(s). And then doing a sequence of training with them and then doing a rematch. I would watch every one of those.

[@TheBekken9500Isback]

Thank you for brining this to my attention. It was fucking excellent. Keep it up skallagrim. One norse man to another :)

[@angelramirez936]

I think combining a sickle with that parrying dagger you showed would be excellent. Turn that sickle virtually into a catcher's mitt for edged weapons!

[@TheUnclefester13]

There is a Mexican fight style that uses a sickle like blade and a blanket around the opposite arm. Saca Tripa. They use the blade side up instead of down. They called it the gut ripper. They used the blanket to shield the off hand and hide the blade. Then close. Stick the sickle in and pull it to them. From a civilian self defense angle, an Irish sheleighli, and the sickle as my off hand weapon would be my go to combo. Maybe a brass knuckle for the grip?

[@Zarkonem]

These are my favorite kinds of videos you do. Keep up the good work Skall!

[@aspenlord1991]

Something I enjoyed from the first video was the theory before the sparring. I don’t see a lot of training against compliant opponents on YT and the segment where the two of you were demonstrating the blocks was cool.

[@sivelti3914]

This was interesting. I liked that this video illustrated the reach advantage well, since in this video I could really see it in action.

[@ColArana]

Really nice analysis, and it's great to see your sparring footage!

[@oakashthornman7834]

This is what I love from you Skall, keep it up!

[@christianmartinez9751]

This is really sick! Or should I say, sickle? But seriously, they look cool, they perform interestingly, and have room for modification. Besides a guard, I think I’d possibly add a little more length and slightly less curve to it. I’m curious how that would perform! So far the grappling stuff you’ve shown and talked about is bad ass!

[@zsDUGGZ]

Basically shotel with a guard

[@th3WhiteKnight]

Damn I love this type of videos.

[@SuperOtter13]

I love this kind of content. Fascinating weapon. Thank you for putting this all together for us. Cheers!

[@yaoshan5069]

Love the content lately keep it up skal

[@matthewburdick4966]

The overwhelming urge to just throw the first sickle

[@alone4156]

Skallagrim, I haven't been watching your channel for over 5 years, and your content is amazingly badass. Believe it or not I actually used a f****** copy of the God damn Sean Connery White dragon katana that I got when I was 16, just had it lying around and some guy try to jump through my screen open window. I grab the white plasticy dragon sword handle and put the blade to his chest as my friend jumped out of his chair and told the guy that he was f****** trespassing into jump the f*** out. Those were my exact words. He proceeded to grab the blade with both of his hands Palms Under the Blade obviously turned all of his weight and try to pull it out of my f****** grasp. I then turn the blade upward shifted my weight to whatever shoulder and sliced upward and and forward as f*** and the guy needed stitches. I didn't get any trouble because the apartment manager came over to investigate and basically he said look I'm going to charge you for the busted window blinds and I'm going to make sure that kid doesn't get arrested. And I'll make sure he never comes by here again. Smart guy. Mr skallagim. I have appreciated your channel for a long time and I would like to give you my personal email so that if you want I can draw you some customized artwork for your Channel. I am an artist in three different ways my friend. If I could say this. Please get back to me and I will send you my personal phone number or email address. Have a good night and thank you for everything you've done here on the KZbins

[@mystic-malevolence]

I appreciate the annotations on the combat; it helps demonstrate the dynamics of the situation. How about, instead of rushing forwards, stepping back before rushing forwards? To goad the opponent into an early attack?

[@ScarecrowsSwords]

That was awesome!! Love the content and super glad to see you guys in action!!

[@steevemartial4084]

Very cool video. Love this format.

[@paulpolito2001]

From a practical perspective, I would probably almost always go for the hands/wrists, using something so short AND curved; but that usually isn’t a kosher strike, I guess. Better at cutting foliage than fauna, especially when khukri & kopesh blades do the same thing - but better. If ya *really* need to have such a pronounced curve that the point is 90 degrees horizontal… get a sica, lol E: you have a great point, in that a good shell guard, maybe even a short quillion, and that’d make a great alternative to a buckler or parrying dagger.

[@ArniesTech]

Screw the algorithm. All the success to you, Skall! 🙏🤗

[@andrewhinson4323]

Your shirt has more production value than armor pieces in Rings of Power XD

[@TheAnimeAtheist]

This nice thing about sickles is they have the same bind power as a longer blades, they're more bind efficient, however their shorter length makes starting binds harder. Their shorter length also makes their skill cap higher. What's really nice though is the control you have with them once you get in close is amazing, rather unparalleled. In an everyday setting they're probably better than a dagger or dirk of similar length, however the small straight blades are preferred for being to wedge themselves into armor. So sickles don't really have much use on real battlefield as they can only really be used effectively on up to lightly armored opponents.

[@ColonelMustache]

Excellent video! I'd love it when you talk about potential applications of improvised weapons (or techniques, like using a bow in melee). Torches and pitchforks next, perhaps?

[@SkylordNiko]

okay okay, what if though, you create a weapon that is a sort of blend between a sickle and parrying dagger, something akin to the "blade" of a billhook polearm? I feel like that would take the advantages of a parrying dagger and a sickle without the disadvantages of a sickle. (apart from the short reach of course) As an off-hand weapon it feels to me like it could be quite effective? Would also love to see you use a sickle as an offhand weapon in conjunction with another blade! These sparring videos are awesome, keep up the great work.

[@here_bedragons]

I really liked this video and the one before it. Really opened up some ideas, while keeping in mind the drawbacks =)

[@GinoLuccio]

Sparring video's always +1!

[@metaru6752]

so like the poor man's parrying dagger

[@librarybear3419]

A very interesting video. Every time I saw fingers targeted, I started to think deer horn knives or wind and fire wheels, which have a bit better defense but even less range. Of course, they also don't help with feet issue...

[@AveHidan]

4:55 if you are in lack of reach, waiting for your opponent to close the gap is so simple but so brilliant, you have advantage of countering, and being prepared. There are less options in rushing (stopping, going back or dodge) and your reaction will be worse. Good technique is making an false entry in your defence, pretending that you not know that, or raging the opponent

[@paulozaurusrex2719]

How about reverse gripping one sickle? It might sound dumb but if you have problems with leg cuts that might be a solution. You can see that kind of stance in teak won do too. They always have one hand straight down to block lower kicks and one up to block high kicks and punches. Definitely something to consider

[@rudelwolf1591]

i do want to say (and i say that in the full knowledge that this is basically backseat gaming, and that i am not that well trained like skall, so take more then a grain of salt) but i do think something that held you back in that sparring was the very defensive style you used. i do think that not only that one time it was called out in the video, but a few times a fast rush in would have won that. i really felt that more aggression is the right key with such a weapon. but again, i wasn't there, so could just be stupid talk. either way, it was nice to see a typical fantasy weapon tested out. :D

[@shubashkamta1509]

Notice you use the concave as opposed outter edge to catch the sword directly. Use the non cutting outside edge to deflect, then turn wrist towards the direction the sword strike, and adding a push in the bind that the blade is traveling in or against the forearm of the challenger. This adds more inertia to the opponents deflected strike. This will allow nuances in technique and less recovery time for the opponent to counter. Plus you need to work on your dual wielding technique. Would suggest Kali.

[@bunny6820]

I think that the sickle might work better two handed if you hold one of them upside down Let me explain: instead of them both defending the same area of your body, one is specialized in lower defense and the other on the upper parts of the body, sure, your hand is a lot more bendy downwards but you can still use sideways and diagonal strikes as well as use your arm to solidify your grip Extra observations: -Considering the back end of the sickle is generally not sharp, you can press it against your arm on the reverse sickle to have a sturdy grip with almost unbreakable parries -Your arms would move in opposite sides and directions, rarely getting in the way of each other -The lower blade would be specialized in parrying and devastating close range cuts while the higher blade would aim from farther for the neck or help divert the weapon so the lower blade can come into play -You could put your hands close together as they defend opposite angles, having full defensive control over an axis or angle, as you would need to move your arms minimally to parry against any part of your body

[@chris8612]

I was thinking the same thing about flipping one upsidedown for more protection. Also, might be able to trap the blade better, then you could close in with less risk.

[@isaweesaw]

Put it on a pole! I can see a peasant rehafting his sickle for battle. I like the crescent moon shape it'd make too

[@Dondlo46]

Fighting with sickles is sick(le)

[@MrMann703]

Thank you for this video, it was interesting. The longer handled kama sickle style would be better suited to go against a sword it would appear. I watched a video titled, Two sickle fighting style you never knew existed, by the channel Let's ask Seki Sensei. The old fellow wielding the sickles showed some interesting techniques on catching, trapping and diverting a blade while coming in to deliver a blow with the second sickle.

[@edward9674]

Glad to see some more experimental archaeology being done!

[@I_Willenbrock_I]

Instant like. Awesome follow up to te first video.

[@toml.9937]

I don't suppose anyone remembers that Sleepy Hollow from the 90s had a dual sickle vs short sword/ax fight scene. awesome scene and one of my favorite Jonny Depp movies.

[@andrejara4054]

Add a hand guard and round guard to the hilt. As for the blade, start with a 10-15cm straight section, THEN curve the blade into a sickle. Makes it longer and safer without messing up the balance too much.

[@lfbp7051]

Props to the music department

[@Comet-Man3015]

I guess Death's advantage is his bigger than Puss in boots and his sword

[@livecatgrenades]

So just 4 mins in and I think I already have an answer to help with this: off hand stick. Specifically for just blocking and redirecting as you move and strike. Also sticks are easily found and assuming a small amount of prep time you could probably find one that's work well enough for a time. Not a perfect answer but I was thinking this for a 'villager protecting his home' point of view and it was less than five minutes of though, so it seems a valid answer.

[@angrydog4379]

really cool to see how this weapon can be used.