Southeast Asian DHA sword - Siamese Edge reviewed & tested

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  • čas přidán 17. 07. 2023
  • Looking at (and testing) the Southeast Asian Dha sword type, specifically the Burmese version ( siameseedge.com/ ).
    3 extra videos each month on Patreon, which hugely helps support this channel:
    / scholagladiatoria
    Facebook & Twitter updates, info and fun:
    / historicalfencing
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    Schola Gladiatoria HEMA - sword fighting classes in the UK:
    www.swordfightinglondon.com
    Matt Easton's website & Pinterest:
    www.matt-easton.co.uk/
    www.pinterest.co.uk/matt_east...
    Easton Antique Arms:
    www.antique-swords.co.uk/

Komentáře • 464

  • @JT_Soul
    @JT_Soul Před 10 měsíci +300

    17th-century Ayutthaya was one of the most diverse places in the world. In addition to the Siamese (Thai) majority and certain indigenous minority ethnic groups like the Mon, there were many significant foreign populations. King Narai the Great (1656-1688) employed large numbers of Japanese and Persian mercenaries and advisors. The Persians mostly came as merchants, while many of the Japanese were descendants of Christians who had fled their country to escape persecution or members of samurai clans that had fought on the losing side in the Sengoku Period and fled for political reasons. Some Japanese also came to trade through the Red Seal ships. The most prominent Japanese in 17th-century Siam was the mercenary adventurer Yamada Nagamasa (who grew up about 20 minutes from my wife's hometown). The Persians wrote some valuable accounts of the country, such as the Safine-ye Solaymani by Ebn Moḥammad Ebrāhim. Later in his reign, Narai's most important advisor was Constantine Phaulkon (born Κωνσταντῖνος Γεράκης), a Greek adventurer from Cephalonia, in the Ionian Islands (the same part of Greece where I was born). You can still visit the ruins of his house in Lopburi. Major foreign Asian populations in the city were those of the Chinese, Malays, and Indians - all of whom had an influential trade presence there.
    Another important merchant community in this period was the Portuguese, who had their own district in Ayutthaya called the "campo Português." Many of these people were refugees who had been driven out of Portuguese colonies by the Dutch, who took advantage of the period of the Iberian Union (1580-1640) to seize under-defended Portuguese colonies in the Spice Islands. A lot of them were of mixed descent (Portuguese + SE Asian or S Asian via Goa). The Dutch and the English also established a presence in Ayutthaya in this period, although the French were the most influential European faction during Narai's reign. Narai sent two famous embassies to Paris to establish an alliance with King Louis XIV. One of the gifts presented by the Siamese ambassadors to the French court was a pair of beautiful small field cannons. A little over a hundred years later, these would be found by revolutionaries ransacking royal storehouses in Paris and used to fire on the Bastille, only to end up in the personal collection of Napoleon Bonaparte. (Today, they can be seen in the UK's Royal Artillery Museum.) There are several interesting French descriptions written by Jesuits who visited Siam in the late 17th century, as well as the excellent account of the ambassador François Timoléon, abbé de Choisy (who was famous in his day for his transvestism and posthumously for his scandalous Mémoires of his days at court). Sadly, most native Siamese sources of the period were destroyed when the Burmese sacked Ayutthaya in 1767 and burned the city to the ground.
    One can imagine that a very wide range of arms and armour would have been found in Siam in this period: local designs, Japanese and European trade swords (and guns and armour), Malay and Chinese styles of blade, Persian and Indian swords, etc. would all have been in common use.

    • @JT_Soul
      @JT_Soul Před 10 měsíci +13

      @NeuroJack It's a fascinating part of the world. If you have the time and inclination, I recommend checking out the many publications of the late Michael Smithies. He published English translations of a lot of sources pertaining to 16th- and 17th-century Siam and other parts of SE Asia.

    • @dolsopolar
      @dolsopolar Před 10 měsíci +10

      most of Ayutthaya smallarms were imported too including european persian and even japanese muskets. there are also foreign troops in the Ayutthaya army like japanese mercenary and european as "volunteer sharpshooters" using muskets and as master gunners operating cannons (Ayutthayan were also known for making their own cannons and exporting them by this point)

    • @Priapos93
      @Priapos93 Před 10 měsíci +5

      Few places on CZcams have the quality of Matt's comment section. Thanks for the lesson!

    • @emptyemptiness8372
      @emptyemptiness8372 Před 10 měsíci +8

      ​@NeuroJack555 (hahaha) Thailands royal family are of Chinese decent not Burmese.

    • @Musashi
      @Musashi Před 10 měsíci +12

      @NeuroJack Their family is more specifically of Mon heritage, interestingly enough the previous king was also a naturalized American citizen. So Thai, Mon, American :) But to be honest the whole South East Asian region is culturally very similar, being a hub of trade aka the Italy of Asia.

  • @rikospostmodernlife
    @rikospostmodernlife Před 10 měsíci +84

    That is a weapon that manages to look both elegant and imposing. Also, loving the subtle reverse tapering in width

    • @siameseedge
      @siameseedge Před 10 měsíci +4

      The widen end help balance the blade and more cutting power with this blade shape.

    • @badlaamaurukehu
      @badlaamaurukehu Před 10 měsíci

      Dha dha dha

    • @frankharr9466
      @frankharr9466 Před 10 měsíci

      I hadn't notice that.

  • @realhorrorshow8547
    @realhorrorshow8547 Před 10 měsíci +28

    If I recall correctly, one of the standard phrases that you find in ancient Greek legends is "hung a sword under his arm" when a man prepares for a journey with a good chance of fighting. On C15th and C16th re-enactment battlefields I wore my longsword in much the same way because, in close melee, it's hard to draw a long weapon at the hip.

  • @dankone1133
    @dankone1133 Před 10 měsíci +53

    Wow, this is very interesting. I've been watching your videos for years now and this is the first vid I've seen on dha/dhab. I am actually of the hmong ethnic group and and it just occrued to me that these types of swords are very commonly seen in hmong households too. They are very common heirlooms. Another common hmong heirloom is also a dhiab(knife). The knives also have a similar blade shape to the dhab. I never thought this would be covered by any sword expert but hey, here we are. Awesome to see this! Thanks Matt!

  • @Nebulax123
    @Nebulax123 Před 10 měsíci +31

    I have an example that is around 100 to 150 years old and at some time in its history someone stuffed fishing weights in the back of the handle to counterbalance the blade and they did a good job as it feels almost weightless in hand. I use it to cut light brush and vegetation and it works very well.

    • @Nebulax123
      @Nebulax123 Před 10 měsíci +9

      @@DOOMAO Let not your heart be troubled. I don't bash it into the dirt or try to cut through large limbs, it only cuts green light vegetation off the ground. It holds a good edge for such work and I have only sharpened it once when I first got it and restored it. I have been restoring cutlery since the 70's and I only use it well within its limits.

    • @ryangierman4421
      @ryangierman4421 Před 10 měsíci +2

      Thanks for sharing. It is your sword. Do with at you please.

  • @scootbrother194
    @scootbrother194 Před 10 měsíci +15

    I am Thai Lanna sword partitioner in Thailand.
    This is one of Suvarnabhumi Usa-khanay Dhaab (ดาบสุวรรณภูมิ อุษาคเนย์).
    By the short handle, let's guess this is not Thai or Siamese.
    Because Thai(Siamese) sword handle is one time longer than this one.
    Bai-Khaw blade shape style (ดาบใบข้าว) is common famous use by any type of soldier.
    Thanks for review

    • @zamolxezamolxe8131
      @zamolxezamolxe8131 Před 10 měsíci +2

      Chinag mai? Chiang rai? Lamphun? Lamphang?

    • @user-qh5xw6me1i
      @user-qh5xw6me1i Před 10 měsíci +2

      The short handle is often used in northern areas such as Chiang Mai and northern Thailand. Including the Burmese sword too

    • @thawankesmala7606
      @thawankesmala7606 Před 10 měsíci +1

      ด้ามทรงกระบอกไม่น่ามีปัญหาในการใช้งาน เพราะดาบจะชดเชยด้วยน้ำหนักที่สมดุล วางสันดาบไว้บนนิ้วที่โดนดาบ ใบดาบจะหงายขึ้นเสมอ ดังนั้นดาบไทยจึงไม่จำเป็นต้องมีด้าทรงเหลี่ยมแบบซามูไร คนใช้ดาบจะรู้สึกได้เองว่าคมดาบไปทางไหน แม้ในที่มืด

  • @tamsinp7711
    @tamsinp7711 Před 10 měsíci +8

    My dad had an antique(?) one of these, with a slightly shorter blade. Just for decoration, although it did get used for cutting once - my sister's wedding cake!

  • @gainoob
    @gainoob Před 9 měsíci +17

    At my grandfather house we've an antique Siamese dha sword as an heirloom, the grip and handle are quite longer(around elbow) in order to use it as an arm guard and much faster to rotate or swing the sword around your wrist because center or gravity is at the center of the grip or base of the hilt, but I heard there's a lot variations of handle range from short to long depending on the region or school they learn the swordplay

  • @Galphor
    @Galphor Před 10 měsíci +2

    6:29 "anyways, I'm not gonna bang on about this"
    no sir, please do. I would watch an entire video where you speak in detail comparing the different ways that different cultures held their swords on their bodies.
    PLEASE SIR I WANT SOME MORE!

  • @vischidamian879
    @vischidamian879 Před 10 měsíci +45

    Beautiful blade

    • @lalli8152
      @lalli8152 Před 10 měsíci +1

      Yeah these things look awesome in general. I also like this sort of locks in the scabbard

  • @user-yn6pk6tt4l
    @user-yn6pk6tt4l Před 9 měsíci +85

    The Thai sword was designed for use with the martial art known as muay thai. It is short, slender and light so that the user can wield it in tight corners and in hand-to-hand combat.

    • @huho2782
      @huho2782 Před 8 měsíci +4

      myanmar DHA

    • @yamato00001
      @yamato00001 Před 8 měsíci +2

      มันคือดาบของลาว

    • @tdphone-vz2zh
      @tdphone-vz2zh Před 8 měsíci +8

      เฮ้อจะเถียงกันทำไม ยุคนั้นมันก็ใช้ศิลปะร่วมกันนั่นแหละ ดาบไทยก็เลียนแบบต่างชาติไม่ว่าพม่า จีน ญี่ปุ่น โปรตุเกส เปอร์เซีย ถ้าแยกจริงๆคงจะมีแต่ดาบน้ำพี้นั่นแหละไทยแท้

    • @tdphone-vz2zh
      @tdphone-vz2zh Před 8 měsíci

      แต่ถ้าคมจริงๆก็ต้องดาบเหล็กน้ำพี้กะคาตานะ ถ้าสวยสุดในเอเชียก็ต้องดาบพม่า

    • @yamato00001
      @yamato00001 Před 8 měsíci +1

      สำคัญกว่าคือ ตัดตะปู 3 หุน ขาดไหม แล้ว หลังจากตัดแล้ว ดาบบิ่นไหม

  • @wylde_hunter
    @wylde_hunter Před 10 měsíci +2

    Gorgeous sword - I want one! I like the carrying method too, so practical. Thanks again for the hard work you put into your videos Matt.

  • @shovellord1117
    @shovellord1117 Před 10 měsíci +124

    I've looked at these before, beautiful swords! Hey Matt do you think you could make some videos on Southeast Asia's warfare/battles? I think it's a super interesting topic that has few videos on it!

    • @badlaamaurukehu
      @badlaamaurukehu Před 10 měsíci +6

      #Jungle Warfare
      I too would appreciate some further coverage of things like the Moro wars and other interactions in the area where people just had to improvise.

    • @markfergerson2145
      @markfergerson2145 Před 10 měsíci +7

      Indeed. Fighting style influences design, and I wonder why guards are so rare on such swords.

    • @scootbrother194
      @scootbrother194 Před 10 měsíci +5

      We (Thai) don't put one any armor.
      (0% armored) just only the leader or king wearing half + chain mail armor.
      The fighting style of two hands agility with Muay Thai elbow + kick combination is deadly enough too kill armor warrior in second. sometime apply with LOH(Shield).
      The battlefield was always in the rice field with muddy terrain.
      So we don't put any heavy armor during the battle.

    • @MRNDESO-ps7bz
      @MRNDESO-ps7bz Před 10 měsíci +2

      ​@@scootbrother194
      As javanese i agree with you

    • @smartphonesamsung9243
      @smartphonesamsung9243 Před 10 měsíci +2

      According to Sri Triratana school master . Thai warrior wear some protection . He found ancient elephant skin head protection hat at rural wat, the old and real one.

  • @Dustypilgrim1
    @Dustypilgrim1 Před 10 měsíci +19

    Loved that.
    The Dha/Dhab has always been one of my favourite types/styles of blade. So, thanks for that . Enjoyed it immensely .
    It might be interesting to see a comparitive test against a kukhuri , particularly a long bladed Kukhuri of a sirupate style.
    The opposing curve and counter-curve of the 'belly' of the blades would create an interesting area of comparative testing .

  • @telalion7778
    @telalion7778 Před 10 měsíci +12

    ขุนศึกดาบคู่ ทหาร-ไพร่ดาบเดียว ดาบบางกำลังดี คม เบาคล่องตัว ถือดาบสู้กับข้าศึก มือจะไม่ล้า สะพายหลังดาบคู่ หรือดาบเดียว มีดสั้นเหน็บเอว 1 เล่ม ดาบสวยแบบมีเอกลักษณ์
    วัฒนธรรมความเป็นไทย มาช้านาน
    ขอบคุณที่ให้รับชม

  • @Dynotop1a
    @Dynotop1a Před 10 měsíci +11

    I really enjoyed this review!
    I’m fond of carrying a blade like that as well. It’s very widely practical, comfortable, and cool looking.

  • @jessecunningham9924
    @jessecunningham9924 Před 10 měsíci +3

    Wow those look so good; and it’s so fast! I love the simplicity too.

  • @jamesc8259
    @jamesc8259 Před 10 měsíci +2

    You look so happy to be holding that sword in the thumbnail. It’s great 😎👍

  • @ZainAhmad-jl4vt
    @ZainAhmad-jl4vt Před 10 měsíci +1

    man, I love all sorts of sabers because of your channel

  • @-RONNIE
    @-RONNIE Před 10 měsíci +2

    Thank you so much for the review and testing in this video. It seems like a good weapon ⚔️

  • @oskar6661
    @oskar6661 Před 10 měsíci +14

    I know next to nothing about swords, but that does look really great. Great size, great carrying method, great finish. Pretty slick.

  • @disky01
    @disky01 Před 10 měsíci +7

    What a lovely piece. Of course there is practical and artistic value to complex guards and bows, but I appreciate these simple designs for their aesthetic elegance.

  • @stevene6482
    @stevene6482 Před 10 měsíci +7

    Beautiful set! I love the look of well crafted simplicity over things that are extremely ornate.

  • @travishancock9120
    @travishancock9120 Před 10 měsíci +3

    May be a new favorite sword. That is beautiful.

  • @kennyhagan5781
    @kennyhagan5781 Před 10 měsíci

    Very nice, I think I might just want one now.
    The scabbard is what keeps drawing my gaze, that is genuine old-school style.

  • @orginyigam732
    @orginyigam732 Před 10 měsíci

    Your video is giving me so many nostalgic memories from my childhood...

  • @JCOwens-zq6fd
    @JCOwens-zq6fd Před 10 měsíci +20

    It is a nice Dha. I also like that method of wearing/carry. It's how i've got my machete set up for hunting & trailblazing. It's quite comfortable & it doesnt get in the way of the shooting of my bow either.

  • @Cyotis
    @Cyotis Před 10 měsíci

    Dha vs Anything ! Love you videos. Very informative.

  • @tripogden880
    @tripogden880 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Lovely and informative video and a very well built and intriguing sword. Also dangerously affordable for the quality.

  • @williamallen2760
    @williamallen2760 Před 10 měsíci +12

    I would like to see how the Dha performs cutting flesh. I'm especially interested in the thrusting capabilities compared with other Asian blades such as various types of Dao.

  • @kriegermountaincrafts
    @kriegermountaincrafts Před 10 měsíci +10

    Love the dha. I would like to see it compared to anything. It would be great to hear more about the distal taper as well as other features of the blade geometry, also the weight and balance(I know you mentioned that specs are available on their website.) It would be great to see some comparisons of the different regional dha and their characteristics such as short grip/long grip, blade size/thickness/length, high status/low status(design and features/decoration). Also, it would be great to know more about uses(self defense, tool, warfare,etc.)
    One more point, if you slide the sword while wearing it around to your back a little more, you can carry it and it will be out of the way while doing other tasks(I learned a similar thing with archery quivers)
    Thanks, awesome sword and review.

    • @siameseedge
      @siameseedge Před 10 měsíci

      There a way to tie rope for back carry as well.
      The rope can also be turn to have blade up or down.
      Or you can simply turn the sword to your back and wrap a sash around you waist and this will also secure sword for back carry.
      There many many blade design for dha for slicing , cutting , stabbing. The fitting are from basic like wood and rope wrap or rattan , cast precious metal , silver tooled or gold plated. The fitting usually represent rank and how wealthy the person is.

  • @spoutnik7703
    @spoutnik7703 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Yep, I want to see more of this beautiful blade and learn more about east asian sword in general.

  • @Arachnoid_of_the_underverse
    @Arachnoid_of_the_underverse Před 10 měsíci +3

    Nice looking sword Matt, very nimble an an ideal weapon for close quarters.

  • @badlaamaurukehu
    @badlaamaurukehu Před 10 měsíci +7

    I have a golok from a similar company(if not the same) and have used it to clear brush and for fire prep for a few years and had no build issues or chipped/easily dulled edges. And I do believe it has a legit hamon.

    • @siameseedge
      @siameseedge Před 10 měsíci +5

      There another company name Siame Blade and we’re happy if you support them as they also support our local smiths and artisan in similar ways to our.
      For us Siamese Edge we specialize as sword sellers. Our owner is a practitioner of the art and researched various antique to recreate the art to make the best dha we can for martial artist and collect alike.

    • @theghosthero6173
      @theghosthero6173 Před 10 měsíci

      It's neat to see that people like the kachin wore it into ww2 for self defense and clearing brush, cool weapons

  • @Del350K4
    @Del350K4 Před 10 měsíci +15

    Hello, Matt.
    I'd be interested to see this sword tested against a European sabre of a roughly equivalent period, and against a tulwar.

  • @stevepenney2073
    @stevepenney2073 Před 10 měsíci +1

    i like a lot of the Asian weapons.Right now im using a barong,a kukri and i have a wall hanger katana.Great channel!

  • @linnkhantpaing
    @linnkhantpaing Před 9 měsíci

    " DHA mean sowrd, you are saying Sword Sword " XD. This is such a really good video. The way you explain give me inspiration on character design of my project. Thank you for this lovely video!!

  • @shadowphoenix8962
    @shadowphoenix8962 Před 10 měsíci

    I think that's my new favorite sword . Beautiful!

  • @acethesupervillain348
    @acethesupervillain348 Před 10 měsíci +5

    There are traditional cutting competitions that they still do in those areas, (I remember specifically seeing it for the Naga people of the Assam region). It'd be interesting to see if you can do some traditional cutting tests to see. (There's one that shows up as a trope in Japanese media as a summer-time or beach game, I think it's cutting either watermelon or bamboo, as an example, can't remember the exact details right now unfortunately)

  • @alanlutz8373
    @alanlutz8373 Před 10 měsíci +1

    I really dig that one. Thanks for the video.

  • @wompa70
    @wompa70 Před 10 měsíci +11

    I think that if swords were carried around today these would be very popular. Behind katanas and medieval longswords.

    • @Ilyas-ty6cy
      @Ilyas-ty6cy Před 9 měsíci

      This would be equivalent like a messer in Europe. Would be a common choice among mercenaries since they often favor slashing weapons.

  • @richardzapata357
    @richardzapata357 Před 10 měsíci +1

    I’m pretty interested in these swords. I would like to see it tested on wood in order to see how well it holds together. I think a comparison against a saber or falchion would be quite interesting. Thanks for the video!

  • @ankokuraven
    @ankokuraven Před 10 měsíci +4

    That really is a gorgeous piece
    Its making me genuinely consider getting one

  • @loneronin6813
    @loneronin6813 Před 10 měsíci

    Given your background in HEMA as well as your interest in swords from India, maybe you could test it alongside both a European sabre of your choosing as well as a Tulwar. I also think it would be cool to see it compared to a Dao of some form or even a Katana as well, or all of the above if you're up for that. Anyway, the Dha sure is a fascinating sword and I appreciate you lending your expertise to making an in-depth video about it, and complete with cutting no less! Superb work!

  • @brassbandmission1643
    @brassbandmission1643 Před 10 měsíci +3

    Seems like a guard might be in the way a little wearing it up like that. The music is a nice touch!

  • @naylin2938
    @naylin2938 Před 9 měsíci +4

    Burma has many ethnic groups. So, there are many types and shapes of Dha such as Shan Dha, Kachin Dha, Chin Dha, Mon Dha, etc, and the Dha, you are using belongs to the Bamar ethnic group so-called "Bird's Feather Blade" "ငှက်ကြီးတောင်ဓား" in Burmese.

  • @MK-gn1nz
    @MK-gn1nz Před 10 měsíci +3

    "dhar" means knife in Burmese. With such accuracy & agility, a warrior who is also skilled in marital arts making use of two Dhars simultaneously would be very effective in hand to hand combat.

  • @PJDAltamirus0425
    @PJDAltamirus0425 Před 10 měsíci

    I’m kinda curious if the round handle was used to switch between the edge forward and the back end forward for flax like techinques or guard bypassing with sudden angle changes.

  • @KodingKuma
    @KodingKuma Před 3 měsíci

    The grip is circular because it suppose to roll on your hand. It's part of fighting technique. There're lots more anomaly on the sword itself, the weight, the balance, the heavy flip side so it automatically flip the sharp side towards the enemy when you swing it, etc.

  • @kaoskronostyche9939
    @kaoskronostyche9939 Před 10 měsíci

    Cool sword! Nice cutting. Thank you.

  • @KenRomero
    @KenRomero Před 10 měsíci

    Goodness, what a gorgeous specimen!

  • @dougsinthailand7176
    @dougsinthailand7176 Před 10 měsíci +3

    Yes! I had the pleasure of test cutting with Khun Bright in Bangkok. I’m glad you got to examine one of his other darbs. By the way, in the Thai language, they barely pronounce the final consonant in words, so “darb” would effectively be pronounced “da”.

    • @kittenastrophy5951
      @kittenastrophy5951 Před 10 měsíci +1

      We Thais always say with strong ending consonant as "darb" or "daab" with R sound not rolling, never been "da". We have no problem saying or hearing words with ending consonant, it's our language.

    • @atom8248
      @atom8248 Před 10 měsíci

      ​@@kittenastrophy5951yeah it sounds more like dahp or daap to me, no idea where the idea that it's pronunced like dha came from.

    • @jnhkz
      @jnhkz Před 10 měsíci +1

      after googling for a minute. Dha is Burmese pronounce and Daab/Darb is Thai, for sword.
      In Thai it is ดาบ, ด=d, า=ar/aa, บ=b/p.

    • @user-fe9ug3ny4h
      @user-fe9ug3ny4h Před 9 měsíci +1

      ดาบ

    • @yhwh5568
      @yhwh5568 Před 7 měsíci

      ​@@jnhkzit's ဓား in burmese
      ဓ - dha, ာ - ar, း - elongated vowel marker
      i never learned thai script but the similarities shocked me

  • @bladetasticknives5712
    @bladetasticknives5712 Před 10 měsíci

    Love it !! I’ve always wanted a Dha sword from Thailand 🇹🇭

  • @bazaks447
    @bazaks447 Před 10 měsíci

    The drums during the test cutting had me in stitches

  • @robertdlithgow
    @robertdlithgow Před 10 měsíci +1

    Gorgeous blade. I wouldn't mind seeing it up against a simple $20 machete from Walmart, because I expect the comparison would be quite stark and because such a blade is something a lot of us on here are likely to have on hand (if I owned a blade like the one in this video, I think I'd be too timid to experiment with it on various materials because I'd be afraid of damaging it).
    Out of curiosity, do you happen to know the bevel on that particular blade? I'm just curious. Wondering if they're historically beveled differently from other Asian and European swords. Guessing historically, by hand sharpening it was less precise and depended on the user, but have never come across much on the topic.

  • @justiceforall6412
    @justiceforall6412 Před 5 měsíci +1

    Not only is that a beautiful sword, but the cutting was impressive.

  • @durlabhbrahma3363
    @durlabhbrahma3363 Před 10 měsíci +5

    There is also a sword of the ahom Kingdom called the hangdeng . The shape and design is almost similar mostly due to the fact that the ahoms did migrate from that region. Would love it if you do a video on it . The ahoms were in the north east region of the India

    • @torquemada4327
      @torquemada4327 Před 9 měsíci +4

      They're Tai-Ahom while thailand is Tai-Siam they're both tai-kadai ethnics group

    • @freekick042
      @freekick042 Před 9 měsíci

      It's has a legend story like ancestors split into two groups.

  • @eastoforion
    @eastoforion Před 10 měsíci +1

    scary cuts! i have a very cheap modern production in this shape that i've always loved, might have to get a real one!

  • @otakuwon
    @otakuwon Před 10 měsíci +3

    Cool sword, I'd like to see the Siamese Edge go up against swords made by competitors around the same price point.

  • @grantcox4764
    @grantcox4764 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Gorgeous looking sword, a deeper dive into SE asian weaponry may be in order...

  • @KJAkk
    @KJAkk Před 10 měsíci

    Thanks for the heads up about this. I think I will add one to my list to buy.
    You talked about when these came about but what was in common use in this region before the Dha?

  • @runerebel8441
    @runerebel8441 Před 10 měsíci +4

    Nice video as always. The Thai people call swords Dha also. A knife is called "Meeth" and a large knife "Meeth Yai". Cheers 😃

    • @kittenastrophy5951
      @kittenastrophy5951 Před 10 měsíci +1

      For Thais, it "Darb" or Daab" in pronunciation, never "Dha".
      Darb is sword or sabre for fighting. Double-edged sword is "Krabi", the same name of a province in Thailand but different meaning.
      "Meeth Yai" is just a common words combination not any specific kind of edged weapon. Nobody uses the word "Meeth Yai".

    • @chin258456
      @chin258456 Před 5 měsíci

      Meed, Yai are common word mean big knife which more like a modern word than a name of labeling
      And dha is laos word not thai

  • @bloodswornaburmesehistorian
    @bloodswornaburmesehistorian Před 10 měsíci +1

    Actually, I would really like to see you try out the dha/daab out with shield/buckler and see how that's like as that was a major weapon combination. It is also commonly used especially by the Burmese to use the sheathe like a shield in the other hand like how Gurkhas use the musket/rifle with the kukri.

  • @somerando1073
    @somerando1073 Před 10 měsíci

    I'd be interested in if that armpit style of carry would work for something like a longsword, or if it only works for short swords like the Dha.

  • @richardmcginnis5344
    @richardmcginnis5344 Před 10 měsíci

    i bought from a yardsale a short sword or large filipino bowie and a theater altered pal rh-36 from the guy who brought them home from ww2, i keep them along with other knives from ww2 in my bedroom i don't use any of them but they are all really sharp

  • @NoorAgafia
    @NoorAgafia Před 10 měsíci

    14:45 - There's a movie called Only God Forgives in which such a sword is also featured I think. There's a meditation / training scene in which similar moves are also present. Thanks a lot!

  • @aasphaltmueller5178
    @aasphaltmueller5178 Před 10 měsíci +2

    about swords on the back in a sort of suvculture : long time ago I read a biographie of General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell. There was a passage where a voyage in China in the end of the 1920s in warlords area was described, and there a letter is quoted, that he was "afraid of white Russian Mercenaries, rootless guys, riding around wearing broad chinese hangmans swords on their backs". I d assume, those were rather short, though.

    • @robo5013
      @robo5013 Před 10 měsíci

      The reason swords are often worn on the backs in movies is precisely because of what Mat said about them banging on everything when walking around. Actors aren't swordsmen and aren't used to wearing them. It keeps them from looking awkward when walking about in crowds, in rooms with lots of furniture, sitting down and when mounting horses. Viggo Mortenson said he asked the weapons expert on set what was the most important piece of advice he could give him about the sword and it was to wear it all the time to get used to it being there for exactly those reasons. The other cast did, and still do, make fun of him for following that advice because they thought he just really liked wearing a sword and even wore it when not on set and taking breaks, etc. while they would take theirs off at every opportunity.

  • @docnightfall
    @docnightfall Před 10 měsíci +2

    Try hooking the thumb over the top of the grip, alongside the base of the blade. Edge alignment is easy when you're touching steel.

    • @siameseedge
      @siameseedge Před 10 měsíci +5

      That is also another way of holding Dha. But this method will lock the wrist a bit so less twirling but more push/shove style cut.

  • @adambielen8996
    @adambielen8996 Před 10 měsíci

    I'd love to see more southeast Asian stuff. You don't really see or hear about anything from there. And that is a lovely looking sword.

  • @Outrider74
    @Outrider74 Před 10 měsíci

    Very nice blade! An elegant weapon to be sure.

  • @jesusdanielespinoza9314
    @jesusdanielespinoza9314 Před 10 měsíci

    That do look lile a very pretty and well made sword, as for the suggestions, I personally would love to see how this particular Dha fairs againts one of LK-Chen's Daos

  • @daveh7720
    @daveh7720 Před 10 měsíci +1

    I think I found my everyday carry sword! (grin)
    After seeing paracord everywhere on CZcams, that cord on the scabbard looks huge. Any idea what it's made of?

  • @Kyaw518
    @Kyaw518 Před 8 měsíci +1

    DHA means sword in Burmese language. South East Asian countries copied it from Myanmar by its shape and outside form but they do not know the secret of its unique feature of quenching method. one way for a quick check is put the center of its spine on your palm horizontally while your palm is keep moving around and shaking, then result is Burmese sword never fell down.

  • @raphlvlogs271
    @raphlvlogs271 Před 10 měsíci +3

    were there later period Dha swords with European made blades? since some hanger cutlass and even large machete blades will still be suitable for them

    • @atom8248
      @atom8248 Před 10 měsíci

      Maybe, a lot of daab were made of imported japanese blades, so it wouldn't be impossible, but I don't know of any surviving examples.

    • @wayukeawmanee840
      @wayukeawmanee840 Před 10 měsíci

      There is but quite rare. As mainland SEA dha construction are different from european blade so we doesn't prefer them as much.
      In Thailand we start to import European sword around late 18th-19th century.Only some got modified into Dha and Thai-Japanese Daab (Thai-made katana that use European blade)

  • @CreeperKiller666
    @CreeperKiller666 Před 10 měsíci

    Hey Matt! I was wondering if you've ever had any antique Sikh Kirpan's pass through your hands? Especially from before the British Raj restricted them to dagger length? I'm a Sikh, and my understanding is that the now-mostly-ceremonial daggers we carry originated as *actual deadly weapons* roughly the size of a shortsword, but I've never actually seen a historical example of such.

  • @Sk0lzky
    @Sk0lzky Před 10 měsíci +1

    With all these details and fitting I'm gonna guess scabbard alone is half the value of the package. Really nice

  • @dlmiller7873
    @dlmiller7873 Před 10 měsíci +1

    With the addition of some kind of guard to keep the hand from slipping up the blade, I'd consider it an excellent candidate for a highly practical design.

    • @siameseedge
      @siameseedge Před 10 měsíci +2

      Traditionally these are design without handguard. Only a few of historical sample will have handgaurd. Those with guard are generally for specific order or personal custom pieces from what we discern. Most just came in circular handle as well.

    • @dlmiller7873
      @dlmiller7873 Před 10 měsíci

      @@siameseedge I'm sure that's the case.

  • @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145
    @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145 Před 10 měsíci +3

    I'm glad more companies are making lesser represented traditional blades from places other than Europe, Japan & China! Not only does this help in broadening the collector's market but helps bring attention to less well known swords.
    African swords, and to a lesser degree Indian swords, are still needing representation in the market but I imagine that they will in time.

    • @siameseedge
      @siameseedge Před 10 měsíci +2

      We are a collector ourselves and we can’t really find decent indian weapon such as tulwar or shamshir.
      They are out there for sure but where

    • @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145
      @asa-punkatsouthvinland7145 Před 10 měsíci

      @@siameseedge decent ones? I have seen a few on Kult of Athena some years ago that looked like they were good but they sold out long ago & I don't recall who made them. Other than that most Indian swords I see are entry level unfortunately. There might be a couple out that are mid-range but I can't really think of any offhand.
      However unlike African swords which have no replicas that I'm aware of Indian swords do have the entry level stuff at least.
      I had hoped for years that Windlass & other Indian forges would produce more Indian weapons but for whatever reason they have done very few over the years.

  • @AIParty
    @AIParty Před 9 měsíci

    Nice dhab I want it one. As I practiced a basic Thai dhab it grip part usually so long to protect your lower arm area. And the hand holding spot usually a center of mass of its dhab :)

  • @vladimirkovacevic1656
    @vladimirkovacevic1656 Před 10 měsíci

    Beautiful cutts Matt

  • @kurtbogle2973
    @kurtbogle2973 Před 9 měsíci

    The joy of making a edged weapon yourself is hard to discrib . I like to forge my own.
    Frerek Wyringa does videos with no dialog showing how to make blades. He is a awesome blade Smith I learned how to make blades watching him and doing a little research.. It's another levle of enjoyment.
    By all means don't hesitate to buy a blade then make your own rendition of it the way you want.

  • @chanal9456
    @chanal9456 Před 10 měsíci

    Awesome bro from Thailand

  • @SwordsCutEmDown
    @SwordsCutEmDown Před 10 měsíci

    So what is the tang like? The ones I have seen are extremely short and are just epoxied into the grip.

    • @siameseedge
      @siameseedge Před 10 měsíci

      The tang is 6-7” through in this model nice thick and taper tang to balance the weight. In some model will be 10-12” tang.
      We do not make tang shorter than 6” other normal Thai maker will make short tang not us. At minimum it will be half way of the handle

  • @Priapos93
    @Priapos93 Před 10 měsíci

    It looked like you flicked the sword at the bottle, and it flinched in half. Siamese Edge name checks out.

  • @johng1097
    @johng1097 Před 10 měsíci

    What was the spine thickness and center of gravity?

  • @Poitisan
    @Poitisan Před 10 měsíci +1

    Beautiful sword, really!

  • @zun-viik
    @zun-viik Před 10 měsíci

    I love the rope sling

  • @suthonlimchawalit9257
    @suthonlimchawalit9257 Před 9 měsíci

    I'm happy you like it, cause I'm Thai!

  • @fmsyntheses
    @fmsyntheses Před 10 měsíci +1

    Beautiful sword, but I wish that the whole thing had a bronze finish. Before I saw it up close the fact that hilt was bronzed caused the scabbard to also appear bronze to me, which isn't bad. But it has a fetching wood finish that comes off as a being a little camouflaged owing to the hilt.

  • @vladimirkovacevic1656
    @vladimirkovacevic1656 Před 10 měsíci

    thats awesome DHA,I love DHA

  • @doingitoutdoors7083
    @doingitoutdoors7083 Před 4 měsíci

    Enjoyed the video. I have a similar sword made at Inle Lake, Myanmar. I'm curious to see what it will cut. I'm a little scared to try because it's so cool. But It'll be even cooler if I can show it off by cutting bottles.

  • @incitatusrecordings473
    @incitatusrecordings473 Před 10 měsíci +1

    8:18 thats very nice!

  • @imnay3077
    @imnay3077 Před 10 měsíci

    I would like to represent the Thai people. Thank you for helping spread the beauty of Thai swords.❤❤❤

  • @jps536
    @jps536 Před 10 měsíci

    The style of carrying the sword with a coat on makes me think of old episodes of "Highlander" when Duncan McCloud pulled his sword our from his trench coat.

  • @bladetasticknives5712
    @bladetasticknives5712 Před 10 měsíci

    That’s impressive that the sword didn’t have any bite on the edge when you were feeling for sharpness, yet it cut clean diagonal cuts on the thicker plastic coke bottles 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

    • @siameseedge
      @siameseedge Před 10 měsíci +1

      It is the geometry that help with the cut.

  • @knotsripol
    @knotsripol Před 10 měsíci +2

    Looks beautiful. I know nothing about swords but I l’ve sword fighting and weapons usage called krabikrabong is inseparable from Muay Thai.

  • @slaymmer6664
    @slaymmer6664 Před 9 měsíci

    Atleast you are the one who appreciates the hengdang 🙏

  • @MarshOakDojoTimPruitt
    @MarshOakDojoTimPruitt Před 10 měsíci +1

    thanks

  • @arigprasomthong2852
    @arigprasomthong2852 Před 10 měsíci

    Thank you so much for this, i am a Thai people.

  • @megahamartolos6638
    @megahamartolos6638 Před 10 měsíci

    Not a criticism. Would have appreciated your cutting diagonal downward and upward from the left. As always, appreciate your informative and honest assessment.