Beautiful and Functional: The Tai Chi Saber from Swords of Northshire
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2019
- Where to buy it (affiliate link): shrsl.com/2rcv4
** Specifications **
Overall length: 125 cm / 49 in
Blade length: 95 cm / 37.4 in
Blade width: 3.5 cm / 1.38 in
Blade thickness: 5.5 mm / 0.216 in at the guard, tapering to 1.5 mm / 0.06 in
Point of balance: 12 cm / 4.7 in from the guard
Weight: 1.3 kg /
Blade material: 1095 high carbon steel
Handle material: Ebony
Hilt assembly: Pinned, full tang
** Pros / Cons **
+ Handles well in terms of weight, balance, and grip shape
+ Beautifully decorated fittings
+ Excellent finish
+ Remarkable cutting performance
- The blade becomes very thin and flexible toward the tip
- Expensive
- The guard could be more tightly fitted, considering the price
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Intro song:
"Illuminate" by Vindsvept
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Outro:
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I always love when you say "I dont know if you can see this" and in that exact moment you manage to show what you are talking about just perfect xDD
Yes, the wiggle in the guard was quite visible
That Chinese Ring-Pommel is meant to catch an unscrewed European pommel thrown at you! Your only defence.....only a pommel could stop a pommel
Unstoppable Force meets an immovable object
Ani't the ring used to hang the sword?
@@creaturetransylvania8943 Wait... did you take sushanalone's comment seriously? Pro tip: if something sounds batshit, it probably is.
You are a genius!!!
@@md_vandenberg Wait was it a joke?
"very nice wood, feels very good in the hand."
nice one... grab my log...
Why...xD
You know the saying: "If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."
That's what she said
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Watching you talk about swords makes me happy for some reason
Me too. It's not like I'm going to be getting a sword or any other arms and armor type thing in the next five years except for maybe a staff. Skal is an interesting host for sure. Really loved his video on Otzi. Check it out if you haven't.
I mean, its about a man who's enjoyed his hobby to the fullest, amirite 😹
i allways like how you barely see the flexing on the normal cam but when you go to slowmo it just wobbles furiously :P
*For some reason*
I find Chinese swords beautiful
Not quite so overrated as a certain Japanese sword? Or maybe it’s just a pretty good sword.
They're typically tastefully decorated, and many are nice and curvy. They have that East-Asian charm without the weeb stigma of Japanese blades.
My personal favorite is the dadao.
I'm very fond of the Dao style swords, since they have a wonderfully elegant and beautiful curve to them, while still being very robust and functional, as well as being very versatile. A Scholar's Sword is for a gentlemanly duelist, a Katana is for a highly trained warrior and a Dao is for a citizen soldier who has a life outside of fighting
Also it seems this sword is inspired from some early republican or late Qing sword with a similar handle and blade, but they were rarer than the clip point dadao
Your comment looks like you started a haiku. Lack of last verse was a bit disappointing :)
The man hours that went into the hand carvings definitely adds to the price.
The version without carvings is significantly cheaper, but the blade will probably perform just as well.
But if you read the specs the blade has significantly different measurements. Might not be made with such care and have a much worse geometry. Maybe different hardening process too, less experienced smith, who knows. Its definitly not the same blade.
Those hobbits from Northshire make decent blades.
You should do a series of clobbering videos testing the effectiveness and durability of various scabbards
Wes Wolever that's quite funny. Perhaps sparring with a sword vs its scabbard too
@@ciarfah sword in main hand and scabbard in the off hand?
That would be an epic fight, but would completely destroy the scabbard.
But if that ever happens, one would still be able to use the remnants of its metal parts as improvised scabbard.
I think most military sabers would win since they often come in metal scabbards.
Cool video Skall, but those cons are too much, especially for the price tag...
Yeah... the wobbleyness kills it for me. Having a wobbly blade is part and parcel of Wushu unfortunately. Goes back to when the Mao regime banned stiff blades for martial arts use, so they had to use "Wushu" steel. The ban was around for a long time so many people, even Chinese people, think Chinese swords are supposed to be floppy, but they're not. I am not sure if the ban still applies though, so it's shame they still bother, because... well... Wushu weapons really suck. They were designed to suck and be unusable for actual combat because China were super paranoid about uprisings during the early communist days...
This one seems like more functional wushu steel, but it's still wushu. If you ever see the word wushu in a weapon, run away. I know there are specific wushu martial arts schools now but, eww...
I think it might be still that they are only able to sell wushu weapons in China, any non wushu weapon made in China is for export.
@@planescaped It's not just in communist mainland China alone that Mao Zedong that banned "stiff" wushu blades. Even in Taiwan, they use floppy blades in Wushu, just like Hong Kong before its handover back to mainland China. I mean, if you watch some old Hong Kong and Taiwan movies, the floppy swords were already around, just like in mainland China.
Bootleg ninja/He-Man action figures from the 80's used to include this type of sword.
Crom laughs at your four winds.
Must be the most beautiful sword I've ever seen in my life. Love the mixed looks of Dao and Messer, also two favourites of mine. They should have the finalists on Forged in Fire make swords like these.
If it's indeed so beautiful, you should check out Sinosword's Luxurious LiuYe Dao.
It will keel
That’s a beautiful sword! Some nice inspiration for realistic fantasy sword designs.
man i love single edged swords like this, sabres and falchions/messers
its downright beautiful
Thanks to you I bought my first sword a couple of months back and I just wanna say thanks for all the videos and knowledge
It's a very pretty sword. Reminds me of a few kung fu movies with that wobbly blade lol
I wish I could get the bare blade and make a kriegsmesser with it. That seems like it would work out quite awesome.
Fuck yes
I'm in love with that sword... I absolutely love it!
I like your sword reviews and tests the most
Always happy to see skall do chinese/asian sword reviews!
Looks like a military officer's sword to me. Like it's mostly for decoration such as when in your finer dress uniform, but still functional to where you could very much still cut down fools with it.
yeah, for execute traitors :v
It's a wushu weapon, so it would bend beyond use after downing a couple of guys at most. They're not actually functional. They were meant as a compromise for Chinese martial artists when the communist government banned bladed weapons in china.
They're great for cutting tatami and practing martial arts... but in actual combat they're designed to fail. I'd personally never buy a wushu steel weapon. the floppy blades and low durability are total deal breakers. I'd love this sword if it were made with an actual decent steel. I don't even know if the ban on normal blades is still in effect in China, so I don't know why wushu has stuck around. Might be that they can still only sell wushu weapons in china, and normal ones for export.
I saw this site years ago and have always wanted to get one of their swords but was never sold on them! Glad you got your hands on one for a solid review!
The sword looks like a work of art to me. I certainly wouldn't hesitate paying the price you paid for it. Thanks for this review. It was very helpful.
That is one beautiful sword!!
I'm gonna quit my job and go on a quest to kill dragons rightnow.
Or at the least become a bandit king
Goblin slaying would be hard for beginners so I wouldn’t advise it
@@bustinlol1987 I still say becoming a Bandit King or Warlord would be more fun. Especially since they tend to get the most badass looking ornate black and gold armor, without having to go full on Dark Lord
@@bustinlol1987🎤 I don't want to see you in bed b-b-be-be-bed with the Goblin! 🎵🎶🎵
Guess the reference for a thousand points!!!
“Deliciously beautiful cuts”, I can’t take that off my mind
Good to see your arms in good condition man, great job taking care of yourself .
It's so pretty!
This sword appears in the manga blood and steel (it not a japanese manga i think its from a chinese author with japanese influence )
Called a Manhua then
The sword used by the Wudang grandmaster, isn't it?
@@SabirKhan-wu6je true
@@LV_427 exactly
Sabir Khan
Isn’t Manhua Korean?
Cool! Thanks for sharing!
Great review. Whenever I see you cut the mats, it reminds me of the bonus stage from Samurai Showdown. 👍😎👍
Thanks for the new video you awesome human being.
Good strong metal, a natural flexibility what's a good blade and magnificent craftsmanship
Great vid, Skall!
Hi! First at all, thank you, thank you so much for bring to youtube this channel. The clasical and medieval eras are fascinating to me. I spend a lot of time reading, watching or also, playing (total war saga) about this themes. In other hand, english isn't my first language, so, thanks again because now i have a excuse to improve my listening watching your videos. Your english (or accent) is too easy for me.
Keep going!!! Salute you from Spain, obviusly, land of conquerors... and the "tercios" haha. Bye!!!
Wow that's a pretty nice sword!
I really enjoyed this video, I think you do a really nice job.
Greetings from Spain!
That badboy deserves a full, flawless mirror polish. You got that blacksmith friend - Maybe you could arrange that? That would certainly be a treat for the eyes...
Thing of beauty, that´s what that sword is.
My God...That blade is beautiful~
Awesome!
It maybe that the flexibility is part of the specific use case of that sword. Although not historically accurate, it clearly takes some inspiration from Chinese martial arts, and some of the swords from that family can be utilised to slap around a guard, to stun an opponent, opening them up for a more decisive attack.
For wushu performance, the flexibility allows the ringing noise. If you're not getting the sound, there's something wrong with your stabbing technique. (low power, limp wrist, etc)
very nice!
Beautiful sword
OH it looks awesome! i love such swords ^~^ (Sabers overall)
beautiful sword
I think I'm in love...with that sword.
Great Video, Skallagrim! I've rung your channel's bell and will be back for the next video. Cheers!
Beautiful blade shape. :-o
I have the Macejowski Faussart from Windlass, and they seem to have similar performance, mine sails through tatami pretty easily, and is also overtly flexible! The only saving grace is that the spine is noticeably thicker than the blade and helps somewhat. But it doesn’t hold a candle to that beauty, looks like an oversized kitchen knife.
Hi Skall,
as you have pointed out there is another version if this sword without the fancy fittings and it is much cheaper.
But the version you have is not just a simple “tool” it is a piece of art and art can be very pricey.
The brass metalwork looks like tin foil from a distance 😆
Or like it's gold glitter glued on
I would recommend going with the all black version of your logo, like the one on the blade, as you main logo. It looks really classy and professional, also it would be easier to merchandise on merch.
I work at Upfield, a plant in new century, Kansas that makes I can't believe it's not butter and let me tell you. This is the last channel I'd ever thought would show that product 😂😂😂
Very nice
I love how Skalls channel logo has beard hair in all of the places that Skall doesnt have beard hair
Very beautiful sword! I checked out the simpler version of the sword, and I personally appreciate the aesthetic a lot more and the one presented here.
The price point is a little better.
If you ever get a chance can you do a review of the lesser cost version of The sword to see if there is a substantial difference?
The wobbly blade is part of the concept of the blade
The legends say that the light cutting edge is so sharp that you'll receive a cut simply by looking at it.
Why must you tease me with these expensive, beautiful swords? WHYYYY?
To be fair, swords of northshire has a lot more affordable swords as well. You can probably afford one if you wanted to.
May I just point out that that Raven shirt is amazing
A solid scabbard can be use in the reaction arm to parry and strike
That is a nice sword
Hey Skall, you should do a video on your favorite weapons from each (popular) fandom. Some would be pretty rough, ie anime fantasy style swords but some would be pretty interesting on more realistic ones like LOTR. We would really love this.
Ahhh..
The flexy chinese sword!
I am not sure when it started, but a lot of Tai Chi and chinese martial arts are dedicated to slashing, and Tai Chi does depend on the flexibility, sometimes having the practitioner slapping then drawing.
Also, in Tia Chi the scabbard is used as a perry.
The light cutting edges are so thin they will cut un sharpened, but they are plenty durable.(if its well made that is.)
i like this swordporn!
Ahh, nothing better than watching Skall while eating and drinking in 0:45
It looks like how I always imagined the heron-marked swords from Wheel of Time.
Good call - pretty much exactly how it looks
I feel like Chinese swords are often vastly underappreciated. There's a huge selection on Swords of Northshire and I'm very appreciative of that. Especially since many of them look really good.
Chinese/ East Asia material art swords are light weight most mainly for one hand user, and fast movement, small guard for the same reason. Chinese/ East Asia martial arts rare use sword or any weapons for blocking from a strikes/attacks we mostly use it as offense tool to strike/cuts/slash, we rely heavily on agility and quick reflexes and techniques/kungfu to avoid the strikes/attacks, that why the guard most of Chinese/East Asia sword only act as hand holder to keep the hand from slide onto the blade section. Most Chinese sword have flexible blade because the culture historical, it will be hand down from generations to generations some case were given to kids 13+ to practice, because Chinese early age only adores men with martial art knowledge, which lot of kids were taught martial art throughout their teenage years, therefore lightweight and flexible blade are good for kids to practice. Hope this help if anyone wondering
Also depends on different Era of China like Han Dynasty have stiff blade, double edged, small guard, and short similar to roman gladiator sword, or Chinese broadsword are also pretty stiff aswell,
I had watched a documentary about swords ,they said the flexibility of the long swords is to prevent it to broken easily
The gap at the guard probably looks worse than it is simply because of the high polish. The 'whippiness' of the blade is an actual factor of the design as far as I know.
Beautiful and functional, just like you Skall ❤️
i.chzbgr.com/full/327258880/h9160953D/
I'm not all that functional though. :)
The price is in the fancy, which is also the weight. The web site has the "plain" version at only $338, and only weighs 800g, and is 15cm shorter overall, more like the traditional dimensions. The lean, wobbly blade characteristics that felt weird to your euro-trained hands is also a deliberate feature. The related martial forms take advantage of that flex in several ways.
Its evolution is to be fast and precise against lightly armored opponents (or animals), so clothing, silk, light leather... and it's either holy or evil in that capacity, depending on which end you're on :)
What do you think about the Polish Winged Hussars saber?
Pretty! Although I find that yellow-gold color gaudy. Would prefer a bronze/copper color, or maybe even a tarnished steel/silver color.
Though I doubt it'll ever happen, I'd like to see how effective this sword is from horseback. After all, when society crumbles and the technology fails, future bandit kings and warlords are going to have to give careful consideration to what kind of sword they want for raiding and pillaging with and something that's good for fighting on foot and mounted would be a big bonus
Who needs horses when you can use dirtbikes running on moonshine?
@@DH-xw6jp Its not the same though, Dirtbikes just don't go with baroque black and gold armor
@@weldonwin oh, i see your problem. You forgot to add the 'skull throne' reskin to the bike. It even comes with all natural horse hair tassels for the handlebars.
I reeeeeeeally want this sword. I think if the issues with the blade were addressed I would save up to get this.
Cool
Would like to see three-section staff vs. flail etc., also most chinese swords had a tassle or swatch of silk
Just did some digging about the difference between this sword, and the utilitarian version. I had a hard time believing that just fancy fittings would jack up the price $500. Turns out, it isn't just the fancy stuff. I'm going to paste the specifications here side-by-side and let people more knowledgeable than myself determine if the $500 difference is justifiable. For brevity I'll only include the differences, anything not included is the same. Ornate and Utilitarian respectively, straight from the website.
High-Density Ebony Wood Scabbard -> Huali Wood Scabbard with Adornments
Beautiful Hand Carved Brass Fittings -> High Quality Solid Brass Fittings
Blade Length: 95cm -> Blade Length: 82cm
Handle Length: 23cm -> Handle Length: 21cm
Blade Width Near Handle: 4cm -> Blade Width Near Handle: 3.5cm
Blade Thickness Near Handle: 6mm -> Blade Thickness Near Handle: 9mm
Blade Thickness Near Tip: 2.8mm -> Blade Thickness Near Tip: 1mm
Weight without Scabbard: 1350g (~3lbs) -> Weight without Scabbard: 800g (~1.8lbs)
Point of Balance: 11cm from handguard -> Point of Balance: 4cm from handguard
$839.99USD at base -> $338.99USD at base
Just like sword in Wheel of Time !
You had me at chinese dao and european longsword
That looks like a Nandao, a so called Southern Ring Saber,it seems to be a pretty recent type and it characterised by the large ring pommel,usually used with a sash,for all the known reasons chinese put sashes on their weapons,and i also i saw them used as a kind of second handle by wrapping it around the lower hand.
I usually tend to dislike chinese swords but i think it is time to change that.
S-guards were not uncommon in southern chinese daos
KLousyfolds it’s a custom job.
@@navigatorofnone I'm aware. I'm just saying that s and d guards aren't unheard of in east and southeast asian swords, as opposed to the belief of some that all single edged swords of that region had disc guards.
I think he meant that it was large compared to other S shaped guard he'd seen.
@@qwerfa I never mentioned anything about size so I can't really see how that's relevant.
@@80Kpml08 well, i don't think skall said anything about s shaped guards being unusual either(or did he?)
He just said he has not seen chinese swords with a guard that large.
I'm trying to imagine how the sharper edge would perform in cutting.
i saw one of those in a chinese novel. I did not know it was real until now.
Resellers can be a little pricy sometimes precisely because they get a good deal but they need to make at least a certain margin of profit, so if the deal isn't ridiculous in the first place the end product is going to be a little bit pricy, which happens also a lot with swords in Amazon.
A lot of cost is in the Gabon Ebony wood. A very expensive wood and there is a lot of it.
that sword looks beautiful.
*_Lets cut something fleshy with it!_*
Never been this early before wow
Eggcellent
I've always been skeptical about this company. Haven't seen many youtube reviews or reviews in general. I thought their web page was pretty gimmicky because it's all "design your own katana" for stupid cheap. After this review, I've put my trust into the quality of their products. Looking at their facebook page, Swords of the Northshire have put out some beautiful looking swords..I may consider the sort, literally genuinely based on your input here. Awesome review!
I like my Tai Chi swords flexible.
As a student of Chinese military history, I can tell you most Chinese swords are significantly more flexible than their European equivalent. Same with Chinese "polearms" the blades are usually wider from edge to spine and thinner face to face. But not so thin as to risk snapping.
love the sword bad ass could u do a review on the new Honshu broad sword some time pleas and thank u
From my experience, the hand finishing is often where a hefty part of the price comes from.
Ooooh shiny.
I cringed sooo hard when you took hold of the blade to flex it like that!!!
I love the weapon reviews, though! Love it!
- Also, please look at 'miao dao' - which is not used in tai chi, (taiji only uses jian swords so idk what this website is on) but used specifically in 'piguazhang' (Very interesting martial art, that I have studied for a few years, and originates in Cangzhou.) 'Pigua' has very big circular movements in the arms, with power from the waist, that then swings the arms (which are totally relaxed) in a whip-like motion.
- and so as you can imagine how much power can be transferred to the sword. - it was Miao Daos like these which stopped the invasion of the Japanese into China, because of the length compared to katana (apparently).
That is literally my most favorite Chinese sword ever. And I would love to bits if he would review one. Also, I read somewhere that the length and shape was inspired by the nodachi, but I'm not sure if that's true. Cuz I know for a fact that the blade on a miao dao is much straighter until you get to the tip which curves a bit
@@camrendavis6650 Nodachi can have different shapes, actually a lot came with a pretty straight blade, and oh so yeah on the inspired part.
mandarinmansion.com/article/chinese-long-sabers-qing-dynasty
greatmingmilitary.blogspot.com/2015/04/chang-dao.html?m=1
If only they could make it a heron blade from wot but they probably could. Also I have some custom sword from SoN and I would recommend them they are definitely quality for the prices.