I Was Wrong About These Sabers!

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  • čas přidán 21. 09. 2023
  • 18th & 19th century military sabers? Meh... is what I used to say. These reproductions are quickly changing my mind. The degree of accuracy stands apart from so much cheap stuff on the market!
    Also another reminder of how much proper blade shape matters... They have substantial distal tapers, and that makes a world of difference in how they handle. You could actually fence with a saber like this, and not be completely overwhelmed by a more nimble weapon.
    1796 light cavalry saber by LK Chen
    www.kultofathena.com/product/...
    1860 light cavalry saber by LK Chen
    www.kultofathena.com/product/...
    Test & review of the Kilij I'm showing:
    • This $300 Reproduction...
    Other recent sword reviews:
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    Outro:
    "Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
    theslantedroom.github.io/stev...
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Komentáře • 396

  • @andreasmuller4666
    @andreasmuller4666 Před 7 měsíci +491

    Skal, in all honesty, this "new you" that you "practice" in your videos for a while now is just awesome to watch. You are so much more open to just learn and try things out in the world of swords instead of leaning on past biases, it´s just a pleassure to watch..

    • @Imperial__Owl
      @Imperial__Owl Před 7 měsíci +3

      What

    • @mastergwaha
      @mastergwaha Před 7 měsíci +12

      sigh*....inhale deeply*........... SKAL! IN ALL HONESTY! THIS NEW YOU THAT YOU.. jk@@Imperial__Owl

    • @rasmusn.e.m1064
      @rasmusn.e.m1064 Před 7 měsíci +19

      I'm not sure it's a "new him" thing. I've been watching him for something like 8 years now and he's been continually learning the entire time. The Skall of Theseus, you can call him, I guess xD

    • @GameTimeWhy
      @GameTimeWhy Před 7 měsíci +2

      Huh? When was the last time Skall ever leaned into a bias? He has preferences obviously.

    • @adamkormos5310
      @adamkormos5310 Před 7 měsíci +2

      I fully agree, though I'd say that this is more of a return to form for him. I actually stopped watching his content about 5 years ago and only recently returned and found out how good his current stuff is.

  • @andreweden9405
    @andreweden9405 Před 7 měsíci +197

    As of the beginning of this year, Windlass also makes a historically accurate rendition of the 1796. The distal taper on them is now quite extreme, and very nice!

    • @johnracine4589
      @johnracine4589 Před 7 měsíci +30

      Easton’s tour of the factory really convinced me that they’re taking things seriously. He seems quite pleased with the improvements they’ve made to production and design.

    • @Cretaal
      @Cretaal Před 6 měsíci +2

      Wait... I can trust windlass now!?

    • @johnracine4589
      @johnracine4589 Před 6 měsíci +1

      @@Cretaal Well, they certainly seem to be much improved, at least for the ones that Matt Easton consulted on. But I have heard some issues with quality control. Some folks have been getting great items and some have been not as great. Maybe in time they'll get more reliable? Still, for the price it's hard to beat.

    • @docnightfall
      @docnightfall Před 6 měsíci +5

      I got a 2021 reissue Windlass Munich sword, and unlike what's stated in most of the reviews online, it now has linear distal taper from 5mm at the ricasso to 2.5mm at an inch before the tip, AND it came factory sharpened. Weight and balance are still off because of the heavy pommel, but eventually I found a good replacement pommel that makes me hear a choir of angels sing whenever I pick up the sword. Anyway, my point is that Windlass seems to have been upping their game. 👍

    • @andreweden9405
      @andreweden9405 Před 6 měsíci +2

      @@docnightfall, Oh, they definitely have!

  • @seanpoore2428
    @seanpoore2428 Před 7 měsíci +105

    Cavalry sabers were often chosen by infantry officers as their sidearm and used on foot so this definitely still applies. Glad to see there's some good saber reproductions now!

    • @wpjohn91
      @wpjohn91 Před 7 měsíci +2

      Richard Sharp did at least

    • @MikkoKuusirati
      @MikkoKuusirati Před 7 měsíci +1

      @@wpjohn91No, Richard Sharpe famously uses a 1796 Heavy Cavalry sword, a longer and heavier straight blade, _very_ different from the 1796 Light Cavalry saber. The books often mention that it's kind of awkward for fighting on foot. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern_1796_heavy_cavalry_sword

    • @wpjohn91
      @wpjohn91 Před 7 měsíci +2

      My apologiese for conflating the cavalry sword with the cavalry sabre

    • @MikkoKuusirati
      @MikkoKuusirati Před 7 měsíci +1

      ​@@wpjohn91Well, the real meaningful difference between them is heavy vs. light cavalry... but regardless, frankly, blame it on John le Marchant. :)

  • @jonwashburn7999
    @jonwashburn7999 Před 7 měsíci +92

    I like this look. You should wield sabers more often.

  • @Subutai_Khan
    @Subutai_Khan Před 7 měsíci +167

    Nice video! In fairness about the cavalry vs infantry thing the gap between what is a "cavalry saber" and what is an "infantry saber" is at best blurry and we know cavalry sabers did see use on foot too whether because the cavalry man simply lost his horse, dismounted, or an infantry officer preferred the cavalry saber over the infantry regulation model as officers did have some freedom to choose. You can get heavier or longer infantry sabers than certain cavalry sabers and they vary considerably. The Austrian 1858 cavalry saber for instance (my favourite saber) is a beast of a saber at 1.1 kilos with a fuller on one side only (which is a bit weird!) but only has a 33 inch blade which isn't particularly long as far as sabers go but isn't short either. I personally prefer to fence with cavalry sabers because I am a bit tall and do not mind the extra weight they tend to have.

    • @angryeliteultragree6329
      @angryeliteultragree6329 Před 7 měsíci +5

      Sword is sword

    • @MadNumForce
      @MadNumForce Před 7 měsíci +13

      In France you can really tell the difference between cavalry sabers and infantry sabers, especially after the Empire era. There is a massive massive gap in maniability and power between the 1822 light cavalry saber (92cm blade), and the 1821 infantry officer saber (76cm blade). The 1822 LCS wasn't even the heaviest cavalry saber, the line cavalry 1822 saber had a 98cm long blade, and it was even more massive. Even the 1845 infantry officer saber which was beefier than the 1821 is no match for the 1822 LCS (which the US copied as the M1840 "wrist breaker"). There was less difference between arms in British service, and possibly in other countries too, but that's not to be generalized.

    • @rachdarastrix5251
      @rachdarastrix5251 Před 7 měsíci

      Many people have tried to tell me that wearing a calvary saber on your back is impossible. If I was a human needing to fight on foot I would need to not worry about tripping over my own scabbard, so I would need a shorter sword. However, if I was on horseback I would need to be able to reach down and strike my enemies after I've used my horse pistol and lance. So the blade would have to be longer.

    • @the_mad_fool
      @the_mad_fool Před 7 měsíci +3

      Also, dragoons were a thing, and they also used these.

    • @ZeroXSEED
      @ZeroXSEED Před 7 měsíci +2

      The gap used to be bigger. Spanish cavalry sword is literally a giant rapier because some people still wear measurable armor at the time. Sword shrunk as people ditch armor. And we didn't took body armor seriously again until early cold war. (even in WWI and WWII anti-shrapnel armors are sporadic, with helmet being priority)

  • @animalxINSTINCT89
    @animalxINSTINCT89 Před 7 měsíci +58

    I absolutely LOVE 18th and 19th century sabers. I always thought that in a SHTF situation, sabers would probably have the most fighting utility due to the hand protection. They were literally the last swords to have widespread use in the age of gunpowder weapons for good reason.

    • @Skallagrim
      @Skallagrim  Před 7 měsíci +24

      They had much less hand protection than many Renaissance swords though (various baskethilts, dussacks, rapiers, etc).

    • @arthurpsyc3377
      @arthurpsyc3377 Před 7 měsíci +4

      ​@@Skallagrim One of your videos (years ago now) featuring Richard Marsden was I think the first time I found myself interested in saber fighting (Polish saber mind you). To the point where I might be more interested in duels/single combat when it comes to sabers, but still more interested in the general renaissance and late medieval period overall.
      There's something about the flow of saber fighting I can't quite put my finger on that really appeals to me (an utter neophyte mind you) and seems like it would be so fun to learn. Attack, parry, reposte, with some interesting angles because of the curved blade.
      I love seeing people find new things to appreciate and enjoy, and how that evolves over time.

    • @PaMuShin
      @PaMuShin Před 7 měsíci +1

      @@Skallagrim Saber fighting style is way different than with a rapier, i mean compare Potop (The Deluge) 1974 - THE DELUGE (Potop). An Analysis of the Duel Scene with for example Christopher Lee talks about sword fights and gives a demonstration

    • @PaMuShin
      @PaMuShin Před 7 měsíci

      Actually Sabers are much easier to handle if they are good quality, they are lighter, they are better balanced and they are used with much lesser movement, mostly just from your wrist, the best saber i ever had in hand was an indian talwar for higher ranks, it was so well balanced, that it was light like a feather, the only thing that was annoying was, that it was for much smaller hands than mine. I tried a second one for the normal infantry which i did not like this much, although it was much sturdier and heavier. I think the second best was a prussian saber from bavaria, this thing i liked most cause you basically could cut everything with it, it was like with the handmade samurai swords, it could cut a silk scarf running down a stream. I should mention that these were real military sables found in flea markets and antique shops, most of them were damast but they were quite cheap only a few hundred bucks yet they needed a makeover to be complete again.

  • @ThatGenericDude
    @ThatGenericDude Před 7 měsíci +20

    Fun fact: Bowie knife fighting was inspired by infantry/Calvary saber fighting during antebellum America

  • @Supercoincoin3D
    @Supercoincoin3D Před 7 měsíci +27

    The technical terms you are using are quite convincing. I'll buy twelve of them !

  • @ZeroXSEED
    @ZeroXSEED Před 7 měsíci +59

    I mean, in wartime, shoddy swords are also a plenty lol.
    I talked about this with some Japanese friends and many WWII guntou were incredibly shite.

    • @kyle18934
      @kyle18934 Před 7 měsíci +16

      yeah, it makes sense. if every grenedier gets a small sword, and officers get a full Saber, that's a lot of swords... on top of all of the bayonets and gun barrels.
      all of a sudden quality gets shoved aside. it's the same with firearms in war. if you look at the German rifles from the beginning of ww2, and the rifles to the middle and end its very apparent.

    • @Wastelandman7000
      @Wastelandman7000 Před 7 měsíci +8

      Yep, war is a harsh mistress and the need to have someone armed takes precedence over quality issues.

    • @Ren-lx8wv
      @Ren-lx8wv Před 7 měsíci +5

      Yeah also US civil war sabers had a serious issue. As they were delivered dull. The soldiers were expected to sharpen them themselves in the field. The issue tho most had no idea how and didn't even have the tools needed to do it themselves. So most went into battle with dull sabers. How top Brass thought that was a good idea we will never know.

    • @kylewilliams8114
      @kylewilliams8114 Před 7 měsíci +5

      Classic survivorship bias, the best swords survived in good condition, the bad ones didn't survive much at all, and then we think most of them must have been good quality.

    • @ZeroXSEED
      @ZeroXSEED Před 7 měsíci +7

      @@Ren-lx8wv "how top brass thought that was a good idea we never know". Oh we do know, they somehow expect both the best and worst of the soldiers in the stupid way. Remember they ship out M16 to Vietnam without cleaning tools because the gun is advertised as self-cleaning? Also during the civil war they don't want semi automatics because they don't trust the soldiers not to waste ammo...

  • @CDKohmy
    @CDKohmy Před 7 měsíci +29

    With 18th-19th century swords, my aesthetic preference is the spadroon (not 1796). They can handle a lot like a sidesword, but w/out the finger rings (in fact if you cut the quillons off a Meyer rapier, it is basically a spadroon).

  • @allengordon6929
    @allengordon6929 Před 7 měsíci +6

    My old hema teacher hated sabres.
    I love them.
    This and scheduling is why we split.

  • @itsapittie
    @itsapittie Před 7 měsíci +12

    I once had the opportunity to ride a course of saber targets with a friend's original 1860 US Cavalry saber and I was amazed at how much better it handled than any reproduction I'd ever used. Unfortunately, originals have remained out of my price range. I may check out the Chen reproduction.

  • @ShinoSarna
    @ShinoSarna Před 7 měsíci +23

    I'm Polish so most historical movies I watched as a kid was saber propaganda :p

    • @sauronplugawy3866
      @sauronplugawy3866 Před 7 měsíci +1

      Każdy polak jest szablofilem.

    • @HD-mp6yy
      @HD-mp6yy Před 7 měsíci +9

      As a Hungarian I had the same experience. And there's no argument that can convince that the saber isn't the best sword in the world.

    • @bakionigeri6414
      @bakionigeri6414 Před 7 měsíci +3

      ​@@HD-mp6yyyou guys have a point culture must play A Part, as someone growing up in America, it's very much longsword or Katana for me😊

  • @bitterblossom19
    @bitterblossom19 Před 7 měsíci +8

    Matt Easton: *smiles and nods in approval*

  • @trapperscout2046
    @trapperscout2046 Před 7 měsíci +10

    I think Matt Easton also did a review on the Windlass version of the 1796 saber. Apparently, it is also pretty good with historical accuracy.

  • @dlatrexswords
    @dlatrexswords Před 7 měsíci +23

    Hey, better late than never Skall! =) I just got my hands on the LK1860 and I can tell you it's by FAR the most accurate version of the sword for any offering's off the shelf on the market. Glad that these are giving you a good experience in the world of Military Sabres. I'll try to do a video on Kilij in the not too distant future and I'll tag you once it's up.

  • @canadious6933
    @canadious6933 Před 7 měsíci +29

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Sadly this market of the sword industry is plagued with many terrible replicas, much like the Katana market. But they must have been effective to have been used for 200 years in the militaries of Europe and America.

    • @HD-mp6yy
      @HD-mp6yy Před 7 měsíci +5

      No they weren't used for 200 years. They have been used for at least 1200 years on the Eurasian Steppe.

    • @nickbob2003
      @nickbob2003 Před 7 měsíci +6

      @@HD-mp6yyso you are actually saying they were correct but similar blades were also used for a far longer period on the Eurasian steppe. I know math is hard but 200 fits quite nicely into 1200 and they specified in European and American armies

    • @HD-mp6yy
      @HD-mp6yy Před 7 měsíci +2

      @@nickbob2003 Europe doesn't end at the Iron Curtain. By the 15th century Sabers were widespread in Hungary, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Russia and the Ottoman Empire. Sabers have been in use in the Western portion of the Eurasian Steppe since the 8th century.

    • @canadious6933
      @canadious6933 Před 7 měsíci +4

      @@HD-mp6yy true but the context of this video are the iconic 18th to 20th century cavalry and officer saber replicas. Not renaissance or medieval blades, as skall said. So that is what I was meaning by 200 years (naval swords, Napoleonic to ww1 swords)

  • @FoardenotFord
    @FoardenotFord Před 7 měsíci +13

    I used to own the Cold Steel 1796 - it was clunky as hell, but the most egregious error was that it had a threaded pommel nut. A little test cutting and that would loosen up - no idea why they couldn’t just peen the pommel, especially since they took the time to rivet through the langets on the handle.
    Can’t wait to get either the LK Chen or the new Windlass model.

    • @tricksterjoy9740
      @tricksterjoy9740 Před 7 měsíci +1

      Huh. That’s interesting. My cold steel 1796 I had a while ago had a completely fixed build.
      Nothing ever got loose, but yeah. Clunky as hell. But it would work perfectly fine as a cavalry saber in a pinch.

    • @robbiej3642
      @robbiej3642 Před 7 měsíci +4

      I think the cold steel 1796 evolved quite a bit over the years. Mine (2021) never had any problem with the threaded pommel. Early ones didnt have distal taper. But mine did, 8mm to 4mm weighing 990g. Good but not enough. Still very tip heavy. But i can work with that. I reprofiled the distal taper to 8mm at base, 2.5mm near the tip, now 860g. Huge improvement in handling.

    • @Theduckwebcomics
      @Theduckwebcomics Před 7 měsíci

      That wasn't an error, it's just a construction choice. It wouldn't matter if it got loose though because they had another nut on the tang hidden under the backstrap. It may have been made that way to make it easy to modify- which it is as long as you can remove the rivet through the grip.😅
      The sword wasn't that "clunky" but certainly not as nice to hold as an original. They really needed a lot more material removed from the foible!
      THAT is the most obvious error- that section should be much thinner and fatter.

    • @Theduckwebcomics
      @Theduckwebcomics Před 7 měsíci

      ​@@robbiej3642That's very thick for the foible. 4mm? 990g is a good weight though, I have an original that weighs about that and a German version which is heavier.

    • @FoardenotFord
      @FoardenotFord Před 7 měsíci

      @@Theduckwebcomics Interesting - in fairness, I never disassembled it, so I didn’t know there was another nut. It rattled and I didn’t feel confident in the construction.
      There was a lot of material I felt could be removed from the blade, hence why it felt “clunky” to me. I’ve also never handled an original, so maybe it wasn’t as far off as I thought.

  • @chenoaholdstock3507
    @chenoaholdstock3507 Před 7 měsíci +12

    I love sabers because of the punching aspect for close range. I bought one from Kult of Athena a while back and it's still my favorite (that's for the advice as to which to buy from, btw!)

  • @alekseiborsenkodev
    @alekseiborsenkodev Před 7 měsíci +2

    Great video! Also love seeing you coming back into shape! Great job! Keep it up!

  • @exalteddjinn69
    @exalteddjinn69 Před 7 měsíci +6

    Have you ever done a video on the different types of martial arts and how they would transfer over to sword fighting?

  • @tristantully1592
    @tristantully1592 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Informative and fun as always!

  • @Metalkatt
    @Metalkatt Před 7 měsíci +4

    I really enjoy when you put up these types of videos. I like seeing your thought processes, and how you examine (and, in this case, re-examine) different blades and beliefs, and present a coherent understanding of how useful (or not) these things are. Most of us nowadays have never seen more than a pocket knife or box cutter, despite blades of many kinds being an integral part of humanity for millennia.

  • @engenheiroderpg9641
    @engenheiroderpg9641 Před 7 měsíci +3

    Very nice! I learnd a lot of proper strikes with sabers (and swords as a whole) in a video made “just” to say you’ve changed your mind about modern sabers. It’s just wonderful when we simply do whatever we feel like doing. Very nice content bro, keep at it!

  • @Caryll_byrgenwerth-scholar
    @Caryll_byrgenwerth-scholar Před 7 měsíci +4

    Great video Skall, it is always great to see an expert being open to new evidence and ideas, it makes you even more trustworthy

  • @goldenageofdinosaurs7192
    @goldenageofdinosaurs7192 Před 7 měsíci +5

    I remember, around 7-8 years ago, when I started watching sword & HEMA videos, I was only interested (aesthetically) in medieval bastard & two-handed swords. Then I found Scholagladiatoria. My preference was still the same for another year or two & then, one day, it clicked. He brought out an 1845 pattern blade with a scinde irregular cavalry hilt & that was it. I’ve been a saber guy ever since🤣
    Thank you, Matt Easton, for broadening my horizons🫡

  • @justzisguy
    @justzisguy Před 3 měsíci +1

    you have an awesome personality, love your new stuff tbh

  • @tarille1043
    @tarille1043 Před 7 měsíci +6

    This provides good reason for being open minded about historical weapons.
    Even if you've had bad experiences with a particular weapon, there's always the logic that if people used them back in the day (When they were often a literal life or death factor) there's probably something to them.
    It's just a matter of finding a reproduction that is accurate enough to convey how useful they were.
    On the flip side, for people who want to make historical weapons, it highlights that putting in the research to find out exactly what the weapons were like can provide a far superior product.

  • @oldncarvingJohn
    @oldncarvingJohn Před 7 měsíci

    Your knowledge is incredible. Thanks for sharing

  • @rumblechad
    @rumblechad Před 7 měsíci

    For what it's worth this style of video works really really well for you. The presentation is very honest and engaging, like a chat with a friend or a hangout.

  • @ashleysmith3106
    @ashleysmith3106 Před 7 měsíci +4

    Back in the day, when there were "Patterns" of swords/sabres, there were numerous manufacturers; the swords were handmade to come close to those patterns, and the final field sharpening was often left to the Regimental Cutler/Armourer, so no doubt there may have been wide variations in sharpness and handling even among swords of one type !

  • @matthewpham9525
    @matthewpham9525 Před 7 měsíci +4

    Can you do a review of your HEMA practice weapons? PHA pretty constantly iterates and changes their designs, but a "snapshot" to give general characteristics and build quality would be really cool.

  • @thinnedpaints6503
    @thinnedpaints6503 Před 7 měsíci

    As a sabre enthusiast, I'm glad to see you're more open to them :)

  • @raiceacho2868
    @raiceacho2868 Před 7 měsíci

    Saw comments like this, love to see u in this shape and with this interest to the subject, any more and all will be happy 🥹

  • @Verdessa1273
    @Verdessa1273 Před 7 měsíci +4

    I absolutely ADORE cavalry sabres, and i'm totally going to get that 1790 model at some point. I've never owned a sword before, but I think soon might be a good time to start.

  • @oommNG
    @oommNG Před 7 měsíci

    Man i love your CZcams evolution, been following for years

  • @Berna606
    @Berna606 Před 7 měsíci

    Always enjoy your videos Skal!

  • @ThatOtherGamer
    @ThatOtherGamer Před 7 měsíci

    I can't wait to see the test cuts. It's awesome that LK chen expanded their line-up.

  • @Prismatic_Pixie
    @Prismatic_Pixie Před 7 měsíci

    Super good video, love the editing!

  • @CreepyMF
    @CreepyMF Před 7 měsíci +1

    Those where really nice sabers, looking forward to the test cut video.

  • @daveleach6006
    @daveleach6006 Před 7 měsíci

    Great job, Eagle Eyes! Looking forward to seeing more in the future

  • @jasonwallace6940
    @jasonwallace6940 Před 7 měsíci +1

    One of my first european swords was an antique 1860s british saber at an auction, as so many reviewers lamented how bad reproduction sabers were. Its lovely to handle and made me so glad I didnt try a reproduction saber first. In addition the new royal armories windlass 1796 saber is also very accurate in taper and quite nice!

  • @TheGoldenBear79
    @TheGoldenBear79 Před 7 měsíci

    Skull man, it was good to see that little mischievous look of enjoyment in your eye when you were telling how good the distal taper made the handling! I loved it! I hope you are feeling as good as you are looking bro! You seem like you’re efforts are paying off both physically @ emotionally buddy! Keep it up, because it’s good to see you so enthusiastic about sharing your knowledge with sword nerds like me! Thanks for everything bro! Best wishes to you and your family. ✌️🇺🇸

  • @gills5842
    @gills5842 Před 7 měsíci

    One of my favorite sword types to spar with! Love your work, and presentation.

  • @dr05guitar
    @dr05guitar Před 7 měsíci

    Man the musketeer style is good on you! Enjoyed!

  • @historyandsabre
    @historyandsabre Před 7 měsíci +2

    As a HEMAist who trains sabre 95% of the time I enjoyed your honest take on this! Quite early on, I tried getting my hands on antiques, so I've had quite the opposite initial experience with these weapons compared to you. Because of that, the available training sabres never seemed good enough or do the antiques justice. Luckily, HEMA sabre as a whole has come a long way now and we're getting some good training sabres as well as good reproductions of antiques.

  • @casinferneycf45
    @casinferneycf45 Před 7 měsíci

    Thanks skal! I've been wanting to find some good reproductions for a little while.

  • @GaudialisCorvus
    @GaudialisCorvus Před 7 měsíci +2

    I love sabers! Good to see a well made 1796 but I personally hope that Lk Chen also reproduces the British 1821 light cavalry saber

  • @fettmaneiii4439
    @fettmaneiii4439 Před 7 měsíci +3

    Good sword design is the thickest part of the blade is at the shoulder, tapering away both directions. Shoulders must be filed to an open obtuse angle.

  • @daemonharper3928
    @daemonharper3928 Před 7 měsíci +2

    Looking good there Skall.......you might not be over keen but the swords like you, some good flowing moves.
    Handling is everything when it comes to finesse moves.

  • @karolczapko4790
    @karolczapko4790 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Fun fact: If you slightly change fittings to the 1796 you get basically Polish hussar saber

  • @duelist66
    @duelist66 Před 7 měsíci

    Hey Skal, I've had originals and repros in both patterns of swords and your take is spot on. The originals feel so much different than any of the repros I've had and I tell people it's because they were designed for one thing...killing. It's just that simple. You had to go through a lot of heavy wool clothes at the time not to mention backpacks, shakos etc. The blade needed to be thin and specialized for cutting rather than the crushing blows most people expect during this time period.

  • @chikitabowow
    @chikitabowow Před 15 dny

    That 1860 cavalry saber looks amazing, it's just so sleek and classy

  • @fault.
    @fault. Před 7 měsíci +1

    This channel is my go-to for watching an eating food
    Shout out skall keep killin it

  • @adelmolla4216
    @adelmolla4216 Před 7 měsíci

    In my opinion they look quite a bit like one of my favorite swords/sabers. The north african "Nimcha" saber. Very beautiful. Hope to see it in a video one day.

  • @arpioisme
    @arpioisme Před 7 měsíci

    Skal, you look good, and the video is goooooooooood. Good job mate!

  • @IOSALive
    @IOSALive Před měsícem

    Skallagrim, You're the best! I just had to subscribe!

  • @scottmacgregor3444
    @scottmacgregor3444 Před 7 měsíci +1

    I love how my Easton mk3 sabre handles.

  • @prothius
    @prothius Před 7 měsíci +1

    Badass. A great sword against musketeers that aren't prepared for it, however bayonets would really mostly negate. I would take a stabby musket probably because I would just have to go center mass and drive and hunker in a post armor situation. An impale would guarantee a casualty while I might just lose some scalp or take a nasty scar in the exchange. A stout sword or war hammer and shield would obviously defeat but for their time they filled a niche yes? It depends on the battlefield and the time.

  • @Riceball01
    @Riceball01 Před 7 měsíci +8

    Skall, you should look into the 1796 light cavalry saber being produced by Windlass, it's supposed to be a very good reproduction as well. It's one of a number of Windlass swords that are being made with Matt Easton acting as a consultant and providing dimensions and stats from antique examples of the swords being produced.

  • @UnsheathedSwordReviews
    @UnsheathedSwordReviews Před 7 měsíci

    Great video! I've handled 6 different LK Chen swords and can definitely vouch for their quality. We have reviews of several Chinese and European swords made by them on our channel. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on their sabers eventually.

  • @cybernetic_crocodile8462
    @cybernetic_crocodile8462 Před 7 měsíci

    I usually prefer stronger, sweeping cuts with follow-throughs, but that is mainly because I usually practice with axes and other forward-heavy weapons. They allow to strike hard and keep my strikes coming and potentially overwhelm enemy.

  • @jaredrobinson7071
    @jaredrobinson7071 Před 7 měsíci +1

    always great videos.

  • @theeddorian
    @theeddorian Před 7 měsíci +1

    One of the aspects we are prone to forget when we think about 19th century swords in particular is that they are at the end of centuries of the evolution and development of swords, and swordsmanship. They are not ultimates by any means, but they are designed to be highly useful tools if you have no time to reload a pistol, musket, or rifle. Reproductions are only really _reproductions_ if they are accurately done, otherwise I would call them crap. I would like to see a truly accurate reproduction of the 1821 pattern light cavalry trooper's saber. It replaced the 1796. Most of the time, what is offered is the pipe-backed officer's model, which is really a very different sword in detail. The trooper's saber had a superior blade that was in use until the end of the century (actually still is in use).

  • @TeaBurn
    @TeaBurn Před 7 měsíci

    LK Chen...after my own heart. I'm really digging the expansion of his catalogue.

  • @frankharr9466
    @frankharr9466 Před 7 měsíci

    Hey! I've had that rain! Recently! I live in Ma. It's been wet here too.
    You could have shown the taper a bit better, but that was a pretty good video ranty as it was.
    Anyway enjoy your new outlook.

  • @n.n.5293
    @n.n.5293 Před 7 měsíci

    I don‘t know what it was, but the flow of this video was amazing.

  • @MrMrevildictator
    @MrMrevildictator Před 7 měsíci +1

    Dang, Skall looking good today. Looking fit!

  • @guguyao
    @guguyao Před 6 měsíci

    This is so cool, I might try out a saber in the future!

  • @julesthurongi1223
    @julesthurongi1223 Před 7 měsíci

    When I was 19, I desperately wanted to get a 1796 BLCS that Cold Steel sold.
    They didn’t have any when I went to their sale/expo back in 2005, and I bought a hand and a half instead, which is… decent.
    I still love seeing the 1796 pattern getting love. 🙏

  • @mythosboy
    @mythosboy Před 7 měsíci

    My own LK Chen 1796 just arrived. Doubleplus good! Timely.

  • @Magbiy
    @Magbiy Před 4 měsíci

    Skall, I gotta say coming back to your channel after a few years is really fascinating. I liked your old videos, but I think I just burned out on how conclusory so many youtube pop historians are. But you've really separated yourself from the pack! You're actually working things out yourself, open to new ideas, reviewing some of your older beliefs on the topic... I don't know, it's just really refreshing to see.

  • @smashingtheadam
    @smashingtheadam Před 7 měsíci

    yessss more saber content!

  • @JCOwens-zq6fd
    @JCOwens-zq6fd Před 7 měsíci +1

    Very nice. As someone who also didnt like sabers much once upon a time, i can definitely understand. However i am quite fond of hungarian saber & shamshir these days. As well Qame & Qaddre short swords with buckler/separ.

  • @rugerjones78
    @rugerjones78 Před 7 měsíci

    glad to see somebody is finally making good revolution-civil war era sabers because i love them things.

  • @Pwnopolis
    @Pwnopolis Před 7 měsíci

    Just wanted to stop in and say, your lookin good my dude.

  • @royshobe6642
    @royshobe6642 Před 7 měsíci

    Thanks for making this video

  • @lb3613
    @lb3613 Před 7 měsíci

    I would really like a video comparing how accessible were swords and other weapons during the middle ages, renaisance, etc to how they are now

  • @Tletna
    @Tletna Před 7 měsíci

    Bummer. I continued watching because it looked like you might do some testing. I look forward to seeing how they cut later.

  • @potatomatop9326
    @potatomatop9326 Před 7 měsíci +43

    As a Jedi Master, i'm sad that you don't consider Lightsabers as a Saber.

    • @Telemachus2814
      @Telemachus2814 Před 7 měsíci +16

      Imagine if they actually made _saber_ style lightsabers. I mean, they make saberstaffs, saberclubs, shields, whips et cetera but not the one thing it was literally named for.

    • @velazquezarmouries
      @velazquezarmouries Před 7 měsíci +19

      They are plasma batons nothing saber about them

    • @Skallagrim
      @Skallagrim  Před 7 měsíci +35

      Glowstick ≠ saber

    • @clwho4652
      @clwho4652 Před 7 měsíci +5

      We'll respect the light saber when the Jedi learn to sword wight and not dance.

    • @XiaTheAbyssal
      @XiaTheAbyssal Před 7 měsíci +4

      A lightsaber is an energy longsword. Not an actual saber.

  • @JagerLange
    @JagerLange Před 7 měsíci

    Hey, it's pissing it down where you are too! Great sound to get to sleep to but less great when you need to work outside.

  • @trapperscout2046
    @trapperscout2046 Před 7 měsíci

    I think it's cool that LK Chen is making these now.

  • @VrkasDolgan
    @VrkasDolgan Před 7 měsíci +1

    The saber isn't a beginner sword. Because of it's lack of a counterweight it requires ton of wrist and forearm strength in addition to skill to wield it. This is why it was almost exclusively for cavalry while infantry leaned towards straight sabers for combat. Being mounted on a horse eliminated the possibility of grappling and kept enemies at enough of a distance to make the wide swings more plausible as apposed to fighting on foot were you were most likely going to be grappled and required the speed and maneuverability of a straight saber.

    • @PaMuShin
      @PaMuShin Před 7 měsíci

      There are a lot of models with counter weights like the eastern european or indian sabers

  • @joshforbes1320
    @joshforbes1320 Před 7 měsíci

    Nice video. I think Matt Easton from scholagladiatoria has done work with LK to produce some swords. I don't remember which ones specifically but it sounds like those sabers.

  • @KabibbleIsh
    @KabibbleIsh Před 7 měsíci

    Beard looks great! More cavalry content would be interesting

  • @williamstark9698
    @williamstark9698 Před 7 měsíci

    Really enjoying the energy you brought here. I like cynical Skal, but I worry when that is every video. Love your work man. You are great. Also thanks for the tips.

  • @Erikdevable
    @Erikdevable Před 7 měsíci

    I am also more a longsword and sidesword type of guy, but what I think is exceptionally rad about these sabers is that they are still worn by military officers to this day as part of their uniform. And that is definitely a more interesting sword to practice than whatever Olympic fencing did with their swords, and as such is definitely worth picking up as part of one's martial arts reportoire.

  • @sbstratos79
    @sbstratos79 Před 7 měsíci

    Yoshitaka Amano artwork in the bg. Nice!

  • @masterchill6784
    @masterchill6784 Před 7 měsíci

    Really cool outfit, looking good skall :D

  • @pietrofabiano9422
    @pietrofabiano9422 Před 7 měsíci

    In olimpyc fencing with saber we use the same moves you suggest, we don't use big slash, we use smaller cut and thrust like here 7:25 and works a lot with the fingers and the small finger

  • @jackwilliams6352
    @jackwilliams6352 Před 7 měsíci

    I inherited an original 1796 from my grandad along with a lot of other swords, my favourite being a hemburg cutlass, I wish I still had it to send it for you to compare but unfortunately we had to sell most of the blades we had, thankfully most of it was to museums

  • @paulwilson8672
    @paulwilson8672 Před 7 měsíci

    It is Point or Tip control. You are moving around the Center of Gravity (CG) of the sword. The better feel you have of the CG the better tip control you will have. Aldo Nadi said that saber duels were bloody because you may have a lot of cuts, but not as lethal as an Epee. Great Video!!!

  • @wewatchmovies4446
    @wewatchmovies4446 Před 2 měsíci +1

    Best entrance ever!

  • @northumbriabushcraft1208
    @northumbriabushcraft1208 Před 7 měsíci

    I'll be getting an original Blücher sabre soon. My favourite local militaria shop has one in, late 19th century. It's very thick towards the handle and narrows out and broadens at the tip, it'll be an amazing chopper.
    I'm not interested in reproduction swords anymore, I just buy the originals now, I've got a russian spadroon, a Chinese kyo-gunto and will have a wakizashi next week, all original historical pieces. I've wanted a blücher sabre and a wakizashi for a very long time (since I was a kid/teen who couldn't afford swords) so it'll be nice to finally have the swords I want.
    I don't see the point in buying reproductions when I can get the originals for less. I rarely have to worry about quality as it's an actual historical piece, if it's bad it's because it's just a bad sword, not a crappy repro. Gives me a better feel if it's the real deal as some repros differ from the originals.
    Nice video as usual skall :)

  • @Chroma710
    @Chroma710 Před 7 měsíci

    Hey Skal, can you please make a video about the weapon found on Fiore de Libre's Flower of War on the 36th page? It's some sort of spear with 2 big wooden cubes tied together with a rope so you can throw one end out like a bola. Could be fun to look into.

  • @crusadernikolai1996
    @crusadernikolai1996 Před 7 měsíci +2

    This raises a question, some military or other similar positions still award sabers as part of their kit or uniform. I suspect they are ceremonial, but I wonder if any swords like this are properly made/ viable to be used

  • @TheNovaFiends
    @TheNovaFiends Před 7 měsíci +1

    LK Chen just seems to hit out of the park generally, especially for its price point. I have seen a handful of bad reviews on individual pieces QC issues, but overall they are one of the best options I am aware of (in this price range)

  • @kingofthefleetians7569
    @kingofthefleetians7569 Před 7 měsíci

    Could you do a video on the US 1840 heavy cavalry saber, it was nicknamed ol' wristbreaker due to its weight distribution

  • @Roboticus_Prime_RC
    @Roboticus_Prime_RC Před 7 měsíci +8

    I mean, sabers were used up into "modern" combat. That should mean something right there.

    • @staLkerhu
      @staLkerhu Před 7 měsíci +1

      Means they were cheap to produce?

    • @kdrhn9601
      @kdrhn9601 Před 7 měsíci +3

      @@staLkerhueffective

    • @lemagicbaguette1917
      @lemagicbaguette1917 Před 7 měsíci

      @@staLkerhu even a cheap weapon is tossed out when obsolete. The price of production is no longer worth it.
      The fact it took so long for this obsolescene to catch up is just mental.

    • @rachdarastrix5251
      @rachdarastrix5251 Před 7 měsíci

      I still keep saber or cutlass like blades on me. There is only so many times I can pull more ammunition out of my ass and a sword is more practical than trying to use my gun as a club.

  • @sgthl
    @sgthl Před 7 měsíci

    A comparison between the LK chen ligth cavalry 1796 and the one from Windlass would be really interesting. Similar pricerange and both seem to be of good quality.