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In the way back...
I wanted a sword.
So I got a sword I found in an umbrella basket at Ames Surplus.
It had a swept rapier style guard, but the blade was at least decent steel... but the tang was all-thread rod.
That part bent a lot.
I sold it on to a friend who got a better tang attached to it and a different cross-guard.
I went on to WAY overpay for a piece of mild-steel bar stock ground into a sword shape.
That cured me on swords for a while.
What's interesting is my mild-steel sword would have been an acceptable blade at one point in history.
It was definitely better than an iron sword would have been.
GURPS cheap quality to be sure, but mostly functional.
My standards have risen, slightly, since then.
Slightly.
The Boy got me a Cold Steel Scottish basket hilt.
A generous reader sent me a Cold Steel 1860 Cavalry Saber.
And a Cold Steel machete that's patterned off a Kopis.
The question of quality for GURPS is bound to come up.
Good is the default state for melee weapons.
At TL7+ you get a one-step improvement in quality for the same price.
Cold Steel's bragging and quality demonstrations make me think that Fine is what you gets for your money... Except that Kopis. It's priced as a cheap short-sword, which makes it good in GURPS terms.
I'd love to say I've compared them to historical blades, but hardly a one survives in original condition. Most of the ones in museums are either much later period or are cherished examples of fine or very-fine heirlooms.
There's a lot of rust we can learn about the metallurgy, but cannot use to compare without making a replica... To compare with a replica?
Matt Easton of the Scholagladiatoria youtube channel has a lot of interesting content regarding "old" swords and some current replicas. He talks actual antiques, modern replicas, and occasionally some movie stuff for swords.
ReplyDeleteSome other historical related items like armor and such too. Interesting watching if nothing else.
Because I live in 'Land of Plants for Machetes' (thorny underbrush abound), machetes have been an landscaping tool needed for many years now. The models with blades 24" and longer will wear my arm out in no time. The Cold Steel Two Hand Latin is now a mainstay, as using both hands increases my longevity using it. I guess sort of like wielding a Katana of sorts. I own a Nepalese kukri and kukri type of Cold Steel machetes. Decent branch chopping tools.
ReplyDeleteIf I wanted to go 'stabby', i think a Cold Steel Assengi short spear would be my choice. Slash or used like a shooting a pool cue, a good melee weapon.
Actually, if I could have a free sword, a short katana type (blade 15" - 18" or so) Japanese model is a 'want' for me. But its waaay down on my purchase list at the moment. That was a cool gift by your son - points awarded..
jrg
I remember in a D&D Traveller mishmash I was co-Dungeon mastering in we had high tech spacers building "Magic Swords" for trade with the natives.
ReplyDeleteWas odd having a guy with a PGMP under a "Charm Spell" by a local.
It was the lack of rules for swords in Twilight: 2000 that prodded me to change over to GURPS.
DeleteSwords will f*cking kill you.
ReplyDeleteJust as Tripp Fisk-
https://youtu.be/Q_RpbaUU7NI
OMG! Those are great!
DeleteA cheap machete can power a genocide. Just ask the Tutsis. Oops, sorry, you can't!
ReplyDeleteThere are replicas and there are replicas. I’m not talking modern made swords. In the Victorian era people made replicas of swords from two centuries earlier. These were made in a time when swords were used to kill people. I’ve held two 17th century style rapiers made in the 19th century.
ReplyDeleteJFM