Just how educated about real swords of both the two big types Western European and East Asian (From China on) Naturally they're are alot more swords than that but those are the two big ones.

<font color=cadetblue>I prefer Western because I know more about them and I like the whole Middle Ages setting they're used in.
Edit: spelling...</font>

[ 08-18-2003, 06:14 PM: Message edited by: Lord Lothar ]

Eastern swords are alot easier to handle, in my experience anyway. Some Western swords are just like big sharp clubs. I much prefer the lighter eastern curved-blade varieties.

How heavy do you think western swords are? Big sharp clubs?? I don't think you;'ve got much experience with westerns at all... thats just a load of stereotypes I hear blurted out alot. No offense.

Alright now for facts.

1: Western Swords were not incredibly heavy, longswords, also known as greatswords, epee de guerre (Warswords) weighed in around 2.5 pounds, sometimes a bit more or a bit less, anything more than 3 pounds in the longsword class was considered poorly made or over adorned, it was a delicate balance. By the way longsword is a term for a 2 handed sword, not a one handed sword.
2: One haned swords: Weighed in at 1 and 1/2 pounds still some were a bit heavier or lighter but very few tipped the two pound scale.
3: Bastard swords, hand an a half, could support 2 hands or one, they weighed around 2 pounds or less.
4: Two Handed Swords: These could weigh anywhere from 3-4 pounds, this is where you would find your claedahmor's and other two handers. Big but really only an intermediary between true two handers of the renaissance and warswords.
5: True two handers of the renaissance: Massive swords that have been found up to six feet long, used to fight pike formations by lopping the tips off of the pikes. 6-8 pounds, these have the greatest amount of secondary features such as parrihaiken (parrying hooks)and 16 inch grips the biggest of the big, so large holding them in middle guard for long was difficult so it was usually used with a tail guard (erm, technical but theres no better way to explain it)

The western shield was not used to simply rest as a static defense and no matter what you see in movies or TV flinging your shield to the side when you attacked was not necessary nor safe, it would get you killed. It could intercept blows from weapons at close combat ranges and served as the primary tool of defense before plate mail armor came about. (this is not plate armor, its a juxapostion of metal plates on mail armor used to defeat the longbow this is where plastrons and cuirasses came about)

And of course this isn't to say there were no curved western swords either, look at the falcion, and the saber. (Technically the falchion was the only medieval sword, sabers, backswords, and arming swords came forth in the 15'th century.

If your having trouble handeling a real western sword (not a fantasy sword nor wallhanger) then I don't know what to say... Anyhow as I posted the western sword is so stereotyped I can't stand it. Sorry for being a bit of a bitch but its true.

[ 08-20-2003, 12:48 AM: Message edited by: Azimaith ]

Heh heh, ok man. As I said in my experience eastern swords are easier to handle. Maybe I just havn't experienced any good Western varieties ;)

Don't be scared I'm just a fanatic hehe, oh boy I gotta get a girlfriend or something heh.

I do not have any knowledge. Altough I like those niffty Katanas(CFury :D ). Oh and I also know that Smaurais´ were really loyal people who died and done Sepuku if their master told them to.

Actually thats not quite true, plenty of samurai were thugs, pillagers, and rapists who were only loyal to the comfort a master provided them. That kind of generalization doesn't really work. In fact there were plenty of cases of entire villages of innocents being destroyed by samurai not to mention there were also groups of Ronin samurai who became brigands, sometimes of course they became ronin by killing their previous master. They were as diverse a group as knights of the middle ages. During the warring states periods there were alot of disloyal samurai, I can tell you that.

I also had to think hard on the last one. My favourite is the Gladius, but i love double katanas(picture the elven weapon from LOTR's first five minutes and you'll be close) and short ninja varieties of katanas from the eastern side, and from the western i like the rapier because it's quite classy and elegant.

Double katana's??? I've got no idea what your talking about.. Maybe the dual sword style created by musashi? As for ninja katana's I assume your speaking of Ninja to's n such. Quite a diverse taste in swords I must say.