# Looking for a capable straight sword



## Gfreak

Hey everyone. I'm trying to find a reasonably priced entry level straight sword capable of cutting soft targets. (pool noodes, etc...) . It's pretty easy to find an entry level katan for 250-400 it seems. But I haven't had any luck at all finding a straight single sided blade around that price...

They all seem to be cheap (read less than 100) Or over 1000.

I do Korean Martial arts and have been practicing with a bokken and an equivilent of an iaito but straight. 

And am wanting to start getting into the cutting aspect of it... Anyone know of a place that sells them? 
Thanks!


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## KangTsai

What kind of "straight sword" do you mean?


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## Tez3

Gfreak said:


> They all seem to be cheap (read less than 100) Or over 1000



What currency?


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## Dirty Dog

Gfreak said:


> Hey everyone. I'm trying to find a reasonably priced entry level straight sword capable of cutting soft targets. (pool noodes, etc...) . It's pretty easy to find an entry level katan for 250-400 it seems. But I haven't had any luck at all finding a straight single sided blade around that price...
> 
> They all seem to be cheap (read less than 100) Or over 1000.
> 
> I do Korean Martial arts and have been practicing with a bokken and an equivilent of an iaito but straight.
> 
> And am wanting to start getting into the cutting aspect of it... Anyone know of a place that sells them?
> Thanks!



What Korean martial art uses a straight sword?


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## Gfreak

This is the kind of straight sword i"m talking about.

USD ($) is the currency.

I train in Kuk Sool At the moment (my secondary martial art, I'm about 3 years into it right now)


Here's a video of our first sword form if you're interested 



 (although I learned it a little bit differently)


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## elder999

Gfreak said:


> Hey everyone. I'm trying to find a reasonably priced entry level straight sword capable of cutting soft targets. (pool noodes, etc...) . It's pretty easy to find an entry level katan for 250-400 it seems. But I haven't had any luck at all finding a straight single sided blade around that price...
> 
> They all seem to be cheap (read less than 100) Or over 1000.
> 
> I do Korean Martial arts and have been practicing with a bokken and an equivilent of an iaito but straight.
> 
> And am wanting to start getting into the cutting aspect of it... Anyone know of a place that sells them?
> Thanks!


Always the same answer to this question online: ask your sabum?



Dirty Dog said:


> What Korean martial art uses a straight sword?



Kuk sool won uses a double edged-straight sword.

Edit: Kid beat me to it on kuk sool won. Knew a high-ranking guy back east, nice fella....


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## Gfreak

elder999 said:


> Always the same answer to this question online: ask your sabum?
> 
> 
> 
> Kuk sool won uses a double edged-straight sword.




I've asked before and it seems the place that he was able to get moderately priced swords isn't in business anymore, and the only one he knows now is a personal blacksmith friend of his that is much more expensive.

Kuk Sool Won uses a straight single edged sword AFAIK. The first form, Jung Gum Hyung, has a lot of reinforced blocks/stabs on the back side of the sword. If it was a double sided sword you would slice your hand open.

I believe there is a double sided blade form higher up. But the 1st 2 hyung for sword are definitely single sided blade.


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## elder999

Gfreak said:


> I've asked before and it seems the place that he was able to get moderately priced swords isn't in business anymore, and the only one he knows now is a personal blacksmith friend of his that is much more expensive.
> 
> Kuk Sool Won uses a straight single edged sword AFAIK. The first form, Jung Gum Hyung, has a lot of reinforced blocks/stabs on the back side of the sword. If it was a double sided sword you would slice your hand open.
> 
> I believe there is a double sided blade form higher up. But the 1st 2 hyung for sword are definitely single sided blade.


Yeah, there are like dozens of weapons in that system.....there's even a set of double swords that look an awful lot like wing chun butterfly knives....


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## Gfreak

elder999 said:


> Yeah, there are like dozens of weapons in that system.....there's even a set of double swords that look an awful lot like wing chun butterfly knives....



Yep... that's a 3rd degree form AFAIK. We're not a part of the association anymore. And since i'm one of the instructors at the school (i'm dan-bo belt at the moment) I see/learn some of the higher material some times out of order, hence why I"ve been learning sword for the last 6-9 months haha.

And yes, it looks a LOT like the wing chun knives lol. A lot of the stuff as you get higher up, starts looking like southern chinese kung fu stuff. (Baek Pahl Ki Hyung for instance)


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## Midnight-shadow

I doubt you'll find many places that will do single-edged straight swords, as it is a very uncommon weapon to have. I don't know much about Korean Martial Arts but in Chinese and Japanese arts you either have a single-edged curved sword, or a double-edged straight sword. I've never even heard of someone using a single-edged straight sword before.


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## Gfreak

Midnight-shadow said:


> I doubt you'll find many places that will do single-edged straight swords, as it is a very uncommon weapon to have. I don't know much about Korean Martial Arts but in Chinese and Japanese arts you either have a single-edged curved sword, or a double-edged straight sword. I've never even heard of someone using a single-edged straight sword before.



Well, damn...Lol I guess I'll have to fork out the money to get someone to actually make it for me at some point then huh?


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## Midnight-shadow

Gfreak said:


> Well, damn...Lol I guess I'll have to fork out the money to get someone to actually make it for me at some point then huh?



Yeah. In the meantime you might need to settle for something like this:

Falchion Sword - 500204 from Dark Knight Armoury

Not quite what you are looking for but it's a single-edged straight sword (sort of).


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## Gfreak

Yea, unfortunately, i'd like to get one with a 2h handle. As we still have many cuts that are 2 handed. I appreciate the help though! It'd just be nice to find one for less than 1 or 1.5 thousand dollars...lol


In the mean time, I'll probably just practice cutting with a Katana that my instructor has. Better then nothing I guess.


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## Midnight-shadow

Gfreak said:


> Yea, unfortunately, i'd like to get one with a 2h handle. As we still have many cuts that are 2 handed. I appreciate the help though! It'd just be nice to find one for less than 1 or 1.5 thousand dollars...lol
> 
> 
> In the mean time, I'll probably just practice cutting with a Katana that my instructor has. Better then nothing I guess.



a 2-handed, single-edged sword? The only thing I know of that fits that description is a Miao Dao:






Unfortunately, the ones I've seen for sale so far have all been slightly curved, in which case you are better off with a Katana.


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## elder999

Get a hold of these guys: Swords of Northshire

They advertise on this page, right there on the right hand side, and they do "custom work."


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## Gfreak

elder999 said:


> Get a hold of these guys: Swords of Northshire
> 
> They advertise on this page, right there on the right hand side, and they do "custom work."




I'll have to contact them and see if they do truly custom orders. From their website, they do "custom" as in that you select from pre-set options to create your blade. and the only blade style options are: katana, wakizashi, and tanto.


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## Brian R. VanCise

Here is one store but you have to be a member of their organization:

soolwon.com/Kuk-Sool-Won-Aluminum-Practice-Sword-w-inlaid-Dragon-WE-ES-BRB.htm

Here is another:

Kuksool kagums

You kind've have a problem with not being a part of the organization.  You see the Kuk Sool Won straight sword will probably only be found there as research has shown that the Koreans utilized a curved sword like the Japanese and that is pretty much all that is made for Korean Martial Arts.  The Kuk Sool Won swords and training swords are specifically made for Kuk Sool Won and the people at the top want to keep it so only their people can have them.  Rough break...


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## Flying Crane

Midnight-shadow said:


> a 2-handed, single-edged sword? The only thing I know of that fits that description is a Miao Dao:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, the ones I've seen for sale so far have all been slightly curved, in which case you are better off with a Katana.


Weird, the sword he is holding in the picture is double-edged, regardless of what the caption says.


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## Midnight-shadow

Flying Crane said:


> Weird, the sword he is holding in the picture is double-edged, regardless of what the caption says.



I thought that initially too, but then thought maybe I was wrong and my eyes were playing tricks on me. Regardless you can get Miao Dao that are single-edged, but like I said before, most of them are slightly curved just like a Katana. What the OP is looking for appears to be very specific to the art he is doing, meaning he will have to go to a korean weapons specialist or a custom-made sword. 

All this has made me wonder though, why aren't there more single-edged 2-handed swords around? The tradition throughout history has either been a single-edged 1-hander or a double-edged 2-hander. Can anyone give a reason for this trend?


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## Flying Crane

Midnight-shadow said:


> I thought that initially too, but then thought maybe I was wrong and my eyes were playing tricks on me. Regardless you can get Miao Dao that are single-edged, but like I said before, most of them are slightly curved just like a Katana. What the OP is looking for appears to be very specific to the art he is doing, meaning he will have to go to a korean weapons specialist or a custom-made sword.
> 
> All this has made me wonder though, why aren't there more single-edged 2-handed swords around? The tradition throughout history has either been a single-edged 1-hander or a double-edged 2-hander. Can anyone give a reason for this trend?


It may be that he needs something specific to his art.

I believe that a curved blade cuts better than a straight blade, but a straight blade stabs better than a curved blade.  A single edge can capitalize on cutting strengths so is usually curved.  A double edged blade cannot be curved, or else one edge will actually curve the wrong way and it becomes a bad design.  So a double edge tries to be a compromise, straight to thrust, but with cutting edges that are less efficient because straight, but still works..

Sword design over the ages has tried to take advantage of these issues and come up with the optimal design, based on how it will be used.  Cavalry often cuts more on a fast moving horse, so uses a curved saber.  On foot, stabs are very effective,  but still want cutting ability or else there is three feet of wasted steel in a dull blade meant for thrusting only.

This is very simplified, but gives an idea of the thought process.


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## Flying Crane

Midnight-shadow said:


> I thought that initially too, but then thought maybe I was wrong and my eyes were playing tricks on me. Regardless you can get Miao Dao that are single-edged, but like I said before, most of them are slightly curved just like a Katana. What the OP is looking for appears to be very specific to the art he is doing, meaning he will have to go to a korean weapons specialist or a custom-made sword.
> 
> All this has made me wonder though, why aren't there more single-edged 2-handed swords around? The tradition throughout history has either been a single-edged 1-hander or a double-edged 2-hander. Can anyone give a reason for this trend?


And yes you can get single-edged sword in Chinese arts that are very katana-ish, I've never seen one that was not curved, but I believe the item in that picture is double-edged.  That is also common in Chinese methods, two-handed method for a long sword, double edged.


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## Midnight-shadow

Flying Crane said:


> And yes you can get single-edged sword in Chinese arts that are very katana-ish, I've never seen one that was not curved, but I believe the item in that picture is double-edged.  That is also common in Chinese methods, two-handed method for a long sword, double edged.



Yes. It is often debated which came first, the Chinese Dao or the Japanese Katana. Each nation claims the other stole it from them, and by this point it's impossible to pinpoint the true origin of the curved 2-handed blade in Asia. It's likely that both nations invented the blades at similar times separate from one another, but again trying to verify this is all but impossible.


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## Gfreak

Brian R. VanCise said:


> Here is one store but you have to be a member of their organization:
> 
> soolwon.com/Kuk-Sool-Won-Aluminum-Practice-Sword-w-inlaid-Dragon-WE-ES-BRB.htm
> 
> Here is another:
> 
> Kuksool kagums
> 
> You kind've have a problem with not being a part of the organization.  You see the Kuk Sool Won straight sword will probably only be found there as research has shown that the Koreans utilized a curved sword like the Japanese and that is pretty much all that is made for Korean Martial Arts.  The Kuk Sool Won swords and training swords are specifically made for Kuk Sool Won and the people at the top want to keep it so only their people can have them.  Rough break...



Yea, unfortunately even within the organization. on their website atleast, the only thing they sell sword wise is alluminum practice swords. And they're over priced imo...


So far this is the only sword that I've found that actually looks like it would be a decent sword, of that style.

Korean Jikdo Sword

However it's 1300$ lol. A bit out of my price range at the moment... maybe in the future when I've opened up my own school haha


edit: Actually, i did just manage to find this. Korean Jikdo Kagum Straight Sword T10 Steel Differential Harden Blade Sharp

It's $200 and claims it's differentially hardened T-10 steel.... I feel like that's too cheap for that, or am I missing something? lol


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## Brian R. VanCise

The fittings look very cheap but I wouldn't be able to tell unless I held it.

Personally when it comes to tools I tend to save up and try to buy higher quality.  This comes after having learned the hard way.


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## Gfreak

Brian R. VanCise said:


> The fittings look very cheap but I wouldn't be able to tell unless I held it.
> 
> Personally when it comes to tools I tend to save up and try to buy higher quality.  This comes after having learned the hard way.


I"d absolutely agree! Only thing is, there's a huge difference in "saving up" to buy something 200, vs something 1300. Considering I only make 15k a year...haha the 1300 one isn't even in the question, for a good while.


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## Midnight-shadow

Chinese Products

Maybe you can find something from these guys. There are a couple of swords in their collection that might suit you, although you may need to get a sword with a very slight curve in it. 

BC0810 - Iron Tiger Forge Tang Dynasty Dao - $499.95


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## Gfreak

Woah, tought I had responded to this, My bad lol.
And yea, I might end up having to just use a normal katana with a smaller curve lol.

anyways, after more searching I've found a couple "options".

JK140 - Iron Tiger Forge Red Dragon Straight Blade Katana - $244.95

JK139 - Iron Tiger Forge Heron Straight Blade Katana - $189.95

Both from the same brand...

and 

Hand Forged Folded Steel Straight Blade Katana Ninjato Sword

Which is a "ninjato" with a 29" blade? So seems basically like  astraight bladed katana


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## gothmonroe

I believe someone else posted this earlier but I'll reiterate, darkknightarmory.com has a pretty good range of swords.  Another is replicadungeon.com.  You should give both those a try. 

-Best 
Goth Warrior


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