Just want to add a note: this LK Chen looks more authentic and heavier than the Hanwei dadao. The Hawaii dao is very thin and light and is not a real battle blade. I have of the Hanwei wei
This is a light Dadao. But seem very effective in slicing and chopping. I'll have to check out the LK Chen site and see if I need to buy another. I have a total of over a dozen various designed Dadao. Thanks for the introduction.
Wonderful discussion about the history and context behind how this particular blade became so iconic at a time when swords largely were falling out of use on the battlefield!
Thanks for your support! Researching for this video brought me back to the topic of WWII in Asia which I haven’t studied deeply since grad school, but it is nice to revisit the topic. I may do more in the future if there is enough interest!
@@fuheitu4040 Thanks for watching! I know that guerrilla communist forces in the north studied japanese bayonet fighting from captured prisoners. But I am interested to learn more about bayonet production during the republican era. Do you have a primary source or scholarly article which talks about how many dadao and bayonets were being produced and why?
@@thescholar-general5975 There were both Communist & KMT members who studied Japanese Bayonet Fighting in Japan before the Outbreak of Hostilities and were pretty familiar with their doctrine.
Thanks for the video! I've seen the footage you used in the beginning of the video before. Always wondered about those daos - look more like the baguazhang oversized training dao than the type you received from LK.
Thanks for watching! There are many different variations of dadao. I believe that the footage with the long handled dadao may be from the 1920s, but I would have to double check the sources. I think that it this type has a fairly clear connection to modern pudao. Bagua dao are also doubtless related to heavy dadao and niuweidao. Some of the footage I didn’t include here showed single-handed use of the dadao which would feel pretty similar to a baguadao.
great review! Imagine how fast an army with these could clear space for camp. I use my Condor one as a yard tool, basically a sword, machete, and axe all in one.
I love mine. The only thing I would change is maybe it could use a little more distal taper, but there was a lot of variation, so I'm sure it acurately represents actual weapons. I almost got the Hanwei, but I like LK Chen's style of handguard better, and it was about time I bought something from him after spending so much time on his website. The Dadao has become my favorite weapon lately, and I started practicing before my LK Chen even got here, with a polycarbonate trainer from Purple Heart Armories.
@@DarkwarriorJ It's little bit lighter than the LK Chen, but I would say it feels pretty good. It's about as close to a Dadao as a Bokken is to a Katana. I recommend it. My only complaint is the shipping is a little high.
@@ambulocetusnatans How much does the trainer Dadao weigh? I've noticed on the website that it tends to say around 1 pound, which is really light compared to the LK chen, but I'm beginning to suspect that the numbers listed on the website are not accurate (a bunch look like placeholders). I'm thinking of buying a pair someday. Thanks for explaining! That it feels pretty good is very encouraging.
Was between this and the Hanwei until I had the opportunity to handle a better made original. I know dadao quality was all over the place due to rushed production, material quality that varied wildly, and the general QC issues that come with cottage industry, to say nothing of the scale of production. The original had a thicker blade than the Hanwei, and I wasn't as big of a fan of the guard, but it was more "accurate" than the other reproductions I could reasonably get my hands on. Mostly wanted one to pair with the Type 24 Zhongzheng rifle I have, and through my search, I discovered LK Chen. Love that he takes measurements from originals, and it's nice to see Chinese sword reproductions that aren't floppy Wushu swords for forms. Definitely peaked my interest in Chinese martial arts again. Waiting for budget to allow, but I do intend to get a Han or earlier style jian, and a Ming dao in the future. Excellent review, and the manual really helped a lot, kept it from feeling like a heavy sling blade in my out of shape hands.
Thanks for watching! I admire that you took extra effort to make your sword more historically accurate! It is also super cool that you have an antique rifle from Asia! Those are hard to come by! Sometime soon I will do a video on one of LK Chen’s Ming swords so stick around if you are interested in seeing it.
The Dadao was infamous and feared by the IJA due to its sheer brutality, especially in Close Quarters. It also had the reputation for breaking Bayonets and the poorer-quality war-time production Guntos in CQC (i.e Banzai Charges), so much so IJA Officers started carrying actual cut-down Katanas/Quality Guntos. As for history, supposedly, the Dadao stemmed from the Tang Dynasty and was used as a Bandit/executioner weapon. But its shape, curve etc. was more or less realized during the Song.
Thanks a lot for the review. I wanted to add a DaDao to my growing collection for quite some time but so far the Hanwei DaDao was my favourite. But after researching and seeing your video I think that the LK Chen DaDao might be the better choice because I like the look of the LK one more. it looks more close to the real thing.
I held a real type 38 (copy or heavily modified capture?) once in the home of a private collector and it's quite muzzle heavy; I can imagine it being supremely stable for long range shooting but dull and unresponsive when used as a polearm.
That’s awesome! I haven’t handled any antique firearms from Asia, but it would be nice to see on at some point. You are correct that bayonets are definitely more sluggish than your average spear. This mostly works to the Dadaos favor, but the mass of a rifle can be hard to displace which may be part of the reason why some dadao are quite heavy.
@@thescholar-general5975 Yes it was fascinating holding an unrefurbed old timey rifle and felt the weight of it in the hand. The IJA put great emphasis on rifle bayonet training, they expected their soldiers to win in duels against other rifle bayonets using very regimental, drilled techniques, and these swords didn't lie symmetrically with their doctrines or muscle memories.
Thank you for the video. The original from the archives had a way longer handle not by accident. From your demonstration is evident that you are missing the wide grip
I have a different maker's replica. Hard to imagine the dadao outperforming a lighter, single handed sword of the same length against a bayonet. Less reach, clumsier etc.. What do you think?
Personally I would prefer a one handed blade, but I believe that the philosophy behind the dadao is to overpower the bayonet in the bind and get right up against the enemy. With a short blade like the dadao you can basically use it in grappling and clinch range. And the enemy would have a hard time grabbing the wide blade or wrenching it from you while you are holding it with two hands. So it may make it more difficult to close on the bayonet, but once you do close. The enemy soldier is in an almost impossible situation.
If you look at it historically, Song troops were extremely heavily armored and used similar swords as one-handers, but just about every other dynasty went 'nah' and used something more sensible :D . I wouldn't take it into a duel myself, but I guess if I'm heavily armored and need a secondary, or if I'm in the business of fending off bayonets at the end of a rifle, it doesn't seem so bad. Or if I'm a civie and I need a good tool.
Just want to add a note: this LK Chen looks more authentic and heavier than the Hanwei dadao. The Hawaii dao is very thin and light and is not a real battle blade. I have of the Hanwei wei
This is a light Dadao. But seem very effective in slicing and chopping. I'll have to check out the LK Chen site and see if I need to buy another. I have a total of over a dozen various designed Dadao. Thanks for the introduction.
The cold steel dadao looks really cool
it is mainly designed to be simplistic and militia friendly
Yes, it is an easily mass produced weapon.
Wonderful discussion about the history and context behind how this particular blade became so iconic at a time when swords largely were falling out of use on the battlefield!
Thanks for your support! Researching for this video brought me back to the topic of WWII in Asia which I haven’t studied deeply since grad school, but it is nice to revisit the topic. I may do more in the future if there is enough interest!
When China can mass produce bayonets
Dadao largely were falling out of use on the battlefield
@@fuheitu4040 Thanks for watching! I know that guerrilla communist forces in the north studied japanese bayonet fighting from captured prisoners. But I am interested to learn more about bayonet production during the republican era. Do you have a primary source or scholarly article which talks about how many dadao and bayonets were being produced and why?
@@thescholar-general5975
There were both Communist & KMT members who studied Japanese Bayonet Fighting in Japan before the Outbreak of Hostilities and were pretty familiar with their doctrine.
Thanks for the video!
I've seen the footage you used in the beginning of the video before. Always wondered about those daos - look more like the baguazhang oversized training dao than the type you received from LK.
Thanks for watching! There are many different variations of dadao. I believe that the footage with the long handled dadao may be from the 1920s, but I would have to double check the sources. I think that it this type has a fairly clear connection to modern pudao. Bagua dao are also doubtless related to heavy dadao and niuweidao. Some of the footage I didn’t include here showed single-handed use of the dadao which would feel pretty similar to a baguadao.
I've got the LK and the Hanwei both ready to battle it out! Just making another stand while I wait on mats..
Great video, Brother!
Looking forward to your video!
How do they compare? I also have the Hanwei and am quite happy with it, decent distal taper and balance.
@@-Zevin- I'm making the video, currently, it uploads on my channel hopefully next Friday.
@@saberserpent1134 Excellent, I will keep an eye out for that.
@@saberserpent1134 I can't wait! It was a tough choice between the two, and I hope your video doesn't make me second guess myself.
great review! Imagine how fast an army with these could clear space for camp. I use my Condor one as a yard tool, basically a sword, machete, and axe all in one.
Yes! Truly iconic
Indeed it is! Thanks for watching!
I love mine. The only thing I would change is maybe it could use a little more distal taper, but there was a lot of variation, so I'm sure it acurately represents actual weapons. I almost got the Hanwei, but I like LK Chen's style of handguard better, and it was about time I bought something from him after spending so much time on his website.
The Dadao has become my favorite weapon lately, and I started practicing before my LK Chen even got here, with a polycarbonate trainer from Purple Heart Armories.
Yeah I found that this weapon performed very well for cutting and it is heavy but it feels good when you use the moves from manuals.
The Hanwei is a bit thinner, which may be a turn-off for some.
How was the Purpleheart Polycarbonate trainer? Does it feel representative of the Dadao?
@@DarkwarriorJ It's little bit lighter than the LK Chen, but I would say it feels pretty good. It's about as close to a Dadao as a Bokken is to a Katana. I recommend it. My only complaint is the shipping is a little high.
@@ambulocetusnatans How much does the trainer Dadao weigh? I've noticed on the website that it tends to say around 1 pound, which is really light compared to the LK chen, but I'm beginning to suspect that the numbers listed on the website are not accurate (a bunch look like placeholders).
I'm thinking of buying a pair someday. Thanks for explaining! That it feels pretty good is very encouraging.
Was between this and the Hanwei until I had the opportunity to handle a better made original. I know dadao quality was all over the place due to rushed production, material quality that varied wildly, and the general QC issues that come with cottage industry, to say nothing of the scale of production. The original had a thicker blade than the Hanwei, and I wasn't as big of a fan of the guard, but it was more "accurate" than the other reproductions I could reasonably get my hands on.
Mostly wanted one to pair with the Type 24 Zhongzheng rifle I have, and through my search, I discovered LK Chen. Love that he takes measurements from originals, and it's nice to see Chinese sword reproductions that aren't floppy Wushu swords for forms. Definitely peaked my interest in Chinese martial arts again. Waiting for budget to allow, but I do intend to get a Han or earlier style jian, and a Ming dao in the future.
Excellent review, and the manual really helped a lot, kept it from feeling like a heavy sling blade in my out of shape hands.
Thanks for watching! I admire that you took extra effort to make your sword more historically accurate! It is also super cool that you have an antique rifle from Asia! Those are hard to come by! Sometime soon I will do a video on one of LK Chen’s Ming swords so stick around if you are interested in seeing it.
The Dadao was infamous and feared by the IJA due to its sheer brutality, especially in Close Quarters.
It also had the reputation for breaking Bayonets and the poorer-quality war-time production Guntos in CQC (i.e Banzai Charges),
so much so IJA Officers started carrying actual cut-down Katanas/Quality Guntos.
As for history, supposedly, the Dadao stemmed from the Tang Dynasty and was used as a Bandit/executioner weapon.
But its shape, curve etc. was more or less realized during the Song.
Thanks a lot for the review. I wanted to add a DaDao to my growing collection for quite some time but so far the Hanwei DaDao was my favourite. But after researching and seeing your video I think that the LK Chen DaDao might be the better choice because I like the look of the LK one more. it looks more close to the real thing.
Cool looking weapon 👍🏿🤠👍🏿
Thanks for watching!
I held a real type 38 (copy or heavily modified capture?) once in the home of a private collector and it's quite muzzle heavy; I can imagine it being supremely stable for long range shooting but dull and unresponsive when used as a polearm.
That’s awesome! I haven’t handled any antique firearms from Asia, but it would be nice to see on at some point. You are correct that bayonets are definitely more sluggish than your average spear. This mostly works to the Dadaos favor, but the mass of a rifle can be hard to displace which may be part of the reason why some dadao are quite heavy.
@@thescholar-general5975 Yes it was fascinating holding an unrefurbed old timey rifle and felt the weight of it in the hand. The IJA put great emphasis on rifle bayonet training, they expected their soldiers to win in duels against other rifle bayonets using very regimental, drilled techniques, and these swords didn't lie symmetrically with their doctrines or muscle memories.
Thank you for the video. The original from the archives had a way longer handle not by accident. From your demonstration is evident that you are missing the wide grip
Thanks for watching! There is other vintage footage which shows shorter handle dadao as well, just like the replica here.
How do you make a movie about the Dadao, then cut a song in it... and not have it be the actual Dadao song?
I really thought about it, but I am not the biggest fan of the lyrics, and I think the current song sounds more inspiring.
I have a different maker's replica. Hard to imagine the dadao outperforming a lighter, single handed sword of the same length against a bayonet. Less reach, clumsier etc..
What do you think?
Personally I would prefer a one handed blade, but I believe that the philosophy behind the dadao is to overpower the bayonet in the bind and get right up against the enemy. With a short blade like the dadao you can basically use it in grappling and clinch range. And the enemy would have a hard time grabbing the wide blade or wrenching it from you while you are holding it with two hands. So it may make it more difficult to close on the bayonet, but once you do close. The enemy soldier is in an almost impossible situation.
The Dadao is the same sword used by the Chinese Nationalist soldiers during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
fun
Thanks for watching!
This guy is bald because he ran so fast in track no joke🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👨🦲🏃♂️💨
this blade is just a little too short for two handed and too heavy for one handed 😅, historically was not an effective weapon either
If you look at it historically, Song troops were extremely heavily armored and used similar swords as one-handers, but just about every other dynasty went 'nah' and used something more sensible :D . I wouldn't take it into a duel myself, but I guess if I'm heavily armored and need a secondary, or if I'm in the business of fending off bayonets at the end of a rifle, it doesn't seem so bad. Or if I'm a civie and I need a good tool.
blade is just a little too short for two handed and too heavy for one handed, well talking about uchigatana.........
Andrew Tate is that you?