Person one: i like European sword! Person two: which European sword? person one: the one's that knight used! Person two: which knight, which part of Europe and which century 11 to 15?
My teacher had a similar rant about history as a whole. About how "comparing anything deeper than the surface level, without going all the way to the bottom will mostly lead to inaccuracy". He took up among others some similar examples to those you used and showed us some well known "historical comparisons". But he mostly talked about how there are so many aspects to everything that unless your comparison is in the form of a full-sized masters thesis, you will never be able to cover even half of it. There are pros and cons to everything, there are always things we don't know, and there will always be things we miss. So comparisons for the sake of clarifications is fine, but comparisons for the sake of argument is doomed to fail.
I'm a history major and 100% agree with this, historical comparisons are so hard to do since there's so many intricacies to deal with, it's nuts overhearing people talk about historical events completely out of context
My history teacher was always great about laying out all the information. Teaching students to look at information before making any conclusions is the most important thing he taught us. On an unrelated note it's funny responding to NepNep
@@LaLloronaVT Like hypothetically putting knights to fight with samurai, if that happened, there would be a lot to apply at what time, what technology which phase of samurai and knights, in addition to the knights have a lot of advantage, but after defeat the Samurai would evolve tactics and learn from other knights how to create new technologies so there would be a rematch??? You can see how many questions are not just who is better or worse, but in the unfolding of the situation the context.
This type of analytical, historical, and/or debunking content is when I think you’re at your best and is why I’m subscribed. Highly appreciated and hope more of this comes out!
@@martytu20 In what context though? Versatility is useful if you know that you're better than anyone else nearby at weapons fighting, and you might be challenged with any weapon in some sort of martial arts tournament (such as in Jet Li's Fearless) If I was a medieval conscript (with very limited training time, since I was a farmer only a few weeks ago) fighting with spears against others fighting with spears, I'd give up a lot of skill with a bow in order to have more skill with a spear. Heck, I'd even give up skill with a sword, because such skill won't help me survive the combat I'm facing right now. As Skallagrim said in some video, combat isn't a joke. Every move you make must be your "limit break" or "ultimate" because if you don't, you die. It's for the same reason that most modern infantry soldiers don't train with handguns (beyond extremely basic stuff) and spend most of their time training on their rifles and heavy weapons. Such weapons are the ones you'll actually depend on with your life in times of combat.
@@fi4re Some weapons are better suited to certain environments. For example, a weapon like a spear or polearm might not be practical in close quarters. A dagger with a quicker draw is better for self defense. Musashi himself made a larger bokken out of a spare oar while paddling toward the island of a designated duel. That's despite the fact that Musashi's more known for his dual wielding style with the wakasashi as a parrying sword.
@@martytu20 TL;DR version: most people couldn't even come close to affording a sword and decent armour. You fought with what you were given. And most people couldn't afford to train, since they had to farm to make a living. You fought with the limited amount of training you had shortly after you were conscripted. Long version ahead. I think everyone who doesn't actually spar or go up against live opposition imagines themselves as the action hero, going into various environments and slaying dozens of bad guys. They imagine losing their sword, only to steal the enemy's horse and weapons and continue rampaging through their formations. For most people who found themselves in a real war in the feudal/medieval era, the reality is probably closer to: you found out you were just conscripted, and you don't really care about politics or the warlord who's forcing you to fight for him, but he just burned down your farm and you have nothing else to go back to anyway so you might as well fight. You've never picked up a real weapon in your life, but a spear was just thrust into your hands by your trainer. You have a few days to train yourself up. (Think Mulan, except there's no Captain Shang to sing you into becoming an elite warrior and time is limited because the enemy's invading your country. Every day you delay is another dozen farms pillaged by the enemy) So you do your best to become proficient in spear fighting in the very limited time you have available. You have no choice in weapons; you can't afford anything better and neither can your warlord (I've heard the statistic that a sword cost about as much as a house back then, but it probably depends on the sword and the house and the period). Then, you deploy. Most of your time is spent marching or doing camp chores such as gathering food, water. There's not much time for you to conduct further training with a spear, let alone any other weapon. A few weeks later, you find yourself deployed to a battle. If you're unlucky, you find yourself going up against trained warriors in armour, and you'll be ecstatic to even kill a single enemy before you and your friends get massacred. In other words, you won't be the action hero; you'll be one of the dozens of bad guys slain by an (enemy) action hero. But suppose you get lucky, and you go up against fresh enemy conscripts. Even then, you'll be happy to kill a single enemy before you die. I mean, why would you realistically hope for much more? The enemy has meagre training and basic equipment, just like you. I think that's more realistic for the average person fighting a war at any part of Asia/Europe in the medieval/feudal times. Perhaps you'd be fortunate enough to be one of the few who can afford to spend their lives training instead of farming. I mean, every lottery has its winners. But I don't think it's reasonable to imagine yourself as the one who wins the lottery, and I don't think it's reasonable to imagine yourself as Musashi either. And more varied training with more weapons won't help you for your 3rd fight if you don't survive your 1st one.
Hey Skal! Just a friendly advice. Never put the Knecht and the Gallowglass on one scene together, that is simply too much beauty to bear so suddenly. And because they are so SHINY.
@@TheDarkestPaladin To be honest I don't know, but I would like to know why. And if it didn't sell well, that would be very weird for me. We can discuss about sword beautiness and quality, but I think the Gallowglass has at least a little of both.
@@TheDarkestPaladin they stopped making it due too the original maker of them only made a set number of them so after they sold out that was it and until they make more which I doubt unless it's a custom project for someone
A few other people have brought up the first "hybrid katana longsword" with the half double edge however I wanted to add my two cents. It isn't really a "hybrid design" as I would define it, that blade shape was actually historically made in Japan throughout the country's history and is somewhat theorized to have been sort of an in between design between the Japanese tsurugi or ken, which was an early Japanese sword based on the Chinese Jian, and the tachi, for ease of explanation we'll call the proto-katana. Basically it was a step in the evolution of Japanese swords moving from double edged to single edged. Just look up Kogarasu Maru and you'll be able to find a lot of links to better explanations and research on the subject but needless to say I wouldn't call it a hybrid so much as a "missing link/in between step" of the two types of Japanese swords.
The first double-edged katana you showed has a blade geometry that is actually historically accurate. That shape is called Kissaki-Moroha-Zukuri (alternatively called Kogarasu-Zukuri), but I didn't find any articles mentioning a katana with that shape. I did read about a 10th century Tachi with that shape, called "Kogarasu-maru". But there is no mention whether it was used in combat or not. However, there are several Naginata blades in the Kissaki-Moroha-Zukuri shape, but of course they are shorter, curvier, and they are wider near the tip.
This video has confirmed I was a lumberjack in a previous life. When you held the axes up I somehow immediately knew the difference between the two and which was better at what. I have never done any extensive work with axes the most I've done is splitting wood with the first axe you'll find at home depot. So needless to say I was pretty taken aback when you said the difference, and it was exactly what I was thinking it was.
Even katana had different "subspecies" of blade that evolved throughout time. You can literally just search "katana curvature" for different blade shapes.
I love this type of video! It helps unravel the many misconceptions surrounding different swords and explain them properly. It's awesome how different blades achieve different effects through different techniques. Sometimes comparison for comparison sake it's just as stupid as forgetting the constant evolution of swords. I would love to see a video about historical sharpening methods throughout history.
I love how you go on a long rants about what is generally good information and new information however I just want to say I love watching avery vid you upload and please don't stop the astonishing and amazing information you provide lets not forget our history
You know Skall,this topic give a good idea for a video: The Oakeshott typology,every sword type explanation. Personally,i prefer myself the Brighton Sword, able to cut and thrust well and an edge profile similar to two katanas,if only they were made with a bastard sword handle and a crab sword hilt. The two edged katana seems to be based on the ancient Kogarasumaru,an ancient tachi of the 8th century,quite the legend in katana community. Anyway,i think the problem is more complex than "Katana vs Longsword",it cannot be simply resolved by explaining their different uses and functions. I think this is more of a conflict of worlds. In japanese media,the katana and the kenshi(swordsman) have specific myths,traditions and uses. There are the iai duel,where both samurai keep the sword sheated until they strike, trying to be faster than their opponent,there is the scene where a master blacksmith forge a new katana,there is the scene where the samurai must fight a group of opponents at night ,and the only light is given by the moonlight reflecting on his blade before the fatal strike. All around ,there is much greater focus on technique and spirit. In western media,we have a magic sword capable of cutting iron and steel in the same way of wood,we have a knight on horse charging toward battle with an heater and his sword, and we have a king chosen by a sword that only he could unsheat from an anvil. There is a much greater focus on the magical element and his creatures and the figure of the knight rather than that of his sword. Katana have a distinct shape and appearance given by their story and culture, with great focus on the techniques of their wielder,while of longswords are usually famous those that have special powers,and in media their shape and construction change vastly. The main point of debate between the two ,is not given by their real life application but rather by their clashing identities. A katana fanboy ,used to certain conventions and uses may have difficulties understanding the full charm of a longsword and vice versa, when one enters in the sword of another it usually lacks important elements to that world,in a japanese context the longsword may lack the variety of (known ) techniques and philosophy, in a european setting the katana may have a bigger relevance if it brings its native exotical features,like honor,spirit and mysticism, but appearing as a class of his own compared to the others,expecially when the longsword has the role of "standard" sword and the others as "specific". The debate of " Katana vs Longsword" is so more about people trying to locate and confront each weapon on their respective mythology and spirit rather than uses, it is like to people trying to measure the same amount of water in pots of different shapes. It is less about a conflict of designs and more about a clash of cultures. It is not going to be solved unless both sword start to incorporate thing that are lacking from the other point of view ,or both are considered by a third party source,like maybe African swords.
Actually, the "double-edged katana" has some historical basis in the evolution of Japanese blades, as a transition point from around the 8th century. That blade geometry was effectively a bridge between Japanese ken (double-edged straight swords) and the tachi, maintaining the double edge of the ken but the evolution of the curved blade profile that would be more easily utilized by cavalry; just for anyone's information if they were wondering about it.
A fantastic video with some excellent examples of why comparisons are so difficult. It just goes to show that all the different types of swords (as well as other weapons) are simply different tools with different mindsets in mind for different intentions.
Japan did have double edge swords. One of there national treasures is such. I've also got a question mainly about HEMA how would you apply it to self defense? I ask becasue I've seen a lot of HEMA videos and it seems like it would be very interesting.
Thanks for explaining so well! For a guy like me, having no prior knowledge about swords, I have learned a lot and realy starting getting interested in swords. Thx for your videos skallgrim, their awesome.
I appreciate that you do you best to inject real thought , knowledge, and critical thinking into an field dominated by posers who firmly believe that their personal rendition of "best" is gospel, based on the latest click-bait article they read. Keep it up, I imagine it's unimaginably frustrating at times, but there are plenty of people who value truth over that which conforms to pre-defined notions.
I've learned a lot from these videos. I dabble in archery and I think I want to learn more about where I can practice HEMA with instruction. Thanks for the new interest.
actually some war katanas look like that chinese sword he showed at the beginning. You will prob not find any good pictures on the internet trust me, but on the School that i go to the Shin ken's have a small edge on the back that only goes to half of the sword
I have to say, you have gotten much better at camera work and framing... as well as speaking about a long and complicated topic in an easy to understand manner with great flow. This video really shows your growth not just as a UA-camr, but as a speaker and presenter.
I like how skall has grown as a UA-cam personality. It feels as though he has transformed into a beautiful sword butterfly. Initially starting as an anime weeb who idolized the katana, and then discarding his fantasization all of that sword in place of being more Hema related, but then after his injury and Recovery and minor step away from hema he has seen many different blades from many different cultures and what each one of them historically performed as. I think I can safely say that skallagrim is now one of the most popular, unbiased, educated blade reviewers on UA-cam now. I'm proud of him
I've never heard a messer referred to as a European katana before, but it seems more accurate than calling a katana a Japanese longsword, which people do with frustrating regularity. To be fair the messer and the katana do have a fair amount in common. -two-handed grip -single-edged blade -spine fuller -slight curve -very acute edge bevel -handle with crosspins -minimal pommel -rounded tip and I have heard of messers being made from welded steel rather than mono. Obviously there are plenty of differences as well, but they're more similar than a lot of swords.
For some of your technique presentations it could be handy if you added colored tape to the guards, it would help me keep track of rotation and understand what you're demonstrating better. Thanks for these awesome videos! And I hope the move wasn't too stressful!
I absolutely found this interesting and fun. I have been a sub for years upon years now and you, Scholagladitoria and Medieval Reviews when he was on got me even more interested in learning about swords, axes, daggers, maces, etc... Oakeshott Sword typology is something that I find pretty helpful. I am sure there is something similar for axes, polearms, etc...
I watched 17 minutes of video and most of what I took away from it is that the Gallowglass is an insanely beautiful sword and I am saddened that I will never be able to own one. Holy cow that's incredibly gorgeous craftsmanship.
Weapons are tools designed for their intended purpose. It's like asking what's better between a handgun and an assault rifle. They are built for different purpose. Or what is better a wrench, a screwdriver, a hammer or a chainsaw. Now the real question is "what can i get out of that tool that this one doesn't. A good example would be a japanese forging hammer vs a ball peen hammer. What can I get from a rapier that I can't with say a type XIII or what not... Thanks for the video it was fun to watch a rant that basically said "well all swords are different let's not compare them" ^^
The Harriet Dean sword, the Type XVIIIc sword at 5:00, is my favorite sword design ever, and I don't know why. When I first saw it I thought it was boring, but for some reason it really grew on me and now I think it's the coolest.
I'm not even into swords specifically but I have an interest in weapons commonly used before the 1900's or so. The transitions from one period to another and was it for the battlefield or the "street/path" is my main interest. That makes this show great for me.
Well made oakeshott type xviiib are my favorite. They handle so responsively and are just an overall agile design for a two handed sword. It's ultimately a trade off however. Any well made one will naturally excel at trusting, but their edges are perfectly capable of slicing through light targets, as for heavier targets I'm not sure why you would be trying to slice your way through plate anyway. They're excellent for half swording and just overall point control when fencing from zwei hengen or any guard for that matter. Like you said they are almost comparable to needles, perfect for getting to gaps in armor, poking through padded gambesons or the holes in ring mail. Even between the metal slats of some lower quality brigandines with proper trusting technique (and a fair bit of force). To me they are the swiss army knives of swords lol. They are also my favorite style artistically. Awesome video btw~ :)
IDK Maybe everyone including Skall already knew about this... That Hybrid-Katana sword is obviously the Kogarasu-Maru (小鳥丸). One of Heike/Taira (平家) family's swords.
I think it's the first video I 've seen where Skall talks quite extensively about katanas without mentioning how "he doesn't hate them or anything, he's just not a fan of them" :D but seriously, cool video
What I enjoyed the most, is how you've overcome your bias against katanas. They're by far not my favorite, but I like, that you've come to the conclusion, that most swords fit a purpose they were made for.
Holy Hell that last Cut was jarring >.< Great video overall and well presented, but the cut to the wave goodbye was like a slap in the face with a frozen steak. :D
At the end of the day, big sword, little sword, thin sword, thick sword, curved sword, straight sword, who cares? The only thing that matters is *it will keel*
I really liked this video. Good job. I like seeing you compare a bit more. Not out of anger or anything but, why one would pick one sword type verses another. I do have a question and anyone can answer. Is the falchion probably the best cutting sword against unarmed opponents out of Europe?
As usual, it depends on a bunch of stuff. Also, I'm assuming you mean unARMORED not unarmed. Is it a battlefield weapon that you are only breaking out for time of war, or a civilian defense weapon that you need/want to wear day-to day? Do you care about hand protection, handling, or just how well it cuts? Are you a stronger person who is comfortable with the idea of grappling, or do you prefer to keep your distance? Duel or potentially multiple enemies? Are you worried about how well your sword design is going to stand up to abuse, or is repair/replacement easy? And finally there is actually a pretty big variation of blade types for falchions from very thin machete type blades to almost scimitar types and so on.
*ANGRY TYPING* Kinda silly to declare 'hybrids' to be ineffectual based on your evaluation of a cheap reproduction sword, especially when you seem to be mistaking it as a modern attempt at a 'katana/longsword hybrid' when it is in fact a historical style that predates any sort of modern 'hybrid' conception (katana/tachi with various degrees of false edges appeared occasionally through history, the most famous example being 'Kogarasu-maru' which was probably the inspiration for the reproduction shown in this video). Also, the Albion Knecht kriegsmesser may be a typical style with a wideish blade, but messers came in all sorts of different types, some with much more narrow (and presumably thicker) blades more similar to katana, and that's without going into Swiss Sabers which even more closely tend to resemble katana.
Yeah that's true. I mean, it's like having a saber with a false edge, claiming that it's a hybrid between a longword/rapier and a saber and then arguing that is shit based on personal and random opinions.
Love the comparison between the two, I still think it's up to you if you want a Long sword or katana, if you walk away from a fight or " encounter with a sword" and are in one piece, it works for you lol
Skall, as an all around appreciator of swords and blacksmith, (which, I think, at least, gives me a bit more knowledge of the intricacies of what went went into making each part of the sword, credibility and deeper understanding of each aspect of the sword) I gotta tell ya, that gallowglass is a nice sword, especially that tachi. Man, that tachi has such a sharp, pristine hamon and the geometry is so crisp and defined. Dont even get me started on the habaki, tsuba, koshirae, and kashira.
Knowing that there was the recent hurricane Dorian and that Nova Scotia was hard-hit, I hope your new home made it through alright! Also hope the move wasn't affected too badly!
I love your videos I’ve never been to a hema class but I learned many moves and basics from your videos I do have a 4 blades I placed on walls wishing I could find a functional one with shield but they cost to much for my budget
I actually bought the "Devils Gear War Sword" (a Machete with long handle). Its actually a Crappy thing, ~60€ worth and made of 420 stainless steel. But if you ignore that the long handle and the curvature of the Blade make this thing really good to swing, stab and handle. If you find something similar but better I'd like to see you test it, and compare it with something cheap like this.
the steel making process and the forging of the katana is what gives it its strength and its shape it is the rapid cooling quench that causes the sword to curve. The hybrid you showed didn't seem to have much of a curve of course that could be an optical illusion brought on by the added width of the hybrid. Hard to say, but that's my $.02
Not gonna lie, I kinda like both of those hybrid katana-longsword designs. Idk, I just like it, maybe at the very least, it's the "tacticool' designs LOL Also, the first hybrid katana/longsword actually kinda historical. So not exactly a hybrid, but another version of katana. It's based upon "Kogarasu-Maru" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kogarasu_Maru Little note: in Nioh, there's a dual swords called "Kogarasu-maru & Nuke-maru."
People's natural desire to compare entities or concepts is understandable, though, since comparisons are the second most general statements we can make about two entities after identity statements. People are often just not aware of the fact that only single properties can be compared easily. Entities like swords, however, consist of various properties and can therefore not be trivially compared as a whole, especially if there is a high mismatch between the various properties.
I have 11 different styles of Swords. They are all My favorites. I ❤ them all for the different applications that they were designed to do. They are all pointy and sharp.
I believe that its more helpful to think about swords like tools. Because that's what they are. You don't want a screw driver when you need to be using something like a wrench. Its a bit much to make that comparison but still helpful.
Never thought I'd hear the word "fleshlight" from Skall. lol
I think he said "flashlight."
Sometimes you just need a "sheath" for your "sword". ;-)
The best fleshlight is the fleshlight sword. Not very good for screwing, but it'll screw somebody up.
You obviously never saw the video where he sliced a dildo
@@sylvanstrength7520 what's that vid called??
"Just the blunt impact is not gonna cut it"
Literally *and* figuratively.
*we need more impacc*
@@Pigen_ He protecc, he attacc, but most importantly, he need more impacc.
@thomas murphy I use my reverse card!
are you one of those commenters you see everywhere? cuz I didn't expect the foundations mad scientist here
Marco Pohl I comment on every single video I watch. Replies like yours make my day a lot of the time.
Person one: i like European sword!
Person two: which European sword?
person one: the one's that knight used!
Person two: which knight, which part of Europe and which century 11 to 15?
That looks like me abusing youtubers making "historical" content.
Majestic Gothitelle person one: yes
Me as a non sword guy: "Leave me alone! q.q"
Knights swords all suck to be fair we all know zwei handers and claymores are the best
Person two sounds like no fun to talk to
"Angry, unneccessary, pointless and silly" sums up most of the internet.
And the rest can be summed up with: Disturbing..
couldn't have said it better myself
sums up most of life.
I like tomatoes so just the fuck up!!
I disagree, Internet is fun
My teacher had a similar rant about history as a whole. About how "comparing anything deeper than the surface level, without going all the way to the bottom will mostly lead to inaccuracy". He took up among others some similar examples to those you used and showed us some well known "historical comparisons". But he mostly talked about how there are so many aspects to everything that unless your comparison is in the form of a full-sized masters thesis, you will never be able to cover even half of it. There are pros and cons to everything, there are always things we don't know, and there will always be things we miss. So comparisons for the sake of clarifications is fine, but comparisons for the sake of argument is doomed to fail.
History teachers are great tbh, i find they tend to be more passionate from my persomal experience
I'm a history major and 100% agree with this, historical comparisons are so hard to do since there's so many intricacies to deal with, it's nuts overhearing people talk about historical events completely out of context
My history teacher was always great about laying out all the information. Teaching students to look at information before making any conclusions is the most important thing he taught us.
On an unrelated note it's funny responding to NepNep
To think that a Loli would comment something so tight -_-
@@LaLloronaVT Like hypothetically putting knights to fight with samurai, if that happened, there would be a lot to apply at what time, what technology which phase of samurai and knights, in addition to the knights have a lot of advantage, but after defeat the Samurai would evolve tactics and learn from other knights how to create new technologies so there would be a rematch???
You can see how many questions are not just who is better or worse, but in the unfolding of the situation the context.
This type of analytical, historical, and/or debunking content is when I think you’re at your best and is why I’m subscribed. Highly appreciated and hope more of this comes out!
Agreed, this is where the benefit of his knowledge and experience shines best
I would argue that the best sword (or any weapon for that matter) is the one that you train with and know how to use effectively.
@IgnobleKnight a sword to the stomach may be less painful than hitting the ground.
The greatest swordsman of all time Miyamoto Musashi argued in “Five Rings” that versatility is preferred over specializing in a weapon.
@@martytu20 In what context though? Versatility is useful if you know that you're better than anyone else nearby at weapons fighting, and you might be challenged with any weapon in some sort of martial arts tournament (such as in Jet Li's Fearless)
If I was a medieval conscript (with very limited training time, since I was a farmer only a few weeks ago) fighting with spears against others fighting with spears, I'd give up a lot of skill with a bow in order to have more skill with a spear. Heck, I'd even give up skill with a sword, because such skill won't help me survive the combat I'm facing right now. As Skallagrim said in some video, combat isn't a joke. Every move you make must be your "limit break" or "ultimate" because if you don't, you die.
It's for the same reason that most modern infantry soldiers don't train with handguns (beyond extremely basic stuff) and spend most of their time training on their rifles and heavy weapons. Such weapons are the ones you'll actually depend on with your life in times of combat.
@@fi4re Some weapons are better suited to certain environments. For example, a weapon like a spear or polearm might not be practical in close quarters. A dagger with a quicker draw is better for self defense.
Musashi himself made a larger bokken out of a spare oar while paddling toward the island of a designated duel. That's despite the fact that Musashi's more known for his dual wielding style with the wakasashi as a parrying sword.
@@martytu20
TL;DR version: most people couldn't even come close to affording a sword and decent armour. You fought with what you were given. And most people couldn't afford to train, since they had to farm to make a living. You fought with the limited amount of training you had shortly after you were conscripted.
Long version ahead.
I think everyone who doesn't actually spar or go up against live opposition imagines themselves as the action hero, going into various environments and slaying dozens of bad guys. They imagine losing their sword, only to steal the enemy's horse and weapons and continue rampaging through their formations.
For most people who found themselves in a real war in the feudal/medieval era, the reality is probably closer to: you found out you were just conscripted, and you don't really care about politics or the warlord who's forcing you to fight for him, but he just burned down your farm and you have nothing else to go back to anyway so you might as well fight. You've never picked up a real weapon in your life, but a spear was just thrust into your hands by your trainer. You have a few days to train yourself up. (Think Mulan, except there's no Captain Shang to sing you into becoming an elite warrior and time is limited because the enemy's invading your country. Every day you delay is another dozen farms pillaged by the enemy)
So you do your best to become proficient in spear fighting in the very limited time you have available. You have no choice in weapons; you can't afford anything better and neither can your warlord (I've heard the statistic that a sword cost about as much as a house back then, but it probably depends on the sword and the house and the period). Then, you deploy. Most of your time is spent marching or doing camp chores such as gathering food, water. There's not much time for you to conduct further training with a spear, let alone any other weapon.
A few weeks later, you find yourself deployed to a battle. If you're unlucky, you find yourself going up against trained warriors in armour, and you'll be ecstatic to even kill a single enemy before you and your friends get massacred. In other words, you won't be the action hero; you'll be one of the dozens of bad guys slain by an (enemy) action hero.
But suppose you get lucky, and you go up against fresh enemy conscripts. Even then, you'll be happy to kill a single enemy before you die. I mean, why would you realistically hope for much more? The enemy has meagre training and basic equipment, just like you.
I think that's more realistic for the average person fighting a war at any part of Asia/Europe in the medieval/feudal times. Perhaps you'd be fortunate enough to be one of the few who can afford to spend their lives training instead of farming. I mean, every lottery has its winners. But I don't think it's reasonable to imagine yourself as the one who wins the lottery, and I don't think it's reasonable to imagine yourself as Musashi either.
And more varied training with more weapons won't help you for your 3rd fight if you don't survive your 1st one.
Hey Skal! Just a friendly advice. Never put the Knecht and the Gallowglass on one scene together, that is simply too much beauty to bear so suddenly. And because they are so SHINY.
I know, right? That Gallowglass is especially beautiful.
@@Tube_Chaser Damn right it is. Such a shame Albion discontinued it.
@@Belkan_Ghost why ? Didn't it sell well?
@@TheDarkestPaladin To be honest I don't know, but I would like to know why. And if it didn't sell well, that would be very weird for me. We can discuss about sword beautiness and quality, but I think the Gallowglass has at least a little of both.
@@TheDarkestPaladin they stopped making it due too the original maker of them only made a set number of them so after they sold out that was it and until they make more which I doubt unless it's a custom project for someone
13:20
What happens when you try to combine a spade with a shovel?
You get shade, of course!
Shpoavel.
Kind of like that one meme awhile back. Someone defiantly threw some shade.
Hopefully the shade is balanced for throwing? 😛
Is this that spoon-fork thing again?
At your service.
A few other people have brought up the first "hybrid katana longsword" with the half double edge however I wanted to add my two cents. It isn't really a "hybrid design" as I would define it, that blade shape was actually historically made in Japan throughout the country's history and is somewhat theorized to have been sort of an in between design between the Japanese tsurugi or ken, which was an early Japanese sword based on the Chinese Jian, and the tachi, for ease of explanation we'll call the proto-katana. Basically it was a step in the evolution of Japanese swords moving from double edged to single edged. Just look up Kogarasu Maru and you'll be able to find a lot of links to better explanations and research on the subject but needless to say I wouldn't call it a hybrid so much as a "missing link/in between step" of the two types of Japanese swords.
The Knecht is a real beauty. One of, if not the most gorgeous blade i've ever seen.
I agree. Kriegsmesser>>>>>everything else (yes, even pommels)
I'm happy I guessed the axes before he turned them.
The first double-edged katana you showed has a blade geometry that is actually historically accurate. That shape is called Kissaki-Moroha-Zukuri (alternatively called Kogarasu-Zukuri), but I didn't find any articles mentioning a katana with that shape. I did read about a 10th century Tachi with that shape, called "Kogarasu-maru". But there is no mention whether it was used in combat or not.
However, there are several Naginata blades in the Kissaki-Moroha-Zukuri shape, but of course they are shorter, curvier, and they are wider near the tip.
Your Kriegsmesser is just something else, i'm glad you've kept hold of it for this long!
This video has confirmed I was a lumberjack in a previous life. When you held the axes up I somehow immediately knew the difference between the two and which was better at what. I have never done any extensive work with axes the most I've done is splitting wood with the first axe you'll find at home depot. So needless to say I was pretty taken aback when you said the difference, and it was exactly what I was thinking it was.
Honestly I really liked this ranting about swords. It was VERY informative.Wish you'd do more of these!
Even katana had different "subspecies" of blade that evolved throughout time. You can literally just search "katana curvature" for different blade shapes.
The term sub-type has less syllables.
I love this type of video! It helps unravel the many misconceptions surrounding different swords and explain them properly. It's awesome how different blades achieve different effects through different techniques. Sometimes comparison for comparison sake it's just as stupid as forgetting the constant evolution of swords.
I would love to see a video about historical sharpening methods throughout history.
We all know the poleaxe is the best kind of sword.
I prefer maces, they're like giant pommels on sticks and they're the easiest weapons to use
I think that historically a coin was the best sword.
Halberds are better!
@@amfitness5598 halberds are poleaxes.
change my mind.
@@Alvarin_IL Preferably many of them.
I love how you go on a long rants about what is generally good information and new information however I just want to say I love watching avery vid you upload and please don't stop the astonishing and amazing information you provide lets not forget our history
You know Skall,this topic give a good idea for a video: The Oakeshott typology,every sword type explanation.
Personally,i prefer myself the Brighton Sword, able to cut and thrust well and an edge profile similar to two katanas,if only they were made with a bastard sword handle and a crab sword hilt.
The two edged katana seems to be based on the ancient Kogarasumaru,an ancient tachi of the 8th century,quite the legend in katana community.
Anyway,i think the problem is more complex than "Katana vs Longsword",it cannot be simply resolved by explaining their different uses and functions. I think this is more of a conflict of worlds. In japanese media,the katana and the kenshi(swordsman) have specific myths,traditions and uses. There are the iai duel,where both samurai keep the sword sheated until they strike, trying to be faster than their opponent,there is the scene where a master blacksmith forge a new katana,there is the scene where the samurai must fight a group of opponents at night ,and the only light is given by the moonlight reflecting on his blade before the fatal strike. All around ,there is much greater focus on technique and spirit. In western media,we have a magic sword capable of cutting iron and steel in the same way of wood,we have a knight on horse charging toward battle with an heater and his sword, and we have a king chosen by a sword that only he could unsheat from an anvil. There is a much greater focus on the magical element and his creatures and the figure of the knight rather than that of his sword. Katana have a distinct shape and appearance given by their story and culture, with great focus on the techniques of their wielder,while of longswords are usually famous those that have special powers,and in media their shape and construction change vastly. The main point of debate between the two ,is not given by their real life application but rather by their clashing identities. A katana fanboy ,used to certain conventions and uses may have difficulties understanding the full charm of a longsword and vice versa, when one enters in the sword of another it usually lacks important elements to that world,in a japanese context the longsword may lack the variety of (known ) techniques and philosophy, in a european setting the katana may have a bigger relevance if it brings its native exotical features,like honor,spirit and mysticism, but appearing as a class of his own compared to the others,expecially when the longsword has the role of "standard" sword and the others as "specific".
The debate of " Katana vs Longsword" is so more about people trying to locate and confront each weapon on their respective mythology and spirit rather than uses, it is like to people trying to measure the same amount of water in pots of different shapes. It is less about a conflict of designs and more about a clash of cultures.
It is not going to be solved unless both sword start to incorporate thing that are lacking from the other point of view ,or both are considered by a third party source,like maybe African swords.
Not a bad idea, but i think Skall would've to do it in multiple parts since it seems there's a lot to cover in that topic
Skall mentioned in another recent video that he's not an expert on the subject and hasn't spent much time studying it.
Actually, the "double-edged katana" has some historical basis in the evolution of Japanese blades, as a transition point from around the 8th century. That blade geometry was effectively a bridge between Japanese ken (double-edged straight swords) and the tachi, maintaining the double edge of the ken but the evolution of the curved blade profile that would be more easily utilized by cavalry; just for anyone's information if they were wondering about it.
13:46 I was ready to hear "people would call this heresy" for some reason
It may not have been spoke, but it is truth. That sword is absolute heresy.
You are not alone on that one
It's ugly...
A fantastic video with some excellent examples of why comparisons are so difficult. It just goes to show that all the different types of swords (as well as other weapons) are simply different tools with different mindsets in mind for different intentions.
Thanks for the breakdown of the oakshot type blades, now all those catalogs make allot more sense
This is the kind of content I subbed for. Glad to see you getting back to it.
Japan did have double edge swords. One of there national treasures is such. I've also got a question mainly about HEMA how would you apply it to self defense? I ask becasue I've seen a lot of HEMA videos and it seems like it would be very interesting.
Thanks for explaining so well! For a guy like me, having no prior knowledge about swords, I have learned a lot and realy starting getting interested in swords. Thx for your videos skallgrim, their awesome.
This was a very good, informative and comprehensive video
Good work, Skall
I appreciate that you do you best to inject real thought , knowledge, and critical thinking into an field dominated by posers who firmly believe that their personal rendition of "best" is gospel, based on the latest click-bait article they read. Keep it up, I imagine it's unimaginably frustrating at times, but there are plenty of people who value truth over that which conforms to pre-defined notions.
I've learned a lot from these videos. I dabble in archery and I think I want to learn more about where I can practice HEMA with instruction. Thanks for the new interest.
"some people would call this a katana/long sword hybrid" I just call a heresy
actually some war katanas look like that chinese sword he showed at the beginning. You will prob not find any good pictures on the internet trust me, but on the School that i go to the Shin ken's have a small edge on the back that only goes to half of the sword
The latter one is cool
I have to say, you have gotten much better at camera work and framing... as well as speaking about a long and complicated topic in an easy to understand manner with great flow. This video really shows your growth not just as a UA-camr, but as a speaker and presenter.
I like how skall has grown as a UA-cam personality. It feels as though he has transformed into a beautiful sword butterfly. Initially starting as an anime weeb who idolized the katana, and then discarding his fantasization all of that sword in place of being more Hema related, but then after his injury and Recovery and minor step away from hema he has seen many different blades from many different cultures and what each one of them historically performed as. I think I can safely say that skallagrim is now one of the most popular, unbiased, educated blade reviewers on UA-cam now. I'm proud of him
This was tremendously fun to watch, just letting you know
I had fun watching this, i always like it when you teach us different sword things and give us your opinion on things
11 minutes in and all i could think about was "Forgotten Weapons"... awesome channel
I've never heard a messer referred to as a European katana before, but it seems more accurate than calling a katana a Japanese longsword, which people do with frustrating regularity.
To be fair the messer and the katana do have a fair amount in common.
-two-handed grip
-single-edged blade
-spine fuller
-slight curve
-very acute edge bevel
-handle with crosspins
-minimal pommel
-rounded tip
and I have heard of messers being made from welded steel rather than mono.
Obviously there are plenty of differences as well, but they're more similar than a lot of swords.
That's kinda what I was thinking. Obviously they're different weapons but I think it's pretty fair to say they're similar.
I love the educational aspects of your rants
One of the best channels on swords.
All good points. The double edged type of Japanese sword is a moroha zukuri and is a historical type of blade geometry.
For some of your technique presentations it could be handy if you added colored tape to the guards, it would help me keep track of rotation and understand what you're demonstrating better. Thanks for these awesome videos! And I hope the move wasn't too stressful!
That makes sense. And you even talked about how some things aren't good at anything, which was what I was going to type.
So that's cool.
I absolutely found this interesting and fun. I have been a sub for years upon years now and you, Scholagladitoria and Medieval Reviews when he was on got me even more interested in learning about swords, axes, daggers, maces, etc... Oakeshott Sword typology is something that I find pretty helpful. I am sure there is something similar for axes, polearms, etc...
I really like the editing in this video. I think you've finally found a good balance between edits and static shots.
There's only one question I need answering about any sword....
"Weel ett keel?"
If you know you know.
I know
Dat choppa pretty killy
I watched 17 minutes of video and most of what I took away from it is that the Gallowglass is an insanely beautiful sword and I am saddened that I will never be able to own one. Holy cow that's incredibly gorgeous craftsmanship.
This is such a great video, legit. Perfect intro to swords really.
Weapons are tools designed for their intended purpose. It's like asking what's better between a handgun and an assault rifle. They are built for different purpose. Or what is better a wrench, a screwdriver, a hammer or a chainsaw.
Now the real question is "what can i get out of that tool that this one doesn't. A good example would be a japanese forging hammer vs a ball peen hammer. What can I get from a rapier that I can't with say a type XIII or what not...
Thanks for the video it was fun to watch a rant that basically said "well all swords are different let's not compare them" ^^
The Harriet Dean sword, the Type XVIIIc sword at 5:00, is my favorite sword design ever, and I don't know why. When I first saw it I thought it was boring, but for some reason it really grew on me and now I think it's the coolest.
i like how you say "no" so clean and precise hahaha. this was a cool vid and really educative actually, you should do more like these.
"People like to compare their ... stuff..."
And I get an advert for 'in picture measurements' lol
Vendel swords. Because the swords and helmets were just beautiful. That whole late antiquity/early middle ages period was just marvelous.
I'm not even into swords specifically but I have an interest in weapons commonly used before the 1900's or so. The transitions from one period to another and was it for the battlefield or the "street/path" is my main interest. That makes this show great for me.
Well made oakeshott type xviiib are my favorite. They handle so responsively and are just an overall agile design for a two handed sword. It's ultimately a trade off however. Any well made one will naturally excel at trusting, but their edges are perfectly capable of slicing through light targets, as for heavier targets I'm not sure why you would be trying to slice your way through plate anyway. They're excellent for half swording and just overall point control when fencing from zwei hengen or any guard for that matter. Like you said they are almost comparable to needles, perfect for getting to gaps in armor, poking through padded gambesons or the holes in ring mail. Even between the metal slats of some lower quality brigandines with proper trusting technique (and a fair bit of force). To me they are the swiss army knives of swords lol. They are also my favorite style artistically. Awesome video btw~ :)
Ok serious question... Of the one you know of and may have experience with, what is the best multipurpose weapon used by the Celts and Gaelic people?
spear....
Bagpipes.
Spearpipes
Bagpipes for sure
That's a really wide span of time, stretching from 1200 BCE to, well today actually, so you're likely going to have to narrow period and culture.
Ooh. Hadn't noticed you've hit 1.2 mil recently. Congrats!
IDK Maybe everyone including Skall already knew about this...
That Hybrid-Katana sword is obviously the Kogarasu-Maru (小鳥丸). One of Heike/Taira (平家) family's swords.
I think it's the first video I 've seen where Skall talks quite extensively about katanas without mentioning how "he doesn't hate them or anything, he's just not a fan of them" :D but seriously, cool video
As always, very entertaining. Thank you Skall !
This was rather interesting to hear, as always ;3
What I enjoyed the most, is how you've overcome your bias against katanas. They're by far not my favorite, but I like, that you've come to the conclusion, that most swords fit a purpose they were made for.
Best video of yours so far!
I thought you sold that tachi!? Also, that long sword/katana hybrid looks awesome! I want one!
Holy Hell that last Cut was jarring >.<
Great video overall and well presented, but the cut to the wave goodbye was like a slap in the face with a frozen steak. :D
Very much in agreement with you. It's like questions from a young child "What's your favourite food?"....NOOOOOOOOOO!
At the end of the day, big sword, little sword, thin sword, thick sword, curved sword, straight sword, who cares? The only thing that matters is *it will keel*
*Types angrily*
Such an enjoyable video.
I really liked this video. Good job. I like seeing you compare a bit more. Not out of anger or anything but, why one would pick one sword type verses another. I do have a question and anyone can answer. Is the falchion probably the best cutting sword against unarmed opponents out of Europe?
As usual, it depends on a bunch of stuff. Also, I'm assuming you mean unARMORED not unarmed.
Is it a battlefield weapon that you are only breaking out for time of war, or a civilian defense weapon that you need/want to wear day-to day?
Do you care about hand protection, handling, or just how well it cuts?
Are you a stronger person who is comfortable with the idea of grappling, or do you prefer to keep your distance?
Duel or potentially multiple enemies?
Are you worried about how well your sword design is going to stand up to abuse, or is repair/replacement easy? And finally there is actually a pretty big variation of blade types for falchions from very thin machete type blades to almost scimitar types and so on.
*ANGRY TYPING* Kinda silly to declare 'hybrids' to be ineffectual based on your evaluation of a cheap reproduction sword, especially when you seem to be mistaking it as a modern attempt at a 'katana/longsword hybrid' when it is in fact a historical style that predates any sort of modern 'hybrid' conception (katana/tachi with various degrees of false edges appeared occasionally through history, the most famous example being 'Kogarasu-maru' which was probably the inspiration for the reproduction shown in this video). Also, the Albion Knecht kriegsmesser may be a typical style with a wideish blade, but messers came in all sorts of different types, some with much more narrow (and presumably thicker) blades more similar to katana, and that's without going into Swiss Sabers which even more closely tend to resemble katana.
Yeah that's true.
I mean, it's like having a saber with a false edge, claiming that it's a hybrid between a longword/rapier and a saber and then arguing that is shit based on personal and random opinions.
Numerous single edged swords and sabres in the continental Far East during the Tang and Ming/Qing eras also had partial back edges.
The second hybrid was cool
@@lucanic4328 Nice-tzsche profile pic bro
Love the comparison between the two, I still think it's up to you if you want a Long sword or katana, if you walk away from a fight or " encounter with a sword" and are in one piece, it works for you lol
I for one love these kinds of videos
Very informative video. Thank you mate, you're doing great!
Many praises and respects to you sir. Great video.
Skall, as an all around appreciator of swords and blacksmith, (which, I think, at least, gives me a bit more knowledge of the intricacies of what went went into making each part of the sword, credibility and deeper understanding of each aspect of the sword) I gotta tell ya, that gallowglass is a nice sword, especially that tachi. Man, that tachi has such a sharp, pristine hamon and the geometry is so crisp and defined. Dont even get me started on the habaki, tsuba, koshirae, and kashira.
Knowing that there was the recent hurricane Dorian and that Nova Scotia was hard-hit, I hope your new home made it through alright! Also hope the move wasn't affected too badly!
Smallsword or rapier? Scottish Broadsword mate!
*George Silver screeching in the distance.*
Yesss
Flintlock with Bayonet lol
@@kaimagnus5760 sporting AR-15
@Colin Cleveland you won
I love your more informative videos! More maybe?...
Teach us, Oh Wise One!
I love your videos I’ve never been to a hema class but I learned many moves and basics from your videos I do have a 4 blades I placed on walls wishing I could find a functional one with shield but they cost to much for my budget
Enjoyed the vid alot
I actually bought the "Devils Gear War Sword" (a Machete with long handle). Its actually a Crappy thing, ~60€ worth and made of 420 stainless steel. But if you ignore that the long handle and the curvature of the Blade make this thing really good to swing, stab and handle. If you find something similar but better I'd like to see you test it, and compare it with something cheap like this.
I bought the Albion Munich,Alexandria,and The Archduke. Cant wait to see them!!! .... in nine months.
Now you did it, now I want a video explaining the differences between a shovel and a spade. ;P
I'd love to see you do more videos on hybrid weapons.
the steel making process and the forging of the katana is what gives it its strength and its shape it is the rapid cooling quench that causes the sword to curve. The hybrid you showed didn't seem to have much of a curve of course that could be an optical illusion brought on by the added width of the hybrid. Hard to say, but that's my $.02
Not gonna lie, I kinda like both of those hybrid katana-longsword designs. Idk, I just like it, maybe at the very least, it's the "tacticool' designs LOL
Also, the first hybrid katana/longsword actually kinda historical. So not exactly a hybrid, but another version of katana. It's based upon "Kogarasu-Maru"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kogarasu_Maru
Little note: in Nioh, there's a dual swords called "Kogarasu-maru & Nuke-maru."
I didn't really like the first one but the second katana longsword hybrid he showed made me want one
Good video bro, well put together. Hope the move is going well.
Awesome video, have no pun to add.
People's natural desire to compare entities or concepts is understandable, though, since comparisons are the second most general statements we can make about two entities after identity statements. People are often just not aware of the fact that only single properties can be compared easily. Entities like swords, however, consist of various properties and can therefore not be trivially compared as a whole, especially if there is a high mismatch between the various properties.
Nice video. I feel like if you encounter more armor, moving from a Katana to an Oakshott type .308 is a better choice.
Not going to lie, ever since I started watching Skall's videos, I've developed a major crush on Messers. That Knecht is beautiful.
Its was very fun to watch, think ima buy a sword do some well honed practice and generally get some exercise
13:50 Swords like that were used in japan sometimes after kohun period. Theay were caled Kogarasu Zukuri.
This was a very good and interesting video, more of that!
Great video skall! Hope your move goes according to plan! And skall!? Have a good one! 😉
All swords are the same, its all about pommels..
Well, a bigger sword, a higher liklihood of a bigger pommell
So that’s why he hates katanas
You know what they say about big pommels?
The sword is merely an aesthetically pleasing vessel for the pommel.
If you can't end them rightly, what's the point?
i like the vids like this they are fun and informative you should make more like this
"Is this the ULTIMATE sword!?...
...no. It's different."
Nuff said.
I have 11 different styles of Swords. They are all My favorites. I ❤ them all for the different applications that they were designed to do. They are all pointy and sharp.
I believe that its more helpful to think about swords like tools. Because that's what they are. You don't want a screw driver when you need to be using something like a wrench. Its a bit much to make that comparison but still helpful.