I have one of these! I couldn't agree more about the 'shiver down the spine' upon unsheathing it - it FEELS dangerous, like it wants to chop things. Basically a real life Uruk-Hai Cleaver tbh
You're right about the context. It's used to against enemy who wear heavy armour. And also, during the Song Dynasty, the military budget was heavily reduced. That's why they had to make the weapon easier to be produced.
Whenever i see these chinese swords, i get an impression that most of them are really utilitarian, no nonsense tools of death dealing, optimized to equip whole armies with them, especially dao's.
Yes and no, that was a workaround for people that had not the right to posses weapons, we end with a similar design for different reasons, from a different context.
I really love these reviews! They’re so in depth, you’re always super careful not to take sides, and you try and get all your facts as right as you can with serious research, so bravo on that 👏. Also, as a random side note, your yard that you cut in near the end is incredibly ambient and peaceful sounding 😄.
For those who are curious about it after having read wuxia fiction or read manga/manwha/manhua in wuxia settings, when they talk about the difference between a Sword and a Blade, they mean Jian VS Dao. It is kind of lost in translation and I was confused by the distinction when I read for example Ruler of the Land, but that is the distinction.
It has another very important use Head cutter During all ancient dynasties of China we do body counting with heads. War prisoners are the gifts for emperor who will cut their heads at the main gate of the capital to start some important festival. After that emperor will reward his general by their military contributions. How many cities and land have been taken and How many enemies they “chop”. General rewards his troop by the same standard. Level to level. Finally to each soldier how to prove how much enemy he chopped? Head counting!!! Hand Dao is such a good tool to do this job.
In battles during the Song Dynasty, the function of the hand dao was to sever the heads of those enemies who had been killed by long spears or ranged weapons. Of course, it was also used for emergency self-defense. Ancient Chinese warfare was similar to Europe's, utilizing phalanxes and coordinated group combat. They used long spears or advanced ranged weapons, such as crossbows, to injure the enemy. The short knife was only used to score points by cutting off the enemy's head during the cleaning of the battlefield and to request corresponding rewards from the emperor.
I love the test on your discarded Christmas tree! I purchased a Japanese Nata to help in the garden and camping a few years ago that looks like the Song Hand Dao's little cousin. It has the same brutal single-blade with a square bladed head at about 1/2 - 2/3 the length. The thickness along the back edge along with the pommel to tip weight distribution create a palpable feeling for cleaving.
As a person of Chinese descent, the word Dao literally translates to Knife from Chinese to English normally a small cutting implement but is not considered a sword but this would a known as a Great/big Knife or Dia Dao and that goes with a Chinese Saber or Whan Dao with Whan meaning bent or curved and Dao meaning knife and the item being review or describe would not be considered a sward in Chinese eyes but a very big knife. There are very strict rules as to what qualifies as a sword and knife as also other bladed tools.
a "dao" is probably what we call "facão" in brazil, which literally means big knife and are mostly used for chopping, my grandma had an old rusty one that was still cutting wood like butter
Guys, what your wrote is really nonsense as you suggest that there is "THE CHINESE" with well defined terms over 2000 years. Dao is any blade with ONE EDGE, so it can mean knife, sabre or a glefe-like pole weaopon, but not a two edged dagger, sword etc. and Da Dao, Wan Dao being attributes, meaning literally "big dao" "curved dao" etc. which can as well refer to a specific weapon as being purely descriptive. Now "Bi shou 匕首" is certainly not simply THE word for knife in just CHINESE, it is also not well defined and means usually either "dagger" in classical Chinese or something like a modern military knife, it's never the normal kitchen knife in modern standard Mandarin.
Also, I assumed that's the joke you were making, but it is so esoteric that I am not sure if it was. (Dao/Tao = way/path, Taoism being about following the "path", VERY generally speaking)
If you have ever seen the studio ghibly film called "Princess Mononoke," that looks like the very exact same blade the main protagonist (Ashitaka) uses on his quest. What he does with it at one point is insane!!! Those things really are choppers!!!!!!!!!!!
Interestingly enough, the character 士 could mean either a "soldier" or a "scholar", and combined with character for a "man" 男, so 男士, means a "gentleman"
Interesting that you see this kind of "forward leaning" tip in Indonesian and Filipino weapons a lot as well. I like these little "fossilized" clues to cultural cross-fertilization.
LK chen are an interesting company, I looked into them and they seem to be heavily involved in Hisorical Chinese Martial Arts, they take a very similar and I would say inspired take like the Chinese version of HEMA. Go and take a look at their website, they have guys sparring in HEMA gear on the front page, interesting company.
Just casually observing, tip design is easier to make and maintain than the Tang and earlier dao tips. You can just make a bar, cut it to shape, and sharpen one edge. Now you can chop, which is what this was for, and maybe thrust if you want. With the Tang and earlier designs you have to shape and sharpen two edges.
not really though, if you are talking about Dao, in Chinese Dao really just means single edged blade(mostly), that's why there are so many poleaerms called Dao.
I could be wrong but I believe that these dao were mainly used against the Northern enemies (Mongols) of the Song dynasty. So they were mainly used for incapaciting/damaging the horses legs.
I was trying to place why this particular blade shape seemed so familiar, and it finally struck me. It has a striking resemblance to the Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII (albeit the tip tapers in the other direction). I'm sure the limited power of the original Playstation made the geometry of straight lines and visual distinctiveness of a large blade drove some of the design
they also have many bigger choppers, according to some old text, the Jin(one of the main enemies) only fear two things from Song army, one is crossbow, the other is poleaxe. It makes sense, as they are all very much anti armor weapon
@@changchadchanamdong2668 I would say they have decent armor after Han dynasty, maybe not mass produced, many nomad served as auxiliary or mercenary for Han chinese druing and after Han dynasty, they may also some tech from central asia, which also have heavy metal armor.
Nice dao, that's definitely the widest blade LK Chen has made. Speaking of single edged swords, would you do a video on living saber fencing traditions like the French, Northern Italian, Neapolitan, Hungarian, and German?
When you say living, are you talking about various styles of Olympic fencing are actual Sabre traditions? The only one that I have seen anything about that looks legitimate is from Poland but I'd love to be wrong.
@@hermespino9985 I have not. I thought that one of the actors in the Polish film The Deluge, had learned it from his grandfather or something. That's too bad. Are the systems that you mentioned reconstructions or have they really been passed on from generation to generation? I ask because I learned such a system in China (but two-handed sabre) and would be interested to check them out when I move back to Europe. Learning from a master that can teach you all of the subtleties of fencing is just not the same as learning from a book..
@@MaartenSFS I am not talking about Olympic fencing and yes there are masters around in these traditions. Of the ones I have listed above Northern Italian is the most common with multiple maestri active in the United States (Ramon Martinez, John Sullins, David Achilleus, Cecil Longino, etc.) and one in Czechia (Michael Knazko). French foil is also quite common (in America at least) but French saber is rarer because a lot of French fencers actually did Northern Italian saber instead; I think Nick Evangelista, Adrian Crown, and Ramon Martinez do it at least occasionally. Neapolitan has gotten tied up with Northern Italian lineages in America so see the previous names, in Europe I recently saw an interview on UA-cam with a very elderly Italian fencing master named Paolo Cazzato who to my eye looks like he is still teaching the same kind of guard and low stance Masaniello Parise wrote about in the 1880's. Hungarian has two instructors that I am aware of Hidán Csaba in Budapest and his American student Russ Mitchell in Texas. German is... strange. There is a peculiar kind of dueling called "Mensur" associated with fraternities at German universities, but its so heavily regulated that there isn't all that much technique involved, however if you google terms like "Paukstunde," "Pennäles Fechten," and "Säbelmensur" you get hints that they occasionally do something a little more saber-like, but that area of the fencing world is quite difficult to get good information about. Apologies for the longwinded response, this is subject is one of my main interests, and the preponderance of American names on the list, but most of the masters I can find are American. If you want to look into this any further than my ramblings I would also recommend the Classical Fencing Facebook group. Edit: Here are some videos of what I am talking about: Northern Italian Dueling Saber: ua-cam.com/video/lUVZKRZ4UiU/v-deo.html Northern Italian vs. Southern Italian Saber: ua-cam.com/video/kirCSgNyw0Q/v-deo.html More Northern Italian: ua-cam.com/video/bhc9_pZUAdk/v-deo.html Interview: ua-cam.com/video/JQX6iIpEkII/v-deo.html Hidán Csaba teaching: ua-cam.com/video/BBwDSyT74Ms/v-deo.html
@@andrewk.5575 Oh, your detailed reply is much appreciated. I haven't got the time to check the videos out today, but I will surely do so within the next several days. I now know what you are referring to: the fencing systems that immediately predate Olympic fencing. How close are these systems to battlefield sabre systems? I have heard of the German Mensur duelling, but don't take that sort of thing very seriously.
In the US we call what you were talking about regarding the robustness of military gear as grunt proof. Grunt is the nickname that we in the US give to those in the infantry, so something that's referred to as being grunt proof means that it can withstand (mis)use by someone in the infantry.
One thing I am curious about regarding that tip design is that assuming that you are correct in that it is functionally pretty useless in the thrust, I wonder if that's actually the point? My head instantly goes to the idea that maybe it was doctrine at the time to train exclusively with the cut, maybe because it would be easier to train men of sketchy martial prowess to just uniformly focus on hitting the enemy with the sharp side of the stick and as a part of that making the tip that shape to reinforce the idea that the men should only hit people with the metal stick and not try funny business and get themselves killed? I'm thinking that if you're Chinese warlords during the various times of chaos in the Central Plains, the best results would likely be reached by only focusing on a very specific and limited skill set but devoting all training to those few specific skills, which would be necessary when in times of war you would need men of very inconsistent quality (some being fantastic professionals, others being conscripted peasants), maybe it was seen as a distraction to even consider using the thrust with the dao? Pure conjecture and speculation of course, writing this mainly to see if anyone has some insight into the topic.
Also, being an arsenal weapon that should survive really long, its not interesting to have tips that can be broken. If you are using an "anti-armor" weapon like these, you can bend or break the tip by accident during a cut against the said armor.
I think you are right. These are weapons issued to the rank and file as a backup sidearm. Cutting is a gross motor skill that people tend to fall back on when stressed; being confident enough to thrust with a sword under pressure takes a lot of time and training for most people. The shape of the tip means that it is an effective cutter for it's whole length; which is important as it is a relatively short weapon.
At the time after Tang, heavy armor infrantries are everywhere, dao/jian becomes usless, this thing is basically used as a blunt weapon with some cutting edges, at the time during and after Tang (medieval), people use 槊 Shuo a lot after Qin and Han dynasties(about to be the Roman empire age), a kind of spear longer than 1 zhang丈 and 8 chi尺（ruler）， about to be 4 meters and 14 centimeters， or 13 and half feet, it's used as pike for infantry or a lance for cavalry.
I mean, Song armies were LARGE and probably mass levied with untrained peasants so something akin to what they use in the field for chopping but with added durability and with economy of mass production in mind went with the design of this. The natural action encouraged by it would not be unfamiliar to the average conscript. It really looks quite intimidating. You can just feel the weight of the blow from looking at the damn thing. Its got a nice architectural feel to it too with its geometric hard edges. Natural wood or bamboo scabbard, restrained colours seems also very in keeping with Song dynasty.
just a note to help understand terminology categorization: the word “dao” actually refers to any blade with singular edges, where as Jian generally refers to double edged blades. so colloquial, yes all work knives are know as “dao” also, because they were single edged. but that’s why glaives were also called dao, and samurai swords were also “dao”. other pole arms were generally categorized as ge (戈), qiang (槍), and ji (戟),
Song has one of the smallest area of all Chinese Dynasties but they were one of the most technological advance and richest. It was said if not for the Mongols, Industrial revolution might have happened 500 earlier in China.
Awesome! re the tunkou, I believe Kirill Rivkin and Brian Isaac have done a lot of research on the proliferation of the saber concept across Eurasia, I encourage you to look into their work! Another great video Matt :)
I think with this particular you don’t want it to penetrate. The bigger version of this sword was mean hit armored Calvary. The blunt tip helps you knock the rider off the horse without over penetration and potentially losing your sword. This probably took the same idea but just shrunk down.
There are some battle Jian from the Ming and Qing dynasties, the cheaper ones are often called militia Jian. Many have heavy chopping blades and some have spatulate tips. Hilts are somewhat similar to Dao, but often with trapezoid pommels.
It seems like a weapon that would optimize the lethality of a soldier with minimal training. That makes it a very good weapon to keep in armories to be issued to peasant levies. Context...
Your comment is not "context" but mere assumption and speculation and only half correct. If You want to know real context, first you have to study Chinese military history, better learn to read Chinese and Chinese martial arts as well. The real historical context is Song dynasty military were almost entirely professional standing troops(in other words, they're soldiers as "profession", not peasant levies), which means this type of sword(宋手刀) was mainly issued to professional soldiers rather than levies. But you're correct that this sword was designed to massive produce with minimal training requirement and maintaining efforts, because Song dynasty had a professional standing army consisted of "one million soldiers" in constant, they needed easy-to-made and easy-to-use sidearm for such large army, not just for peasants. China already has established professional military system since Eastern Zhou dynasty(8th century BC) but often combined with universal conscription. Song dynasty(10th cnetury) was the first Chinese dynasty who fully implemented professional military system, which means Song Chinese soldiers were almost all professional, not temporary levies.
@@MrGod47 I stand corrected with regard to the peasant levies. At any rate, this seems like a weapon you'd issue to someone you didn't expect to receive a lot of training in how to use a sword. That doesn't necessarily mean non-professionals as many (most?) professional soldiers had some primary job that didn't involve a sword. I didn't have enough knowledge of the actual...context. :-)
It's very symmetrical. For blunt force.. would they ever use it backwards? Hitting with the spine instead of the front. Just for the blunt force and to not damage the blade. Like how butchers use the back of cleavers to break bones and the front to chop. Why some came with a hammered end.
Does look like you could crack a skull or wobble some chumps brain with that spine. I suspect you could use that blade in half-sword form effectively as well. More defensively telling by that point, but still quite effective.
+scholagladiatoria *The 北宋朝 Bo-Song-Dynasty swords had a strong influence on Japan, thus the ring-pommeled 剑 Turugi of 平安 Heian.* The 直背刀 Zhibeidao demonstrated this vid, an east Asian counterpart to the falchion, was the pattern for the 直刀 tyokuto and the evolutionary starting point for the later 雁毛刀 Yanmaodao, which added a thrusting point.
Did those rings serve a storage purpose? Like I’m imagining an armory hanging them 10 each on a long pegs. Hanging would be better for the blade too wouldn’t it since there’s no stress on it compared to them lie against a wall? I dunno, just shooting the sh*#
For some reason this reminds me of the Katzbalger-guess it goes with the two-handed swords and pike-and-shot (or in this period crossbows) formations of the period. Although while dao have always found a home with cavalry, I don't ever remember Katzbalger being associated with cavalry.
To give another historical parallel it's not that dissimilar to a langseax of roughly the same period (10th & 11th centuries). It seems more accurate to the typical length of historical examples than LK Chen's reproductions of earlier weapons, in my very humble opinion.
As a Pole i'm quite suprised to hear c read as k If you use any polish terminology in the future there are few rules to obey C never sounds like k, but always c (in ch is silent, and in cz sounds like ch, also sz is sh) This time it could be read as matcheovski Anyway, great material cheers.
When you were talking about the lack of thrusting potential, perhaps you could simply have shown us the end? I think I saw a distinct triangle of metal.
Sony Dynasty has very heavy armor. this is mostly because Song dynasty don't have many horse and their enemy has a lot of horse. They have a rule to limit the armor weight not to be heavier than 29KG.
I wonder what the justification for the black metal lip being on the sharp side of the blade should would be? If it was at the back it kind of braces the blade at the base to withstand impact. Its placement on the sharper side might only mean it could be used with the other hand on top of the guard to hold and parry . But the they could just leave it blunt. Or it could just be a feature for better fitting into the scabbard.
Just thinking looking at that blade and guard and how easy it was for you to index and easily you turned the blade but still know where the edge of the blade the thought came after you mentioned it being used agenst armour so seeing as it has a crowbar like back edge could you consider the solider turning the blade so when he struck someone in armour its impact would be like an iron bar and in doing this also save the sharp edge of the blade for softer targets posible back of the knees and ankles once the man in armour has been knocked down by the impact from the back of the blade . As an ex soldier useing a riot battern I understand what damage a impact can have on a person and a person wearing steel armour is not immune to damage
Hi sir, are yoy alright? You mentioned something about straight swords and curved swords policy entering the uk can you send me the video where to talked about this plz?
You should've played a Christmas tune, like" Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire", LOL while destroying the Krampus tree. That Dao is gorgeous and quite fierce. I was hoping to afford L.K.Chen's "white arc" Jiann, , but finds are low ar the moment. I Am happy you got that and enjoying it. Question: Did you run into any sap whilst test cutting? If So which solvent is food ar removing sap? Thanks, Brian
Now that you mention it, have you ever owned a kilij? I once held one of the early 18th century ottoman variant, the less curved one with a crazy thick yalman and immediately felt it's killer intent.
By the Song Dynasty there is already gunpowder, and super crossbows. The issue is the Jin soldiers have heavy Calvary that is cold forged scale armor. Nomads and period calvary have mounted archers which aren't really armored, But good luck using a sword against someone with bow and arrows. (Documentary on super crossbows and heavy calvary) ua-cam.com/video/T4eX6oZdG6w/v-deo.html Using a sword against calvary might be a bit too optimistic when polearms And firearms is an option, so the Dao might have fallen to a more utility function That is closer to machete than any specific combat-specialized weapon. Dao 刀 refers to anything with a single edged, so really broad based definition. So a sickle 镰刀 A wood plane 刨刀 A scraper 铲刀 A scapel 手术刀 A kitchen knife 菜刀 And pen knife 美工刀 Cutlery knife 餐刀 All carries the character of Dao.
plenty of reenactors in just chain & gambeson wont fight me with my broad bladed bastard sword, if they dont know me(i always pull my blows) because you can still easily break a arm rib or shoulder blade under mail with it (or if it was sharp cut up a shield rim like a axe) i prefer a long grip with a large brass pomel if possible because i fight in continual arc/circle where i can and a longer grip helps balance for my exceptionably heavy blade lol it also lets you rest it against your forearm if held right which takes much of weight from tip down to your forrarm its a strait double sided 68cm long wide 6.5cm wide at hilt 6cms wide before tip taper blade with significant distal taper 2.5fm at hilt 1.5cm at tip with a spearpoint style/european style tip, tip taper starts 10cm from tip blades form is a flattened hexagon ricasso extends 20cms from hilt with quillions about 1.5cms from blade at their tip i have a complex european style hilt though with a cross bar/knife hilt 24cm long with 4 x 7cm long strait up sword catching quilions coming out of 4 corners of a broad proto shell hilt 6cms across at widest 10cm long apart from the knife hilt part with a handle 23cm long made from leather washers over tang sanded to shape for maximum shock absorbing and tightness of hilt fit, held in place with a large brass pommel 4cm long 6cm wide formed from 3cm brass rod and 1x2cmbrass bar bent in a semicircle (allows you to catch & turn swords as well or better than ring pommel, also looks liek a little guy with his arms in air with handle as torse hilt as legs leading down to a compinatorally large blade ....:P ) my bastardisation of a claymore all held together with a single 3mm brass rivet in pommel & friction of leather washers/handle (i like to only put 1 hole or no hole in a tang and make handle as single pean or pin system) ive never put a edge on it but i know it would be a good cutter if i did & even without a edge i do have to pull blows on ppl (even in plate so i dont dint up their armour) its very wrist intensive weapon but as a armature blacksmith i have strong wrists from all the hammer work
The Mongols were well armored and even better armored were the Liaos, which were proto-Jurchen or proto-Manchu. The Liaos were in cataphracts. Daos exploit the arm muscle mass and memory developed by peasant farmers who spent a lifetime cutting grass and chopping all sorts of things for their livelihood so you can bet that is a formidable combination. These peasants fight with a weapon that is looks and chops so similar with their tool of livelihood. Its also a reason why peasant revolutions can be so bloody. Jians are reserved for cultured scholars that have the time and the background to learn the martial arts. The dao in the presentation looks to be one of the shorter ones, there were longer, two handed ones that were also meant to chop at the cavalry horses of the Song's nomadic enemies.
Mongols where definitely not well armoured before they started to adopt armour from various place they conquered . Proto Manchu adopted alot of armour tech from Chinese . Those people you mention are not known for being technologically innovative copied to much from China when it comes to armour , metallurgy and architect
These people have plenty to copy and innovate upon and their armor is impressive. It's a historical falsehood that they are lightly armored. The Chinese emphasize pole arms and straight daos in order to penetrate armor. The Liao Cataphracts were such an issue that that Zhanmadao was developed to chop these riders down and stab them through their armor. Only in later periods were combatants were less armored you begin to see curved slashing daos.
@@ChrisRobato . what i meant was they adopted heavy armour from China . Jurchens are a good example for that and most mongols where poorly armour before conquering others and adopting their armour tech .
Also, i always wonder...in differential hardening, is the blade clay covered or the spine ? I thought the spine would, so that when you dip it in water/oil, the blade cools rapidly and spine slower ?
I have one of these! I couldn't agree more about the 'shiver down the spine' upon unsheathing it - it FEELS dangerous, like it wants to chop things.
Basically a real life Uruk-Hai Cleaver tbh
It looks great for chopping men in half...lings.
The Chinese Triads favours machetes shaped this way during their melee disputes. Something about being ergonomically comfortable
Uruk-Hai Cleaver is what came to my mind!
Reminds me of Skallagrim's video on the han jians where he said he felt the sword was 'possessed'
It looks oddly futuristic, like something a vampiric daywalker would use.
It reminds me of the swords we've seen in the Dune trailer, too.
The perfect weapon for the Zombie Apocalypse 🧟♀️ ... imagine chopping your way through an army of the dead!
@@VideoMask93 Heh, I just rewatched that and you're right!
Its very close to the sword Ultra Violet uses in the movie from 2006. Hers was sharpened on both sides like a Jian.
I think it's mostly the colour, if the guard and ring is brass colour it would have a different vibe.
You're right about the context.
It's used to against enemy who wear heavy armour.
And also, during the Song Dynasty, the military budget was heavily reduced.
That's why they had to make the weapon easier to be produced.
Whenever i see these chinese swords, i get an impression that most of them are really utilitarian, no nonsense tools of death dealing, optimized to equip whole armies with them, especially dao's.
Thanks for the shoutout!! This sword is a beast of a cutter and looks the part! Also, it would be awesome to see a vid from you on early sabers.
Do you think this is a good blade for crossbowmen and archers
One similar weapon of europe was the Beidana, used mostly in Italy from about the 1200s by the Waldesians.
Yes and no, that was a workaround for people that had not the right to posses weapons, we end with a similar design for different reasons, from a different context.
I really love these reviews! They’re so in depth, you’re always super careful not to take sides, and you try and get all your facts as right as you can with serious research, so bravo on that 👏. Also, as a random side note, your yard that you cut in near the end is incredibly ambient and peaceful sounding 😄.
Handsome piece. Your discourse doesn’t leave any questions in my mind, well presented.
You are absolutely right matt easton. Thank you for educating your HEMA brethren on eastern arms, armor, and culture. It’s refreshing
For those who are curious about it after having read wuxia fiction or read manga/manwha/manhua in wuxia settings, when they talk about the difference between a Sword and a Blade, they mean Jian VS Dao. It is kind of lost in translation and I was confused by the distinction when I read for example Ruler of the Land, but that is the distinction.
I love the historical context, it really allows someone to appreciate the sword more, thanks Matt!
It has another very important use
Head cutter
During all ancient dynasties of China we do body counting with heads.
War prisoners are the gifts for emperor who will cut their heads at the main gate of the capital to start some important festival.
After that emperor will reward his general by their military contributions. How many cities and land have been taken and How many enemies they “chop”.
General rewards his troop by the same standard. Level to level.
Finally to each soldier how to prove how much enemy he chopped?
Head counting!!!
Hand Dao is such a good tool to do this job.
In battles during the Song Dynasty, the function of the hand dao was to sever the heads of those enemies who had been killed by long spears or ranged weapons. Of course, it was also used for emergency self-defense. Ancient Chinese warfare was similar to Europe's, utilizing phalanxes and coordinated group combat. They used long spears or advanced ranged weapons, such as crossbows, to injure the enemy. The short knife was only used to score points by cutting off the enemy's head during the cleaning of the battlefield and to request corresponding rewards from the emperor.
I love the test on your discarded Christmas tree! I purchased a Japanese Nata to help in the garden and camping a few years ago that looks like the Song Hand Dao's little cousin. It has the same brutal single-blade with a square bladed head at about 1/2 - 2/3 the length. The thickness along the back edge along with the pommel to tip weight distribution create a palpable feeling for cleaving.
As a person of Chinese descent, the word Dao literally translates to Knife from Chinese to English normally a small cutting implement but is not considered a sword but this would a known as a Great/big Knife or Dia Dao and that goes with a Chinese Saber or Whan Dao with Whan meaning bent or curved and Dao meaning knife and the item being review or describe would not be considered a sward in Chinese eyes but a very big knife. There are very strict rules as to what qualifies as a sword and knife as also other bladed tools.
What you said isn't accurate. The Chinese word for knife is "Bi shou 匕首". Dao simply means single edged blade. Also, you typed Wan Dao wronge.
a "dao" is probably what we call "facão" in brazil, which literally means big knife and are mostly used for chopping, my grandma had an old rusty one that was still cutting wood like butter
Guys, what your wrote is really nonsense as you suggest that there is "THE CHINESE" with well defined terms over 2000 years. Dao is any blade with ONE EDGE, so it can mean knife, sabre or a glefe-like pole weaopon, but not a two edged dagger, sword etc. and Da Dao, Wan Dao being attributes, meaning literally "big dao" "curved dao" etc. which can as well refer to a specific weapon as being purely descriptive. Now "Bi shou 匕首" is certainly not simply THE word for knife in just CHINESE, it is also not well defined and means usually either "dagger" in classical Chinese or something like a modern military knife, it's never the normal kitchen knife in modern standard Mandarin.
@@onionknight5650 Well no, a knife could be described as a dao. Bishou is a term that is used specifically for daggers
No we don’t
This is the Dao
When you think about it, aren't Mandalorians technically speaking Space Taoists?
Also, I assumed that's the joke you were making, but it is so esoteric that I am not sure if it was. (Dao/Tao = way/path, Taoism being about following the "path", VERY generally speaking)
@@neruneri this guys gets it
@@neruneri No, because Daoism is mostly non-violent.
Hahahaha, this one is good.
If you have ever seen the studio ghibly film called "Princess Mononoke," that looks like the very exact same blade the main protagonist (Ashitaka) uses on his quest. What he does with it at one point is insane!!! Those things really are choppers!!!!!!!!!!!
The protagonist use a Warabitetō
Interestingly enough, the character 士 could mean either a "soldier" or a "scholar", and combined with character for a "man" 男, so 男士, means a "gentleman"
So a scholarly warrior man. As a soldier should be.
士 is usually an educated noble male out of any context
士 meant very different things over a course of more than 2000 years, so don't try to fuse them into "educated warrior" or something, that's nonsense.
in old chinese: educated low rank noble, like samurai or knight.
in medieval chinese: scholar
in early modern chinese: gentleman
It can also be combined with character for a "woman" 女, so 女士 means "Madam" or "educated woman".
I quite like this kind of sword (宋手刀）. Simple, robust, and perfectly functional :D
Matt just naturally assumes that other people have cutting parties in their backyards...
Interesting that you see this kind of "forward leaning" tip in Indonesian and Filipino weapons a lot as well. I like these little "fossilized" clues to cultural cross-fertilization.
LK chen are an interesting company, I looked into them and they seem to be heavily involved in Hisorical Chinese Martial Arts, they take a very similar and I would say inspired take like the Chinese version of HEMA. Go and take a look at their website, they have guys sparring in HEMA gear on the front page, interesting company.
Just casually observing, tip design is easier to make and maintain than the Tang and earlier dao tips. You can just make a bar, cut it to shape, and sharpen one edge. Now you can chop, which is what this was for, and maybe thrust if you want. With the Tang and earlier designs you have to shape and sharpen two edges.
not really though, if you are talking about Dao, in Chinese Dao really just means single edged blade(mostly), that's why there are so many poleaerms called Dao.
I love these videos on China! Such an interesting place and culture we don’t learn too much about (at least in America), keep up the great work!
Those final cuts look like conclusive proof that at least *that* sword could cut through a pole arm''s pole... or a leg bone.
I could be wrong but I believe that these dao were mainly used against the Northern enemies (Mongols) of the Song dynasty. So they were mainly used for incapaciting/damaging the horses legs.
Don’t forget for crossbowman and archers
"...and this is another kettle of fish..."
As an american I think this is the most Brittish thing I've ever heard lol.
I bet you didn't even know that fish come in kettles, did you??
@@TheBaconWizard sure didn't
Don't know where the saying came from, but I heard it growing up in Texas 50 years ago.
You also cook fish in a fish-kettle.
20:27 would be call to see just a general video about cross pollination of weaponry between europe, asia, africa etc
I was trying to place why this particular blade shape seemed so familiar, and it finally struck me. It has a striking resemblance to the Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII (albeit the tip tapers in the other direction). I'm sure the limited power of the original Playstation made the geometry of straight lines and visual distinctiveness of a large blade drove some of the design
love the aesthetics of this sword.
I'm pretty sure that Philip Martin could dice up tatami with a butter knife if he had 5 minutes to sharpen it.
I had the impression that Song China put a huge emphasis on crossbowmen, so a heavy cutter seems like a perfect side arm for missile troops
they also have many bigger choppers, according to some old text, the Jin(one of the main enemies) only fear two things from Song army, one is crossbow, the other is poleaxe. It makes sense, as they are all very much anti armor weapon
@@hanliu3707 . the jin copied armour and so many other techs from songs and previous dynasty . those nomads had shit armour before that
@@changchadchanamdong2668 I would say they have decent armor after Han dynasty, maybe not mass produced, many nomad served as auxiliary or mercenary for Han chinese druing and after Han dynasty, they may also some tech from central asia, which also have heavy metal armor.
Nice dao, that's definitely the widest blade LK Chen has made. Speaking of single edged swords, would you do a video on living saber fencing traditions like the French, Northern Italian, Neapolitan, Hungarian, and German?
When you say living, are you talking about various styles of Olympic fencing are actual Sabre traditions? The only one that I have seen anything about that looks legitimate is from Poland but I'd love to be wrong.
@@MaartenSFS have you looked into Russ Mitchell's book on Hungarian Hussar sabre fencing. Also current Polish Sabre systems are reconstructions.
@@hermespino9985 I have not. I thought that one of the actors in the Polish film The Deluge, had learned it from his grandfather or something. That's too bad. Are the systems that you mentioned reconstructions or have they really been passed on from generation to generation? I ask because I learned such a system in China (but two-handed sabre) and would be interested to check them out when I move back to Europe. Learning from a master that can teach you all of the subtleties of fencing is just not the same as learning from a book..
@@MaartenSFS I am not talking about Olympic fencing and yes there are masters around in these traditions. Of the ones I have listed above Northern Italian is the most common with multiple maestri active in the United States (Ramon Martinez, John Sullins, David Achilleus, Cecil Longino, etc.) and one in Czechia (Michael Knazko). French foil is also quite common (in America at least) but French saber is rarer because a lot of French fencers actually did Northern Italian saber instead; I think Nick Evangelista, Adrian Crown, and Ramon Martinez do it at least occasionally. Neapolitan has gotten tied up with Northern Italian lineages in America so see the previous names, in Europe I recently saw an interview on UA-cam with a very elderly Italian fencing master named Paolo Cazzato who to my eye looks like he is still teaching the same kind of guard and low stance Masaniello Parise wrote about in the 1880's. Hungarian has two instructors that I am aware of Hidán Csaba in Budapest and his American student Russ Mitchell in Texas. German is... strange. There is a peculiar kind of dueling called "Mensur" associated with fraternities at German universities, but its so heavily regulated that there isn't all that much technique involved, however if you google terms like "Paukstunde," "Pennäles Fechten," and "Säbelmensur" you get hints that they occasionally do something a little more saber-like, but that area of the fencing world is quite difficult to get good information about.
Apologies for the longwinded response, this is subject is one of my main interests, and the preponderance of American names on the list, but most of the masters I can find are American. If you want to look into this any further than my ramblings I would also recommend the Classical Fencing Facebook group.
Edit: Here are some videos of what I am talking about:
Northern Italian Dueling Saber: ua-cam.com/video/lUVZKRZ4UiU/v-deo.html
Northern Italian vs. Southern Italian Saber: ua-cam.com/video/kirCSgNyw0Q/v-deo.html
More Northern Italian: ua-cam.com/video/bhc9_pZUAdk/v-deo.html
Interview: ua-cam.com/video/JQX6iIpEkII/v-deo.html
Hidán Csaba teaching: ua-cam.com/video/BBwDSyT74Ms/v-deo.html
@@andrewk.5575 Oh, your detailed reply is much appreciated. I haven't got the time to check the videos out today, but I will surely do so within the next several days. I now know what you are referring to: the fencing systems that immediately predate Olympic fencing. How close are these systems to battlefield sabre systems? I have heard of the German Mensur duelling, but don't take that sort of thing very seriously.
the teardrop guard is such a nice design thinking
The spear analogy was how i see it.
In war the dao evolved to replace the jian and withstand the spear or other pole arms.
Really like this one Matt, couldn't help but think how good that Christmas 🎄 smelled when you chopped it up 😅! Stay safe and God bless 🇺🇸☠️🇺🇸🇬🇧🤺
In the US we call what you were talking about regarding the robustness of military gear as grunt proof. Grunt is the nickname that we in the US give to those in the infantry, so something that's referred to as being grunt proof means that it can withstand (mis)use by someone in the infantry.
One thing I am curious about regarding that tip design is that assuming that you are correct in that it is functionally pretty useless in the thrust, I wonder if that's actually the point? My head instantly goes to the idea that maybe it was doctrine at the time to train exclusively with the cut, maybe because it would be easier to train men of sketchy martial prowess to just uniformly focus on hitting the enemy with the sharp side of the stick and as a part of that making the tip that shape to reinforce the idea that the men should only hit people with the metal stick and not try funny business and get themselves killed? I'm thinking that if you're Chinese warlords during the various times of chaos in the Central Plains, the best results would likely be reached by only focusing on a very specific and limited skill set but devoting all training to those few specific skills, which would be necessary when in times of war you would need men of very inconsistent quality (some being fantastic professionals, others being conscripted peasants), maybe it was seen as a distraction to even consider using the thrust with the dao?
Pure conjecture and speculation of course, writing this mainly to see if anyone has some insight into the topic.
Also, being an arsenal weapon that should survive really long, its not interesting to have tips that can be broken. If you are using an "anti-armor" weapon like these, you can bend or break the tip by accident during a cut against the said armor.
I think you are right. These are weapons issued to the rank and file as a backup sidearm. Cutting is a gross motor skill that people tend to fall back on when stressed; being confident enough to thrust with a sword under pressure takes a lot of time and training for most people.
The shape of the tip means that it is an effective cutter for it's whole length; which is important as it is a relatively short weapon.
At the time after Tang, heavy armor infrantries are everywhere, dao/jian becomes usless, this thing is basically used as a blunt weapon with some cutting edges, at the time during and after Tang (medieval), people use 槊 Shuo a lot after Qin and Han dynasties(about to be the Roman empire age), a kind of spear longer than 1 zhang丈 and 8 chi尺（ruler）， about to be 4 meters and 14 centimeters， or 13 and half feet, it's used as pike for infantry or a lance for cavalry.
I mean, Song armies were LARGE and probably mass levied with untrained peasants so something akin to what they use in the field for chopping but with added durability and with economy of mass production in mind went with the design of this. The natural action encouraged by it would not be unfamiliar to the average conscript.
It really looks quite intimidating. You can just feel the weight of the blow from looking at the damn thing.
Its got a nice architectural feel to it too with its geometric hard edges.
Natural wood or bamboo scabbard, restrained colours seems also very in keeping with Song dynasty.
We all like a bit of grip when we pulling our sword out of the scabbard.
Looks beautiful. Hadn't ever heard of a Dao.
A video collage of (post-) festive tree shredding videos from all sword youtubers would be fun.
*Matt Easton raises Dao*
"Meat is back on the menu boys!"
Thanks for making this video
just a note to help understand terminology categorization:
the word “dao” actually refers to any blade with singular edges, where as Jian generally refers to double edged blades.
so colloquial, yes all work knives are know as “dao” also, because they were single edged. but that’s why glaives were also called dao, and samurai swords were also “dao”.
other pole arms were generally categorized as ge (戈), qiang (槍), and ji (戟),
戈ge is not a long pole arm, it's a single handed weapon, dagger axe
Song has one of the smallest area of all Chinese Dynasties but they were one of the most technological advance and richest. It was said if not for the Mongols, Industrial revolution might have happened 500 earlier in China.
yes,that time Song danasty GDP is about 1/4 of the whole world
Awesome! re the tunkou, I believe Kirill Rivkin and Brian Isaac have done a lot of research on the proliferation of the saber concept across Eurasia, I encourage you to look into their work! Another great video Matt :)
I think with this particular you don’t want it to penetrate. The bigger version of this sword was mean hit armored Calvary. The blunt tip helps you knock the rider off the horse without over penetration and potentially losing your sword. This probably took the same idea but just shrunk down.
There are some battle Jian from the Ming and Qing dynasties, the cheaper ones are often called militia Jian. Many have heavy chopping blades and some have spatulate tips. Hilts are somewhat similar to Dao, but often with trapezoid pommels.
It seems like a weapon that would optimize the lethality of a soldier with minimal training. That makes it a very good weapon to keep in armories to be issued to peasant levies. Context...
Your comment is not "context" but mere assumption and speculation and only half correct. If You want to know real context, first you have to study Chinese military history, better learn to read Chinese and Chinese martial arts as well. The real historical context is Song dynasty military were almost entirely professional standing troops(in other words, they're soldiers as "profession", not peasant levies), which means this type of sword(宋手刀) was mainly issued to professional soldiers rather than levies. But you're correct that this sword was designed to massive produce with minimal training requirement and maintaining efforts, because Song dynasty had a professional standing army consisted of "one million soldiers" in constant, they needed easy-to-made and easy-to-use sidearm for such large army, not just for peasants.
China already has established professional military system since Eastern Zhou dynasty(8th century BC) but often combined with universal conscription. Song dynasty(10th cnetury) was the first Chinese dynasty who fully implemented professional military system, which means Song Chinese soldiers were almost all professional, not temporary levies.
@@MrGod47 I stand corrected with regard to the peasant levies. At any rate, this seems like a weapon you'd issue to someone you didn't expect to receive a lot of training in how to use a sword. That doesn't necessarily mean non-professionals as many (most?) professional soldiers had some primary job that didn't involve a sword. I didn't have enough knowledge of the actual...context. :-)
Besides the pommel it reminds me of jacks sword from samurai jack
I loved the review. My only issue is that I kept thinking you were holding a narrow cricket bat every time I saw the scabbard!
It's the blade featured in "Shingeki no Kyojin"
Wonderful review as always. I hope that they eventually make a Qing Dynasty Dadao..
It's very symmetrical. For blunt force.. would they ever use it backwards? Hitting with the spine instead of the front. Just for the blunt force and to not damage the blade. Like how butchers use the back of cleavers to break bones and the front to chop. Why some came with a hammered end.
I think it's possible, though we don't have any source to suppose it, as far as I know.
Does look like you could crack a skull or wobble some chumps brain with that spine. I suspect you could use that blade in half-sword form effectively as well. More defensively telling by that point, but still quite effective.
+scholagladiatoria *The 北宋朝 Bo-Song-Dynasty swords had a strong influence on Japan, thus the ring-pommeled 剑 Turugi of 平安 Heian.* The 直背刀 Zhibeidao demonstrated this vid, an east Asian counterpart to the falchion, was the pattern for the 直刀 tyokuto and the evolutionary starting point for the later 雁毛刀 Yanmaodao, which added a thrusting point.
I think you just proved it wasn't just a fighting blade, it was a camp tool, too!
The finish reminds me of some "futuristic" film and TV prop weapons :)
The Lorax is going to be pissed at you for chopping up that pine tree. It's not even Christmas!
I put a like, oblivious to the butchering of a candid Christmas tree
Thats what my dad called a "bologna slicer".
Nice! Id like to add one to my collection in the future.
it can function as both a tool and a weapon effectively.
Maybe they where...
Did those rings serve a storage purpose? Like I’m imagining an armory hanging them 10 each on a long pegs. Hanging would be better for the blade too wouldn’t it since there’s no stress on it compared to them lie against a wall? I dunno, just shooting the sh*#
Sounds pretty plausible theory.
It's usually going with ropes, in battle the ropes are used as lanyards tied on the user's arm to prevent losing their weapons...
now that's my kind of sword!
For some reason this reminds me of the Katzbalger-guess it goes with the two-handed swords and pike-and-shot (or in this period crossbows) formations of the period. Although while dao have always found a home with cavalry, I don't ever remember Katzbalger being associated with cavalry.
To give another historical parallel it's not that dissimilar to a langseax of roughly the same period (10th & 11th centuries).
It seems more accurate to the typical length of historical examples than LK Chen's reproductions of earlier weapons, in my very humble opinion.
In an alternate universe this is what happens when you don't leave cookies out for Santa. Mr. Easton materializes and hacks your Xmas tree to death.
Regarding the thinness of the habaki, if you haven't already, look into Kirill Rivkin's research.
No spruce in the compost! It decomposes extremely slowly and the needles messes up the pH of the mulch.
As a Pole i'm quite suprised to hear c read as k
If you use any polish terminology in the future there are few rules to obey
C never sounds like k, but always c (in ch is silent, and in cz sounds like ch, also sz is sh)
This time it could be read as matcheovski
Anyway, great material cheers.
When you were talking about the lack of thrusting potential, perhaps you could simply have shown us the end? I think I saw a distinct triangle of metal.
Awesome sword. I could see someone wielding two of these in battle instead of a shield.
That is a very spiffy machete.
Sony Dynasty has very heavy armor. this is mostly because Song dynasty don't have many horse and their enemy has a lot of horse. They have a rule to limit the armor weight not to be heavier than 29KG.
i1.kknews.cc/SIG=nliv97/ctp-vzntr/1531948677136s54o310r38.jpg
a status from song dynasty
Damn, you are getting serious mileage out of that Langmesser
I wish the tip was reversed. Like a ninjato and some katanas . Kiriha zukuri i think.
Very interesting sword
I wonder what the justification for the black metal lip being on the sharp side of the blade should would be?
If it was at the back it kind of braces the blade at the base to withstand impact.
Its placement on the sharper side might only mean it could be used with the other hand on top of the guard to hold and parry . But the they could just leave it blunt.
Or it could just be a feature for better fitting into the scabbard.
One popular theory is that it prevents the blade from cleaving straight through the scabbard when sheathed.
I wonder how this compares the other heavy cutting swords like the takoba/kaskara, talwar, messer etc.
Just thinking looking at that blade and guard and how easy it was for you to index and easily you turned the blade but still know where the edge of the blade the thought came after you mentioned it being used agenst armour so seeing as it has a crowbar like back edge could you consider the solider turning the blade so when he struck someone in armour its impact would be like an iron bar and in doing this also save the sharp edge of the blade for softer targets posible back of the knees and ankles once the man in armour has been knocked down by the impact from the back of the blade . As an ex soldier useing a riot battern I understand what damage a impact can have on a person and a person wearing steel armour is not immune to damage
Dao is occasionally translated as "Sabre" as well.
Hi sir, are yoy alright? You mentioned something about straight swords and curved swords policy entering the uk can you send me the video where to talked about this plz?
Matt, how well does that blade do with a half-sword grip and Draw cuts? It looks like it you could put a lot pressure in half-sword draw cuts.
You should've played a Christmas tune, like" Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire", LOL while destroying the Krampus tree. That Dao is gorgeous and quite fierce. I was hoping to afford L.K.Chen's "white arc" Jiann, , but finds are low ar the moment. I Am happy you got that and enjoying it. Question: Did you run into any sap whilst test cutting? If So which solvent is food ar removing sap? Thanks, Brian
....dat dacian falx in the background tho....just look at it....
I want one. Call it Fat Razor. Fight zombies. And sip tea.
Joking aside, I think this weapon looks great. It seems elegantly modern to me.
Now that you mention it, have you ever owned a kilij? I once held one of the early 18th century ottoman variant, the less curved one with a crazy thick yalman and immediately felt it's killer intent.
By the Song Dynasty there is already gunpowder, and super crossbows.
The issue is the Jin soldiers have heavy Calvary that is cold forged scale armor.
Nomads and period calvary have mounted archers which aren't really armored,
But good luck using a sword against someone with bow and arrows.
(Documentary on super crossbows and heavy calvary)
ua-cam.com/video/T4eX6oZdG6w/v-deo.html
Using a sword against calvary might be a bit too optimistic when polearms
And firearms is an option, so the Dao might have fallen to a more utility function
That is closer to machete than any specific combat-specialized weapon.
Dao 刀 refers to anything with a single edged, so really broad based definition.
So a sickle 镰刀
A wood plane 刨刀
A scraper 铲刀
A scapel 手术刀
A kitchen knife 菜刀
And pen knife 美工刀
Cutlery knife 餐刀
All carries the character of Dao.
plenty of reenactors in just chain & gambeson wont fight me with my broad bladed bastard sword, if they dont know me(i always pull my blows) because you can still easily break a arm rib or shoulder blade under mail with it (or if it was sharp cut up a shield rim like a axe)
i prefer a long grip with a large brass pomel if possible because i fight in continual arc/circle where i can and a longer grip helps balance for my exceptionably heavy blade lol it also lets you rest it against your forearm if held right which takes much of weight from tip down to your forrarm
its a strait double sided 68cm long wide 6.5cm wide at hilt 6cms wide before tip taper blade with significant distal taper 2.5fm at hilt 1.5cm at tip with a spearpoint style/european style tip, tip taper starts 10cm from tip blades form is a flattened hexagon ricasso extends 20cms from hilt with quillions about 1.5cms from blade at their tip
i have a complex european style hilt though with a cross bar/knife hilt 24cm long with 4 x 7cm long strait up sword catching quilions coming out of 4 corners of a broad proto shell hilt 6cms across at widest 10cm long apart from the knife hilt part with a handle 23cm long made from leather washers over tang sanded to shape for maximum shock absorbing and tightness of hilt fit, held in place with a large brass pommel 4cm long 6cm wide formed from 3cm brass rod and 1x2cmbrass bar bent in a semicircle (allows you to catch & turn swords as well or better than ring pommel, also looks liek a little guy with his arms in air with handle as torse hilt as legs leading down to a compinatorally large blade ....:P )
my bastardisation of a claymore
all held together with a single 3mm brass rivet in pommel & friction of leather washers/handle
(i like to only put 1 hole or no hole in a tang and make handle as single pean or pin system)
ive never put a edge on it but i know it would be a good cutter if i did & even without a edge i do have to pull blows on ppl (even in plate so i dont dint up their armour) its very wrist intensive weapon but as a armature blacksmith i have strong wrists from all the hammer work
The Mongols were well armored and even better armored were the Liaos, which were proto-Jurchen or proto-Manchu. The Liaos were in cataphracts. Daos exploit the arm muscle mass and memory developed by peasant farmers who spent a lifetime cutting grass and chopping all sorts of things for their livelihood so you can bet that is a formidable combination. These peasants fight with a weapon that is looks and chops so similar with their tool of livelihood. Its also a reason why peasant revolutions can be so bloody. Jians are reserved for cultured scholars that have the time and the background to learn the martial arts. The dao in the presentation looks to be one of the shorter ones, there were longer, two handed ones that were also meant to chop at the cavalry horses of the Song's nomadic enemies.
Mongols where definitely not well armoured before they started to adopt armour from various place they conquered . Proto Manchu adopted alot of armour tech from Chinese . Those people you mention are not known for being technologically innovative copied to much from China when it comes to armour , metallurgy and architect
These people have plenty to copy and innovate upon and their armor is impressive. It's a historical falsehood that they are lightly armored. The Chinese emphasize pole arms and straight daos in order to penetrate armor. The Liao Cataphracts were such an issue that that Zhanmadao was developed to chop these riders down and stab them through their armor. Only in later periods were combatants were less armored you begin to see curved slashing daos.
@@ChrisRobato . what i meant was they adopted heavy armour from China . Jurchens are a good example for that and most mongols where poorly armour before conquering others and adopting their armour tech .
all of Song soldiers were actually professional soldiers, so not really peasant farmers
I see a tear shaped guard and want it painted black
May the song dynasty endure 10000 more years.
_______Jia Si Dao
Was Lucy a bit jealous of your Xmas tree disposal technique?
@@Meevious Next year; cutting practise on Santa! Fun for the whole family! :D
Also, i always wonder...in differential hardening, is the blade clay covered or the spine ? I thought the spine would, so that when you dip it in water/oil, the blade cools rapidly and spine slower ?
That's like the Orc sword from LotR.
Dao means single edge blade, so even a knife is a form of Dao.
Somewhat orkish, it remind me a little of the River Cleaver from ZombieTools.
River cleaver looks similar to a da dao
'engineered for durability' ITYM squaddie-proofed :)
There is no such thing.