@@mikegrossberg8624i agree. It's the same with tools and guns.. I always use cheaper when talking about them, but I usually clarify it to "decent quality and more affordable".
Uh Uh! Cheap is a "wall hanger", made of inferior metal, sloppily assembled, poorly finished, not intended to be more than a decoration. Inexpensive is battle-ready, of good high carbon steel, able to take, and hold, an edge, all parts properly fitted and finished, looking like somebody really GAVE a damn about their work! A good, USEABLE blade, but nothing fancy. A "G.I. issue" weapon, as I refer to it, costing more than the wall trash, but not as much as a custom made job
Some sabres had a tether so if they lost grip they wouldn't lose the sword while on horse. Maybe since it is mostly for show they instead use the showy tassel? Modern firearms have a similar option for securing to your kit.
As someone who doesn't have the budget for thousand dollar swords but detests wall hangers i always love it when you review and test affordable swords that manage to perform well.
Finally some justice for this sword it's always katana vs. Long sword debate but this sword was one the few sword that were actually extensively used in the battlefield
The longsword is my preferred weapon in HEMA but having practiced British saber for a while there is something cool about curved swords. From a historical view they also had a very interesting evolutionary tree compared to the various straight swords which evolved independently in East and West.
@@idontwanttoputmyname403 they were weapons of self defense and they were not used on the battlefield on the other hand the saber was used by cavalry esp during napoleanic wars
I have been waiting for you to do a Kilij. This is honestly one of my all time favorite blades from it's background, design, and damage it can inflict!
@@searaider3340 Kilij is still the English word for it. Much like how in this English comment section we would type Katana rather than 刀 it is completely understandable to type Kilij instead of the actual Turkish Kılıç.
Skall. If you want a high quality Kilij, check out Kilij Osman Baskurt. He makes very impressive, historically accurate replicas. He is very passionate about it and takes the accuracy very seriously, down to the specific species of wood used for the handle and scabbard. He makes wootz as well, which is extremely good for a historical steel, with flexibility similar to spring steel, good corrosion resistance, and carbides, which is a beneficial impurity. But he also makes blades of modern steel of your choice (he likes spring steels and 1075). And if you want the actual best draw cutter, go for the Pala. Which is a subtype of Kilij.
Indeed the word "kılıç" literally just means "sword" in Turkish, such that if you asked a Turkish person today to describe a "kılıç" they may simply describe a European sword, since we see those more commonly in mainstream media. Or, for example, if you showed them a katana, they might call it a "Japon kılıcı" i.e. literally "Japanese sword". Same as how "katana" pretty much just means sword or blade in Japanese, though I guess a Japanese person would be likely to think of an actual Japanese katana if you asked them to describe a "katana." Because it has a lot of cultural value to them, unlike modern Turkish culture which doesn't care much about historical Turkish swords. I didn't even know about the Yatağan or ever even heard of its name until I was a teenager and researched various sword types online, despite growing up in Turkey. Another example would be how "Messer" literally just means knife in German. If we're sitting at the breakfast table with a German person and I need a butter knife, I would ask them to please hand me a "Messer". You could say "Frühstücksmesser" i.e. literally "breakfast knife" but you would only use that word if you really needed to disambiguate. Pronunciation tips: the dotless i in kılıç is a bit difficult to explain but I'd say it's like a very short "uh" sound. One analogy I can think of in English is the last part of "Michael", which a Turkish person might spell "Maykıl" if they knew nothing about its proper spelling. The ç at the end is basically a "tch" like in kitchen. A Turkish person might spell kitchen as "kiçın".
a lot of swords are called whatever people used it at the time called it, for example viking swords are called ''swerd'' I believe which just means sword in their language hovewer this is not directly aplicable to turkish swords since they have their own particular names. what most people call kilij is actally ''yalmanlı'' there is also other swords such as karabela,gaddare ect. Messer meaning knife is different matter it has historical significance unlike yalmanlı being known as kilij. if memory serves at the time messers was made it was banned for common folk to own a knife. so they made a sword that does not fit sword definition at the time and called it ''big knife'' oh well at leats they dont call it ''scimitar'' if you are interested in such things(And you are since you watch skallagrim) you can check out Türkiye Kılıç Federasyonu Dr Abdullah Kesgin
Katana doesn't mean "sword" or "blade" in Japanese. Generally, you'd use the word "tachi" to generically refer to a Japanese sword or "ken" to refer to any sword. "Katana" is a curved Japanese sword made of specific materials in a specific way. In colloquial Japanese, it tends to refer to Japanese longswords regardless of the material, but the strict definition has more to do with the type of manufacture.
The dotless "ı" sound you are talking about in Turkish is analagous to the English /ə/ which is called the "schwa" sound but is pronounced identically to the "ı". The difference is that /ə/ may be made using any vowel, or sometimes vowel combinations, as you pointed out with "Michael". Some examples include the a in annoy, e in water, i in council, o and io in collision, and u in column. All of those and many others use that same sound, despite being depicted with different letters or letter combinations. Enjoy, and thanks for telling us about the Turkis "ı".
Awesome overview Skall! Very nicely done. Since you were asking about historical examples; on most Kilij there is complex distal taper. It depends on the time period but for longer examples like this it would be common to see 7-6mm at the shoulders tapered down to 2-3mm before the start of the yelman. The sharpness of the yelman will vary (both with style and region and time) so to have it unsharpened is not unheard of. This example is showing a mix of characteristics of Turkish swords from a whole bunch of different time periods, so the end result is a little muddled. The lack of distal taper is offset by the fuller running through the whole thing: these are more common in older (pre 16th century) blades, but have the advantage of being more shallow on historical swords. You’re very fair in point out how this is a “bargain price” and with that in mind I think this is OK, as long as folks don’t assume this is historically representative. Glad it seems to work so well as a sabre!
The one thing that sticks out to me about the design is we often only see the blades of rich or wealthy people. I kind of like the idea of these just being the swords of the regular, common officer. Not a high ranking member of the army or the king, but a sword that a small battalion leader might have. It's simple, not very nice to look at, but it still gets the job done.
100% agree. I hate the idea of complaining that a budget sword looks like a budget sword. Like... yeah bro not every soldier was buying the top of the line
@@sowianskizonierz2693 To clarify, I'm not complaining about Skal in this video. Just pointing out the value of looking at the sword of the "common" man. At the end of the day, I don't think the average low ranking commander would have cared all that much about whether his sword was well polished or had gilding or whatever else. Most of that is status, not function. It is sharp? Does it hold up to repeated abuse? Will it stop me from having my head lopped off? I think that's what your "budget" historical swordsman would have cared about.
@@sowianskizonierz2693, I'm pretty sure the main sticking point was how polished it was. I was initially put off by it as well since that high mirror polish and everything having a soft edge look is typical of cheap, heavily granular stainless steel wall hangers. In this case though, it seems that the person doing the finishing just got a little too enthusiastic with the polishing wheel. Everything but the softened edges of the spine and fuller can be taken down a bit with some 0000 steel wool to give it a matte or close to matte finish instead of the "Made by Macy's" look I tend to associate with cheap jewelry that turns your skin green.
@@sowianskizonierz2693 Common soldier's swords ("munitions grade", if you will) in history still looked better. They had a utilitarian look, but not this sort of tacky, highly polished wallhanger finish. And interestingly even budget weapons often had some decorative touches (if somewhat crude, sometimes).
@@SkallagrimTrue. Some types of decoration can be knocked out in a jiffy--if you are not concerned with the perfect symmetry of a high end sword. It's worth keeping in mind that a true craftsman always wants to do the best job he can do. But reality intervenes! If you get a rich customer with a true appreciation of the art and craft, you can have the opportunity to make a piece of work that you can show your grandchildren with pride! But in my line of work, I say that good only costs a bit more than 'ok'. 'Very Good' costs fifty percent more than 'Good'. 'Perfect' costs three or four times more than 'Very Good'. Most customers can't distinguish between Good and Perfect. You can see in the museums, the work that a Master Craftsman can do when given absolute freedom! It doesn't often happen.
i actually kinda like the look of the sword. it does look basic but i like that. also 300 for this seems nutty! well done to the craftsman that made this
Nice review! To me the sabre Vlad has in that portrait definitely looks more like a 17th century Hungarian type, judging by the shape of the pommel, and the outfit seems to match that period too. The artist probably went with what was popular during his own time :)
Its very cute that we opposing cultures find each others' swords interesting. Longsword always made me impressed and it felt like there is a culture attached to it, a very different and noble, especially in the video games and movies.
Mirror polish can be remedied by using a very fine sand paper sponge and polishing it. I've done this with inexpensive blades, and it makes them look better
Taking into account that Vlad was a ward at the ottoman court in his childhood it makes sense that he would train with this type of sword. You favor things you are effective with.
There is also the fact Vlad was allegedly half Turkic because her mother was a Cuman/Kipchak woman. Maybe that's also why he felt "close" as Kipchaks also utilized similar Turkic swords.
Hey Skall, you're looking very healthy and well. I'm truly glad to see you in a better mental and physical place compared to where you were not too long ago. Well done, keep on keeping on my friend may god guide you
Hello Skall! This was a fun one; thanks for the review. I have to admit that I myself do rather like it, despite it's simplistic wall-hangery look. For a budget sword that cuts that well and even has a sheath, this looks pretty good. Thanks for the video!
It’s a beautiful sword, and I kind of want it… I decided that all swords I buy from now on will be spring steel, though. Compared to my traditionally made katanas, my ones with spring steel blades are 100 times more durable. And since I like to swing my swords at things, that durability is important. Thank you for the video!
Honestly, I'm pretty ignorant about everything you talk about. There's just something really satisfying watching someone talk about what their passionate about. Thank you for making the video!
this looks gorgeous! doesn't look tacky to me! just functional and well made. simple but not overly-so. cuts like a beast too, and all for a good price!
Haven't watched a blade review with any real focus in probably a couple years, let alone from you, and I have to say in my opinion your opinion, production, and delivery has become significantly more nuanced and insightful in the last few years. Thanks for acknowledging how underestimated this type or sword is without skipping it's inherent weaknesses
If you can I strongly suggest you get yourself a Windlass 1796 light cavalry sabre. I think you may find it handles a lot like that and is exactly like the original.
The steel quality in 1700s Britain varied a lot especially since these patterns were produced by multiple manufacturers for the army, as a result cavalry learned that if it didn't take an edge well you could turn it on the flat and use it as a mace by riding past the enemy and slapping them with the flat to the face or temple....
Vlad was forcefully raised in the Ottoman Empire, so it makes sense for him to use their sword. It's also very poetic, as he was quite fond of poetic justice. I'm impressed with this reproduction. Wish I could afford one.
Had Vlad gotten his hands on Mehmed II, impaling him certainly would have been poetic justice for what that pig tried to do to Vlad and did do to his brother.
Great video! That's definitely an intriguing sword. Not a lot of functional Kilij on the market. You're right in that it's appearance just looks a bit... cheap. Still though, it looks like it's worth checking out.
I know it may be too meta, but if you get yourself a hockey bag, you could cram bigger swords in there without alarming the public, keep making great videos
just be sure that if youre an atuall hockey player that your sword hockey bag is SIGNIFICANTLY different from your hockey hockey bag other wise it could be akward in more ways then one....
@@kuesdav Skall has always been rather ambiguous about where he is from as he does not consider it important to who he is, but on one of his side channels he made a video reviewing different cities he had lived in and the first one on the list was Munich, followed by Tromsø and Bergen, followed by places in Canada.
This is a great review and has changed my view on the practically of this design of sword, would like to see more tests such as how it preforms in a duel against various straight swords in attack and defence
"Kılıç" in todays Turkish means nothing more than "sword". There is no spesification of "Ottoman" or "Turkish" sword. It is a direct translation of the word. Beside at least write it with a C where the fuck did they get the J from?
I VIVIDLY remember the Deadliest Warrior episode with Vlad the Impaler and this sword was the one they brought out for him and all the judges said it sliced as well or BETTER than a Katana.
As this is my first time coming across your videos ide just like to say thank you I rather enjoy how in depth you get with certain details pro cons etc. You've earned my sub that's forsure keep up the amazing work looking forward to the next upload
Great review as always Skall. You do the best blade reviews on UA-cam. It also looks like all that work in the gym is paying off physically and you seem more relaxed, keep up the good fight brother.
A small correction to Vlad Tepes: it's most favourite weapon, as we all know - is the wooden stick with a pointy head!!! He used to impale or order impaling every enemy or wrongdoer from thieves to murderers, invaders, Ottoman soldiers etc. This is why he's called Vlad Tepes (translated into "The Impaler"). Also, during those periods of time, it was not unusual for Oriental equipment to be captured or offered as trade for negotiations, since the Ottoman Empire had a big presence in the region and tried several times to invade/control Romanian and Hungarian territories known as Vallahia and Moldavia (in that era they used to be independent states). There's also an infamous attack called "Night Attack from Targoviste" where it is rumored he disguised himself toghether with some trusty soldiers and infiltrated the Ottoman army camp at night, placed near Targoviste City (by then the capital of Vallahia) during one of it's sieges. And they used clothes and weapons of Ottoman origin to confuse the enemy and create panic and chaos, making the enemy soldiers attack each other.
In reality, Vlad was a sadist who enjoyed shedding blood and making people suffer, regardless of who or what he was. It is true that he impaled the Ottoman soldiers, but when Fatih Sultan Mehmet marched on him with his army, he could not find a place to escape and eventually his head was seen on the back of an Ottoman horse😊
Yes they claimed that Class sword was made with a heavier tip, to make it easier to cut off heads, that's all I really remember about that episode I was still a kid then
5:20 I assume the yelnmin (sp?) is not sharpened for legal reasons. In many places a two-edged blade is prohibited or heavily regulated when a single edge is not.
exactly sharpening the yalman is illegal here in turkey also making and owning a sword.... but according to swordbuy swordbuy makes historical replicas so they are legally allowed
Shamshir isn’t Persian. İt’s Turkic too. After the 10th Century, Persia have ruled by Turks. Seljuks, kwarazmshahs, Timurids, Akkoyuns, and Savavids, All of them were Turkic based states. Their armies mostly Turkic.
It was natural for Vlad to use an Ottoman sword. He was raised in the house of Osman along with his brother. He was equipped and trained by the Ottomans. Hence his relative success against the Ottomans knowing all of their tactics.
The sharp section of the false edge is called "Yalman", not yelmen. This sword is not called "Kılıç" because it just means sword. It is called Yalmanlı (with Yalman) for having one and it is what makes it unique.
I have this exact sword. Previously I'd only trained with a hand-and-a-half longsword, so at first I found this a bit heavy (not accustomed to a one-handed wield). I'm getting used to it now so it feels better. The handle originally felt slippery to me so I wrapped it in leather cord, which helps somewhat - I'm considering replacing that with either handle tape or a full leather covering like my longsword. Otherwise I've been very satisfied. I can testify to its sharpness...I was wiping some rain off the blade once (I always train outdoors) and managed to cut my finger open through the cloth with no pressure at all. It comes with a scabbard as well, nice looking (very similar to the picture you showed from Vlad Tepes). It was a bit tight at first and made the weapon slow to draw, but it has loosened up over time and is not a problem any more. Overall I give it an A, it's a fun weapon, and wicked-looking as well.
My first introduction to this sword was Deadliest Warrior. The demonstration effortlessly cut a pig carcass in half three times in rapid succession. Never forgot how OP this weapon is.
Vlad the Impaler did not like the Ottoman Empire, but he was heavily influenced by them. When he was eleven years old, he was sent to the Ottoman court as a hostage. Royal hostages aren't treated like prisoners, at least so long as their parents honor the agreement, so that meant that he spent the next six years being raised and educated there in all of the various things it would've been useful for a noble to know. It very much did not win him over to their cause (though his brother was a different story), but he came out of it fluent in the language and very familiar with the Ottoman empire. He had no trouble passing himself off as an Ottoman soldier later in his life when he was fighting against them, and would do it regularly to infiltrate and spy on the enemy personally. So it's very possible that this really would've been the first sword he learned how to use, and kept using even after.
The impaler voivode (vlad) was a childhood friend of Mehmet the Conqueror. The two were trained together at the enderun. Vlad learned to use the sword at the Turkish Palace, and according to a rumor, he became a blood brother to Fatih. Vlad betrayed the Conqueror, the Conqueror forgave him, but when he rebelled again, his head was placed on the stone in front of the Turkish Palace where he grew up.
Modern blade enthusiasts: mmmm yes this is a shireton type XXVIII iii which you can tell from its distinct taper. Blokes in the past: make it like his but lighter
As you said, this sword is an affordable replica, it is an original sword, made of damascus steel. In fact, in a book I read recently (a souvenir book), I read that the janissaries were racing to cut the shield in one move. They made fun of those who could not cut the shield in one move.
It was this kind of sword the Kîlîç, Corpus Draculianum is a society that documents his life in very minute detail with every available historical document, it's also documented a duel with Vladislav the second which Vlad killed with a sword like this, his prowess with the weapon was pretty known and people were very weary of him
3:41 I’m kinda curious. Not referring to the case of Vlad Tepes, but are there any specific historical sources of people preferring centuries-older weapons due to looks or even preferring them in practical use? (Perhaps excluding cases of weapons passed down through a family and also excluding more modern eras.)
Turkish actor Cüneyt Arkın used to play in the roles of a Turkish fighter most of the time. He is knowledgable about sword swinging and sword use, horse riding. I watched his knowledge about kılıç, yatağan techniques in a talk-show in the past and he talked about the difference between European sword use and Turkish sword use I remember barely. Anyway, you can watch passages in the historical movies he played. He learned these arts in the first place for his heroic roles. His movements may give you hints. Within certain movies of him, the movements exists but you can't find these movement scenes as separate videos on the Internet.
@Skallagrim , did you see the example from Deadliest Warrior back in the day showing it's cutting potential? I was absolutely floored by the gentleman who gave the exhibition. With a quick succession of strikes he cut a pig in 3 portions with what looked like relative ease.
D&D personality Drizzt Do'Urden dual wields scimitars. They are each described as unique and distinct from one another, but in general they are slender, gently curving, and about 2 pounds each. While he is ambidextrous, I believe the differences between the swords causes him to handle them differently, resulting in him being slightly more dominant with one hand over the other. One of his scims is intended for magically defending against flame AND for offense against fire-based opponents. The other is said to be a defender. This makes me wonder what specific traits would a wielder need in a more offensive scimitar, versus a defensive scimitar? Would a slender shamshir be better for fast cuts and thrusts, and a midweight kilij better for blocking and parrying the momentum of incoming weapons?
heavier blades are definitely better at absorbing momentum however double wielding swords are silly idea. I believe skall made a video about dual wielding swords you can check it out
Vlad spent his childhood as a political ransom in the Ottoman palace. He was trained in combat, military tactics etc. as worthy for a prince. He spoke Turkish without accent and knew all the tactics which helped them win multiple battles against Ottomans. It doesn't come a surprise for me that he'd prefer kilij as probably it was what he was trained with.
It looks sturdy and no nonsense, I kinda like it. The super decorated swords are nice but there is something of a sword that is kinda bare bones but just looks like it'll do work that I love, it showed up Monday morning to get shit done.
It is a very nice and descriptive video, I would like you to introduce the OTTOMAN Yatağan sword. It is unlike any other sword in the world, it has an aggressive and different structure and a strong person can pierce an armor very easily with the Yatağan sword, thank you.
thanks @Skallagrim for the video. a fun fact; Vlad himself educated by same teachers, sword masters ("silahtar" level masters btw) , horse riders with the Mehemet II. "the Conqueror" of House Ottoman, during their childhood. because Vlad and his little brother was given as "pledge" (hostage) to Ottoman palace by their father to keep the Crown of the kingdom under the Sultan. Since he got the same education at the same place it is very logical for him to have same sword and fighting style even same armor and clothes with Ottoman elites.
It might be nice if they added an option for picking between having a sharp or dull yalman, so we can get some cool cuts in the backyard, but the yalmen isn't always supposed to be sharp. There are advantages to not having an edge.
I'm so glad that we're starting to get good and cheap reproductions for this types of swords!
Say, rather, "inexpensive".
There's a world of difference between the two
@@mikegrossberg8624 That's fair.
@@mikegrossberg8624i agree. It's the same with tools and guns.. I always use cheaper when talking about them, but I usually clarify it to "decent quality and more affordable".
@@mikegrossberg8624 cheap and inexpensive mean the same thing. The latter is just a more posh way to express the same concept
Uh Uh!
Cheap is a "wall hanger", made of inferior metal, sloppily assembled, poorly finished, not intended to be more than a decoration.
Inexpensive is battle-ready, of good high carbon steel, able to take, and hold, an edge, all parts properly fitted and finished, looking like somebody really GAVE a damn about their work! A good, USEABLE blade, but nothing fancy.
A "G.I. issue" weapon, as I refer to it, costing more than the wall trash, but not as much as a custom made job
Skall: Complains about the lack of decoration.
Skall earlier: Did away with the tassel.
@PaMuShinNo, it's used as a flail.
@PaMuShin it's mostly for post-battle kinky things
tassels are lame, it does not count
Some sabres had a tether so if they lost grip they wouldn't lose the sword while on horse. Maybe since it is mostly for show they instead use the showy tassel? Modern firearms have a similar option for securing to your kit.
The tassel is removable to end the opponent rightly
I love how it went through that water bottle and still was able to clip the corner off that board without slowing down
Yeah, I didn't even feel it.
As someone who doesn't have the budget for thousand dollar swords but detests wall hangers i always love it when you review and test affordable swords that manage to perform well.
Finally some justice for this sword it's always katana vs. Long sword debate but this sword was one the few sword that were actually extensively used in the battlefield
The longsword is my preferred weapon in HEMA but having practiced British saber for a while there is something cool about curved swords. From a historical view they also had a very interesting evolutionary tree compared to the various straight swords which evolved independently in East and West.
Are you saving Longsword and katana weren’t extensively used?
@@idontwanttoputmyname403I think he means in battlefield use, katana and longsword famously not really used as a primary battlefield weapon
@@julesdebeckker627 Even if they’re not primary that’s still extensive use though, I would think.
@@idontwanttoputmyname403 they were weapons of self defense and they were not used on the battlefield on the other hand the saber was used by cavalry esp during napoleanic wars
I have been waiting for you to do a Kilij. This is honestly one of my all time favorite blades from it's background, design, and damage it can inflict!
Same!
It's called Kılıç. Btw the letter "ç" is pronounced like "ch", plus, I and İ each have different sounds.
Imo It also is just an aesthetically pleasing sword in every way as well as effective in good hands.👍
@@searaider3340 Kilij is still the English word for it. Much like how in this English comment section we would type Katana rather than 刀 it is completely understandable to type Kilij instead of the actual Turkish Kılıç.
Katana sounds same with the Japanese word but Kilij doesnt.@@gokbay3057
They sent me one for review as well, and it's a lot of fun.
Skall. If you want a high quality Kilij, check out Kilij Osman Baskurt. He makes very impressive, historically accurate replicas. He is very passionate about it and takes the accuracy very seriously, down to the specific species of wood used for the handle and scabbard. He makes wootz as well, which is extremely good for a historical steel, with flexibility similar to spring steel, good corrosion resistance, and carbides, which is a beneficial impurity. But he also makes blades of modern steel of your choice (he likes spring steels and 1075).
And if you want the actual best draw cutter, go for the Pala. Which is a subtype of Kilij.
Agreed, that's a great advice.
Indeed the word "kılıç" literally just means "sword" in Turkish, such that if you asked a Turkish person today to describe a "kılıç" they may simply describe a European sword, since we see those more commonly in mainstream media. Or, for example, if you showed them a katana, they might call it a "Japon kılıcı" i.e. literally "Japanese sword".
Same as how "katana" pretty much just means sword or blade in Japanese, though I guess a Japanese person would be likely to think of an actual Japanese katana if you asked them to describe a "katana." Because it has a lot of cultural value to them, unlike modern Turkish culture which doesn't care much about historical Turkish swords. I didn't even know about the Yatağan or ever even heard of its name until I was a teenager and researched various sword types online, despite growing up in Turkey.
Another example would be how "Messer" literally just means knife in German. If we're sitting at the breakfast table with a German person and I need a butter knife, I would ask them to please hand me a "Messer". You could say "Frühstücksmesser" i.e. literally "breakfast knife" but you would only use that word if you really needed to disambiguate.
Pronunciation tips: the dotless i in kılıç is a bit difficult to explain but I'd say it's like a very short "uh" sound. One analogy I can think of in English is the last part of "Michael", which a Turkish person might spell "Maykıl" if they knew nothing about its proper spelling. The ç at the end is basically a "tch" like in kitchen. A Turkish person might spell kitchen as "kiçın".
a lot of swords are called whatever people used it at the time called it, for example viking swords are called ''swerd'' I believe which just means sword in their language hovewer this is not directly aplicable to turkish swords since they have their own particular names. what most people call kilij is actally ''yalmanlı'' there is also other swords such as karabela,gaddare ect.
Messer meaning knife is different matter it has historical significance unlike yalmanlı being known as kilij. if memory serves at the time messers was made it was banned for common folk to own a knife. so they made a sword that does not fit sword definition at the time and called it ''big knife''
oh well at leats they dont call it ''scimitar''
if you are interested in such things(And you are since you watch skallagrim) you can check out Türkiye Kılıç Federasyonu Dr Abdullah Kesgin
Katana doesn't mean "sword" or "blade" in Japanese. Generally, you'd use the word "tachi" to generically refer to a Japanese sword or "ken" to refer to any sword. "Katana" is a curved Japanese sword made of specific materials in a specific way. In colloquial Japanese, it tends to refer to Japanese longswords regardless of the material, but the strict definition has more to do with the type of manufacture.
@@hirumaryuei That's interesting to note. Isn't the kanji for katana, "刀", which is also the kanji used for any sword in general?
The dotless "ı" sound you are talking about in Turkish is analagous to the English /ə/ which is called the "schwa" sound but is pronounced identically to the "ı". The difference is that /ə/ may be made using any vowel, or sometimes vowel combinations, as you pointed out with "Michael". Some examples include the a in annoy, e in water, i in council, o and io in collision, and u in column. All of those and many others use that same sound, despite being depicted with different letters or letter combinations. Enjoy, and thanks for telling us about the Turkis "ı".
Same thing with Farsi and "shamshir", it just means sword in Farsi, but in English it's a specific type of curved sword.
Awesome overview Skall! Very nicely done. Since you were asking about historical examples; on most Kilij there is complex distal taper. It depends on the time period but for longer examples like this it would be common to see 7-6mm at the shoulders tapered down to 2-3mm before the start of the yelman. The sharpness of the yelman will vary (both with style and region and time) so to have it unsharpened is not unheard of.
This example is showing a mix of characteristics of Turkish swords from a whole bunch of different time periods, so the end result is a little muddled. The lack of distal taper is offset by the fuller running through the whole thing: these are more common in older (pre 16th century) blades, but have the advantage of being more shallow on historical swords.
You’re very fair in point out how this is a “bargain price” and with that in mind I think this is OK, as long as folks don’t assume this is historically representative. Glad it seems to work so well as a sabre!
Even the cut in the piece of wood on the bottle follow through at 7:02 is clean !
The one thing that sticks out to me about the design is we often only see the blades of rich or wealthy people. I kind of like the idea of these just being the swords of the regular, common officer. Not a high ranking member of the army or the king, but a sword that a small battalion leader might have. It's simple, not very nice to look at, but it still gets the job done.
100% agree. I hate the idea of complaining that a budget sword looks like a budget sword. Like... yeah bro not every soldier was buying the top of the line
@@sowianskizonierz2693 To clarify, I'm not complaining about Skal in this video. Just pointing out the value of looking at the sword of the "common" man. At the end of the day, I don't think the average low ranking commander would have cared all that much about whether his sword was well polished or had gilding or whatever else. Most of that is status, not function.
It is sharp? Does it hold up to repeated abuse? Will it stop me from having my head lopped off? I think that's what your "budget" historical swordsman would have cared about.
@@sowianskizonierz2693, I'm pretty sure the main sticking point was how polished it was. I was initially put off by it as well since that high mirror polish and everything having a soft edge look is typical of cheap, heavily granular stainless steel wall hangers. In this case though, it seems that the person doing the finishing just got a little too enthusiastic with the polishing wheel.
Everything but the softened edges of the spine and fuller can be taken down a bit with some 0000 steel wool to give it a matte or close to matte finish instead of the "Made by Macy's" look I tend to associate with cheap jewelry that turns your skin green.
@@sowianskizonierz2693 Common soldier's swords ("munitions grade", if you will) in history still looked better. They had a utilitarian look, but not this sort of tacky, highly polished wallhanger finish. And interestingly even budget weapons often had some decorative touches (if somewhat crude, sometimes).
@@SkallagrimTrue. Some types of decoration can be knocked out in a jiffy--if you are not concerned with the perfect symmetry of a high end sword.
It's worth keeping in mind that a true craftsman always wants to do the best job he can do. But reality intervenes! If you get a rich customer with a true appreciation of the art and craft, you can have the opportunity to make a piece of work that you can show your grandchildren with pride!
But in my line of work, I say that good only costs a bit more than 'ok'. 'Very Good' costs fifty percent more than 'Good'. 'Perfect' costs three or four times more than 'Very Good'.
Most customers can't distinguish between Good and Perfect. You can see in the museums, the work that a Master Craftsman can do when given absolute freedom! It doesn't often happen.
i actually kinda like the look of the sword. it does look basic but i like that. also 300 for this seems nutty! well done to the craftsman that made this
I think the sword looks great, and it's good to see that it's solid and well made. Another great review from Skallagrim
Nice review! To me the sabre Vlad has in that portrait definitely looks more like a 17th century Hungarian type, judging by the shape of the pommel, and the outfit seems to match that period too. The artist probably went with what was popular during his own time :)
Skall, you're looking trimmer today. Keep it up, Skallafit! We're all rooting for you! Skallafit! Skallafit! Skallafit! Skallafit!
Agreed. You look quite well.
I've always imagined they called it the Kilij because of the degree of "killage" you can get out of it.😂
But will it "keal"? 🤪
Love it. Very punny
@@Seelenschmiede
Depends on the amount of killage you can derive out of ir
Kilij means sword (kılıç in turkish)
Kıl (kuhl) means to forge, kılıç means something forged basically
"Did you see those warriors from Hammerfell? They have curved swords.... curved swords!"
Its very cute that we opposing cultures find each others' swords interesting. Longsword always made me impressed and it felt like there is a culture attached to it, a very different and noble, especially in the video games and movies.
Mirror polish can be remedied by using a very fine sand paper sponge and polishing it. I've done this with inexpensive blades, and it makes them look better
Oh boy new skallagrim video
Always makes my day when Skall uploads :)
And even when I'm not interested in HEMA, I love all the weapons u show us.
Good to see the hobby becoming easier to get into, with fairly well-made budget items such as this.
Taking into account that Vlad was a ward at the ottoman court in his childhood it makes sense that he would train with this type of sword. You favor things you are effective with.
There is also the fact Vlad was allegedly half Turkic because her mother was a Cuman/Kipchak woman. Maybe that's also why he felt "close" as Kipchaks also utilized similar Turkic swords.
I did not see that coming :)
Skall thank you so much for the amazing video. As always you did an amazing review and test. ⚔️⚔️⚔️ Greetings from Turkey
Hey Skall, you're looking very healthy and well. I'm truly glad to see you in a better mental and physical place compared to where you were not too long ago. Well done, keep on keeping on my friend may god guide you
Hello Skall! This was a fun one; thanks for the review. I have to admit that I myself do rather like it, despite it's simplistic wall-hangery look. For a budget sword that cuts that well and even has a sheath, this looks pretty good. Thanks for the video!
It’s a beautiful sword, and I kind of want it… I decided that all swords I buy from now on will be spring steel, though. Compared to my traditionally made katanas, my ones with spring steel blades are 100 times more durable. And since I like to swing my swords at things, that durability is important. Thank you for the video!
Yes, spring steel is much more durable than what they had available back in history.
Took nearly a week after release to watch this. I was notified, and love the review.
Honestly, I'm pretty ignorant about everything you talk about. There's just something really satisfying watching someone talk about what their passionate about. Thank you for making the video!
this looks gorgeous! doesn't look tacky to me! just functional and well made. simple but not overly-so.
cuts like a beast too, and all for a good price!
It's nice to see more Turkish swords getting love from you. Keep it up Skal, as your Turkish audience we are enjoying it a lot.
Haven't watched a blade review with any real focus in probably a couple years, let alone from you, and I have to say in my opinion your opinion, production, and delivery has become significantly more nuanced and insightful in the last few years. Thanks for acknowledging how underestimated this type or sword is without skipping it's inherent weaknesses
Finally! Review on kilij. And it is from one of my favourite UA-camrs!❤❤❤
Beautiful blade, really informative review as always, keep up the good work, Skallagrim!
loving these reviews
You're the first foreigner I've heard saying Vlad Țepes's name correctly! Viele Grüße aus Rumänien! 🇷🇴 🇷🇴 🇷🇴
That is a beautiful sword and it was a joy to see the cut tests.
I missed your reviews. This is the Skall content I subscribed for. 😊
If you can I strongly suggest you get yourself a Windlass 1796 light cavalry sabre. I think you may find it handles a lot like that and is exactly like the original.
Funny thing is that Skall has never really been into sabres.
@@scottmacgregor3444 Especially late period sabres like that.
The steel quality in 1700s Britain varied a lot especially since these patterns were produced by multiple manufacturers for the army, as a result cavalry learned that if it didn't take an edge well you could turn it on the flat and use it as a mace by riding past the enemy and slapping them with the flat to the face or temple....
Man, it's so cool watching you move with the sword! You naturally are almost never on center, moving behind the blade! You still got it man!
Vlad was forcefully raised in the Ottoman Empire, so it makes sense for him to use their sword. It's also very poetic, as he was quite fond of poetic justice.
I'm impressed with this reproduction. Wish I could afford one.
Not to mention he had an exceedingly "efficient" personality. If he thought the Ottoman's own sword was useful, he was going to use it.
@@tyranitararmaldo Don't forget he also had a great sense of humour.
Had Vlad gotten his hands on Mehmed II, impaling him certainly would have been poetic justice for what that pig tried to do to Vlad and did do to his brother.
@@AzraelseraphimSlighly dark though.
@@MarkGoding The best kind
Great video! That's definitely an intriguing sword. Not a lot of functional Kilij on the market. You're right in that it's appearance just looks a bit... cheap. Still though, it looks like it's worth checking out.
I know it may be too meta, but if you get yourself a hockey bag, you could cram bigger swords in there without alarming the public, keep making great videos
just be sure that if youre an atuall hockey player that your sword hockey bag is SIGNIFICANTLY different from your hockey hockey bag other wise it could be akward in more ways then one....
@@vhaelen326 hes canadian so he must have at least 4 of those hahaha
@@ventu2295Well German but he's been in Canada long enough to surely have a few by now
I thought he was Norwegian?@@Scarlet_Soul
@@kuesdav Skall has always been rather ambiguous about where he is from as he does not consider it important to who he is, but on one of his side channels he made a video reviewing different cities he had lived in and the first one on the list was Munich, followed by Tromsø and Bergen, followed by places in Canada.
I think the curve makes the edge glide over the surface, rather than hit it like straight swords. That's gotta be why it cuts very well..
Someone at our HEMA club had a sparring version. Brass quillons did not survive heavy contact...
This is a great review and has changed my view on the practically of this design of sword, would like to see more tests such as how it preforms in a duel against various straight swords in attack and defence
"What does Kilij mean?"
"It means Ottoman sword."
It means “sword” in Turkic languages
Bu kılıç Osmanlılardan Bin yıl önce de Türkler tarafından kullanılıyordu.
Kazakh sword is also Kilij. It was invented before Ottomans.
"Kılıç" in todays Turkish means nothing more than "sword". There is no spesification of "Ottoman" or "Turkish" sword. It is a direct translation of the word. Beside at least write it with a C where the fuck did they get the J from?
Kılıç Turkic name🇹🇷🇰🇿🇦🇿🇰🇬🇹🇲🇺🇿@@nomad7843
I VIVIDLY remember the Deadliest Warrior episode with Vlad the Impaler and this sword was the one they brought out for him and all the judges said it sliced as well or BETTER than a Katana.
As this is my first time coming across your videos ide just like to say thank you I rather enjoy how in depth you get with certain details pro cons etc. You've earned my sub that's forsure keep up the amazing work looking forward to the next upload
Great review as always Skall. You do the best blade reviews on UA-cam. It also looks like all that work in the gym is paying off physically and you seem more relaxed, keep up the good fight brother.
Tested on Vlad Tepes head. Nice thumbnail bro:))
The cuts were frighteningly clean!
A small correction to Vlad Tepes: it's most favourite weapon, as we all know - is the wooden stick with a pointy head!!! He used to impale or order impaling every enemy or wrongdoer from thieves to murderers, invaders, Ottoman soldiers etc.
This is why he's called Vlad Tepes (translated into "The Impaler").
Also, during those periods of time, it was not unusual for Oriental equipment to be captured or offered as trade for negotiations, since the Ottoman Empire had a big presence in the region and tried several times to invade/control Romanian and Hungarian territories known as Vallahia and Moldavia (in that era they used to be independent states).
There's also an infamous attack called "Night Attack from Targoviste" where it is rumored he disguised himself toghether with some trusty soldiers and infiltrated the Ottoman army camp at night, placed near Targoviste City (by then the capital of Vallahia) during one of it's sieges. And they used clothes and weapons of Ottoman origin to confuse the enemy and create panic and chaos, making the enemy soldiers attack each other.
he moslty impaled villagers regardless of their religion
He impaled his own villagers.
In reality, Vlad was a sadist who enjoyed shedding blood and making people suffer, regardless of who or what he was. It is true that he impaled the Ottoman soldiers, but when Fatih Sultan Mehmet marched on him with his army, he could not find a place to escape and eventually his head was seen on the back of an Ottoman horse😊
his favourite weapon can be kilij because his beheaded by one of it
Reminds me of the Deadliest Warrior where Vlad fought Sun Tzu and the Vlad experts were demonstrating the sword on a dead pig
Yes they claimed that Class sword was made with a heavier tip, to make it easier to cut off heads, that's all I really remember about that episode I was still a kid then
5:20 I assume the yelnmin (sp?) is not sharpened for legal reasons. In many places a two-edged blade is prohibited or heavily regulated when a single edge is not.
exactly sharpening the yalman is illegal here in turkey
also making and owning a sword....
but according to swordbuy swordbuy makes historical replicas so they are legally allowed
Shamshir isn’t Persian. İt’s Turkic too. After the 10th Century, Persia have ruled by Turks. Seljuks, kwarazmshahs, Timurids, Akkoyuns, and Savavids, All of them were Turkic based states. Their armies mostly Turkic.
@@KCanadian there is no true among you said.
@@KCanadianhe isn’t talking about genetic composition. But rather military traditions. Many cultures adopted Turkic military traditions.
After your review of the Yataghan, my serch into swordbuy, it seems to have upped their quality quite a bit. Thank you.
It was natural for Vlad to use an Ottoman sword. He was raised in the house of Osman along with his brother. He was equipped and trained by the Ottomans. Hence his relative success against the Ottomans knowing all of their tactics.
Wasn't his paternal line Turkic?
@AimForMyHead81 rumen
Man, you do such good reviews. Really enjoy your passion for the topic, your eye for detail, and your sense of humour 😁
Hi Skallagrim, I'm back after many years. Good to see that you are seemingly very well off and are still producing very good videos.💪🏽
havnt watched one of your videos in a while, you look amazing nowadays! and as always, fun and informative videos :)
Thank you!
Great looking and working sword!
The sharp section of the false edge is called "Yalman", not yelmen. This sword is not called "Kılıç" because it just means sword. It is called Yalmanlı (with Yalman) for having one and it is what makes it unique.
I have this exact sword. Previously I'd only trained with a hand-and-a-half longsword, so at first I found this a bit heavy (not accustomed to a one-handed wield). I'm getting used to it now so it feels better. The handle originally felt slippery to me so I wrapped it in leather cord, which helps somewhat - I'm considering replacing that with either handle tape or a full leather covering like my longsword. Otherwise I've been very satisfied. I can testify to its sharpness...I was wiping some rain off the blade once (I always train outdoors) and managed to cut my finger open through the cloth with no pressure at all.
It comes with a scabbard as well, nice looking (very similar to the picture you showed from Vlad Tepes). It was a bit tight at first and made the weapon slow to draw, but it has loosened up over time and is not a problem any more.
Overall I give it an A, it's a fun weapon, and wicked-looking as well.
My first introduction to this sword was Deadliest Warrior. The demonstration effortlessly cut a pig carcass in half three times in rapid succession.
Never forgot how OP this weapon is.
This is a pretty cool sword. It's always nice to see board blades that can perform at a budget price.
I'd say Vlad was very fond of the Ottomans. They were by far his favorite lawn ornaments! He loved them so much he had thousands of them!
The fact that you clipped the stand and the cut water bottle stayed on is crazy
At that time, polish and hussar sabers were used often also. May as well be a hussar saber since he had a strong connection with Hunyadi Ianos.
I enjoy your videos. In the future may you make a video comparing Thai sword and fighting techniques from HEMA viewpoint?
Another great video, myninja. Blessings to you and yours
I got myself a kilij from turkey and it's a very badass sword
Man, that's a gorgeous-looking sword
Thank you for the reverse grip joke, got me. I was waking up from a nap and that got me.
We humans have invented really cool ways to kill each other, that blade is flippin sweet!
Vlad the Impaler did not like the Ottoman Empire, but he was heavily influenced by them.
When he was eleven years old, he was sent to the Ottoman court as a hostage. Royal hostages aren't treated like prisoners, at least so long as their parents honor the agreement, so that meant that he spent the next six years being raised and educated there in all of the various things it would've been useful for a noble to know. It very much did not win him over to their cause (though his brother was a different story), but he came out of it fluent in the language and very familiar with the Ottoman empire. He had no trouble passing himself off as an Ottoman soldier later in his life when he was fighting against them, and would do it regularly to infiltrate and spy on the enemy personally.
So it's very possible that this really would've been the first sword he learned how to use, and kept using even after.
The impaler voivode (vlad) was a childhood friend of Mehmet the Conqueror. The two were trained together at the enderun. Vlad learned to use the sword at the Turkish Palace, and according to a rumor, he became a blood brother to Fatih. Vlad betrayed the Conqueror, the Conqueror forgave him, but when he rebelled again, his head was placed on the stone in front of the Turkish Palace where he grew up.
Modern blade enthusiasts: mmmm yes this is a shireton type XXVIII iii which you can tell from its distinct taper.
Blokes in the past: make it like his but lighter
As you said, this sword is an affordable replica, it is an original sword, made of damascus steel. In fact, in a book I read recently (a souvenir book), I read that the janissaries were racing to cut the shield in one move. They made fun of those who could not cut the shield in one move.
Cool stuff, and I didn't know Vlad Tepes handled one of these (or similar). He is one of my favorite historical characters.
He might have had a Hungarian saber instead, I wasn't able to confirm one way or another.
It was this kind of sword the Kîlîç, Corpus Draculianum is a society that documents his life in very minute detail with every available historical document, it's also documented a duel with Vladislav the second which Vlad killed with a sword like this, his prowess with the weapon was pretty known and people were very weary of him
Are you usually a big fan of historical mass murderers?
@@Yanate1991 A hero who helped save his country and most of the West of becoming Muslim? Yeah, sure!
This sword is the pattern I always envisioned Drizzt Do' Urden wielding.
3:41 I’m kinda curious. Not referring to the case of Vlad Tepes, but are there any specific historical sources of people preferring centuries-older weapons due to looks or even preferring them in practical use?
(Perhaps excluding cases of weapons passed down through a family and also excluding more modern eras.)
7:04 skall didn't even notice he cut the edge of the wooden board as well
That seems like a solid budget choice. You would be hard pressed to find anything much better in that price range anyways.
Turkish actor Cüneyt Arkın used to play in the roles of a Turkish fighter most of the time. He is knowledgable about sword swinging and sword use, horse riding. I watched his knowledge about kılıç, yatağan techniques in a talk-show in the past and he talked about the difference between European sword use and Turkish sword use I remember barely. Anyway, you can watch passages in the historical movies he played. He learned these arts in the first place for his heroic roles. His movements may give you hints. Within certain movies of him, the movements exists but you can't find these movement scenes as separate videos on the Internet.
@Skallagrim , did you see the example from Deadliest Warrior back in the day showing it's cutting potential? I was absolutely floored by the gentleman who gave the exhibition. With a quick succession of strikes he cut a pig in 3 portions with what looked like relative ease.
Thanks for sharing. This company seems to be producing affordable quality swords. Be interesting to see if more are provided to you for review.
D&D personality Drizzt Do'Urden dual wields scimitars. They are each described as unique and distinct from one another, but in general they are slender, gently curving, and about 2 pounds each. While he is ambidextrous, I believe the differences between the swords causes him to handle them differently, resulting in him being slightly more dominant with one hand over the other. One of his scims is intended for magically defending against flame AND for offense against fire-based opponents. The other is said to be a defender.
This makes me wonder what specific traits would a wielder need in a more offensive scimitar, versus a defensive scimitar? Would a slender shamshir be better for fast cuts and thrusts, and a midweight kilij better for blocking and parrying the momentum of incoming weapons?
heavier blades are definitely better at absorbing momentum however double wielding swords are silly idea. I believe skall made a video about dual wielding swords you can check it out
7:53 Any Cold Steel sword would have shattered! (Looking at you, Advanced Knife Bro!)
Love how the blade managed to clip the corner off the plank on the slow mo of the bottle cut @ 7.01. 🤣🤣
Contacted the seller about the sword coming with a scabbard; and they confirmed that it does include the scabbard as pictured.
Vlad spent his childhood as a political ransom in the Ottoman palace. He was trained in combat, military tactics etc. as worthy for a prince. He spoke Turkish without accent and knew all the tactics which helped them win multiple battles against Ottomans. It doesn't come a surprise for me that he'd prefer kilij as probably it was what he was trained with.
Oh those original hilts are beautiful 🤩
It looks sturdy and no nonsense, I kinda like it. The super decorated swords are nice but there is something of a sword that is kinda bare bones but just looks like it'll do work that I love, it showed up Monday morning to get shit done.
Kindżał was a kind of dagger used by cossacks. A talk about it would also make a good episode
Skall with the gems again!
Thank you Skallagrim! Great video.
It is a very nice and descriptive video, I would like you to introduce the OTTOMAN Yatağan sword. It is unlike any other sword in the world, it has an aggressive and different structure and a strong person can pierce an armor very easily with the Yatağan sword, thank you.
thanks @Skallagrim for the video. a fun fact; Vlad himself educated by same teachers, sword masters ("silahtar" level masters btw) , horse riders with the Mehemet II. "the Conqueror" of House Ottoman, during their childhood. because Vlad and his little brother was given as "pledge" (hostage) to Ottoman palace by their father to keep the Crown of the kingdom under the Sultan. Since he got the same education at the same place it is very logical for him to have same sword and fighting style even same armor and clothes with Ottoman elites.
It might be nice if they added an option for picking between having a sharp or dull yalman, so we can get some cool cuts in the backyard, but the yalmen isn't always supposed to be sharp. There are advantages to not having an edge.
Looks like hurricane Lee is heading your way.