The Swiss Guard at the Vatican: halberds sharp?

[kgbsquirrel]

I'm still trying to find more info on it, but apparently there was an instance of a US Marine who killed a NorK at Inchon with a Navy cutlass.

Sort of the same vein as Jack Churchill and his long-bow.

[dogmush]

Because a sword is scarier than a Bradley.  And easy to use well with minimal recent training.  And isn't bulky and likely to catch on everything.  And Soldiers aren't already carrying a ton of way more useful crap.  And fighting goes hand to hand so often.  And Soldiers have nothing better to do before a deployment than learn how to swing a sword they'll never use.

(Pardon the snark.  Being up until 03:00 doing homework disagrees with me.)

I'm actually seriously considering a short sword for my next LCU deployment.  Reports from other LCU's in the gulf are that the Iranian's are getting wierd, and the occifers have taken to locking up the ammo.

[Balog]

I'm actually seriously considering a short sword for my next LCU deployment.  Reports from other LCU's in the gulf are that the Iranian's are getting wierd, and the occifers have taken to locking up the ammo.

One of the line companies in my battalion was having a problem with the local Iraqi cops stealing our stuff from the FOB both sides manned together. A spirited request backed up with some emphatic gesturing with a machete brought a mound of personal effects returned in very short order. Getting shot with a rifle is an esoteric concept to most folks. Getting sliced up with the big sharp thing is a far more viscerally real possibility.

[MicroBalrog]

There's a guy who sells custom short-swords for members of the armed forces.

[Balog]

There's a guy who sells custom short-swords for members of the armed forces.

Sauce?

[dogmush]

There's a guy who sells custom short-swords for members of the armed forces.

And his contact/web page would be........

[kgbsquirrel]

Perhaps we should take a page out of the Gurkha Playbook and start learning how to use a kukri?

It would be nice to have training classes on how to use those and the modern tomahawks that are already being toted around the sandbox.

[dogmush]

No Seriously.

Who is this guy that makes custom short swords for the military?

[MicroBalrog]

http://www.gagecustomknives.com/Tactical%20swords.htm

He's sold a few to members of the armed forces. I can't say he makes swords "for the military" as such.

There's also the tactical tomahawk.

http://www.brownsafe.com/blog/top-10-tactical-tomahawks/

[Regolith]

http://www.gagecustomknives.com/Tactical%20swords.htm

He's sold a few to members of the armed forces. I can't say he makes swords "for the military" as such.

Why does he use a hollow grind? Seems to me that's a really poor edge for a sword. It's great for razors and hunting knives because it makes a thin, sharp cutting edge, but for applications where it's going to be used hard it's not very well supported and is prone to turning. A saber or convex grind would be a lot better.

[Matthew Carberry]

Why does he use a hollow grind? Seems to me that's a really poor edge for a sword. It's great for razors and hunting knives because it makes a thin, sharp cutting edge, but for applications where it's going to be used hard it's not very well supported and is prone to turning. A saber or convex grind would be a lot better.

Hollow is easy to produce.  Pull the stock between two wheels, that's why it's so common on production pocket knives.

Flat grind and convex take more hand work.

[Regolith]

Hollow is easy to produce.  Pull the stock between two wheels, that's why it's so common on production pocket knives.

Flat grind and convex take more hand work.

For the amount he's charging, I'd have thought he'd make the extra effort.