Hey guys, a post for average sword enjoyers .
"Daddy, is my sword shit?"
This is a quick guide so you can tell if your sword is shitty, and what that means.
As a reference: Behold, a shit sword:
1. Does your sword have the words "Pakistan" or "China" etched on the blade in plain letters? Im sorry bro, Your sword is (probably) shit. Now, just because your sword is made in China doesn't mean your sword is shit, but that stamp is associate with mass produced machined stainless steel blades purely for decoration, therefore Shit. And in that vein:
2. Is your sword made from stainless steel? If there's not 'stainless' stamp on it, the material will look like the steel of your average kitchen knife, silvery and shiny. If it's stainless steel, Im sorry bro.
3. Does your sword have a shitty looking resin handle? Dead give away. Im sorry bro.
4. Is your sword just a flat rectangle? Does it not taper towards the tip? Im sorry bro, real blades taper to control the weight distribution.
5. Does your blade FEEL heavy? Unwieldy? A real sword is easy to use, the center of gravity isn't too far from the hilt. And even on the upper end of sword weights you won't find many swords above 2 kgs.
6 (less importan) Whats the material of your blade? If it's just Identified as "High carbon steel" you should be suspect. 1045 steel is the minimum grade I would consider to be usable. At that grade you have a blade that won't immediately snap or be soft enough to easily bend while still holding an edge. Usable swords should be able to handle impact.
"Daddy my sword is shit, what does that mean for me?"
When I say your sword is shit it means you should not use it to practice, cut, spar or anything that isn't display it or maybe lightly swing it around. Stainless steel blades might snap right off on impact. Poorly made hilts can shatter, or give and send the blade flying on a swing.
There are many Many other design considerations that would make a sword shit, but this list only seeks to address what are the most obvious red flags, things you can see and feel right away even if you are new to swords.