I'm a few beers into highlander.

[Clawalex]

Say we lived in a world without gun, what long bladed implement of battle would you choose. I know it's not practical but it seems we are all students of martial skills and history so this could be quite informative.

[EDELWEISS]

OK, I choose FIRE. You bring your sword, I'll burn the house around you....

[H60DoorGunner]

Spiked Warhammer and a rhondel dagger for EDC. An 8ft spear or halberd and a broadsword for doing battle.

[emtdaddy1980]

I initially thought claymore.... But EDC of a 5' + blade by a 5'9" man would probably get tiresome and not fitting for my build. I'm thinking a gladius might be ideal, along with a medium leangth spear that would double as a walking stick.

[MesserMan]

Suarez Bowie or Applegate Fairbairn dagger as belt knife.

Either a full-sized saber or arming sword. Probably the saber. I've learned through training and sparring with wasters that the extra edge of the arming sword isn't as useful as you'd think, and that the knuckle guard of a saber is REALLY nice to have. That knuckle guard has saved my fingers countless times.

[paknheat]

A cutlass, a small axe,& my glock 29. In a world without guns I'm still going to have one. Pirate thinking.

[Scott Vandiver]

I'll have several swords already have a collection of knives and stabbing tools. I'll most likely pick up a cross bow to go with the compound bow I already have.
And I will learn to use the sword as well as I use a rifle. ANybody know of a sword school?

[CR Williams]

Look for HEMA or HEMA Alliance, Scott - Historical European Martial Arts. They're an organization working to preserve and revive the study of the European sword arts among other things. They may list a school somewhere you can get to and at least provide references. There is also this list that might help:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_14?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=medieval+sword+fighting&sprefix=medieval+sword+fighting%2Caps%2C420

I have the first book and some others. It looks useful as a base of familiarization and a pointer.

[EDELWEISS]

Last night I said fire; but thats been annoying me. A Gladius is about as long as you can daily carry without too much hassle; but even that is too long if you factor in vehicles (ask me how I know...). Sabers are cool (Im a Baskethilt fan); but then theres the issue of how do you where them plus the angle of the draw (a straight drop is easier to wear but harder to draw). The Cutlass is compromise in length for use in tight quarters (and easier to wear); but it gives up reach. Fight with a spear in a hallway and youll wish you had a cutlass, move to an open field where youre facing men on horses and you might change your mind....

I do like spears; but again length is a good with the bad thing. Personally 8' is too long for me (in this world) and Im 6'02". For daily carry Im happy with no more than 7' (6 1/2' is better--ever try to carry groceries in the house with a spear in the other hand???) Also I like lighter spears rather than something heavy--think lance like and no axe blades; but maybe a hook.

Honestly a hammer is simpler. Theres no worries about where is the edge or sharpening the edge or chips in the edge--just a loud thunk and squish

OH hell a few bottles of Greek Fire really is easier.....

[H60DoorGunner]

Last night I said fire; but thats been annoying me. A Gladius is about as long as you can daily carry without too much hassle; but even that is too long if you factor in vehicles (ask me how I know...). Sabers are cool (Im a Baskethilt fan); but then theres the issue of how do you where them plus the angle of the draw (a straight drop is easier to wear but harder to draw). The Cutlass is compromise in length for use in tight quarters (and easier to wear); but it gives up reach. Fight with a spear in a hallway and youll wish you had a cutlass, move to an open field where youre facing men on horses and you might change your mind....

I do like spears; but again length is a good with the bad thing. Personally 8' is too long for me (in this world) and Im 6'02". For daily carry Im happy with no more than 7' (6 1/2' is better--ever try to carry groceries in the house with a spear in the other hand???) Also I like lighter spears rather than something heavy--think lance like and no axe blades; but maybe a hook.

Honestly a hammer is simpler. Theres no worries about where is the edge or sharpening the edge or chips in the edge--just a loud thunk and squish

OH hell a few bottles of Greek Fire really is easier.....

The 8ft spear as well as a broadsword would be formidable weapons outside, or a halbred. I agree that inside, any if those weapons aren't too useful. That's why I chose the hammer and rhondel dagger for EDC. Either of those weapons are capable of defeating armor, and can be wielded with relative ease while indoors.

But outside, against armored or possibly mounted soldiers, I would want the reach.

[Greg Nichols]

Shield and a couple of long bladed short spears.

[Benjamin Liu]

Just going by what I actually own:

1. Cheness Oniyuri Katana- This is my best quality sword and I'm trained in using the katana.

2. Hanwei Tactical Wakizashi- Really a ko-katana.

3. Windlass medieval "short sword"- Really an arming sword. I'd need to sharpen it since Windlass ships their swords dull. I can use this with my FMA training and I have a few Medieval manuals. I like the way it handles, so a similar sword from a better maker would be even better. My Windlass hand-and-a-half sword is a bit too springy for my taste, though I've heard that is common with their longer swords. I've seen good reviews from people who've sharpened and cut with both of these swords.

4. Barong- I have a few of these. They are compact, lightweight, chop well, and can also stab. My favorite is my Kris Cutlery barong, the balance is far better than my Cold Steel or antique barongs.

5. Cold Steel Gladius Machete- This is actually a pretty good weapon for a machete.

6. Spear made from Cold Steel Bushman and a 6' bo- In case I need the reach. I have some training in yari and naginata.

7. 6.5' heavy rokushakubo made from 1.75" thick purple heart- in case I want to smash people.

[Clawalex]

I'd take my cold Steel magnum kukri machete. I've had two gave one to a friend to aid his travels from Alaska back down to the lower 48. I immediately bought a new one. That for EDC and a Katana for fighting. I could handle most problems with a reactive kukri strike so long as I was fast and brutal. And I'd keep the usual emerson cqc8 and socp dagger.

[Mike OTDP]

Hmm....

I'm torn...and also rounder and less mobile than I used to be. Right now, I'd tend toward a Scottish basket-hilt sword (Armour Class makes some very good ones) - but there's a strong case for the smallsword, or even a French-grip epee. Arms & Armor make a good one. The smallsword is the killer. Incredibly quick in the hand.

I've noticed that most of the swords available these days are much heavier than originals. In particular, they don't have distal taper (thickness from hilt to tip). They handle like pigs.

[BillyOblivion]

Look for HEMA or HEMA Alliance, Scott - Historical European Martial Arts. They're an organization working to preserve and revive the study of the European sword arts among other things. They may list a school somewhere you can get to and at least provide references. There is also this list that might help:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_14?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=medieval+sword+fighting&sprefix=medieval+sword+fighting%2Caps%2C420

I have the first book and some others. It looks useful as a base of familiarization and a pointer.

My wife and I have been taking classes in the Fiore school at Rocky Mountain Sword Play guild.

Good stuff mate. Especially if you get in a school that understand that "fighting" takes physical effort.

That said I'd probably prefer a cavalry saber if I could get good schooling on it. Saber in one hand and some sort of big ass knife in the other.

[BillyOblivion]

Just going by what I actually own:
1. Cheness Oniyuri Katana- This is my best quality sword and I'm trained in using the katana.


In addition to the Fiore stuff I train in a Japanese art, and I've been considering getting the Shobu-Zukuri Katana "Ayami" from the same maker for cutting practice, and a 1045 steel blunted model for practice.

Why would you prefer the 24 inch blade over the more "normal" length Katana?

[Benjamin Liu]

I already have 3 regular sized katana, so for this one I decided to get something different and bought it when it first came out in 2006. I also trained in the Bujinkan so I wanted one of these mid-sized swords, though really most Bujinkan sword work is from Kukishinden Ryu which uses normal katana. At the time the only ko-katana on the market were the Oniyuri and a few others from Cheness, one very expensive import, and the Cold Steel Chisa Katana. If I were to get another katana it would probably be a Cheness O-Katana.

My other katana are a Kris Cutlery 26", Kris Cutlery 29", and and some katana a friend gave me that is inexpensive but capable of cutting practice. The Kris Cutlery swords are good, but the Cheness is better.

[temposhot]

I'd prefer a real version of my 45" SCA rapier and main gauche with a a halberd backed by a cutlass/kukri for non-civilian use. I'd carry a bow also if given half a chance though I'm still learning to shoot.

I will state that I've had the chance to fence rapier/main gauche against longsword and other weapons quite a bit recently, and an off-hand weapon makes a real difference. The rapier/main gauche combination was effective enough against a longsword that the HEMA guys I was fencing began to think it was the far better weapon choice. (What was interesting is I got the exact opposite impression from our bouts.) Then we 'pooled our notes' and realized that, while the rapier was more effective in Hema 'one-touch and you stop' rules, it might not be quite the fight-stopper that cutting someone's head or arm off with a longsword would be. For the rapier to be effective, you'd have to target areas that would destroy their ability to fight like the face. The really scary thought is if your rapier gets stuck in your opponent's body, but they are still alive enough to continue the fight.

Scott

[Zed Stewart]

Shield and a couple of long bladed short spears.

That is very... African of you.