New training blunt options

[Allen Johnson]

I agree with Jake that the MRL swords are better if you stay with the single handed ones. I am one of the lucky few to have picked up their Scottish Backsword before they discontinued it and I really like it alot. However, Im not as pleased with my MRL Baskethilt-- way too big and clunky. I was able to handle and inspect a Gen 2 the other day. It was a recent purchace by an aquaintance of mine and so I was able to really swing it around and stuff. The boat anchor analogy is spot on! It's heavy, poorly balanced, hilt fittings coming loose after only a few weeks, and most importantly...just plain ugly! <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

by-the-sword.com has the Hanwei Hand &amp; 1/2 for $100
http://www.by-the-sword.com/acatalog/Medieval_Swords_by_Hanwei.html

[Shane Smith]

MRL's tend to have crummy hilts in my experience,at least for longswords.

I have a Practical Knightly single-hander that I use for sword and buckler/sword and shield fencing.It works fine,especially considering the price although the crossguard was rattling on mine and required a bit of "modification" to tighten it up.

The larger Practical hand and a half handles pretty decently and seems to have a solidly constructed(or epoxied?) hilt. For a hundred dollars,they're hard to beat as beat about blunts.

[GaryGrzybek]

Exactly, it's a personal preference thing and if it doesn't bother you then it's a worthwhile purchase for a decent beater blade. I've been through so many low end products that I feel it's time to upgrade where possible. <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

[JohnGallego]

I actually just got my practical hand-and-a-half a couple of days ago and have been doing solo drills with it. Feels pretty good, but then most of my experience has been with wooden/aluminum wasters so far.

I'm saving up now and looking forward to Gary's Albion Round Table. I'll definately be looking for a good blunt there.

[James_Knowles]

on the paul chens is the pommul penned on.

Right. I have two of the hand-and-a-half swords. Both are very solidly constructed. No part of the hilt or cross has come loose depsite some hard abuse.

I did have to use the grinder and dremel to round off (and smooth) the square edges of the blades. The edges were really getting dinged up even though we're not whacking edge-on-edge -- just the incidental angles of learning, for example, to break zornhau by striking with zornhau. I got a couple small metal slivers from that. Since rounding the edges the damage is lessened.

I also rounded off the point of one of the swords -- just a tad too pointed for my idea of a blunt. There is a perceptible difference in balance between the two. The scabards are made to fit the blade. I can't put one sword in the other's scabard very far.

I think the pommel is preference. I don't mind it even though it's pretty huge, but I don't like tiny pommels as much.

I have small gripes about them, but am quite happy -- especially considering the price. The other nice thing about the relatively low price is that I don't have anxiety about ruining them during practice. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

I've never owned a high-quality sword, so once I handle a few of those I may become permanently dissatisfied with what I have. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> But 'till then....