So Cold Steel is scheduled to come out with a set of plastic wasters for European swords sometime this month. I doubt they've worked with anybody competent anywhere in designing it.
To be honest it looks like a black fence post. There seems to be no sign of tapering for balance and the fuller is almost certainly just for show. They would have done better replicating a Type XVa design (such as this: http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/nextgen/sword-medieval-mercenary-xva.htm), at least that would have had the taper built in. Considering my exposure to their sword making, which seems to stress durability, rather than dynamic performance, or historical accuracy, I don't have high expectations for it.
There is one attractive thing about these that may persuade me to try one. It is half the price of the good wasters on the market, and being plastic probably won't ever break. It might be worth a shot.
Their training dagger on the other hand has much more appeal, as dagger simulators need much less in the performance department to work well.
Have a look: http://www.coldsteel.com/bokkens.html and tell me what you think.
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