"Gongfu and swords of medieval China that do the job and won't break the bank..."
There are many different types of Chinese swords you can buy online.
From the double edged straight Jian (your typical "Tai Chi" swords) to the
Dao (single edged Chinese broadsword) and a whole variety of specialized blades used by a myriad of martial arts, the variety can be quite mind boggling and exotic.
Unfortunately, as with most swords being sold online, the vast majority are of the ornamental "wall hanger" variety.
Or worse still, such flimsily made
"Chinese martial arts swords" that trying to actually use them to practice Chinese swordsmanship is recipe for disaster...
And the REAL ones?
Well many of the real ones used by martial artists are often extremely and prohibitively expensive.
Yet there are a couple of manufacturers in our price range making some decent quality replicas in our sub US$300 price range...
Notably Cold Steel and the Hanwei Forge.
So without any further ado, let’s take a look at some of the Chinese swords on offer.
QUICK RECOMMENDATIONS BY PAUL
Click on the links to be taken to the respective reviews
My personal favorite Chinese Sword would have to be the Gim sword by Cold Steel. Extremely durable, amazingly sharp and excellent handling (though perhaps not quite how a Gim/Jian should handle) it is one of my favorite blades of all time. The only other real options in our price range are all made by Hanwei, and while not perfect, are all pretty good value.
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Super Tough Chinese Swords
Cold steel have a solid reputation for making extremely durable and razor sharp blades – that due to the extra weight of their thick blades, are a little lacking in the handling department.
While this would generally be considered to be quite a negative thing for Chinese swords, that are renowned for their speed, it has been argued that in the sub US$300 price range this is an
acceptable trade off - especially if your interest in Chinese swords is more from a collector and backyard cutters point of view than a genuine Kung fu practitioner.
PAUL'S PICK OF THE LITTER
COLD STEEL GIM
Easily the most beautiful of all Chinese swords in the sub US$300 price tag (though few photos from online sword sellers do it justice) it is also a
terrifying functional blade that has become one of the favorite swords in my own personal collection.
While weighing around 4-6 oz more than what a high performance Wu-Jian should, my tests of this sword left little doubt that it is a tremendously
effective and durable cutter as it took on everything from tatami mats to 3" thick pine tree limbs without so much as breaking a sweat.
But as you can see from the video below, the extra weight is not enough of a problem to prevent its effective use in the hands of a skilled martial artist...
While it is an obvious promo video, it does show that the Gim has some good handling characteristics, not to mention cutting and thrusting potential
that echoes my own tests with this blade...
Ultra Tough Chinese Sword Reviews
"The Gim"
Cold Steel
PRICE: US$239 to $449
OVERVIEW: The Gim sword has the best of all worlds in my opinion: it is very attractive, very sharp, durable and great handling (it does not handle QUITE like a traditional Gim/Jian should, but it's not that far off either). Highly recommended.
While the cold steel Chinese swords are my own personal favourites, most people in the know who are looking for a practical Chinese Kung fu blade on a budget
recommend Hanwei - specifically those designed by Taiwanese Kung fu Sifu Adam Hsu.
these swords are not perfect, considering the price is typically well under US$200, they are a reasonable choice for a beginner, though tend to be focused
more for practicing forms than serious cutting.
Along these same lines, Hanwei also have a range of traditional Wushu swords. Flexible and lightweight, these swords are not cutters, but are instead designed
for use in Wushu competition and practice and are also extremely affordable.
Essentially, while Cold Steel produce the best all round sword (that focuses strongly on cutting power and durability) – Hanwei’s Chinese swords are essentially
better suited for martial artists, though have enough pieces and variety to satisfy the sword collector looking to add some reasonably authentic replicas to their collection.
You can find a very large range of Hanwei Chinese swords (and other Chinese swords made by different manufacturers at varying price points) at the best prices online here at Kult of Athena
HANWEI Chinese Sword Reviews
"Practical Kungfu Sword"
Hanwei Forge
PRICE: US$117 to $209
One of the most FUN swords I have ever had the pleasure of using, this thing slices and dices with the best of them, but is let down a little by the awful scabbard design.
Designed by highly respected Kung Fu Sifu Scott Rodell, the Chinese Cutting Sword is simple, utilitarian and practical. But is it all it is cracked up to be? Read this review and decide for yourself.
The blinged up cousin of the Practical Broadsword, the only real disadvantage to this sword is that the brass fittings need a lot of work to keep in prime condition.
No roundup of what is currently available for Chinese blades would be complete without a mention of Garrett Chan's Jin Shi Trading Company.
For several years now, Garrett has been quietly gathering an extremely loyal following of Chinese sword enthusiasts and martial artists with his singleminded goal of producing the best, most faithful replicas of antique Chinese swords on the market - and as you can see from the reviews below, he has most certainly succeeded in his goal.
While his swords are slightly more expensive than those mentioned until now, the quality and his committment to true customer service is unwavering and his swords are made in such a way that if you could only have ONE really GOOD sword, his are the ones that you should pay close attention to...
JIN SHI Chinese Sword Reviews
"Han Dynasty Sword"
Jin Shi
PRICE: US$299 to $449
An ancient style sword with a differential hardened blade, superior fittings and exceptional handling - the only real downside to these swords is that they are made to order, so require a bit of patience waiting for them to come in. But it pays off in spades...
This is only a temporary home until it eventually gets its own dedicated page, but here will we accumulate a few other Exotic and South East Asian Swords.
Starting with:
OTHER ASIAN SWORD REVIEWS
"Banshee"
Hanwei Forge
PRICE: US$122 to $179
OVERVIEW: An extremely practical weapon, the Banshee brings the Burmese Dha into the 21st century. This extremely interesting review includes some very unusual destructive test results - namely, what happens when the edge of a sword is shot by a gun, and how it doesn't take a $30,000 Nihonto to cut a bullet in half...
The very best source for information on Chinese sword training and general information on the subject is Scott Rodell's
Great River Taoist Centre Forums which includes further reviews, sword training,
test cutting, maintenance and much more. High recommended and very informative.
Another excellent site (which incidentally is also run by a fellow Aussie!) is Linda Heenan's Chinese Swords Guide.com
here - which has a wealth of informative articles on selecting a sword, sword history,
and even how to make your own Gambeson armor for Chinese sword sparring! A must visit destination.
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