[Dan P]

This weekend I finally got around to trying some cuts with my CAS/Hanwei sidesword.

The first thing I tried was the lightweight cardboard tubes that Pringles potato chips come in. I simply filled each one with water and stood it up on an inverted garbage bin, bringing it about upper torso height. The first time I cut forehand, almost horizontal, and the tube went flying in two pieces, in a spray of water, cut clean through. The second cut I made backhand, from my left shoulder, with a second hand on the pommel of the sword, and made a clean diagonal slash through the second tube.

I switched to 20oz pepsi and coke bottles filled with water. They were a lot harder to cut! I was able to cleave the tops off pepsi bottles quite well but for some reason the coke bottles were a lot harder to cut and I never did get them into two pieces. I think since they are narrower at the top than pepsi bottles, the plastic material is a little thicker and harder.

After cutting I cleaned and inspected the sword. I read something on another forum about how the handle underneath the wire wrap was plastic, and how someone had actually broken the inside of the handle and bent the tang while cutting, so I disassembled the sword to inspect those parts. I'm pleased to say that it appears to have survived my amateur handling intact. Also, there was no edge damage or set to the blade.

I have not had a lot of experience cutting things, but from what I saw I had no problem putting the edge onto the target. Next time I think I will try gallon milk jugs or two-liter soda bottles, and maybe get an assistant with a camera to take some pics. This really is one of the most fun swords I've cut with; its the only one I have that I can use with two hands as well as one.