| Angus McLarty wrote: |
| Good morning everyone! I've been watching the fourm for a month or so now, and figured it was time to post a few questions.
I've had a keen interest in all things Scottish for as long as I can remember. I have almost entirely Scottish ancestory, and born and raised in an area where almost everyone else is of Scottish descent. I have been taking a deeper interest in my own geneology, as well as Scottish history in general lately. I began taking Gaelic lessons two years ago, bought a kilt this winter, and recently acquired a targe from an uncle after he moved into a home. With the kilt, targe, and increasing ability to holler Gaelic battle cries, I think it's about time I had a blade to feel complete!! I'm looking for a Basket Hilt to (hopefully) start a collection. As with most newbies, I'm on a budget. I'm in the neighbourhood of $300-350 (cdn - $230-270 USD). I have been looking mostly at Paul Chen's and Cold Steel's on Ebay. What advice/cautions can anyone offer? I know the old adage holds true - you get what you pay for, but I've got to start out within a limited budget. Thanks, Angus |
Hello , Angus.
My apologies for not seeing your post regarding Hanwei/ColdSteel baskets before, but I just came across it in a search.
If you haven't purchased yet, the following pages (all linked from the first) may be of some help regarding dimensions, etc:
http://home.att.net/~sabrechamp/stats.htm
Please excuse the pics, as most were simply what I had on hand; with the only exceptions being a few disassembled shots.
I did this for a friend, and didn't bother to include my personal comments as they were exchanged in email. Anyway, I prefer the Hanwei 2002 broadsword, but it does have some issues. Most notably, the grip is both too small (with or without gauntlets/gloves) and too close to being spherical in cross-section. In this respect, the ColdSteel is much better. Between the sheaths there is little comparison with the ColdSteel winning the argument hands down.
As for actual handling, I would choose the Hanwei. Handling is subjective to some degree, but without a full blown review, I'd be happy to answer any specific questions regarding these two production pieces.
Pax,
Michael