These tests really validate Maul's dual lightsabers. They combine the portability of retractable blades with the advantage against single bladed weapons.
To a degree. But as we've seen, Lightsabers can have variable lengths. So why not have the same handle length, thus two crystals still... And just have twice the length of blade?
Indeed, plus as many people do not know, Maul often only used 1 of the blades at a time, which is like using a nagamaki, and gave him more power, leverage, etc. against a single opponent. He typically whipped out the 2nd blade when he needed to quickly overwhelm a single opponent instead of his normal style of assassination OR against multiple opponents as he did against Qui Gon and Obi Wan. And that makes sense because while fighting both of them, he needed to overwhelm one and push them away before doing it to the other until isolating one of them, as he did, killing that lone one, and then going for the final one.
In the Star Wars Knights of the old Republic they state that the Double Bladed LightSaber was favored by Sith because they where good at taking out crowds of enemies (being surrounded or at least mostly surrounded by enemies). Meaning you don't need to worry about friendly fire, everyone around you are enemies so swing to your hearts contempt.
Although they weren’t completely ignored by the Jedi either. Bastila used a double bladed lightsaber by default… which is interesting considering her Force induced Emo phase was about to happen.
Note that a big part of "winning" a fight is surviving the fight. You might be able to get through a spinning double bladed weapon, but it's a suicide move. If you want to survive the fight, it would be really difficult to sneak past the first blade without risking decapitation by the follow-through.
One issue I think the team missed was the cost of iron/steel in medieval period. Double bladed sword has a lot of steel in period where it was really expensive. I think a simple spear might be very effective against double bladed sword while having steel as much as a dagger.
The most common weapon in war very often isn't the best weapon, it's the weapon that is the cheapest - to create the weapon and the soldier. Which is why guns so readily replaced bows despite the fact that 'run up and hit them with a stick' was an extremely viable tactic even centuries later (the last recorded US Bayonet charge was performed in 1951.)
Spears ruled the battlefield. Because you could pole the guy with your stick without letting him poke you back. And chase off war horses. At the cost of one good branch and a metal tip we can replace when it breaks. Eventually militaries started spending more money on things like Cannons and it became a Prestige matter. So armies got armed with better and better weapon variety. Till we saw armies with chainmail, spears, swords, and shields, falling into the Roman tradition of protecting your trained soldiers and newer recruits. Then we stuck an axe on our spear and invented the Halberd. Which was more dangerous than a sword or a spear or an axe alone. Thus the Halberd became the battlefield dominator. Except. It didn't. Because spears were cheaper, swords more useful for personal defence and 'noble' in tradition. So Halberds only got uses by elites and Mercenaries and were so effective the archers and later gunners focues their fire. Till someone pointed out Halberds are great... but we can make longer spears. And Pike formations became the norm. Twice the men, twice the reach, Twice the pointy sticks and all the professional training. For? Twice the cost of Halberds and an advantage at poking holes into your foe unmatched by anyone not a well trained archer. A double blades polearm might have worked, but odds are to reduce weight you would use a wooden haft, and then you have to mount two short swords onto a wooden shaft that will get smashed in combat without the swords smashing off. The Japanese had polearm swords and they proved effective. But again for military use they skipped the addition of a second blade to the far end. Swordstaffs are pretty cool.
came here to say this and the complexity of manufacturing. maybe some noble could afford a steel rod the lenght of a spear, but a blacksmith skilled enough to make both ends into working stabbing AND slashing swords? mate just get 10 spears and the wages of 10 farmers to wield them
@@lozm4835and yet the mighty stick ruled the battlefield for many centuries without opposition, that's how good it is. Modern guns are basically sticks that fire bullets, and knives and swords are shiny pointed sticks. The best war weapon has been and always will be the stick, no cap.
Once again, while many swordtubers will speculate and scrutinize fantasy concepts, Shadiversity is one of the few that will actually put them to the test.
@@couchfan1020 Chemistry between members is a very important detail many channels forget to maintain. Whenever a channel gets new members, the chemistry can really easily be thrown off. Here, everyone's basically on the same wavelength.
Definitely something worth exploring. Considering other melee weapons have centuries and even millennia of experimentation and development, a double-bladed anything is behind the curve.
My main critique of this is the length of handle to blade ratio. Maul's saber staff (which is what it is canonically called in-universe, not double-bladed light saber) had a central handle nearly as long as the individual blades allowing it to be used more like a capoeira bo-staff than a sword or polearm. It is for this reason that I generally favor the "blade-staff" as a fantasy weapon over a double-bladed sword, a weapon more like a double-ended naginata or partisan than what you have created, affording more reach due to the longer handle, and lower overall weight as well, so it can be wielded longer without fatiguing. Either way this was still fun to watch, keep up the good work.
Basically having the same reach due to length but more control/safety surface due to the hilt being longer. Where a normal sword most of its length is taken up by the blade.
@@memnarch129 The reach is improved because you can grip the weapon further from one end without getting a handful of the opposing blade. Yes the overall length is the same, but the distance from tip to hand can be greater.
@@khodexus4963This makes zero sense...its well known that you get much greater reach with two equal length weapons if you use one hand vs two hands. Since the dual sword uses up two hands by necessity you can never equal the reach potential of an equal length single blade.
@@SMac86 Except the handle is long enough to shift your grip, like a spear or polearm, meaning not all strikes have the same reach, and with a longer handle to blade ratio, you can hold it closer to one end if you want to maximize your reach for a particular strike. Not to mention you can temporarily let go with one hand as well.
@@shadowwolf2608 I agree, completely. there's a MythBusters show, somewhere that does car myths, can't remember what network it's on or what it's called.
I appreciate that Tyranth is actually treating the double-bladed sword more or less as intended: incorporating flourishes as if you held a quarterstaff, letting the blade strike the targets the way it would be if you were treating it *like a double-bladed sword* instead of just two swords.
The weapon is pretty much a quarterstaff with blades on the end, albeit rather short handhold in the middle. I'd expect Kilik from Soul Calibur to use a weapon like this.
This tests actually had me wondering if a larger grip and smaller blades would make things better. You know, more maneuverability, probably safer and easier to control. Might even be lighter. I imagine at some point it stops being a sword and becomes a two ended spear, but still. I imagine there's some wiggle room
Considering the double bladed lightsaber was invented specifically because Ray Park is most skilled with a quarterstaff, it makes perfect sense to use an actual double bladed sword as something of a sharp quarterstaff. I believe Park has demonstrated just how brutally effective it can be especially with conservation of momentum by keeping the weapon spinning. Consequently as stated this makes it EXTREMELY aggressive and in fact fighting defensively with it will hinder and tire you quickly. Edge alignment is the biggest concern.
I think when it comes to lightsabres, the ability to be able to chose between activating one or two blades would make it more feasible as you are not stuck with the double blade in situations that don't suit it and it removes the portability issue. Plus the lack of need for edge alignment just makes handling the duel blades a little easier.
exactly, it is literally the solutions to all of the issues that they raised, and why it was such an effective weapon in the Star Wars universe. only reason it wasn't more popular is because after the Jedi beat the Sith Empire (when it was more common) they deemed it as a Sith Weapon and banned it. The smaller Sith order after found it to hard to use since 2 weightless blades take to much focus to not hit yourself with and not worth it when mastering other styles was easier. and with smaller numbers they had other things that they were focused on.
That got me thinking what if the blades were attached together where the pommel would be with some sort of latch or even screw motion and they could be quickly separated or joined together, how that could impact its use
@@MarcSiqueira There are actually examples of that in the EU, the most publicly known one being Asajj Ventress, and in Canon there's Cal Kestis from Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor. Both could connect or detach the lightsaber blades, allowing them to be used in a double-bladed or a dual wielding configuration. It wasn't super common, because it's tricky to use it properly... After all, a wielder has to train to wield two separate types of weapon together in order to get the most out of it. But those who did put in the time and effort to practice it had a useful advantage over opponents.
I feel like this deserves a spot in some fantasy adventurer's kit. You dont have to fight in formation so much, and it covers some of the weaknesses that both swords and polearms have when fighting monsters. The point about double hits being common but less lethal in comparison to your opponent when you're the one holding the doublesword makes me think it'd be a good weapon for creatures with tough exteriors.
There *is* something *Like* this in 5e, it just gets forgotten about. It's called the Valenar double scimitar, and it's a pair of scimitars where they curve away from each other. Sadly puts the blades on opposite side so a backswing isn't as doable, but i'd absolutely try to reflavor for a double straight blade of some kind.
Very easily doable, 3.5 actually had a whole list of double ended weapons including the two-bladed sword... granted that it also had the dire flai, which is an abomination of a weapon any way you look at it.
it definitely seems like the type of weapon you'd keep a lighter weapon like a saber, rapier, or wakazashi while having a squire or servant carrying your weapon, similar to the way large weapons like the nodachi were supported
Double-bladed spear, quarterstaff length. The Jagerstock was a real double-ended spear, but had very short blades pretty much exclusively for stabbing.
The cutting tests make it look a lot more functional than I was expecting. Combined with proper training, it being an unusual/unexpected weapon which most opponents wouldn't have trained against, and optionally the Force, it really seems like a very effective weapon.
@@jacksonhorrocks4281 I think Kas'im is probably the more interesting case. He used a double bladed lightsaber which could be split into two lightsabers. Except, he ensured that his students never knew about that feature and even went so far as actively discouraging them from learning dual wielding on their own precisely so that he could pull out an unfamiliar fighting style should they ever betray him. Which one of them eventually did, but turns out even two lightsabers don't really do that much when a building gets dropped on you. Another legend would be Exar Kun since his doublebladed lightsaber design and probably fighting style were what Darth Maul later based his own on.
and if they had a proper purposely built twinblade as opposed to the jerryrigged ones they had to use it would probably be not only slightly lighter (since no need for a pommel on a twinblade) and more functional
Personally I think Hello Fresh should be a sponsor for literally every video Shad and crew make. his adreads for Hello Fresh are leagues above those of any other creator I've seen get sponsored, and I am legitimately about to try the offer after seeing so many ads from him over the several years i've been subscribed. Top class, so many other creators just read off a boring script and then it's over.
Hello Fresh is way too expensive though, might help in pinch or if you want to try something, but it loses miserably to even local fresh market let alone supermarket on price. If you're even somewhat competent at cooking you're much better off buying your own ingredients
I think Nate's right on this one. Once you get used to the trick of the second blade you foil its advantage pretty quickly. It's not like a spear where you can readjust your grip, you have to hold it in the middle and that greatly limits your maneuverability and angles of attack. Also I think a metal double-bladed sword is going to be slower and more tiring on follow-up attacks than that foam one so a rush down won't work as well. That overhead spear thrust was surprisingly effective though haha
You would realistically take 3-4 inces of blade length on both sides and extend the shaft. One thing I'll point out is when they did the spinning test they didn't alter angles or timings, you would "realistically" do that for one or two rotations immediately after a stab and re-enter a defensive stance.
@@iBloodxHunter also better for multiple opponents. Because if your going to be carrying a blade like that you are either planning carnage or a professional fighter both of which having to fight more than one opponent would be a possibility.
You could possibly make a really good interlocking mechanism on the pommel. So out of combat you can store it as two swords, then put it together for a fight. With the option of dual wielding, or just using one of them depending on the situation. Granted it would have to be something with no chance of coming apart, so it might not be the fastest, but you still have the option of just a single sword. Like in DnD terms it would take an entire action to put it together.
it wouldn't be too hard, my staff blade lightsaber just screws together and its only loosened once or twice during combat in the year that I have used it. id imagine you could easily add an simple interlocking system (maybe something like those push buttons on folding tables)
These tests you've been doing with fantasy type weapons have been some of my favourite stuff to see, most of the time videos on weapons like this have people just talking about how impractical they are and how the weapon wouldn't work well, but seeing you guys actually test the weapons out and give it your all, all while having a good deal of fun with it has been just a blast and I've loved every bit of it.
Imagine somebody with this, coupled with some decent armor, charging into a horde of goblins... Apologies, clicked reply on the wrong comment, sorry for the disturbance.
They would be more interesting at different lengths IMO. A shorter end changes the balance and allows for different maneuvers. A sword and shield or projectile still wins most of the time though.
Main thing is to not use it in formation. I think as we see Maul who is always alone as an assasin use it it makes perfect sence. But no matter how you spin it it cant funtcion in a formation. But heros fight alone a lot so great option for them
@@sidecharacter7165In the manga Azumi, has the main character a katana with a short blade at the end of the tsuka. When she unsheathed her katana on both sides, she has a double edged sword, which she use mostly like a normal katana but sometimes she use the short blade to cut enemys, which she had missed with the normal blade.
Perhaps a type of pommel that could work where you can lock them together there and then decouple them to work as separate swords... In Star Wars, that's how Maul's weapon worked anyway where it was, essentially two lightsabers that could link together at, essentially, the pommels.
@@AzraelThanatos sadly any form of a weapon like that would be *EXTREMELY* weak at the point where it screws in. It would be somewhat hollow due to the drilling to allow them to be put together as one
@@HowlingDeath375Ideally, there is a more compact and less hollow locking system. Perhaps where you put them pommel-to-pommel, do a quick quarter-rotation twist, and they are just tight enough (or locked in place with switches) to not unbind.
I think the secondary takeaway from this video is that polearms have a pretty fair shot at beating double-swords at their own game. Chad polearm stays winning!
For sheathing, I would say that Shad had it right as being two swords that had to be connected. But I'd say that the grips would have to be specially modified to allow the weapons to click/snap together, and probably a metal locking pin(s) to keep it together/stable.
Honestly, I don't comment on videos often but I just wanted to say this is a VERY WELL done video. Like not only did you all go super in depth with every bit of functionality, but sparring and showing its actual functionality in combat really helped sell me that the double-bladed sword is actually a lot more functional than you'd think it is at first glance.
I think the weapon would work well from a fantasy culture that emphasizes dancing. The precision movements needed to making something like it work and the constant spinning would pair well. At least, from where I am sitting.
@@thomaslacroix6011 I mean there's that as well, but I mean what kind of normal peoples would use this. Dwarves would use hammers and picks cause they mine, humans use modified farming tools because we farm, elves use humans to do their fighting, Orcs use the biggest thing they can grab from a raid, etc...
0:00 - Opening Skit (The Band of the Red _Something_ ) 0:56 - sick new INTRO for "Functional Fandom" (#professionals) 1:16 - Preface and Weapon Introduction 4:10 - thematic Hello Fresh ad (I like cutting literally anything) 8:33 - Cut Testing (Huoooah!) 11:25 - Cutting Recap and Analysis 14:02 - Maneuverability (suspenseful Hard Rock riff intensifies) 19:31 - Sparring [Nate vs. Shad] (Head Shot!) 20:45 - Recap and Analysis 22:14 - Sparring - Role Reversal (...and suddenly I have a blade in my head!) 23:07 - Recap and Analysis 23:37 - Sparring [Tyranth vs. Nate] + Role Reversal 24:08 - Recap and Analysis 25:17 - Spinning (Attack Helicopter: activate) 25:54 - Recap and Analysis 26:35 - Sparring vs. Dual Wielding 27:31 - Recap and Analysis 28:10 - Sparring vs. Polearm (nuts have been cracked @~@ - 29:06) 29:37 - Sparring Final Recap and Analysis 32:10 - Evaluation (Functionality Score.... oh yeah... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)) 6.3/10 34:10 - Closing ("WHAT!"-timestamp)
@@shadiversitynear the end of the video Nate mentioned "sword chucks" imagine you two dedicated video for knife nunchucks, worth functional fandom video on the "vigurian flail" from Ninja gaiden black. Could be decent video ideas.
A double-ended quarterstaff-length spear would be interesting, particularly with leaf blades (so better at cutting than many spears). It'd have quite a lot of the advantages of this thing (two cutting edges per end, great stabbing, rather fast follow-up attacks) and likely be a good bit lighter. Also probably easier to handle sheathing, and better reach due to a longer handle but with decent close-range performance like a quarterstaff.
The idea of double-ended daggers is especially interesting to me because it seems like ice-pick grip is better for driving the dagger down through maille, but regular grip is better for cutting/slashing... and since there are different types of daggers made specifically for each of those applications, what if you combined them and had the anti-armour thrusting dagger on one end and the slashing/cutting dagger on the other end... The other advantage is that you'd be less likely to cut your own forearm (assuming not wearing vambraces) if you had the thrusting dagger on the ice-pick grip end, since I think these tend not to be sharp (or as sharp) on the edges along the length of the blade. Just a thought.
I have a larp weapon that's a double ended dagger. I love it as an offhand weapon -- it makes great defense if you can't have a shield while still presenting enough of a threat to be worth having. I think the two blades might be best at some angle rotated from each other, so the flat of the bottom can brace against your forearm while you present the edge of the other end. It also feels like the edge alignment on a cut with the bottom blade might be a bit easier that way.
Double-ended daggers were a real thing. The Haladie was a double ended dagger from India, it was even sometimes combined with a built in punch dagger for a three bladed dagger.
It really reminds me of halberd dueling with how they tend to lead with the pommel spike for stabs and then quickly switch to the head for fast axe strikes or stabs with the spear tip. It is interesting how many moves they did that look like normal halberd techniques.
@@loganmcmillan3973 He made a previous video about the double-bladed sword/swordstaff/double-bladed lightsaber, except it was more a talk on the practicality of it
Tyranth has the perfect name for a medieval fantasy antagonist Its pretty badass 😂 Edit: Guys, just do a Soul Calibur weapons breakdown already. Grøh uses this one, and its separable into dual wielding. Siegfried has the giant sword. Ivy has the whip. Maxi has the nunchuku. Cervantes has dual wielding AND a gun sword. Hilde has spear and short sword. They're all there, and nobody else has really done anything with it
Don't forget Voldo's katars/bunji daggers. And ESPECIALLY his fighting style. Seriously though, i feel like they'd need to look up people that have more dedicated experience with individual weapon types for a broader look at a number of the weapons. Especially the unusual ones like aforementioned Katars, but also the blade tonfas. (Which don't strictly have to be blades for demonstration purposes)
I think Tyranth is the perfect name for a Sith Lord. Darth Tyranth... Only natural though, because the Star Wars Universe was meant to be a blend of Space fantasy & Medieval fantasy. The name might piss-off some other Sith Lord though...
Loved this video. Feel uou didn't talk about about the way tyranth beat the halberd a few times by turning the stab into a 1 handed reaching thrust. Definitely want to see more sparing with the halberd though! King of the battlefield indeed.
The reason you're experiencing extra reach and leverage is because the Double Sword is not a Two Handed Sword but rather a *Four Handed* Sword (three handed for Bastard Sword Variations). You should probably try a follow video where you compare with a sword that has handle that is double its normal length and see whether you prefer a normal sword with extended handle (basically a really big Cat Gutter) or if the extra blade really ties it all together.
I think the halbard comparison was the most important test. The double blade sword is fundamentally in the same class of weapon as a halbard, a heavy polearm. If it is nearly as outclassed as a lighter weapon against the best in class weapon in its own category it isnt going to be widely adopted.
right, but in a setting where the downsides are nonexistent, like the weight and carry issue. then it becomes an amazing weapon. And to be clear im talking about Star Wars where it was popularized in the first place. also in the Star Wars universe the halberd isn't a thing, you have a very small group that uses basically spears and that is it.
@@atk9989Why would I take a double bladed one over one that has double the blade length (and can even be adjustable!) Though? I feel like reach still remains king compared to follow up speed.
@@1stCallipostle More why would you go double or dual wield over a ranged weapon in your other hand. Jedi/Sith leave so many combat options on the table by refusing to use ranged and use the force precognition to increase accuracy.
@@anvos658They use precognition in duels, that's why they get away with ridiculous movements. Using it in a duel is taxing though and clearly they can be distracted. This has to do with the reason strikes ALWAYS work on screen. The big glowing blade is also glowing in their "mind" and things that don't carry the threat of plasma burns or tossimg you off a ledge get put into the background. Force usage is often described as intoxicating and battle related force stuff is described as putting you in a trance. To add, they pretty much see the next slash as their attack is being blocked so combat would be more like scripted combat warmups where you're trying be so fast or mix angles to make your opponent fail the sequence.
I think it would be more practical as a double partisan or double sword spear, so a similar concept but with longer pole/handle and shorter blades. Should be possible to carry on the shoulder like regular polearms, maybe use a sheath on the bottom blade only so it can rest on the ground.
Exactly my thoughts. Plus a double bladed staff has more places to grip for better reach and versatility, and more ease of use without worrying about cutting yourself behind the leg or in the armpit where your armor would be lacking.
I think there are two things that deserve further exploration; 1) I'd like to see a double-bladed sword with a slightly longer handle and slightly shorter blades. That might be easier to maneuver and would have less blade to worry about when storing it. You could also more easily take advantage of the full reach like Nate tried to do when he grabbed one of the blades to choke lower on one end. 2) I'd like to see you guys experiment with two on one (2 regular swordsman vs 1 double-blade). I believe that is another good use of a double blade. I suspect that it could be much easier to occupy each opponent with a different end of the weapon. I suppose it could be easier to exploit, but I'm not so sure. The only way to know for sure is to try it out 😉!
Definitely second this. I’d also like to see them use one purpose built and not cobbled together as well them train a bit with different possible moves so to give your more options in combat. Plus- working on how to defend against a halberd easier (not completely. Just that if you know what to expect with a weapon your opponents using, you should be able to mitigate the limitations of your own weapon as best as possible as I feel like against the halberd it shouldn’t have been one sided)
For as much as VR counts (and it has some serious limitations), I can say that it handles fairly well against multiple opponents. It can be hard to keep track of more than one enemy at a time, especially if one gets behind you, but even if you don't know there's someone behind you it's easy to keep them occupied somewhat just through the natural movements of the blade when attacking someone in front of you. As for a longer handle with shorter blades, if you get it down to spear level it loses a decent amount of its slashing power (but not all of it, and that might be a limitation of the game because you can whip them around so fast the engine struggles to register it) but becomes excellent and stabbing.
Concerning portability: it may not be ideal, but you could use a folding mechanism at the halfway point of the handle, so it folds in a way, that the flats of the blades lay parallel to the other. That way, it'd be about half the length while folded, you could create a double sheath, so you could carry it similar to a normal sword (albeit pretty thick due to it being basically two swords right next to each other), and you could potentially use some kind of "snap lock", so you draw it similar to a conventional sword, and the inertia (I hope that's the right term in this context) would cause it to go from the folded (closed) state to snap and lock into the "open" state. (I hope it's at least somewhat understandable what I'm trying to convey here ^^") Maybe a bit like this "diagram" below? (I used the "|" and "+" to mark where the crossguard would be placed) folded/closed -> open =|=== -> ---+--+---
Something I wish you'd done was try staff techniques with something like this - and frankly, I think two full-length swords end to end like this would be simply impractical. Take a short staff, four to five feet long, and put a shortsword blade on each end. You have a much more practical weapon compared to two full-length swords, though the design suffers from the same major drawback as a spear - maneuverability in tight spaces. It's only going to be an indoor weapon under very specific, niche circumstances, but if you're defending a door in a hallway you're going to be terrifying with this thing.
The thing you describe is honestly what I keep on wanting people to do for a double bladed sword. It also doesn’t help that is what the double bladed swords in knights of the old republic look like, which is where I was introduced to the concept. About 4 feet of handle with a foot and a half a blade on each hand would be perfect. It would give lots of real estate for various levels of leverage and choke on the weapon as well as allow for properly flowing techniques.
eee 3 or 2 foot “staff” would be more reasonable i think. the average sword hilt length (at least for longes swords) is 26cm or 10.2 inches. (so 2 feet would add hmm 4 inches, 2 on each end and a 3 footer would obviously add a lot more) so even an additional foot to that is kinda big for reach but you also don’t want it too big if you intend on using the other sword on the other end anyways otherwise why have it there and not just go full on sword spear
Spear can actually be a terrifyingly effective weapon in tight spaces. It is mostly a thrusting weapon. Thrusting has the drawback of covering a VERY small area. It's fast, but if someone is fast enough, dodging it is as simple as moving in literally any direction. But in tight spaces, so long as they are LONG (and narrow) and not all-around tight (like a 2mX2m room would be, for example), the opponent will have less space to dodge, while you will have zero issues using the spear for thrusts. After all, you only need space in front and behind you for thrusting. That's why you could use a spear in spaces as tight as a vent, where a sword would be a horrible weapon, only being usable for thrusts with little power and little range.
Another aspect of this blade that they did not mention I’m surprised they didn’t notice is the fact that when you do the single sword, combos that are able to match or come close to matching either the speed power, or both of the swings of the double blade. Usually those strikes. Also leave you massively open for counter attacks as your blade is not blocking much, if any of your body where is with the double blade there is almost always some other part of the blade guarding your body, so it also has massive counterattack utility as well because as you’re swinging high, if they go low to counter you, will you have a blade low as well so you could deflect it and then also spin attack into a counterattack in the same move set as well as just standard blocks as well.
Seeing the sparring my thoughts were instantly, this would make an epic dueling weapon. If you get good with that imagine the terror of the opponent coming with regular longsword and when you unveil that they're not going to have a clue what to do to you :D
Another part you guys should test is using the Double ended blades against multiple opponents. My roommate and I occasionally spar with our lightsabers, where my double ended blade absolutely annihilates his Katana style saber, but where it really shines is against groups. On Easter this year we handed a few LARP foam swords to his teenage brothers, as well as the teenage sons of another friend of ours, and I was able to keep 4 kids at bay with the double ended. My friends struggled to deal with two at a time but when all the kids ganged up against just me I could easily zone them out and pick and chose my fights. I was also able to strike at one, then defend against another attacking from behind easily.
This is really interesting to see. Maybe what would be a better option is a double ended spear type weapon with sharp edges. Reduces the weight, you retain the capability of blocking with the middle part and you only really need to strike with the end of the blade/tip anyway. I think that might be interesting to test.
For portability the first thing that comes to my mind would be the use of a wooden scabbard, essentially allowing you to turn the dual bladed sword into a walking staff, with rope, lanyard etc keeping them tightly affixed to the swords, similar to a knife sheath. then all you would have to do is unlatch the loops, spin the sword and let centripetal force do the rest for you.
I love how this channel evolved. New people, more experimentations. It's pure fun! This is exactly what me and my friends did back in school years, testing all sort of stuff, inventing things and playing around with it. Keep on doing it, I hope you have a wide reserve of topics to make a lot more videos like these.
As a Blacksmith, if someone ordered double bladed sword from me, i would be super interested in figuring out the structure for a usable sparring double-bladed sword. I always considered them to be impractical but seeing this.. i am slowly changing my mind.
I imagine if the tangs were able to slide into each other or symmetrically fit into one another and then were forge welded together, possibly with a clasp of some sort, would make it very strong. I don't think it'd grip should be much longer than a montante or the blades being much shorter due to its reach while thrusting and the speed of double cuts or counter attacks. The longer the grip is, the less reach and speed it will have. I'd say other than blade size and how they connected, the dimensions in the video were about what you'd want. Small parry hooks with a short ricasso on each blade would be very effective I think... And would also look mean as hell
From the cutting tests alone I see some great effectiveness; You can keep the off end away from yourself, you can get in double-hits faster than a normal sword and with less effort, You can maintain Edge Alignment throughout the blows; It looks COMPLETELY functional!
I think seeing effective weapons(longswords, halberd) scored by the functionality scale would be helpful in understanding how functional the weapon you're grading is. Great video by the way :)
This is absolutely invaluable information for the fantasy genre. I also loved that you brought up direct stance names and visuals from old manuals. My condolences to Nate
this weapon would be great for guards in a fantasy scenario, the speed you can attack with them would force the oponent to play defensively wich means its mere pressence can gain time for reinforcements to arrive. Cant wait to see this done in a game, great video
Honestly I think duel swords with the ability to be attached to one another… would be the most practical. Mainly to make transportation and preparation easier. But obviously a way to connect the two and it be very sturdy isn’t so easy
This video is beautiful ♥ I did not expect to be so interested in the double-bladed swords, but also when I saw it go against the halberd I thought that I wanted to see more of what you can do with that weapon too! Very exciting stuff! Also I had a thoughts that perhaps the double-bladed swords would be easier to learn for a new person compared to 2 separate swords, trying to remember to use the second sword might not be a problem if they are formed into one surprisingly effective looking weapon, though new person would have the risk of hurting oneself. Amazing video, please keep them coming ♥ (I loved seeing the halberd, more please O_O)
The best thing you can do for a dual bladed sword is basically a fold out version, so you carry it in a single sheath, can use it as a regular sword, then flip it out like a pocket knife with a snap in the middle where you have to press firmly and precisely to fold it back up to ensure it won't accidentally fold during battle. It would be awesome to make something like that and really practical to carry
Dear Shad, your efforts on double-bladed swords caused major changes to my fantasy novel. 🤭 Your efforts are much appreciated!! I love this series you do of realistically testing fantasy weapons. It’s very helpful 🙂
I think you guys did an awesome job showing the best use for the weapon with the sparring.The combo of longpoint and wrath is extremely powerful and seems to be the best way to use a double sword. If you continued with your testing and made the longpoint end a bit longer and pointier and the wrath end a little more wrathful and the handle connecting the weapons a little simpler you'd probably end up with with a poleaxe.
On the doubke cut testing, i noticed that when you thumbed the single sword on your wind up fir the second hit your foot leaves the ground leaving you vulnerable to getting put off balance whether by a blow or terrain vs the doubke blade where you feet dont need to leave the ground, you just rotate your hips to get the leverage you need for the second cut.
This was awesome!! Loved watching you guys spar together, it really gives the viewer a feel for the weapons and how they work. Maybe a future video could be Tyranth making a functional double-bladed sword; he did such a great job with that falchion! Thank you guys for all you do!
One thing I noticed in this video is that the rear blade (that is, whichever one is furthest from the opponent at the beginning of a strike) is always going to be making a big, deadly swing that normally would be telegraphed. The front blade was great for sweeping away the opponent's weapon and in the same stroke you'd be launching a big attack. It's also really easy to transition from one of those big swings into a thrust while the opponent's weapon is still recovering from being swept away. You're basically able to put your full strength into every attack, which resulted in all that speed, but should also result in a lot of power.
Honestly worked better than I thought it would. It would be interesting to see if a longer handle like a nagamaki has would have been better for such a weapon.
If it were a halberd with a dagger at the other end it would also be easier to sheath and stand. I'm thinking how the spear fighter 'Hero' fights before he uncovers his speartip from its leather pouch. Normal halberd to lean on and walk with...until you meet up with a greater challenge and horn you take the end off your polarm to reveal the daggerend like darts maul stepping up his game for the bigger fight...
The double bladed sword was unexpectedly op. There has to be an alternate reality where medieval engineers figured out how to store these monsters safely and conveniently, thus allowing a weapon like this to appear in history. I was quite surprised to see how much it absolutely obliterated single bladed swords compared to how it got obliterated by pole arms. Great video, 10/10
@@mandowarrior123Shorter blades longer handles, having two longsword blades only add weight without adding much benefit. Two shorter and lighter arming sword blades will do the job and make it a lot lighter. Plus you get a longer handle for more leverage and different grips making it more polearm like and more manouverable.
I mean, it's a slicey, pointy bo staff. Of course it could work. Might function better too if it was a literal bo staff with embedded blades running the length like a macuahuitl. You could have blunt trauma, utility, and slicey mcdicey.
That is actually a pretty decent idea! It runs into a few problems (some of the same ones the double bladed sword already has granted) but it would cut down the weight dramatically! Plus, I love the macuahuitl
27:00 classical archer move. That aside, incredible invormative video. I'll definitely keep these insights in mind when I write the next combat involving my character employing his double bladed sword. Great work gents!
The portability problem of a double blade could be solved with something along the lines of a way to quickly attach the blades together, and carry them as separate swords. It only needs to attach quickly, if you win, you don't need to quickly pull them apart and sheathe them. Attachment ideas: - Magnets, -bear trap-like clamp on ends, - threaded ends for twist on(not quick, maybe a spring release to only require unscrewing it after attachment.)
Something to look into! The staff training and forms from a style of Karate called Shito-Ryu. We don't use the bo staff like kung fu, we use it much more like what you're doing with these double blades. Great stuff, by the way! I loved watching y'all have a go at this! As an asside: I've been meaning to make a video or something to show the applications of these techniques and the theories behind them.
The double sword would have to be a dueling weapon. In theory it could make a decent adventuring weapon where tight formations aren't really a thing and you're likely to be outnumbered. Id love to get you guys a dedicated, purpose designed version of this somehow. Maybe a project for after the Titan Sword?
Believe it or not, the theoretical double bladed sword video was my first ever shad video, it's all come full circle. Also, I feel like if you did one, longer handle designed to hold a blade at each end and maybe smaller blades to cut down the weight and improve mobility, it would work well as a dueling weapon but probably more of a hazard on the battlefield.
Yeah, I agree. It just seems like having more room to maneuver your hands would be beneficial. Heck, some glaives have butt spikes, right? I bet they would be used similarly, minus much slashing with that end.
Shad specifically mentions these sorts of videos allow him to use tags like 'star wars' 'disney' etc and reach a much wider audience so it is no surprise you discovered him through that.
It does seem like more of an adventurer/lone warrior kind of weapon. Say, dealing with a swarm of small opponents like goblins. Still bulky and unwieldy to carry though.
@@DanielMWJInstead of a "Bigger handle" I believe a mere change in the blade/handle proportions would do the trick they aren't as hard to carry if you carry them on your back, I can think of a setup to make a sheathe/scabbard like that work
Really enjoyed this one. The next type of sword that should be tested is a sword with a curved hilt. The most famous case of a blade with a curved hilt would be Count Dooku’s lightsaber
I guess this does add some validity to the double-sword in D&D as well. Especially since the image of it in the 3.5 Player's Handbook depicts it as two short swords (slightly larger gladius sized) attached to a central handle that makes the entire thing the length of a greastsword. That design would help with some of the issues with avoiding your own blade by giving you more blunt handle to work with. Oh, and on Shad's flail hate, I think he's overlooking what people have been hypothesizing is the actual use of the classic style flail. And that is as an anti-hand shock option for a mounted soldier. In that specific scenario the flail has just as much hitting power as a cavalry mace, without the constant abuse to the user's hand due to the literal horsepower behind their blows. So flails were probably less bad weapons and more hyper-specialized weapons.
Would the flail not just bounce off anyone it hit though? Its much easier for the ball to essentially slide over the enemy, and with no rider forcing that ball through someone's skull, the ball will surely take the path of least resistance, no?
@@xenon8342 There's also no kinetic linkage between a cannon and a cannonball, that doesn't make the cannon useless. If you put enough energy behind a moving object it won't matter if there's no solid link forcing it in a direction, momentum alone will do that for you. And medieval people found that the force of a charging warhorse was enough to make a heavy metal ball deadly no matter what kind of handle it was on. So why not choose a handle that helps prevent all of that force from painfully going right back up the user's arm?
@@xenon8342 Flails don't have as much "follow-through" as a mace, but that doesn't mean they don't have any. For one, inertia prevents the flail from just bouncing off harmlessly, it's moving with a lot of speed and weight, and for two the user can swing through the opponent, which you should do with virtually any weapon anyways. Flails can also build up a lot more speed than a mace of similar size, which helps compensate for the less efficient transfer of energy.
These more recent videos with Tyranth and Nate are kind of giving me similar feelings to the first Mythbusters episodes, which is a good thing in my book, I loved that show growing up, so this new video style has been a blast so far.
Maybe as a follow up video you could also take a look at double pointed spears or maybe a twinblade (as the gamers would call it) such as the one shown in this video but with alot more handle and alot less blade. Basically a bladed quarterstaff. (something you would find on google picture search when looking for blade staff). Thank you guys for the great content! Thanks to Tyranth and Nate for teaming up with you. You guys are a great team!
That was exactly my thinking as well, actually seems like the best version of this double ended blade weapon as you have so much more flexility in how and where you hold it and don't really lose much if any of the cut or stab performance. Could even get sneaky and have the extra handle just being a cover over the sword blade that slides back over the rest of the handle - so when you retract that extra handle back over the rest of the shaft you get a more sword length blade on one end. Though I do think there was a good point made about a flail at the end there as well - at least when not fighting in tight formations with a long stick so you are safe from your own weapon. And with a flailing actually heavy enough to hurt head (unlike nunchuck's virtually zero impact mass) on would be really damn lethal and nearly impossible to defend against.
What you are describing seems like it might be both more maneuverable and safer (for the wielder) than the proportions used in the video. It probably wouldn't lose much, if any, potential lethality as a weapon either.
Growing up, I had a double-bladed nerf sword. How it worked was, you’d have 2 different swords, but there was a connector in the hilts of both that let you twist them together to lock them in place. It was actually super efficient. You could use 1 sword, dual wield swords, or connect them into a double sword
I actually like to LARP with a similar double-bladed weapon! Though the one I use has just a little more handle in proportion to the blade, I loved seeing you lads have some fun with such a crazy item! I do sometimes have a bit of a struggle against polearms with mine, but the way I manage is to actually block with one of the blades, and follow through with a counterswing with the bottom blade. That way, the leverage they supply on the top blade leads to their demise as the bottom blade is pushed at them! All you need to do is be the fulcrum, and step slightly out of the way since the axe head might clip you on the way down. Whatever the case, I really enjoyed this video!
Loved this video just as much as the first double bladed video, which I have watched at least 6 times. I 100 percent agree with the weapon’s effectiveness you’ve shown in the tests. It is clearly a dueling weapon, and not very practical to carry around, but if someone where to put in the effort and carry it for a duel, their opponent would not only be facing a surprisingly effective weapon, but an unfamiliar one as well. Speed and reach, an excellent and unique pairing.
You know being the sword channel you have never talked about the khopesh because you know, its the first type of sword ever developed. That must have some significance to it.
@@Interrobang212 well upon further research, it turns out the khopesh was the first type of Saber sword ever developed. Also the khopesh is not that complicated of a weapon, it came from the axe so not that complicated. Still, I was wrong and I can admit that
that is debatetable. We actaully dont know who made the first whatever. Unless we have the facts. A true statement. If it is true, then we can discuss it. I need to see proof.
It is probably the first mass produced sword sense is essentially a sword like axe so it a culture were swordsmanship is a very new thing like in the Bronze Age, a weapon you can use like an axe is very important. You can give an guy practiced with an axe a Khopesh and have him proficent in less time than a xiphos. Also, when the best armor is scale and boat tusk helmet and most just wearing boar tusk and a tunic or less, good thrusting isn’t that important
Awesome video, honestly thought the double ended sword wouldn't be nearly as effective as it was! The hellofresh bit gave me an idea for a sort of one handed bat'leth from what Nate was saying about adding a blade connecting both ends. Front facing curves would make handling safer, and might work as a defensive offhand weapon kind of like deerhorn knives