The Problem with MASSIVE FLOPPY SWORDS 

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But Matt, sword on their 50s can not expect the stiffness and thrusting power of younger swords. If sword floppyness is ruining your fighting life, please talk to your doctor.

The straight face with which he says such brilliant innuendo is worthy of great admiration.

What I learned from this video: Matt gets excited about handling massive swords. Matt is used to handling smaller swords, but he gets excited if you put something bigger, beefy and meatier in his hands. Massive swords can be a bit difficult to handle in confined spaces. Giant swords are more likely to be floppy. It's much harder to get them stiff. Matt thinks ideally everyone would prefer a stiffer weapon. If you have a large, floppy blade and give it a proper bashing at the end, it will vibrate (or wobble). If you have a floppy weapon it's difficult to get good penetration. If you have a long sword, you also need a thick spine if you want it to get stiff. You can get more thrusting impact if you have a shorter sword, which will give a deeper penetration. Shorter, stiffer swords are more forgiving, while longer, floppy swords are less forgiving. Longer, floppy swords that are thin can go straight through the target if you hit it right. If you have problems with a long, floppy blade, you can try to half-sword and grab halfway up the blade. This makes it easier to penetrate. If you have a long and floppy sword, you can have problems with the grip.

all these colossal swords got a big buff to their attack speed in update 1.04!

See the trade off with colossal swords is that you can defeat unskilled enemies pretty easily and without any real risk of dying do to the stagger on hit. But bosses typically do not get staggered from taking a hit and they will likely have a an even bigger weapon to stagger you with.

"If you've got a problem with "The Flop", try grabbing half way up the shaft." That part just killed me 🤣

I can't understand how Matt Is able to pull of some Lines with such a straight face 😂

That thumbnail is a work of art. Truly, some of your best work.

Amazing! 26 minutes of talking about blade length and rigidity and never once a statement that could be misconstrued as innuendo or sexualized by being taken out of context. Such sentences like "The stiffer the better..." and "not only do you have a very very long grip" never once made me titter or say "that's what she said". I feel like I was missing something before this video, a void of information you might say. Matt is clearly a master of inserting his long floppy sword into all of our collective gaping holes. Thanks!

This is pure gold. Matt deserves recognition for being able to keep a straight face. And just being awesome

No point in having a massive sword if it isn't hard

Just reinforce your sword with a blue titanite chunk to help you make it harder.

The innuendo potential with such a theme for a video is enormous

Depending on your build id recommend either normal Zweihander +15 or Chaos Zweihander

HIGHLIGHTS: "As soon as you stick something even bigger, beefier, and meatier in their hands they get pretty excited". "Ideally we'd all like a really stiff weapon wouldn't we? The stiffer the better in most circumstances." “The first [problem]…is penetration. If you’ve got a floppy weapon it is difficult..” “If you’re trying to get good penetration stiffness is always beneficial.” “It really comes down to thickness”

My daughter and I really enjoyed this video. She's too young to understand why I was laughing so hard all through it.

Great to bring up. In Godinho and Figareydo, following through limits the "flop" created by a quick change of direction. However a technique ignored is that the cut must maintain edge alignment throughout the cut to not present the flat to an opponents weapon. Personally I learned about this issue in a rapier tournament, where someone using a 45in blade versus my 36in blade I was able to find the "Sweet spot" on his blade and with a hard beat attack, I was able to get him to lose control due to the wobble and sucessesfully thrust and hit him. But also I will soon be reviewing the new Blackfencer Synthetic Montante, and that wobble is a legitimate issue if you have poor technique.

The angle of the dangle is directly proportional to the heat of the beat!

The sheer amount of double entendre in your videos is honestly mind boggling at times XD

'If you've got a problem with the flop, try grabbing halfway up the shaft.' Even Matt cracked up a little at that one. xD

When you’ve got a dagger but it’s still floppy 😔

I had to stop the video for a bit when he said 'If you're trying to get good penetration stiffness is always beneficial'.

Very well presented. I have more years behind a great sword than probably anyone else on this planet, 32 years total, and must say you got this right. On point 1, The energy from the bowing blade increases, and if you maintain your pressure and whatever forward momentum you had while your opponent maintains his, someone will have that built up energy released upon them and get knocked back, if not knocked down. I've even had it happen with a schlager that struck bone and bowed. It bowed clear into a half circle and then I went back and down. neither I, nor the guy wielding it doing the thrust, had noticed the blunt come off. That hurt about as bad as being shot! So yeah, that energy is not lost and can still work highly in your favor. On point 2, it is pretty much impossible to have a "direct straight cut". Due to the wobble, it, well, wobbles regardless of how in line you are. If you are out of alignment enough degrees the wobble will cause the weapon to use that bowed energy to jump out of your hands. The handle will bend before the blade if your weapon is proper spring steel and wasn't treated like the rest of the blade. On point 3, please stop wasting so much energy for parrying. Use simple wrist flick motions for upper body and head blocks and a quick extending, or straightening, of the elbows for leg and knee blocks. This also applies to spear combat... well, any combat really. You will exhaust yourself much too early. On point 4, half swording is great for street fights when your opponents are unarmored and are using all sorts of improvised weapons. I never actually found it all that useful in great sword on great sword dueling. I've seen a lot of people use it who absolutely love it, and that's great. So if you find yourself not having any success with half swording, try not using it. On point 5, YES! Handles do wear out too fast. :( Also, I never have liked rat tails. Tapering down to a tiny bolt is enraging, because it exacerbates the handle issue. And then there is the complete neglect blacksmiths show for the handle steel. I have never liked blacksmiths who do not treat the handle the same way as the blade. They bend when you hit at even small angles due to not being properly quenched and tempered. Sure, go ahead and heat it up to 560-580 to temper the handle. Whatever, but just DO IT! instead of leaving it normalized.

Truly impressed with Matt getting through the whole video with a (mostly) straight face.

Even if you scale up the weapon in all dimensions it will become more floppy. It's a bit complicated but essentially, the strength scales with the cross sectional area (length squared) and the mass scales with the volume (length cubed), so a structure that is scaled up by a factor of two has half of the strength to weight ratio.

Even if you "just scaled up" a sword it would still be weaker in proportion to its length and to and especially in proportion to its own weight. That'a' precisely why you can't scale up a flea to the size of a human and have it jump over buildings. It would intsead be crushed under its own weight. It's essentially a matter of geometry - scaled up, a sword twice the length has eight times the mass but only 4 times the cross sectional area. so that's 16 times the torsion for only 4 times the cross sectional area so 4 times as much torsion per square millimetre.

4:28 "you simply can't have something of this size, that is of a weildable weight, and always make it stiff." oh man, story of my life right there

It seems to me like having a single edged blade would be especially beneficial in two handed swords due to their tendency to be stiffer than double edged swords at equal width and weight

On the issue of thrusting with a floppy blade: In epee fencing, where the blade is specifically made to bend so that your opponent won't get hurt you still have to take care that your blade is pre-bent. Because the thrust of a straight epee blade can absolutely shatter your clavicle. Again: These blades are not supposed to hurt and they are supposed to bend. So Yeah I'd expect a long blade to still be pretty good at thrusting.

It generally is ideal to have a stiffer sword, with a solid, rounded butt for support on the thrust.

Got to add the Nodachi/Odachi in this too they could be rather long too. Lets not forget how the Claymore great sword was also.

Thanks, and very well-timed. I am currently working with Kvetun on a two-handed sword, so this is definitely pertinent information for me

"That thing was too big to be called a sword. Too big, too thick, too heavy, and too rough, it was more like a large hunk of iron."

This might be the most entertaining video I've ever seen on RU-vid. I'm going to wait until my wife gets home and show it to her. Bravo.

I carry small Olights on both keychains, and have several larger models for other uses. One thing to look for in the larger models is a strobe function. Detractors to the contrary, a bright strobe in the face will startle an intruder at the very least, and all you really should need is to put them off their stride. From personal experience, a pack of coyotes will find someplace else to be if you blast them with a strobe.

Speaking of floppy penetration, I spent some time looking into Chinese spears trying to figure out when they started using flexible wood shafts, and it seems like it started much earlier than you would think, even around the Tang Dynasty, possibly as far back as the Han dynasty. (it seems that there was a different Chinese word for "rigid spear" and "floppy spear" or at least, that's one interpretation of why they had multiple words for "spear" at the time, bearing in mind that so did we, "spear", "pike", "lance" etc) It could mean that these floppy penetrators weren't as bad as we assume. The tradeoff that we assume they got from floppier flexible wood is that the shafts were more durable, so they could block blows or slam them into shields without fear of snapping. I think hook spears were also more prevalent than has been remembered, so the flexible wood shafts might have something to do with hooking too.

The formula for thickness to stiffness is doubling the width will double the weight and stiffness where as doubling the width will add 8 times the stiffness for the same weight. A blade is already a complex shape and requires both material science and engineering. The thinner the blade is at any point the better it will cut and pass through material is the basic principle. Then comes structural integrity based off if interested use. Once you get into sword blades it becomes even more complex since you are adding in shock with high hardness materials and bending loads. Then you have to add in performance of both how the blade handles and weight for energy transfer and stiffness. Basically the intended use is beyond what the materials provide. Because of that there will have to be compromise in the design. This is something that can be hard for people to understand and they expect a tool to hold up no matter how they use it. This is where skill comes in and ideally the user has a high degree of skill and the tool or weapon has been designed in a way to allow him to use the tool i in an optimal way. Thats kinda dry but it comes down to understanding the tool or weapon and how it works so they can use it as effectively as possible. I like to break skills down to the elements involved and what is required to perform a task. I find it help to understand techniques rather then just memorizing them.

The nodachi (and the miao dao's ancestor, the chang dao) somewhat solves this by having a thick blade, but at the cost of weight.

I have a cold steel great sword that I broke the pommel off from heavy chopping, welded it back together and still a good tool. So yes that length affects the hilt! ⚔ Keep up the great work 🤠🇺🇸

You're a better man than I am. I could never have gotten through this script without breaking down into giggles.

Usually, I don't catch onto Matt's double entendres until I read the comments.... this time, though, I was laughing like Beavis and Butthead the whole way though the vid....

"If you're trying to get good penetration, Stiffness is always beneficial" fucking killed me

My girlfriend told me that while massive swords can make you excited when you first grip them they're rarely practical and if they're floppy then all of that size is kinda wasted potential.

Just barely found your channel, and gotta say.. ur a badass. I LOVE medieval/older weaponry and learned A LOT. insta subbed.

Was randomly interested in the subject and saw the ad for O-light. I hate ads, but I actually bought an O-light a year or so ago, and I can't recommend it hard enough. It's my go-to gift at this point for everyone. It's incredible and fits my EDC. It's almost a self-defense weapon if you suddenly flash it into someone's eyes given how powerful it is, and it has incredible battery life + a magnetic back to mount to surfaces.

I do recall trying to do a wide cut from below with a cheap two-hander, and the thing flopped to the side massively and nearly caught the back of my foot. Another point against floppy blades - you can nick your legs with em if not careful.

you kept a straight face using the terms floppy and stiff all the way through. very professional. :D

I like how he explains this as though we live in the 16th century. Really helps me figure out what sword I need to fight a battle in 2022😂

23:50 very true, this is exactly what has happened to my practice longsword. I COULD still use it for non-contact practice, since another member of the club I used to practice at welded it back together, but its actual fencing days are done. :-(

Scottish Claymores/Greatswords in Forged in Fire had this problem for a while: the smiths would almost invariably make them too thin, so they'd flex when attempting to swing at a pig carcass. Ben Abbott finally broke the streak and made one that could cut through a pig.

If you have trouble keeping your sword straight and true then there's a certain thing blacksmiths can prescribe.

thanks for making people aware of this.. i almost was going to buy a zweihander just for selfprotection when i take the metro

Lol the thumbnail

You deserve a medal for keeping a straight face during that lol

To be fair, two of those are practice swords, which probably are made to flex more than battlefield-ready ones.

Maybe you could comment on the effectiveness of a short stroke vs a long stroke. Can a short stroke penetrate deep enough to reach vital spots or is the long stroke absolutely necessary. I imagine blade length affects your stroke length and thus change the overall effectiveness. Thoughts?

I wonder if the differences in materials and metallurgy between modern replica blades and the originals would have an effect? Probably wouldn't be major, but it'd be interesting to explore that.

Would be great if you could team up with someone who has a hi-speed camera so you could demonstrate & capture some of these issues in slow-mo.

It’s a relief that I’m not the only one with a juvenile sense of humor.

I have no doubt that longer swords are more floppy than shorter swords. That's a given. However i also believe that many, if not all, modern reproduction blades are made more floppy than traditional historic swords. Probably for safety reason in sparring and/or because more floppy blades are generally more durable in that they can absorb more force in an impact. And stiffness isn't entirely determined by the spine thickness. The temper of the steel also makes a very big difference. Steel that is more tempered can be more floppy. Less temper makes the blade stiffer but also more brittle. So it is a balancing act that I'm sure many swordsmiths spent many years perfecting. I think historic blades were very likely more stiff, because they weren't worried bout making it safe for sparring or about maximum long term durability. They were worried about ease of use and effectiveness in battle.

That was one of the funnest videos I’ve seen in awhile. Well done. Made me feel like a kid again. 😂😂

So many life saving advices!

"the stiffer the better, in most circumstances" I rather like my weapon floppy in most circumstances. If I walk around with a stiff weapon, people look at me funny.

“if you’ve got a problem with the flop, try grabbing half-way up the shaft”

Just tested for my sword for floppiness. Can confirm :(

"(...) As soon as you stick something even bigger, beefier and meaty in their hands, they get pretty exited usually, I find, I certainly do (...)" LOL

I assume that this is one of the reasons many later greatswords especially in the HRE look somewhat different. Couldnt handle one of them yet but i feel like they would be stiffer and the cutting part would then be hammered out to be thinner while the rest has a thicker spine. Would also explain why their blades widen toward the tip. And since theyre often somewhat more heavier on average compared to more "civilian" variants it could be because of the reason of floppiness. Seems to be supported by the depictions where often soldiers would carry swords that have quite the broad blades assumable also heavier.

Very interesting. Thanks!

I actually saw a bladesmith on Forged in Fire lose because the claymore he made was so light and flexible it didn't transfer enough energy to cut, in fact it wrapped around the carcass being used for the test

Hello Matt! Thank you as ever for your commitment and content! Lots of friendliness from Tokyo :)

O.K. That all makes sense. I would also suggest that if something is busy vibrating, then you're not goign to be able to move precisely. And it seems that if half-swording can be used to make a blade functionally stiffer, then if you start OUT with a stiff-ish blade, it's even better.

I keep re-watching this. Pure gold.🤣

My inner 5yr old was giggling the whole time, but I learned a lot all the same. Thanks, Matt!

That was so interesting. Many things to consider. Thank you for making this =)

The stance, the title, the rubbery pink grip. This is art

Even if you scale up all the proportions, you end up with a proportionally weaker sword, for its mass. Mass scales with the cube of size, while strength scales with the square of the size.

Great video about massive swords!

Seriously Matt, are you able teach this to live ppl with straight face! Glorious performance, sir!

Wauw, the innuendo is real, just so funny to see you do this with a straight face lol

Wow.. what a good light

Matt, you covered a point here that I always wondered about. A kenjitsu master, that I know once told me that some of the Chinese Dao were made with a very thin floppy blade, because it assisted in cutting. That always seemed counter-intuitive to me because of the blade-alignment or "floppy-problem", but you mentioned that the thin blade can pass through things as if they are not there. If you are "in" the cut, in other words if you have gotten into the target, does a floppy blade aid in cutting, perhaps by wobbling around and helping to widen the cut?

I actually had to pause the video and look at the posting date, twice, to make sure that this wasn't an April Fools joke. This was brilliant!

Tactical flashlights are also good for self-defense. The light at those lumens is blinding and will give you an opening to run away without accidentally injuring a friend and you can use the flashlight body as a knuckle brace or cut with the edge on a punch; depending on light design.

Awesome video! Great sponsor too! I love Olight.

the tang thing makes me very curious about naginata and nagamaki, since they both have rather substensial tangs

For those in awe of Matt’s ability to deliver such content with a straight face, with nary a titter escaping his flinty visage, may I remind you that our generation is made of far sterner stuff! Raised on a diet of Benny Hill and Les Dawson, forged in the fires of the Carry On franchise, our very souls beaten to unyielding stiffness on the anvil of Frankie Howerd, we are more than capable of inserting the most penetrating innuendo and salacious double entendres into polite conversation with utter sang froid.

Matt. At 17:48 I do believe and think, and saw, that parrying with a longsword from mid, mid upper section, can and will be a disaster not only to the cutting edge, as you said, being severely damaged but about another two factor: First is that if you stop the sword coming towards you, or as you said, hit it with yours (even worst), to parry the incoming attack. The force between impact point and top half/ top of the sword will be me monstrous, acting as lever between impact point and top, so longer the blade, later the top will follow the impacting force movement, because of this it can very often bent it or more common twist the blade permanently with the vibration/floppy effect that would not dissipate properly and surpass the shape-recovery speed of the steel. Second and way worst, both swords, by impacting on both cutting edges, will acts as chisels each one and enlarge/extend the blade due to the blade deformation by two small hard surfaces impacting with strength, in this case it's better if it chips completely than push the material toward the blade spine, if the material doesn't have elongation elasticity (which for an tempered blade is not high) it will greatly increase its chances to break or weaken/cripple the blade permanently by creating a weak structure on that elongated tendency (that force remains and tries to push the rest of the structure) that would just love to create a failure (cracks) on another impact.

Matt says stiffness is preferable, but he's mostly talking about stiffness imparted by (proportionately) more material and shouldn't be confused with the balance between hardness and toughness of the blade.

I cannot commit without laughing 🤣

Mine is quite rigid and also absurdly heavy; it's a Zweihander from Ritter Steel. I really do love it very much, but holy hell, does it take a different technique to wield than lighter Zweihanders I've wielded. Overall, I do prefer the heavier blade by personal taste, but I can see where it wouldn't be very pragmatic in many situations. Love the channel, this video is awesome, gives me some stuff to think about

Thanks Mike Ehrmantraut

It's not the size or stiffness, as we all know, it's the context...

The iron used in traditional swords would also have helped because of the stress risers involved and the harmonics that can be a problem with breaking. The way stress affects the handle area makes it one of the problem areas for sword makers.

This is a 26 minute long innuendo. Perfection.

cool video; i always love a good vid about martial weapons :)

How is this not a sound bit being used somewhere. It's absolutely gold. 🤣🤣 Great vid tho

"If you're trying to get good penetration, stiffness is crucial" what a quote

I had no idea the longer your sword is the floppier it is

That is a beautiful zweilhander by the way.