Test Cutting Advise

[Seth Halsell]

I am thinking about doing some test cuts with my blunted single handed sword and I wanted to ask others that have actully done test cutting with bluted blades before what they have used for test cutting material that they have liked that seemed to work well. I want to test cut to see if I am cutting at proper angles mainly. Also any advise about how to go about setting up a little stand to prop the cutting material up would be most appriated.

[Shane Smith]

Obviously,cutting is most readily done with sharps. That said, soaked, rolled grass mats are pretty easy targets-even with a blunt.

[Mark Driggs]

Just about any type of gourd from the produce section will do. Watermelons are also a favorite during the summer months. I know some people use those coardboard tubes leftover from carpet rolls and the whatnot.

If you can't get any of these or vegatable averse, you can use empty milk or water jugs for practice cutting. Fill up the jug with water, place it on your stand, and if you have enough force, proper edge alignment to hit it with the sweet spot of the blade, you should be able to bust through the jug. This method is pretty good because if you are doing something wrong, it won't work as well. It reinforces good sword control.

[Seth Halsell]

I would love to test cut with a sharp blade but unfortuntly sharp blades in my county in california are illegal to have. Thanks for the suggestions guys I believe I will try some of these ideas.

[Will Adamson]

I would love to test cut with a sharp blade but unfortuntly sharp blades in my county in california are illegal to have. Thanks for the suggestions guys I believe I will try some of these ideas.

*shudder* My God! Why live there?

I'm sure there are many places that I would not be allowed to live simply because of my firearms collection...as well as my ability and willingness to use them.

I'll second the gourd advice. (Just to keep things under the guise of not hijacking the thread.)

[Jake_Norwood]

I'll add that with pumkins you can cut with a blunt blade (not a stage-combat type blade--it still needs good edge geometry, just not sharp). The really large, thick-walled pumkins actually present a fairly challenging target with a blunt blade.

Also, with a particularly well made blunt blade, you can cut bamboo, tatami, and almost anything else with some mass to it. Look at several of the cutting videos on this website--many of them are actually with a blunt Raven or others.

Jake

[Jerry Spencer Mings]

I would love to test cut with a sharp blade but unfortuntly sharp blades in my county in california are illegal to have. Thanks for the suggestions guys I believe I will try some of these ideas.

What county is that? Marin?

[Mars Healey]

My sword is a blunt and I used milk jugs filled with water.

Cutting Four Milk Jugs

Let me know if the link doesn't work, I can't view it here at work. YouTube is blocked.

[Seth Halsell]

I live in L.A County Jerry. Much thanks for the video Mars. Your link to "My Sword" did not work but the one called "Cutting Four Milk Jugs" did. I actully did some test cuts recently thanks to all your suggestions two days ago. I took an apple and wraped it in rope and tied it to one of the beams on the side of the yard at my house. First cut went right through the apple cleanly cutting about a quarter of the apple off. Next few swings I either missed the apple or cut just a little off it. Last swing I was able to cut the apple in half much to my delight. Thanks for all your suggestions certainly have given me more ideas about things to test cut in the future.

P.S: I just had an after thought. For you guys who have cut the milk jugs filled with water in them did you encounter any problems with rust on your blades after the test cutting?

[Mars Healey]

Glad you liked the video. It was just something fun I did in my driveway. My wife thought I was nuts. And, I fixed my sword link above.

For you guys who have cut the milk jugs filled with water in them did you encounter any problems with rust on your blades after the test cutting?

After cutting, I use Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish on the blade to clean and protect it.

[Mark Driggs]

P.S: I just had an after thought. For you guys who have cut the milk jugs filled with water in them did you encounter any problems with rust on your blades after the test cutting?

WD-40 and scotch pads work fine for us. If I had an albion blunt, I'd probably wax it, but just make sure you dry it off after use and use whatever lubricant you have to protect the metal.

[Seth Halsell]

Good stuff thank you guys

[Jason Taylor]

I live in L.A County Jerry.

Where did you get the information that owning a sharp sword is illegal? According to the California deadly weapons law, there doesn't seem to be anything against it. I've never heard of anything like that in LA county, which is virtually next door to me. I have lots of friends who own sharps over there.

Now, are you referring to the prohibition on double-edged knives? Those are illegal to carry, but not to own--of course, that's from my own experience and research, so don't take it as constituting a definitive Truth. But it is important to distinguish between laws against owning and those against carrying.

[Seth Halsell]

I asked my uncle who is a Sherrif for the L.A County Sherrif's Department and he said they are illegal to have and I also asked my friend's mother who is a Sergeant in the L.A Police Department and she also said they are illegal. They both said of course that while thats the rule of the departments realisticly speaking if you use a shapened blade for private use in your home and give the local law enforcement no reason to search your property then you can get away with having one just don't go outside your home with it. So I suppose in short we can have one in l.a county just don't let the law enforcement catch you with it .

[Shane Smith]

I asked my uncle who is a Sherrif for the L.A County Sherrif's Department and he said they are illegal to have and I also asked my friend's mother who is a Sergeant in the L.A Police Department and she also said they are illegal. They both said of course that while thats the rule of the departments realisticly speaking if you use a shapened blade for private use in your home and give the local law enforcement no reason to search your property then you can get away with having one just don't go outside your home with it. So I suppose in short we can have one in l.a county just don't let the law enforcement catch you with it .

I recommend reading the law for yourself. There are many in law enforcement who do not know the law when it comes to these sorts of issues and many of them won't say "I don't know". I've been told by Sheriffs Deputies that 1. I needed a permit to carry a gun legally in the open 2. I needed a permit to buy a gun. Both are false in my area and both officers told me wrongly in good faith. They just didn't know any better. I checked the law for myself. I recommend never taking anothers word on anything without doing your own research.

All that said, California being what it is, you may have been told right. Do the research and let us know.