Green Dragon Crescent Moon Swords
This weapons has been made popular by several heroic and near mythical adventuring types that have served the Empire over the last three centuries. They are large, powerful weapons, with a distinctive look to them, suitable for Heroes and those who think they are heroes.
Full Item Description
Green Dragon Crescent Moon Swords come from the Hot Forges of the North East Territories. The steel used seems to have a green tinge to it, almost as if brass or copper or blood has been added to the mix.
The weapon has a full handle with guard. It is made for one handed use by a strong man. A weak man should not use it, as there is not enough length on the handle to use with two if the blade is balance properly.
GDCM swords are of a broad bladed cutlass/ scimitar design. Take a regular slightly curved cutlass and mutliply the blade width by an average of 1.75 times (3' 7cm to 5' 12cm wide), with extra width and curve at the slashing end. This gives the crecent component of the design.
The Claw component comes from the jack claw the blade has. The shape of the blade is like that of a lobster, if one could elongate and thin said claw. The jack claw seperates out about halfway up the blade and only goes for another 4' 10cms. The 'jack claw' is mostly there for balance and to add stability and weight to the slashing blade. (Plus it adds to the appearance and mystique of the weapons). It is said, those with skill can utilize it to catch smaller weapons (or thin stock polearms) for a locking parry or a disarm.
The outside edge of the main blade is true sharp. There is an attempt to make the inside edges and the point of the jack claw sharp, but these are not normally striking edges. This is a slashing weapon, as stabbing with the curved blade is awkward at best. Of course, with the mass of the weapon, the swing packs quite a punch.
To be a proper Dragon Swords requires either a stamp or cut out on the blade. Done in the thickest part, just south of the where the jack claw exits, there is a traditiona gen (pierced coin) pattern is either embossed (in cheaper blades) or cut out (in more expnsive blades... as it takes better steel to make said weapon).
A gen (pierced coin) pattern is a circle, with four quarter arc circles inscribed inside of it (a rounded diamond inside a circle). The cut outs remove the areas between the rounded diamond and the outer circle and the interior of the rounded diamond.
The common sizes has these measurements.
Total Length 71cm 28'
Blade Length 56cm 22'
Weight 2.5kg 6 lbs
There are units made that are larger and heavier. Some will even mount these blades on metal re-enforced poles and use them as Kwan Dao/ Asian Halbard.
History
This weapons has been made popular by several heroic and near mythical adventuring types that have served the Empire over the last three centuries. They are large, powerful weapons, with a distinctive look to them, suitable for Heroes and those who think they are heroes.
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? Responses (10)
Normally you can google an image of most of my mundane weapons. However, not this one. You keep getting the Kwan Dao or sword mounted on spear version, plus a lot of things from the 3 kingdoms video games and movies. I got the inspiration for this reading Kungfu Magazine, but I have yet to see an image of it on their site.
Interesting. I don't think I have ever read or seen anything like it. but I wil ltry to find it taht is for sure.
So, I ran into someone doing a kata with the halberd version of one of these at a tournament. ...
Good grief is all I have to say. I don't even want to /think/ about wielding it. The user should be a big man reguardless.
Oh yes. The sword is HUGE, requiring a man of exceptional strength to wield. General Kwan, the originator, was a man of mythically large size and strength.
The version listed above is about the mass of a larger than average longsword, just with a wider/ broader bladed. Not a weapon for the weak - ever.
They were added to the Halberd to make them easier to wield. However, the haberds tend to be iron/ steel poles and the blades are even bigger (same shape, same stamp, and same cut).
I don't think this is well understood. This is not a 'sword' or a 'halberd'. This is a 'sharpened freight train'. That is all.
Yah. It is a scary weapon. Really. Most melee weapons (and their practioners) do not give me pause. This one does.
The Swords is basic, though exotic. The pole weapon is 'beyond most people's experience'. You can describe it, but few believe it. Then you see them in action.
That is why this is the sword version, people are willing to believe that people use this.
Since I'm about to return to the tourney where I first saw one of these, BUMP. You cannot comprehend from this description the sheer momentum of this object.
Considering your 'OMG' sized longswords (you know the massively huge ones that look impressive or look like anime swords) or giant war hammers are only about 4-5 kgs. Mass and momentum translated into penetration and impact damage (cutting being seperate). The halberd version runs from 6-8 kgs (sources vary), you can see the difference in kinetic transference.
A weapon for the tough.