If you could build a sword with today's tech how would you design it?

[Macaquerie]

No, they're crushing weapons with a pointy end.

Look at a modern axe. It doesn't have to be sharp to do its job.

Edit: anyway, look it up. Longswords are most effectively used with crushing and piercing techniques.

A crushing weapon with a pointy end looks more like this:



Also, fuck a sword, just give me one of those and I'd be set.

[Misuteri]

I would call it the iSword; I would build it out of cardboard and I would charge people $900 for it.

Whoa there cowboy.

You have forgotten a lot of steps.

- iSword rumor mill.
- iSword leaked photos.
- Months and months of iSword fanboy debates online vs. "sword" fanboys.
- iSword pre-press announcement.
- iSword developers conference announcement.
- 20 minutes of story telling of the iSword development.
- Theatrical iSword screen presentation.
- Unveiling of the cardboard iSword.
- Frantic pre-orders of the $900 iSword crash the website.
- iSword demand cannot be met, 6-8 weeks before pre-orders are shipped. Corrugated paper in short supply.
- Initial iSword shipments end up in consumer hands with defective pommels. Further problems are discovered with the Cross Guard and Rain Guards on the first 1,000,000 shipped.
- iSword 1.1 is shipped correcting the initial 1.0 manufacturing shortcomings. Ginsu technology added to improve PR and to entice people to refurbish iSword 1.0's to prevent them from becoming collector's items.

I mean come on, you're forgetting a lot of steps here.

[Airlick]

I think you might have some anger issues...

OT: A Katana using modern smithing would be basically ideal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szabla

There's a reason THIS, and not katana, spread to pretty much all armies around the world. Well, 2 reasons, one being the European dominance that influenced armies around the world.

The reason being that katana is a good weapon only in the eyes of weaboos that watched 1 shounen anime too many. Actual soldiers would never, ever fight using a katana unless they didn't have a choice. Hell, even for samurai themselves katana was exactly the last weapon of choice. And as far as actual Japanese go, I encourage you to watch some 19th and early 20th century pictures and drawings and see what weapons Japanese officers (most of which descended from samurai) carry...

I mean, sure, katana is a good weapon if you're a super-invincible-hand-regenerating Shadow Ninja of Doom of 4th Step of 6th Circle of the Darkest Hell, but that's about the only case you could appreciate it.

[belfpala]

That's not really the case, historically speaking. I think people got the wrong idea from the fact that plate armour is almost impregnable to swords, resulting in techniques like half-swording or the mordhau. Historical swords were definitely sharp and used for cut and thrust (well unless we're talking about thrust-oriented swords like estocs, rapiers, smallswords etc).

It's absolutely the case, as you said, because of armor. Maybe "crushing" is the wrong word. "Concussive" may be the better word in that case.

Against unarmored targets, it still doesn't matter if it's sharp, just that it works to physically amplify pressure. That's math.

Edit: If you had to cut down a large oak tree, would you rather have a razor sharp katana or a dull european longsword?

[Tziva]

A sword that shot small projectiles. :P

As some folks have mentioned, modern technology doesn't really advance swords outside of improved quality metals. Sword design changed not necessarily because our "tech" improved over time but because circumstances warranted it. The best sword against heavy armor is not necessarily the best sword against a lightly armored person. Heavy 2handed swords are very awesome against metal armor but they're very unwieldy and not realistic in close quarters, or if you need the ability to use your hands for other things or want to use them as a tool for doing other things. A quick slashing sword is portable and precise but isn't going to be able to deal with armor. A thrusting sword can go well between armor sections, but is useless if you need to actually cut or slash rather than stab. In martial arts training, my favourite blade is a bolo for weight and size but it's not a perfect weapon. That's because there is no such thing as a perfect sword (despite what katana fanboys will tell you), only the best tool for that particular set of circumstances.

So ultimately my answer is that what I would use is not technology to pick the perfect sword but the knowledge of martial history to take the best concepts used in similar circumstances to make a blade that would be most relevant to me in that time and place.

And also high quality steel

[Macaquerie]

It's absolutely the case, as you said, because of armor. Maybe "crushing" is the wrong word. "Concussive" may be the better word in that case.

Against unarmored targets, it still doesn't matter if it's sharp, just that it works to physically amplify pressure. That's math.

Edit: If you had to cut down a large oak tree, would you rather have a razor sharp katana or a dull european longsword?

It'd be irrelevant, since the edge would be ruined long before you came anywhere close to cutting the tree down.

And yeah, to modern noncombatants like most of us, getting hit with a dull longsword would hurt, but then again getting hit with any solid metal object would hurt. If you wanted an actual weapon for clubbing someone to death, you'd want all the weight near the end, not by the handle.

[alzoron]

It's absolutely the case, as you said, because of armor. Maybe "crushing" is the wrong word. "Concussive" may be the better word in that case.

I think you're talking about shearing strength. They rely more on inertia than sharpness to do the cutting.

[Dr Assbandit]

A gun that shot out other guns, duh.

[belfpala]

It'd be irrelevant, since the edge would be ruined long before you came anywhere close to cutting the tree down.

How's that irrelevant? In the case of armor, a longsword is great weapon.

It can fucking amputate you with a good swing. That's math. I vowed once to never epeen in fighting threads. I guess I have to extend that to sword threads. (On that note, I wouldn't take my longsword to a rapier fight.)

- - - Updated - - -

I think you're talking about shearing strength. They rely more on inertia than sharpness to do the cutting.

Math. Pressure = force/area. Doesn't take much to cut off a wrist or ankle.

[Amalaric]

Say you were going to time travel back to 1100AD and you wanted to create a sword to take with you using modern day tech, what kind of sword would you make and what would you make it out of?

You have budgeted $10,000 for this sword.

I would make a 12th century style western european double edged one-handed sword.

I would make it in CPM 3V steel and for a budget of $10,000 it would be twenty swords at the very least.

[belfpala]

I would make a 12th century style western european double edged one-handed sword.

I would make it in CPM 3V steel and for a budget of $10,000 it would be twenty swords at the very least.

Who would you trust with them?

I'm not sure about CPM 3V in a long blade; it's excellent in a knife. My only question is does it have the elasticity required.

[Celista]

Whoa there cowboy.

You have forgotten a lot of steps.

- iSword rumor mill.
- iSword leaked photos.
- Months and months of iSword fanboy debates online vs. "sword" fanboys.
- iSword pre-press announcement.
- iSword developers conference announcement.
- 20 minutes of story telling of the iSword development.
- Theatrical iSword screen presentation.
- Unveiling of the cardboard iSword.
- Frantic pre-orders of the $900 iSword crash the website.
- iSword demand cannot be met, 6-8 weeks before pre-orders are shipped. Corrugated paper in short supply.
- Initial iSword shipments end up in consumer hands with defective pommels. Further problems are discovered with the Cross Guard and Rain Guards on the first 1,000,000 shipped.
- iSword 1.1 is shipped correcting the initial 1.0 manufacturing shortcomings. Ginsu technology added to improve PR and to entice people to refurbish iSword 1.0's to prevent them from becoming collector's items.

I mean come on, you're forgetting a lot of steps here.

Haha. Indeed, also forgot to include the removal of the rain guard and pommel in the iSword 1.2 iteration as intentional design features.

[belfpala]

Haha. Indeed, also forgot to include the removal of the rain guard and pommel in the iSword 1.2 iteration as intentional design features.

Do not forget propriety sharpening device; useless with other swords; obsolete upon iSword 2.0

[Deleted]

I'd take a sword and put a double-edged axehead on top. It's impractical as fuck and a normal axe could probably do the job but it doesn't look as cool!
As a serious answer I would take some form of Poleweapon and a small sword as a sidearm.
Material would be different kinds of steel depending on the part and some wood for the Hilt. If the Material is too different from the standards with it's supposed amazing performance it will get stolen. If you weapon ha a black edge or something like that it would only draw unwanted attention.

PS: A gun would be useless unless you could manufacture ammunition. Even then, something like that WILL get taken from you.

[LilSaihah]

i would get a long piece of metal and sharpen it a lot

[Deleted]

A wooden sword with a mounted slingshot on it.

[Amalaric]

Who would you trust with them?

I'm not sure about CPM 3V in a long blade; it's excellent in a knife. My only question is does it have the elasticity required.

There's only one way to find out... by making a sword from that steel.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Just a big ass chunk of metal with an edge. Needs to be easily repairable, because actually using it will cause nicks and dents - no matter the material.
Alternatively it might be interesting to have parts of the edge modular so that you can replace them easily, but that would certainly be a design challenge.

[Ayirasi]

i sooo had this in mind when i read the thread title

A GUNBLADE

I figured being able to simultaneously stab and shoot people would make me feel better about not having enough upper body strength to wield a Buster Sword.

[Teaon]

I figured being able to simultaneously stab and shoot people would make me feel better about not having enough upper body strength to wield a Buster Sword.

or more like shoot people at range, and when they get close, you go banzai on them