Would it be feasible to carry a lightweight sword like this one while /out/ for self defense? Seems to me like one could stop a charging bear or mountain lion, or at least scratch one up enough that it leaves you alone.
ohlookthisthreadagain.meme
The answer is no.
>>723522
We'd like to think that we could stop a bear with handheld blunt or sharp weapons, but in reality only a gun could do it. In some cases, even a handgun doesn't have enough stopping power to make a bear leave you alone, you'd need a rifle.
Besides, there's the possibility of just making it mad instead of making it leave.
>>723526
I think I'm gonna keep that sword in my car for the next time I catch some invaisive fish. I'll prove you wrong. Especially once I slice up a hobo and get arrested for posting pics of it on /out/.
>feasible
absolutely. i carry an ice axe sometimes that's probably about that length, though a bit lighter.
>practical
absolutely not. if it's accessible it will be annoying while hiking, and it won't do fuck all to a properly pissed bear. it'd run off a mountain lion, though.
>>723526
/thread
>>723522
>going to fend off a bear or mountain lion with a sword
OK, Game of Thrones, you do that - report back from ICU, or mortuary.
>>723542
What I'd shield as well?
>>723522
axe or machete would be more useful, and more durable
I walk around with a sword because I'm a larper reenactor innawoods.
you need to keep the sword oiled and stop rain getting on it, that's why you need a cloak or a long coat so it doesn't get soaked and rust your £300 sword.
get a gun and/or bearspray if you live in an area which you can get it, swords are good for nogun areas against pakis and junkies.
if caught by the police i can just say I'm attempting a camp in medieval gear and that it's a living history attempt.
>>723522
I'd rather have a spear
Also machete over a sword so you don't seem like such an autist
Get a cutlass or a messer if you want something that's as utilitarian as a machete, but is still a sword.
>>723570
This is very interesting. What other period attire do you where, shoes in particular? What about gear?
>>723522
>bear
I wouldn't try it, if I were you. Bear mace might work, but a sword is designed for combat against other human beings, and isn't great against bears.
Oh, and just so we're clear, since we're talking about medieval weapons, I mean a can of capsasin intended for use on bears, not a spiky ball on a stick.
>Mountain lion
Undoubtedly. But the thing is, they're not all that big. Usually, if you just look at one, they chicken out. You can beat the fuck out of one with your bare hands if you get attacked, and usually, that makes them run away.
Of course, if you're not much more than 100 lbs. yourself, this might not work so well. Most fatalities with mountain lions are small women and children.
That being said, there are much better weapons for fighting off a mountain lion. A walking stick, for example, would be better.
>>723522
>>723527
Holy fucking shit! I really, really, really, really do hate Amerifags. Wtf is wrong with you cunts? just man the fuck up and stop thinking about guns as the be-all and end-all.
>>723609
Not big at all? Males usually weigh 200 pounds, grow up to 8 feet tall. A dog that weighs 60 pounds can fuck tour shit up. You clearly have no knowledge on these creatures, so fuck off fag.
Would be fine for hunting boar with dogs or from horseback.
Self-defense? From what?
It's like carrying a rifle in da woods for defense. Utterly useless for just that purpose.
>>723522
Blades are effective at killing and maiming (which may not be quick enough to actually save you), but are actually less effective at causing pain, which is what will make a bear turn tail. Your best bet would actually be a short club, like a shillalagh or a ...mace.
There are martial artists defending villages against tigers with staff in Vietnam
A sword like that is made for cutting other people. It's nearly useless for anything besides that. Trying to clear brush with it will bend the blade, and it's too long and awkward to use as a knife. There are far more practical and easy to carry tools out there that will do a lot more than just serve as self defense. Machete, hatchet, kukri, bowie. If someone is out looking to hurt someone else these days they will be carrying a gun. Your sword won't do shit, even if you did know how to use it.
Also, you think you would do anything to a bear with a sword? Come on man... if you really want to carry a dedicated non-firearm weapon a spear is far more practical. You want to keep an angry animal with teeth and claws as far away from you as possible (on the very off chance you ever meet one).
>>723641
8 foot tall mountain lions? As in pumas or catamounts? Are we talking about the same animal? I mean maybe it's 8 feet LONG, if you count the tail, but...
>>723799
heh
>>723641
>>723840
Yeah, checking my facts, they're really not that big compared to bears, or other big cats. An especially big one could be 200 lbs., but 1, I'm still bigger than it, and 2, that's like saying "yeah, people are taller than bears, because men can grow up to 7' 5" like Yao Ming. It's unusual to find one that big.
Maybe we think differently about what "that big" means.
>>723638
Because combat hasn't evolved from things like swords and shields, bows and arrows and riding horses to gas and diesel powered engines and soldiers carrying rifles, right? Americans may be obsessed with guns but that doesn't make them wrong.
>>723528
the katana is a meme wepon. Get a saber if you're serious about this.
>>723931
I think I could still slice up some fishes with it.
>>723933
yeah, but can you fight an autist with a saber?
pro tip: you cannot.
What's wrong with an axe
>>723522
Only if you are a ranger and have "animal" as your favored enemy
>>723948
So you have tried I assume? Pics? Video?
>>723833
You could stick a boar with it fine. Would be better than the knives people use.
You could stick a bear too and kill it.
Neither are armor clad and both will die soon after you puncture their hearts with it.
>>723522
>Seems to me like one could stop a charging bear or mountain lion, or at least scratch one up enough that it leaves you alone.
I really hope you do this and die a horrible death.
>>723522
>Seems to me like one could stop a charging bear or mountain lion, or at least scratch one up enough that it leaves you alone.
Listen, chief... unless you're Geralt of fucking Rivia, you're not stopping a charging bear with cold steel. A mountain lion, maybe. It's really unlikely anyway.
Get some bear spray and don't be retarded. Either that or join the 21st century and buy a gun.
>>724108
You're a fucking fool, when a bear charges you, you're not going to think "Okay, if I angle it at X degrees and thrust at X m/ps, I can penetrate where his heart is, thereby leaving him dead, while preventing any injury to myself", no, you will think "OH FUCK, THATS A BEAR, WHY WONT MY LEGS STOP SHAKING, WHY AM I PEEING MYSELF"
Hitting a moving target that wants to kill you is not easy unless you've done it enough times to where you know exactly what to do, when to do it, and are basing it off years of practice, all while still keeping yourself calm. YOU, like most of /out/, have no idea how terrifying a bear can be on your first few encounters. Do yourself a favor and stay in your house, pitch a tent,a nd watch the colbert report, you don't belong outside, you'll get yourself killed.
>>723583
I don't wear full medieval gear.
I do (in footwear) wear Anglo Saxon turnshoes. They're comfy, great for hunting and let your feet feel the ground beneath you, without being barefoot. Just those shoes alone make me look like a reenactor.
I'm also aquiring a swanndri bushshirt, which is basically a medieval tunic. All of those combined look like a medieval roleplayer.
I just sleep under the stars, or in natural shelters. I use matches or a firestick to start a fire, and I don't take much. Just a small haversack full of material
>>724168
But like, who cares? If he wants to take that chance he can go ahead. Maybe he's more of a badass that tells people to stay inside from a Cambodian cave painting forum
>>723522
>Baiting this hard.
How about a modern falcata (cobrasteel) for bushwhacking?
>>723522
It would be a huge burden if anything and would probably get you arrested, as for fighting bears, well, hope you scare it or have a 12 gauge with slugs handy, a sword WILL get you killed in that situation.
Get gud with bo-staff techniques, you can turn a hiking stick into a fantastic self defense weapon, OBVIOUSLY this doesn't mean you can fight a bear with a stick and win, but it could help scare it or someone off
>>724168
I'm pretty collected when things are trying to kill me. I've had close calls with rhinos, cobras, bull elephants and crocodiles and didn't lock up or piss myself. If I did then I probably wouldn't be here to type this. I've also speared a couple large feral hogs on a hunting trip in the US. Have you ever been attacked by a dangerous animal? Why do you project your own reaction onto other people that you know nothing about?
Even if the dude freezes, how is he better unarmed? I think a spear would be better than a sword though. I wouldn't want to fight a bear but if I absolutely had to I'd want a weapon, preferably a gun.
>>726771
>I think a spear would be better than a sword though
Anecdotally, people have survived with less. A spear is a lot more difficult to screw up with across the board.
>>723522
OP, get yourself a mountable spearhead. It's a lot more convenient to have on your person. If you're out where big game wander, I don't think many people will give you weird looks for having it on a shaft.
Has to be better than skulking around the forest with a broadsword, pretending to be Dio.
>>726771
>Have you ever been attacked by a dangerous animal?
Yes, i've killed eight mountain lions and three bears in my time camping here in montana. The firs time I pissed myself because I was woken up by a mountain lion clawing his way into my tent, which is why I keep a rifle, shotgun, and handgun with me while camping. Blew the fuckers right up inside my tent and had to throw almost everything away, was a bitch dealing with the cops and park rangers, but each and every time it happened we were on a first name basis.
>Why do you project your own reaction onto other people that you know nothing about?
Because unless you have brain damage or are otherwise a psychopath, when faced with something that can bite your face off of your head, your first reaction is to panic, because your adrenaline kicks in and your heart races.
>>723522
You could not stop a mountain lion with a dull arming sword, they are far too fast and powerful. You would actually be better off with a torch because they fear fire.
>>723522
People really overestimate the weight of swords
An average one is 2 or 3 lbs. If you really want to carry one innawoods its perfectly feasible. For self defense, not so much. But hey, if you manage it it'll be a way better story.
>>727225
>i keep a rifle, shotgun and handgun with me while camping
A bit overkill no? Do you really need anything more than a shotgun to ward off predators?
>>727473
It's so autistic in here that I can't smell anything besides cheetos.
>Be me
>See bear innawoods.
>"Yup, that's a bear."
>Bear sees me watching it and decides to leave.
>Go about my business.
I carry a claymore everywhere i go. I just hide it under my trenchcoat and im good to go.
>>727225
Pussay
>>723527
meh you are a pussy.
give me a stick and i stop just about anything.
spears btw are the melee weapon against wildlife.
>>723577
a machete will never perform the same.
i mean sure they cut up unarmed humans pretty badly but they are not proper weapons.
>>723638
Guns exist, deal with it. If you want to give your rights away that's your choice. But do not force that on me. And absolutely a gun is the best solution to a large attacking animal.
Please stay in Britain.
And to answer OPs question, no.
>>723931
On the other hand, it is also easily (and rather cheaply) available everywhere due to its meme status.
My decent katana cost me 300€ back then and despite a few botched cuts, it is still in perfect shape.
Was looking to get into rapier fencing a while ago and if you want something decent you can start at almost twice that price. If you even find a good shop for it at all, most are shady online stores that do not even mention if the blade is sharpened, dull, for sparring, only for decoration and so on.
>>723522
two ways to hunt a bear with old weapons.
1. chase it down with dogs
2. in winter go into it's cave with spears.
That is not a spear, making it useless.
>>731291
Some1 has been watching 13th warrior. Thx for the cringe.
>>724871
You'll dig the bush shirt, I've been wearing one of their Ranger shirts to work for the past month or so and it's wonderful.
>>731857
That movie was both highly realistic and historically accurate.
You're a faggot.
First;
Check your local laws if they have any blade/knife regulations that can get you fucked by the long dick of the law.
Second;
Make sure you've got proper webbing/gear to even carry it. Nothing sucks more then lugging around a 40" longsword that hangs vertically ( can't even crouch without the scabbard chape touching the ground ). You'll need good, thick leather belt, and a good frog that carries it at a 45 degree angle or even straight up horizontal.
third;
That shit takes some getting used to for certain. It will alter the way you move and sit and all that.
fourth:
You'll still want to carry some kind of fire arm for bears.
>>731894
Proposed tactic for pissed of bear when you have a sword:
I'd either try to fuck up it's hands, and stab the fucking sword right down it's throat.
Good luck not getting injured in the process though.
>>731895
Fifth recommendation:
lol you gonna want some kind of metal greaves dawg, cuz dem claws and teef gon bite yo aZz
>>723522
>Seems to me like one could stop a charging bear or mountain lion, or at least scratch one up enough that it leaves you alone.
Can't tell if full blown autism or troll question.
>>723522
Yell at the top of your voice, BEAR DON"T EAT MY KAYAK.
works every time see example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0jxkM8m_Xo
>>727473
I live in the rockies. Handgun for small game, rifle for deer, shotgun for cougars, bears, and the most terrifying of all the predators, the moose during mating season.
If you want to go full /medieval/ take a spear
Contrary to hollywood and popular belief, before guns were invented most footsoldiers would use a spear as their primary weapon, and carry a shortsword in the case of their spear breaking, or (in the case of a phalanx, with their 18-ft sarissas) when formations drew too close and spears became unwieldy.
This would be MUCH better for wild animals as well (though bear spray or a rifle would be much better too...) In the unlikely case of a bear charge, you could plant the butt of the spear in the ground to impale it, hopefully stopping its momentum and wounding it enough to scare it off.
Thoughts on the aerosol and flamethrower as a bear defence? I always assumed the bright flame from a can of wd40 would scare away anything. Being careful not to set the forest alight if course.
>>732538
Aerosol and lighter used as a flamethrower*
Of course*
>In other news today.
>Local homosexual by the name of O.P.Anonstein was found dead in our towns recreational nature park.
Local police and park employees suspect that cause of death was mr Anonsteins lack of hiking and outdoors experience as he was found dead next to a unlit camp fire.
>channel 3 news interviewed an expert who had this to say.
>"For some reason mr Anonstein brought replica broadsword in to the park area. He then carried on trying to perform movement called the "battoning". Needles to say that sword which was manufactured by Mora of Sweden and Coldsteel, broke its blade. The shard flew off and stabbed O.P.Anonstein into his eye socket..."
Local LGBT community has announced their grievance for the loss of mr Anonstein who was only 19 at the time of his death.
They fear fire you retards, take lighter, find stick wrap with cloth or fucking forest fuzz, pitch from pintree, see bear light the fucker, wave it around. He'll find two sticks, repeat. It's called a torch you fuckwits. Keep a few next to your campfire, also KEEP A CAMPFIRE! It's not fucking rocket science. Animals fear fire, and if they dont, BURN THE FUCKERS WITH FIRE!
>>723570
Where do you get your clothes? Do they weigh a lot and can you hike with them in winter/autumn?
>>723570
"It's a living history attempt, your Majesty!" That will make for a fine tale in court, knave.
>>728394
A machete is a tool at the end of the day. But in terms of sheer cutting power, some machetes rival, or even surpass their sword counterparts - but lack the same weight distribution and versatility that a sword provides.
Not that any of this would do you much good against a fucking bear.
>>727483
Good for you, but animals can get nasty.
My dad almost got run down by a moose while backpacking
>>723522
why would you need that? are there templar knights in your woods?
>>732537
I've held this same opinion for years.
Swords are hard to maintain and utterly useless against animals.
>>732611
Will a campfire keep a bear away??
>>727483
Black bears are pretty docile by themselves, but black bears with cubs and brown bears are extremely territorial. If they believe you are a threat to their cubs or encroaching on their hunting grounds, they will be all over you like white on rice in a less starchy, more bloody kind of way.
>>734036
If you're cooking something im sure it will do the opposite.
>>732585
Kek
>>724168
It's the same as if you have a firearm.
Stab in the chest as it's coming for you.
Shoot in the chest as it's coming for you.
You have distance on your side with a firearm, but if you somehow have a bear charging, it'll be on you probably quick.
>>732864
If you make stab in the chest with full penetration, the bear will most likely die before killing you. Stick 'em center of mass and you'll win.
Bears suck at the quick kill. They'll gnaw on your head until you die of blood loss that way.
>>723522
Swords are heavy and require lots of training and a strong arm to use properly. You'd just end up sticking the pointy end in yourself.
>No.
>L2Rifle.
>>734052
When confronted with fire, bears will run though? A flaming branch or a deodorant/match flamethrower will stop a charging bear?
>>734756
Someone please try the lighter wd40 trick with a bear. I want to see if the bear will enjoy a hot meal.
>>734756
unrelated but i would love to bag that 8-pointer
>>734812
You think a bear will charge a roaring fireball?
>>723931
It's only a meme weapon to weaboo faggots. in the hands of somebody who has studied the weapon, it's quite effective. I don't expect you to know that, though. You're obviously fucking retarded.
>>735903
Not him, but damn son, think before you type. Katanas are meme weapons to everybody BUT weaboos.
When we say 'meme weapon' we don't mean they are completely useless, obviously they will still do the job of cutting soft unarmoured peasants in feudal Japan. But that's about it.
The point being, they have limited usefulness and effectiveness even when used by TRAINED people, their uses are more limited than European master race swords or middle East swords.
Also in this case trained means has received professional instruction, in person, from a professional kendo practitioner. Not learning from books/internet and practicing yourself.
>>723954
Slow. Limited utility as a weapon, especially vs a wild animal.
The correct answer is a gun. Or bear spray.
If you really had to use a melee weapon, I'd pick a spear. You get killing force, reach, leverage, ability to work in confined areas like a dense forest, able to cut a fresh haft if it breaks. Bears are very strong, especially when enraged, and could easily kill you after you've struck your killing blow. It takes even people quite a while to die from swordblows. A spear keeps the animal at maximum distance where it can't hit you back.
HIstorically, spears were weapons of war, like a rifle. Swords were sidearms, like a pistol. A little more convenient to carry, some social cachet at the time, and effective in civil dueling. Right weapon, wrong context.
>>723522
A sword is okay but you'd be better with something blunt IMO; aim for the head.
A more reasonable alternative would be bear mace ( super-powered pepper spray made specifically for large predators ) or, if you want to go the firearm route, use either a handgun in calibers like .44 Magnum/Special or .45 Colt ( which are powerful enough to kill a bear with multiple shots ) or a Henry Rifle. I'm going to recommend the Henry because these rifles are beautiful ( not intimidating to a lot of /out/ people the way an AR-10/15 or assault/battle rifle would be ) and lightweight while holding plenty of rounds ( Henry BIg Boy carbine holds 7 .44 mag or .45 colt while the standard model holds 10 ). You can also use Henry rifles while wearing gloves if you get a big lever loop; useful in the event you are camping in the cold. Video related, pic related.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC9GaZZVvNc
I think spears and axes do a better job in survival situation.
Spears are much cheaper and allow you to keep distance between you and the pray/predator, while axes are extremely versatile. you can cut wood, bones, kill animals ecc.
Bears are easily spooked of if u take their cubs as hostage. Bears will fear uvif u threat their babies.
>>728454
>if you want to give your rights away
>stay in britain
What are you even talking about? You do realise the second amendment doesn't carry any weight outside of America, right?
Realistically, you have little chance of stopping a bear with a sword, though. Especially if the sword has to be "lightweight" e.g. small and short. When we talk about bears, we talk about stopping power, and a lightweight sword doesn't carry much of that.
>>739470
Carry some bear spray/deterrent man. That shit saves lives. It is useful against most bears and big cats.
>>723931
Weebs just gave it a bad name, like pretty much everything they fantasize about. I have a quality Katana that i practice with often, but i use a modernized bokken (by modernized i mean made of more durable material than wood, its made of the same shit skateboard wheels are) for the bulk of my practice. I am excellent with a sword, and i trust in my abilities to use it to defend myself from any wild animal. I have been consistantly training with it for like 2 and a half years though, along with a six foot long, 1-1/8 inch thick redoak staff, so i would be just as confident with a 6ft long spear in my hands too. Above all that, which is the most important part about any of this, is that i am very athletic and have been my entire life.
>>742103
I also forgot to add that no matter how confident i am in my ability, i will undoubtedly be shitting bricks if i saw a bear coming my way
>>723522
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUyx4qWDP8U
>>742230
That is actually kind of neat, anon. Ive been thinking of getting/making a spear, and making a cover for the spear-head that kind of disguises it as more of a walking stick. Or even make it more on the decorative side to try and make it look like a sorcerers catalyst, to give off that harmless weeb LARP feel to it, hopeing it will deter unwanted attention.
>>723806
Source?
>>734036
No but have a torch will make a bear who's not charging think twice, or better yet, two torches. I have stopped a mountain lion with a flare before. Also, do you have like zero experience with animals in the wild?
>>723806
No there is not. Those tiggers are their pets
>>723570
"Yes, it's true that I shot him in the back with a longbow, hacked him to death with an axe and took his wallet and iPhone, but the thing is, your honour, it was a Living History reenactment"
>>723638
>stop thinking about guns as the be-all and end-all.
How is a gun not the be-all and end-all? You shoot it at something and then that thing stops existing.
>>744453
I don't think you've shot many living things. Shoot a deer with a shotgun slug, and there's a chance you'll still have to track it a little ways, or even lose it altogether.
>>723570
why
>>728394
Spear is a thousand times better than a sword, you fucking weeb
