Updated Gladius for Active Service members

[jkaler48]

I could see one of these being a useful combat tool on occasion:
http://www.coldsteel.com/gladius-machete.html

[Titus Marius Secundus]

Looks nice but far from something I'd use for anything but battering the hell outa!!! HEHE

[AshleySC]

I think that's the point of it(pun intended)...a "user" Gladius that you wouldn't be afraid to whack and stick things with, unlike a $700+ Albion blade. A good bedside, by-the-front-door and in-the-car-trunk blade that surely has a much more useful point than a machete etc.
It's been a pre-order item for a while now, check the various internet knife sellers, they are also asking about half what Cold Steel is charging, if it ever shows up. [url=http://www.knifecenter.com/item/CS97GMS/cold-steel-gladius-machete-19-inch-carbonhttp://][/url]
If closely resembles in size the plastic gladius trainer CS makes then its grip will be huge, at least three times the diameter of a standard Gladius and the sheath will be functional but just barely, if you get one have someone make a Kydex sheath for it.

[Titus Marius Secundus]

You know, I always thought riot police have somewhat copied the Romans with their shield wall, and large shields, short clubs, helmet design is the same too. So I went into a dream of a new modern type of legionary where he has his bullet proof helmet, shield, the gladius shown here, with a modern pugio, a machine gun, and a bullet proof lorica!


Sam

[Gaius Colletti]

Seriously? They can make a 19oz 1055 carbon blade gladius for $44 and we pay $140 for low carbon 3lb swords?

[AshleySC]

It's going to be made in South Africa at the same factory that makes the other CS machetes, so the blade stock will be a lot thinner than a real gladius.
www.knifecenter.com/item/CS97GMS/cold-steel-gladius-machete-19-inch-carbon 26 big dollars :-D

[Magnus]

LOL...Matt, that does raise an interesting point!

[Sean Manning]

I don't get the point of 'tactical' swords. I prefer the aesthetics of historical weapons, and most 'tactical' blades don't seem like they would be much better tools or weapons than historical versions. I guess glare from a historical messer or hanger or dao could be a problem in modern combat ...

[Gaius Colletti]

Its just some fancy words they use to sell the product, that's all

[Quintus Claudius Scaevola]

I could see one of these being a useful combat tool on occasion:
http://www.coldsteel.com/gladius-machete.html

Ave,

The trouble with that is the higher command isn't too choosy about what you bring in-country; They are however very strict with what you try to bring out-of-country:

Camp Fallujah's PX had a ton of crappy Paki-steel blades that were of the spring-loaded switchblade or oversized dagger variety. We had one Marine who couldn't stop wasting his money on that cr@p, and when it came time to pack up and go home he had to leave most of it behind since there were rules regarding what you could fly home with (With most of his blades over four inches). Switchblades are still illegal in the U.S. after all, and customs wasn't about to let him have a sword-sword tucked into his sea-bags.

On the other hand, on our second pump to Al-Taqqadam we had a different Marine who brought a kukri with him, and no one said anything - He mailed it home somehow before we let, and they had no problem with it.

-Quintus Claudius Britanicus,
Legionnaire, LEGIIAVG

[Gaius Decius Aquilius]

There is a tactical wakizashi made with carbonite (something) sheath and grip. Comes with paracord lacing. http://www.mantisswords.com/tactical_weapons.htm You can get a matching katana. Not too pricey. Good for around the house or backpacking. I have a set I keep next to the bed. For a combat weapon? nah. Having had to lug around all the weight in the Nam we used to throw anything away that we did not absolutly need. We kept ammo, water, cigaretts, a shovel, and as few C-rats as we could stay alive on. One set of ragged jungle fatuges, rotting socks, and your helmet. You stank after several days, but so did everybody else. You could smell things like toothpaste a long way off and track people by that. The other guys had a different diet and we could smell that also, and track them. Most of the time we were several hundred yards apart so noise and smell were danger factors. After one bad "contact" I heard one guy say: "If I had a bayonet I would have fixed it." Sharpen the edge of your shovel with a file to a nice sharp edge. I did. It cuts very well and the swing will take someone's head off. I prefered ammo to anything else if given the choice. You never have enough. My medical supplies were whatever I could get. We were all draftees. The lifers were no where around in that war when I was there. They could all look pretty with frooty-tooty platform spit-shined jump boots, and starched jungle fatuges and wore "jungle knives" we never got. They never went near the mud of course. Or us. We smelled too bad.

Ralph
(Formerly a medic of the 2/60th, 9th Infantry Division. Out as soon as I could get out and glad to be out, with no apologies to anyone.)

[Gaius Colletti]

Update, so I have been very interested in having a sharp gladius, and since the historically accurate ones will set you back quite a bit, I picked one of these bad boys for about $36 with shipping.

Blade: The blade is flat, there is no fuller or central ridge, it is indeed a machete (machete-sword anyways). The blade appears to be belt sanded, and unlike what I hear much about other Cold Steel blades, this "machete" comes very sharp out of the box. The edge is not completely consistant, I feel certain parts are sharper than others (not too much), but it should not be hard to resharpen. The blade already cleanly cuts through water filled milk gallons. The tip of the blade is stupid sharp, you do not want to fool around with it.

Handle: I was expecting the handle to be the "ruining" factor of the sword, but infact it is quite nice and offers a surprisingly comfortable grip, it does not feel like a cheap plastic handle.

Sheath: Nothing special, but considering that CS does not offer a sheath on many of their machetes and knives, consider it a bonus

Overall: This blade is so light compared to some of behemothly heavy blades that we carry around, it is quite nice and takes little effort to swing around. I was expecting the blade to be somewhat flimsy since it is quite light, but it is not, nor is it overly rigid. I have not used it as a machete, and truthfully I most likely wont, although I have seen a video of this thing hacking through a large branch, so it can be done (with effort)

It is a nice addition for someone who wants to have fun hacking with a gladius without worrying about potentionally damaging a very expensive sword, if you were thinking about getting one, do it, You won't be disappointed