This $300 Reproduction Kilij Surprised Me...
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ย. 2024
- Watch the Yatagan review first, if you haven't yet: • Will This $250 Yatagan...
Not my words, but apparently many people consider the Ottoman kilij to be the most powerful cutter. And a sword supposedly favored by Vlad Țepeș AKA Vlad the Impaler, the intimidating historical figure that inspired good old Dracula.
Be that as it may, this is a budget sword by the standards of the functional sword reproduction market. Will it hold up to my tests? Let's find out!
** Specifications **
Overall length: 92 cm (36'')
Blade length: 75 cm (29-1/2'')
Blade thickness: 3.5-4mm (1/8''- 3/16'')
Weight: 1.1 kg (2 lbs 7 oz)
Material: 1060 high carbon steel
Hilt construction: Peened handle scales
** Pros / Cons **
+ Affordable
+ Cuts very well
+ Comfortable grip
+ Strong, durable blade
- Simplified hilt with no details
- Blunt yelmen (false edge)
** Where to find it **
[Update: I was told that their original site, swordbuy.com was hacked, so they moved to swordbuy.co. I've reached out to Swordbuy on Etsy and asked them to confirm this is real, which they did. Still worth pointing out because that incident is odd, and I can't be 100% certain that there is nothing fishy going on.]
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** Sources / picture credits **
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** Music credits **
"Desertland Theme" by Alexandr Zhelanov
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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
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Used with artist's permission
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#skallagrim #sword #review
Skall: Complains about the lack of decoration.
Skall earlier: Did away with the tassel.
@PaMuShinNo, it's used as a flail.
@PaMuShin it's mostly for post-battle kinky things
tassels are lame, it does not count
Some sabres had a tether so if they lost grip they wouldn't lose the sword while on horse. Maybe since it is mostly for show they instead use the showy tassel? Modern firearms have a similar option for securing to your kit.
The tassel is removable to end the opponent rightly
Finally some justice for this sword it's always katana vs. Long sword debate but this sword was one the few sword that were actually extensively used in the battlefield
The longsword is my preferred weapon in HEMA but having practiced British saber for a while there is something cool about curved swords. From a historical view they also had a very interesting evolutionary tree compared to the various straight swords which evolved independently in East and West.
Are you saving Longsword and katana weren’t extensively used?
@@idontwanttoputmyname403I think he means in battlefield use, katana and longsword famously not really used as a primary battlefield weapon
@@julesdebeckker627 Even if they’re not primary that’s still extensive use though, I would think.
@@idontwanttoputmyname403 they were weapons of self defense and they were not used on the battlefield on the other hand the saber was used by cavalry esp during napoleanic wars
I'm so glad that we're starting to get good and cheap reproductions for this types of swords!
Say, rather, "inexpensive".
There's a world of difference between the two
@@mikegrossberg8624 That's fair.
@@mikegrossberg8624i agree. It's the same with tools and guns.. I always use cheaper when talking about them, but I usually clarify it to "decent quality and more affordable".
@@mikegrossberg8624 cheap and inexpensive mean the same thing. The latter is just a more posh way to express the same concept
Uh Uh!
Cheap is a "wall hanger", made of inferior metal, sloppily assembled, poorly finished, not intended to be more than a decoration.
Inexpensive is battle-ready, of good high carbon steel, able to take, and hold, an edge, all parts properly fitted and finished, looking like somebody really GAVE a damn about their work! A good, USEABLE blade, but nothing fancy.
A "G.I. issue" weapon, as I refer to it, costing more than the wall trash, but not as much as a custom made job
As someone who doesn't have the budget for thousand dollar swords but detests wall hangers i always love it when you review and test affordable swords that manage to perform well.
I love how it went through that water bottle and still was able to clip the corner off that board without slowing down
Yeah, I didn't even feel it.
Indeed the word "kılıç" literally just means "sword" in Turkish, such that if you asked a Turkish person today to describe a "kılıç" they may simply describe a European sword, since we see those more commonly in mainstream media. Or, for example, if you showed them a katana, they might call it a "Japon kılıcı" i.e. literally "Japanese sword".
Same as how "katana" pretty much just means sword or blade in Japanese, though I guess a Japanese person would be likely to think of an actual Japanese katana if you asked them to describe a "katana." Because it has a lot of cultural value to them, unlike modern Turkish culture which doesn't care much about historical Turkish swords. I didn't even know about the Yatağan or ever even heard of its name until I was a teenager and researched various sword types online, despite growing up in Turkey.
Another example would be how "Messer" literally just means knife in German. If we're sitting at the breakfast table with a German person and I need a butter knife, I would ask them to please hand me a "Messer". You could say "Frühstücksmesser" i.e. literally "breakfast knife" but you would only use that word if you really needed to disambiguate.
Pronunciation tips: the dotless i in kılıç is a bit difficult to explain but I'd say it's like a very short "uh" sound. One analogy I can think of in English is the last part of "Michael", which a Turkish person might spell "Maykıl" if they knew nothing about its proper spelling. The ç at the end is basically a "tch" like in kitchen. A Turkish person might spell kitchen as "kiçın".
a lot of swords are called whatever people used it at the time called it, for example viking swords are called ''swerd'' I believe which just means sword in their language hovewer this is not directly aplicable to turkish swords since they have their own particular names. what most people call kilij is actally ''yalmanlı'' there is also other swords such as karabela,gaddare ect.
Messer meaning knife is different matter it has historical significance unlike yalmanlı being known as kilij. if memory serves at the time messers was made it was banned for common folk to own a knife. so they made a sword that does not fit sword definition at the time and called it ''big knife''
oh well at leats they dont call it ''scimitar''
if you are interested in such things(And you are since you watch skallagrim) you can check out Türkiye Kılıç Federasyonu Dr Abdullah Kesgin
Katana doesn't mean "sword" or "blade" in Japanese. Generally, you'd use the word "tachi" to generically refer to a Japanese sword or "ken" to refer to any sword. "Katana" is a curved Japanese sword made of specific materials in a specific way. In colloquial Japanese, it tends to refer to Japanese longswords regardless of the material, but the strict definition has more to do with the type of manufacture.
@@hirumaryuei That's interesting to note. Isn't the kanji for katana, "刀", which is also the kanji used for any sword in general?
The dotless "ı" sound you are talking about in Turkish is analagous to the English /ə/ which is called the "schwa" sound but is pronounced identically to the "ı". The difference is that /ə/ may be made using any vowel, or sometimes vowel combinations, as you pointed out with "Michael". Some examples include the a in annoy, e in water, i in council, o and io in collision, and u in column. All of those and many others use that same sound, despite being depicted with different letters or letter combinations. Enjoy, and thanks for telling us about the Turkis "ı".
Same thing with Farsi and "shamshir", it just means sword in Farsi, but in English it's a specific type of curved sword.
I have been waiting for you to do a Kilij. This is honestly one of my all time favorite blades from it's background, design, and damage it can inflict!
Same!
It's called Kılıç. Btw the letter "ç" is pronounced like "ch", plus, I and İ each have different sounds.
Imo It also is just an aesthetically pleasing sword in every way as well as effective in good hands.👍
@@searaider3340 Kilij is still the English word for it. Much like how in this English comment section we would type Katana rather than 刀 it is completely understandable to type Kilij instead of the actual Turkish Kılıç.
Katana sounds same with the Japanese word but Kilij doesnt.@@gokbay3057
I've always imagined they called it the Kilij because of the degree of "killage" you can get out of it.😂
But will it "keal"? 🤪
Love it. Very punny
@@Seelenschmiede
Depends on the amount of killage you can derive out of ir
Kilij means sword (kılıç in turkish)
Kıl (kuhl) means to forge, kılıç means something forged basically
5:44 It cut so well Skall turned French!
Skall. If you want a high quality Kilij, check out Kilij Osman Baskurt. He makes very impressive, historically accurate replicas. He is very passionate about it and takes the accuracy very seriously, down to the specific species of wood used for the handle and scabbard. He makes wootz as well, which is extremely good for a historical steel, with flexibility similar to spring steel, good corrosion resistance, and carbides, which is a beneficial impurity. But he also makes blades of modern steel of your choice (he likes spring steels and 1075).
And if you want the actual best draw cutter, go for the Pala. Which is a subtype of Kilij.
Agreed, that's a great advice.
Awesome overview Skall! Very nicely done. Since you were asking about historical examples; on most Kilij there is complex distal taper. It depends on the time period but for longer examples like this it would be common to see 7-6mm at the shoulders tapered down to 2-3mm before the start of the yelman. The sharpness of the yelman will vary (both with style and region and time) so to have it unsharpened is not unheard of.
This example is showing a mix of characteristics of Turkish swords from a whole bunch of different time periods, so the end result is a little muddled. The lack of distal taper is offset by the fuller running through the whole thing: these are more common in older (pre 16th century) blades, but have the advantage of being more shallow on historical swords.
You’re very fair in point out how this is a “bargain price” and with that in mind I think this is OK, as long as folks don’t assume this is historically representative. Glad it seems to work so well as a sabre!
Taking into account that Vlad was a ward at the ottoman court in his childhood it makes sense that he would train with this type of sword. You favor things you are effective with.
i actually kinda like the look of the sword. it does look basic but i like that. also 300 for this seems nutty! well done to the craftsman that made this
They sent me one for review as well, and it's a lot of fun.
The one thing that sticks out to me about the design is we often only see the blades of rich or wealthy people. I kind of like the idea of these just being the swords of the regular, common officer. Not a high ranking member of the army or the king, but a sword that a small battalion leader might have. It's simple, not very nice to look at, but it still gets the job done.
100% agree. I hate the idea of complaining that a budget sword looks like a budget sword. Like... yeah bro not every soldier was buying the top of the line
@@sowianskizonierz2693 To clarify, I'm not complaining about Skal in this video. Just pointing out the value of looking at the sword of the "common" man. At the end of the day, I don't think the average low ranking commander would have cared all that much about whether his sword was well polished or had gilding or whatever else. Most of that is status, not function.
It is sharp? Does it hold up to repeated abuse? Will it stop me from having my head lopped off? I think that's what your "budget" historical swordsman would have cared about.
@@sowianskizonierz2693, I'm pretty sure the main sticking point was how polished it was. I was initially put off by it as well since that high mirror polish and everything having a soft edge look is typical of cheap, heavily granular stainless steel wall hangers. In this case though, it seems that the person doing the finishing just got a little too enthusiastic with the polishing wheel.
Everything but the softened edges of the spine and fuller can be taken down a bit with some 0000 steel wool to give it a matte or close to matte finish instead of the "Made by Macy's" look I tend to associate with cheap jewelry that turns your skin green.
@@sowianskizonierz2693 Common soldier's swords ("munitions grade", if you will) in history still looked better. They had a utilitarian look, but not this sort of tacky, highly polished wallhanger finish. And interestingly even budget weapons often had some decorative touches (if somewhat crude, sometimes).
Even the cut in the piece of wood on the bottle follow through at 7:02 is clean !
I did not see that coming :)
Skall thank you so much for the amazing video. As always you did an amazing review and test. ⚔️⚔️⚔️ Greetings from Turkey
I think the sword looks great, and it's good to see that it's solid and well made. Another great review from Skallagrim
It was natural for Vlad to use an Ottoman sword. He was raised in the house of Osman along with his brother. He was equipped and trained by the Ottomans. Hence his relative success against the Ottomans knowing all of their tactics.
Wasn't his paternal line Turkic?
It’s a beautiful sword, and I kind of want it… I decided that all swords I buy from now on will be spring steel, though. Compared to my traditionally made katanas, my ones with spring steel blades are 100 times more durable. And since I like to swing my swords at things, that durability is important. Thank you for the video!
Yes, spring steel is much more durable than what they had available back in history.
Nice review! To me the sabre Vlad has in that portrait definitely looks more like a 17th century Hungarian type, judging by the shape of the pommel, and the outfit seems to match that period too. The artist probably went with what was popular during his own time :)
Oh boy new skallagrim video
Mirror polish can be remedied by using a very fine sand paper sponge and polishing it. I've done this with inexpensive blades, and it makes them look better
this looks gorgeous! doesn't look tacky to me! just functional and well made. simple but not overly-so.
cuts like a beast too, and all for a good price!
Always makes my day when Skall uploads :)
And even when I'm not interested in HEMA, I love all the weapons u show us.
"Did you see those warriors from Hammerfell? They have curved swords.... curved swords!"
Its very cute that we opposing cultures find each others' swords interesting. Longsword always made me impressed and it felt like there is a culture attached to it, a very different and noble, especially in the video games and movies.
Vlad was forcefully raised in the Ottoman Empire, so it makes sense for him to use their sword. It's also very poetic, as he was quite fond of poetic justice.
I'm impressed with this reproduction. Wish I could afford one.
Not to mention he had an exceedingly "efficient" personality. If he thought the Ottoman's own sword was useful, he was going to use it.
@@tyranitararmaldo Don't forget he also had a great sense of humour.
Had Vlad gotten his hands on Mehmed II, impaling him certainly would have been poetic justice for what that pig tried to do to Vlad and did do to his brother.
@@AzraelseraphimSlighly dark though.
@@MarkGoding The best kind
Good to see the hobby becoming easier to get into, with fairly well-made budget items such as this.
I know it may be too meta, but if you get yourself a hockey bag, you could cram bigger swords in there without alarming the public, keep making great videos
just be sure that if youre an atuall hockey player that your sword hockey bag is SIGNIFICANTLY different from your hockey hockey bag other wise it could be akward in more ways then one....
@@vhaelen326 hes canadian so he must have at least 4 of those hahaha
@@ventu2295Well German but he's been in Canada long enough to surely have a few by now
I thought he was Norwegian?@@Scarlet_Soul
@@kuesdav Skall has always been rather ambiguous about where he is from as he does not consider it important to who he is, but on one of his side channels he made a video reviewing different cities he had lived in and the first one on the list was Munich, followed by Tromsø and Bergen, followed by places in Canada.
Skall, you're looking trimmer today. Keep it up, Skallafit! We're all rooting for you! Skallafit! Skallafit! Skallafit! Skallafit!
Agreed. You look quite well.
Shamshir isn’t Persian. İt’s Turkic too. After the 10th Century, Persia have ruled by Turks. Seljuks, kwarazmshahs, Timurids, Akkoyuns, and Savavids, All of them were Turkic based states. Their armies mostly Turkic.
DNA studies disprove the notion of significant genetic ties between Turks and Persians. For instance, the Azerbaijan region historically marked the northwestern border of ancient Iran, where DNA samples reveal remarkable genetic similarity with Persians, Kurds, and other Iranians, indicating minimal Turkic DNA among Azerbaijanis.
The concept of Turks conquering Persia parallels that of Greeks or Arabs, as they either assimilated, became Persianized, or were expelled. Notably, Turkic DNA is predominantly found in Turkmenistan, distinct from greater Iran or Persia.
The Shamshir, a sword deeply rooted in Persian history, predates the Turkic-Mongol invasions by hundreds, if not thousands of years. Its name, derived from the Persian words "sham" (sun) and "shir" (lion), symbolizes Iran's coat of arms-the Lion and Sun-for millennia.
Evolved from earlier curved swords in Greater Iran and Central Asia, the Shamshir gained prominence during the Persian Safavid dynasty (1501-1736) as a symbol of Persian warriors, despite Safavids speaking Turkish, they identified as Iranians and fought under the Iranian flag.
Similarly, modern-day Turks exhibit minimal to no Turkic DNA, sharing genetic similarities with Greeks, Armenians, and Kurds. In essence, Turkey represents the modern-day Byzantine Empire, predominantly Greek, with a history dating back a millennium, contrasting with Iran's endurance spanning over 2,500 years.
@@KCpahlavan there is no true among you said.
@@selmanaskn462 yes there is. dont mean to offend you .. but you seem bigoted or "bağnaz" I can dig up research material to prove it but I have a feeling you are so " bağnaz " or dogmatic that nothing will change your mind. I bet you money that if you take your DNA analysis you will find you have practically NO actual Turkic blood. Where in turkey are you from if you don't mind me asking?
@@KCpahlavanhe isn’t talking about genetic composition. But rather military traditions. Many cultures adopted Turkic military traditions.
If you can I strongly suggest you get yourself a Windlass 1796 light cavalry sabre. I think you may find it handles a lot like that and is exactly like the original.
Funny thing is that Skall has never really been into sabres.
@@scottmacgregor3444 Especially late period sabres like that.
The steel quality in 1700s Britain varied a lot especially since these patterns were produced by multiple manufacturers for the army, as a result cavalry learned that if it didn't take an edge well you could turn it on the flat and use it as a mace by riding past the enemy and slapping them with the flat to the face or temple....
Hello Skall! This was a fun one; thanks for the review. I have to admit that I myself do rather like it, despite it's simplistic wall-hangery look. For a budget sword that cuts that well and even has a sheath, this looks pretty good. Thanks for the video!
Hey Skall, you're looking very healthy and well. I'm truly glad to see you in a better mental and physical place compared to where you were not too long ago. Well done, keep on keeping on my friend may god guide you
It's nice to see more Turkish swords getting love from you. Keep it up Skal, as your Turkish audience we are enjoying it a lot.
"What does Kilij mean?"
"It means Ottoman sword."
It means “sword” in Turkic languages
Bu kılıç Osmanlılardan Bin yıl önce de Türkler tarafından kullanılıyordu.
Kazakh sword is also Kilij. It was invented before Ottomans.
"Kılıç" in todays Turkish means nothing more than "sword". There is no spesification of "Ottoman" or "Turkish" sword. It is a direct translation of the word. Beside at least write it with a C where the fuck did they get the J from?
A similar view was held by the 11th century Arab historian Sa'ed Al-Andalusi. In his book "Category of the nations" he said the following about the Turks: "And their virtue which they skilled in is warfare and its means/tools, they are the best nation when it comes to chivalry, archery and swordsmanship"
In another part of the book he says that the Chinese used to refer to the king of the Turks as "The king of the lions".
The Turks were quite popular amongst Muslims during that period because the Seljuks had recently scored major victories over the Romans/Byzantines and they were becoming increasingly prominent as mercenaries and soldiers all over Asia and the Levant
@@J-BiRTHOttoman Empire 💪🏻🇹🇷
My first introduction to this sword was Deadliest Warrior. The demonstration effortlessly cut a pig carcass in half three times in rapid succession.
Never forgot how OP this weapon is.
Someone at our HEMA club had a sparring version. Brass quillons did not survive heavy contact...
loving these reviews
Beautiful blade, really informative review as always, keep up the good work, Skallagrim!
Haven't watched a blade review with any real focus in probably a couple years, let alone from you, and I have to say in my opinion your opinion, production, and delivery has become significantly more nuanced and insightful in the last few years. Thanks for acknowledging how underestimated this type or sword is without skipping it's inherent weaknesses
I'd say Vlad was very fond of the Ottomans. They were by far his favorite lawn ornaments! He loved them so much he had thousands of them!
Honestly, I'm pretty ignorant about everything you talk about. There's just something really satisfying watching someone talk about what their passionate about. Thank you for making the video!
The sharp section of the false edge is called "Yalman", not yelmen. This sword is not called "Kılıç" because it just means sword. It is called Yalmanlı (with Yalman) for having one and it is what makes it unique.
I got myself a kilij from turkey and it's a very badass sword
Reminds me of the Deadliest Warrior where Vlad fought Sun Tzu and the Vlad experts were demonstrating the sword on a dead pig
Yes they claimed that Class sword was made with a heavier tip, to make it easier to cut off heads, that's all I really remember about that episode I was still a kid then
Vlad spent his childhood as a political ransom in the Ottoman palace. He was trained in combat, military tactics etc. as worthy for a prince. He spoke Turkish without accent and knew all the tactics which helped them win multiple battles against Ottomans. It doesn't come a surprise for me that he'd prefer kilij as probably it was what he was trained with.
A small correction to Vlad Tepes: it's most favourite weapon, as we all know - is the wooden stick with a pointy head!!! He used to impale or order impaling every enemy or wrongdoer from thieves to murderers, invaders, Ottoman soldiers etc.
This is why he's called Vlad Tepes (translated into "The Impaler").
Also, during those periods of time, it was not unusual for Oriental equipment to be captured or offered as trade for negotiations, since the Ottoman Empire had a big presence in the region and tried several times to invade/control Romanian and Hungarian territories known as Vallahia and Moldavia (in that era they used to be independent states).
There's also an infamous attack called "Night Attack from Targoviste" where it is rumored he disguised himself toghether with some trusty soldiers and infiltrated the Ottoman army camp at night, placed near Targoviste City (by then the capital of Vallahia) during one of it's sieges. And they used clothes and weapons of Ottoman origin to confuse the enemy and create panic and chaos, making the enemy soldiers attack each other.
he moslty impaled villagers regardless of their religion
He impaled his own villagers.
In reality, Vlad was a sadist who enjoyed shedding blood and making people suffer, regardless of who or what he was. It is true that he impaled the Ottoman soldiers, but when Fatih Sultan Mehmet marched on him with his army, he could not find a place to escape and eventually his head was seen on the back of an Ottoman horse😊
The cuts were frighteningly clean!
In short, it is hard to think of any other ethnolinguistic entity in history that conquered so vast a territory and founded so many empires and states, also contributing to world civilizations. The history of the Turkic peoples was an important factor in world history for more than a millennium until the emergence of Europe as the world's dominant power. What happened in the Turkic world often affected the history of China, Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe. One may also argue that world history began with the "Turko-Mongol" empire created by Chinggis Khan. In the contemporary world, Turkic-speaking nations form six states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey/Türkiye) and several "autonomous" units in Russia (the republics of Chuvash, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Altai, Khakassia, Tuva, and Sakha) and China (the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region). Turkic peoples also reside as minority groups in several other countries, including Mongolia and Iran, among others. It would therefore be difficult to acquire a comprehensive understanding of world history as well as our present world without studying the history of the Turkic peoples.
Vlad the Impaler did not like the Ottoman Empire, but he was heavily influenced by them.
When he was eleven years old, he was sent to the Ottoman court as a hostage. Royal hostages aren't treated like prisoners, at least so long as their parents honor the agreement, so that meant that he spent the next six years being raised and educated there in all of the various things it would've been useful for a noble to know. It very much did not win him over to their cause (though his brother was a different story), but he came out of it fluent in the language and very familiar with the Ottoman empire. He had no trouble passing himself off as an Ottoman soldier later in his life when he was fighting against them, and would do it regularly to infiltrate and spy on the enemy personally.
So it's very possible that this really would've been the first sword he learned how to use, and kept using even after.
The impaler voivode (vlad) was a childhood friend of Mehmet the Conqueror. The two were trained together at the enderun. Vlad learned to use the sword at the Turkish Palace, and according to a rumor, he became a blood brother to Fatih. Vlad betrayed the Conqueror, the Conqueror forgave him, but when he rebelled again, his head was placed on the stone in front of the Turkish Palace where he grew up.
That seems like a solid budget choice. You would be hard pressed to find anything much better in that price range anyways.
Cool stuff, and I didn't know Vlad Tepes handled one of these (or similar). He is one of my favorite historical characters.
He might have had a Hungarian saber instead, I wasn't able to confirm one way or another.
It was this kind of sword the Kîlîç, Corpus Draculianum is a society that documents his life in very minute detail with every available historical document, it's also documented a duel with Vladislav the second which Vlad killed with a sword like this, his prowess with the weapon was pretty known and people were very weary of him
Are you usually a big fan of historical mass murderers?
@@Yanate1991 A hero who helped save his country and most of the West of becoming Muslim? Yeah, sure!
Great video! That's definitely an intriguing sword. Not a lot of functional Kilij on the market. You're right in that it's appearance just looks a bit... cheap. Still though, it looks like it's worth checking out.
Man, it's so cool watching you move with the sword! You naturally are almost never on center, moving behind the blade! You still got it man!
Maybe you make video with polish sabre "Karabela", or "Węgierka".
karabela sounds very familiar lol
Karabela is turkish word, means Black problem
I think the curve makes the edge glide over the surface, rather than hit it like straight swords. That's gotta be why it cuts very well..
I'd imagine that the majority of swords of the period regardless of where you are in the world would be more focused on function than asthetic
We collectors and martial artists have got into the habit of judging everything on the more middle to high end reproductions because we're in the age where it's not so expensive and they're more available to us.
Honestly if I picked up that sword I'd be more than happy to use it no matter what it looks like I'm a pragmatist 🙂
Took nearly a week after release to watch this. I was notified, and love the review.
We humans have invented really cool ways to kill each other, that blade is flippin sweet!
Finally! Review on kilij. And it is from one of my favourite TH-camrs!❤❤❤
This has to be one of my favourite swords the Ottoman Killij This was the weapon that was used by Vlad the Impaler and on the program deadliest Warrior, it was the best cutting and thrusting and chopping Sword Does it was able to cut through a pig carcass with ease
I was looking through the comments to see if anyone could confirm this is the sword type on that episode. The three cuts going through a hanging pig each time was some serious cutting power
I VIVIDLY remember the Deadliest Warrior episode with Vlad the Impaler and this sword was the one they brought out for him and all the judges said it sliced as well or BETTER than a Katana.
There is a spesific name of late Ottoman shorter and broarder sword as "pala" means machete. Since the Persia had broad sword in ancient times and it ruled by Turkic dynasties almost a millenia, shamshir probably evolved from kilij. You can see the Mamluk kilijs are more like between shamshir and kilij. It's possible that Vlad used the kilij as sword, because he raised in Ottoman palace and kilij was very popular in countries around empire. Russians were using kilij as swords and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had "karabela" means black bane in Turkish.
You're the first foreigner I've heard saying Vlad Țepes's name correctly! Viele Grüße aus Rumänien! 🇷🇴 🇷🇴 🇷🇴
Vlad the Impaler was actually not the inspiration for Count Dracula, Stoker just borrowed the named "Dracula" from him, and that's about it.
Before Stoker came across that name, he was planning to use "Count Wampyr", and the novel was to be called "The Undead".
I'm not sure if Stoker realized that Dracula and Vlad Tepes were in fact the same person
i think he was talking about Castevania
@@mystic-malevolenceHe did. The description of The Count in the novel aligns with that of Vlad Tepish, his de-aging notwithstanding.
@@magicaltour1 A description that Vlad shares with the historical Dracula, being as they are the same person.
I think you're putting too much stock in the addled brain of an irish drunkard
That is a beautiful sword and it was a joy to see the cut tests.
That thrust around was a game changer for me, those curved swords are brutal and for those fans of the Witcher series, this weapons suit a lot better Geralt moving and fighting style.
I love doing weird curved thrusts around guards or shields. Or to hit the underside of the hand/forearm, a weird spot you normally don't hit with a straight sword unless their hands are high but the curve makes it easier when they're more chest level.
@@ActionCow69 I too love it now. Curved swords when well made in the curvature and weight is just amazing. I became faster and trickier. And without losing the power I managed to have with straight swords
Excellent pronunciation Vlad Țepeș
The problem I often have with Arabian swords is that the point is often not in line with the hilt. If that were the case, these swords would be much better suited for stabbing, despite the curved blade shape.
Nice review, keep up the good work 👍.
When it comes to stabbing, nothing beats the good old European can opener, a Type XVIIb longsword. These Kilijs are more for chopping and slicing.
It's a Turkish sword derived from the earlier Turco-Mongol sabers.
Arab Saif's have straight blades.
Such a beauty!!
vlad dracula is carrying a hungarian sabre, which is similar to a kilij but with typical hungarian mounting. the blade can either be with or without a yelman. also the mirror polish is traditional in the ottoman empire at the time. according to historical accounts swords were kept highly polished akin to a mirror. thoug understandably these days it looks cheapening. thanks for the great review great warlord Skallagrim
Are you sure Ottoman swords had mirror polish? İ thought they were Damascus steel there for they were sort of black.
The fact that you clipped the stand and the cut water bottle stayed on is crazy
Based Gigachad Kılıç😎
Thank you!
Great looking and working sword!
Fun fact, Vlad the Impaler himself was of Turkic ancestry descended of a Cuman chieftain called "Thocomerius" whose name is related to blacksmithing / swordery
Although the historian Neagu Djuvara makes a somewhat sensible case for this, the Cuman ancestry theory is still under debate in the historical community.
there is literally no proof of romanian nobles being of cuman ancestry lmao, djuvara's theory has no basis for this claim and it was mostly accepted due to the multiethnic communist propaganda at the time.
stop spreading misinformation.
@@serbanionita239 Their Cuman ancestry is very evident even the name of the Dynasty, Basarab, is of Turkic etymology, Basarab genetic samples also match Cuman ones
I would believe that since other Turkic or Muslim clans were more of a problem compared to others, there were a lot of rebellions. Few would know them since they were not as interesting as Vlad.
@@nenenindonu prove Basarab genetic samples match cuman genetic samples, you pulled that out of your ass.
also a name is no proof. Europeans have names of hebrew, greek, latin origin but that does not necessarily make them either of these groups.
so I suggest you substantiate your claims before trying to advance this narrative any further.
Man, that's a gorgeous-looking sword
⚔️Best cutting sword in the World⚔️ This is an amazing review as always. Thank you so much.
I missed your reviews. This is the Skall content I subscribed for. 😊
Snake from Vinland Saga.
This is a pretty cool sword. It's always nice to see board blades that can perform at a budget price.
As for the Turks, [they] also form a great nation with numerous troops and an imposing kingdom. The domains they inhabit are found between the eastern regions of Juräsän, [on the side] of the Islamic empire, the western regions of China, northern India, and the extreme north of the inhabited world. Their virtue is that they stand out and achieve supremacy in doing war, as well as in the elaboration of weapons; for they are the most skilful of men in horsemanship and [warfare] tactics, and the keenest of eyes for spearing, striking with the sword, and shooting arrows.
Ahmad, A.S. ibn and Salgado, M.F. (1999) Libro de las categorías de las naciones: Vislumbres desde el islam clásico sobre la filosofía y la ciencia. Tres cantos: Akal., p.43
Great review as always Skall. You do the best blade reviews on TH-cam. It also looks like all that work in the gym is paying off physically and you seem more relaxed, keep up the good fight brother.
This is the most used weapons on battlefield by Turks!
Nice looking blade
At the time of Vlad the Turks had the brilliant idea to take the sons of rulers of their vasal states as hostages and raise them in the Turkish way. Vlad was one such child and his hatred of the Turks came from the way he was treated then. The brilliant part is that he was also given some military training, much to the later regret of a forest of impaled Turks. So it's probably quite accurate to say that he did favor a Turkish sword because he grew up wielding one.
He didnt need military training to impale some Turkish villagers in Balkans.
that forest would happen anyway, it was mostly unarmed civilians
According to which extremely biased source? Because the locals don't agree with that version. In fact if you bother to do some proper research you will find out that the rich A-holes who were bleeding the country dry and got shafted by him, were the ones who went and spread those stories to the gullible west. The local population had no problem with his rule and even lamented the fact that he was gone. And no, the forest of impaled people were a Turkish army that came to teach him a lesson when he stopped paying tribute and letting them rape and pillage to their hart's content. @@Yanate1991
Hi Skallagrim, I'm back after many years. Good to see that you are seemingly very well off and are still producing very good videos.💪🏽
THE TURKS AND THE WEST.
Europe stood in awe of the Ottomans who crushed many states and conquered vast territories, going, as all patriotic Turks will proudly point out, "all the way to the gates of Vienna." European literature is replete with the depictions of the Turk as the hated enemy. The English often thought of the Turk as awe-inspiring and destructive. Thomas Fuller wrote in The Holy Warre (1639): "The Turkish Empire is the greatest... the sun ever saw. ...Grass springeth not where the grand signior's horse setteth his foot."
After your review of the Yataghan, my serch into swordbuy, it seems to have upped their quality quite a bit. Thank you.
fort comme un turc [adj]
très fort ; vigoureux ; robuste ; costaud
Origin and definition
Today, a Turk is just another human being. And even if there are Turks who hold world records in weightlifting, nothing seems to justify calling a Turk more strong than a Greek, a Monegasque or a Chinese.
But we must not forget the history of Turkey.
Before this country became what it is today, there was the Ottoman Empire built by a people of warriors through conquests in Europe, Africa and Asia. These Turkish or Ottoman fighters impressed by their strength, their courage and also their brutality, their cruelty.
Thus in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Turk symbolized the unbeliever, the brutal enemy. It was also said of someone who was rude and ruthless that he was "a real Turk" and to treat someone "Turkish" was to treat him unceremoniously.
The expression originated in the mid-15th century, shortly after the capture of Constantinople (ancient Byzantium and present-day Istanbul) by the troops of Sultan Mehmet II in 1453.
Examples
“I have two, sir, who, without vanity, could be presented to the pope, especially my eldest, who is a pretty bit of a girl. I am raising her to be a countess, although her mother does not want it.
How old is she, sir, this future countess?
But she is approaching fifteen years old: already that is a fathom taller for you, nice, fresh as an April morning, agile, uncoupled, sprightly, and above all strong as a Turk.
Devil ! these are good dispositions for being a countess.
Oh ! her mother may say so, she will be. »
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra - Don Quixote of La Mancha
If you're going for Ottoman bootlicking, at least don't upvote yourself on top of that.
@@Andri474 I think the Ottomans are my favorite version of the Romans
You are a cool guy and that is a pretty dope sword.
Man, you do such good reviews. Really enjoy your passion for the topic, your eye for detail, and your sense of humour 😁
Vindland Saga Season 2's fight scene of Snake vs Thorfinn showcased this weapon pretty nicely. Give it a watch if you would, Skall. 10/10 viking anime with well-written characters.
Snake is from istanbul he says it when he meats thorfinn
Well written with vikings throwing logs like patriot missiles
thanks @Skallagrim for the video. a fun fact; Vlad himself educated by same teachers, sword masters ("silahtar" level masters btw) , horse riders with the Mehemet II. "the Conqueror" of House Ottoman, during their childhood. because Vlad and his little brother was given as "pledge" (hostage) to Ottoman palace by their father to keep the Crown of the kingdom under the Sultan. Since he got the same education at the same place it is very logical for him to have same sword and fighting style even same armor and clothes with Ottoman elites.
Turkish actor Cüneyt Arkın used to play in the roles of a Turkish fighter most of the time. He is knowledgable about sword swinging and sword use, horse riding. I watched his knowledge about kılıç, yatağan techniques in a talk-show in the past and he talked about the difference between European sword use and Turkish sword use I remember barely. Anyway, you can watch passages in the historical movies he played. He learned these arts in the first place for his heroic roles. His movements may give you hints. Within certain movies of him, the movements exists but you can't find these movement scenes as separate videos on the Internet.
This is a great review and has changed my view on the practically of this design of sword, would like to see more tests such as how it preforms in a duel against various straight swords in attack and defence
Deliciously beautiful sword!
Modern blade enthusiasts: mmmm yes this is a shireton type XXVIII iii which you can tell from its distinct taper.
Blokes in the past: make it like his but lighter
Nice looking sword!