Review of the bronze Budget Khopesh by Neil Burridge
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.พ. 2014
- The Khopesh is an ancient Egyptian sickle sword which came up around 3000 BCE and was most popular during the New Kingdom (1570--1070 BCE). This is a reproduction of a khopesh found in Tutankhamun's tomb, handmade by Neil Burridge.
Game of Thrones fans might recognize that the Dothraki arakh is inspired by the khopesh. :)
Overall length: 59 cm (23 1/8'')
Blade length: 47.5 cm (18 2/3'')
Edge length: 34.3 cm (13 1/2)
Spine thickness: 8 mm (1/3'')
Weight: 655 g (23 oz)
Blade material: Bronze (12% tin), with hardened edge
Price (as of Feb 28, 2014): 80 GBP (unfinished) / 180 GBP (finished)
Where to get it: www.bronze-age-craft.com/swor...
Pros:
- Historically accurate replica
- Expertly crafted blade, beautiful material
- Excellent cutting performance
Cons:
- Rough handle with gaps that are abrasive on the hands
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When I lived in Hawaii I carved a khopesh from a guava branch. Sold it to a hippie for thirty bucks and an ounce of weed.
Cool.
I don't know why but I laughed so hard from this lol.
@@Hundido350 Well, he is a hippie after all.
That's legit dude. Right on
Holy shit a whole ounce for a stick? 🤣
I've heard the khopesh was likely designed for use on longer campaigns by footsoldiers- specifically, it's a kind of elegant ancient multitool for a soldier. In combat you can catch blades and parry with it as well as wound the foe, making it functional on the basic level as a sword, and on the road due to its axelike shape and balance you could chop wood and butcher meat with it, and use its long, round edge to efficiently chop herbs. I'd assume it could be used similar to a machete in clearing away vegetation to good effect as well. Might be a sword that could still see some good pragmatic use in the modern era.
An enlightened statement that I agree with
+vitriolicAmaranth I agree, it would be really interesting to see a modern version of the khopesh.
+soppero I will be making one once I set up my own forge.
Nice :)
+vitriolicAmaranth Is there a type of sheath for it?
You know you suck at sharpening when a bronze sword cuts phonebook paper better than your 12c27 stainless knife.
as the maker of the sword that is the best compliment thank you made my day cheers
This is something I'd like to see modernized, mostly just material wise. Stick with the shape, but go with an upper end steel, G10 grips, and add in a more proper guard.
Not quite what you described but there are actually steel versions:
kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=SBK004
kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=SBK009
And if you wanted to keep the bronze look, you could always give it a fairly thick plating.
***** That is a lot less sculpted and quite bland.
FUCK OFF TH-cam he's not showing off! he just making weapons for fans of video games and movies. that they would never get to see or hold otherwise and he makes what we want him to. he would never make Clouds' sword otherwise.
Tyler Lalonde I think you replied to the wrong person.
"Canadian and American dollars are typically the same" oh how I wish this was still true
Yeah, that statement is extremely outdated now.
Skallagrim this is why TH-cam is going to be considered our most accurate historical archive 200 years from now. Unless before then the internet dies. Then 200 years from now they'll think human culture hit a dead stop in 1998.
Jay Middleton Not if they keep deleting everything which they do a lot of
Even more so now unfortunately.
@@chrispalumbo5556 my god, little did I know then
I have seen television documentaries that explicitly dismissed these as unwieldy and designed to meet aesthetic or traditional norms, not functional ones. The same dismissive attitude has been used toward other technologies like chariots. Modern researchers just assume they are not functional, but when you actually see them at work, they seem effective for what they are needed for. Given that the state of armor at the time would rarely go beyond leather (I have seen some bronze and some bone helmets) this seems like an effective battlefield implements. I certainly would not want one slicing into me.
thats from people pushing their views on others. like katana and other sword cutlists.
Tyler Lalonde Did you mean to make that pun?
Oh gosh I hate those types of "experts" Who do crap like that. Like this one who completely disregarded the entirety of European armour in favor of Japanese samurai armour.
You see those warriors from Hammerfell? They've got curved swords. Curved. Swords.
You beautiful son of a bitch, I see you everywhere, just being an npc everywhere you go. Definitely appreciated. Thank you
Uh you know that the Alik'r use scimitars? Not khopeshes
Nah, the Alik’r totally use claymores of course. Everyone knows that.
@@dr.catinstein4296 I hope they make the dwemer swords in ES6 khopesh like
@@stephenwalsh2476 That would be pretty cool
That is so sick....
Ever since I seen the Khopesh in one of your other videos I've been fascinated by it, never seen anything like it before and love it. Great review as always
coolest sword so far in my opinion.
I really want to get a bronze sword... Maybe even one of these. Such a stunning piece.
Great video, Skall!
I've always liked the design, the looks, of Khopesh, and I definitely will look into Neills' selection when I get more money!
the Khopesh is my favorite style of sword, thanks!
Bind the handle with windings of cloth or cord and it would be complete and comfortable.
I'd like to see a modern steel Khopesh sometime.
Silver Drake Thank you. Sometimes my typing reflexes get the better of my spelling.
Coolnicknameguy that's fucking hideous
James Collins so is your mother, happy new year
to you too mate XD
***** very malleable you mean....
i've watched this video about 40 times and i loooove the Khopesh so much i think i want one even if i'm not really colectioning swords the khopesh is just awesome.
Always thought those are simply beautiful.
Love your kopesh Skall, I've always been fan of old egiptian culture. Thanks for such a great video
I met Neil earlier today (lovely bloke btw) and as soon as i mentioned i'd heard about his work from you he was very pleased and very kindly offered to sell me one of his beautiful bronze swords for only £40!!!! so thanks Skall ;)
Thanks to your videos with it, I'm a lot more interested in the Kopesh/Khopesh than I used to be! Definitely a more interesting sword than I previously realised. Bronze is definitely a more potent material than I previously gave it credit for.
If you made it out of steel, would it beat the katana? ;)
Anyway, that's one of the more interesting types of bladed weapon. Would be very interesting to see how ancient alie... I mean Egyptians fought with it.
I don't want to start a shitstorm so I'll leave the katana part, but if you were to make this blade out of steel, you have to admid, it would look a lot less cool.
Kick Doornekamp Absolutely.
There are a few types of weapons I like more than the rest:
1. Weapons made from "obsolete" materials (eg. bronze age weapons and stone age weapons).
2. Tools that double as weapons (eg. kukris, seaxes, machetes).
3. Improvised weapons (bats, chains, shivs).
The whole thing about the katana was a joke, of course.
***** And a reason why they switched from stone and wood to bronze. ;)
That Mitchell and Webb Look - Bronze Orientation
***** Beat the katana? wrong question. All swords have their pros and cons. so it's mostly the person not the blade itself
my bad. meant to respond to op
Hi, about the pronunciation, I can help with that. The Egyptian original name is ḫpš. Because why don't know exactly how the ancient Egyptian language is pronounced (but there are certain "modern rules"), either Khopesh or Khepesh is ok. Egyptologists still prefer to stick with the transliteration when writing Egyptian language.
Also, this is the original one: www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/perl/gi-ca-qmakesumm.pl?sid=197.161.196.209-1446348982&qno=1&curr=582a
A heavy bronze scimitar: blade and handle plate cast in one piece; the handle itself formed of side plates of wood, only a suggestion of a guard; the weapon well balanced, but more fitted for 'crushing' than for 'cutting' the edge being only partially developed
Would you say that this blade is sharpened/being used wrong?
+oem42 that statement was from Howard Carter, the Egyptologist who discovered Tutankhamun's tomb
oem42 even if i agree with you on some stuff... like... monotheism not been just about the christian god... the kopesh has been found in canaan too...
Bana tou are you saying there is a supreme race? id like to know more about how nephilim and anunaki are related to the aryan race... because one of the anunaki was called "queen of the black heads" and the nephilim were "giants" while the average height of aryans is not really that much... certainly not more than the africans wich were in contact with hebrew people... and even better, to this day, there are people who worship the dingir... me among them... the rituals usually involve water and fish blood, not stargates... so... sitchin is wrong...
still, tell me your side of the story
It is for me the first time I see someone on TH-cam who uses the special, "translitteration" letters. I suppose you have studied Ancient Egyptian, right? Cool!
nfr.t pw, Xnms=j !
Definitely one of my favorite sword designs. Would love to own one.
Im very happy I found your channel
I have always wanted a khopesh and this is one of the first reviews that I have seen that says the reproduction is of good quality and well made and not a misshapen pipe when I have the money to spend I will defiantly look into getting one of these
Oohhhhhhh. One of my favorites :> !
I'd never heard of this maker, thanks
Great sword, Great review. Love to see a review like this of the Kumar Kobra.
Can you do a video on the effectiveness of serrations? Can one actually use a completely serrated sword in a duel or formation battle?
And if such can be used, what's the maximum size such a "teeth" can reach before it becomes a decorative piece?
I really love the Khopesh for its unique look!
I really like this sword!! It's very light but effective in the street fight! Thx for posting.
I’ve been a fan of yours for 8 or more years, seen this sword in so many videos, somehow never saw this.
I would love to have a go at making one of those. Not practical these days but a fascinating weapon.
That was pretty cool. I have never really gotten a good look at a Khopesh. I've seen them in some old strategy games that included in Egyptians, but I've never really seen them in detail in any movies, games, or videos. I haven't really seen much about bronze weapons before, either. I've seen them in games, and obviously I know they were used historically, but this is the first time I've actually seen a bronze weapon, or a khopesh, let alone a bronze khopesh, in action. Thank you for the video, that was pretty cool.
im really digging these backgrounds Skallagrim. Makes a good touch!
It's beautiful.
I always loved that sword style too
I bought the unfinished version with only the edge hammered. The bronze was surprisingly hard to file into shape, I thought it would be more or less like brass but it's a LOT harder to work, almost like iron.
It also stabs very well, the point is exactly in line with the arm.
This is my favorite blade out of your collection.
A very effective weapon! You characterized well in this video, looks up with some men of modern Egypt.
Skallagrim, I just watched your videos for the first time and in the for 6 seconds I judged you as a kind of dorky gamer guy that is overly obsessed with irrelevant stuff. I was completely wrong. (well wrong about the put down anyway, you might be all those things I don't know) You have a passion and that passion is about as relevant as loving painting. In other words ENJOY, have at it, your having a great time, I learnt a lot and I became interested even when I have very little interest in it. In other words, you created inspiration about the topic with someone that didn't like you and you turned them around with your love of the topic. Well done Sir.
Could you please do a how to sharpen a khopesh or a any other swords like it? Oh and the is a great video keep up the good work, I actually am learning a lot from your videos.
I love this sword. Thanks for the review.
Interesting to think that that word you bought will still be around a 1000 years from now when everything around it will be long gone.
Pretty damn cool. I friggin love the khopesh.
AWESOME ancent style blade !
Game of Thrones TV Series used a Shotel as its Arakh. Originally in the A Song of Ice & Fire Books it was inspired by a Khopesh mixed with a Shotel. Basically a Khopesh with a Shotel's Curve and turned around.
One of my favorites.
Wow, after reading just the first few paragraphs I already think this Nick Burridge guy is an awesome person. Okay, I'm convinced. My perceptions towards bronze compared to iron has totally changed after watching this vid. Thanks, Skallagrim!
Glad to know that the video had some educational value. :)
iam going to buy that sword because of you and one of my dads best friends works for the railroad,and he sharpen metal so this would be right up his alley.
Fine choice of background here, three pre-dynastic pyramids (possibly those built by Djoser) contrasting with the famous pyramid complex of Khufu, ancient engineering marvels at their finest!
The khopesh is one of my favorite swords.
That is not a fire hammered sword but is a cast bronze sword. An excellent replica of the 3500 year old sword housed at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario Canada. By the look of it, it is nearly museum quality, minus the green patina and the wooden grips as opposed to the originals which are bone. It is well worth the money and then some to any serious collector.
i wonder how you are sure that its a replica of the ROM's khopesh? does neil burridge state this somewhere?
I liked this Video very much; thank you for your Insight ...but i´m curious ... were there any kind of scabbards or such things for these shape of blades ...? i wonder ... ;)
Awesome weapon....and awesome T-shirt :D
It looks so beautiful (the sword)
I remember playing around with a heavily corroded machete in my grandmother's backyard. It was more of a tool than a combat weapon so I did not like holding it by the grip as it was so damn heavy and unbalanced. I noticed, however that holding it by the ricasso (I guess you can call it that? I don't know, really) just above the grip compensates for the balance by a lot, and it also opens up options for two handed strikes (with the off-hand on the actual intended grip). I wrapped some newspaper on the ricasso part for a better grip and I had one of the most fun times I had with a long heavy blade (albeit an aged and rusted one) :)
I have always liked these swords.
I really like the Smith's reaction to your video.
You should do some experiments on the thrust: I've seen Mike Loades test a Khopesh and I seem to remember him saying that the tip of the blade and the handle were aligned in such a way that the thrust was as effective as a more conventional bronze sword..
are there longer versions of the weapon. it looks very capable with its edge , think of how much better it would be.
Although i totally understand your gripe about the grip,i also think that back in the time of actual use, that one would have likely been a "good one', if not flat out great, considering the amount of those than an armorer would have been making. Likely the nicest ones were kept very good track of, if the weilder fell the others in his brigade? (is that right? I have no idea the names of ancient egyptian formations,lol) would have been very attentive of that fact after the battle, if not during, and the scramble for the "good one" amongst he and his fellows would have been ON. it's also possible that arrangements were made made prior to entering the fray.
Hey Skall, got a question after seeing this:
The sword reminds me of the Dothraki sword from Game of Thrones. They describe it as being ideal for the Dothraki, since they tend to fight as a cavalry, so all of the energy from a strike comes from riding along with the horse, which makes the hook design useful. However, it's also described as being less effective in single combat on account of the low armour penetration.
So, Dothraki sword. Next fantasy weapon vid?
Oh sorry I just noticed, you did a video on this weapon!
That blade is beutiful. Never got a bronze blade (got a sizable colection of oriental blades, but all steel), and this one looks like something I'd LOVe to have! The balance is awsome, the shape lends it-self obviusly wel for slashing and chopping. Too bad its so expensive.
I use copper and bronze on some of the knives I make, and I'm a big fan of both. An interesting fact about copper and bronze is that they can be cold forged. That's the only way to harden them. If you run into a Smith that says he does the same with steel, thank him for his time, and run.
I'd really like to had one, just because I immensely love the ancient egyptian weapons ... maybe one day I'll buy one (for now it's too expensive for a thing I can't really use :D ) ... :D But it's really wonderfully made!
Its very attractive, even if it were not sharp it'd still be worth buying and wall hanging, as it is its just really cool.
Aw such a beautiful sword!
That is by far the best looking and most accurate design khopesh I ever saw
and it's not only bronze smiths, Swordsmiths using steel also make monstrous abominations and call them khopesh swords
by the war for pronunciation, you are doing just fine as far as an English speaker is concerned, the Egyptian pronunciation tends to be rather dragging in any language.. sounds a little bit like an Italian accent, so it would be something like Koo-pesh
Would be nice to see a review of an aztec obsidian cutting weapon
Im like you, i prefer the rough texture. It looks great. Im not surprised by the cutting power given its shape.
A thought has been sneaking into my mind recently... would a khopesh mounted on a pole like a halberd work, or would it just be silly? i was thinking a khopesh made of steel, mounted on a short pole not quite long enough to be a spear, but more like a 2 handed axe. the pole would be short enough to use with one hand, but long enough to gain distance advandage when wielding it with two hands, not to mention the extra power.
I love the khopesh and would love to know what you think of this idea.
Do you know the book "Swords and Swordsmen" by Mike Loades? It has a chapter about the Khopesh. He states that its actually very good at thrustng.
I really love the Khopesh :) , I also love how the Ancient Egyptians used them in battle, they would fight with a Khopesh & a shield, but not just any shield, just like the Khopesh isn't just any sword there shields where far from regular as well, many of there shields where made from woven reads, almost looking like an odd shaped wicker basket with leather on the outside these shields are strong enough to stop an arrow from a modern day composite bow dead in its tracks with little to no actual piercing of the shield :D
Egyptian army consisted of Nubians (Sudanese slaves), Egyptians and some mercenaries.
Nubians fought w/ spears, mercenaries w/ swords and Egyptians were archers :)
Hey Skal, can you review the Mambele, its nearly the opposite of the Khopesh, apparently meant to be weilded with the inside curve as the sharp side, from what I have seen.
that is one sexy sword, and that bronze is shinny as hell.
very pretty.
i agree, i would like to see one of these in steel.
Hey Skall, do you think a steel bladed version of that Khopesh would work? I like the thick spine on it but wouldn't steel work better than bronze?
I love the Khopesh, its my fave real world weapon
dam the Khopesh looks so cool
Some versions of the khopesh have a talon on the end, which could be used to pull down enemy shields. You then thrust the khopesh into the enemy's face!
This design, although unusual, is possibly the "grandfather" of all later swords. In prehistoric warfare, before swords, spears and axes were used (as well as other "forgotten" weapons, like sling-shots and such, even "hand-axes" which were basically sharpened stones held in ones hand), and the kopesh represents a "re-imagination" of a war axe. 3000 BC is amazingly old, and most people don't really know quite how old this is: It is basically as old as urban civilization, as old as the earlyest concepts of kings and governments. It most definitely has a connection to these simultaneous developments (not on its own, of course, but it is a great contributor of shaping humanity and cultures to come)
7:40 Waterproofing silicone gel? :D
or mix sawdust with superglue, fill the gaps, sandpaper and laqueur the grip
You should alway include your patreon in the description, and add a end screen with links to it, previous videos and stuff like that;)
I just purchased a carbon steel khopesh, it is notably wider and heavier than the one seen in this video. It isn't to the point where I'm basically carrying a paddle, but it does give it quite a bit of extra weight.
Any thoughts on why this would be the case?
Could you describe how you are swinging it and what muscle groups you are using? Are you swinging it like an axe or hammer with back and shoulder muscles, or more like a machete with a flicking thumb and index finger grip? Trying to gauge how it handles especially being 1.5lb. Also, nice review!
NICE review
Yeah I'm getting one of these.
Would like to try one of these, slightly bigger & with a wrapped handle :)
Love this channel
It was the same sword Ramases II used against the Hittites during the Battle of Kadesh.
Could you make the sword a little bit larger around the size of an Albion Caithness give it a guard and make it out of steel
You could place some kind of cloth or leather over the handle to make those small annoyances dissapear.
When you pointed out the balance on the weapon and that it cuts even if not so sharpened. Along with how ancient kopesh found still are in good condition really made me hooked into actualy wielding one and discovering how it feels.
I believe the balance on the weapon is the most important along with its weight. If there is a balance on the weapon that means that the design actualy has a purpose for the use of balance. Egyptians have done this many times, ranging from sturdy pyramids to the Ankh symbol that as a tool prolongs vibration.
So there is a mysterious mathematical notion on the design of the sword. Im not stating facts, but i believe the connection makes sense.
a more accurate handle would be tightly spun linen
Craft2299 well duh, Archimedes law of leverage, u put a 20 pound weight a 1/4 and a 10 pound weight 3/4 from the balance point the weight is balance (equal weight)
The only gripe I have with the khopesh is that it's quite short in length, but I like the sword as is overall. If I were to have one made especially for tall wielders like me, it would be 50-75 percent longer; give it a two handed hilt and it will be slightly thicker than normal.
I wish I could afford a khopesh because they're really cool. Not sure what I'd use it for though. It seems slightly too unwieldy to use for slicing bread or tomatoes. Cooking with bronze, now a lot more awesome.
But how well does it stand up to the ultimate fighting technique style katana? :p
God damn it skall. Now I want one
Dig the Goldenwolf shirt you got there :D
Any significant difference between Burridge's budget Khopesh and his full priced one? Thanks for the review.
I like the aesthetic of non-European blades like the Khopesh. Do you think you'll review any other unique curved blades in the future? Maybe something like a Shotel?
Sure, I just need to get my hands on functional reproductions.
What difference does the shape of a khopesh make on its usage compared to a more "regularly-shaped" curved sword of similar proportions and made of similar materials?
I'm no expert, but I think that particular shape made it possible for them to make it longer. I think the bend & backwards curve closer to the handle might behave like a shock absorber, similar to a recurve bow.
The reason the weapon cuts so well is because of the way the blade is shaped. It foucuses all of your swings kinetic energy into the curved part of the blade, similar to the kuhkri. Thus the weapon doesn't need to be as durable to do as much damage. Good for limb hacking, good for a single killing stroke.