United has really stepped it up!
First off, the sheath isn't the best but for $50, who cares! The blade has proven to be much tougher than it expected it to be. It's not a very thick blade, and it will wobble if you shake it hard enough. Don't let that fool you. I've recently found out that 1060 iis favored among sword makers for its flexibility and hardness. It has a perfect balance. I was able to hack two fat logs in half with no damage too the blade. It didn't even dull it. It has a perfect balance for throwing like a spear. I've done that once and the blade went about 3 inches into a tree. I was afraid it would break the tip, but it is still needle sharp. I kinda abused it thinking that it was too flimsy...I don't think that anymore. In fact, if the same product was made with a harder steel, I doubt it would of held up to how I was testing it. As long as you hit hard targets at a clean angle, it will stay sharp. It's sharp out of the box. I didn't think it was that sharp at first, than I sliced my finger while trying to adjust the shoulder strap. Be careful when doing that because the plastic toggle came undone and the blade unsnapped and fell to the ground barely touching my finger. I had to get stitches. The cut was deep but so clean that I didn't feel the pain right away. It really doesn't need to be any sharper than it is out of the box. The balance, weight, and leaf shaped blade will all work together to chop or slice through more than you think. That's another thing, the weight. It is so light and balanced you can easily use it one handed. I don't recommend doing that until you've gotten used too the blade. The cut in my finger has made me respect this blade and use with caution. It's always my favorite blades that I end up cutting myself on. I've never had to get stitches because of it though. I want to give a shout out to United. It's like they have read my mind with the designs of their 2016 line of products. I can't wait for the Honshu war sword to come out. This Thai gladius is a really fun design.,I think it is the imagination of their latest products that have really moved them up in front of my other favorite blade manufacturers. Not to mention the price. My last three purchases from Budk have been United Cutlery products, and they have all exceeded my expectations. I'm now thinking about buying a higher quality sword from them as a result. I'm guilty of thinking of United as a poor boys Cold Steel. Now I'm seeing much better performance and originality than Cold Steel or any other competitor. Sometimes a low price can turn people away. Don't be stupid like me. Give United a chance before wasting your money on some over priced pease of hype.
4.7 ( 10 reviews)
