Many of Cold Steel's better swords, like this Hand-and-a-Half Sword in black leather and steel, have the look and feel of good tools. Remaking old designs with new processes and materials, Cold Steel creates traditional weapons which aren't traditional. They just work.
A little of the art may have been set aside, but if you're looking strictly for a usable sword at a reasonable price, Cold Steel makes it. The 42-5/8-inch-long Cold Steel hand-and-a-half sword, a three-pound longsword with a double-edged 1055 high carbon steel blade 33-1/2 inches long, passed all the imaginative tests that Cold Steel engineers love to devise. It slashes heavy rope, chops heavy cardboard tubing, bends to 90 degrees without damage, pierces oranges on the fly, and if you need to cut up some meat for the barbeque grill quickly, try this sword.
These are all reasonable (if not remarkable) tests, and they do prove that the sword has good flexibility, speed, and holds an edge well. The choice of 1055 spring steel rather than the usual 440 stainless steel of display weapons makes this a sword of the same quality as a good wushu blade. In China, it would not quite be combat quality, but it's good enough for kung fu practice. Cold Steel builds these for self defense, and there's no way to argue that swords like the Hand-and-a-Half fall short of that goal. This blade is good enough for the Mad Max scenario.
The solid steel pommel on its strong rat tail tang forms the basis for a sturdy and simple hardwood grip covered with black leather. The sword's matching scabbard of leather-clad hardwood finished with steel fittings looks better and stronger than many Chinese scabbards built for higher quality weaponry.
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