Some reference for that?

There is not a single reference to the weight of the weapon in that article really.

Yeah, but far heavier means nothing in terms of weight. I cant really imagine a hollow stick filled with electronics weighting more than a full steel telescopic baton, and that weapon is actually chore to use in both hands, due to the balance. I have one of these so I am certain on that front.

10Kg??? Sorry but no, even your heaviest two handed swords didn't weight more than 4 kilograms.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zweih%C3%A4nder

This is pretty much one of the heaviest widspread swords fielded on battlefields known to man, still usable as sword, but used as short spear most of the time. I don't really know how did people came to believe medieval european swords were as heavy as 10kg, but please believe me, this not a case realistically.

Also, medieval swords went as far as to weight several kilograms, because of the weight of the blade, which is pretty much not the case with lighsaber, as the ''blade'' is simply a beam of weightless light.

Well, the thing is that while being in combat, you move your whole body, and you strike as fast as you can, as opposed to simply trying to raise what you hold in certain manner repeatedly. It is much more tiring than it looks, especially if you wear something like suit of metalarmor.

Also, the thing about the weight, I cannot fanthom what possible material would a hollow rod with some electronics and a small crystal have to be to weight over 5 kg, let alone five times as much, while still being able to be destroyed by something like factory press, as shown in episode 2.

Hell even a claymore made out of depleted uranium wouldn't weight even half of that, let alone a small metal rod, made out of mandalorian iron/durasteel, which are supposed to be pretty similar to real life steel in characteristics and density.

It makes for really good disposable vehicle armor, as it is dense and soft (think lead but with higher density), but well, imagine lead sword... that would suck pretty hard

I used that comparison because depleted uranium is one of materials with highest density available to humanity, if not THE material with highest density, so anything out of it is going to be real heavy.

Hahaha that would be funny. But yeah, you wouldn't have to make the head as big because it would be as heavy as a steel head twice of its size. Now that I think about it, if combined with some other material, you could make a war-hammer with incredibly concentrated field of impact, while having it retain the weight of your garden-variety steel war-hammer.

But then again, even though it is called depleted uranium, it still actually emits radiation.

You are right about that. Science was not exactly advanced back then.

Jesus Christ only seeing that picture makes muscles on my arms hurt

No shame about that, passion for the trade is important, not what gear you use.

Also, yeah, I think you are pretty much right on the account of Lucas pulling the stuff out of his bottocks. I mean, it would be understandable if they used something like katanas, but with edge being etched out and replaced with some kind of laser emmiter and receiver like in the picture, to be usable with kendo techniques.

*far heavier than I imagined*

My bad, messed up the phrasing.

That is not how it works. Any weapon has a certain limit on how hard can it hit, based either from its sharpness, or weight. At certain weight threshold, you will be unable to make your swings any more hard hitting even if you switch from using one hand, to using both. This is why you dont for example use both hands when handling light one handed swords. It simply offers no benefit whatsoever.

This is especially the case for lightsabers as they are incredibly light and sharp (sharpness is a figure of speech here, they dont have any cutting edge but the point still stands).

In my opinion, count Dooku is one of the few in SW universe, who uses the light saber in a proper manner, as using using both of your hands is simply completely redundant with a weapon like this.

Even with a certain amount of inertia, a lightsaber is going to be considerably easier to maneuver with one handed than a metal sword of half the lenght and blade width, which are already unwieldy when used two handed.

Those people do present some interesting arguments, however this does not co-relate with anything I have seen in the movies, where they show the swords as being flashlights with weightless beam of light sticking out of them.

Depends on what weapon you use. Something tip heavy like an axe or a mace? Yeah. But a flashlight with weightless beam sticking out of it? Hell no. Balance of a weapon is important thing to consider when using it, and if lighsabers actually existed, those using them as rapier would have incredible advantage over those who use them like two handed swords, simply because rapier style is focused on speed and precision, fields where lighsabers absolutely squander any opposition.

Strength becomes completely irrelevant with a weapon that can effortlessly cut plates of steel like paper.

I mean, I understand it looks cool from cinematic point of view to swing them like baseball bats, but those weapons are completely unfit for two handed usage.

Arming swords do have weight to them though, considerably more than lighsaber handle can ever have. The thing is, one handed usage allows of much greater deal of mobility and freedom of movement, since you dont have to switch stance sides to ensure your other hand will not end up limiting the range of your motion, which is my biggest irk when using two handed weapons.

I understand that there are certain reasons, but judging from how they moved while dueling in the movie, it seems extremely unreasonable to use kendo stance, techniques and moves, while using something as unbalanced and hilt centered like light saber. The weapon is practically begging to be used for quick repeated lunges and wrist focused light slashes, since there is practically zero weight behind the blade.

But well, rule of cool applies I suppose. I mean, movies like those, they aren't probably made with demography like us in mind.

Well, I will have to disagree with you there. Fencing has gotten prominent because it made plate armor effectively useless, while also allowing the fencer practically to dance around anyone encased in heavy armor, delivering quick and effective attacks while making it pretty much impossible for the opposition to do the same.

What you see nowadays is people using foils and toys like that, but the fact is that by the time fencing became widespread, weapons associated with that style were fairly light, rigid, and extremely pointy, sort of like lightsabers that are practically same, except they can also cut and can cut damn well.


The main appeal with longsword is that it allows for wide range of movements and techniques, while having enough weight and balance to be used both against fast, and heavy opponents. But When you have a melee weapon that weights practically nothing, while being able to cut practically through anything and everything, the only remaining desirable attributes are speed and mobility, pretty much two attributes where fencing style excels.

I agree fencing style is not the best of any style, because with every combat discipline, there is a weapon type best suited for it, but it is most certainly best style for usage with light-saber in my opinion, as it focuses on speed, mobility, and simple and fast movements.

Also, the argument that two handed grip is is more controllable is only true if the weapon is too heavy to be used one handed without any problems. If it is, then using both hands is downright uncomfortable, since it doesn't keep any residual energy from your attack to allow easier stance recovery, or continuation of attack, something I prefer to call flow, which is extremely important, as most weapons styles including kendo have great deal of focus on utilizing the weight and residual energy in their techniques.

I mean try to take a light knife with long handle and swing it a couple of times one handed, then try swinging it with both hands afterwards.

Fencing is exceedingly violent? How is fencing any more violent compared to more archaic styles while using weapons like two handed swords?

Also, as I have said when a weapon is too light the weight will simply mess with your movements, making them too fast and unbalanced. At least that is the case for me as I use the weapon as counterweight for advanced maneuvers, momentum conservation, and stance recovery. It is a chore to use a weightless weapon two handed as it doesn't allow for any smooth transition between attacks.

Also, I will have to disagree with the notion that using fencing techniques would lead you to losing at arm. I mean yes Anakin did that to Dooku at the start of episode 3, but then again, Dooku did the same to Anakin episode earlier.

Any swordman worth their salt is going to learn how to parry in a manner as to keep their opponents from cutting off their arms and fingers, and In my opinion, fencing is actually much safer than using the weapon as longsword, because it revolves around staying behind your weapon at all times.

''And no, if your two handed argument were valid the katana and longsword would only be used in one hand or both not swap from one to both, there are situations that benefit one or two handed styles, and restricting yourself to just one or the other gimps you in the situations where you need the other because you don't practice it.''

Except that longsword is in a category of swords too heavy for comfortable one handed usage, unless the user is strong enough, and katana is a sword without pommel with blade heavy balance. Both of them are weapons not suited better for one handed usage than for two handed usage. Lightsaber on the other hand is a flashlight with a beam sticking out of it, weighting practically nothing, with pommel heavy balance.

''Numerous styles focus on speed and precision, one of the most over hyped japanese styles is about killing your opponent with the drawing of your blade, something i think would be extremely effective with lightsabers, but yet again its far too violent to be adopted by the jedi.''

Even If I were to ignore the fact the jedi would have to ambush their target at the lenght of their lightsabers to utilize something like that, what I have meant was continuous focus on speed and precision, not sudden attacks meant to quickly end the fight.

In fact, Iaijutsu is focused on element of surprise and quick elimination of your opponent, not switching between active defense and aggressive offense like fencing is. Besides I am not even sure if there would be any point in using Iaijutsu techniques without having any scabbard to speak of.

''Japanese styles are like dance routines, and the person who dances best wins far more often than not, which i cant say for fencing, sure it happens more often than not, but not as much as with japanese styles. In japanese culture a double is a sign of extremely even matches, yet i see doubles happen between good fencers against bad fencers all the time.''

The problem is that modern fencing is done with foil, a wobbly weapon too hard to follow properly and use properly, which is the reason for doubles to happen so often really. Give both fencers a backsword and you will see their control and reaction times will improve dramatically, if only because the blade is solid (allowing for better parrying and blocking), and more easily visible.

''Japan having a story of someone beating the **** out of a bunch of robbers with nothing but a boats oar, because rather than need a balanced blade with quillons of this length, a guard of this diameter and a pommel this heavy to be the most effective''

I am almost positive that person (If this is true at all, as Japan also has stories of people cutting solid rocks in half) used the oar as polearm, rather than sword. If you tried to use something as heavy and unbalanced as that as sword, I can guarantee it would end badly, especially if the person in question is outnumbered.

*If it isn't, then using both hands is downright uncomfortable*

*A sword with s single edged curved blade.* Sorry for the grammar, not exactly feeling best today.