Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Weapons of the Chinese Green Standard Army

josh stout · 9th June 2017, 01:20 AM

The piandao seems to have substantial documentation but very few examples. I once owned one of utilitarian manufacture with a medium length blade (60-62cm), very thick at the guard (~1cm) that was clearly meant to be used one handed. It was a smooth curve to an acute point with a typical village made disk guard and Chinese elm handle. The blade was excellent steel but had a crack in the edge from heavy use. It seemed appropriate for the “tiger men” who supposedly used such things.

There is also a rare giant two-handed version that I suppose would also be called a piandao (shuangshu piandao?). I have an example of somewhat rustic manufacture but very heavily built. I have a feeling the front lines didn’t spend too much on weapon decoration. There is supposedly a much nicer version in a Russian museum listed as a “Chinese Cavalry saber”, but I think these were exclusively the weapons of foot soldiers. As a mutual friend said, “these were used under horses, not on top of them.”

9th June 2017, 01:20 AM	#16
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	The piandao seems to have substantial documentation but very few examples. I once owned one of utilitarian manufacture with a medium length blade (60-62cm), very thick at the guard (~1cm) that was clearly meant to be used one handed. It was a smooth curve to an acute point with a typical village made disk guard and Chinese elm handle. The blade was excellent steel but had a crack in the edge from heavy use. It seemed appropriate for the “tiger men” who supposedly used such things. There is also a rare giant two-handed version that I suppose would also be called a piandao (shuangshu piandao?). I have an example of somewhat rustic manufacture but very heavily built. I have a feeling the front lines didn’t spend too much on weapon decoration. There is supposedly a much nicer version in a Russian museum listed as a “Chinese Cavalry saber”, but I think these were exclusively the weapons of foot soldiers. As a mutual friend said, “these were used under horses, not on top of them.”