Cold Steel Training Sword - Made of High-Impact Polypropylene

This Cold Steel Gladius Trainer is a very good training sword that handles well and can take a lot of abuse. We picked up two of these so my teen son and I could learn a little bit about sword fighting, and it is really a lot of fun. The Gladius is a great sword to start out on since it is a reasonable length, without being too unwieldy, and is a very effective weapon. The practice sword has a good weight and feels good in the hand after adding Jaybird and Mais 6000 Jayco Co-Adhesive Grip Tape to allow a better hold. The blade is very dull and has blunt tip, which is exactly what we want in a training sword to keep injures to a minimum. On that note, you do want to wear protective gear when sparring since a shot to knuckles, knee, or head with one of these will hurt (seriously) so we usually use our karate hand and head gear with knee and shin pads. We have other Cold Steel products and find that they are a good value for what you get, with these being no exception. Highly Recommended! CFH

You want a training sword to be properly rigid, lifelike in appearance and size, and to be as close to indestructible as possible. Cold Steel has a long tradition of making superior training weapons, and have delivered yet another winner with their Gladius. First, the sword feels "just right" in the hand. The weight is well balanced, not too heavy but not too light. The grip is very good for my medium-sized hands and is not too slippery when wet from sweat. People who wear gloves medium size and above will have no problems. People with very small hands may find themselves having to develop more forearm strength - not a bad outcome if you ask me. Though made from plastic (not just any type of plastic though) it is very stiff and will not easily bend when you hit a training dummy. It's also as close as you can economically get with plastic. After sustained use with a dummy target, my Gladius has some slight surface scratching but barely has a nick along the edge. If you're looking for something to swing around while watching Gladiator or Spartacus, this is just the right trainer for you.

Want to know what it feels like to swing a gladius? This is what you want. It's correctly weighted and balanced for quality training. EXTREMELY high quality construction will leave you with no fear of breaking or damaging this trainer even when putting it through its paces at high speed. I would expect nothing less from Cold Steel. All genuine cold steel products are virtually indestructible. Unfortunately, Cold Steel does not currently manufacture a real gladius. Notes to anyone who is actually looking at this item: a gladius is worn on the strong side, and is not cross-drawn. This is because you need to be able to draw it in tight formation without cutting your buddy. With a strong-side draw, the point will travel across the front of your own body. Also, there's not a whole lot of information out there on proper gladius technique. Be aware that the methods used in actual combat were completely different than the methods used in the arena. In actual combat, it was all about tight infantry formations, staying behind a wall of shields, advancing with small steps, and giving the enemy a small poke with only the last 4 inches of the blade whenever he got close. Use in the arena was much more similar to "modern" swordplay (i.e. think about defensive and offensive quadrants of the body... way too much to explain here... get some professional training if you actually want to learn)

I just got this as a trainer for my Windlass Steelcrafts "Hoplite's sword", which is to say a gladius with a smaller pommel. Apart from that smaller pommel on the live blade, this trainer matches my sword nearly perfectly and now I can finally drill for it against a human.... without killing said human. I only just got this yesterday, but I took it to practice last night and got in some light drilling. Great weight and good impact surfaces. The point may be a LITTLE harsh for really strong thrusts and stabs, but if that turns out to be the case, well, that's what sand paper is for- to clarify, this thing won't penetrate unless you shoot it out of a rail gun, I'm just saying the thrusting impact may be a really strong punch, and depending upon your headgear it may slip through the bars of more open face masks (I'm looking at you, hockey and lacrosse helmets). Glad I bought this.

It feels good, but isn't very realistic. -Counterweight is a HUGE bulb on the pommel, looks goofy (even for Gladius standards) -Even with counterweight, center of mass (shown in pic) is very far forward -Blade has safety text on both sides So if you want realistic handling/looks, avoid this. If you just want to train hard so something easier becomes a breeze, this adds a challenge.

I know this is typically a product for adults but imma awsome big brother and got this for my 6yr old lil bro. Not recomended to give to just any kid this may be a training gladius but its still a weapon in its own right. My little bro loves it he was beating the crap out of bricks,rocks,wood and even a large old school metal grill and its taken very little damage just a few minor scratches. Its well balanced and feels great in my hands. My moms mad but o well.... Overall price/his smile and fun with a hint of swordsmanship training this was an amazing deal. He weilds it very well and has yet to hit a person with it. I wouldnt get this for anyone his age but him. Hes very well behaved and diciplened. Light enough even a small child could weild it with ease yet durable enough to take some real abuse. Good buy for me at least.

It's durable, looks great, and affordable. The blade is thicker and blunt like a club. But it has some weight to it so it's perfect for getting a feel for a real sword. Overall it serves it's function.

Great solid product to have. May be pricy but will not destroy or cut stuff. Nephew loved it and instantly became a spartan. 10/10 recommended

いいゾ～これ。女なら両手で握れるかもしれないけど男はねぇ無理無理！振りますよーふるふる 素材はしっかりとしていて指紋でベタつかないしっかりとした造りだ。

Bei mir war das Schwert nach drei Tagen. Der Knauf wirkt auf den ersten Blick etwas sperrig, aber er balanciert das Schwert wunderbar aus so das es sich wirklich hervorragend führen lässt. Das Material macht einen sehr soliden Eindruck, ist aber auch etwas schwerer als man vielleicht bei einem Kunststoff vermuten würde (Deshalb ist es eher nichts für ein leichtes Freikampf-Training ohne Schutz!). Es scheint außerdem sehr stabil und fühlt sich trotzdem bei schnellen Bewegungen tatsächlich -wie vom Hersteller beschrieben- nicht ganz so starr an wie eine vergleichbare Holzwaffe. Kurzum: Handling, Verarbeitung und Praxistauglichkeit sind wirklich gut. Ich bin sehr zufrieden mit diesem Trainingsschwert und kann den Kauf nur weiterempfehlen!

Just wow. Nice weight. Great practice sword

El gladius es aceptable. En la mano es bastante ligero. Me sirve para hacer ejercicios de práctica individual. No lo usaré para la práctica de la esgrima con otras personas por su rigidez y dureza, que lo hacen peligroso; es básicamente lo mismo que si fuera de madera.

鍔付きトレーニングソードは重心が先端に寄り過ぎていたのですが、 こちらは柄頭の球状の飾り故か短めの刀身故かそういうこともなく、 片手で振り回すのに丁度いい長さと重さです。 柄頭が球状なので左手も添え易く、両手持ちにもある程度対応可能です。 刀身が短めのため、狭い家屋の中でも振れて気軽なエクササイズになります。 バックラー と相性がいいので、併せてお勧め。