The jian is a traditional Chinese double edged sword with a long standing heritage going back 2500 years or more. The first Chinese sources that mention the jian date to the 7th century BCE. These swords historically have an average blade length of 29″ (73.5cm) and a weight of anywhere between 1.5 to 2.2 pounds (700gr to 1kg).
We are quite fortunate to have Sifu Robert Devey as our chief eastern sword specialist and master sword builder. His experience and insight went into designing our combat simulators and we are sure you will find these to be the most accurate training and tournament simulators on the market.
We started with the blade. Traditional weight and dimensions are key to making an accurate combat simulator. Historically speaking, these swords are quite heavy and the blade carried a great deal of presence. We decided that offering two blade sizes was the best starting point for the diverse groups that utilize these sparring swords. While both blade variants are of common profile, we added 2 inches to the overall length to adjust for the size of the modern practitioner. These blade profiles are specifically made to fit our Jian hardware, they won’t easily fit any of our other products.
The first is a historically accurate average 34mm wide* blade offered only in an F4+ stiffness, made specifically for the training groups that require accurate weight and balance and do not adhere to any flex requirements (or the truly accurate lack of flex). This blade weighs 630 grams and is perfect for focusing on form as well as combat. The second is based on the more narrow side of the historical spectrum at 26mm wide* and is offered in an F3 or F4 flex. This narrower blade is 500 grams and is perfect for safe HEMA and SCA C&T combat.
Next we looked at two specific common guard variants. Both designs having long running traditional roots but are commonly dated to the Ching dynasty. The first is what we affectionately refer to as the “Cloud” style with its iconic lobes and points. These were often embossed with faces, lions and other illustration. The second design is commonly seen in cinema and more accurately reflects the Republic style swords. We refer to this guard as the “Bat” style as it resembles a bat shape in flight. This guard style has also been attributed to the shape of a Lotus flower mid bloom. These guards are sold in a bright finish only.
For the pommel and grip we took the most common shape and size variant and copied them as closely as possible. The construction of the full guard, grip and pommel is made more solid by having all 3 parts nest inside one another. Finally an M6 threaded pin tightens everything down snugly. This means, yes! the parts are modular and can be mixed and matched! Enjoy building your Jian below!
When it comes down to offering an accurate sparring simulator this is simply one of our best. Research and experience coupled with the finest quality materials make this something of a marvel to wield.
- Two 31″ (74.4 cm) long blade variants: 34mm wide* and 26mm wide*.
- Two guard styles.
- 5-1/2″ (14 cm) grip space with the proprietary PLA contoured grip.
- Proprietary contoured pommel.
- M6 threaded pin (which requires an M4 allen wrench)
- Total weight: 26mm blade- 850 grams, 34mm blade- 1kg.
- 34mm blade- F4+ flex.
- 26mm blade- F3 or F4 flex available.
- Blades fit #2 safety tip.
*width measured at the forte.
