Ladies and gentlemen:

I have recently fallen back into the sword affliction. I started off simply enough, with a Windlass Steelcrafts Qama (very much like unto a Roman Gladius, but in actuality a Persian and/or Central Asian dagger/sword) and the madness has crept into me.

In honor of my Scots forefathers, Scots culture, and quite frankly "getting another sword" I am now in the market for a decent, functional basket hilted backsword. (A backsword is a single edged blade, whereas the broadsword is a double edged blade.) My interest is mostly in "light cutting" of two liter water bottles.

I know we're a mad rabble here, and mayhap someone amongst us fancies this type of blade, and can provide some guidance.

Paul Chen/Hanwei and Cold Steel each offer basket hilted broadswords, and Hanwei offers a basket hilted backsword . . . but I've heard some sketchy things about actually using the Hanwei European swords for, well, cutting.

I may be asking in entirely the wrong place, but they told us at boot camp that the only stupid question was the question you were too stupid to ask. So I ask!