Cold Steel Training Sword - Made of High-Impact Polypropylene, One Size, Gladius Trainer

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.

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

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.

Durable and effective trainer.

Great product! Quality is great, feels balanced and strong. Unfortunately on day one of training the handle broke off. I believe this to be due to an air bubble in this blade.I bought two, and the second blade is in great shape still!Overall still recommend as I am using it without the handle and it still works well!

The Coldsteel Gladius Sword Trainer has very beautiful design and very durable quality. It is very comfy with the grip and heavy weight of the trainer. It can be trained together with a Coldsteel Shield or a blade. It is value for money. I am very glad with the purchase. Thank you very much.

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)