Hanwei Rodell Cutting Dao

This Dao was designed by renowned Chinese Martial Artist Scott Rodell to be a performance cutting sword and its blade shape, balance and handling properties optimize it for decisive cutting capability. The blade is forged from 5160 high carbon steel and the blade has a thick edge which gives it needed rigidity, durability and mass to power it through a strike. The spine tapers substantially toward the main cutting portion of the sword to both ensure it is not tip heavy and to create a thinner and flatter blade section in this area to minimize drag as it passes through a target. From its raised mid-section the blade edge has a long and gently sloping plane to give the edge a fine angle for cutting without creating a blade body which is too thin and brittle.

The guard and pommel are cast from stainless steel and the wooden grip is inlaid with panels of red-dyed genuine rayskin which is wrapped within a tight woven leather wrap of fine quality leather. The sword is matched with a companion scabbard of polished wood with stainless steel fittings.

Scott M. Rodell has a career in the Chinese martial arts that includes over thirty years of study in Yang Style Taijiquan. He has learned under the tutelage of several masters in both China and the USA. He is the founding Director of the Great River Taoist Center, which is headquartered in Virginia. He has also authored several books on the Chinese swordsmanship arts.