2200-Yr-Old Chinese Zweihander - LK Chen Striking Eagle Review w/ Ballistic Gel Human Analog Cutting

The Striking Eagle two-handed jian by LK Chen is an accurate reproduction of a 2200-year-old tomb find from the Mausoleum of King Zhao Mo. It has an impressive 41.5" (105.4 cm) blade and 59.2" (150.4 cm) overall length--almost identical in blade length to the Albion Maximilian late 15th century Germanic two-handed sword, but a hilt 5" longer. Shockingly, it weighs only half as much.

It has an octagonal (8-faceted) cross section on the blade to have 3 ridges on each side of the blade to ensure its rigidity and durability. The profile has more pronounced tapering than typical Chinese jian, from 30.1 mm down to 14.7 mm, and quite a significant distal tapering from 7.3 mm thick at the base evenly down to 2.6 mm at 5 cm from the tip. Although quite lightweight at 1236g (2.7 lbs) for its size, and very nimble, both cut and thrust carry substantial authority thanks to the less pronounced hollow ground central facets on the octagonal cross section, comparing to the Roaring Dragon--another two-handed jian by LK Chen that's slightly shorter. In the review I compare them extensively.

You will also see the Striking Eagle side-by-side with a typical late-period single-handed jian of a 28" blade, and next to the majestic Albion Maximilian, which the Striking Eagle shares a lot of traits with, such as the reach, and 8-faceted cross section, even the handling dynamics, despite only half as narrow, as made 1700 years prior.

The cutting performance is spectacular considering its small mass. I was able to cleave a human thigh analog made of 15% ballistic gel with a central wooden dowel in half repeatedly. Comparing to European two-handed swords like the Albion Maximilian that I reviewed last month, this two-handed jian is significantly more cost-efficient in terms of energy expenditure.

In the video, I also presented its extensive history from the Spring-and-Autumn and Warring-States period of the Zhou Dynasty, to later Qin and Han Dynasty. It bridges the gap between earlier-period bronze jian with octagonal cross sections and later-period jian of diamond cross sections. Being one of the first steel swords--especially of this size--made by mankind.

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