Chinese Spear Sword

Explore our collection of Chinese spear-sword collectibles - distinctive Chinese blade forms that combine the reach of a spear with the cutting capability of a sword, including pole-mounted blade configurations and the extended reach Chinese blade traditions. Built with full-tang high-carbon steel and authentic Chinese-style fittings, these unusual pieces represent some of the most distinctive collectibles in the Chinese blade category. Free US shipping and hassle-free returns are included.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Chinese spear-sword and pole weapon forms exist in the Chinese tradition?
Chinese military history produced several important pole weapon forms that blend sword and spear characteristics into distinctive blade configurations. The guandao - named after the legendary Three Kingdoms warrior Guan Yu who is depicted carrying one - is a large single-edged blade mounted on a long staff, combining the cutting power of a heavy single-edged sword with the reach of a spear. In Chinese martial culture, the guandao is associated with Guan Yu's legendary strength and has been a symbol of martial virtue for two thousand years. The yanyuedao - the crescent moon blade - is another pole-mounted blade with a distinctive curved form that appears in both military and martial arts traditions. The dadao in its pole-mounted configurations represents a different approach, mounting a large single-edged blade on a medium-length handle to create a two-handed reach weapon. The Japanese naginata, which developed from Chinese pole weapon imports during the Tang Dynasty, is the closest Japanese parallel to these Chinese blade-on-pole forms and shows the direct influence of Chinese military weapons on Japanese martial tradition.
What is the guandao and why is Guan Yu associated with it?
The guandao is a Chinese pole weapon consisting of a large, heavy, single-edged blade mounted on a long wooden staff. The blade is typically 24 to 36 inches long with a hook or back-spike at the blade base, mounted on a staff of 5 to 7 feet, giving the complete weapon an overall length that provides significant reach advantage over any conventional sword. Guan Yu - the historical Three Kingdoms general who became one of the most widely worshipped figures in Chinese religious culture - is depicted in all traditional Chinese art as carrying a guandao called the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. His association with this weapon made the guandao one of the most symbolically charged blade forms in Chinese culture: it became the standard weapon depicted in images of Guan Yu as the god of war, righteousness, and brotherhood, and guandao forms became associated with these Guan Yu virtues in Chinese martial and religious culture. Today, guandao practice is a significant part of traditional Chinese martial arts training, and guandao collectibles are sought by martial arts practitioners, collectors of Guan Yu imagery, and admirers of Chinese pole weapon tradition.
How does a Chinese spear-sword or extended blade collectible differ from a conventional sword?
A Chinese spear-sword or extended blade collectible differs from a conventional sword in its overall proportions, its handling and display requirements, and the specific Chinese blade tradition it represents. Where a conventional single-handed Chinese jian or dao is sized for one-handed or light two-handed use in the 35 to 45 inch overall length range, a spear-sword or pole weapon configuration extends to 60 to 90 inches or more in overall length and is sized for two-handed use with the extended reach that the longer handle provides. The display requirements are correspondingly different: horizontal wall space, mounting hardware weight ratings, and the positioning of support brackets all need to be appropriate to the greater length and weight of extended blade forms. The blade itself in a spear-sword configuration may be a full-size sword blade mounted at the end of a staff, or it may be a specialized pole weapon blade form like the guandao blade that is designed specifically for the leverage and reach advantages of the pole mounting. Both types are represented in this collection.
What display considerations apply to Chinese spear-sword collectibles?
Chinese spear-sword and pole weapon collectibles require more specific display planning than conventional swords because of their exceptional length. The first step is measuring the available display space accurately: a full-size guandao or yanyuedao replica may have an overall length of 70 to 90 inches, requiring a wall span of this full dimension plus clearance margins at each end - a total of 7 to 8 feet of horizontal wall space with no interruptions from windows, doors, or other artwork. The mounting hardware must be rated for the weight of the complete piece, which for large pole weapon forms may be 4 to 6 pounds or more. Three support points - one at each end of the display and one in the center - provide the safest mounting for long pole weapons, as the center support prevents the piece from sagging under its own weight at the midpoint. For shorter pole-mounted blade configurations in the 50 to 65 inch range, a standard two-bracket mount with hardware into wall studs is typically sufficient. A floor-standing display stand is an alternative for collectors who prefer not to wall-mount, providing stability for the pole weapon's base while leaning the upper portion against the wall.

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