Have not handled any antique niuweidao swords to make a comparability. I do agree that this one is a superb cutter. I also just like the plain no-nonsense fittings. This is my favorite manufacturing dao-sword in my collection. This sword is not heavy, but despite its shorter length, it’s still heavier than the Hanwei practical kung-fu sword,. It has the fitting measurement for practicing in my work-out room which I turned right into a Chinese Sword type training place, straight out of a 70’s Hong Kong Shaw brothers film

Some aesthetic options transmitted from China to the Islamic World would include:

1) Dragon/phoenix motifs at the fortes of medieval Persian double-edged sword blades

2) Dragon/phoenix/qilin motifs, plus patterns of clouds and lotus flowers, on Ottoman Turkish saber fittings, in the course of the reign of Sultan Suleiman, the Magnificent (who lived from 1495-1566)

I discovered the Roaring Dragon’s hilt to be very comfortable. After weeks of day by day use the cord wrapping remains to be tight and in good condition. The barely slick feel of the cord was advantageous as I switched back and forth between several types of grips, something that’s vital with a blade of this size. The oval cross part of the hilt also made edge control intuitive.