who makes a good short sword?

[QuickStrike]

LOL, that Home Shopping Network bloppers video was funny as hell.
That's an example of an extremely poor quality decorative sword though and not a premium quality stainless blade like the AUS8 from Junglee or 440C that Entrek uses that both have a higher carbon rate than your low quality stainlesses and higher quality than that 2 dollar sword in the video.

If a blade can't stand up to some simple chopping there's a serious problem in the quality of steel and heat treatment.
Think of all the survival/combat knives out there today using quality stainless and are used for chopping all the time.
The Entrek and Junglee are really just a longer knife though, and if someone's looking for an actual battle ready practice sword for heavy contact there certainly are better choices, but what the OP's desired use for his short sword purpose are only he knows.
For me these days either would just be a blade that would split work in being a machete, and defensive tool for my BO rig "if" it ever came to that, but otherwise I'd just be practicing with it regulary open air, no contact and it's still more novelty than common use work blade regardless.

I'd still use carbon steel for choppers just to be safe. Himalayan Import's Kukris are made from spring steel. From salvaged leaf springs of cars.

[Shihan]

Anyone make a more modern sheath for a kukri?

[K.L. Davis]

Anyone make a more modern sheath for a kukri?

S&W's is nylon, Ka-Bar's is leather and nylon, Cold Steel's is nylon an iirc has a kydex tip... and there are several all kydex sheaths out there for the kukri.

[Cold Zero]

Anyone make a more modern sheath for a kukri?

Check out Deployment Solutions. They make custom kydex sheathes. $45 for a small, or $50 for a large Kukri sheath. I have two of their sheaths, good stuff, fast turn around.

[Shihan]

Thanks