Sword Fans? :3

[Unusual Jess]

Swords. I love them. If this topic [or one similar] exists, I apologize. The search feature and I do not always get along. Especially if it's being crabby and I'm tired. ;3

 

Soooo.... any other sword fans? If so, is it purely aesthetic for you, or do your interests veer more towards the practical or tangible side (do you like them as art, or do you enjoy the feel of them in your hand? do you use them in martial arts, backyard cutting/tameshigiri, or utility roles, or do you just hang them on the wall? essentially) If this applies to you, do you prefer any regianal variety [European (Eastern or Western), Middle Eastern, Asian, American (South or North), African, etc] over another? One-Handed, Two-Handed? Thoughts [if any] on fuller or bo-hi? Tachikaze (♥♥♥ btw)? Do you own any? If so, how many; are they functional? I'm sure I could think of more, buuuuuuuuuut I'm not sober and there's things to be done around here, so let's see where it goes.

Personally I prefer Japanese and early western European blades, katanas and arming swords more specifically. I do cut with mine, but I love the aesthetics too. The curves, how the metals are forged together, the color and shine, the intricacies of tsuba or shapes of hilts, there's beauty in it. And solace in kata, tameshigiri, and even maintenance of the sword. I own 4 katanas (Musashi, Masahiro, Munetoshi, and Ronin), and will more than likely get more through the years [I REALLY want a Feilong and Cheness]. All of mine are functional. As for bo-hi, I really prefer not having one, but it does tend to sound better.

[flutie]

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

I always like the old west cavalry saber, too many John Wayne movies, and the marine dress saber, full dress marine with saber, says i look awesome and can whip your ass

[dharvinia]

I make my own swords here is a few pictures of some of them:

Pompeii Blade like the ones made in that town

Raw hilt before drilling and attaching to the tang

Hilt attached.

[Unusual Jess]

 

On 4/15/2018 at 10:35 AM, dharvinia said:

I make my own swords here is a few pictures of some of them:

Pompeii Blade like the ones made in that town

Raw hilt before drilling and attaching to the tang

Hilt attached.

 

Very nice!

[winny257]

On 15.4.2018 at 4:35 PM, dharvinia said:

 

Spoiler

I make my own swords here is a few pictures of some of them:

Pompeii Blade like the ones made in that town

Raw hilt before drilling and attaching to the tang

Hilt attached.

 

Oh, I am amazed. 
I love swords, I also have some, most are duplicates, but also originals, very expensive. 

for me only as a collector's item 

 

Spoiler

 

 

[dharvinia]

  I also make shields too.

This is a shield press, you have to make this too.

 

This is a Roman shield so the handle is placed like this.

 

This is who I make shields for.  I also make armour they wear.

 

[MadMansGun]

i mostly have Hanwei swords:

Practical Pro katana

Practical Ninja-To (fake black rayskin version)

Practical broadsword (the scabbard sucks)

Practical Tai Chi Sword (it was on sale)

Zatoichi (rosewood version)

 

and a United Cutlery "Black Ronin Ninja Sword" (a cheap machete)

[Unusual Jess]

9 hours ago, MadMansGun said:

i mostly have Hanwei swords:

Practical Pro katana

Practical Ninja-To (fake black rayskin version)

Practical broadsword (the scabbard sucks)

Practical Tai Chi Sword (it was on sale)

Zatoichi (rosewood version)

 

and a United Cutlery "Black Ronin Ninja Sword" (a cheap machete)

;D I've almost gotten Hanwei a couple times. Their Tinker line seems nice, and I've wanted an unokubi raptor for a while. ;3  Do you like yours?

 

On 4/18/2018 at 8:47 AM, dharvinia said:

  I also make shields too.

This is a shield press, you have to make this too.

 

This is a Roman shield so the handle is placed like this.

 

This is who I make shields for.  I also make armour they wear.

 

Neat! I bet that's a lot of fun

 

On 4/18/2018 at 6:21 AM, winny257 said:

Oh, I am amazed. 
I love swords, I also have some, most are duplicates, but also originals, very expensive. 

for me only as a collector's item 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

There's nothing wrong with that Do you get Albion? ;3 They have some really nice swords.

[Unusual Jess]

Two of mine. The Masahiro and Munetoshi aren't anything special. :3

 

The Munetoshi is soooo heavy, but it's got nice niku. The Ronin Katana #2 is 1045 differential hardened, entry level, but I've been very impressed with it; and it cut my thumb almost to the bone while I wasn't paying attention late one night.

 

[winny257]

26 minutes ago, UnusualAbbey said:

There's nothing wrong with that Do you get Albion? ;3 They have some really nice swords.

the next thing I strive for, is an original handforged katana, Price between 30,000- 50,000 dollars. 

Spoiler

 

[dharvinia]

Have any of you ever witness the work and skill that goes into the making of a good katana?

The critical moment comes down to the quench at the end this is where you fine out if you have a work of art, or a piece of useless steel.

That wavy ridge you see along the blade ensures its sharpness and strength.  The curve along the length of the blade ensures that the entire blade passes through the

Target. In the hands of a master it is a fierce weapon, in the hands of a fools it becomes a danger to the person holding it and all around them.

 

[winny257]

19 minutes ago, dharvinia said:

Have any of you ever witness the work and skill that goes into the making of a good katana?

The critical moment comes down to the quench at the end this is where you fine out if you have a work of art, or a piece of useless steel.

That wavy ridge you see along the blade ensures its sharpness and strength.  The curve along the length of the blade ensures that the entire blade passes through the

Target. In the hands of a master it is a fierce weapon, in the hands of a fools it becomes a danger to the person holding it and all around them.

 

https://youtu.be/bgBnSkDk46A

 

sorry German Video

https://youtu.be/aF4ptYBaq1M

[MadMansGun]

4 hours ago, UnusualAbbey said:

;D I've almost gotten Hanwei a couple times. Their Tinker line seems nice, and I've wanted an unokubi raptor for a while. ;3  Do you like yours?

the Practical Pro katana and Ninja-To are good

the broadsword's scabbard could cost you a finger, the sword either falls out of it or gets stuck inside it so hard that you need a mallet to get it back out

the Tai Chi Sword is a piece of shit, i may try to take it apart to build a better version

my Zatoichi has a design flaw, the blade is offset in the handle so it's closer to the palm side of my hand, normal sword: (  |  ) my sword: (   | )

 

so i would say there swords are hit and miss (but there V-42 combat knife is a hit for sure)

 

4 hours ago, winny257 said:

the next thing I strive for, is an original handforged katana, Price between 30,000- 50,000 dollars. 

these are better:

https://sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/muramasa.html

https://sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/product691.html

https://sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/forge-direct-custom-katana_ss638.html

[winny257]

1 hour ago, MadMansGun said:

the Practical Pro katana and Ninja-To are good

the broadsword's scabbard could cost you a finger, the sword either falls out of it or gets stuck inside it so hard that you need a mallet to get it back out

the Tai Chi Sword is a piece of shit, i may try to take it apart to build a better version

my Zatoichi has a design flaw, the blade is offset in the handle so it's closer to the palm side of my hand, normal sword: (  |  ) my sword: (   | )

 

so i would say there swords are hit and miss (but there V-42 combat knife is a hit for sure)

 

these are better:

https://sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/muramasa.html

https://sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/product691.html

https://sbg-sword-store.sword-buyers-guide.com/forge-direct-custom-katana_ss638.html

yes they look very good, I really like these.
BUT, I live in Germany and the legal import regulations are badass here, a katana, sword, bow, crossbow, etc be subject to here the German weapon law, an import from abroad is impossible.
I do not have another choice, I have to acquire such a sword here.

[flatliner10]

Since i'm into Medieval Roleplay and visit Conventions and Markets rather often, i of course have a matching attire including a few Swords.

I din't really train with them since i prefer my Bow :-)

 

I don't Buy pretty Wall-hangers or Fantasy-Swords, all of my Weapons are fit for training and showfights,

none of them are sharpened of course (would get me into trouble, German as well)

But they are made of decent Materials, have realistic weights, balancing and flex and are historical accurate (though made with modern Machines)

 

I usually buy them from a Czech Vendor, which comes by our local Medieval Market regularly, they are not even that expensive - for about 200-300€ you get a really good one.

If you compare them to the typical Sheet-Metal crap from the Internet, their quality is Words apart.

One *could* sharpen them up and make them Battle-ready...but you better let no-one know about that.

 

But i will eventually get one hand-forged...but this needs to wait for deeper pockets.

 

[MadMansGun]

38 minutes ago, winny257 said:

I have to acquire such a sword here.

well in that case......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhCIpza4S6A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4xqSt46DPw

[winny257]

8 minutes ago, MadMansGun said:

well in that case......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhCIpza4S6A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4xqSt46DPw

yes this guy is good, he constructs the craziest weapons, I saw a lot of videos of him.

[winny257]

12 hours ago, flatliner10 said:

Since i'm into Medieval Roleplay and visit Conventions and Markets rather often, i of course have a matching attire including a few Swords.

I din't really train with them since i prefer my Bow :-)

 

I don't Buy pretty Wall-hangers or Fantasy-Swords, all of my Weapons are fit for training and showfights,

none of them are sharpened of course (would get me into trouble, German as well)

But they are made of decent Materials, have realistic weights, balancing and flex and are historical accurate (though made with modern Machines)

 

I usually buy them from a Czech Vendor, which comes by our local Medieval Market regularly, they are not even that expensive - for about 200-300€ you get a really good one.

If you compare them to the typical Sheet-Metal crap from the Internet, their quality is Words apart.

One *could* sharpen them up and make them Battle-ready...but you better let no-one know about that.

 

But i will eventually get one hand-forged...but this needs to wait for deeper pockets.

 

it's not that dramatic, you only need a weapon permit (Waffen Berechtigungsschein)!
Although it is time consuming, but it is possible.
I even own something like that (Originals). 

Spoiler

[NickNozownik]

I like swords because they're awesome. Learning how to use them properly is quite fun. I have Polish cavalry sabre from my grandpa, but it's too sentimental to swing it willy nilly at wooden sticks or mannequins. Unfortunately it doesn't have a pommel that you can unscrew and throw at your opponent to end him rightly.

I also have a machete because it was cheap and it doesn't look like something that was made out of craplinium. I'm not an expert on steel quality, it didn't break or bend so I assume it isn't that bad.

 

I prefer European swords, I want to have a zweihander. Like a proper zweihander made out of good quality steel. The only problem is its price, I can't afford that at the moment. I don't really know how to use it properly, but just look at that thing. It looks badass as fuck.

[Unusual Jess]

On 4/19/2018 at 10:47 AM, dharvinia said:

Have any of you ever witness the work and skill that goes into the making of a good katana?

The critical moment comes down to the quench at the end this is where you fine out if you have a work of art, or a piece of useless steel.

That wavy ridge you see along the blade ensures its sharpness and strength.  The curve along the length of the blade ensures that the entire blade passes through the

Target. In the hands of a master it is a fierce weapon, in the hands of a fools it becomes a danger to the person holding it and all around them.

 

I have, via documentaries and a few books I read when I was younger. That curve comes from the differential hardening, too. And if it 'pings' on the quench, it's getting re-done. The tamahagane is quite difficult, too (if you're going with tradition) not to mention the various methods of laminating. It's a very demanding and time consuming process. Interestingly enough, similar methods of steelwork have been found in Europe too (Ulfberht ;D).

 

On 4/19/2018 at 3:06 PM, MadMansGun said:

the Practical Pro katana and Ninja-To are good

the broadsword's scabbard could cost you a finger, the sword either falls out of it or gets stuck inside it so hard that you need a mallet to get it back out

the Tai Chi Sword is a piece of shit, i may try to take it apart to build a better version

my Zatoichi has a design flaw, the blade is offset in the handle so it's closer to the palm side of my hand, normal sword: (  |  ) my sword: (   | )

 

so i would say there swords are hit and miss (but there V-42 combat knife is a hit for sure)

Depending on vendor, as usual? Lol. Though from what I've seen their European stuff seems far more hit and miss than their Japanese. I think KoA carries Hanwei bare blades, it may be worth making a scabbard. And being offset like that would drive me craaaazy. ;D

[Unusual Jess]

On 4/19/2018 at 9:51 AM, winny257 said:

the next thing I strive for, is an original handforged katana, Price between 30,000- 50,000 dollars. 

 

Oh wow, that's waaay too pricey for me. Maybe one day, I'd love to own a nihonto. Most of the old old ones are national treasures though I believe. You should try to get one forged by Muramasa, just don't draw it unless you intend to draw blood I doubt they're really cursed, though. Lol.

[winny257]

1 hour ago, UnusualAbbey said:

Oh wow, that's waaay too pricey for me. Maybe one day, I'd love to own a nihonto. Most of the old old ones are national treasures though I believe. You should try to get one forged by Muramasa, just don't draw it unless you intend to draw blood I doubt they're really cursed, though. Lol.

There are a lot of duplicates here in Germany, starting with three pieces with stand, for € 79,99.

https://www.amazon.de/Kill-Bill-Hattori-Deko-Schwerter-Ständer/dp/B004F82INU

 

the price increases steadily, but they are still duplicates.

and there is only one weaponsmith here in Germany, the Katanas after the Japanese Blacksmith art manufactures and these swords are very expensive.

 

https://youtu.be/aF4ptYBaq1M

 

[Guest]

you absolutely can't go wrong with a katana or zweihander, swords are one of the most iconic weapons of mankind and easily the most beautiful like just look ate this:

    truly brutal works of art...... and that why i own 5.....

[FauxFurry]

I can appreciate a well made blade but I don't have some vast collection of them. I do find watching people who are filled with passion about them discuss them at length immensely fascinating, however. That makes channels such as Shadiversity, ScholiaGladiatoria, Skallgagrim and LindyBeige some of my favorite channels on Youtube. That they discuss fictional swords at times also helps broaden their appeal beyond the standard artistically rendered slabs of metal with pointy ends.

 

I suppose that I feel the same about sword enthusiasts as I do the Furry Fandom, then. Lots of fun to interact with and to observe at a distance but I can't work up the concern about the topic of the fanbase to go all in on it. Maybe that would change if there were more Furries with swords? Maybe a Samurai Cat revival is in order.

[MadMansGun]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1lPz7uqFHo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrmdz7RIQN8