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04-11-2007, 09:13 PM
here it are some new ones...
awwww i have an uncle yaaaaaaay   
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04-11-2007, 09:23 PM
OMG OMG OMG! Look at those tsuba! Phenomenal... *Hugs OL-chan back*
So for all us people out here wondering how in heavens name the Katana was inspired here is an interesting japanese "tradition tale" on the making of Katana... Just imagine you were sitting by the fireside, listening to your Japanese granny telling it to you Traditional Belief: According to tradition the first Japanese sword blade was made by the swordsmith Amakuni Yasutsuna about the year 700. Amakuni, his son Amakura and a number of other smiths were employed by the emperor to make weapons for his warriors. One day the emperor and his warriors passed by Amakuni’s forge as they returned from battle, and instead of greeting Amakuni as he usually did, the emperor totally ignored Amakuni and all the swordsmiths. As the warriors straggled back Amakuni noticed that many of them were carrying broken swords; the weapons he had forged had snapped in the heat of battle. He closely examined the weapons and swore an oath to make a sword that would not break and so regain the emperors favour. (So reminiscent of anime  )Amakuni and his son locked themselves in their forge and prayed to the Shinto gods for seven days and nights. Then they set to work, refining the metal of the blade and applying all their knowledge to make the perfect sword. After a month of work they emerged with a sword that curved slightly and had only one edge. Pleased with their first effort they refined the process, and when the warriors returned from their battles the following year, none were broken.  Omae mo kanjite no ka... kaze no koe?
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04-11-2007, 09:33 PM
Here is some true but gross information on ancient techniques... I'm putting it up hidden so those faint of heart needn't read it. I repeat, THIS POST IS TRUE BUT LEFT ME WITH A SOUR TASTE. You would be well advised to skip it because it doesn't affect your over all knowledge nor the actual intent of this thread. Those willing to read it please do understand that I post it here to quote history and record the events that have truly happened centuries ago. I found this information while searching the web for a specific kind of Katana... and as we all know, history has clearly shown us one thing - We all have skeletons in the closet. This post simply provides more information about the swordsmith mentioned in my previous post, namely, Akamuni Yasutsuna.
I sincerely request all viewers - PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE THIS POST, I find it bad enough to read it once. So here goes... [Begin Information] The smith would then sign his name on the tang and pass the blade onto specialist craftsmen who would polish the blade and fit the hilt, guard (tsuba) and other items of sword furniture. The finished blade was sometimes given to a professional sword tester who used the living bodies of condemned criminals or their corpses taken from the execution grounds to test the cutting power of a new sword. Twenty different cuts were used, beginning with severing the hand by cutting through the bones of the wrist and progressing through the thicker limbs of the body. The most difficult cut was known as ryo-kuruma (pair of wheels) which involved slicing through the hips and the thickest part of the spine. The results of the test were usually recorded on the nakago or sword tang, and it is not uncommon to find inscriptions on old swords giving details of the tests such as “two men cut” or “eight arms severed.” Some swords were so well made that in the hands of an expert swordsman they were capable of slicing through tremendous resistance. Some seventeenth century blades bear the inscription “mitsudo setsudan” (three bodies with one cut), and in the martial art of iai-jutsu (the art of drawing the sword) one of the techniques taught is capable of cutting a body in two by slicing through the torso from the right hip to the left shoulder. The terrible cutting power of the Japanese sword does not simply depend on the quality of the blade; it must be wielded by someone who knows how to cut, a skill developed by cutting through bundles made from wet straw or other materials. [End Information] Omae mo kanjite no ka... kaze no koe?
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04-11-2007, 09:38 PM
 omg ....WTF??? speechless i don't know what to say only omg....
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04-11-2007, 09:44 PM
I know OL-chan *depressed sigh*... But we can't change history... just learn from mistakes
 ... But not to worry, I'll buy you a...erm...wakizashi to cheer you up  Here's a nice weblink for everyone... It points to a wonderfully written essay by someone who knows what they are talking about (so at this point I'm obviously ruled out ). The essay is too big to read in one swift sitting. However, it is a veritable cornucopia of information related to comparison of different swords and fighting styles that they were made for.In summary the essay quotes that there is no "one best sword" but rather that differnt kids of swords were made for different fighting styles so the one best suited for a person will depend not only on the sword itself but also on the persons particular skill... Enuff said, here's the link :There Is No Best Sword Omae mo kanjite no ka... kaze no koe?
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04-11-2007, 10:00 PM
awww i have sooo cind uncle we could colect them...*smiles*
wooow that's cool but it's so long .... some pics:<33333 i know that the last one is big sorry but i was so nice o.O
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Measuring sword length -
04-11-2007, 10:02 PM
I have one last interesting post to make, but that requires some pre-requisite knowledge about measuring units of sword lengths, which I paste here:
Measuring unit for sword lengths: The shaku is an archaic Japanese unit of length, approximately equal to the foot. As with other measurements, it was originally derived from nature: the average length between nodes on bamboo. Since 1891, the shaku has been defined to equal 10/33 meter (approximately 30.3 cm, or 11.93 inches), or 3.3 shaku to the meter. A single shaku is divided into 10 sun. Another unit of length also called the shaku was used only for measuring cloth. This shaku measured 125/330 meter (approximately 37.9 cm, or 14.9 inches). When a distinction needed to be made between the two shaku, the cloth unit was referred to as kujirajaku (whale shaku, as the rulers for measuring cloth were made from whale whisker) and the other shaku was referred to as kanejaku (metal shaku). While Japanese law required official use of these units be discontinued on March 31, 1966, the shaku is still used in some fields in Japan, such as traditional carpentry. Omae mo kanjite no ka... kaze no koe?
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Of Practice and Purpose -
04-11-2007, 10:14 PM
@OL-chan - The photos were wonderful and you're right I did like the last one the best
. In point of fact it was the second photo that was too long but no worries it fit into the page Yep the essay was very long so I just pasted the link so it could be a quick reference for any time later ...aaaand I'm only a good uncle because you're the best neice ever ... So without further ado...This is my last post here for today, because if I post anything more, people will hit me on the head, stab me with a broadsword or slice me with a katana...actually... all three .Nevertheless, here is some interesting information about sword types used during the beginning of your training and towards the later end of it. I found it as part of a web conversation. I am completely quoting someone else so all credit goes to them (web user names Jung_yul and Banza Joe): From Jung_yul: "Typically, you'll start with either a bokuto or an Iaito, or an unsharpened sword. The Iaito, in some cases, is a good sword in all other respects, but it most likely will not be tempered or forged, and it's got no cutting edge. It does, however, have a sharp tip which one must be mindful of. Shinken, or "real swords" are, to my limited understanding, generally reserved for more experienced Iaidoka... I believe that San Dan is the generally accepted rank for such a thing. In my mind, the only real difference between the two is in their weight... after all, you won't be using either against another blade or for tamashigiri, so blade strength shouldn't be an issue." From Banza Joe: "A lot of iai ryu will not practice with shinken until godan, some even less than sandan. Obviously an iaito is developed purely for safe iai practice. They are usually made from a steel alloy and are not sharp. Indeed most are said to be 'unsharpenable'. But whatever, you must NEVER try and cut with an iaito. It is not built for strength, the only thing it should cut, is the air. They are indeed quite a bit lighter than a shinken would be. Most iaitos have a a bo-hi (blood fuller) which adds to the lightness of the blades and gives a nice whoosh when cutting, although you usually have to cut properly to hear the whoosh. Because iaitos are not used for contact, it should last you forever (ish)." Omae mo kanjite no ka... kaze no koe?
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04-11-2007, 10:29 PM
*smiles*
well if your going ----BAI BAI^^ than *hugs and kisess for the best uncle*  http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...us.jpg:rheart:
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04-11-2007, 10:32 PM
got at least four modern variants for you, if i can ever find the fourth pic
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