I have a good sword

**Chevette Girl** · 03-25-2011, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Tiwas

For crying out loud - live a little, will you??

hehe

Well... that's our OFFICIAL stand, anyway

...nothing like having a cop pull over when you're loading the van with axes and swords (including the unsheathed battleblade) for a demonstraion and ask, "So... what are you folks up to?" ... we gave her the business card and explained, and invited her to the annual pumpkin massacre...

**Tiwas** · 03-25-2011, 10:10 AM

Here's my little baby. Used to have it either strapped to my back or the sheath (sp?) mounted on the fork of my HD when driving to practice

**wayneb** · 03-25-2011, 10:47 AM

Since the thread was more or less hijacked into a very tangential topic, I decided that the most recent posts really better fit over here in the Hive.

**havoc64** · 03-25-2011, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Chevette Girl

Gaah, no, 8 years of stopping a very light blade in Iaido has fragged my elbows to the point where I barely do anything without braces on anymore. I likes my German sword-and-board style, strikes are all just holding the sword in the correct position and the power comes from the hips...

And Wildoates, in theory, you shouldn't need armour for the sport of meadmaking anyway

(and no drinking and fighting!)

Wow small world, I studied Iaido in Okinawa and met and photographed Dr. Gordon Warner, Got his autograph in two of his books to boot.

I wish I could find an instructor here in Topeka.

**AToE** · 03-25-2011, 01:52 PM

I love swords, I keep meaning to put away money a little bit at a time to save up for a real katana, and I also keep meaning to go sign up for kendo classes... man, so many things I need to do!

**Tiwas** · 03-25-2011, 02:56 PM

Always wanted to try Iaido myself, but stuck with Judo and Jijitsu

**Chevette Girl** · 03-26-2011, 02:28 AM

Originally Posted by wayneb

Since the thread was more or less hijacked into a very tangential topic, I decided that the most recent posts really better fit over here in the Hive.

Thanks, Wayne. I know it was way off topic but it was too good a discussion to just drop

**Chevette Girl** · 03-26-2011, 02:55 AM

Originally Posted by Tiwas

Always wanted to try Iaido myself, but stuck with Judo and Jijitsu

I prefer Aikido for my empty-handed work, I've been doing that close to ten years... although we Aikidoists as a group can't swing a sword worth beans if you know anything of Iaido

Although my Aikido sensei does hold a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, so he knows what actually works in a real combat...

Kendo and Iaido work well together, you learn katas which teach the control of the sword and how to use it through Iaido, and you learn actual combat through Kendo. But if I absolutely must fight with a sword, I really prefer to have a shield... although two swords will do in a pinch... I can't wield a two-handed sword properly with my breastplate on, I can't get my arms close enough together! Gotta go with the chain mail on those days...

Havoc, that's cool! I'm not that well-read so I don't know of Dr. Warner but I'll ask my Iaido sensei next class... my sensei has gone to Japan a couple of times but my own practice is somewhat casual, been doing it eight years and never graded... I specifically made myself a purple plaid hakama so nobody could make me challenge, and was practicing with a grooved boken and plastic sheath (saia) up until very recently...

My new baby is an aluminum Iaito (dull practice blade with a groove that whistles when your strike is correct) that was made in Japan (rather than the more common Chinese-made blades that aren't always so balanced), it's beautifully balanced and doesn't mess up my elbows, I was even having problems with the grooved boken because of the balance (or lack thereof)... it doesn't hurt if I hit something, but stopping the sword mid-strike just hurts too much these days. I got it through my sensei's sensei...

I actually work for an international arms dealer...

he imports mostly Chinese-made weapons from the 'States for sale in Canada. For the most part, the manufacturer turns out quite good products and as I understand, it's a good company to work for there, not a sweat-shop...if you look carefully, there are still faint hammer-marks in my 1-hand broadblade... and from what I've seen of their katanas and other Japanese blades, they're reasonably well balanced.

**AToE** · 03-26-2011, 03:03 AM

I'm obsessed with the forging process of katanas, the mix of high and low carbon steel, the folding, and especially that special tempering of only the cutting edge.

It's a dumb show (really dumb) but deadliest warrior had an episode with Samurai and it was startling what a katana can do (cut slice off the top of a skull so cleanly it looked like it'd been done with a fine saw. Every other weapon on that show would shatter bones while cutting like that).

There are lots of killer weapons, but it's just something about the whole forging process that makes me love them (plus I like the general size/weight).

**Chevette Girl** · 03-26-2011, 03:08 AM

Ooh, yeah... one thing I do sort of miss about the aluminum blade is the lovely patterns you get from the clay they put over the spine of the steel blades to get differential cooling to put the curve in the blade... I know it has a name but I can't remember and am too lazy to go look it up

I saw that episode, and yeah, having done tamishigiri practice (cutting rolled up and soaked straw mats with a sharp katana), if the blade is aligned correctly, you don't even feel it, and there's no need to put any force into the strike... one year I even took the tip off the broomstick we use to hold up the rolled straw mats, never even felt it through the blade...

**AToE** · 03-26-2011, 03:15 AM

I can't remember the name of that either, definitely looks cool though. I've never seen a high quality one in person though (doesn't just show up on aluminum blades though right? It's anything done with that differential tempering?).

**Chevette Girl** · 03-26-2011, 03:19 AM

It only shows up on steel blades and they generally apply clay or something to prevent the spine from tempering so there's still some flexibility to the blade while the edge is hard enough to keep a good edge.

Some of them have very nice paterns, some are just a wavy line. Some of my friends are collectors so I've seen some really nice specimens

I don't know if aluminum can even be tempered (I'll ask my hubby, he knows more metallurgy than I do).

**AToE** · 03-26-2011, 03:22 AM

Oh ok, I'd missunderstood your post, I thought you were saying you missed aluminum because of those patterns, but now I get that you meant you missed that about steel since switching to aluminum!

**Chevette Girl** · 03-26-2011, 03:28 AM

You got it... but really, the loss of the pretty patterns on a sword is a small price to pay to reduce pain associated with swinging anything heavier than my magical weightless blade...

**wildoates** · 03-26-2011, 11:12 AM

I don't have a sword and have never even given one a swing (I've obviously led a sadly sheltered life compared to you folks) but I freely admit to enjoying the fantasy of swords and armor much more than the reality.

**Chevette Girl** · 03-27-2011, 02:09 AM

I did roleplaying games mostly in the fantasy genre for years and years before I ever got a chance to swing a real sword

...and the reality of armour is it's hot, it's frigging heavy, you get tired a lot faster hauling it around and it's also somewhat restrictive, even when it's well-made...

**wildoates** · 03-27-2011, 11:01 AM

Yep, that's exactly what I mean about the fantasy of it.

I maintain that WoW is a game for people who like the fantasy but don't want to actually go out and get dirty and sweaty with the real thing, let alone get bloody.

**Chevette Girl** · 03-27-2011, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by wildoates

Yep, that's exactly what I mean about the fantasy of it.

I maintain that WoW is a game for people who like the fantasy but don't want to actually go out and get dirty and sweaty with the real thing, let alone get bloody.

I play LOTRO, myself. But I prefer tabletop D&D.

And if you wear enough armour (with good underpadding), you don't get bloody!

**Tiwas** · 03-27-2011, 12:29 PM

Blood is speed for your senses. In all martial arts, even though the aim is to not get hurt at all, the smell and taste of your own blood sure gets you going in high gear

**Chevette Girl** · 03-27-2011, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Tiwas

Blood is speed for your senses. In all martial arts, even though the aim is to not get hurt at all, the smell and taste of your own blood sure gets you going in high gear

Actually, that's when I stop, because if I fight while on adrenaline, someone's getting seriously hurt (probably me) and I don't want to do that.

For me, few things compare to being thrown hard into a well-executed breakfall that doesn't hurt at all.