[NathanRahl]

Hmm, redbeard, I am going to offer you some unsolicited advice, which I now people hate, and might make you mad, but here goe's.

You need to take the sword more seriously, cause from your writing it sounds like you take it very lightly. If you ever got into real combat with someon like myself, you would lose. You must take it more seriously, it's not a game.

There, and if your mad, I am sorry, but I hate to see someone who is into swords not take them with the utmost seriousness.

As for improving things, I know what you mean. I ued to do that a long time ago, then I become tired of weilding junk, so I started making my own swords, but that's another story entirely. Take care.

[Robert_RedBeard]

Originally Posted by NathanRahl

Hmm, redbeard, I am going to offer you some unsolicited advice, which I now people hate, and might make you mad, but here goe's.

You need to take the sword more seriously, cause from your writing it sounds like you take it very lightly. If you ever got into real combat with someon like myself, you would lose. You must take it more seriously, it's not a game.

There, and if your mad, I am sorry, but I hate to see someone who is into swords not take them with the utmost seriousness.

As for improving things, I know what you mean. I ued to do that a long time ago, then I become tired of weilding junk, so I started making my own swords, but that's another story entirely. Take care.

The sword is just as much a tool as it is a weapon for me.

I do not take it as serious as I did years ago. Frankly I haven't had the training partner or time. But I do use my swords and try to break them.

I do try to cut right and gauge how well I am doing by how well I cut.

Against a highly trained swordsman I shoot first. LOL!

If the sword is all I have may fate be kind to me. I have no ego about it so no need to be angry at anyone for pointing out my lack of prowess.

My teacher calls me intermediate skilled.

[NathanRahl]

Well it's good you don't have the hue ego, I see that too often. It really holds someone back, doesn't help them, don't know why more people don't see that.

While I don't try to break my swords, I do test them, and I am not happy with a sword that doe's not pass my tests. Cutting is not the hardest thing for a sword to pass though. If the blade is thick enough it can still be heat treated not so well but still stay in shape. Try and bend it though, and all that focused force on such a small area tell you if it has really been properly heat treated.

If your looking for good swords, I can hook you up. Being in china there are many excellent smiths here. Don't believe the BS, china has some of very skilled and proficient swords makers. Also has a lot of factories that pump out crap. Those are the business which have given cutlery from china a bad name.

[Robert_RedBeard]

My new blade says hand made in China.

Whatever that means.

I like to test through abuse. If it don't bend or break when I am cutting through a small tree, I judge it as okay. I have never had the chance to mess with a real nice sword. Hell, I wouldn't knwo what to do with it if I did.

But I do love having them and chopping my pumpkins. It is something fun to do on the holidays. Plus it has shown how most store bought swords can't even handle the pumpkin chop. We have broken many store bought swords doing just that.

If any of you guys are interested. I do have many old European sword manuals. I also have the ARMA's Knightly Art of the Long Sword. Most are on PDF. I can see abotu putting them up on a bittorrent.

[NathanRahl]

Well yes, cutting through a small tree is certainly good. Tecnicaly speaking, this is something your never supposed to do tough, since even the best made blades can break.

You see a tree is your immoveable object, theres no where for your swords force to go. Another blade, or person, is not rooted to the ground, nor do they weigh many tons, so you see the problem.

That said, I did plenty of tree cutting when I was younger, and you do have to have atleast decent cutting technique, or you'll be breaknig swords.

And yeah, the whole commercial sword deal makes me sad. It's true that most of them won't even cut a pumpkin.

[Robert_RedBeard]

Well, I tested teh new sword.

Let's call it Phase One Testing.

I took some foam pipe insulators. Kinda like pool noodles but much cheaper.

I mopunt them on a broom stick. Just the end of the broomstick into the end of the foam tube.

Then I cut slowly. As in not full speed. This way I can see how it cuts when I cut right. You can kinda tell by how it cuts throught he foam.

My best sword so far took a pretty good swing to cut the tubes clean.

This new one cut them clean first time every time. Very little power otehr than the motion of the sword was needed.

I also bent it a bit and released it. Did some stabbing into 2x4's and slapping it broadside along a 2x4.

Nothing has hurt it so far.

I am encouraged. Though it still needs some mods. New handle and decorations for one. It is a little loose. That is totally fixable.

I like. It shall dispatch many a pumpkin, faithfully.

[NathanRahl]

Originally Posted by Robert_RedBeard

Well, I tested teh new sword.

Let's call it Phase One Testing.

I took some foam pipe insulators. Kinda like pool noodles but much cheaper.

I mopunt them on a broom stick. Just the end of the broomstick into the end of the foam tube.

Then I cut slowly. As in not full speed. This way I can see how it cuts when I cut right. You can kinda tell by how it cuts throught he foam.

My best sword so far took a pretty good swing to cut the tubes clean.




This new one cut them clean first time every time. Very little power otehr than the motion of the sword was needed.

I also bent it a bit and released it. Did some stabbing into 2x4's and slapping it broadside along a 2x4.

Nothing has hurt it so far.

I am encouraged. Though it still needs some mods. New handle and decorations for one. It is a little loose. That is totally fixable.

I like. It shall dispatch many a pumpkin, faithfully.

What doe's this sword look like, do you have a pic. Usually bud k posts their ites online. I am simply curious. HOw is it put together, is it pinned, or the old rat tail design?

I remember going out and cutting down trees with a reproduction Tachi made by UC a long long time ago, two of them actually. Had I known what I do now, never would have. never had a problem with the blades though, although this may have to do with my proper cutting technique more then it did the metal. However, they never bent, broke, or had any such problem, though they were a 420 stainless. This hd something to do with the fact that they were properly heat treated. The steel is important, however proper heat treatment is much more important really.

I know the full tang sword you talkind about earlier, owned it myself once. Tangs that thick are great, except that the grip is too smooth, and often too thick to allow wrapping it, which would just add to the thickness problem. Also they always come with an aluminum scabbrd, whch is a dumb idea.

There are quitwe a few versions, generally the best ones tend to be mae in china, imagine that. UC makes one, but the heat treatment is kind of spotty/ Also, the full tang is nice, but make's the balance point a little to low for my taste.

Part of me still wishes I had my shop, but making custom made swords never paid well. Have a lot of free time hjere in china, wish I had somewhere I could work. Theres and old man down the road who runs a forge, might have a word or two with him about that. He lready makes decent blades, so should not be a problem.

Glad the sword is working out for you, let me know about the tang, construction, and a pic if you got it, then I can tell you who or where made it. Take care.

[Robert_RedBeard]

I had the same problem with the handle on my full tang. It was way to slick. Found that out the day I was swinging it and sweating at the same time.

It actually concerned me when I got it. figured it may be hard to keep ahold ofthe thing if it ever got bloody. So I spent several hours the next day with my wood burner and carved checkering into the handle like a pistols grip has.

It stays in the bare hand much better now. Even when wet.

The handle on this new one is pinned in two places. On about an inch below the tsuba and the other about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down the handle.

I'll see if I can take some pictures.

[NathanRahl]

Originally Posted by Robert_RedBeard

I had the same problem with the handle on my full tang. It was way to slick. Found that out the day I was swinging it and sweating at the same time.

It actually concerned me when I got it. figured it may be hard to keep ahold ofthe thing if it ever got bloody. So I spent several hours the next day with my wood burner and carved checkering into the handle like a pistols grip has.

It stays in the bare hand much better now. Even when wet.

The handle on this new one is pinned in two places. On about an inch below the tsuba and the other about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down the handle.


I think I know what you have. Bud K has been selling some hanf made katanas from china that are decent replicas for the price. Overall quality of them is crap, yes, compared to the finest made pieces, but for the money they are very decent. Are the grips wrapped,and if so with what, cotton, or nylon. Better repro's will have cotton, while the cheaper ones will have nylon. Nylon is a sythenthetic, and will give a poor grip, cotton is much much better. If you payed 90 you did ok, though I could get them for 50 in the states myself, but I know where to shop, and have done some wholesaling of blades in my time.

The sword you got has a thick blade I am guessing. I am a one handed swordsman, I never use two hands. I would suggest, if you want to gain truely high skill level, to start using only one hand. It is the most proper way to use a sword. it takes a great deal more strength, control, and dexterity, is much harder, but will yield results that yuo will be surprised with. Many can not however, and the amount of control needed to wielsd a full katan without a fuller and a full tang on it is not easy. This is one reason you always see anyone and everyone who uses a katana using two hands. That and one hand katana use it not a popular style in Japan, though it is superior. Learning sword is hard enough for most I suppose *sigh* it really is the most proper way though. before you know it you will have forearms like popeye. If you'd like to talk more of forum about enhancing your sword work, I'd be happy to talk to you. Take care.

I'll see if I can take some pictures.

[Robert_RedBeard]

Here are some pictures

New Blade's Pictures:





Old Blade's handle mods:





The handle of the new one is wrapped in cotton. We nicked one of them while cutting today. Jim hit one of the screws on the cutting platform when he over cut.