1. sports
2. fencing

Issue 5, March 2007
SWORD BUYERS DIGEST:
MAGAZINE
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
From the Desk of Paul Southren (Editor)
Hey Folks!
This would have to be the biggest issue of the
digest yet…
Inside this issue:
SBG Site News
1
Sword Industry News
2
Shooting Swords: Xtreme Sword Tests!
3-6
AoV Design a Sword
Competition: Results
7
Darksword‟s Boromir
Sword Review
8
Best SBG Reviews:
Vote for the winner!
9
DIY Workshop: Hybrid
Polishing
10
Ryumon Katana Exclusive Special Offer!
11
Best Forum Posts
12
Emails to the Editor
13
PLUS:
 Video of the Month
 10% discount at
Reliks.com
 Insiders Secrets of
the Sword Industry
I‟ve tried to trim it back to the usual 10 pages.
Oh, how I have tried.
But there were so many competitions, special
offers, new articles, reviews and more that there
was simply no way to keep it within the 10
page constraint that I normally try and limit it
to… (sigh).
I can‟t promise that next months issue will be as
big. Indeed, I am trying to keep it within 10
pages as I feel that any more than this and I
might as well turn it into a REAL magazine, but
then I‟d have to charge for it—and as I have
said at the onset, that is not something I ever
want to do (though some people have told me
that the amount of
content and specials the Digest
Delivers warrants
some kind of fee,
but it ain‟t gonna
happen!).
Anyway, rather
than take up even
more room with
my introductory
rambling, let‟s get
into it!
Cheers,
- Paul Southren
SBG Site News
Quite a few developments in February.
First off, the SBG Sword Store has seen some
structural changes, with links to much bigger,
clearer images and a cleaner, more ordered
navigation and framing of individual products—creating the foundation for an expansion
into several other lines of Japanese Katana from
this month onwards.
However, in general SBG News, perhaps the
most interesting and biggest new addition was
SBG contributor Adam Sharp‟s guide to medieval longsword fencing, The True Swordsman.
 And much more!
While it is still a work in progress, this groundbreaking online guide is the first of its kind and
consists of easy to understand, step by step instructions on basic to intermediate Longsword
fighting techniques and, once completed, will
be a core part of a new focus on medieval and
Japanese sword training that will roll out across
the site in the coming months.
Other wise, there have been a few additional
reviews added over February, and behind the
scenes there has been lot of background preparation for a major expansion of SBG across the
board (I‟ve said it once and I‟ll say it again,
what has been done so far is just the tip of the
iceberg).
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST
SBG SITE NEWS HERE
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 2
Sword Industry News: New Designs
GENERATION 2
The second sword in the much anticipated
Reinhardt Collection is finally here, and it looks
like a real beauty!
There aren‟t many available in the first batch,
so you better get in quick. Click here for a
closer look at this sword on the AoV website.
MUSASHI SWORDS
They have done it again...
While it may not be a complete Katana per-se
(unless you are a Yakuza gangster that is!),
their $59 Rosewood Shirasaya Katana has one
of the keenest and nicest quality blades I have
seen on any sword under the US$100 price
point.
Indeed, if you didn‟t tell me the price, I would
guess it would probably be around the $130$150 price point...!
While Shirasaya are generally not recommend
as cutters „out of the box‟ (simply because, with
no hand guard or ito wrap to keep a firm grip,
there is a very real danger of fingers sliding
down onto the razor sharp blade), some careful
preliminary tests found this sword to be quite a
nice piece and certainly more than worthy for
display or even better re-mounting.
The original River Witham
Viking Sword
“While it may not be a
complete Katana per-se
(unless you are a Yakuza
Gangster that is!), their $59
Rosewood Shirasaya Katana
has one of the keenest and
nicest quality blades I have
seen on any sword under the
Based on a Viking Sword dredged up from the
river Witham, (pictured opposite) that famed
sword scholar Hank Reinhardt has always
wanted to see „brought to life‟ - this stunningly
beautiful fully functional replica is already a
real „crowd pleaser‟ to some usually very critical sword experts over at My Armoury.com
US$100 price point.”
The prototype design shown here has already
undergone some modifications based on feedback from My Armoury and our own SBG
Sword Forum including a more rounded pommel and the fuller going up into the guard.
The first batch is completed and will be arriving
early this month. At $299 they are a little more
expensive than most of Generation 2‟s one
handed swords, but for a sword of this standard
it is still an excellent price.
As always, you can get your hands on the first
batch from Jason at Arms of Valor with the
10% SBG discount— just enter the coupon
code „SBG‟ next to your name in brackets when
you order (or mention SBG when you call) and
when they process your card AoV will lower
the price to just $269.10).
Click here for the full SBG Review
COMING SOON!
I am currently working with some of the
sword industry heavy weights to put together a sister site showcasing only the very
best sword manufacturers. Stay tuned for
more news on this in another issue.
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
Multiple Water Filled Containers quickly turn into
nice „onion rings‟ with the
Musashi Rosewood
Shirasaya blade
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 3
Shooting Swords!
Mike Harris‟ Swords vs Gun Experiments…!
By Paul Southren (Editor)
You may have seen it on youtube—where on a Japanese TV program a Japanese made Katana is
„tested‟ against a .45 ACP Pistol and a .50 caliber browning machine gun (if you haven‟t, click on
the pic to the right). Well, SBG‟s own Mike Harris decided to take this tests one step further, claiming that any half decent Japanese style blade should be able to handle the pistol tests.
And backing it up with the following tests—which, for obvious reasons, you should certainly not
try at home!
Here it is for all the world to see and some to
scold me as an idiot for even thinking of doing this. That said, I think most will find the
results interesting and informative.
I decided to do my own testing, based on the
previously mentioned shooting tests. I selected a Paul Chen/Hanwei Banshee. This
sword is the Hanwei reproduction of a Burmese Dha. It has a 21" blade and a 11" hilt.
The blade is single edged with a very thick
spine of .285" at the hilt and tapering to .200"
at two inches before the tip. This is a very
thick, rigid blade. It has been sharpened to a
"paper sharp sword" edge and demonstrates a The sword was tightened into the vice and
things were ready to commence.
thick appleseed edge configuration.
I also elected to test my Generation 2 12th
Century Norman sword that has been discussed in several other threads on the SBG
Forum. This Generation 2 sword currently has
a 29" double edge blade with a prominent
fuller for most of the blade. The blade is .250"
at the hilt and tapers to .130" at two inches
behind the tip.
The Original YouTube
Clip that started it all,
a Katana vs a 9mm
handgun
“Here it is for all the
world to see and some
The test was set-up using a padded vice to
hold the blades and a cardboard target was
setup approximately eight inches behind the
blade. The firearm used was a highly customized Colt Mk IV, Series '70 in .45 ACP caliber. The ammunition selected was an attempt
to duplicate that used in the above mentioned
YouTube video. It consists of a 200 grain
hard cast semi-wadcutter bullet at a muzzle
velocity of approximately 900 feet per second. All shooting was done at approximately
15 feet distance from the blade. Appropriate
safety equipment was used throughout the
test.
I backed away and fired the first round, and
was surprised by a glancing hit. A few more
The Banshee was tested first. Here you see
rounds resulted in mostly hits and a few near
the sword, vice, accompanying target, pistol
misses. You can see the hits and misses.
and a representative sample of ammunition.
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
to scold me as an idiot
for even thinking of
doing this. That said, I
think most will find the
results interesting and
informative”
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 4
Shooting Swords! (cont)
Mike Harris‟ Swords vs Gun Experiments…!
In the following closeup, the misses can be
seen as perfectly round holes in the target
almost in line with the blade. The hits produced the ragged holes that appear further
away from the blade on either side. I was so
impressed by the performance that I ended up
shooting the blade with two full 8-round
magazines, for a total of 16 rounds fired. I
believe there are three clear misses. The other
13 rounds were either good center hits or
glancing blows.
"beaters?"
The smears of lead are obvious on each side.
Most bullets hit more on one side or the other,
thus the different smear marks on each side of
the blade.
Next up was the Generation 2 12th Century
Norman sword. It was placed in the vice and
preparations were made to get under way with
the testing.
A Katana vs a .50 cal
Machine Gun…
No surprises on what
happens, but how it happens on the slow mo replay is very interesting...
So, was there any appreciable damage to the
blade? I will let the following pictures tell
most of the story. I will say that I ran my finger along the sides of the edge and could feel
no thing out of alignment. The edge seems
fine. I'm sure there was some microscopic
damage, but then isn't that why we call them
“I was so impressed by
the performance that I
ended up shooting the
blade with two full 8round magazines, for a
total of 16 rounds fired”
The testing proceeded as before, except this
time I was a little nervous. I really didn't care
how the banshee turned out as it cost barely
over $100 and I figured it would be easy to
replace. But with "Gennie" there was an emotional investment. This sword and I have a
history of doing a bunch of crazy stuff together. I had second thoughts and considered
not doing this test. But my caution and "costbenefit analyzer" seems have been on the fritz
lately, so I ignored these feelings.
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 5
Shooting Swords! (cont)
Mike Harris‟ Swords vs Gun Experiments…!
The first two shots were complete misses, one
just to the right and one almost a half-inch to
the left. Pitiful shooting, and obviously nerveinduced. So I stopped and took a couple of
deep breaths to calm the nerves. The third
shot I barely pulled right and resulted with a
glancing impact. There was a little blade vibration, but not much else. I settled down and
concentrated on sight picture and trigger control for the fourth shot. Bing, almost perfectly
dead center...
But... OH HELL!!! What's that?! Sure looks
like a big, honkin', nasty bend in the edge to
me.
But...everything is a learning experience. And
I refuse to give up without exercising whatever remedies possible to correct stupid errors
and experiments. So, off to the workshop I
went. Upon close inspection, the bullet impact
actually bent a "U" shape in the edge, bending
it out to about 90 degrees, but not otherwise
damaging the edge. The part of the edge at the
center of the "U" was still "paper sharp",
meaning it would still cut paper.
So I resolved to try to correct this screwup by
a judicious application of hammer and large
diameter brass punch. It was not a terribly
difficult process. The procedure was to place
the center of the blade in a padded vice, just at
the bullet impact. The "U" shaped impact was
about a half inch above the vice. I used the
brass punch and hammer to tap/beat the edge
back more-or-less into alignment with the rest
of the edge.
After the corrective treatment, and a bit of
judicious polishing I was off to test the correction. I cut a few bottles with the repaired
portion of the edge. Damn the luck to shoot it
almost exactly at the COP! I also cut a six
pack of bottles with the opposite edge. All
cuts were made cleanly and without event.
Now being ready to test the durability, I proceeded to place 100 counted blows on the tire
pell. I started out slow, giving it a few halfforce blows and examining the blade. After
being satisfied that it wasn't going to come
apart I proceeded to really lay into the pell.
After a vigorous 100 pell strikes, this is the
result.
This was quite depressing, as I have formed
quite an attachment to this sword. Here is a
close-up of the damage.
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
The shadow image reveals the extent of the
edge damage, which in
an improperly tempered
medieval sword would
cause instant shattering...
“But..OH HELL!!! What‟s
that?! Sure looks like a
big, honkin‟ nasty bend
in the edge to me.”
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 6
Shooting Swords! (cont)
Mike Harris‟ Swords vs Gun Experiments…!
You can see the "polished" area and rubber residue from the
edge impacting and cutting into the tires. Here is a closeup of
the repair to the damaged edge.
No terrible damage. No bending. No cracking. No warpage.
So...why did one sword pass the test with flying colors and
another sword of roughly equal quality fail so completely?
Well...I'm glad you asked.
It is my theory that it all has to do with the mass of the edge.
Japanese cutting swords have what roughly translates to "meat"
in the edge. The Banshee exhibits this "meat" in its edge, and
has a very thick tang for support. Whereas the 12th Century
Norman most certainly does not. The thickness of the Banshee
blade, measured at .100" behind the edge is almost twice the
thickness of the European design. This Generation 2 is a reproduction of a totally cut oriented European design from the
1100s. As such, it is thin and doesn't have nearly the cross section of the much later design reproduced in the Hanwei Dha.
So, my conclusions are just about what I expected going into
this test. A meaty blade of decent manufacture should be able
to cut a lead alloy bullet fired at subsonic velocities without
noticeable damage. A sword of relatively thin cross section and
thin edge, like a Viking sword or other earlier medieval design
may have significantly less ability to resist the impact force
and may bend (if tempered properly) or break/crack (if tempered too hard).
Hope everyone enjoys this little escapade. If you like it, and
want to see more...or you think it's stupid but LYAO at my
idiocy, and want to see me do something else that's overly stupid...
10% off all Windlass Steelcrafts
Swords at Reliks.com
Simply use the special coupon code „RELIKS-SBG‟ in their
checkout and save a whopping 10% of their already low prices on
their entire range of Windlass Steelcrafts Medieval Swords.
If you shop around, you‟ll quickly see that this offer makes these
swords available at the very lowest prices on the internet. Plus a
small portion of each sale helps keep SBG and the Sword Buyers
Digest Online Magazine funded.
Click here to see out what Windlass Swords are in Stock Today!
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 7
The Winners of the Design a Sword Comp!
There were really some very nice entries, but in the end there could be only two winners, one
for the fantasy swords category and one for the historical. Here they are...
THE FANTASY SWORD WINNER
HISTORICAL SWORD WINNER
The Flame of Angels, By Adam Sharp
The Torino, by Clayton Chester
One of Erik. T. Hilliker‟s
Orcs. No doubt these guys
will make an appearance
as the antagonists in the
Flame of Angels Poster...
HOW THE VOTING WENT...
It didn‟t surprise me that the number of people voting was a little low, after all—I made
everyone kind of jump through hoops to look
at all the entries and then use the form instead of just a simple click.
This was intentional and even though only
41 out of 1,000 + SBG Newsletter subscribers voted (and it was just 1 vote between the
Deriavis and the Paladin Sword!) the results
on across the page speak for themselves.
SO, WHAT’S NEXT?
Well, obviously to bring these great designs
to life! ;-)
The wheels are already turning and the designs
have been submitted to Generation 2 to start
production, plus the Flame of Angels Paladin
Sword story has been sent to Erik. T. Hilliker
to start the artwork.
I‟ll keep you all posted with further updates
and developments as they come to hand!
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 8
SWORD REVIEW:
Darksword Armory Boromir Sword (by Jason Woodard)
I had been
looking for
battle ready
swords based
from the
LOTR films
for awhile.
In my search
I came across
Darksword
armory’s
home page.
Dark Sword Armories
Boromir Sword
The guard is heavy steel I think, Seems well made
and very solid. The sword feels a bit heavy. So I
went and put it on a scale..It`s 4 Ibs 1 ounce.. The
balance point is about 3 1/2 inches down the
blade. I spent some time swinging it around and
getting used to the feel of it. It seems to move in
the hand well. You can use one hand but it feels
better with both. The only real down side I can
say is that dark sword armory is in Canada and
I emailed them asking about the Boromir sword
due to international shipping laws which restrict
and got lucky because they have just stopped
the shipment of "dangerous goods" they can not
making it. They do have some left if you ask.
sharpen there swords prior to shipping. They do
Most of there LOTR sword run about $250.00
come with a ready edge though. So I took the
But The Boromir was $150.00 due to it being a
sword down to my local knife shop a had a edge
close out. Plus $40.00 in shipping. The owner
put on it for $23.00. So I`ve got close to$220.00
Eyal Said they spend about 9 hours on each
In the sword..I was then ready to give the
sword.. I ordered the Boromir..It came by UPS
about 4 days after I placed my order. The packing Boromir a workout. First a set up a 2 litre bottle
filled with water. The sword cut threw it very
was done well. A good heavy coat of oil was on
clean, Next I set up a thicker plastic gallon jug
the blade.
used for washer fluid and filled with water and
The sword looks great up close!
gave it a heavy swing. I think it cut this gallon jug
better due to the added weight.
They carry
many kinds of
battle ready
swords and their site reads that all there swords
are made from 1060 high carbon steel, tempered
to a Rockwell of 53 with a full tang, oil hardened
and all their blades are handmade one at a time.
Then for the last I set up heaviest plastic a jug
used for antifreeze. It cut the best threw it. The
top of the jug hardly moved but was cut clean in
two. The sword feels good in the hand during a
swing and cut..I would have to say I`m very
happy with this sword and will most likely buy
from dark sword armory again..The sword seems
like a good deal for the money. Also Darksword
armory is giving away a leather sword belt with
each sword order this month.
The handle is done in nice heavy tight leather and
the sheath is wrapped in the same leather. The
sword fits very well in the sheath. As soon as I
picked up the sword and gave it a looking over I
saw there is a small round stamp with a shield and
the letters D S in the middle near the guard.
So If your looking to buy one of the strongest,well made and balanced swords on the market
this is the sword for you!!It`s a sword I`m proud
to own!! So check them out..
Thank you for your time. Jason Woodard
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
“All their swords are
made from 1060 high
carbon steel, tempered
to a Rockwell of 53
with a full tang, oil
hardened and their
blades are handmade
one at a time,
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 9
VOTE for last months best sword reviews:
With the winner getting a FREE Gen2 or Cheness Sword of their choice!
As you may recall in last months edition of
the digest, we were running a special competition for the best review submitted to SBG.
Well, the time has come to go over the entries and cast your vote. So here they are in
the order they were submitted:
Hanwei’s New PK Katana
Generation 2 Ranger Sword
Cheness Cutlery Delux Iaito
Albion Ritter
Boromir Sword
Hanwei Banshee Dha
William Marshal Sword
Mokko Wakizashi
Blackwind Katana
Have a quick look over the reviews and see
what you think. Once you have found your
favorite, go over to the to the link for the SBG
voting form below and help select the winner,
based on which review was the most informative and entertaining.
It‟s all pretty straightforward, and like I said
last issue, the winner will get to pick from a
selected range of Generation 2 medieval
swords (kindly donated by Jason at Arms of
Valor) or Cheness Cutlery Katana (from yours
truly at the SBG Sword Store).
If you didn‟t get your review together in time
for the competition, don‟t worry—we will be
putting another one together some time down
the track.
Votes will close on the 15th of March so we
have time to announce the winner and send
them the sword of their choice from Generation 2 or Cheness Cutlery.
CLICK HERE TO CAST
YOUR VOTE
A rare SBG review of an
Albion high end production sword was also included in this months
edition.
“If you didn‟t get your
review together in time,
don‟t worry—we will be
putting another one
together some time
down the track…”
TrueSwords.com:
LOWEST PRICES ONLINE FOR COLD STEEL
SWORDS AND KNIVES…
Cold Steel Sword Cane
Normally US$199 direct from Cold Steel.
Available for just US$99 at Trueswords.com
Many other Cold Steel swords and knives at unbelievably low prices. Extra FAST shipping—look for
the IN STOCK designators to see what‟s available
and ready to go right now...
Click here to see their comprehensive
Selection of Cold Steel Swords
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 10
A DIY Showcase
Hybrid Polishing of a Cheness Katana
$219 obviously isn‟t much to pay for an authentically differentially hardened Katana.
But as most of you know, this is the lowest
price you can pick up one of Cheness Cutleries „Kanbai‟ (Winter Plum) Katana.
With a natural, unetched and quite subtle
hamon it is truly quite a beautiful blade. But
with a little elbow grease, the beauty of the
nioi crystals created along the edge of the
blade can really be brought out, giving it a
true Nihonto appearance.
The method of polishing a differentially
Katana varies from person to person. Some
people like to use the traditional Japanese
polishing stones, though these are somewhat
expensive, often costing as much as a low
end production sword in themselves.
The pics shown here are by a fellow Aussie,
Oswald Parker, who took around 1 week of
work to get the sword to this point—which is
why polishing a Japanese sword is sometimes
referred to as „polishing the soul‟, both of the
sword—and the man.
BEFORE POLISHING—Subtle Activity
Kanbai Tsuba
However, a more economical approach is
simply to use different grit sanding papers—
starting with 220 grit and working up to
2000, 2500 or even 3000.
“Bear in mind that it isn‟t
something you can do
The best online resource on how to do it
yourself is here:
overnight. And you‟ll need
to be patient...”
http://www.arscives.com/bladesign/
hybridpolish.htm
Bear in mind that it isn‟t something you can
do overnight. And you‟ll need to be patient.
AFTER POLISHING-A clear Choji hamon
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 11
SBG Sword Store Specials
Exclusive USA Members Only Discount Offer!
As you may know, the SBG Sword Store has been expanding it‟s range of functional Katana in the last couple of months. But
you may not know that with our rapidly expanding affiliated network of quality US based vendors and manufacturers, we have
access to a whole lot more swords that we can sell at ridiculously low prices.
However, instead of making these special offers available to casual site viewers, I have reserved them specifically and exclusively for Sword Buyers Digest subscribers.
Yes, membership certainly has its rewards... And this months special is a real beauty indeed...
SWORD OF THE MONTH—MARCH 2007
CLICK ANYWHERE BELOW TO BE TAKEN TO OUR ‘SECRET’ SALES PAGE...
Ryumon Folded Dragon Katana (USA Customers Only)
NORMALLY: $349.99
SWORD BUYERS DIGEST SUBSCRIBERS BEST DEAL ON THE ‘NET PRICE:
JUST US$219.99 WITH FREE SHIPPING! (USA Only)
Folded and Differentially Tempered with imported Japanese Cotton ito and real same skin wrap, this razor
sharp Katana is one of Ryumon‟s finest.
Includes a premium maintenance kit, Silk Sword Bag, Certificate and Wooden Display Box.
Incredible Bang for your buck...
CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION
OFFER EXPIRES 31st March 2007
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
Sword Buyers Digest:
MAGAZINE!
Issue 5, March 2007
Page 12
Best Forum Posts (from the SBG Sword Forum)
Women and Swords—(What to say to the dreaded question “But you already have five swords? Why do you need more?”)
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=forumcafe&action=display&thread=1172320429
Tips on how to make your own scabbard
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=swordcustom&action=display&thread=1168224858
A talented Forumites Mini Nodachi sword
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=swordcustom&action=display&thread=1171857441
Favorite Sword Movies
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=forumcafe&action=display&thread=1171852939
Musashi Swords—opinions and reviews
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=japaneseswords&action=display&thread=1170649086
And the new cold steel Nodachi/Odachi (or as Kreigshwert put it—‟Nagaonodachi‟)
http://sbgswordforum.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=japaneseswords&action=display&thread=1171514987
VIDEO of the MONTH
“This growing sport,
being marketed to
ing marketed to
schools, corporations
and individuals alike
may well be (pardon
the pun) quite a hit.
Sport Sword (R) Fighting
This fast paced fighting video by „Guard Up‟
demonstrates a new trend emerging in sword
fighting—‟Sport Sword‟ (R),
Personally, I am all for anything that increases
the exposure of swordsmanship and swords to
the general public. And this growing sport, be-
The only things I
don‟t really like is
the fact that while
this system certainly
looks like good exercise and a whole lot
of fun, all that protective armour takes
too much of the sting
out of the fight—
after all, I am firmly
of the opinion that if
you don‟t risk feeling
a little pain, the end
result is very unrealistic techniques (like in
the video where they block with their forearms, which is for obvious reasons—um,
not a very realistic thing you‟d you in a
sword fight!).
Click HERE to Watch
the Video
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007
schools, corporations
and individuals alike
may well be (pardon the
pun) quite a hit...”
Guard Up fighters in their full
kit and caboodle..
SWORD BUYERS DIGEST:
MAGAZINE
“That‟s All Folks!”
Back Issues:
I hope you enjoyed this
issue of the Sword buyers
Digest Magazine as much
as I enjoyed putting it
together for you!
October 2006
See you all next month.
Until then, stay safe and
have fun with swords!
November 2006
December 2006
February 2007
Paul Southren
ADVERTISING
Have a product that you think would be of interest to my subscribers? Send your enquiries to:
[email protected]
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscribing to the Sword Buyers Digest is absolutely
FREE, to sign up visit my subscriptions page here
Emails to the Editor—Email of the Month...
Rather than provide several emails recieved this month, I have decided to publish one that was sent to me and permitted to be
shared here on the condition of anonymity.
Naturally, I will of course honour this request. After all, his observatrions are likely to be considered controversial and likely to
cause bitter arguments on some very well respected sword forums.
While he acknowledges that this condition will lessen the impact
and credibility of his observations, this email was so interesting
that I just had to share it with you all.
Enjoy!
Anon (name withheld upon request): Hi,
A lately some point during my sword collecting days (which have recently
resumed) I decided that I wanted to know which production maker made
the best piece in terms of balance, resistance to set, price point, and
edge durability...similar to what you are doing to a great extent now.
However, in a decision I now (somehwat) regret, I destructively tested
swords from Paul Chen (2 ppks,and a practical), Cold Steel (warrior
series katana, o-katana, chisa katana, and 2 handed gim), Criswell
(criswell Katana) Kris Cutlery ( 29" Katana) Cas Iberia (440C full tang
katana, medieval sword of a model I can't remember) Himalayan Imports
(3 Katanas, various Kukris, Ram Dao, Janawar Katne) Angus Trim
(swedish bastard sword) Busse Knives (American Kensei) Windlass
(Sword of Ibelin)
I tested all of them in a fashion similar to how you tested the Maximillian
sword on your youtube video. Ridiculous, I know...but for some reason I
didn't mind if the swords got damaged...and I always stopped before
things got too bad. None of the swords were irreperably damaged or
destroyed. Though there were a few failures, I didn't 'intend' to test to
failure, I tested until I got what I thought was a reasonable impression of
the sword's handling and durability.
Among my findings (just concerning durability)
Paul Chen swords are Katana in the truest sense, but also in a kind of
bad sense. The edges are very hard, and tend to chip. The spine is soft,
and the swords bend easily.
The Cold Steel swords are a pretty good standard. Good resistance to
set and decent edge strength.
The Criswell katana was interesting....the edge had great resistance to
deformation and chipping....for the first 2 cuts. On the thrid cut the blade
broke in half and flew across the room. I think the spine was too hard
and a crack quickly propogated from the edge through the spine.
The Cas Iberia (not hanwei) swords (though no-one buys these anymore) were somehat below average, though the 440C had a decent
spring temper.
The Kris Cutlery sword was WAY too soft, and the edge deformed
easily....bad enough that regular cutting could be a problem
Himalayan Imports stuff is slightly above average, there generally
isn't any resistance to set, but they are also generally quite thick.
The Angus Trim sword handled wonderfully, but I wasn't too impressed with durability- especially after I read the claims from various
forumites and the maker that the swords had cut through the rims of
steel drums without damage. The durability of the sword was average.
The Busse is made of the famed "infi" steel. I never gave this one a
destructive test but there were some small edge rolls from cutting
through wood.
But I have found there really are some swords that perform above
the curve...it doesn't always have to be a compromise between historical and durable....sometimes both are possible.
My wall of fame swords, of which there are 5, proved to be extremely
resilient to everything. Among them:
A two handed gim from cold steel...this one supports my belief that in
heat-treating, "everything can go right" This is one such piece. The
other cold steel pieces I have handled have nowhere near the
strength of this one. It is capable of cutting through cinderblocks with
nearly no visible damage to the edge, no rolls or anything. It has cut
through hollow steel piping with full force swings (the sword is about
48 inches long overall) multiple times and has only suffered minor
edge deformation, and on many of those swings, no edge deformation. It has never chipped, and can be bent 8 inches or more (I've
only ever tried 8) out of line and return to true. On top of this it is not
overly thick of heavy. Kind of remarkable.
A Ram Dao from Himalayan imports, this sword performs about as
well as the 2 handed gim but is extremely thick and prohibitively
heavy, so some of that resilience comes from the mass of the thing,
whereas with the gim it is the heat treat. A tri-fullered tulwar from
around the mid-late 19th century. Below the performace of the above
swords, but also somewhat lighter. if you ever want to chat about this
kind of thing, please don't hesitate to email me at (withheld).
© Sword-Buyers-Guide.com 2007