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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 4:15:14 GMT
I said I wasn't going to take my new Hanwei side sword out in the back yard and start swinging at things until I knew a little more. Well, I didn't - for two whole days... After touching up the sharpening, I could not resist the urge. I had to cut something... I've been watching cutting videos and some training tips so decided I could cut a bottle without doing myself bodily harm if I was really, really careful. I turned a 33 gal plastic trash can upside down on the sidewalk halfway between my house and shop. On the trash can I placed a water filled plastic bottle. I took my position (let's not even discuss form) extended my sword and made a couple of slow motion practice swings, then snapped the blade in an arc at the bottle. HOLY S****!!! The top half of the bottle goes flying toward the shop and the bottom half is still sitting in the same spot on the trash can! So, I line up and take another swing. DOUBLE HOLY S***! A 1-1/2" slice of the bottle goes flying to join the top half! "Man, I gotta show this to Wanda." <--spousal unit. I get my wife and tell her to stay in the garage and peek out the door. I set up another bottle, take another whack, and voila! Another decapitated Benefiber bottle. ;D But humility was ready to give me a smackdown. I decided to try a thrust at the remaining bottle half and promptly put the sword through the plastic trash can about 6 inches below the bottle. Wanda thought the cutting was neat, but she wasn't at all happy about the hole in her trash can...
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Post by enkidu on Aug 28, 2009 4:29:30 GMT
satisfying anyway, isnt it ?
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Post by Dave(utilityslave) on Aug 28, 2009 5:06:15 GMT
Was it even better than you thought it would be? I'm glad you had such a good time!
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Aug 28, 2009 8:20:39 GMT
FzswizzzzZZzz! got another one on the hook! reel him in fellas, reel him IN!
congrats on your cutting. I would have loved to see that on video. I bet your expression was priceless.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 8:52:33 GMT
He he and so the addiction begins. Its what I like about the hobby is it has multiple applications. 1) Collecting - Swords look pretty and feel cool, its a little nerdy around the edges but hey what genuine pursuit isnt ....... Its a shopping challenge and cornocopia when getting one now. 2) Cutting - Okay let me just say ...... DOUBLE RECYCLING, were doing our bit for the enviroment, re-using bottles for fun, the grass gets watered and the cut pieces go in the recycle bin. Its a fun solo activity, very medatative and focusing pastime or a great thing to do with friends, even ones who arent collecters themselves, the look of victory when they cut a bottle is a laugh and often the cheers and jeers of targets cut creates a great bonding atmosphere and nothing better then getting fellow collectors together to compare and test out each others arsenals (cant do that with postage stamps). 3) Martial Arts, where eastern or western the martial pursuit of swordplay is both an intensive mental and physical accomplishment. The discipline and perfection of it is remarkable and the variety mindboggling (hey war with the blade being a long time pastime of mankind). Where the Western Fightbook plays, Japanese Kendo, Iaido, or Fencing, Sabre, Chinese blades and their intrinsic connections to unarmed combat leaves it a great devotion in ones life. 4) Historically educational - You learn your oakeshott typologies, you can say all the bits on a katana in japanese, you know what was used at Hastings and the tale of Miyamoto Musashi, all this knowelge will often pass your brain as you delve deeper into what was once just getting shiny slicey things now you would give a history student a run for their money. Its challenging mentally and widening your knowelege base. 5) Reconnecting to a more Ancient You - When wielding your blade your minds probably not crossing heaps into your car, ipod, Macdonalds probably doesnt thrill your tastebuds and modern television dramatics and media gripe and crud probably isnt your concern. I little part of you, maybe even a genetic memory (how you know one of your ancestral grandfathers wasnt a europeon man at arms or samurai warrior or great martial artist of his time), a rememberance of a time YES while more "brutal", "savage" etc etc time, was also a more noble, more worthy time ....... oh call it what you want but one look at the news at the rapings, senseless drug murders, idiot paris hiltons, siccofantic B.S, obese children and enough advertisements to make your eyes and ears bleed and tell me we arent the savages now. Fact is your reconnecting with a more true time in humanties span. Thats why when I get that sword out, its so much more then its pricetag and a waterbottle on a upsidedown trashcan Welcome to the pursuit of a lifetime mate
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 9:54:09 GMT
mmmwwuuhhahahahaha.........another one sucked into the black vortex..................
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 10:05:21 GMT
And so it begins.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 10:38:05 GMT
the best part is showing off to your wife.
the worst part is when she wants a try at it and starts swinging around a peice of steel almost as tall as her.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 11:03:45 GMT
+1 for the profound post, Brissybeater.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 13:25:22 GMT
Welcome to the wild side, gearloose...may your sojourn here be long and rewarding. It has for me, thus far.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 13:33:02 GMT
The trash can needed some drainage holes anyway. LOL
YIS, K
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 13:44:43 GMT
Congrats on entering the dark side,there's only one thing more satisfying than your first sword cut.The next sword you buy and cut with and then the next sword you buy and cut with and the next sword you buy and cut with, Well you get my meaning,it just dosent end.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 15:36:25 GMT
the best part is showing off to your wife. the worst part is when she wants a try at it and starts swinging around a peice of steel almost as tall as her. ...or she's better at it than you are! I lol'ed at the "Benefiber" reference. Never hear that from the youngsters here. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 17:07:59 GMT
the best part is showing off to your wife. the worst part is when she wants a try at it and starts swinging around a peice of steel almost as tall as her. ...or she's better at it than you are! I lol'ed at the "Benefiber" reference. Never hear that from the youngsters here. ;D *snort, giggle* I wondered if someone would catch that... Being 57, I suspect I am one of the oldest members here, or at least in the top ten percent. I'd just about bet I'm one of the oldest to "start" this hobby/activity at my age. Truth be told, I'm actually coming back to a hobby I had decades ago when I was a teen. I used to have a nice small collection of edged weapons. Mostly knives and bayonets, though with a few wicked looking machetes thrown in. I had a bayonet, Swedish I think, that resembled a short sword more than any bayonet I've ever seen. It looked like this one, but mine was pristene.
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Post by randomnobody on Aug 28, 2009 19:30:24 GMT
Ooh, I've wanted one of those...but I can't remember the name... Oh and good job on the cutting and such.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 20:56:39 GMT
I said the same thing about my first sword. That first cut really is amazing isn't it?
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Post by sparky on Aug 28, 2009 22:25:29 GMT
Ah!!!!!! We never forget our first time! You know there are only three time you ever cut. The first time. The last time. And all the times in the middle. Rob
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Post by brotherbanzai on Aug 28, 2009 22:52:24 GMT
Pretty fun isn't it gearloose Good thing you were using a plastic trash can. Just wait til Halloween when you can try cutting some pumpkins!
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Post by Dave(utilityslave) on Aug 28, 2009 23:17:49 GMT
Ah yes, beating back the great annual pumpkin invasion...........good times!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 23:47:50 GMT
Ah yes, beating back the great annual pumpkin invasion...........good times! Pretty fun isn't it gearloose Good thing you were using a plastic trash can. Just wait til Halloween when you can try cutting some pumpkins! HA! I may have to carve a pumpkin this year just so I can execute it later. Did I mention that I grew up in the country? We raised chickens for both eggs and meat. I was the official chicken executioner for all chickens sentenced to become Sunday dinner. I used a machete similar to this one: The one I had was larger (around a 24" blade iirc) and had riveted wood handles. The blade tapered in thickness down to the point and was made of a good quality steel. It took a razor edge and was pretty wicked. Many a chicken was separated from its head with a single blow of that machete! ;D
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