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Post by randomnobody on Jan 20, 2010 7:27:45 GMT
Only real men own a sword. ...How about women? I collect them and am a classically trained iaidoka and fencer, and I'm certainly no man. ;D I hereby crown thee "Manliest Woman." ...what? (no seriously I jest )
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 7:39:14 GMT
I've always been fascinated with swords, when I was a kid my dad didn't trust me with things like swords (or fireworks). He died when I was fourteen and all these years later I still get pleasure from being able to responsibly use and enjoy both. My son takes the safety aspect of sword ownership extremely seriously so I feel like I'm passing on something worthwhile. But aside from that, there's still that little kid in me that just likes swords; If it comes right down to the bad guys against the good guys I want to be one of the good guys. And you just know the good guys will be using swords.
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Post by randomnobody on Jan 20, 2010 7:45:15 GMT
Slackitude raises an interesting point which I hadn't considered with my initial reply in this particular thread, though I'm sure the others identical to this one include me saying something to the same effect...anyway...
As long as I can remember I've had some sort of sharp thing. Pocket knives, mostly, but as I grew up, so did they. Whittling and carving and so on was a favorite pastime of mine and the nicks and cuts I got from doing so were tremendous "life lessons" that I will never forget. It is important to learn early on the value of caution, and respect for potentially-hazardous items, while learning to properly handle, use, and care for the same. Similar to how one might be raised on "oven = hot = no touch" yet one day find themselves hungry and not knowing how to use the blasted oven, I figure kids should be exposed to knives as early as possible to teach them how to not chop off their hands while dealing with that pesky fruit or vegetable during snack or meal preparation.
I suppose my fascination with swords is just that same learning experience, that simply...kept growing. Literally. My first knife was two inches long; my dream sword is six feet long, and that's just the blade. Why not, right?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 8:32:20 GMT
Random: ...Bwah! (I figured you were joking ) And Slackitude and yourself do bring up something I hadn't considered. I got my first pocketknife when I was five. I had it with me all the time (I was homeschooled and we lived in the middle of nowhere) and I'd carve and whittle, use it to build forts and to make other 'weapons'. I hadn't really considered the link until now. And even now, I still have a pocketknife on me pretty much all the time. I did injure myself quite a few times back then while whittling, et cetra, but I've never cut myself with a sword *knock on wood*. Is your dream sword a temple sword, by chance? I've only had the opportunity to see one up close once. The thing was gargantuan and quite old, and in a state of disrepair. If I would have had the money then, it would be mine now. It was quite a piece. I do have an odachi that is the exact same height I am, though. It's fun.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 8:37:41 GMT
im just old school at hart. my wife tells me that im primitive. i do every thing i can by the old ways. i hunt with a bow or spear and knife. just primitive at hart. terry
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 9:22:28 GMT
Because one day I woke up and realized that I could...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 9:27:23 GMT
Yeah, I had considered 'Because I can', but for me, that's not the real reason, lol.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 12:57:45 GMT
Well, if there's two things that every self-respecting elf needs, it's archery equipment, and a good sword. As soon as I was out of college, I purchased my first blade, Windlass' "15th Century German Bastard Sword". I chose it because I thought it had a gorgeous hilt, and I liked the idea of a blade that I could wield with either one or two hands. Since then I've averaged about a blade a year because I'm still looking for the perfect one. Mind you, there's always the chance that there's still another sword that is even better than your current favorite. As such, I don't except that I'll stop buying swords any time soon (even if I don't really have a practical/non-romantic use for them). The chronology of my sword purchases: 1. Windlass German Bastard Sword (sharp) 2. Windlass Rhinefelden Sword Rapier (sharp, my favorite sword) 3,4. A pair of matching Lung Chaun Tai Chi Swords (one blunt, one sharp) 5. Antique Persian war axe (blunt) 6. Windlass Confederate D-Guard Bowie (sharp, my favorite BIG knife) 7. Windlass Transitional Viking Sword (blunt) 8. Silver Stag Boar-Hunting Sword (sharp) 9. Musashi Practical Katana (sharp) 10. Hanwei Practical Hand and a Half Sword (blunt) 11. Cold Steel Scottish Broadsword (sharp) 12. BKS Straight-bladed Bastard Sword (sharp, well when it arrives anyway ) I guess next time I'll need to order 2 blades to skip lucky #13...
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Jan 20, 2010 13:39:30 GMT
Well, if there's two things that every self-respecting elf needs, it's archery equipment, and a good sword. I guess next time I'll need to order 2 blades to skip lucky #13... You need a set of fighting knives. Like these: www.fableblades.com/The%20Archer.html
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 14:01:54 GMT
Orcs... did anyone mention Orcs???
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 14:52:22 GMT
Quite the sharp sales pitch there! Those are definitely beautiful weapons, although I have enough people mistaking me for Blondolas (in spite of my dark hair and reproduction of Elrond's circlet) as it is — don't know if I want to confuse them any further. EDIT: Actually something like this: www.fableblades.com/Ciall.html would be more my style. Peter Jackson might have liked his elves with curvy blades, but in that regard I'm a bit more old school.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 17:16:06 GMT
Because my Ak47 is just too loud. ;D 3 swords in 3 weeks. I am a knife reviewer and a published writer on knives. I have also been in metallurgy and metal fabrication for 25 years. The sword was just the next step. There is no stronger Jungian archetype than the proverbial sword. It is used universally as a permanent metaphor. It is the default Aristotelian ideal of a generic weapon or sybolic of war, defense, etc. Ancient martial Europeans considered their sword to be their personal Christian cross symbol. Ancient Japanese believed their Katana contained a spirit. Even the most modernized mythical sagas still retain the sword as a literary artifact (ie the Matrix trilogy, etc.). Last but but not least I like to chop bottles.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 18:09:55 GMT
The best response I have ever seen to this question is a quote from SBG's Own Marc Kaden Ridgeway:
No matter what I try and say, I can't get more to the point than that. I agree with Marc 100% and actually thank him for having written those words.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 18:36:40 GMT
I agree with Marc and yourself, Liam. That was beautifully put.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 18:40:42 GMT
The best response I have ever seen to this question is a quote from SBG's Own Marc Kaden Ridgeway: No matter what I try and say, I can't get more to the point than that. I agree with Marc 100% and actually thank him for having written those words. So in other words: they're shiny? Just kidding. That's quite the post. Not much you can add to that.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 19:58:29 GMT
Thanks Brenno. I finally feel vindicated! Umm... Hi, I'm Mike and I'm a sword-a-holic. I have... uhh... a bunch of sharps... and a few blunts and several sets of wasters and sparring swords. I collect weapons of several different types. I have had a sort of love affair with weaponry since I was a wee tot. Swords were a passion for a long time before I ever bought one. Then, after discovering this forum, it just kinda snowballed into the mass of sharp and shineys hanging around my place now. But I'm happy to say I finally think I have a handle on this disease. I haven't bought a sword all year long. Hi Mike, we think that you are doing very well.... here is your one year coin.
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Post by randomnobody on Jan 20, 2010 20:00:00 GMT
Marc's always had a way with words.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 20:03:09 GMT
It all began years ago when I saw the movie When Knighthood Was In Flower, aka The Sword and the Rose. I've wanted a real sword ever since then, and then I purchased my first REAL sword and now I'm stuck. Can't put it into words, really. They just speak to me. I now have three and half. The "half" is because I share one with my wife...a big, hefty zwiehander. The wife won't use anything else and it was, after all, a Christmas present to the both of us from friends. *sigh* I need more. So, Glacier, how long have you heard these "voices", and they dont tell you to do bad things, do they?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 20:13:28 GMT
I, as many kids, when a child, loved to play stick fighting... aka swashbuckler. the first blade that i had was a cubscout barlow.... good knife, BTW. the first sword that i experienced, was when I was 18... a fencing foil. A friend taking fencing in college, wanted a practice partner and showed me a few moves so i could help him practice. not much experience between 19 and 28. then i began learning kung fu and became very enchanted with the jian. i loved how my sifu was able to manipulate the blade. he passed away before i learned the full form, so i mixed it with the little fencing that i learned when younger. now i have a dr yang vid teaching the 54 form, and am working on refining the technique.
as for anything other than exercise, practice, and meditation, the rest is fascination. there is the defensive stand point, but it less practical in the days of firearms, missiles and a-bombs.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2010 20:13:36 GMT
I think the better question is why not?
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