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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Oct 1, 2010 22:22:11 GMT
I've seen people of all types and levels of interest pass through SBG over the last few years... from those with a passing interest in swords, to those who appreciate them as the focus of a hobby, to people who obsess over swords and just can't live without that next epic one that they'll never get (SEAN!  Not really.  ), to those who live life by the sword, defining themselves by this pursuit that we all share to some extent or another. My question is- where do YOU fit in among this spectrum? :?: I, for one, think of myself as a member of the latter of these catagories, but only just. I think of myself as a swordsman, as a warrior of sorts, though it may be antiquated, but I am not actvely involved in learning the practical application of these weapons that I love so much. Unlike a man who I consider to be the quintessential example of a modern day warrior, Odingaard, who is active in training groups, possibly the SCA (IDK, sorry if I'm wrong. ), and goes to such epic-sounding events as DragonCon, I merely self-train with my blades, do some cutting, and clean like heck to avoid rust. Oh, and I make scabbards, belts, wrap grips, and the like. I guess that counts for something.  Maybe in a decade or so I can be a full participant in this lifestyle, but getting my driver's liscense is likely a good thing to work on first. So, what do you think? Are you a hobbyist, an interestee, a hoarder, or a warrior? Or somewhere inbetween? :?: Discuss. -Slayer |
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Post by hjorhrafn on Oct 1, 2010 23:00:49 GMT
Swords and other weapons serve as a focus for my love of history. Ever since I was a boy, weaponry and mythology has been what spurred me to learn more about my ancestors. Now that I'm a man, the only thing that has changed is the fact that I can afford to own and train with these weapons. I would never call myself a warrior, out of respect for true warriors, but I do try to practice and understand swords in their cultural context. And then, there is the fact that backyard cutting is just plain fun. |
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Oct 1, 2010 23:02:14 GMT
Very.
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Post by ineffableone on Oct 1, 2010 23:19:04 GMT
Swords are an extension of my love of blades. I have a serious love for blades of all sorts which went logically into swords too. I am not that into display only pieces though, I prefer functional. Of course I have ended up with plenty of display stuff through gifts and giveaways. To me there is just something unbelievably sexy about a nice functional blade. The lines the parts the shiny metal it all just is beautiful to me.
I do train and practice with my sword. Even pulled my sword twice in self defense, which thankfully was enough of a shock factor to scare away the attackers. While I am not an SCAer, or Ren fair knight one might say I am into the practical martial side of swords along with the over all appreciation of the blades as functional art. I have done plenty of sparring with boffer swords with my county redneck friends, and sparred in the Arizona desert with mesquite trees. I do plenty of cutting and form practice but wouldn't say I sleep eat and breath life of the sword.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2010 23:21:01 GMT
Well my other reply is lost somewhere in the Internet murk that missing posts go to. But any-who; my involvement would be a hobby. As much as I would love to join groups and train, life always seems to get in the way.  hey, where is spell check??? I can't live without spell check. |
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Post by Bradleee42 on Oct 1, 2010 23:35:27 GMT
I try to stay very involved. Ya know, the right after school programs, sports, gotta make sure their grades are good, cause admit it, who wants to fully pay for college these days. You have to make sure theyre hanging out with the right crowd, and not getting into stuff they shouldnt be doing, especially fighting. Hospital costs are crazy these days. And insurance, dont even get me started on insurance....... -Brad :ugeek: |
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TomK
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Post by TomK on Oct 2, 2010 2:54:57 GMT
Swords? me?
not at all.
ok, does ANYONE believe that?
please allow me to quote myself:
"I have always loved swords. I cannot remember a time when I didn’t. I can remember a time when I didn’t know any stories about knights and swords and I can remember the first time my mom read me Tolkien’s The Hobbit but my passion for swords predates all of that. I often joke that I was born holding a sword but I can’t back that up and besides my mom is still alive to put the lie to that story. When I first picked up a real sword I felt just like Sweeny Todd in the recent movie when he held his razors aloft and said 'At last, my arms are complete again.' So the need to collect good quality swords of all types is very visceral and deep-seated in me. Many of my fellow forumites talk about the symbolism of the sword and what it means to society and I understand that, but to me it’s like waxing poetic on just how wet is water. I collect swords (and the occasional mace, war hammer, pole arm, or axe) to find the missing parts of myself. "
so how involved does one say one is with themselves?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2010 3:43:46 GMT
I am definitely a hoarder first and cutter second. Don't get me wrong, I love a good cutting session as much as the next bloke, I live for the thrill of that package coming in the mail and unwrapping that piece of shinny treasure. I can't wait to feel the grip in my hands and the balance and weight of the sword as I dry handle it. Then it takes it's place as the newest blade in my collection. It's kinda like notching the bed post, if you catch my drift, only in a swordly way.
Secondly, as many men, I would consider myself a warrior in waiting, who will likely never need to use a sword, and yet still feels some sort of profound connection with the real knights of old who actually kept the code of chivalry, and also the archetypical heroes of my youth. It feels powerful and fantastical all at once. All together intoxicating.
I don't get a chance to cut as much as I would like because I have neighbors who would think it's just too weird and likely call the police or the child kidnappers. I wait until I can cut out in the country at my in-laws farm. Just as well because I have an archery target out there anyway.
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Post by John Greybeard on Oct 2, 2010 4:31:48 GMT
I'm sixty damn years old and I still like to play with swords - oops - practice swordplay. Since I was a kid swinging tree branches at imaginary foes I've always been smitten with the beauty and power of the blade. I aquired my first real sword (a Knights of Columbus dress number - guess I don't even think of it as a "real" sword anymore, more of a legitimate wall hanger) at an auction when I was about 12 years old (bad parents, obviously.)
Since then I've aquired - and lost - many many material items in my checkered, up and down and varied careers. I don't have much of a sword collection right now, but I do still have that ancient K of C wall hanger!
It seems my involvement with swords has overtaken my other passions at present... haven't ridden a wave for months, now. I haven't done any art that didn't attach to a blade for a while either. And God knows I've been spending waaaaayyyy too much time hanging out here at night... OK, maybe not too much - but a lot... hahahaha And I couldn't be happier!
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Post by chuckinohio on Oct 2, 2010 6:23:07 GMT
From the first time that I read Conan, Lord of the Rings, John Carter Warlord of Mars, yadda yadda yadda, I've been fascinated with edged weapons. I vanquished foes, liberated castles, dealt doom on fell beasts, and ate beanie weenies with my boy scout knife while dreaming of wielding a yard of steel in my mailed fist. My fascination does not end with swords and knives, I am enthralled by axes, maces, polearms, warhammers, clubs, and pointy rocks also. Functional art is where it is at for me. I appreciate the workmanship that goes into the crafting of a weapon, and the discipline that is involved to employ it correctly and effectively. It also connects me to a time when a mans word meant more than just noise in a bar, your word was your bond, and you could set forth to make a fortune with nothing more than your two hands. Not that folks didn't have worries back then, but it seems as if they were much simpler and easily dealt with as opposed to todays world. I could be wrong, and I could also be a grown up kid living in a fantasy world, but it is my world and I enjoy it quite a bit |
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Post by Wes on Oct 2, 2010 7:55:39 GMT
Swords are one of my two major passions, the other being dragons. Since I was little these two things have been part of everything major that I have done in my life. I have a sword on every wall, and a dragon in every room, sometimes multiples of each. I do my best to learn and practice with the tools that I have, but I live in a very bleh place for those of a martial mind. I hope that with my move in a year or two that I'll be somewhere that will help me scratch my swordsman's itch and get me some proper training lol!
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Tomius
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Back in business my dear brothers in arms :)
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Post by Tomius on Oct 2, 2010 8:35:36 GMT
Im a hobbyist warrior...
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Post by brotherbanzai on Oct 2, 2010 14:19:05 GMT
My house is littered with swords! From sharp ones to blunt practice ones to polyethylene wasters, they're all over the place. I make them and teach a class in long sword. I spend a huge amount of my time researching construction techniques and steel, tweeking designs so that each new blade is a tiny bit better than the previous one, thumbing through fechtbucher, decoding/experimenting/trying out the concepts, checking out other peoples interpretations of the material, and just admiring what other people have made or what they are doing with them. I like swords, and generally, like people who like swords |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2010 14:32:42 GMT
Similarly to what Margshus said, I'm more of a collector and occasional backyard cutter (at most). Basically, I guess you could say that I'm a hoarder.
I'm not a martial artist and most definitely not a warrior. I've practiced a few martial arts throughout the years, but never long enough to feel comfortable saying that I practice 'so-and-so' martial art, and definitely never long enough to get to weapons training. I've been a bit interested for awhile in finding an iaijutsu (er, iaido) school around where I live, but google doesn't seem to help too much in my preliminary search. Then again, I'm relatively busy with classes and my part-time job, so I wouldn't know how to fit it in even if I did find a school. I'm usually tired enough after my meager shift to not want to do anything at in the evening.
I usually sleep with one of my swords on my bed like it's a teddy bear or something. I'm weird (and probably very stupid) like that. Although... cleaning and oiling my blades seems to be more dangerous for me, as I've actually cut myself doing those things.
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Post by danmasamori on Oct 2, 2010 14:59:15 GMT
I originally fell in love with the Katana when I was in Karate in elementry school, my sensei had one hanging on the wall in the dojo, and I would literally stare at it all the way through class every week.
My love weas re-kindled later in life when I started taking Aikido, some of the students started bringing in their bokkens, and Iaito's to play around with at the end of class, after awhile, I started to lose interest in Aikido, and wanted to train solely in JSA, and started in Iaido a year later.
I'll be honest and say that Iam completely obsessed with my katana, they almost bring out an OCD like quality in me......
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2010 16:06:44 GMT
I think that swords and I are very intertwined. I remember that my interest and future obsession started when I was six, and I played Final Fantasy 2/4 for the Super Nintendo when it came to Canada. From then on, I became extremely interested in knights, honour, swords and anything that relates to any of those things remotely. I was always buying plastic toy swords when I was younger, and swinging them around for hours on end.
Oddly though, my first real sword was a katana. I get that the way of the samurai is the embodiment of honour and really everything I ever imagined and admired about the knightly ways, but I always found it funny that my first real sword wasn't a replica of the knight swords that I played with as a kid.
I'd like to become more involved in the way of the sword, both with WMA and JSA, but life tends to get in the way of our real interests. But sometimes that is what makes it all the more special when we do get some time to indulge. But for the time being, I'm just a hoarder, with that inner warrior waiting to be tempered and honed into his own perfect weapon.
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Post by Ronin Katana on Oct 2, 2010 16:55:22 GMT
My daughter's friends joke that if zombies attack, everyone in the area needs to come to my house. Surprisingly, when I lay out my gigantic bamboo mat and start taking pictures of swords, passersby will actually stop, walk over, and chat with me about swords.
My personal collection is just under 20 pieces. For me though, swords are also a way to bring back remnants of history. Flipping through an old Christies auction catalog and seeing an amazing katana and having it reproduced is very exciting. Even more so to receive an email from someone who likes it as much as I do.
Next up for me personally will be either an Atlantian or the Father's sword from Conan. I'd also like to get something from John Lundemo, as well as Andy Davis and David DelaGardelle over at Mad Dwarf.
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Post by johnapsega on Oct 2, 2010 17:33:59 GMT
Can anyone say obsessed lol. Thats what I am Im a sword guy. I try my hardest to follow the rules of chivalry and I practice with the swords I buy (not a member of any group but I do practice with books and internet sources). I also love collecting and studying different types of swords.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2010 17:30:37 GMT
My health prevents me from enjoying my swords as much as I would like to, I don't cut as much or practice drills from books as much as I would like, but I spend an inordinate amount of time here, it's like my home away from home, and I'm always soaking up sword knowledge like a sponge. I guess I'm more of an obsessive hoarder, if that makes any sense. My meager collection is all on the wall opposite my desk and every so often I just gaze at it...Nope, nothing weird about me at all |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2010 1:08:34 GMT
this just blows me away.....I never knew there were other people who liked swords.
I have alot of hobbies. I'm a way better guitar player than I was a martial artist. That so hurts to say though. I am also a computer nerd. when I was 15-19 or so It was all about steel. Now, did I know the difference between a object that almost appeared sword like or a real honest to god scary scaple sharp true piece of death with a handle? nope (red faced). Then came life. college, girls, music, beer, girls, music, beer, job, music, girls, beer, job, job, job, job, job job job.
My love of steel comes from those great, stupid action movies that I grew up loving in the 80s. Conan, highlander, the beast master and a bunch more. My first blade made of actual steel was one of the united 440 stainless katana like objects with the pipe mekugi and plastic handle. I gotta give it credit, It's still in one piece after I beat it to death all those years.
actual training:
when I did jujitsu (japanese not braz) we focused way more the standing aikido and judo type stuff and the striking. Weapons were tought and the katana was part of that but only a tiny part - maybe once a month. I remember most of the kamae, all the cuts and a few kata. We never did the setting stuff and it was all with a boken.
So my nephew who is 7 just started kung fu and needed a bo staff (I can't wait for him to start training with a dao even if it wooden) and as i was shopping I ever so innocently clicked on the swords link. OMG I want one lol. So I started googling and decided to drop a few dollars on a musashi. I got the musashi guard practical katana and a couple Wakizashi. I pick them up everday and about once a week I pull out all the water bottles, milk/OJ/sweet tea jugs, and bleach jugs my "tribe" has consumed and execute them. I went ahead and opened another banking account and am putting 50 bucks back a pay check just for swords and stuff. I'm thinking about getting a stand and some mats too. I've never done Tameshigiri but it looks like loads of fun.
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Not really. 
), to those who live life by the sword, defining themselves by this pursuit that we all share to some extent or another.
