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Post by whitefeathers on Nov 12, 2010 18:55:21 GMT
Hanwei Raptor nambokucho, 30 inches of authority.  and Munetoshi Midori iaito. shorty of just barely 26 inches blade. Its funny seeing those two next to each other. BIG sword and little sword. Second picture Hanwei PPK 27 inches of loveliness wood training sword... obviously "the Last samurai" movie wallhanger. I had this thing for several years. Got it before I knew anything about swords. This was also the one I wore on halloween. It was surprisingly structurally sound for awhile.....until i swung it around a few times :oops: its a bit loose in the tsuka now. It made a nice practice sword for drawing and sheathing until my iaito showed up. Another wallhanger I bought while I was on my first Iraq deployment. My first sword I ever owned. I would be too scared to do anything with it. It feels very flimsy and cheap. The blade actually wobbles if you wiggle it from side to side :shock: WW2 Japanese NCO sword. 26 inch blade with a metal tsuka. Not a comfortable sword to swing around. Its nice and light but the tsuka feels too short. It might be ok one handed but I'm not strong enough for that. Attachments:
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Tomius
Member
Back in business my dear brothers in arms :)
Posts: 330
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Post by Tomius on Nov 12, 2010 21:37:06 GMT
Very nice collection man...That hanwei raptor looks specially nice..
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Post by whitefeathers on Nov 13, 2010 0:24:25 GMT
Oh I forgot to add-- I don't technically own it yet but an SBG custom is in the works. Green ito, 27 blade with the bo hi, black saya, dragon fittings, and an engraving on the blade. Yes Katanas are my love. Thanks for the kind words and yes that Raptor is big bold and beautiful. The PPK has my heart though as she was my first 'real' sword. I don't really have any feelings for the Iraq sword because when we got back to base my Sgt made me ship it home. So I didn't get to handle it much over there. Although memories do return when I see it. I agree if the NCO sword could talk I'd love to hear her stories. Was she carried valiantly in war or never drawn? The iaito, wood sword and I are pretty close=we spend A LOT of time together.  |
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Post by Midori Kawakami on Nov 13, 2010 9:48:09 GMT
Awesome collection! I especially love the NCO; I'm a sucker for the old blades. ^^
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Nov 13, 2010 10:08:10 GMT
Interesting collection. Except for the carvings on the saya, that Last Samurai wallhanger of yours is identical to the one I bought at a RenFaire about 6 years back; well, except I cut off that rather ugly tsuka-ito pattern on the saya and retied the sageo.
Oddly enough, the one I like the most out of your collection is that wallhanger saber. I don't know... It just draws the eye. Everything on it just looks so fantastically done it's almost a shame it's a wallhanger. Other than that, I'm really liking the NCO, but that could be just because I've adored the concept of a one-handed or hand-and-a-half katana for years.
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Post by whitefeathers on Nov 13, 2010 15:18:44 GMT
I would put the NCO sword up for display if I didn't live in an apt that doesn't want holes in the walls. Same for the Iraq sword too. I don't have the room to have display stands. I need to utilize every flat surface I can. :lol: Right now they just lean in random corners. Now that I think about it I could put together a standing display thing....hmmm.. winter break project.
The NCO does have a different "feeling" when I hold it, probably due to its age and what stories she could tell. It does have interesting heart shaped marking on the nakago. I agree the Iraq one does have a unique look to it....until its unsheathed. $15 Iraqi shop special.
The last Samurai one I got from Topicool.com for maybe $20-$25. I got it, played with it for a couple days and then it sat in the corner. When I went through a bunch of moves and changes in life it sat in storage or in a box for years forgotten. I forgot I even owned it until just a few months ago. since that picture was taken I took off the ito looking stuff off the saya too.
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Nov 13, 2010 16:07:15 GMT
I've got the same problem; my apartment complex doesn't really like holes in the wall and I figure my room's got enough of those, what with my recliner punching through the dry wall. Luckily my bookcase is covering those up for the moment and my sword is perched on top of it. It's really the only flat space I have that's big enough and has enough empty space for it... Oh, and that doesn't move, since my desk gets pushed back and forth some twenty-thirty times a day.
With the NCO... I wonder if she ever cut through a machine gun barrel? :lol: That's usually the problem with wallhangers: they usually look good until you unsheathe them. I once had a really nice Persian influenced knife. I loved the design so much I may even get someone to make a custom one for me. Anyways, it had a hollow, cast metal handle in the shape of a leopard... Or was it a tiger? I tossed it some time ago, so suffice it to say, it was a big cat; I got it second hand and the weld on the hilt had been done rather shoddily and had come apart before I got it. That alone wouldn't have really been enough to make me toss a good looking knife, but I looked inside the handle and what do I find? Nothing. Literally. There was no tang whatsoever. It's a crying shame that some of the best looking blades are wallhangers.
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Post by whitefeathers on Nov 15, 2010 13:48:52 GMT
The markings on the nakago I mentioned earlier, I meant to add pictures but forgot. No mei though, Attachments:
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Post by bloodwraith on Nov 15, 2010 17:52:36 GMT
Nice little collection feathers, how do you find the iaito? Always on the lookout for good ones that don't an arm and a leg and possibly other body parts as well. I have a special place in my heart for short blades, they are just so manoeuvrable and a pleasure to use. The only thing you need to watch out for is if you are used to the distance of a longer katana, it can throw off your technique if you are attempting tameshigiri.
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Post by whitefeathers on Nov 15, 2010 18:26:51 GMT
The iaito was from SnA. It felt a little short since I got used to the PPK but we get along alright together. I like it and my only complaint about it really is its tip heavy. And I didn't have to sell a kidney for it either. Like $90. I do want a nice iaito in the future and I have one picked out on Tozando, I just don't know if i need it yet. I want it and especially with their sale going and free international shipping its real tempting. It would run me $480, and I was told that swords from there are worth every penny. I want something that balances and handles as close as a live blade as possible.
My Raptor is the only "long" one I have. The others are 26/27 inch blades. I'm a shorty so those short blades work nice with me. If I hold the wood sword where the notch is, its a 29 inch 'blade', I try to remember to put my middle finger over the notch to make it like I have a shorter sword. I have yet to try tameshigiri. Someday...
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Post by whitefeathers on Dec 7, 2010 14:59:35 GMT
Adding my latest purchase, Musashi Bamboo. Like I've said before I cant believe how Light this sword is. I can see how the bigger people say it feels too flimsy and small for them. But for little people like me it feels pretty good. It does feel a little flimsy but I'm just used to the thicker blades on the others. I'm happy with it . She like the Raptor are just begging to cut something.  The blue saya is actually a much darker, nicer blue that the scary bright loud blue on the SnA website.  The obligatory pretty hamon picture. |
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Post by whitefeathers on Dec 29, 2010 22:00:49 GMT
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Post by johnapsega on Dec 29, 2010 22:52:37 GMT
that bamboo is really pretty and im digging the blue saya  |
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Post by whitefeathers on Dec 30, 2010 21:13:05 GMT
thanks the blue is attractive. I was worried it was going to be obnoxiously bright but its not. neat little sword but a bit flimsy on the monouchi part.
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Post by whitefeathers on Apr 22, 2011 17:03:11 GMT
Adding more babies  I forgot about this thingy my Practical plus Wakizashi from Midori I got back at the beginning of the year, and my beautiful 25th Hanwei anniversary Shinto      |
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Sam H
Member
Posts: 1,099
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Post by Sam H on Apr 22, 2011 23:28:01 GMT
Nice collection there Whitefeathers.
I especially like the 25th Ann. Shinto. I keep kicking myself for not picking one up when they were available. Now I haven't the finances to do so - one of the few swords I do regret not having purchased.
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Post by whitefeathers on Apr 22, 2011 23:37:34 GMT
Thanks.
I got it from the classifieds on SFI for a great price. She's looking good for me being her 3rd owner. I really like this sword. Its like my Nami iaito's twin. They are the exact same in weight and balance.
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Post by Bradleee42 on Apr 26, 2011 13:32:55 GMT
I still have to get a Wak. I want the three Monkeys. Or if possible the Musashi Wak.
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This might finally be THE ONE :lol: 
I forgot about this thingy
