Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2011 19:42:10 GMT
I did a search but didn't come up with anything, please point me in the right direction if I'm missing something... Can anyone direct me to a good book that covers the anatomy of a katana, forging methods, cultural signifigance or history? I'm trying to learn as much as possible about my new sword and while the interwebs are great, I'd rather have a good book to curl up with. Really, books concerning any of the above for any type of sword would be nice, as I'm not only interested in Japanese weaponry. TIA!
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SeanF
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Post by SeanF on Oct 10, 2011 19:54:37 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2011 20:00:10 GMT
Bookmarked! Thanks for the link
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Post by MOK on Oct 12, 2011 10:36:17 GMT
One book that comes to mind is Secrets of the Samurai (ISBN 0-7858-1073-0) by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook. It's a broad look at the martial practices of Feudal Japan in general, not focusing on the sword specifically, but it's a really good read and since you're interested in the cultural context as well, I'd recommend it. Also, Miyamoto Musashi's A Book of Five Rings. It's short, sweet, in public domain and readily available both in print and online in many different translations and editions. Here's one.
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Oct 12, 2011 18:42:37 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2011 19:23:51 GMT
Thanks for the links I'll make sure to put The Connoisseurs Book of Japanese Swords on my Christmas list .
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Post by Krelian on Oct 15, 2011 19:52:06 GMT
Another great site well worth reading for information on Japanese swords is Usagiya I have and read Secrets of the Samurai and while some of the information is good much of it is sensationalized and romanticised and really shouldn't be taken as hard historic fact. Another good book similar to The Connoisseurs Book of Japanese Swords is The Japanese Sword by Kanzan Sato. It's simpler and not as geared toward antique appraisal but cheaper and well worth having.
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Post by MOK on Oct 15, 2011 21:29:37 GMT
Well, yeah - there's facts, and then there's conjecture and "flavor text", but personally I find they're pretty easy to tell apart. Just keep in mind it was written by two professional weeaboos.
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Post by Krelian on Oct 17, 2011 16:26:22 GMT
HA! I'm not familiar with the authors but after reading the book I'd say that's an excellent explanation of them! :lol: None the less you're right, if you get a copy cheap (I think I paid $4) and read it with a discerning eye it's not too bad...
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Post by MOK on Oct 17, 2011 17:10:23 GMT
They're actually quite well known. Ratti was an accomplished academic, wrestler, judoka and aikidoka who co-wrote (with Westbrook) and personally illustrated several very influential works on Japanese martial arts, including SotS and Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere; if you've ever had any interest in Aikido you'll probably recognize his illustrations even if you've never heard of him.
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Post by Krelian on Oct 17, 2011 20:53:08 GMT
Ha! Yes, I am a (very new) aikidoka and now that you mention it when I flipped through Dynamic Sphere the little ink drawings did look like the ones in SotS!
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