Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum

Opferous
Manufacturer/Vendor

Posts: 622

Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 18, 2012 19:51:41 GMT

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Post by Opferous on Jul 18, 2012 19:51:41 GMT

So I was in Taiwan last month visiting family and found out that I'd be in Kaohsiung, where Kuo Chang-hsih, the reputed "last swordsmith of Taiwan," has a shop and museum. The whole "last swordsmith" thing is more marketing and hyperbole on his part, but I figured I'd swing through and check out his swords. While his damascus was certainly nice and some of the aesthetics of his museum pieces were nice, I wasn't too impressed by the handling or blade profiles of the pieces he had on sale. Still, for just a visual appraisal of Chinese swords, his museum's not bad.

And so the pictures:

Kuo Chang-shih Sword Museum by LongshipArmoury, on Flickr

James Fang, President

johnwalter Member Posts: 2,711	Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 18, 2012 20:16:44 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by johnwalter on Jul 18, 2012 20:16:44 GMT Very cool stuff!Thanks for the pics!
	Ken-Zen Ichi Nyo If you want to see,see right at once.When you begin to think,you miss the point.- Zen master,Dogo His junk is making our junk look like junk!- Fred G. Sanford,comodities. United Backyard Cutters

DavidW Member Posts: 386	Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 18, 2012 20:19:18 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by DavidW on Jul 18, 2012 20:19:18 GMT SO...MUCH...SWORD PORN Awesome pics, awesome swords. They certainly look amazing; what's with the elongated Khopesh in the 2nd to last pic?
	"There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level" --Bruce Lee The best blade geometry is Shinobi Zukuri. You neither see nor hear the blade, but you'll certainly feel it when it decapitates you.

Opferous Manufacturer/Vendor Posts: 622	Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 18, 2012 20:22:30 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Opferous on Jul 18, 2012 20:22:30 GMT As far as I can tell, those were just his interpretations (not very accurate ones though) of swords that also happened to be in use around the world during the Liao, Jing, and Yuan Dynasties.
	James Fang, President

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 18, 2012 21:03:59 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2012 21:03:59 GMT Awesome pics. Thanks!

normanno Member the warriors don't show their heart until the axe reveals it. Posts: 147	Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 19, 2012 14:45:50 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by normanno on Jul 19, 2012 14:45:50 GMT Great! Thanks for the sharing!

Polarclaw
Member

Posts: 132

Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 21, 2012 1:23:03 GMT

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Post by Polarclaw on Jul 21, 2012 1:23:03 GMT

That's wonderful. thanks. But it seem like for the most part. A lot of those fittings can be seen by most chinese sword smiths. So I'm assuming that the only changing variables are the blade quality and assembly quality. But for the most part I don't see much major variations between different companies.

May fate favor you and your endeavors.

Sébastien Senior Forumite Retired Moderator Posts: 2,967	Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 21, 2012 4:39:52 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Sébastien on Jul 21, 2012 4:39:52 GMT Very impressive pics, thanks for sharing
	I suffer from an acute, pathological, addiction to blade collecting... I lied. I enjoy every moment of that condition.

ineffableone Member Senior Forumite Posts: 3,402	Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 21, 2012 7:53:23 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by ineffableone on Jul 21, 2012 7:53:23 GMT Damn you now I have to clean the drool out of my keyboard. :lol: Seriously though thanks for sharing all those wonderful pictures.
	My favorite quotes from Rorschach from the comic Watchmen "Once a man has seen society's black underbelly, he can never turn his back on it. Never pretend, like you do, that it doesn't exist." "None of you seem to understand. I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with ME!"

Bushido Member Posts: 511	Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 21, 2012 23:59:22 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Bushido on Jul 21, 2012 23:59:22 GMT So cool! Thank you so much for sharing!
	My reviews: Ronin Katana S&D Dojo Pro: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11747 Sinosword custom Jian: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11240& Ronin Katana S&D Elite bare blade: sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/47573/ronin-katana-scratch-elite-blade Ronin Katana S&D Elite #11: sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/47578/ronin-katana-scratch-elite-heavy

Turok
Member

Posts: 424

Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Jul 22, 2012 8:17:16 GMT

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Post by Turok on Jul 22, 2012 8:17:16 GMT

DavidW wrote
SO...MUCH...SWORD PORN

Awesome pics, awesome swords. They certainly look amazing; what's with the elongated Khopesh in the 2nd to last pic?

Yeah, I was thinking of the same thing! That Khopesh looks funny being there by itself! :lol:

Taiwandeutscher
Member

Posts: 125

Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Aug 7, 2012 8:41:51 GMT

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Post by Taiwandeutscher on Aug 7, 2012 8:41:51 GMT

Well, as I live only 30 km from his shop, I had been there many times, showing his stuff to visitors, mostly enjoying seafood at the harbour over there.
His museum is ok, but as said, most stuff is bought in China, some are plain fakes (ther are not that many Zhanguo blades, lol), mostly I like the Taiwan aboriginal hunting knifes.
His dragon/tiger sword, I wouldn't treasure, even if I got one presented, not my cup of tea.
His blades can be of good quality (some supersticious Taiwanese say the human bones for carbon give the blades unpleasant qualities), but his fittings and woodwork are rather crued. And certainly, he is only one of atleast 10, 12 Taiwanese smiths, some of them much higher quality and also with much higher prices.

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Aug 25, 2012 11:55:37 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2012 11:55:37 GMT WOW WOW WOW, THANK YOU

Taiwandeutscher Member Posts: 125	Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum Aug 26, 2012 8:53:55 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Taiwandeutscher on Aug 26, 2012 8:53:55 GMT Mr. Wu, any new Chinese style blades to be seen? And where in Taiwan are you located, please?

mrstabby: Been thinking the same - but the person that set up the page might not be there anymore and old code gets messy when not maintained. Might be a "repair subscriptions, destroy function X, repair X, destroy Y" situation by now - would mean a total overhaul. Nov 18, 2024 7:29:27 GMT

eastman: problems with the forum software are the cause, not a goal to limit the club. There is an error with the software that messes up activities that require the sending of email. Nov 18, 2024 3:57:36 GMT

choseychas: That's what I figured, wasn't sure if it had become a limited club where you have to know someone to get in or what was going on. Nov 18, 2024 2:39:40 GMT

Kuo Chang-Shih Sword Museum

Post by Opferous on Jul 18, 2012 19:51:41 GMT

Post by johnwalter on Jul 18, 2012 20:16:44 GMT

Post by DavidW on Jul 18, 2012 20:19:18 GMT

Post by Opferous on Jul 18, 2012 20:22:30 GMT

Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2012 21:03:59 GMT

Post by normanno on Jul 19, 2012 14:45:50 GMT

Post by Polarclaw on Jul 21, 2012 1:23:03 GMT

Post by Sébastien on Jul 21, 2012 4:39:52 GMT

Post by ineffableone on Jul 21, 2012 7:53:23 GMT

Post by Bushido on Jul 21, 2012 23:59:22 GMT

Post by Turok on Jul 22, 2012 8:17:16 GMT

Post by Taiwandeutscher on Aug 7, 2012 8:41:51 GMT

Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2012 11:55:37 GMT

Post by Taiwandeutscher on Aug 26, 2012 8:53:55 GMT

Shoutbox