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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2007 2:32:05 GMT
Has anybody seen fight science on discovery. They mentioned that the katana is the evolutionary cornerstone. The blade materials in which the superhard steel is incased with a flexible soft outside made for a indestuctible sword. Another Interesting fact. During Emperor Mejii, Swords were confiscated in hundreds of thousands. Prior to WWII,the Japanese government put new fittings on these blades for there officers. Conclusion, if you have a WWII officers sword it could be one made from one of the greatest swordmakers of Japan. There is a website which tells you how to identify them,but it has been a long time since I have been there!
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Post by rammstein on Feb 22, 2007 2:43:13 GMT
you may want to see this post, including the debate between marc and myself.
/index.cgi?board=forumcafe&action=display&thread=1170517718
As well as the reaction to this so called educational documentary by those on this bored who like WMA instead or in addition to JSA.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2007 4:31:13 GMT
I have seen this. I know I am new here,so don't get me wrong,I was just wondering about the comments on the Mythbusters post. Sorry if insulted anyone! this is not my intention A little info on myself. I am 1/2 Japanese with a German name.Funny eh? Anyway, my Mother's maiden name was Gunji. She had told me that my great,great,grandfather was a Naginata teacher for the local Daimyo.So I have studied immensely on the history of Japan and Samurai.I have been to Japan twice. Here is the Gunji kamon
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2007 5:16:29 GMT
Thats really cool eraitz, It must be a great feeling to know your own ancestor was a samurai!
My last name, Reardon, traces back to old Ireland, it means "bard" meaning story tellers for the king
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2007 5:44:52 GMT
Alas, I'm mostly scottish, but about 20% of me is a random european mix including(in rough descending order) Irish, Welsh, English, and believe it or not, Dutch(about 1/32 of me).
My scots name is MacGlaughlin, which is a spelling variation of MacLachlan. We're an old clan.
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Post by rammstein on Feb 22, 2007 20:44:45 GMT
German, Irish, English, Polish, Ukrainian, Russain, Lithuanian (last four are all of the jewish ancestory), and finally...Cherokee indian Those are the main ones with around 10-20 more insignificant ones.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2007 21:33:35 GMT
"During Emperor Mejii, Swords were confiscated in hundreds of thousands. Prior to WWII,the Japanese government put new fittings on these blades for there officers." I've never heard that one before, many japanese had family blades remounted for sons going to war,the Yasukuni Shrine between 1933 and 1945 was teaching the old methds to new smiths for the Imperial Army,then there was the mass produced oil quenched gunto.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2007 22:20:21 GMT
It was my grandfather that told my mother that our family swords were confiscated during the Meiji period.They later moved to Manchuria where he helped in the construction of the railroad system.Then moved back to Japan after WWII.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2007 23:52:51 GMT
Here is the Gunji kamon That would make a nice tsuba design. How good were Japanese swords? Damn good (at least until the later mass-produced models, maybe. I don't know the quality of those). They certainly wouldn't cut machinegun barrels in half, or any of that other nonsense, but they were immensely useful and effective tools of war, made by people who were true artisans and dedicated to the art of swordmaking. I have to partially disagree with those who say the katana was the ultimate evolution of the sword. It probably was for the Japanese with their particular methods of combat and the enemies they fought. It is also an outstanding design, by any standard, and I'd consider it to be among the best, no question; however, that doesn't mean that it would have been suitable or desirable for every human civilization that existed back when swords were in common use. The various European warriors did very well with their numerous and ever-evolving sword designs, as did the Chinese with their designs, and people in the Middle East with theirs, among others. I don't think there is an "ultimate" sword. It depends on the needs and conditions of the specific time and place in which the sword was used. Just my 2 cents.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2007 1:11:15 GMT
Hey guys! Sorry to stir the pot. what I meant was, when everybodys swords got smaller (When the Gun came along!) The japanese were still refining the katana.Blame that one on Tokugawa for closing the gates. That's all I meant.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2007 1:28:38 GMT
One more thing. Have you noticed in the past when we helped out some countries.They stab us in the back.Commodore Matthew Perry started a new Japan.We helped them modernize.87 years later, Pearl Harbor.Then we helped the Chinese with the Japanese,Then came Korea, and now it's the Arab countries.Don't we learn.We were allies with Saddam once! Oops! forgot about Russia! Anyway, I am still proud to be an American!!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2007 1:33:59 GMT
There's alot more to it than that, but you're basically right. There's a lot of politics involved that when you leave them out it paints a whole different picture than that. For example, few people know that prior to Pearl Harbor, the US was cutting off Japanese import shipments on a lot of resources, not the least of which was steel and oil. We were starving them of those resources they needed to support their newly industrialized country.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2007 7:27:55 GMT
I'll carify what I meant, I know many swords were confiscated, I just havent heard if them being refitted by the government in later years.
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