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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 10, 2015 1:40:53 GMT
For me, it's been a combination of things. I grew up on a working farm, and my grandfather taught me the importance and respect for bladed and other tools/weapons. I grew to appreciate a good knife and good guns since I was a wee beastie (around 4), being around them on a constant basis. I grew to respect them since I saw what they were capable of when butchering one of our livestock. Later in life, I was fascinated with knive/swords because of tv (who remembers "The Master" tv show with Lee Van Cleef?) and other movies. Excalibur, The Sword and The Sorcerer, Conan, and Highlander the movie (there can be only one movie) and the tv show made a HUGE impact on me as well. Still later in life, I studied English literature, focussing on medieval/Arthurian tales, which again whetted my appetite for bladed weapons, which was made into reality when a great martial artist moves to the city next to mine over 10 years ago, prompting me to start taking Eishin Ryu Iaido. The rest, as they say, is history.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 9, 2015 17:41:51 GMT
Even if the sword was a katana for that price, and I had the money, I would hesitate and then buy somewhere else. I have no issues with CAS, the issue is the cost. Not sure if this comes of clearly, but if I were in the market for a sword costing 2K I would then just cough up whatever I needed to and buy a Howard Clark or Walter Sorrels ($5K-10K) or a real nihonto (and pay much more). So for me a +2K sword is one I would consider a grail sword. I agree the price is cost prohibitive, but there are a couple of things to consider: 1st is that the MSRP is direct from CAS Iberia, which is always higher priced than from resellers. Second, it is a limited run of only 20 pieces, so it could be considered a rare piece. That being said, I personally would save more $ for another nihonto, but that's a topic for a different thread.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 9, 2015 16:02:14 GMT
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 9, 2015 3:22:04 GMT
Even though I've never had any "deals" with Sean, I have seen countless times here and other forums where he's been nothing but honest and considerate of the community at large. Reminder for the rookie: play nice or others won't play with you.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 8, 2015 23:35:25 GMT
yep, that's the one!
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 8, 2015 22:54:15 GMT
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 8, 2015 1:07:06 GMT
wow, this is disappointing... hope your replacement blade is up to snuff.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 7, 2015 21:54:06 GMT
Looks cool!
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 7, 2015 16:46:36 GMT
I concur with several people who have stated that things don't add up. According to the cops, Darrien Hunt was a danger to them and others, leading to being shot and killed by the police. According to some residents of that city, there was a CosPlay convention a few days prior to the shooting - witnesses say he was dressed like an anime character from Samurai Champloo he was fond of. There are pictures taken by onlookers (don't have links, sorry), which show he did not have the sword drawn when the cops were first talking to him - they shot him afterwards when he ran away from them. Conflicting reports say he ran after unsheating the sword and lunging at the cops. Other reports state he just ran away. I don't know specific sword laws in Utah, but do know it's an open carry gun state. One thing that caught my attention though was the independent autopsy's results, which show that he was not under the influence of any drugs (unlike what the cops had reported about him being on hallucinogenics for 3 weeks before the incident), and that he was shot multiple times in the back. So, what pieces of evidence are missing? Were the cops justified in killing Mr. Hunt or not? At this point, it's all conjecture from us. From the news stories I've read, I can't say one way or the other whether shooting/killing him was justified or not. Let's hope real answers are brought forth so this case can be settled.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 6, 2015 19:20:32 GMT
Like others have alluded to/said before my post, it seems like Ryan swords is picking up a little when it comes to quality - however, I would never do business with them due to the shady actions they've commited in the past (including just these last few months), breaching US copyrights/using a well known smith's name on one of their Euro swords, etc. If you like the sword you mentioned and you think it's a good deal, go for it - however, if you do some research here and on the Internet, you'll come across lots of info about other forges equal to or better than Ryan swords imho.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 6, 2015 4:25:02 GMT
done...
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 6, 2015 2:33:44 GMT
Yeah, I asked Sonny to emboss my family shield on the scabbard (Grey Heron) - came out great!
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 6, 2015 2:21:23 GMT
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 6, 2015 2:02:50 GMT
Spartan CQB knife/tool... Price: $160.00 Details: The Spartan CQB tool is aptly named and specially designed for Close Quarters Battle. The CQB tool is a ring dagger with a kydex sheath. The sheath compliments the ring on the end the knife for quick removal. The sheath is designed to lash into MOLLE /PALS behind magazine or other front pouches on a vest or be carried on belt or inside the waist band. The design concept of the CQB tool originates with Greg Thompson, an instructor of close quarters fighting techniques (Hand To Hand) for the US Special Forces. Mr. Thompson is owner / founder of the H2H/Team ROC of the Fort Bragg based training group and developer of the Special Operations Combatives Program (SOCP). Mr. Thompson developed the new combatives program for US Army Special Operations Forces and this CQB tool is part of program gear. The CQB Tool or "transition tool" is used to compliment this program by providing a slim easily stowed knife with rapid aquisition for, "get the heck off me", grappeling situations encountered in a CQB fight. The ring and slim profile design allows for the operator to quickly pull and utilize the dagger; breaking an attackers grasp and allowing the soldier to transition back to his primary weapon system without resheathing until safe to do so." Specifications: Knife Name: CQB Tool Designer(s): Thompson/Iovito/Carey Overall Length: 6 15/16" Blade Length: 2 7/8" (Half Sharpened) Blade Thickness: 0.180" Blade Steel: 154CM Blade Hardness: 57-59 HRC Blade Style: Saber Ground Dagger Coating: SpartaCoat - PVD - Tungsten DLC (Black) or ZrN (Flat Dark Earth) Sheath: Kydex (Black) or (Coyote) to match blade finish respectively. Weight: 0.126 LBS (Knife) I'll write up a review as soon as I put some use into the knife - might send it to SirThorfinn to sharpen it up for me on his WE!
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 5, 2015 3:13:29 GMT
WOW doesn't do the knife justice - this is the sharpest knife I've ever owned. SirThorfinn, you did a fantastic job sharpening/polishing my knife. Awesome!
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 4, 2015 16:29:47 GMT
Thanks for the pics - imho, the tang is a match for the rubbing. It looks like the smaller mekugi ana was added at a later date to fit the tsuka in place now. The ito is not in an alternating wrap, and doesn't look like leather to me - might be some kind of canvas or other material. I'm far from a nihonto expert, hopefully you'll get a better answer from Jussi (tons of knowledge/books) or other members knowledgeable with nihonto. And like Jussi said in an earlier post
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 4, 2015 15:54:22 GMT
The picture of the tang rubbing looks like that of a katana, not a tachi or katana in suriage. Here's a link that should help you see what I mean: Manner of Blade Shortening (SURIAGE). Good luck with the purchase. You should also consider joining something like the Nihonto Message Board and get acquainted with true nihonto. One thing of note though: the members there can be a bit abrasive, especially since the board is dedicated to the study and preservation of genuine nihonto, so they tend to discourage other types of discussions/non-Japanese swords.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 4, 2015 1:34:59 GMT
Tameshigiri will eventually scratch your blade, especially if you'll be doing it often. Softer targets like tatami won't really do much to the finish in the short term, but will dull the blade and can mar the finish over time, harder targets like bamboo will scratch the blade much faster - the harder the target, the easier it'll scratch up your sword. IMHO, I would only buy a higher quality polish on a sword that was going to be displayed and/or used for Iai kata only, not for regular tameshigiri use. Just my .02 worth.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 3, 2015 20:09:32 GMT
Great review as usual, and also a great knife. An uncle of mine who was in the Army has the regular KA-Bar model #1220, absolutely loves it. Also, that's a fantastic price you got Adrian - most sellers have it for way more than that.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Jan 3, 2015 17:49:24 GMT
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