Some cool authentic sword images:

bronze sword casting


Image by hans s
here are the two bronze casters, looking very pleased with the result (an authentic cast bronze sword)

Swords Of Ancient Japan – A Review Of Japanese Swords

The Japanese Sword which is also called a Nihonto in Japanese is one of the standard weapons used in Japan. These weapons are broken up into several distinct categories depending either on the size or in the way they were manufactured. The most well loved type is known as the Katana Sword. It is somewhat similar to the Tachi. The Ancient Japanese Sword is sharp at one end, is usually very long and curved at the same time. The Samurai carried this sword from 1400 AD onward.

The Wakizashi is a smaller version of this weapon. The Tsurugi are swords that are sharp on both ends and are very long in comparison to the Wakizashi which is very small. Older and lengthier versions of these swords that are also sharp just on one side are known as the Nodachi or O-Tachi. You can still find Ancient Style Japanese Swords all over the place. You can’t locate them everywhere but Authentic Japanese Swords can still be bought today. There are a few hundred Sword Makers out there that still manufacture the Nihonto.

The Japanese Swordsmith Assocition holds a yearly competition which you can go to and view many authentic swords. The new usage of the word Nihonto is now called Katana. This is the term you hear a lot today. Not all swords are made equal. Each Sword Blade has its own unique attributes. These attributes depend on the smith who designed it as well as the method of construction. A Scabbard that attaches itself to a Nihonto is referred to as a saya. The hand guard is referred to as a Tsuba.

The length of a Japanese Sword is measured in units called a Shaku. One Shaku is about one feet long. So if you ever hear someone saying that a Shoto sword for example is 2 Shaku, you can conclude for yourself that it’s approximately 2 feet long. So if a typical blade is less than one Shaku, which it is, it is considered a knife and not a Sword. This is the case with the Kodachi and Wakizashi. The Straight Line of a sword is the straight distance from the tip to the back of the blade.

Thirteenth century sword and scabbard


Image by One lucky guy
As you may be able to see, the symbol in the fuller of that blade is Albion’s mark. This sword is my own reworking of the Albion Norman sword’s blade and the hilt components of the Albion Crecy. This is my personal favorite combination of blade and handle, which is incidentally a classic medieval sword form.

I failed to take photographs of the process, but the hilt construction of this sword is completely authentic to a medieval original. I merely replicated Albion’s fitting of the cross and pommel on the tang. No welds, no threading, just perfectly simple functionality.

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