The Reason

Last night, I had some friends over for a last hoorah in my place before I move to a new one. It was amazing. There was good food, good drink, and games galor. One of the highlights of my evening, though, and I wish I had taken a movie of it, is when a friend of mine grabbed the LOTR Boromir sword from UC, featured at Kult of Athena, and rode a baby carriage into an old Christmas wreath, thoroughly impaling it to the laughter of all. While handling weapons in a manner such as this is irresponsible, and I do not espouse to anything but the highest respect for sharp steel, the enjoyment and the love of swords and their uses was present.

That is what I believe is one of the best things about owning and handling swords is. It is the enjoyment, the awe, the intrigue of holding something so beautiful, so hard, so functional, and this works with men and women, in your hand and appreciating and loving it wholly. People should be so lucky with each other.

Signing off until my next steel inspired rant.

Oh, before I forget! Fable Blades has put out some gorgeous new items for you to see based on the Lord of the Rings weapons. There are some,Felarof Swordthat have never been seen before, replica or other wise! Take a look!

Broad Swords

Let's face it. Women with swords are hot. It's a simple fact of life for any man watching, reading, or otherwise indulging in the edged arts. And so, in honor of these examples of edged estrogenical eradicators, and the warm reception of this blog from my female family members, friends, friend's girlfriends, and just for the sheer viewing pleasure of it all, I give to you, THE TOP TEN HOTTEST WOMEN OF THE SWORD!!!

1)   XENA WARRIOR PRINCESS: Tell me I am wrong. Nowhere in TV or film will you find a woman who epitomizes the sword more, and has such a rabid fan following waiting for that tell tale "shhwwing" of her sword than Xena. Tall, dark hair, deadly dangerous, icy blue eyes, leather battle gear, a deadly Frisbee, endless enthusiasm for killing all peoples and things not Greek are just some of the many reasons why Xena, played by Lucy Lawless (who hasn't done or needed to do a thing since Xena) is unequivocally number one of the list of top 10. She's got the ability to make Hercules look like a mama's boy, and the willingness to hop into a hot bath with her trusty side kick (Episode:"A Day in the Life", instantly made me all man forever)



after a long day of yelling and running around the Peloponnesus. Number 1 hands down. Ladies, if you feel like dressing up for the enjoyment of all, you can pick up her gear here.

2) BEATRIX KIDDO, UMA THURMAN FROM KILL BILL: Tarentino changed the game with this character. Classically trained in deadly martial arts from a wise and hilariously over the top 1970's Kung Fu Master, beautiful, smart, speaks fluent Japanese, dressed in Bruce Lee's outfit from Game of Death,


and wielding the finest sword ever made by a man, that man being the Hatori Hanzo, descendant of the real samurai "Devil Hanzo", I'd say Uma Thurman takes 2nd place pretty easy. She's got style when she takes out the Deadly Vipers and her bloody rampage is just old fashioned fun to watch. Everyone loves a hero. But, secretly, every loves an anti-hero even more. She got killed trying to run from a past of murder that caught up with her and now she's going to grab her fine steel and take some revenge. Oh, and then she watches cartoons with her 5 year old daughter. To find the fabulous works of art made by master Japanese sword smiths, check out the various reviews by my boys at the Sword Buyers Guide, to get some idea of the best ones. There are so many makers and schools of Japanese sword making that choosing the right one is almost as difficult as picking up Go Go Yubari.

3) MICHELLE YEOH: This silver fox of the Chinese silver screen gets a special place on my list because she is deadly, beautiful, and has one of the best sword fighting scenes I have ever had the privilege of witnessing. The first time, and I think you will agree, when Zhang Zi Yi swept her hand out across the temple floor to the weapons rack behind Yeoh and said "pick one, I'll wait" and she came back with that two handed beauty, I was hooked. This 47-year old cougar has some claws, kids, and if she is making more sword flicks anytime soon, you know I am right there at the edge of my seat waiting for more magical moments in metallic mayhem. To find some excellent WuShu Swords and other fine Chinese weaponry used in many of the films that come from the East, I would check out Swords of the Eastfor some of the best blades anywhere.




4) KRISTANNA LOKEN: You may remember her from Maxim and the Terminator (dont we all), but I remember her best for the role she played in the modern adaptation of the Germanic saga "The Nibelungenlied" in a film in SyFy called The Dragon King. Now, while this film was low budget, the adapted story was solid and the forging process of Nothung, Siegfried's sword, was incredible. Loken made her start in the Terminator film and then came swinging away with two axes in awesome fight scenes and right onto this list. Whether some remember her for her role in Terminator 3, or others for Bloodrayne, or even simply for this photo


she'll always be Brunhild to me.

5) KATE BECKINSALE, SELENE, UNDERWORLD: Now, just so we are all clear, she is a vampire. I will give you that. Some might think it's cliche for me to place one of the children of the night on the top ten list, and you would be right. With the rash of "Twilight-esque" lame ass love stories, I feel Selene makes it because not only was her movie (first one only and the second one to a smaller extent) pretty far from anything done with vampires before; pitting them against their werewolf body guards, but they still made it kind of sexy without all the "oh lets cry about immortality and being skinny" vampire nonsense. There was a rugged sword fight in the sewer wherein a vampire lord got his head sliced in half after breaking a werewolf's neck with one hand, and still had the wherewithal to draw out concealed daggers from his sleeves to keep going (before his head slides apart).

I just feel that any lady who can make all that look as good as she does throughout the whole film deserves to be on the list. Viktor's sword from Underworld is available, though not functional, HERE


6) DEADLY LITTLE MIHO, SIN CITY:

What more can be said? She's deadly, she's little, and she's Miho. Well, I guess if you havent seen Sin City (why you havent, I have no clue cause it's amazing) I guess I can fill you in. See, Iron Jack Rafferty, a cop (Benicio Del Torro), and his meat head crew were in the wrong part of Old Town messing with the wrong girls. They werent pleased that a lady of the night told them to get lost. They grabbed her, of course and that's when DEADLY LITTLE MIHO got to live up to her name. I wont give any more of the scene away, sufficed to say that this little lady got down with two samurai swords, a flying leap, and a throwing star that resembled some kind of Tibetan good luck charm. Top 10 easy.

7) OREN ISHII, LUCY LIU, KILL BILL: Yakuza Boss. Samurai. Assassin. 5 foot 3. All this and not even Japanese. This half American (USA!!) half Chinese warrior dispatches her enemies at dinner parties with her fabulous Hanzo sword and doesnt bat an eyelash. She's deadly. She's brutal. And, apparently, it snows just for her out in her Zen garden. She likes drinking, friends (all 88 of them), and the way of the Samurai. She's got a sidekick named Johhny Mo. What is not to like about this woman? The murder and crime? Yeah ok, but in the tea house, I bet she's a hoot. Dynamite and easily in the top 10.

8) MONICA BELLUCCI, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF:
I must admit, I got a little selfish with this one. Besides my wonderful, gorgeous, stunning, smart, funny, talented (forgiving), girlfriend, Monica Bellucci is IT. Her use of the blade as a Papal Assassin in Brotherhood of the Wolf, an amazing French film made by Canal +, is limited. However, for all the limited screen time they get her weapons are deadly and satisfying. Whether its performing the coupe de grace on the villian with a dagger, or finely severing the windpipe of a very annoying and very deserving evil gypsy woman,(who gets the most amazing character in the whole movie murdered, UGH! women!) her acting and fighting skills are undeniable. She has also been in many other movies such the Matrix , Shoot Em Up, , and Bram Stoker's Dracula

She's a badass and my favorite. And when she says "Encoree" in Italian in the film, try to tell me she wouldnt be on any guy's top ten anything.

9) JOANNE WHALLEY, SORSHA, WILLOW: Kid's movie. Kid's crush. Got to give it up to the old school crush and remember the roots. She is a huge reason why I have always loved swords and that movie wouldnt have been half as entertaining nor Val Kilmer half as righteous had he not got the girl. To this day, that is one of the most passionate kisses I have seen in a film. Also, she's a firey headed rebel with a wicked serrated sword. I was talking to a friend the other day (ALL THANKS CHRIS-O!) and he mentioned how much scarier serrated edges would be on a blade. Have to agree and her sword is one of the only ones I have ever seen in a movie with a spiked and serrated blade.
Plus, that movie gave jobs to almost every midget in Hollywood. Give respect where respect is due.

10) BRIDGETTE NIELSON, RED SONJA: If you are a fan of swords then you know the Conan films. We, as sword collectors, spend a good deal of time searching for Marto and Albion Conan Replicas because they go for almost $3000.00 a piece. Now, if you know so much about these things, you are also going to know about Red Sonja.
It was a film from back in the day that was cheesy and terrible, yet unbridaled sword swinging throughout and it was excellent! Governator Schwarzenegger is in it and he doesnt take any prisoners in this thing at all. It was the height of Nielson's short movie career and she swung that steel around like the best of them! MMMM MMM. I suggest for any fan of the sword, you see this movie at least once if for nothing else then her running her hands over 20 swords in the opening of the film and picking one of the most kick ass pieces I think I have ever seen.

Before I'm out I would like to leave some honorable mentions for ladies of the sword who didnt quite make it:

• Eowyn, Lord of the Rings
• Sandahl Bergman, Valeria, Conan the Barbarian
• GoGo Yubari, Kill Bill
• Justice, The Statue
• Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War
• Daryl Hannah, Elle Driver
• Zhang Ziyi, House of Flying Daggers
• Rhona Mitra, Rise of the Lycans
• Rosamund Pike, Die Another Day

One Post to Rule Them All

Like any fan of the blade, I am quite partial to the works of master author and philologist J.R.R Tolkien. Tolkien, for anyone reading this who has not heard his name mentioned by Western martial arts experts, forge masters who have used his creations as their paramount inspiration, or Hollywood Actors who have made careers, Viggo Mortensen, or Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy,



is the master behind the writings involved with The Lord of The Rings.

Now, this post is not pertaining to these works, as I could go on for pages about the philosophies, wisdom, and entertainment found therein, no. This post is to illustrate the power and inspiration this author and his works have had on the world and works of the sword.

The recreations of the works from the pages of Tolkien range from the extremely shoddy $40.00 swords found on Ebay and other sights looking to make a buck, to hand crafted, hand forged and detailed replicas costing as much as the dreaded engagement ring purchase.

The former are the ones to steer clear of. These bastard children of the rat tail tang mentality have, in my opinion, a very small part to play in the world of the sword. They serve as an uneducated beginning. They serve as a prototype for the genuine desire to possess a truly strong and balanced weapon and they are to be looked at as a bauble and then eventually discarded or given to someone who is just starting their journey in pursuit of the Savage Steel.



While a sword like this looks similar to the real movie prop made by the fine crafts people at the WETA Workshop , the armorers for movies such as The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, The Last Samurai, Guillermo del Toro's Hell Boy, and others, they do not possess 1/10 of the craftsmanship or the soul that WETA can produce.





Often times, they all possess the same characteristics:

• Rat Tail Tang Construction: Where the blade is spot welded to the a thin cylindrical tang and then threaded into the cheap wooden handle.



• Quasi-detailing that resembles the actual weapon but anyone looking at pictures side by side will know which is the superior with no prior knowledge



• And finally, 440 Stainless Steel. Unlike high carbon steel or Damascus Steel, which has better flexibility, hardened edges, better resistance to rust and weathering, 440 Stainless is garden variety steel and should not be considered an excellent metal by any means.

These characteristics can be a terrible combination for any sword collector and can even lead to grave injury when your precious 440 decides to do this.

What you should be looking at, first of all, is what you want to get for your hard earned cash. When working with such a money maker like the Lord of the Rings, sword makers have the whole candy shop for you to choose from. They offer everything from the "Halfling Froto Sword" garbage from above, to magnificent pieces from United Cutlery


Now Extinct Museum Glamdring

to unbelievably strong pieces from Generation 2 (The Ranger and The Elven King Sword), Dark Sword Armory (The Ranger *DISCONTINUED*, Faramir Sword, Boromir Sword *DISCONTINUED* and an incredibly strong Samwise and Anduril!)

The latter are the pieces that I would recommend very highly. You all know that Darksword Armory is my favorite and in my humble opinion the by far the most superior forge. Alot of people would agree. The prices are great, the quality couldn't be better, and there is free shipping and even a 10% discount on almost of all of them from the Sword Buyers Manufacturer Store for members.

Now, for the customer who deals in the incredibly rare piece or replica from the Lord of the Rings literature, there are pieces out there that can accommodate. These pieces are from forgers at the top of their profession who not looking to sell wall hangers. They know their stuff is so good and so worth the money (albeit overpriced) that they dont even bother to show the pricing half of the time. Ladies and gentlemen, after much searching, both online and through my own sword collecting soul, I give to you the holy grails of the Lord of the Rings replicas. Enjoy!

• Raven Armory



• Fable Blades



• Odin Blades



• Mad Dwarf Workshop
  

If you can afford those boys then drop the name of my blog when you make a purchase and give this servant of the steel a little extra holiday cheer to bring in the new year.

All in all, people know that we are out there. We, the quasi-nerds of the sword world, are anxiously awaiting the return of Kult of Athena and the newest, best, and brightest the sword world has to offer us for new takes on the chosen weapons of some of our favorite heroes from literature and film.

I will leave you now with a sense, again, of authenticity. Just so you know, if somehow you do not already, that I share your fierce love of LOTR swords and have dropped serious coin in the past when they were at the height of their popularity with a personal photo of my collection taken only days ago.



'We will make them fear the Chamber of Marzarbul!' he said grimly, feeling the edge of his sword Anduril.(Lord of the Rings, Fellowship, page 324)

Epic Combat

In honor of the movie Gladiator, no not the wonderful Russel Crowe sword epic about honor an truth, but rather one of the greatest, if not the greatest B films of all time with Cuba Gooding Jr. and the legendary Brian Dennehy, I have tonight composed a special exhibition for all of my loyal followers. Tonight, we will have a steel on steel match up between two of the finest challengers in my collection: The Global Gear Solingen and the dreaded slicer champion, The EYE OF BALOORR!.

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At first glance, the swords seem evenly matched. Both blades are made of high quality steel; both have attractive fittings; and both, I know from personal experience, fit very comfortably in the hand and make a very thrilling woosh sound when slicing the air.

Now wait, let's take this fight, in the style of Gladiator, into account by comparing the attributes of the two swords.

The Solingen:

• Weight: 2 pounds (for the sake of argument)


• Blade Length: 32.1 inches


• Fear Factor When Swung Like a Crazed Viking: Scary, but no wet ankles

The Eye of Balor:

• Weight: 2.6 pounds


• Blade Length: 30 inches


• Fear Factor When Swung Like a Crazed Viking: I would say terrifying, especially if someone caught a look at the cats like Sauron eyeball looking at them from the hilt before it was drawn

SCHWING!!! THE SWORDS ARE OUT OF THEIR SCABBARDS!!

The fight is on! The clang of steel against steel reverberates off of the walls of the corridor as these monsters go at it. Each delivers solid hits on the other. Making dents, dings, and small nicks. The warriors are dead tired, their comrades fallen around them. Only one goes on to claim all kinds of goodies from the others camp (gold, women, other fine swords, other assorted iPod like gadgets). They know its all or nothing.

Rawwrrr! (They charge)

There is a scarping, sheering sound that splits the air! The hardened high carbon blade of the Eye of Balor has gone straight through the softened, albeit more flexible, spring blade of the Solingen (and subsequently the warrior's dome piece) and he carries on to claim sweet booty.

WINNER: The terror of the ancient Celts (as was told in their myths), the super sexy and super dangerous Eye O' Balor. Brian Dennehy, you are the Solingen.

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VICTORIOUS!!

Templar Steel

This modern replica of a 12th century medieval monster is the biggest baddest blade in my humble collection. Produced by Darksword Armory, one of the best, if not the best, sword forges in the modern market, and sold by Kult of Athena, my personal favorite, this weapon is heavy and devastating. Weighing in at a very impressive 4lbs 7.5 ounces, it would have taken a giant to swing this sword around on the battlefield.



The tang of the blade extends deep into the handle in a marvelously functional full tang array and is peened into the pommel of the sword for extra stability. What I enjoy about the model that I own, as I purchased it long ago, is that the pommel itself is one complete piece of steel. I don't not think I would be able to take this sword apart even if I wanted to and I love that.



The present models of this sword have newer, more durable handle wrap materials, and the nut can be removed out of the pommel with a slight application of elbow grease and a freed up Sunday afternoon. Now, that is not to say that this amazing weapon is any less strong because of the new construction, universe apart from it. It just means that Darksword wanted to make the repair and disassembly easier for their customers' sake. God bless those boys.

Practically speaking this blade is unstoppable. I can't imagine what it would do to light armor, horse, or shield with a strong hand and room to swing. I have split heavy logs as easily as the sharpest axe, embedding it into deep into the stump, and there have been no dings or scratches of any kind, no aesthetic marring of any kind, on the blade. It is tempered carbon steel, incredibly strong, and well balanced (at 5 inches from the guard) provided you have a nice adrenaline rush (as all sword enthusiasts should have) when you hold it.





What makes this incredible piece of steel special is that it evokes the ancient days of the Templar Knights crusading in the Holy Land. They protected pilgrims on their sacred road and upheld the code of their faith using sword almost exactly like this. Along the blade, within the fuller, there is the Latin phrase "Militaris Templi" along with the cross of the Templar Knights and, of course, the stamp of Dark Sword Armory.

Overall, with the edge placed on this sword thanks to the good people at
New England Sharpening Co. Inc., the closest and most accommodating sword sharpeners near Boston, MA, this weapon is my pride and joy. I would trust it in battle and it's going to look very scary and impressive on daddy's wall of steel when being showed to my daughter's first boyfriend.

To read more about the Templar Knights and the Crusades, consult "Dungeon, Fire, and Sword" by John. J Robinson.

Gen 2 Excalibur

The very first "real sword" that I ever purchased is the, now collector's item, Brass Excalibur from Generation 2 and Kult of Athena. This amazing weapon is nothing fancy at all but I can say with confidence, that it is one of the better and most favored pieces in my collection.

The grip of the sword is easily a two hander wrapped in a wire mesh down to the bottom of the handle.



Once taking hold of this weapon, you will notice that it is extremely light and balanced. The cross piece is solid brass as is the peened circular pommel. The tang is full and travels down the full length of the handle for added stability.

The blade, shining bright with a little WD40, extends approximately 3 feet from the cross piece and is as beautiful as it is functional.



You must remember to respect the sword at all times when handling it and caring for it. This sword can go through ANYTHING! The steel will slice right through it's wielder's hand as easily as anything else. It does not love you. I, through unfortunate experience, and lack of attention while cleaning this sword, was treated to a beautiful view of the bone in my right index finger after it ran down the sharpened edge.

Finally, the blade comes to a sharpened point on both sides of the blade in the typical fashion of the medieval broadsword. The toughness of this marvelous weapon cannot be questioned and the solid construction from peened tang, meaning that the threaded end of the forged steel is welded into place in the circular "cap" of the bottom of the sword, to sharpened tip makes this sword one of the strongest produced by Generation 2.



All beaters, swords that can be beaten against the toughest surfaces and not have a scratch on them, the veritable Chuck Liddels of the sword world, should be made like this one: high carbon steel blade for added toughness.

I will leave you with an excellent display of this bygone force of the steel era from our brother in arms Paul Southren of Sword Buyers Guide.com

Excal Demo

The Hoard

When reading a blog about any subject, you want to know one thing: what makes this author think he has any right to talk about, and make me read, what he is writing about? Where does his experience come from? This solid question has not escaped me. So, in the spirit of being a firm believer in the functionality of all things, not just the written word or the sword, I will divulge and analyze the various pieces in my personal collection, the attributes and detriments of each piece, and prove to you, my faithful readership, that I have, at least, the experience and the true love, for all steeled tools of war.

In my youth, my impulsive, and often uneducated beginnings, I will admit I was a complete spendthrift when it came to the purchase of a sword. I received my first blade at the age of 16 years. A rat tail tang decorative claymore that was given to me by my parents as a Christmas gift.



I handled this weapon once. And, despite it shabby construction, awkward weight, and balance, and misshapen blade, I was instantly hooked into the world of weapons for good.

Over the years and the paychecks, I built for myself a small collection of different weapons; choosing at random the swords that looked the "coolest"; baffling my parents and siblings, and yes impressing a few of my cousins and friends with my collection. A good start. To this day, I still know all of my pieces and can still recall all of their origins. However, I know that if it ever really came down to it, I know I would probably be better off using foul language or just plain running like a little girl than depend on the often over priced rat tail tang construction of the dreaded eBay special.



The one point that I hope you will come away with from this post, and I appreciate your kind attention in reading it, is that you must be precise and selective in your choice of a sword. In ancient warrior cultures, the sword was an extension of the warrior. It was the self discipline, self worth, confidence, personal artistic expression, and often times, the trusted friend and defender manifested in strong steel. Homes, families, honor, livelihoods, and even nations were defended by sharpened steel. If the blade was flimsy, inferior, or was tempered poorly, the warrior would surely fall and all he held dear would come to an often horrible and violent end.

In modern days, the days of guns, where any fool can be just as deadly and dangerous as any other, there is little point in choosing the right steel. However, for those of us who still carry the tradition and real love for the sword, the right choice can distinguish and define us as collectors and as disciples of the blade.

Choose well. Stay alive.