My new prescious (new sword!)

Historians have more or less come to a tenuous agreement that there never was such a thing as the straight "ninja swords", but by the time that was finally discovered, the short(-er) straight version of a katana, the ninja-to, was so firmly established in modern-day sword lore that it probably never will go away. Ninjas have mystical powers after all... Despite the fact it's not exactly historically accurate, I wanted one, because it's a ninja thing, and all ninja things are awesome. And now I have one.

It is perfectly balanced (as to be expected), the hilt rests well in the hand, and the blade and edge make my expensive carbon steel chef knives want to hide in embarrassment. In all, in addition to being very beautiful, this is simply a good sword. Less than 24 hours after arriving, it has already earned the honor and privilege of being the sword that will move from its regular display to the stand next to my bed the next time The Guy goes on a business trip.

This is what my ninja-to looks like when sheathed. Photobucket album with more pictures here.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/ChiliCat/IMG_0700-1.jpg

 

Is that your page, or one that just has pictures of a short sword similar to yours?

 

Another one, Mimsy , I think I like the Valentine sword better :-D

Maybe you need a big lightbox so your next photographs will do them justice.

EDIT: The ninja-to is definitely the better option for company when The Guy's away ^^

 

Easier to handle in close quarters.
For myself, I prefer an old-fashioned straight razor.
May not be very big, but it seems to cause people to back up and rethink their options.
It's a psychological thing, I guess. They do have a rep for sharpness.

 

The photobucket album is mine.

I prefer this to the Valentine sword. As you pointed out, the photos are not doing it justice. It looks a lot better in person.

This one also handles better for me. I have trained with katanas in the past, never with rapiers, so this is more familiar. I prefer edged blades anyway.

Oh yes.

http://www.fencingforum.com/forum/images/smilies/swordchop.gif

 

Just wanted to be positive of the name change, CC.:wave

 

I don't recycle usernames. Makes life easier that way.

 

For me, easier to remember only one.
Old age, don't you know?

 

Beautiful looking swords. I am hoping with a good few more years of training with a bokken I will have gained the ability to own a katana!

 

Ability is not a requirement for ownership.
Should be a requirement for using it, though.

Saves a lot of stitches if you know what you are doing.

 

c'mon now.. stop teasing.. Lets see the blaaaaaaaaade

 

Hence why I also have a bokken, for practice. Would never dream of swinging a real weapon just for exercise. Practicing for using a real weapon, yes. To defend myself, yes. As a workout? No way.

Did you miss the link to the Photobucket album...?

 

gah.. why you make Kodo do extra work to see shiny .. kodo mad

 

Why ask if you are going to answer the question immediately after? LOL

 

never been a fan of japanese blades. I am a huge fan of the amount of craftsmanship but not the philosophy behind making the blades ( that doesn't sound right, but I am going to leave it anyway ).

a roman gladius though, I like that. brutal, brutish, able to take a ton of damage and dish it out. kind of like me :-D

 

forgot to say, it is still a gorgeous blade Mimsy. a good purchase.

 

Nice Ninjato, Mimsy I've really got sword-envy now!

Just like you said, I once read an article that also stated no one is sure if there really is one style of weapon ninja's used more than others, but the type you have is considered the default style due to movies and such. Why not, I say . . . since some ninja's no doubt used blades like this or similar.

The article I read, though, went on to state some historians (or just the author - can't remember) have deemed the ninjato more of a stabbing weapon like the Roman gladius rather then a slashing type weapon - though both were edged.

I am no edged weapon expert by any means, but I remember thinking it funny that the author mentioned a ninjato and a gladius in the same article . . . kinda like comparing a cleaver with a fillet knife, isn't it? :-D

 

It might not sound right to you, but it makes sense in a way... though I might just think it does because I misunderstand you.

I like Japanese blades as much for being pieces of art as I like them just for being good swords. I wanted this one as much for its beauty as for anything else. It is quite gorgeous, and I'll try to get some better pictures of it tomorrow afternoon, maybe put it on a white sheet in bright sunlight or something.

I would love to have a gladius in my collection! I would also love to have a European-style long sword. Or, I as keep hinting to The Guy, a perfect usable replica of Narsil would be okay too. :-D

 

see, once I put an edge on something, it ceases to be a piece of art and becomes a tool. it's just the nature of my messed up brain. a gladius is a tool, japanese blades are works of art, and that is the difference in the philosophy behind the blades too me.

not that I would be above learning how to make a japanese blade, when and if I ever get my shop up and running.

 

Um... *looks closely at size and shape of ninja-to* Stabbing? *stabs the air experimentally* It does stab a lot smoother than a katana does... not surprising, given that a katana is curved. Hmmm. This must be explored...!

Personally I'd use a blade with both point and edge for both slicing and stabbing, and I have no doubt that most who actually did use it for combat utilized it that way. The edge is there for good reason, it's a complete waste of opportunity and resources not to slice and cut with it.

It can't be both?

A katana is a deadly weapon, a tool if you will, developed for the explicit purpose of cutting and killing. Over time, the makers of katanas have turned them into works of art as well as tools for soldier and warriors, and I see no contradiction between the two concepts. A well honed and sharpened blade is a thing of beauty in its pure simplicity, all the more because of its gruesome function. The exact science of balancing a blade, perfecting the edge to be razor sharp without being so thin it becomes brittle, the shape and size of the hilt and pommel (the tsuba on a katana), all of this has taken time and a lot of trial and deadly error to develop.

The end result is an item that combines the virtues of form and function in a way that very few other items, including other weapons, ever manage to do. Think about it. In its simplest form, a sword is a piece of metal, given an edge, with one end wrapped in something that makes it possible to hold it firmly enough to control the other end. That's it.

To go from that simple starting point to an object that can be put on display in museums all over the world purely for its aesthetic value, is impressive. It's only sad that so many of the people admiring swords in museums forget their function, and because they do, they can't really ever truly appreciate what they see. The design of a sword is in every way perfect for what it is intended to do, be it a long sword, rapier or katana, and that narrowly focused sense of purpose is also beautiful. A truly well made sword is not only a thing of beauty, it is also a deadly weapon to be feared and treated with respect. It irritates and saddens me when people forget that part...

 

I couldn't agree more. Beauty and deadly functionality can and do co-exist quite nicely. It's sad when people see one without the other, for I find the contrast to be almost poetic in a sense. I am not sure I could explain that . . .

 

No need. I know what you mean.

 

Historians have also agreed not to attempt to argue with Mimsy. At least not until she puts the sword down.

Nice knife.

 

Nice blade Mimsy! I have this if I run out of bullets... Love the look of the straight blade. Where do you find your swords at?

 

Nice looping sword! The wrapping on the hilt looks like it's been handled a lot...

I get them from www.trueswords.com Their selection covers a wide range (in every sense of the word) and all sales are final, so you want to do your research before you place an order. You can get some really high quality blades there, if you pick the right one. If you don't you will find yourself the proud owner of a cheap knock-off item that might look good, but is flat out dangerous to handle. They allow for user reviews, which helps, and then it's just a matter of knowing what to look for.

 

Thanks for the link. As for the sword, it is from WWII, so I guess it has been handled a lot in it's life.

I killed a possum with it. :-D

 

On the off chance that you are considering buying from them, the ninja-to is by "Masahiro and Ryumon". They're based out of a region in China that has a very long tradition of sword manufacturing (even by Chinese standards), and apparently they take particular pride in fact that they still handcraft every single blade they ship out, and the very high quality of the craftmanship and materials used to manufacture the blade itself. Rightly so, if my ninja-to is typical of their work. You can find all their items by doing a site search on TrueSwords for "masahiro"

My rosewood shirasaya katana was made by a company that at that time was named "Musashi", but they are right now in the process of rebranding their swords to "Musha". The listing on TrueSwords still calls them Musashi Swords, however a search for Musha brings up the Musashi product line. There's notes all over that section about the change in brand name and links for more info.

 

not really. not in my mind anyway.

the difference is in the fact that I would have no problems at all using a gladius (tool) to hack through some brush around my house. I would never ever use a japanese blade to do the same thing.

 

Whoa. Wait. Hang on.

A gladius is still a sword. You would use a sword for yard work???!?!?!? :eek

 

A sword is a tool. I will use it to defend my dog from an angry possum, an intruder in my home if I don't have guns, or a way to cut a pesky tree limb.

 

Just apologize profusely to it and tenderly caress it with a whetstone.
It may forgive you.

 

Ninja said what?

 

Do you know what kind of blade it has Mimsy or what process was used to make it?

 

I'm with you hrlow, lego126 is my username on all my forums,pages.
easier for me to remember. And anyone that happens to google me rolleyes
they'll see all my comments/pictures/everything.

 

That is what I mean by tool though. And a machete could be considered a sword. What is the difference in all reality beyond the name? Not much.

It is the design that matters and for the most part Japanese blades are designed as art and weapons. European swords were tools of a soldier.

 

Pretty. I can't have pointy things in the house, being as if one of my kids doesn't accidentally stab someone, I probably no so accidentally will

 

I know it's 1065 carbon steel, but nothing about the manufacturing process. Apparently they don't like sharing details about that part.

 

New pig-sticker to add to your collection. ~ Nice, Mims!:cool

 

Nice Mimsy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z-JDKEIYWw

 

Nice video, but the last slash she does is with the wrong side of the blade if I am seeing right.

 

That's what I figured! She caught it right though. Seems to have re-gripped! Don't know, but do Katanas come double edged. Looks awkward all the same.
Cheers..

Edit to add: Tech support call goes out to Mimsy.. Hehheh!

 

Does look like it, but would still be very painful.

 

Katana's are single edged I think. I am sure our resident blade mistress will know. :-D

Nice video, and a hit with the non sharp part would still hurt like heck. Perhaps it is a non-leathal strike? I am getting older and more out of shape, I should get back into the martial arts. :-D

 

Katanas are indeed single-edged, as are the vast majority of curved swords.

And yes, it looks like she's cutting with the ridge of the blade in that last frame... probably non-lethal, but still crippling and painful. The swing gets power from its momentum as much as the weight of the blade, and even with a dull sword a hard hit will hurt to high heavens. Can be deadly even, if you hit in the right spot, which of course is why one should not play around with swords. (Mandatory disclaimer.)

Come to think of it, I didn't see an edge on either side of the blade that woman was wielding. The way she was juggling it, that's probably a good thing.

And Laura, the only thing that's wrong is that you didn't take that picture! LOL

 

Hey, my friend has the same one! Your version is probably higher quality though, my friends' came with a $80 price tag.