The Swords of HI

My only HI sword so far...

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My girlfriend never turned me on as much as this thread has!
 
These are not all HI, but they represent everything in my bedroom closet. I'm sure I have a dusack and a rapier around here somewhere.
Dan Koster has my Welsh Trench Sword.

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Includes:
cheap but carbon steel ninja-to
4,000$ O-dachi
50$ chinese nodachi
Main Gauche with Scottish Basket hilt (it matches a basket hilted broadsword I can't find anywhere)
Qama (I intend to turn it into a small katzbalger)
Crazy sword I made in high school. (I'd throw it away, but you know...)
HI Manjushree
Rusty's HI Katana
Katzbalger
HI Indonesian Sword
 
Now that this thread has experienced a rebirth...
Mention was made earlier of a katana being able to cut thru a gunbarrel. Aparently, we Westerners weren't the only ones to believe that myth. I've read a memouir of a tanker's experiences in the Pacific. In one engagement they were swarmed by Japanese troops & an officer started hacking at the hull mounted machine gun barrel of the tank ahead. The blade of the katana broke an instant before the weilder was shot down. The author was able to retrieve the hilt when the fight ended. The gunbarrel was nicked but not put out of action.
Uplander
 
I would not be surprised to find out that the "katana can cut anything" myth was a part of Japanese govt. propaganda pumped out during the Meiji period. The Japanese people have not let go of the many erroneous and superstitious ideas that came out of the Meiji period, some of it very racist and ignorant. They believe they are the only people in the world to fold steel. I educated many of them, but they decided not to discuss swords immediately after hearing that Vikings also folded steel.

The truth is that swords, Japanese and otherwise, have never been that useful on the battlefield! Spears, arrows and bullets have ALWAYS done the real work.

There is just something about a sword that captivates men. Perhaps it is an artistic perfection, perhaps it is simply phallic.

Having said that, there is nothing wrong with obsessing over swords. I am one of those people who was willing to pay the price for a real Japanese sword. Believe me, I could use that money right now. My o-dachi is not for sale. Ever.

I just remembered that I had Uncle Bill sign the scabbard of my manjushree. You can see it in the pic..
 
Swords have always been status symbols.
One of the myths perpetrated by Hollrweird, besides the idea that swords were the be-all, end-all weapon, is that nearly everyone had one. Not so, swords (good ones) were always expensive, the common man simply could not afford one.

The sword could be likened most to sidearms today as far as the use they were -- good when the enemy got close, but you sure wish you had something to keep him away.
 
This thread reminds me that I need Sarki Shop to rehandle my Katana.

Forgive me but I have learned that something in our hindbrain reacts differently when we see a long knife or sword versus a firearm. I don't know why other than conditioning? Whatever teh reason is, when the knives come out, people pay attention.
 
The only actual HI sword I have is one of the dragon engraved Tarwar:
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DragonTarwar01.jpg


I always got a kick out of this pic from the HI site -- I can just picture what the look on some Al- Quaeda's face would be like seeing this:
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moblues said:
Forgive me but I have learned that something in our hindbrain reacts differently when we see a long knife or sword versus a firearm. I don't know why other than conditioning? Whatever teh reason is, when the knives come out, people pay attention.
Click to expand...

I think there's a few things to it.

First of all, historically speaking, the human race has much more time spent with blades than with firearms. "Blades" to include polearms like spears and such.

Second, a firearm is a machine. A blade is much closer to a tooth or claw in shape, design and manner of function -- it brings out our predator side and our wariness of other predators.

Third, unlike what we see in hollyweird, where even the slightest blow of a sword to the midsection brings about instant death, being "bit" by a blade historically meant losing part of the body and a slow, painful death due to infection.

Fourth, the western entertainment media likes to villanize guns. When guys are tortured, American movies like to show them being shot int he kneecaps, etc. In reality when the torture starts, the knives come out.

I remember a recent conversation I had with people coming home for a spell from both Afghanistan and Iraq. They all said the same thing: the enemy would scream, holler,, spit at you, throw things at you, etc if you had your rifle. They would cower if you had a pistol, and would run and hide if you had your bayonet fixed. Guys that would otherwise fight to the death would cut and run or surrender if they saw our guys coming at them with bayonets fixed.
The reasoning came up with was this: pistols are feared because they are a status symbol of officers and government officials -- guys that had the authority to kill you on the spot. The rifle-wielding soldier did not. With bayonets fixed, it meant they had shown up to kill you, not talk to you. And knives in general? Well, the nice man down at the police interrogation room had knives. . .
 
DannyinJapan said:
I would not be surprised to find out that the "katana can cut anything" myth was a part of Japanese govt. propaganda pumped out during the Meiji period. The Japanese people have not let go of the many erroneous and superstitious ideas that came out of the Meiji period, some of it very racist and ignorant. They believe they are the only people in the world to fold steel. I educated many of them, but they decided not to discuss swords immediately after hearing that Vikings also folded steel.

The truth is that swords, Japanese and otherwise, have never been that useful on the battlefield! Spears, arrows and bullets have ALWAYS done the real work.

There is just something about a sword that captivates men. Perhaps it is an artistic perfection, perhaps it is simply phallic.

Having said that, there is nothing wrong with obsessing over swords. I am one of those people who was willing to pay the price for a real Japanese sword. Believe me, I could use that money right now. My o-dachi is not for sale. Ever.

I just remembered that I had Uncle Bill sign the scabbard of my manjushree. You can see it in the pic..
Click to expand...


DIJ: How do you like the manjushree? Along with a 30" sirupati its the only sword I've got. I figure with your training you might have played around with it more than I have and would know how it feels. Thanks.

Shann
 
Cpl Punishment said:
The reasoning came up with was this: pistols are feared because they are a status symbol of officers and government officials -- guys that had the authority to kill you on the spot. The rifle-wielding soldier did not. With bayonets fixed, it meant they had shown up to kill you, not talk to you. And knives in general? Well, the nice man down at the police interrogation room had knives. . .
Click to expand...

Very interesting and macabre psychology! :thumbup:
 
Hi guys, new here..

Where on earth are all these beautiful swords on the HI site? All I see on there is the Tarwar, katanas, Tibetan and sirupati's..
 
This is likely my first post, I don't remember.. but I've read for hours and hours on this forum. Many, many thanks for all of the great information.

My wife bought me an early Christmas present, my first sword. This may sound silly.. but I really like the figures inscribed on the blade. I have to thumb through some more threads on this forum to decipher them.

Thanks again for all the great information and advice on this forum. I hope the pictures turned out well.


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Brad
 
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