Decent Daisho

[Blambot]

Not sure how many of you are interested in Japanese swordsmanship, but I thought I'd share a bit.

I studied Iaido/Aikido for several years and have fallen in love with well-made, affordable katanas and wakizashis. My practice blades are hung up these days, but they make lovely conversations pieces.

The most obvious place to get the best is Japan, but Spain is a close second. If you can find a reputable Japanese swordsmith, you WILL pay top dollar for your blade, and sword furniture.

There are other decent manufacturers. My favorite in this catagory is Hanwei (Paul Chen). Many of these are LIVE BLADES and are made for martial arts practice. They can take a beating and you must be absolutely careful. Razor sharp. Trust me, like all Iaido students, I've been accidentally cut.

Here are some fun links to check out:

Hanwei makes Tsubas (hand guards) of beautiful design:
http://www.replicaweaponry.com/hanweitsubas.html

Of course, there are the swords:
http://www.888knivesrus.com/category/al ... se_swords/
And check out those gorgeous samurai helmets. I've been THIS close to ordering the Takeda Shingen one for months.

Hope you found this interesting.

~Nate

[Sebastian]

The links are great, especially that I've returned to 3d graphics recently. Heh, have to make some models.