Zoom Rabbit Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Other than being a cook and part time online wise-ass, the rabbit is also a collector of swords and knives. Now that I have my collection properly catalogued at the *Nihonto club* website, I can easily share it with you all. Look sharp! WW2 japanese navy officer's sword with a gendai nihonto blade: Because this is an actual nihnoto sword, it is better analyzed in a separate location here. Old japanese wakizashi, nihonto blade. Here it is in modern koshirae: The wakizashi's more detailed analysis here. This is my living room display, all antique military and fraternal swords: (Left to right...) 1. Argentine artillery saber 2. Imperial prussian artillery officer's sword 3. German NCO sword from WW1 4. Modern USMC officer's sword 5. Knights of Pythias 'lion-head' presentation sword 6. Toledo-made hanger dated 1869 7. USN officer's sword, 1950's 8. Old german freemason's sword (with leatherwork) 9. US model 1860 staff and field officer's sword 10. Knights of Pythias sword (more common form) 11. US militia NCO sword, 1840's 12. Knights of Columbus sword 13. Freemason's Knights Templar sword, 19th century 14. IOOF (Odd Fellows lodge) sword 15. Freemason's Knights Templar sword, 1920's 16. Unknown military academy cadet's sword 17. Spanish officer's cutacha, spanish-american war There will be more. I also have military and ethnographic collections to post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyTordesLegend Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 The sensation you feel is 'The Quickening' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrMcCoy Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Bah, swords. Real people use big fat battle hammers. Or, better yet, be sneaky and cut throats from behind. Or poison people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 A true master can kill you in broad daylight with nothing more than a cardboard toilet paper tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alia Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Nice collection! Your place seems like a break-in target for naive young would-be pirates. I hope you don't sleep too heavily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artisa Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 *Enter naive would-be pirate* Oooooh that is an IMPRESSIVE collection I must say!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Nice collection! Your place seems like a break-in target for naive young would-be pirates. I hope you don't sleep too heavily. Pirates have to get by me first. Us yanks do tend to feel rather more secure in the home with valuables. On to more civilized killing implements. Tonight, we visit the ethnographic bladeforms, which is basically a study in the different shapes of swords and such that different cultures have used through history. This is actually my area of expertise in sword collecting, being a student of history and the cultures it has produced. I start therefore with my earliest blade: Luristan bronze age spear point, dated 1000 bce. Ethiopian dagger. Age unknown, but I estimate 1940's based on wear to materials. Central asian kukhri with silver handle. About 1900; kukhris are common, but this is a nice example. A kris knife from southeast asia. This one is cheaply made for tourists...and someone ruined the blade with steel wool. Another one, slightly different but no steel wool. A short sword from the philippines. The horse head handle is hand carved from an exotic wood, and it has silver decorations throughout. Old siamese wave-edged sword (with INCORRECT malaysian-esque kris handle; the original was lost, and someone thought this bulbous wooden handle was the appropriate replacement.) That's enough for now. I'll post the rest of the ethnographic bladeforms tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 This is a chinese bronze sword. It isn't as old as it pretends to be (20th century) but it does have a tempered blade, and it's an actual chinese sword...so it's not junk. This is a cutacha, which is a uniquely central american bladeform--basically a sword with a large machete blade. This one was made in Elberfeld, Germany by the swordmaker Ferdinand Esser in the late 19th century and was captured in Cuba during the spanish-american war. Chinese dao knife with horn scabbard. Not junk. Chinese dao knife (same maker or school as previous, but this one has much nicer detail including the eight auspicious signs of the Buddha, carnelian cabochons and turquoise stones left unfinished in the tibetan fashion.) Definitely not junk. Chinese made damascus steel tachi. This is a chinese version of a japanese bladeform, which many would consider a replica. The quality of this piece is exceptional (hand chiseled decoration on a bronzed iron scabbard, goldwork in the fittings, etc.) and is signed by the smith on the tang, which reflect a degree of caring that pushes this into my real sword collection. It is also substantially more robust than other swords of this type, and can be fought with with great confidence. The leatherwork on the handle and hangers are my work, as the handle was heavily damaged when I got it. I love China! Rapier with colichmarde blade (the tip was missing and it had no scabbard when I bought it for $13; the new tip and scabbard with blue denim are my doing.) Enough for tonight. Tomorrow, I move onto the military stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyTordesLegend Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Never thought I'd ever say this, but I am very much enjoying looking at pictures of Zooms highly polished shiny weapon(s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Jones Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Do you also have a Dotanuki sword, Zoom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 You mean a good old-fashioned samurai era brawling sword of the Dotanuki school, designed with durability in mind and referred to as the 'torso-cutter?' Nope. Although the kai-gunto at the beginning of the thread is designed to japanese military specs of the time (1944) and would do quite nicely in a fight... Here is a modern day performance cutter, the much esteemed 'orchid' katana produced by Paul Chen: Pretty, yes? It could cut a human being in half, but it would not stand up against my kai-gunto in a battle... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alia Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 How does one usually procure this lovely and sometimes historic weaponry? The internetz I suppose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyTordesLegend Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I'm really worried Zoom is going to recreate a scene from 'Falling Down' but with swords....eeek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 How does one usually procure this lovely and sometimes historic weaponry? The internetz I suppose? I've been alive since 1532. No, no...just kidding. I buy all of my stuff from the local pawn shops and antique stores. I won't buy a piece unless I can inspect it firsthand. It helps that I live in a retirement community with a low cost of living; the stock of antiques entering the market here from all the old folks passing on and low prices at the shop make for a sword collector's dream. Important collector's note: do your homework. When I come across a tag that just says 'old sword,' it means the seller has no actual idea what he has for sale. Having done my homework, I do have an idea what the item is, or at least know the words to enter into an image search to come up with a match. Tonight I post the military knives and bayonets. The swords are in the living room picture at the top of the post. I've always sought military blades for my collection because they are widely appreciated, and it is easy to make a positive identification. A fake african bush sword is hard to spot if you come across your first one, but military weapons can be identified with a degree of confidence with a little experience. Italian mannlicher-carcano fixed-folding bayonet. Originally designed to fold like a pocket knife, the italians decided to turn it into a fixed blade. With the folding parts still on hand in the factory, they invented a new hilt which produced a series of unique *fixed-folding* bayonets. This would have fit on the rifle that killed Kennedy. US M4 bayonet, for the m1A1 carbine rifle. This is Korean war era, and was made in Japan of all places. Assam Rifles kukhri. This kukhri was british military issue for their Gurkha fighting troops during WW2, and was made in India. Argentine model 1891 sword bayonet for mauser rifle. From around the turn of the century--made in Solingen, Germany. The leatherwork was a project of mine. Argentine model 1909 bolo-tipped fighting knife (short sword.) Made by the same german swordmaker (WKC) as the previous blade, but this was not meant to be mounted on a rifle. It's a good old-fashioned short sword! Leatherwork by me. Springfield model 1905 sword bayonet. This one was made by 'American Fork and Hoe' in 1943, the height of WW2. Japanese bayonet for the arisaka rifle. This bayonet cost about $20 in 1985; today it will set you back $100... USN mark 2 fighting knife, WW2. Made by Kabar, not just kabar-shaped. This knife is still in use today. Strapped onto the survival pack I take hiking, it goes all over the mountains and valleys of southern Oregon with me. TAKE THAT HILL! Take it, I say... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 I'm really worried Zoom is going to recreate a scene from 'Falling Down' but with swords....eeek What is this 'Falling down?' Actually, I play Drowning Pool while practicing with my swords. (This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyTordesLegend Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 What is this 'Falling down?' (This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 Swords? Something wrong with the submachine gun he had? Nothing says 'make me breakfast' like a loaded submachine gun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artisa Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Swords? Something wrong with the submachine gun he had? Nothing says 'make me breakfast' like a loaded submachine gun... I'm reminded of Wade's expression of admiration for swords in the X-men Origins: Wolverine movie, but can't find an appropriate youtube video to stick here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 While screwing around on youtube recently, I found a video of a song I used to work out to with the japanese short sword. It conveys well the speed and maneuverability of that particular weapon. (This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.) Have fun, but don't play with knives to this. Advanced level, I'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artisa Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Have fun, but don't play with knives to this. Advanced level, I'm afraid. Yup, I can imagine someone swordfighting to that! (This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 Zoom has been a busy collector of late. Down at the local pawn shop: Japanese noncommissioned officer's sword, WW2. And, my neighbor came across these that her landlord was cleaning out of an old family member's home. I identified their value to collectors and paid a fair price. Two rare model 1914 Swiss 'pioneer' bayonets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrMcCoy Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Oh, a set of bread knives! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artisa Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 LOL that really DOES look like a set of bread knives! I'm thinking serrated bread knife a la Curse of Monkey Island Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Rabbit Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 Why, Dr. McCoy. I am surprised to find you getting something so terribly wrong! There could be no greater difference in bladeforms than those between a bread knife and a pioneer bayonet. Allow me to demonstrate for you in the brushed steel clinical laboratory which is my own home kitchen. Here are the bayonet and bread knife for comparison. Note that the bayonet is ridiculously larger, and is supplied with a hand guard--something one never finds on a kitchen knife. Here is a closeup of the serrations. Note that the bayonet has a saw back, which is designed to cut wood for use in the construction of trenchworks, fences and other battlefield fortifications. The bread knife has a much thinner blade with scalloped serrations which smoothly separate a piece of bread. Like this. Note the smooth, straight cut. The bun is still round, and there are few crumbs. ...And here is the same cut, made by a saw-backed bayonet. Despite the clinical precision of a master chef working in his own kitchen, the bun has been mangled. The crust has been torn by the compression force of the saw blade, and an unacceptable amount of bread has been lost in the form of crumbs. If I got a hot dog bun cut in this fashion in a restaurant, I would go in back and splash pancake syrup on the kitchen staff, such would be the degree of my unhappiness. I hope this clears things up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huz Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Never mess with a man who collects swords and knives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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