Western Swordsmiths
Swordsmith Walter Sorrells
June 13, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Bibliography on Walter Sorrells Walter Sorrells is a martial artist who studied karate at the same time learning iaido – the art of drawing a sword. Since he was fond of practicing iaido, he was then influenced in the art of shinkendo and later on crafting swords. At that time wherein he was crafting … [Read More...]
Interview with Swordsmith Walter Sorrells
May 17, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Knowing that you have a backgound in various japanese martial arts, how or when did you decide it was time to start making japanese sword ? There are a lot of folks out there with a great interest in both martial arts and swords but I don’t think many of them are ever thinking about trying to make … [Read More...]
Ask Pierre
Katana Related Questions answered by Pierre…
I think that in many ways Nihonto evokes certain emotions in people. There is always an answer why people like them. Some people adore them for the fine pieces of art that they are. Other people have very strong sentiments regarding Nihonto, and have a special meaning why they love it, or what it does to them. My question is really a dubble question: What … [Read More...]
How important is a Japanese Sword’s weight & balance ?
How important is balance and weight in the manufacture of a sword to a contemporary japanese swordsmith ? Obviously a fine sword has a fine feeling in hand. Some swords are made only for their look, and feel terrible in the hand. It's up to each swordsmith to put more or less consideration into the actual practicality of a sword. Of course, there were … [Read More...]
Parts of a Katana
The Tip and Body of the Katana’s blade
In this first part we're mainly going to talk about the tip of a katana (1) and a few mainparts of the body of the blade (2) . Just keep in mind that these are the most frequently parts people in the sword circle will talk about, there are some more but i don't think we need to do all of them in order … [Read More...]
History of the Japanese Sword
The Japanese Katana, historical background info
The Japanese Katana (aka Samurai swords) has been in existence for thousands of years and is a heavy part of the Japanese culture. It's existence has been known to display honor, and its service has continued with reverence and respect for this weapon. Coupled with the use of martial arts has branded … [Read More...]
The Japanese sword (Nihonto) – part 2
Since fighting and wars continued throughout Japan, there was a big demand for swords. The intensity of warfare also led to the development of the Uchigatana. These kind of swords could be worn with the edge up so to combine drawing and slashing actions in a single stroke. Uchigatana were about 61cm … [Read More...]
