Sword Buyers Digest - Issue 147, June 1st 2020
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A bit of a different issue this month - with the world still more or less locked down by Covid-19 (or the reaction to it - cough - less said the better now I think!) I found myself in an unique opportunity to make the most of it and turn lemons into lemonade.
So in this, the June edition of the Sword Buyers Digest, in addition to new behind the scenes information on swords coming down the line, reviews, and the usual mix of sword related madness - you will also find part 1 of a two part journey as, being locked down in Cambodia at the time of the pandemic, made the most of it and finally took the long journey to one of the most important historical buildings to the medieval Khmer Empire and indeed, in most of South East Asia -
Angkor Wat!
So without any further rambling, let's get straight into it shall we?
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Swords in the News
Positive Sword Related Stories in the News
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When you think 'Swords and Starships' to some people, Star Wars is NOT necessarily the first space opera with swords they think of.. Here are 5 others..
In times of peace such as the Edo period, Samurai were as much bureaucrats as warriors, and staying fit and healthy was an important part of their role. So what kind of things did they get up to when they didn't have a war to fight or a cheeky looking peasant to torment.
Okay, a Katana that has been coated to burn brightly without going out when it swings through the air is arguably very, very cool. But this video from Japan leaves every other flaming blade for dead. Check out the video below to see what I mean by 'new levels of cool'..
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If you are a gamer and love swords, you may well be waiting on the release of the game 'Ghosts of Tsushima'. But in the meantime, here are the other top 10 Samurai games.
Not to be left out, here is another list for medieval sword enthusiasts - the top 10 most popular and most realistic medieval fighting simulators (big Mount & Blade fan here, ever since it first came out when SBG was in its infancy). No real surprises which game came in at number 1..
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In this curious article by History Extra it dicusses chivalry, prisionors of war and most surprisingly - the curious medieval phenomenan of killer rabbits.. This suggests that the scene in the 'Hly Grail' by Monty Python my be historically inaccurate - as when Tim the Enhanter warned King Arthur about a killer rabbit, they would NOT have mocked him..
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But this video, which was sent to us independently by a customer and video reviewer with his own small niche channel 'Mr Excalibur' is a great, honest, warts and all review - from unboxing, to paper cutting tests, a variety of standard targets, and comparison to one of our reviews.
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IN DEVELOPMENT - Kingdom of Arms and BCI
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Many of you, especially long term subscribers - will know and have nothing but respect for Mr. Clyde Hollis, founder of Generation 2/Legacy Arms - and now building momentum with his return to the sword industry with his latest venture Kingdom of Arms (
click here for the Dossier on this new company in the Sword Manufacturers Dossier).
The swords and knives are hand crafted by our friends in the Philippines at Blade Culture International (who are also making our custom Zelda Sword). But in the meantime, here's a sneak peek at one a true classic sword of antiquity, and a blade that was the foundation for so many different related cutting swords hundreds and thousands of years later..
The Falcata (Sneak Peak - Coming Late July 2020)
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Here's what Clyde had to say about it:
"The Kingdom of Arms Falcata features a hand hammered 5160 carbon steel blade as the originals were made, full tang, heat treated and tempered as the originals. The handle is a white wood over a full tang. The scabbard is wood with leather accents.
This item is currently being made at our forge. First shipment due first half of July 2020.
Specifications:
Length Overall: 25.5"
Blade: 21.0"
Handle: 3.875"
Blade thickness: 3/16"
Weight: TBA
POB: TBA
Blade is tempered 5160 Carbon Steel with a Drop Forge Finish
Full Tang"
Below a close up pic of the handle and the scabbard, which in typical BCI and Kingdom of Arms fashion, is no mere afterthought nor a hugely expensive optional extra.
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Definitely keep an eye out on what they have coming in - and to see some of the rarer and more unique sword types coming back as well as historically inspired replicas of popular Roman, Medieval and American Swords and Knives.
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A Visit to Angkor Wat, Cambodia - Part 1
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As many of you will know, I am Australian by background, but have been a traveling ex-pat throughout Asia since 2011..
Mostly living in Japan, especially for the first 7 years, in recent times I have found myself in many countries throughout the Asian region - taken there by work, family commitments or simply the desire to see the world.
And thanks to Covid, there isn't a whole lot of that going on right now. However, at the time of the Coronavirus worldwide lockdown, I had just come back from Japan to a small (and cheap) new residence in Cambodia - and my plans to return to Japan were scuttled and I have been locked down in Cambodia exclusively for the last 4 month or so.
It is hardly a bad place to be 'locked down' in. Its an awesome country - in addition to being the HQ of Citadel Swords (which you might remember we visited and reported on around a year or two ago
here) it is also the home to the worlds largest religious structure, and the center of the once mighty Khmer Empire - a powerful Kingdom that covered and dominated the vast majority of what we today call South East Asia.
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While traveling back to see the Kingdom at its peak may not be an option, the next best thing is to visit to remaining symbol which was and still remains at the heart of the Khmer nation:
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Angkor Wat
And despite the pandemic, while there are no tourists there - it was open!
I had planned to see it anyway, and whatever concerns I may have for catching Covid-19 were quickly put aside when I realized
"this may be the best time EVER to visit this place! So what am I waiting for?!"
Here's what it looks like from space courtesy of google.
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Angkor Wat proper is the smaller square structure towards the bottom of the image - above it is Angkor Thom, 'the Great City' - and no visit to the Wat is complete without also exploring the nearby ruins of the city and its many temples, libraries and centers for higher learning..
Re-discovered by the French, who originally attributed the ruins to a much older, lost civilization before eventually coming to the understanding that the Wat itself dates back to the first half of the 12th century, was sacked by the Khmers rivals, the Cham, and a new capital built a few kilometers to the north, Angkor Thom (Great City).
The history is truly fascinating, built in only 37 years it is the largest religious structure in the world and though originally Hindu (dedicated to the God Vishnu) it went back and forth between Hindu and Buddhist carvings, statues and facades - though the original layout is said to be symbolic of Mt Meru, the home of the Hindu gods.
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The Wat itself is surrounded by a square moat and has several bridges - the central one reserved exclusively for the King - who was said to be divine in his own right. According to my well educated and informative guide, young Mr. Hong, the army would follow the King to the bridge, but only he would cross it by himself - with guards waiting on the other-side..
Class distinctions are quite clearly delineated here, and the higher and deeper you enter the temple - the more exclusive it is. But only the King gets the - er - royal treatment. All the stairs to the topmost part of the complex - which represents the seat of heaven itself - are at an 80 degree incline, while the kings stairs, a much more comfortable 50 degrees.
It is good to be the King!
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The stairway to heaven is steep and hard, while its easy enough to roll back into hell
What blew me away, and early French explorers, was just how incredibly well made, sophisticated and advanced the complex really was. For example, see in the pictures below the drainage system and the incredible tolerances between the joins in the stone walls - so perfect you could not even slip a credit card in there.
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Because of the total lack of external tourists (almost everyone else there were local Khmers, though I did see a few resident ex-pats like myself) it was eerily quiet.
And in certain areas, especially in the inner sanctum reserved for the
Brahmin, the Priests and the King, you could almost smell the incense and hear the incessant chanting night and day, now just echoing in the minds of the few who are able to take their time to see every nook and cranny without the shouts or annoying interruptions from gawking tourists..
For example, below you could almost imagine what this sacred pool would have looked like, filled with spring waters..
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Now the fortifications and the ancient temple complex are interesting to anyone who appreciates history. But where it gets relevant to us sword collectors the most is of course, the bas relief frescoes that once covered every single space of wall.
The most well known and famous frescoes are of the
Apsara - a type of Celestial Nymph or Fairy and are always pictured dancing, while similar forms standing still are
Devatas (minor deities and guardians) - and according to my guide, appeared spontaneously while 'churning the ocean of milk' to create an elixir of immortality..
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Apsara - identified by their dancing pose
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However, sword enthusiasts will be delighted to see detailed depictions of (at the time) recent battles as well as graphics representing the ancient Hindu tale of the Mahabharata.
In these ancient scenes, armies from India, the Khmer Empire and their enemies, the 'barbaric' Thai's to the West and the 'Cham' to the East (modern day South Vietnam) and explained how the history of the Khmer Empire is largely one of infighting - with a would be usurper gaining assistance from either the Thai or the Cham as mercenaries or with promises of land and influence. And luckily for us amateur historians, it has all been preserved in stone - in many cases the battles chiselled within living memory of the actual events.
And here, things start to get VERY interesting..
The first one to catch my eye was a depiction of the events of the Mahabharata. While the legend is Indian in origin, the warriors still have a decidedly Khmer appearance. Most of the Frescoes were colored, here you can see remaining color here and there. But of special interest to us is of course, the swords..
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In the Fresco above we see several swordsmen - most armed with short, slightly curved cutting blades used in combination with either a small round buckler or a much larger, curved shield that can protect most of the upper body. Both could well be Indian and resemble surviving Indian martial arts such as
Kalaripayattu
as shown in the video below, and most likely employed similar techniques as shown in the video below..
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However at the time of the Mahabharata (8th or 9th century BC) it is my understanding the Indians used a Bronze
"Asi" - a type of long straight dagger..
This is reminiscent of similar European texts - such as the
Maciejowski Bible, which featured ancient biblical warriors armed with 'modern' medieval weaponry and wearing clothing contemporary to the era it was recorded, and if anything provides insight into Khmer weaponry and warfare.
And when compared to the warriors below, who are supposed to be Khmer, the swords are similar - albeit longer and some with a curious spatulate tip (also reminiscent of the cruel looking
Maciejowski Falchion, though it predates the
Maciejowski Bible
by several hundred years, its contemporary actually more akin to the 11th century
Bayeux Tapestry
).
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In most cases, these one handed cutting swords seem to be used in conjunction with an Indian style rounded metal shield/buckler when fighting on foot. Other shields are also in use, curious form fitting shields common to South East Asia as shown in the image of the two Gladiators fighting it out below (with what appear to be straight, possibly double edged blades).
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However it is almost as common to see just a single blade being used - the free hand employed to grapple and wrestle such as the warrior in the middle of the picture below (got to love the way the sword itself shines, suggesting at one point it was perhaps coated in a metallic layer of paint. Something I will have to look into, but from my understanding all of the frescoes were painted).
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Following a fairly typical medieval military pattern seen the world over, the vast majority of the weapons of the battlefield were spears and bows - with only the nobility able to afford horses and longer cavalry sabers..
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These sabers are very interesting, taking two forms - one almost like a hockey stick and the other considerably longer than the blades seen in the previous scenes - both seemingly tip heavy and clearly designed to be used to deliver sweeping cuts from horseback.
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But there are several frescoes that show more swords than you might normally expect to see. Take for example, this epic battle scene.
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Almost every fighter here has a curved sword, some long and others with a fatter almost machete like appearance. And then there is of course the War Elephant..
According to my guide, it took 37 years, 300,000 slaves and (wait for it) 30,000 ELEPHANTS to make Angkor Wat. Needless to say, that is a heck of a lot of elephants - and scarier still, how devastating an angry, trumpeting War Elephant was on the field of battle (sadly, despite being integral to making the Wat, Cambodia now only has 200 Elephants remaining..)
From what we have seen in the Frescoes so far, it would appear that there were at least 3 to 4 different types of sabers used in battle by Khmer warriors. One was relatively fast and short, and designed to be used on foot either by itself or in conjunction with one of two types of shields. Then there was a classic one handed horsemans saber with almost a straight blade until it terminates in a wide, heavy looking cutting tip.
In addition to these swords, it appears that there were also some one handed straight blades that were most likely double edged - and then a rather brutal Falchion with a wide head - giving it a lot of momentum and allowing it to deliver terrible, axe like blows..
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In Part II of our exploration of the ruins of Angkor Wat and the swords and military history of the Khmer Empire, we will continue our exploration of the nearby ruins of the city 'Angkor Thom', delve deeper into the form of the ancient sabers seen in the frescoes, take a closer look at the fortifications and how they were made and see that the restoration of the complex is still very much ongoing and many more secrets remain to be rediscovered.
PART II Coming Next Issue
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One lucky forumite found out in this thread that he had snapped up a classic Generation 2 Black Prince sword at his local pawn shop for just $40!
This video and discussion thread shows clearly just how much effort goes into making the handle for a Japanese sword the traditional way (and shows why it costs so much, and how it could simply not be done on any entry level blade)..
Most Katana being sold these days have two mekugi pegs. But do they need them? The argument for and against..
What's the easiest way to change the color of a saya? Forumites provide a quick and easy answer..!
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Returning this Month - Project X Japanese
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Last October when we took orders for
Project X Japanese - those stunning Master Smith Forged Soshu Kitae laminated blades now sold in batches several times a year - we originally planned for the next batch after to start taking orders sometime in February..
And then our good old buddy SARS-COV2 came along..
Well, since then it has been pushed back and pushed back month after month - maybe April, maybe mid-May, maybe late May - and now the most recent estimate, mid to late THIS month..
This time however, all the pieces of the puzzle seem to be in place - the forges are working away at maximum capacity. Component suppliers are working double time to replenish the supply, and finally the shipping services - EMS and SF Express, are back online and shipping worldwide again..
All we need to do is clear out a couple of late orders (that were supposed to come in before Chinese New Year...) and then its time to get the forge to work again!
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Pre-order spaces are limited - and the back pressure from no-one being able to order since October 2019 means there is around 7 months worth of build up behind it. As such, we strongly suggest that if you want to get in on this months round - you start looking at the designs and sign up to the exclusive Project X newsletter NOW before it passes you by..
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Hope you enjoyed this rather different issue of the digest. In the meantime, a quick word about the apology in last months issue - as from the feedback I received on that, apparently an apology was not necessary for most of you. So for that, I would like to take a moment to apologize for the apology..
A quote from Monty Python Sums it up for me:
John Cleese: 'THE BBC WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE TO EVERYONE IN THE WORLD FOR THE LAST ITEM. IT WAS DISGUSTING AND BAD AND THOROUGHLY DISOBEDIENT AND PLEASE DON'T BOTHER TO PHONE UP BECAUSE WE KNOW IT WAS VERY TASTELESS, BUT THEY DIDN'T REALLY MEAN IT AND THEY DO ALL COME FROM BROKEN HOMES AND HAVE VERY UNHAPPY PERSONAL LIVES, ESPECIALLY ERIC. ANYWAY, THEY'RE REALLY VERY NICE PEOPLE UNDERNEATH AND VERY WARM IN THE TRADITIONAL SHOW BUSINESS WAY AND PLEASE DON'T WRITE IN EITHER BECAUSE THE BBC IS GOING THROUGH AN UNHAPPY PHASE AT THE MOMENT -- WHAT WITH ITS FATHER DYING AND THE MORTGAGE AND BBC 2 GOING OUT WITH MEN.'
Eric Idle: 'THE BBC WOULD LIKE TO DENY THE LAST APOLOGY. IT IS VERY HAPPY AT HOME AND BBC 2 IS BOUND TO GO THROUGH THIS PHASE, SO FROM ALL OF US HERE GOOD NIGHT, SLEEP WELL, AND HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY SUPER DAY TOMORROW, KISS, KISS.'
Until next month and part 2 of my article on Angkor Wat and the Khmer Empire, take care of yourselves and happy swordening!
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