No? You haven't..!?

If not, you have to check out the official guide to a Happy and Swordy Christmas in 2020 because one of the key points is to get anything you plan to order in and checked well in advance of the big day itself - but that is just part of the formula for a stress free and enjoyable Christmas sword shopping experience.

Roman Novák was out in the green hills near his home looking for mushrooms,when instead he found a bronze sword and axe dating back over 3,300 years ago. But not all was as it seemed as is explained in this article by SyFy Wire..

In a follow up to the above article, this extraordinary find has prompted an archeological dig to see what else may be in the area. By English Radio Czech.

Another much younger sword (a mere 500 years old) was found in a lake in Lithuania, along with the rest of the gear of a medieval soldier whose dead body was partially preserved as it sunk into the mud..

A truly remarkable man, George Pattern was a true 20th century warrior with roots stretching back over the millennia. In this article we examine his role in redefining the sword for his era, and his little known but exceptional skill as a contemporary swordsman of his time..

Legend has it that the King of the ancient Khmer used magic to make his sword fight by itself as he drew another to fight the Siamese invaders. This article takes a look at this ancient traditions and the uncertain future of traditional sword making in the Kingdom of Wonder.

Most people today think of the Samurai as heroic figures following a strict code of conduct. But how much of this was real and how much of it can be attributed to a single book published at the turn of the 20th century. You be the judge..

He is not all that well known these days, but Japanese writer and eccentric Yukio Mishima was one of the last of his people to die by Seppuku (ritual suicide) since the end of WWII - and while his death was curious, his life was even stranger..

Master of the HiSui Tokyo dojo in Ginza, Tokyo, Kaito Suiji looks at 10 classic 'Samurai Sword' movies, from Yojimbo to Kill Bill - and gives his insight into how authentic, or not, the fight scenes are..

"May you live in interesting times" says the Chinese curse. And there is no doubt that this year was exceptionally 'interesting'..

It started off well enough, with a trip to Hokkaido with my 13 year old daughter - and then about a week in Seki city - the sword making capital of Japan, where a new project started to take shape and formed the basis of the article 'Antique Samurai Swords: A Personal Journey in Japan'

Now as you probably know, we started the project by listing for sale a selection of antique and second hand recently made Japanese Nihonto - and while this aspect of the project is still ongoing, it was also at this time we started to lay the groundwork for a collaboration with a Japanese smith who is the last of his school..

But our plans were scuttled by a worldwide lockdown as the Sars Cov2 pandemic swept across the world regardless and the world seemed to go just a little bit crazy (and we kind of missed the opportunity to celebrate SBG's 15 year anniversary - there was never truly an appropriate time to properly celebrate it, though we kind of celebrated it as best we could in the September Issue of the Digest).

Despite all this, and the (ongoing) chaos and confusion to worldwide supply chains, the sword industry carried on as best as it could - and surprisingly actually grew larger in 2020. For example, Clyde Hollis (founder of Generation 2) returned to the industry with his newest venture Kingdom of Arms - his own brand made to his specification by our friends at Blade Culture International in the Philippines.

At the same time, many sword brands actually expanded their offerings - perhaps most notably the A.P.O.C. tactical line designed by Gus Trim. It was almost as if they had a crystal ball - for their blades were ostensibly created to be used in an Apocalyptic setting and seemed, for want of a better word, extremely timely.. And while the Pandemic has not yet caused a total break down of society, it certainly has tested it to its limits - and made many people seek out something suitable for when the 'bullets run out'..

By June, however, the 2-3 month shutdown in China had caused things had come to a head. One of the first direct casualties was our very own Forge Direct. With a massive backlog building and extreme delays kicking in, we had no choice but to stop taking new orders and the project has remained shut down for the rest of the year as we struggled to clear all previous orders to date..

Likewise, many restocks also failed to materialize and for some items, the cupboard was bare.

Yet despite all these challenges, overall the sword industry actually did okay. Planet Express came to the rescue of many an international sword buyer - reaching out to us and offering their service where so many other mail and parcel forwarding services were becoming unreliable. And despite the supply chain issues, new products were emerging all year long - and many sword types that were unrepresented started to see a resurgence..

But as was typical of a year filled with highs and lows, the lowest points were when we lost some truly wonderful people - Rest in Peace Adrian Jordan, Rick Williams, Keith Larman and David "MadMonkey"..

In the end, it will be good to see this year behind us - especially, as we will see, 2021 has a lot of good things lined up..

While the official SBG crystal ball may be a little cloudy, and of course nothing in the future is ever truly 'fixed in stone'...

Here's a bit of a sneak peek into several projects we have been working on over the course of the year that we are planning to release next year in 2021 - including one project that may well be our most ambitious to date..!

So let's take a look shall we?

Not a lot happened this year to the stalled and somewhat mothballed 'sister site' Legendary-Swords.com

True enough, our Zelda inspired Master Sword Project was quite successful - but apart from this, not much appeared to be going on..

However, behind the scenes we have been gearing up for a second shot at re-invigorating and re-imaging this site (after all, it's only a failure when we give up!) and of course, the associated products.

In addition to the backstories, web-comic, and other original content in development - the most interesting new direction we are taking is our goal to create a premium line of high quality semi-custom fantasy swords by mixing and matching the components and blades to suit your own preferences and design ideas..

The prototype for this line has been made already and is currently on its way to US for further review and testing, but in the meantime, here's your sneak peek at the first prototype..

With many possible options, we decided to go ELITE with this one, using high quality stainless steel fittings, genuine leather wood core scabbard, genuine leather wrapped handle with risers - and the blade..

Well, the blade is just gorgeous..

In addition to looking good, it's extremely well tempered - and passed our initial testing with flying colors (which was flexibility testing, British proof testing and a cut) and will soon be out for evaluation.

Check out the sneak peek video below:

If all goes to plan, these swords - and several other major changes - should be going live at the Legendary Swords site sometime early next year..

As many of you are no doubt already aware, by June this year it was apparent that we were experiencing a major supply chain issue with Forge Direct due to the current ongoing pandemic.

This caused us to halt taking any new orders until the existing ones were clear - and my goodness has it been a tough road to get things back on track..

However, as the year comes to a close, the last straggling orders are being completed and ready to ship, and in theory we could open up on new Forge Direct orders THIS month. However, because its all to easy for Christmas shoppers not to read the lead time and order expecting a Christmas delivery - and then there is yet another close down for Chinese New Year pending in February which would cause any new orders to experience an additional 4 week delay..

As such, despite clearing the backlog, it's all happened a bit too late in the year so if things go to plan, we will re-open for new orders with a modified and revamped (version 4.0) sometime in February 2021..

Originally we had planned this release for 2020, but the pandemic scuttled our plans and pushed them back into 2021..

However, as we head towards 2021 the project has been re-invigorated and is poised to take off - and as we speak, the groundwork is being laid.

In addition to seeking out and bringing to market as many affordable second hand Gendaito (recently made Nihonto) the original idea came to me when I first saw the level of craftsmanship in the components of a typical Japanese made iaito (blunt training sword).

We are hoping that the prototype will be completed around February or March 2021 and will be posting updates, videos and pictures as it takes shape.

Cannot wait to see what Shinsuke-san can make from it all and to show you how it starts to take shape until the final product release sometime in early-mid 2021.

Created for English speaking audiences, this video is an excellent introduction to Japanese Battojutsu - the art of the sudden death quick-draw (Iaijutsu). From the sudden attack by a fellow Samurai in the street to the way they use the mune (spine) of the sword to block - this is an excellent introduction to this particular schools 400 year old tradition.

If you have ever done a sword review on the forum we are actively seeking sword reviewers to receive, test (and keep) swords that suit YOUR interests. Register in this thread - you never know what you might get..

There are many swords in the sub $300 category, and even more between $300 to $800. But when it comes to swords under $2K but over $1,000 - is there anything worthwhile and does anything significantly from the $800 swords? Find out in this thread.

While many Indian made swords were dismissed over the years, recent improvements at Windlass and Baluar Arms suggest that India is undergoing something of a Renaissance. Is it Deepeeka's turn? Read this thread and see..

Don't worry, it is NOT a rehash of the dead 'Samurai vs Knight' debate - but rather a video and a thoughtful discussion on the pros and cons of the various sword arts - and how to become a well rounded swordsman.

Well, that wraps up another issue and another year..

I hope you enjoyed this Christmas special and that you take some time out during this month and next month to unwind, de-stress and get ready for what we all hope will be a better year.

As you may know, the digest is sent out 11 times a year, so the next time I will talk to you all will be in February next year. So until then, have a great Holiday season, take care of yourselves, don't overdo the eggnog, and happy swordening.

P.S. If you enjoyed this issue of the digest, feel free to share it with friends and/or publish a link on social media. Tips to the tip jar are always welcome and will be used to directly fund improvements to our sites and projects.