AFAIK Eastern swords like Katana and Wakizashi(?) are light and elegant, plus the fact that the blades are made by layers of folded steel makes them tough too.

If I am to choose a sword for a duel, I would probably go for a Katana.

I dunno much about eastern swords, but I own an austro-hungarian infantry officer's sabre M. 1873 and I can say it is very well balanced and light.
Sadly, its hilt is slightly damaged and its portepe is missing. (sorry I don't know english expression for portepe -have to look in the dictionary, but experts should know what I'm talking about)

[ 08-20-2003, 05:10 PM: Message edited by: Yanez ]

Actually tons and tons of blades from western europe are made from layered steel with folding. Viking swords were often done in this fashion leading to them having a beautiful (and elegant if I do say so) false damascene finish. I guess its a matter of taste but I find my bastard sword plenty elegant, it speaks with a subdued power if I do say so myself.

Personally, I prefer the far-eastern swords as opposed to the western ones. Possibly because of the ideology behind the katana... or at least, what I have heard about it. I also prefer it's shape as opposed to a longsword. I think it's also to do with the culture being so different from the western one. Sure, there were lots of rogues about - just as there were over here, but I prefer the "samurai" image to the clasical "knight in shining armour" one. But thats just a personal preference.

s'not like I can argue with personal preference, well as long as personal prefrence isn't based on absolute ignorance of facts... but hey if ya like it, ya like it.

There are not too many gun jerks on this forum, but we do have our shares of sword jerks [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Hehe I don't know whether to slap you or shake your hand for that comment heheh.

Gun jerks, you say? I happen to be one. Hmm, maybe we should turn the topic of this thread? I mean, I don't want to be rude or anything but i think that we depleted the swords as a topic.

Well, I'm not going to argue the point about "who's sword is better then who's"; because personally I think its a waste of time. As for "absolute ignorance of facts"; you could say that everyone goes on them - since we're all "trusting" another person's word/book/research. Yeah, if you've done your own research - thats good - but do you *really* know what went on when these swords were used? I wouldn't be too sure. As I said, it IS a personal preference; and I just dislike western swords as opposed to the far-eastern ones. No offense intended.

Well, I'm not going to argue the point about "who's sword is better then who's"; because personally I think its a waste of time. As for "absolute ignorance of facts"; you could say that everyone goes on them - since we're all "trusting" another person's word/book/research. Yeah, if you've done your own research - thats good - but do you *really* know what went on when these swords were used? I wouldn't be too sure. As I said, it IS a personal preference; and I just dislike western swords as opposed to the far-eastern ones. No offense intended. </font>[/QUOTE]Handeling museum relics, visiting archaelogical digs such as the battle of visby, going to lectures done by hoplologists and spathologists and looking at historical manuals such as the codex of wallerstien gives you a pretty damn good idea if I do say so myself. Sure you end up trusting someone, but hell, for all you know I could be an alien from outspace transmitting subliminal messages in the post encouraging you to put on a hamster suit and nail an aardvark to your head. I often do come across people who really really really irritate me by saying basically knowledge they learned from watching Arnie heft his foolishly designed conan the barbarian sword. Look at the sheer number of bargain basement online sword shops and their horrible marketing ploys that try to decieve those who don't know alot of them. I really despise the idealogy "The public doesn't know any better so don't worry about it." I came across it alot in all sorts of cultural and martial activities, that kind of deception I think is just not right. I enjoy all sorts of swords in truth an I find that such a beautiful weapon should be respected, not made into a novelty or made into a mockery of their true forms to appease whats popular culture at the time. How do you think the sword smiths of ancient japan would feel if they saw people selling "Blue lightning, dragon ninja, samurai katanas. (The names are all something like this) I guess i'm practically a zealot on the subject which I suppose makes me fairly intolerable when I post on it heh.

PS: I've done lion dancing performances where my coach had the same idealogy, I quit that, did performances of martial art sets and coreographed fights where they shared the same ideas.