Where'd you get your swords?

[Firehand10k]

I had to inventory all of my blades today to register them here on Fort Knox (normal Army requirement when you live on post). I turned out to have 54 (including knives and daggers and a couple of sets that count as one) and I first thought that I got most of them at flea markets but then I stopped to think more about it.
Heres the breakdown:
19-Way in the lead SWORDS OF MIGHT(some when it was Dragonsedge.biz)
11- Marketplace in the Philippines
3- Bud K
2- Kult of Athena
2- The Mall
1- Trueswords.com
1- The Steel Source
The rest at various pawn shops and flea markets.

~X( Man Jason I was hardly even interested in japanese blades before I found SoM. Now I know what koshirae and mekugi and hamon are. What have you done to me?

[bobO]

I'll Have to think about that, but of the top of my head,The steel source,superiorMartialarts(not), swords of the east.The knife show-don't laugh got a good deal, my Masihiro.County fairs, Flea markets, sporting good stores, walmart, gifts, get a lot of steel that way. And saving the Best for last, SwordsOfMight if I go any where else now it's because Jason can't get it.

[Jason Moore]

~X( Man Jason I was hardly even interested in japanese blades before I found SoM. Now I know what koshirae and mekugi and hamon are. What have you done to me?

I have taught you the value of Japanese steel my friend! :king:

I am always wondering about how many people re-purchase after their initial here....Some names I see come over my desk like every week and I go "that guy is buying again?" I remember your name coming over my desk alot in the past firehand...I was like, "Man, this guy is preparing for war!".

[goose710]

Where did i get my swords??
my first sword was (shudder stammer) out of a magazine BUDK ,a katana, that nessesitated a need for a wakazashi which i got from SOM. then the fun began,an orchid kat from som/orchid wak som,orchid tanto som. a few cheness (read six in total)some for gifts and to me good cutters. and on to tantos from SOM chen- 2/cold steel -1 Nihonto katana from japonese swords and armour, Nihonto wak from AOI swords japan, and finaly Nihonto tanto from Jap swords and armour.
I don't think i'm done yet (my wife says i am, silly woman)
goose710

[ranger97]

i have 23 katanas that have come from SOM

[Yaso]

My first swords were really just glorified SLO's. I got them from the far expanses of the internet, everything from Amazon.com to Cheaper Than Dirt. Then one day I stumbled upon SBG and realized the err of my cheap sword buying ways. The vast majority of my swords are from good ol' SoM now. I have a couple from Cheness and a couple from other various places, but like I said, mostly SoM.

[Brian Brazier]

Goose your not alone, I too am a Bud-K-aholic, my first sword came from them. My next two were junk wall hangers from some ebay seller, if I remember correctly I paid around $60 for each, at the time I didn't know squat about swords, and unfortunately there are allot of sellers out there taking advantage of people, especially on ebay. Finally I bought my first Masahiro from a different ebay seller, the Date Masamune with the red saya, quickly followed by the Demigod, Battle, and Brides Sword, I was blown away by the quality of the Masahiro, especially compared to the junk that I had previously bought (I say junk cause after I got the Masahiro that's where everything else I had went). Next came a Paul Chen Practical Pro from http://www.888knivesrus.com/, they are a great business, very helpful, if you call someone answers the phone, and the staff is very knowledgeable. Since then everything has come from Jason, my PPKE the Black Zatoichi, and coming soon the Paul Chen Tsuru Iaito, and Paul Chen Bushido collection (expect a full review of the Tsuru in the next couple weeks)

[bobO]

Brian, which zato do you have the new black one, or the old one with the lousely key tang? Also i'm looking forward to the Iai review. I also wanted to ask, where is the POB on your zato and how long is the blade? Thanks

[Brian Brazier]

I have this one http://www.swordsofmight.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=58, the blade is 28.5" the balance point is about 5" from the tsuka, it was tip heavy when I first started using it, but since I have used it more it is fine