twofish

i dunno, read this thread, especially post from "santdhai" about half way down http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?threadid=64157 and i think you may have misunderstood me, i dont want to cut the poor innocent shrubbery

thx for all of the great links everybody... yes, i do have a lot to learn...basically everything to learn...except for the fact that innocent shrubbery should be left alone

who is t york? and where can i find the signup rules? i cant follow the rules, because i dont know what the rules are... tia

i would be happy with a new or used katana so long as the used katana is in great to excellent condition the katana would be hung on a wall and studied / appreciated perhaps i am in the wrong forum but it sounds like you folks know what you are talking about what is the etymology of the word nihonto? i thought nihonto referred broadly to many Japanese bladed weapons like a katana or a tanto... perhaps i was wrong...in any case the sword would hang on a wall and be appreciated...i would spare the innocent bushes and trees... also, i see often swords being sold without the grip...is it difficult to pay someone to add that part to make the sword fully functional? is it insulting to the sword smith to have the grip added? or added by someone not fully appreciative of the sword? i do understand that a full tang is important and that the endpiece is where the sword will have a signature though...i was just curious about the grip part...

thx to all who responded!!!!! step one - save more money step two - order amazon.com "The Samurai Sword: A Handbook" - Yumoto step three - read book lol step four - patience i am genuinely interested in Japanese culture as a whole, so im sure it will be a great read i was thinking about a book, so the advice on which to read is greatly appreciated...so thx 4 that one jamie jojo saku any other advice anyone else has is wonderful to read ... dont stop posting

i am wanting to buy a katana... i am wanting to spend anywhere from $900 US to $1700?? US but i want something unique...and i want high carbon steel to hold an edge and low carbon steel on the inside for toughness...i do not want a sword that is mass produced and stamped out on a machine 1,000 times a day...i want something made by human beings ... many skilled craftsman... are there swords like this for sale in the above mentioned price range? also it seems that most swords for sale come from forges in China...i would like something made in Japan...is this possible to ship inside the United States? picture is merely for showing high carbon and low carbon steel...i am fairly sure the sword in the picture is out of my price range