Japanese swords

Buying the perfect Japanese swords is not an easy thing to do, as there are many Japanese swords to choose from and many things to take into consideration. The first look at the many Japanese swords on the market will make a person dizzy. Which one is the best for me So many Japanese swords attract the eye and so many seem appropriate for the wall at home...Of course the best one will also be the most expensive, but how do you know for sure what is the best choice

Medieval swords

In buying yourself a medieval swords' it is best that you do some research before you actually buy a sword. This write up intends to serve as a brief in medieval swords. Medieval swords' as the name implies' came out of the middle ages. The middle ages' besides being a great time for learning' beauty' and architecture' was also the time that saw some epic battles being fought between different kingdoms of that era. This led to the usage of a fair amount of weaponry' with swords often forming the forefront.

Civil war weapons

The Civil War weapons also included handmade crude grenades which would detonate upon impact. One more type of weapon that was commonly used was the multi-barreled .58 caliber rapid fire gun. This gun could fire 300 rounds per minute. Since there were multiple barrels, this gun could be used for longer periods of time without refilling. But for some reason, these guns were not as commonly used as the rifles.

Samurai armor

The first prototype for Japanese samurai armor came about in the form of the yoroi during the Gempei War of 1181-1185. The weight of the yoroi was around 60lb. The upper-body armor of the samurai was known as the 'Do'. This comprised of the 'Sode', the suspended shoulder and upper-arm protection plates. The Sode had hoops by which silk cord was tied and then fixed to the back of the samurai armor in an 'agemaki' / decorative knotted tassel. Guards were also placed over the shoulder cords, and a leather plate placed across the bow cords to prevent them from been cut or becoming ensnared during a skirmish.

Samurai Swords

Samurai swords are science and art wonders. Scientists today are startled to find out that ancient smiths were able to harden and toughen iron ores without the use of modern metal-working machineries. Art curators marvel at their finest polishing works and beautiful fittings.Antique, modern, and mass-produced samurai swords

Samurai sword

Samurai sword history and making The Samurai sword history is a long and colorful one. It spans decades of war in Japan. In fact, the development of the Samurai sword can be segregated according to specific eras in Japanese history. The ancient Samurai sword was made A.D. 900 during the Ken period. They were made of steel and the blades were straight like a regular sword because it was copied from the Chinese sword. The craftsmen at that time were initially Chinese men, but this eventually changed to include the early Japanese craftsmen From there we go to the oldest period was of A.D. 900 to 1596 called Koto. This was when battles and wars were frequent. The sword became such a common sight to see everywhere. It was a means to getting power. At that time, power was only attained through wars and battles.

Samurai Armour

The armour worn by the samurai over the centuries was incredibly varied yet throughout the samurai age the principles of the samurai armour remained largely the same save for a few subtle changes. It consisted of a kabuto (helmet) for the head; Samurai Dragoon Armor; Oda Nobunaga Japanese Suit of Armour. Each piece of samurai armour consisted of a set of small iron plates called kozane laced together by leather cord. The resultant strips were then lacquered to protect the material against rust and then a series were tied together horizontally with silk cords called kebiki-odoshi to produce a light and fairly resilient samurai armour plate.
In kabuto there were also many different kinds of crests (maedate). These were usually fixed in a slot above the helmet's peak and often took the form of stylised antlers but they could also be any shape or form and could just as easily occupy a socket on the side of the helmet or the back. In samurai suit of armour some samurai, usually high-ranking individuals, liked to wear the jinbaori. This garment was a large surcoat and was usually sleeveless or had short sleeves. The idea of a samurai wearing a jinbaori was to give him a more impressive appearance, certainly the surcoat was often highly patterned and embroidered.

Greek Helmets

Ancient Greek helmets are some of the most recognizable in the historic war machines. The term "Greek helmets" is quite broad. There is really no one helmet that signifies the Greek culture. Trojan helmets, Spartan helmets, and Corinthian helmets are all under the heading of Greek helmets.
Some of the most popular helmets for collectors and reenactments are the Trojan Greek war helmet. For example, you'll find Trojan helmets in silver, black, brass, and bronze. In fact, one even comes in a war paint camouflage color. The plumes will come in a variety of orange, red, and black. Spartan Greek helmets are also a very popular sort of helmet. The first is a plain silver (made of iron and steel) helmet in a basic design. No plume is attached. This was worn by the common Spartan foot soldiers who did the brunt of the fighting. Some of the elite soldiers or leaders of the Spartans wore a helmet with a red plume. Corinthian Greek helmets had a very similar design to Spartan helmets in terms of the "face" of the helmet. Where they differ is that the frontal cheek guards a bit longer than the Spartan helmets.

Medieval Helmets

Medieval Helmets have a long tradition throughout the middle ages as well as the Medieval Period. These medieval helmets have a number of variations that can be found globally. The Basic principle of these helmets was protecting the head and often other parts of the face as well as neck. When soldiers were fighting in war, that time medieval helmets were very safe for their face and head. However, the size and shape of medieval helmets varied widely because of types of weapons that were used at that time. There are a number of medieval helmets include:

• Bassinet Medieval Helmet: This medieval helmet became admired in the late 13th century
• Arthurian Medieval Helmet: It was designed after helmets of King Arthur's time and would have made him proud.
• Comb Morion Medieval Helmet: It was an open helmet which first introduced in the mid 16th century. It is fixed with brass points
• Closed Medieval Helmet: This medieval helmet features a lift-able face plate for comfort in battles and provides excellent flexibility and strength
• Gladiator Arena Medieval Helmet: It was made famous in the movie Gladiator.
• Knight Medieval Helmet: This impressive authentic helmet is modeled after Great Helms worn by knights during the middles ages.
• Roman Centurian DLX Medieval Helmet: It was a battle hardened leader, often raised from the ranks of the legion troopers themselves, or else a wealthy senator who found favor with the emperor.
• Sutton Hoo Medieval Helmet: This medieval helmet attributes a Spangenhelm design, with face and neck guard, brass fittings and hinged cheek pieces.

Suit of Armor

Medieval suit of armor can add certain prestige and beauty to your home décor. Though all armor can be impressive in its own right's hard to compare them to Churberg Suit of Armor, Etched Suit of Armor, Medusa Suit of Armor - Engraved, Jousting Knight Suit of Armor, Black Knight Armor, White Knight Armor.Every suit of armor have its own speciality like the Black Knight Crusader suit of armor, its deep black armor creates a powerful and majestic statement. Further more, the skin of the suit of armor is lightly etched with golden lines, almost creating a creased or rough leather look. The White Knight suit of armor is made in high carbon 18 gauge steel, so it has a natural silvery metallic color to it. Embossed on the front breast plate and helmet are numerous brass designs, including a crusader cross and Fleur four point design. It also includes a premium jousting lance, embroidered fabric that imitates textiles of the medieval ages, delicately designed lion shield, and a premium solid wooden base and stand. Standing at well over six feet tall with the lance almost reaching seven, this suit of armor is one of the most impressive you'll get your hands on. The proportions of this armor are pleasing to the eye as well, with broad and powerful shoulders.

Medieval Armour

In the medieval days, the knights and soldiers wore armor and carried swords to the battlefield. Needless to say, the medieval swords were used for fighting and the medieval armor was used for protecting themselves from being hit or cut by another sword. Some medieval soldiers and knights also made use of axes to fight. To protect themselves from the swords of the enemy, the soldiers wore a variety of medieval armor to protect themselves. Let us look at the different types of medieval armor worn by the soldiers and knights.

Types of Medieval Armor

* Plate Armor: Plates or disks of steel were added slowly to chain mail medieval armor to protect the vulnerable areas of the body. These were initially added on to the chain mail medieval armor at the knees and armpits. But soon, plate armor took over the protection of the entire body of the soldier. Eventually this progressed into a full body covering armor suit which covered and protected the knight from head to toe.

* Iorica Segmentata: The Roman armor breastplate called the ‘Iorica Segmentata’ was perhaps the most efficient type of medieval armor used. This was made of segments of steel plates joined or welded together, as opposed to a single sheet of steel. This allowed for greater flexibility of movement for the knight or the soldier.

Civil War weapons

The Civil War is considered one of the first “modern” wars because of advances made in Civil War weapons. These developments included more sophisticated rifles, and the use of entirely new weapons, including the Gatling gun, an early machine gun. Colt and Remington revolvers were used on both sides, and these pistols were said to be highly liked by troops. Large quantities of both types of revolver were used as Civil War weapons, although they were typically owned by officers or mounted soldiers. In fact, over 150,000 Colt Revolvers were delivered to Union soldiers during the war.

Many Civil War musket soldiers also used rifles. The Springfield Model 1861 was the most widely used rifle, favored for its range, accuracy, and reliability. This rifle included several advances in gun technology, including the use of percussion caps rather than flintlocks. The Enfield 1853 musket was the second most widely used rifle in the war, on both the Confederate and Union sides. In fact, it is estimated that nearly one million Enfields were used as Civil War weapons, and they were used in every major battle of the war.

To load the typical Civil War rifles, the soldier would pour in the black powder rifles, drop in the round lead ball, pack it down using a ramrod, and then fire the weapon. Although time consuming, these Civil War weapons were actually quite advanced for their day. These Civil War weapons differed from their predecessors because they were able to fire more rapidly, and were more accurate from a distance.

The casualty rate during the Civil War was very high, in large part due to advances in Civil War weapons making them much more deadly than in previous wars. Besides these very popular guns, there were many other types produced in smaller quantities, as weapon manufacturers popped up in both the North and the South. Some of the advancements made during the Civil War include rifled muskets, repeating rifles, machine guns, and cartridge rounds.

Roman armor

The imperial Roman armor had many technological and strategic advances. The equipment and armor saw very important upgrades. They used segemented armor, called lorica segmentata, roman helmets saw a redesign that allowed more protection, and their weapons were altered to be more effective. But perhaps the some of the most important changes came in the form of new battle formations that made the Roman war machine so affective. In the following paragraphs we will explore some of these tactics. The Wedge was also a very important tactic used by the Romans. Small or large groups of Legionnaires could form a triangle, and then use the point to break and open a hole in the enemy’s lines. Troops inside the triangle would also help reinforce and effectively create a solid “spear point” to breach the enemy. It was very important in battles to be able to disrupt and break enemy formations, for it could very well be the difference between victory and defeat.A skirmishing formation was also used. The normally tight lines of men would space and stagger themselves to effectively increase the apparent size of the unit. This tactic was very useful when they need to make quick attacks and retreats, or when marching over rough terrain. It also let friendly troops fall back easily through the lines if needed.

Greek armor

Greeks soliders wore light armour during Ancient Greece, making them fast and fierce warriors during battles. The basic components of Greek armour were the front breastplate, backplate, bracers and greaves. Most of the Greek armour was made of bronze or of brass. The greeks wore muscle armour to which gave them the perception to their enemies that they were muscluar and fit. Spartans, the most well known Greek Soldiers were the most feared because they were well versed in warfare and combat. Spartans today are very well known thanks to the Frank Millers movie 300. Dark Knight carries Greek armour that is fully functional for Ancient Greek reenactments or dressing up as your favorite Spartan character Leonidas. Our Greek armor include both brass and steel versions of muscle cuirasses, bracers and greaves.
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Japanese swords

The sword has had a long and varied history in Japanese culture, from the second century BC to modern times. I set this story at the begining of the Tokugawa shogunate in the late 1500s. The shoguns ruled Japan for over 650 years, and their will was enforced by the samurai, or warrior, class. Creating a samurai sword was a sacred art. The sword was considered the soul of the samurai, representing his honor and character. A Japanese swords with would often meditate, fast, or pray to cleanse his mind and soul before creating a samurai’s japanese swords.

Although they do not apear in this story, many different craftsmen were involved in creating a Japanese sword. Swordsmiths created the main body, polishers sharpened the blade, wood-carvers made the scabbard, and other craftsmen created the finishings, such as the sword guard. The Japanese master/apprentice relationship is very different from the Western model. Very rarely, if ever, does the apprentice ask questions. The apprentice usually stands back and observes the master. That is why Michio is left to come to his own conlusions as to why the swordsmen do not meet with Sensei’s approval. In this story I wanted to stay true to the traditional roles that the apprentice a master would play in ancient Japan.
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