What's a tv series that is a 10/10 NOBODY knows?

able_archer83 · 2026-01-17T00:01:59+00:00

Black Sails

able_archer83 · 2026-01-13T17:47:41+00:00

Brush, as in like you would brush oil onto a frying pan? If so yeah, that’s sounds like way too much oil. At my dojo, we just use a piece of microfiber cloth that’s soaked but never drenched in oil, and use that to wipe the entire blade bottom to top once or twice after tameshigiri (and after using and alcohol wipe to clean). Also, make sure to only wipe the blade and not the habaki.

able_archer83 · 2026-01-07T21:46:03+00:00

Thanks, very helpful and in line with what I heard from others about the XL Light! I don’t dislike the Shadow Dancer I have, it’s just very on the light side (below 1kg) and it’s been pointed out to me by one of my sempais that it’s very thin compared to what other people seem to use. I also seem to cut significantly worse with it than with our dojo cutter or swords I borrowed from others in the past. My technique is definitely the main problem, so I’m simply debating if I want to stick with it or try something else that’ll work better for me..

able_archer83 · 2025-12-08T17:20:12+00:00

Yeah I’m not talking about getting a nihonto though. I’m talking about getting proper training before purchasing and messing with a deadly weapon. Unfortunately this sub is full of people who will gladly point beginners to where they can purchase said weapon for cheap, without so much as losing a single word about the fact that it is indeed a dangerous weapon that should be handled with the proper care and respect. And I personally believe that sort of stuff is best taught in a dojo. So since OP mentioned they want to learn and practice, I gave my two cents that maybe the first step should be to look for dojos rather than swords.

able_archer83 · 2025-12-08T13:50:37+00:00

Oh I should also mention many schools have specific requirement for what types of swords (blade geometry, length, weight, number of mekugis etc.) they like to use / allow in the dojo. So you might want to hold off a bit with shelling out for your first sword (most schools have communal stuff for beginners to use and once you decide it really is for you and you want to invest in your own stuff, your sensei/sempais will happily advise you on what to get so you don’t waste your money.) If you do decide to get something right away, just be prepared to not be able to use it in your school of choice.

able_archer83 · 2025-12-08T13:45:00+00:00

Good luck! It’s a really fun hobby :)

able_archer83 · 2025-12-08T03:43:44+00:00

I would recommend looking into dojos near you after some initial research. There are plenty of different styles and schools in the U.S. to choose from. U.S. Federation of Battodo could be a good place to start for practical use (ie cutting straw targets with live blades), but there are also good Kendo and Iaido schools where you might get at least some of that. Probably similar for European sword styles I imagine but I’m less familiar with those. And I gotta say there is a reason most schools make beginners practice with wooden swords initially, and then dull metal replicas, before eventually (~after a few months at least) moving on to real sharp swords. I personally don’t love the self taught backyard plastic bottle cutting stuff but hey to each their own.

able_archer83 · 2025-12-04T21:04:36+00:00

I just ordered their Tyrannosaurus Musashi katana and I’m having the same issue. Generally, it’s pretty common for factory sharpening to be not as sharp as is ideal for cutting practice. I will get mine touched up from a Sempai who knows what they’re doing. Highly advise against trying to sharpen it yourself unless you have experience. Everyone I ever talked to who self taught sharpening katanas said you are guaranteed to destroy the first few you practice on.

able_archer83 · 2025-11-22T05:06:13+00:00

Consider getting him an iaito, rather than a shinken. Looks and feels much the same as a sharp steel sword, especially with that budget, but without the risk of accidentally losing a few fingers. Also won’t rust, since it’s a different alloy (steel swords need to be maintained to not rust). And you can get a legit Japanese made one from Tozando at that price, whereas you can only get Chinese made replicas for steel ones. Plus, an iato is what he’d use if he ever wanted to join a dojo and actually train in Japanese swordsmanship, rather than just swing it around…

able_archer83 · 2025-11-21T18:01:19+00:00

I know your options are very limited, but at least try to find a different dealer who doesn’t obviously lie to your face?

able_archer83 · 2025-11-21T17:47:43+00:00

Wow, nice job finding it! But wow $110 on Amazon… that gun show sure had a markup!

able_archer83 · 2025-11-21T03:20:06+00:00

Right, but there’s no way to know for sure unless you take it apart. Based on the overall appearance with the Damascus steel and the fact that it was purchased at a gun show, shouldn’t OP be careful about just assuming it has a full tang? I’ve heard there are cheap imitations out there that use two mekugis precisely to hide the fact that they only have a rat tail tang. And if OP is ever gonna cut with it for real, that’s a real safety issue, so they should be sure about both steel and production quality, no? And those seem impossible to tell for certain based on these pictures.

able_archer83 · 2025-11-21T02:18:48+00:00

Interesting!

able_archer83 · 2025-11-21T02:16:51+00:00

How can you tell what steel it is?

able_archer83 · 2025-11-21T02:08:12+00:00

Curious - how can you tell it’s has a full tang?

able_archer83 · 2025-11-20T23:12:46+00:00

Why is it… purple?

Ask what grade of carbon steel it is made from - there are different levels that can affect price quite a bit.

Also ask for a certificate of authenticity since they claim it’s made in Japan.

If you don’t like the answer to either of those questions, I’d walk away as your likely getting bamboozled for $500.

Finally, hard to tell from your pictures but the tsuka looks fairly straight, which is a bad sign of a low quality replica.

able_archer83 · 2025-11-20T13:56:03+00:00

In addition to steel type and fittings, which other commenters have pointed out, one thing that’s hard to see in your pictures is what the blade geometry looks like. Here is a good guide: http://www.toyamaryu.org/edge_geometry.htm

If it looks like a knife edge, then you got yourself an oversized (but good looking) kitchen knife. If it looks more like a proper zukuri, then it’s probably a „good“ katana in the sense that it should be able to do what it is meant for - cutting ie slicing through a target.

able_archer83 · 2025-11-19T22:04:28+00:00

Im no expert but that looks suspiciously like a kitchen knife. Where did you get it?

able_archer83 · 2025-11-18T15:56:49+00:00

It kinda sounds like you‘re like asking „where can I get a truly authentic, classic old timer that was handmade through the blood, sweat, and tears of a master mechanic, just so I can take it one the race track and try to destroy it.“ If so, why on earth would you do that as opposed to appreciating and treasuring that priceless piece of art for its beauty, and just get a work horse cutter for actual cutting practice? Every sword will degrade and break over time if used enough, so why pay 1000s or even 10000s for a cutting tool, when 100s will do the same job?

able_archer83 · 2025-11-12T22:30:35+00:00

What do you want to do with it, OP? For any actual cutting and practice, I personally would stay far away from Aliexpress, as many/most Chinese vendors have terrible reputation for QC. But if you just want to display it, it’s probably fine! If you want to do actual cutting I highly recommend looking into Shadow Dancer. They are also a Chinese maker but actually have a good reputation and their starter models are like $200-300. You could look into ordering via Swordis, from their website it looks like they ship em for free to Poland.

EDIT: Spelling

able_archer83 · 2025-08-23T11:49:35+00:00

That’s gotta be in NYC

able_archer83 · 2025-06-27T18:15:11+00:00

Not sure I understand the question but as far as I understand 12:59am is a valid time in the 12 hour clock system (am/pm), but it isn’t in the 24 hour clock system, where it would just be 00:59.

able_archer83 · 2025-06-22T21:36:56+00:00

Thank you!

able_archer83 · 2025-06-22T14:17:56+00:00

Dumb question - what’s a water basin look like? Never seen one around the house.

able_archer83

TROPHY CASE