:D At last! Making some real money without lifting heads. Yummy Toaster Strudels! :)
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:D At last! Making some real money without lifting heads. Yummy Toaster Strudels! :)
This is a year old but just came to my attention. It's spectacular.Quote:
https://vimeo.com/90080619
aikuchi - Concept Movie
from WOW inc PRO 1 year ago Not Yet Rated
About the Work
The art of Japanese sword making - bringing a greater sense of “beauty” to the world.
The art of Japanese sword making, has a history dating back more than 1000 years, and is considered the height of traditional Japanese craftsmanship. Not only the blade itself, but the entire piece including all the decorative sword fittings, is a work of art and is now drawing much attention from a legion of dedicated fans and art collectors the world over. But how could we add a more global perspective and bring a new look to an art piece that is the absolute pride of Japanese culture? With this goal in mind, we invited the world famous designer; Marc Newson to join the project. Working tirelessly together through much trial and error, we eventually were able to accomplish our mission and complete aikuchi to perfection at last. “Aikuchi” does not incorporate a “lower guard” into its design, and is therefore considered by some people to be more of a “lucky charm” than a weapon. The name aikuchi was chosen for this project to highlight the tight coupling between the sword, handle and scabbard, and also to draw attention to the fusion of two different cultures.
aikuchi is the first product which WOW has produced completely and comprehensively from initial conceptual design to finished product.
▶ aikuchi official website
w0w.co.jp/aikuchi/index.html
I have a question for those that may understand metallurgy. Can we make better katana blades today than they could 1000 years ago? Or at the peak of their ability to forge?
Yes. Frankly the katana is a rather inferior sword. I'm sure that will get a lot of flames. It's just a 2 handed sabre with crap blade length and point so thick it wouldn't pierce but the most basic of armaments and a jacked blade weight. A British Cavalry sabre has the same weight, longer blade and can be wielded with one hand. The Europeans were heat welding high carbon edges to low carbon bodies long before the Japanese. The Chinese were as well for that matter. The Japanese only stuck with it because steel was a rare commodity due to crappy natural resources and isolated trade environment.
Edit: Oh and that total lack of hand protection. You ever wonder why Chinese sword techniques devised around the height of Japanese imperialism focused so much on attacking the hand?
This is true but no one is really doing that. There's no market for it. The cost of manufacturing a sword this way is prohibitively high and in the end, high-end sword buyers will opt for sword crafted by a reputable artisan. There are a few craftsmen exploring this, mostly in the knife making circles, but given the market, it's easier to go traditional here. Of course, there's always Big Giant Swords...:rolleyes:
We could build a machine to mass produce top quality swords, but it would never pay for itself. The market just isn't that big for swords nowadays. This is in regards to all sword manufacturing - Japanese, Chinese and European. I've been selling swords as part of my living since the late 80s and people are always asking why there aren't sword making machines. I usually say 'there could be, but you aren't going to pay for it.'
Almost bit at that, but won't. ;)
All sword schools focus on attacking the hand. In Kendo, the kote is primary target. Same is true for Western Saber and Epee. Even in Escrima espada y daga, hand attacks are emphasized.
And which of those were redesigned over the years to protect said hand? And how did usage change over the years when sophisticated sword guards were developed?
The hand is certainly a target, but realistically you have about as much chance of cutting the hand through a later period basket or full swept hand guard as you do slicing a katana through a set of plate.
Espada y daga you have a second weapon to close the line to the target hand. You're also dealing with improvised tools functioning as weapons as opposed to a fully formed battle sword so its not really a good comparison.
Yes, the hand was a target in all schools. But which of those changed over the years away from a point of emphasis as opposed to that remaining a valid tactic against say, the samurai? All the more reason a katana is an inferior weapon really. Take out any hand see how well it can be wielded from then on. The same applies to longsword, but those at least carry about 7 extra inches of length.
And kendo is hardly Japanese swordsmanship. Same with sport sabre. At least epee kinda, if you squint hard, resembles small sword.
By Hand Gene means wrist and arm more so the the actual hand and he is quite correct.Quote:
All sword schools focus on attacking the hand. In Kendo, the kote is primary target. Same is true for Western Saber and Epee. Even in Escrima espada y daga, hand attacks are emphasized.
The lack of a hand guard was never really an issue for the way of fighting with the katana (kenjutsu).
Only the western saber and epee really developed the guard significantly. In fact, one of my fellow provost master candidates wrote his thesis on the evolution of sword guards, all the way up to modern pistol grips. The tactics didn't change significantly in terms of attack. Fencing is very well documented in the literature and you don't see that much change from the renaissance until the last century. The only other outstanding sword guard might be the basket-hilt, unless you want to get into the Indian and Chinese exotic bladed weapons.
Modern saber is scored electronically but that change only came in the last two decades. Until WWII, you still saw discussion of pushing and pulling the cut, just like with bladed saber. Epee is essentially the final incarnation of the dueling weapon. All you need to do is sharpen the point. No right of way. Double touches count.
That's right Gene. I read you were a fencer. Really cool.
So you're really going to argue that even a basic knuckle bar didn't change the way those swords were used from say, an arming sword? Or a cage hilted backsword from them? You don't need to be an expert in classical fencing to see that even the basic guard positions changed. And since guard position dictates you options for receiving a blade...
Electronic scoring isn't the only problem with modern sabre.Quote:
Modern saber is scored electronically but that change only came in the last two decades. Until WWII, you still saw discussion of pushing and pulling the cut, just like with bladed saber.
Yes, like I said, small sword.Quote:
Epee is essentially the final incarnation of the dueling weapon.
Right of way doesn't prohibit the problem with sport "fencing". Historical groups are at least getting there with rules like "afterblow."Quote:
All you need to do is sharpen the point. No right of way. Double touches count.
I know what he means. I'm referring to hand/wrist, not wrist/arm. Unless lopped off, fractured, or severed along certain muscle groups at the forearm, an arm can still function quite well with slashing or even penetration wounds for a short while, at least for gross motor movements. That's not my mediocre knowledge in historical fencing talking, but my time as a military medic.
Yes, it actually was. Which is why the guard positions in kenjutsu are nearly identical to historical European longsword, to keep the hands away from attack range or if out front, behind the blade... Look at the progression in European fencing with the development of guards and the liberties they started to take with guard positions.Quote:
The lack of a hand guard was never really an issue for the way of fighting with the katana (kenjutsu).
The stuff of legend.
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There’s a katana in the Tokyo Skytree that’s forged from a meteorite!
Fran Wrigley
14 hours ago
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.word...pg?w=580&h=430
There’s a lot going on at the base of Tokyo Skytree. Not content with being the tallest structure in Japan and the tallest tower in the world, Skytree also boasts an entertainment complex the size of a small town. Hiding among the shops and restaurants is an aquarium, a planetarium, and a university campus…
Well, sort of. The Chiba Institute of Technology’s ‘Skytree Town Campus’ is more science exhibition than campus – but it does have this badass Japanese sword made from a 450-million-year-old meteorite.
The wonderfully named Sword of Heaven (tentetsutou 天鉄刀) is exhibited alongside the meteorite from which it was forged. This awesome sword is the work of modern-day master craftsman Yoshindo Yoshiwara, said to be the finest swordsmith in Japan.
It is thought that humans’ first encounter with iron was meteorite iron – before the invention of smelting, meteoric iron was already being used to to make weapons and tools, including those owned by Inuit tribes first encountered by explorers in the early 1800s.
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.word...pg?w=580&h=430
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.word...pg?w=580&h=418
▼ The Gibeon meteorite (a fragment of which is exhibited alongside the Sword of Heaven) is an iron meteorite that fell in Namibia in prehistoric times.
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.word...pg?w=580&h=416
So what are you waiting for? Do what Twitter user Zan_Woo suggests:
▼ “Grab the Sword of Heaven, climb the Skytree and beat the last boss!”
Sources: Tokyo Skytree Chiba Campus, Daigaku Press Center, Twitter (Zan_Woo)Quote:
ザン・ウー @Zan_Woo
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEo5HY4VIAAv4U2.jpg
千葉工業大学が東京スカイツリータウンで展示している、鉄の隕石で作られた日本刀「天鉄刀」。4億5千万年 前にアフリカに落ちた鉄隕石「ギベオン」を使ったんだって。これを装備してスカイツリー頂上のラスボスを倒 しに行くんですね。
3:49 AM - 10 May 2015
7,880 7,880 Retweets
5,585
Featured image: Twitter/Zan_Woo
me want
too bad I drive a small honda. :(Quote:
Driving just became so much more thrilling with this katana-handle shift knob
Meg Murphy
Jun 17, 2015
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.word...pg?w=580&h=308
A while back, we introduced a realistic ninja throwing star origami template for all of you ninjas-in-training, but if you’re more of a sword-wielding samurai-type (and you happen to drive a truck), you can now turn your shift knob into a samurai sword! Or, well, at least half of one…
These katana shift knobs are hand-crafted by skilled sword craftsmen from Seki City in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, an area famous for its blade production and cutlery.
Similar sword-handle shift knobs have appeared on the market before, but nothing can compare to the authenticity of these, having been produced by expert sword makers.
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.word...pg?w=580&h=580
They are available in standard red or black, but can also be ordered in a number of other custom colors. Since they are made from authentic katana handles, you can feel like you’re ready to draw your sword against an enemy each time you go to change gears.
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.word...pg?w=580&h=580
Unfortunately though, these are only made to fit two-ton trucks or larger, so while the average driver may not be able to bling out their ride with this unique accessory, any truck driver out their can now turn their work vehicle into a battle field!
Source and images: Japaaan Magazine
Those are a hoot
:D cool as hell.
Actually, it's a crummy katana. You can clearly see the fake temper line. And it's not that huge. :rolleyes:Quote:
'Not the best donation': Huge Samurai sword seized by police after being left at charity shop
http://www.standard.co.uk/incoming/a...r4WgAAuidd.jpg
Seized: The weapons were left outside a charity shop (Picture: Met Police)
Ramzy Alwakeel
Published: 14 July 2015
Updated: 19:36, 14 July 2015
A metre-long Samurai sword was among a haul of weapons seized by police after bewildered staff found them dumped outside a north London charity shop.
Police today revealed how workers at the Finsbury Park shop had discovered the weapons dumped outside the premises, in Blackstock Road, last week.
"Perhaps not the best of donations," tweeted Sgt Richard Burns from the Met's Hackney police team. "Now off the streets."
A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said the knives - a metre-long Samurai sword and an eight-inch blade - had been brought inside the shop before workers realised what they were and called the police.
It is not known who left them there, but they are believed to have been a good-willed if inappropriate donation rather than an attempt to dispose of evidence.Quote:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CJ4qZr4WgAAuidd.jpg
Sgt Richard Berns @MPSBrownswood
These weapons were left outside a local charity shop. Perhaps not the best of donations? Now off the streets.
8:37 AM - 14 Jul 2015
7 7 Retweets
1
"It wasn't the best place to leave them," the spokeswoman added.
Samurai swords have been used in a number of crimes across the capital in recent years - including one last month in which a gang on mopeds used the alarming weapons to burgle six homes in a single morning.
Under UK law, swords with blades over 50cm cannot be sold or traded - but it is not illegal to keep one in your home if you already own it.
There are a ton of pix but they are all lousy. It's something that has to be seen in person.
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Legendary crescent moon katana, one of Japan’s Five Swords Under Heaven, now on display in Tokyo
Casey Baseel
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.word...17/07/tg-1.png
One of Japan’s most beautiful and important katana is proving popular with history buffs and young ladies alike.
The Tokyo National Museum is, unsurprisingly, one of the best places to see Japanese works of art and historical artifacts. If you’ve got even a passing interest in either, the facility, located in the Ueno neighborhood, is a must-visit in Tokyo, but right now there’s an extra-compelling reason to stop by.
While authentic katana are always a mesmerizing sight to see, experts say that none are more so than the Tenko Goken, or Five Swords Under Heaven. These five blades exhibit craftsmanship and cultural significance above all others, and the katana considered the most beautiful of the group, Mikatzuki Munechika, is currently on display at the Tokyo National Museum.
▼ The museum itself is no slouch in the looks department either.
If Mikazuki Munechika sounds more like a name for a person than a sword to you, you’re actually half right. Sanjo Munechika was one of the most skilled swordsmiths of Japan’s Heian period, which lasted from 794 to 1185. The Mikazuki Munechika, created in the late 10th century, is considered his masterwork, and bears his personal name.Quote:
As for the rest of the sword’s name, mikazuki is the Japanese word for “crescent moon.” During the tempering and quenching process, katana often acquire unique markings along the flat of the blade. In the case of Mikazuki Munechika, marking called uchi no ke, shaped like crescent moons, were formed.
The markings, unfortunately, are almost impossible to photograph from behind the sword’s protective glass, but the elegant curve of the blade and the shine of its steel are undiminished in their ability to captivate.
Mikazuki Munechika has been in the hands of some extremely powerful people during its millennium-long history, including 16th century samurai warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Tokugawa shoguns. Now an officially designated national treasure, the sword has become the property of the Tokyo National Museum.
While not constantly available for public viewing, the sword went on display July 19, delighting not only history buffs, but also fans of the Touken Ranbu anime and video game franchise.
Touken Rambu’s hook is that it anthropomorphizes historical katana as delicately handsome young men, and the character based on Mikazuki Munechika, who shares his name with the sword, has become he franchise’s poster sword-boy.
▼ Uncanny resemblance?Quote:
View image on Twitter
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Mikazuki Munechika (三日月宗近)
7:51 PM - 5 Jul 2017
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As a result of Touken Rambu’s powerfully passionate female fanbase, crowds of young women are flocking to room 13 of the Tokyo National Museum’s main building, where Mikazuki Munechika is being displayed. While photography of the sword is allowed, in order to keep the line of shutterbugs moving visitors are asked to limit themselves to one photo at a time, and to line up once again if they want to take a second shot.
The special slice of katana history will be on display until October 15.
Museum information
Tokyo National Museum / 東京国立博物館
Address:Tokyo-to, Taito-ku, Ueno Koen 13-9
東京都台東区上野公園13-9
Open 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission 620 yen (US$5.60)
http://www.tnm.jp/?lang=en
I've been there and done this. :cool:
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Why Scientists Are Stabbing Pig Carcasses with Samurai Swords
By Charles Q. Choi, Live Science Contributor | March 20, 2018 12:30pm ET
https://img.purch.com/h/1400/aHR0cDo...J1bmctdXAuanBn
The scientists experimented on male juvenile domestic pig carcasses that they'd purchased from butchers.
Credit: Penny McCardle
Pay no attention to the person wielding a samurai sword and hacking away at a pig carcass — he's doing it for science.
The bloody exercise was done to analyze wounds from both machetes and Japanese samurai swords in order to better identify murder weapons from the cut marks they leave behind.
Lest you think the research is purely academic, it actually started during the investigation of murder cases where the victims were slain using the Japanese samurai swords known as katanas, said study lead author Penny McCardle, a consultant forensic anthropologist to the Newcastle Department of Forensic Medicine in Australia.
Because of legal concerns, McCardlecould not say too much about these cases. However, these murders occurred in the past 10 years or so, the murderers apparently used what they had at hand, and "the perpetrators were caught," McCardle said. [See the Difference between Katana and Machete Cut Marks]
Rare and not-so-rare weapons
When McCardle began analyzing the cut marks left on the victims' bones, she "realized very quickly that there was almost no research done on the cut marks made by katanas," she said. "So, I started doing more research into hacking weapons in particular."
As she researched the topic, McCardle discovered there was also very limited research describing the cut marks machetes make on bones, despite the fact that the machete "is a readily available tool throughout the world and often used in violent crime, terrorist attacks and genocide," McCardle told Live Science. As such, she wanted to more thoroughly research the cut marks that both katanas and machetes leave behind to help archaeologists and forensic scientists better identify the kinds of weapons used against victims.
The scientists experimented on male juvenile domestic pig carcasses each weighing about 100 to 110 lbs. (45 to 50 kilograms) that were all purchased from butchers. The carcasses were filled with Styrofoam packing peanuts to keep their internal cavities stable, and were hung from metal frames to simulate standing victims.
The researchers used a factory-made machete, a factory-made katana and a katana forged using traditional methods. The volunteers wielding the machete and the factory-madekatana had no experience cutting with them and used hacking motions on carcasses, while the volunteer wielding the traditionally forged katana has 16 years of experience as a swordsman and performed expert slicing cuts, McCardle said. [In Photos: The Last Century of Samurai Swordsmen]
"The inexperienced weapon users were really surprised at how hard hacking and cutting was and how tired they got," McCardle said. "Mind you, they did not have the adrenaline rush that I imagine people would get during an actual crime."
https://img.purch.com/h/1400/aHR0cDo...UyMTIyMzczNA==
The katana left unique marks on all three types of pig bones studied, which was a tiny bit of curving by the bone away from the entry point of the cut.
Credit: Penny McCardle
The scientists looked at the cut marks the weapons made on the ribs, flat bones such as the shoulder bone, and long bones such as limb bones. They found that a trait unique to the katana on all three bone types were tiny amounts of curving by the bone away from the entry point of the cut, while a feature unique to the machete on all three bone types was "chattering," or the breaking off of small chips of bone at the edges of each bone.
The differences in the cut marks associated with each weapon may be due to "what the blades are made of, the way the blades are used, the angle of impact on the bone and the way the blade is removed from the bone," McCardle said.
Future research can explore whether it is possible to deduce the experience of the sword user based on the cut mark traits, McCardle said.
The scientists detailed their findings online Feb. 21 in the Journal of Forensic Sciences.
A katana blade has a convex edge grind (also referred to as an 'Appleseed grind') in cross-section. A machete has a wider, thinner, flat blade with a beveled edge. Authentic katana blades are differentially hardened (harder at the edge, softer at the spine, for greater durability), but machetes are softer steel all-around (also for durability).
Jim
So good of them to return it.
Quote:
Minnesota couple discovers WWII Japanese sword souvenir is centuries old
By Tim Krohn/CNHI News Service Feb 17, 2019 Updated Feb 17, 2019
1 min to read
https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=472%2C205
A WWII Japanese samurai sword brought home as a wartime souvenir by a Minnesota solider turns out to ve 400 years old.
Provided Photo
LE CENTER, Minn. – A Japanese samurai sword received for payment of construction work by a local contractor has turned out to be more than 400 years old and considered special in its home land.
Jeff Traxler, who collects Word II and other military memorabilia, was given the sword long ago by his friend Jeff Fowler in return for doing construction work he needed done.
Fowler’s late father served in the Pacific Theater in World War II and brought the sword home with him as a souvenir. It was displayed for decades in Traxler’s hunting preserve clubhouse.
A year ago, Jeff Traxler's son Sam and girlfriend Allie Trnka began researching the sword’s history, posting photos of it on a Reddit community forum. "We were looking for some translations because the sword smith's name was on it and an address," Sam said.
A retired antique expert in Japan, Takashi Yano, contacted them, saying the sword appeared to be extraordinary. Yano, working with a team in Japan, did further research and traced it to Nichinan City, Japan, estimating a sword smith made it there around 1600.
The original owner was a leader of the Ito Clan who lived in a Nichinan castle and whose clan ruled over a large part of southern Japan, Yano reported.
Fowler is unsure how his father came about the sword. He likely was among U.S. soldiers who were allowed to take Japanese swords as wartime souvenirs from captured weapons before they were destroyed.
Realizing its historic value, the Traxlers and Fowler began talking with their contacts in Japan about returning it to descendants of the original owner for display in the present castle’s museum.
"It's worth quite a bit, but we're not interested in the money,” said Jeff Traxler. “We just want to return it.”
And that’s exactly what Sam Traxler and his girlfriend will do later this month. Residents of Nichinan raised funds for the couple’s flight to Japan and accommodations for a 10-day stay, which will include a pageantry-filled ceremony reuniting the samurai sword with its town of origin.
"We're pretty excited about returning it to where it should be," said Sam. “They have time set up to prep us for the ceremony and the costume and makeup.”
The Minnesota couple is also working on a website dedicated to the sword’s return, its history and any future details regarding the samurai scimitar.
"We're pretty excited about returning it to where it should be," Sam said. “It’s super rare and was thought to be lost.”
Tim Krohn is a reporter for the Mankato, Minnesota, Free Press. Contact him at tkrohn@mankatofreepress.com.
THREADSQuote:
Real-life Rurouni Kenshin reverse-blade sword to be displayed in Tokyo
Casey Baseel days ago
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.word...20/03/rr-1.png
The sakabato’s journey brings it to Japan’s eastern capital, just like the anime swordsman’s did.
Himura Kenshin, protagonist of the Rurouni Kenshin anime/manga, famously wields a reverse-edged sword called a sakabato. The reason why is pretty easy to see from a storytelling perspective: Being unsharpened along the regular cutting edge for a katana lets Kenshin swing his sakabato with speed and strength in duels without drawing blood or killing his opponent. Having the inner edge sharpened, though, also provides a constant temptation to resort to deadly violence, and a means by which to show Kenshin’s honorable resolution in overcoming it as part of his path to redemption after years as a feared killer.
In real life 19th-century Japan, however, people in the market for a sword didn’t have the luxury of choosing a weapon that sacrificed sharpness in order to accentuate their troubled personal backstory, and so no real-world sakabato existed. Well, at least none existed until recently, when Japanese swordsmith Kanekuni Ogawa created one, called the Sakabato Shinuchi (meaning “Sakabato Truly Forged”)
▼ Kanekuni Ogawa
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Based in the town of Seki, which has been known for its swordsmiths for centuries, Ogawa is so talented that he, personally, has been awarded the title of “important tangible cultural property” by the city. Upon the sword’s completion, it was exhibited in the Meijimura historical building park in Aichi Prefecture, in connection with Rurouni Kenshin being set in the Meiji period of Japanese history.
Now, though, just as the emperor of Japan moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in the Meiji period, so too is the Sakabato Shinuchi coming to the capital, where it will be displayed from April 24.
Even for those who’ve never read the manga or watched the anime (Ogawa himself had never seen either before taking on the project), the Sakabato Shinuchi is a striking piece, and has a singular beauty among Japanese swords. Because its blade is on the other side of where it would be on a normal katana, the real-life sakabato also has completely unique hamon (tempering marks), with the undulation being more prevalent along the inner curve of the flat.
▼ Sakabato Shinuchi, during its display at Meijimura
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As is customary for swords in Japan, the Sakabato Shinuchi will be displayed without a handle. This is done because the nakago (the part of the hilt that extends into the handle) is where Japanese swordsmiths inscribe their names, though in the case of the Sakabato Shinuchi, Ogawa has instead carved the death poem of Arai Shakku, the smith who forged Kenshin’s sakabato in the anime, since that’s what’s on the nakago in the source material.
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.word...20/03/rr-4.png
The sword will be displayed as part of the travelling Ruruni Kenshin Exhibition, celebrating the franchise’s 25th anniversary. The Tokyo exhibition will take place from April 24 to June 7 at Gallery AaMo, part of the Tokyo Dome City complex adjacent to Tokyo Dome, with tickets available online here.
Event information
Rurouni Kenshin Exhibition / るろうに剣心展
Venue: Gallery AaMo / ギャラリー アーモ
Address: Tokyo-to, Bunkyo-ku, Koraku 1-3-61
東京都文京区後楽1丁目3−61
website
Katana
Arms & Armor Museum Exhibits
Rurouni Kenshin
I like samurai swords beacuse this sword is date back to the feudal Japan use by Samurai. These swords are the most prestigious in Japanese culture because of their historical value. The earlier Japanese swords had straight blades with no curves such as Nagamaki, but as time passed, these swords evolved and changed their shape.
That's nice to know ~ I bought an awsome telescoping samurai sword at Anime Expo but have been concerned its not historically-correct ... because it is straight ~ Actually, their handles are very nice for doing Chinese forms. ~ There also seems to be so much more old pictures out there of Japanese hand positioning that I can add to my forms.