naming your sword

[goose710]

Anybody else as messed up as me? i want to name my sword
because "stormbringer " is taken what a great name !!!! i'm thinking of "Saquine spring" (bloody spring) for the katana and "blood-letter" for the wac. any comments other than i'm messed up?

any suggestions? other than i got too much time on my hands?
goose710

[bobO]

When I get my Scottish broad sword I want to name it Saxons sorrow in Gaelic either that or betty.

[Dotanuki]

LOL, Goose your spelling is getting better, but I think it is sanguine not saguine.
Goose, if you get a chance pick up the book, "The Ronin, A Novel Based on Zen Myth" by William Dale Jennings. It is an easy read, but very adult themed [sex]. The main character of the novel [the Ronin], named his swords "Weed Killer" and "Pecker Two". Weed Killer refering to the way he was 'weeding out' unfit samurai from their existence. the other refering to his wakizashi.
Naming swords is popular in all cultures East and West, both in fact and fiction.
I have always liked "The Lightning that Sunders Raindrops" myself.

[69NINJA]

If I named my sword it would be for the sake of my roomates and his friends that come over while i'm at work.

I would name my sword the ever powerful, "dont touch and leave fingerprints on my f**king blade!". i think it has a nice ring to it.

[Mako]

When I get my Scottish broad sword I want to name it Saxons sorrow in Gaelic either that or betty.
Betty?? :-O

=))

[bobO]

Well ,maybe I've been reading to much Pratchett lately.But still I can see the troops chanting as I take the Field of honor,Betty..Betty. :dwarf::paladin:

[Brian Brazier]

I thought that was a reference to Kung-Pow

[Justice]

Vikings liked to name their blades, such as "Trollsbane", "Chest Biter", and the like. Tolkien definitely got inspiration there.

The japanese also sometimes named blades too. I've named a few like Akatatsu (red dragon) and Kago Ken (basket blade - this was a katana I mounted with a Scottish basket hilt).

[tanukimario]

Maybe I should start naming my katanas too... :-?

[Kissaki]

*sarcasm on*
I think that the name for my wall-mounted sword, "Chicken sh1t", sorta has a ring to it, don't you think? :-?

or how about "Tweedledee/Tweedledum" for matching swords? :cheesy:
Or "Santa Slasher", "Tetsaiga", or "Bubbles" >:D

*sarcasm off*

[Yaso]

I name all of my swords, but I steal all of the names from the game "Way Of The Samurai".

[rick]

I named my gen2 katanas,my bwt is shadow scythe,my blind warrior is sliceing death......

[Yaso]

Heres a few of my swords and their names.
http://www.maj.com/gallery/DarkRonin03/Swords/a_few.jpg

On the top is the Cheness Cutlery Kaze. Since "Kaze" means "Wind", I decided to name it "Tsumuji" which translates to "Whirlwind".

The purple sword in the middle is the Bushido Raijin. I decided to name it "Shimei" Meaning "Dark Purple".

On the bottom is the Masahiro White Shadow. I decided to name it "Kansei" which translates to "Piercing Honesty". Heh heh I think Jason knows why.

I also have a bunch that aren't pictured here. I have a PPK Elite named "Hanwei-no-Shirakane" which means "Hanwei's Platnum".

Then there's the PP Ninja-to named "Oborozukiyo" which means "Hazy Moon Night"

I have another purple katana that I purchased at a ren festival. For a long time, I had no clue who made it, so I called it "Mumei-tou" for "Unsigned Sword"

Thats it for the decent swords that pop into my head at the moment. I know I have a ton of el cheapo stainless swords with names I've long forgotten.

[Brian Brazier]

A word of advice Yaso, your swords are upside down on the stand, you want to keep the blade up, because having them that way puts all the weight of the sword on the blade and can damage them

[bobO]

never mind.

[goose710]

Yaso
I too have the Kaze, wish i could steal that name from you "Whirlwind" that's a great name !!!
By the by how do you like the Kaze?? i fine it a small bit heavy, but, i like it for cutting the blade is nice and hamon pleasing to me. i've changed the seppa and tsuba on it so it's more appealing, and will adjust the saya soon as i get a delivery, AND, will change the seigo(sic) soon also. I don't esspeially like black on black swords,(ie) tsuka wrap,seigo. i have enough of them. i DO like that purple wrap ya got there. you can find my alterations to the Kaze under " a place to show your pretties" if you so desire.
goose710

[Yaso]

Yaso
I too have the Kaze, wish i could steal that name from you "Whirlwind" that's a great name !!!
By the by how do you like the Kaze?? i fine it a small bit heavy, but, i like it for cutting the blade is nice and hamon pleasing to me. i've changed the seppa and tsuba on it so it's more appealing, and will adjust the saya soon as i get a delivery, AND, will change the seigo(sic) soon also. I don't esspeially like black on black swords,(ie) tsuka wrap,seigo. i have enough of them. i DO like that purple wrap ya got there. you can find my alterations to the Kaze under " a place to show your pretties" if you so desire.
goose710

Goose,

Feel free to take the name if you want. I don't mind at all. You could probably even jazz it up a bit and one up the name I gave it. As for the Kaze itself, I couldn't be more pleased with it. Especially for the price tag. The furniture could have been better in my opinion, but for a sword like that, at this price range almost all of the money is in the blade. As soon as I practice a little bit more on redoing a tsuka, I'll give it a shot on the Kaze. Also, I think its funny that you mentioned that the blade was heavy. That was the first thing I noticed and haven't really gotten used to the feel yet. I thought it was just me though. =)

[goose710]

Yaso
my preference is a lite kind of blade (such as the orchid by chen). but i liked the idea of the spring steel, plus the clay hamon, the priced as it was, there is no arguing!!! While i'll cut most anything with the Kaze i hesitate with the Orchid . the slender blade on a bad cut could take a set. and i don't believe the Kaze to be prone to that.
goose710
ps by putting that new tsuba on the Kaze (it's heavy) made it a bit more wieldly

[Mako]

A word of advice Yaso, your swords are upside down on the stand, you want to keep the blade up, because having them that way puts all the weight of the sword on the blade and can damage them
Sorry Brian but that's not strictly true...Japanese blades are usually displayed with the Omote side of the Nakago facing the observer and those in Tachi mounts will have the blade down...this is because the smith always signed a blade on the Omote which on a Katana would be with the blade up and Tachi,blade down...the stress on a blade or saya mounted in full koshirae or shirasaya whether it be Katana or Tachi on display is negligable but you are correct in saying that 'Yaso's' Katana are displayed upside down...or Ura side facing the observer.

[bobO]

O-kay,So the way they are displayed is not proper because they are kats if they were tachi,then it would be correct.Is that right.The tsuka are to the left and I know that's right.(this could be fun if I was clever)I always wondered if your in the military and at war should you display your swords at home,with the tsuka to the right?So are Yaso's blades mooning us or what.

[rick]

I'm thinking of engraving my sword's names on to the fitings (never the blade) I need to translate shadow scythe,and sliceing death in to japoneses please

[Dotanuki]

Everything Mako said is true.
As a further explanation your katana has a front [omote] and a back [ura], the front is when you hold your sword horizontally in front of you, blade up, the tsuka to the left. If you notice the kurigata [knob] and the sageo knot will be facing you, this technically is the proper display mode for collectors and many various styles, on the stand. Now some styles place their sword blade up, tsuka to the right, in the stand. This is considered by some to be the warrior way, easier access to drawing your blade, the sageo knot will not be tied but draped various ways along the saya. The last method is the one I use.
Then as Mako said the Tachi go the opposite way, and let's not forget the stand up stand on the floor, with the tsuka down facing the floor. This is how I display my Tachi.
I watch commercial ads and TV shows all displaying the sword improperly, so I could see how many people could get confused as it is not exactly common knowledge. There are also other etiquettes, but I won't go into that here.
I didn't miss anything, did I Mako?

[bobO]

So this is not the only way.http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff274/bokim09/bobspicks171.jpg

[bobO]

Sorry for the double post ,don't know how to post more then one pic at a time.any ,this way is also good then?http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff274/bokim09/bobspicks164.jpg

[goose710]

Rick

try this site for japonese spellings
http://watanabesato.co.jp/jpculture/letters/namesk_.html
that's where i found my name
goose710

[bobO]

I Can't....I just.. can't.

[rick]

thanks goose

[Dotanuki]

No, bobo the second way is wrong, always blade up for katana whether the tsuka is left or right. Since your sageo is tied in it's sageo knot you to go the first way.
Remember a Tachi is an ornate katana worn blade slung down by samurai in full armour.

[bobO]

Got it,THanks

[Nanshoji]

It isnt messed up at all. Actual samurai named their swords. I named my Masahiro elite fuji Akira and my Masahiro philosophy katana Hyorinmaru(Ice Ring). My odachi is named Amidamaru. All of my friends that collect swords name them, or at least the good to high qaulity ones anyway.

[Nanshoji]

I dont know about slicing death, but cutting moon is Zangetsu. Just a thought.

[Nanshoji]

Also, kuroitatsu is black dragon. Not sure if I spelled "kuroi" correctly though.

[bobO]

I like that it has a haiku quality to it.I'm stealing that one .

[Nanshoji]

You could name it Kamikaze (Divine Wind) I named one of my old katanas Kaze no koe (the sound of divine wind).

[rick]

sounds too much like a holy fart......I like shadow scythe and sliceing death..
I just need it in japonese charictors

[Yaso]

I dont know about slicing death, but cutting moon is Zangetsu. Just a thought.

I was planning on getting a 9260 Bujinkan Katana from Cheness, customizing the fittings to have a moon theme, and naming it Zangetsu. Then I was going to get a matching Katana and name it Engetsu. (Cutting Moon and Crescent Moon). For the record, I had the name "Zangetsu" waaaay before bleach hit the states. I gave that name to a crappy ninja themed wall hanger I had long ago. That was before I decided I liked the name and wanted to recycle it on to a better sword.

Normally I don't mind if someone borrows the names I give to my swords, but hearing everyone saying "You stole that name from Bleach" makes my blood boil with the fury and ferocity of a thousand burning suns.

[rick]

does any one in the japonese sword forum know how to say "shadow scythe"
and "sliceing death" in japonese

[RedZorak]

"Slicing death" you can get by combining "zan" (slicing) with the japanese word for death, "shi," which would get you "zanshi." Shadow sythe could come from "Kage" (shadow) and "kama" (sythe), so you could have Kagegama or Kage no Kama, or something else of the like.

[goose710]

Red
do you mind doing another one ?
Bloody spring and blood letter
would be apreciated much
goose710

[rick]

yeah thank you red ......... does any one know how to write it in japonese????

[RedZorak]

There are a number of words for "blood," but I think "chi" is the best way to use it in this sense. However, I need to know the context of the other words... spring as in the season, or like a water spring? Letter as in "the letter 'A'" or as in something I would write to a friend?

[goose710]

Red
spring as is the season, and letter as in letting blood or bleeding someone .
i like the "water spring" or "blood spring "connotation also!why is it everyone does this kind of thing better than me? i have no talent, but i apreciate yours

goose710

[RedZorak]

Spring is "haru," so Chiharu sounds good. "Letter" was one I didn't know off the top of my head... so I had to search. The verb "Nagasu" means to drain (as in to drain blood as well) so you could go with Nagasuchi if you wanted.

[rick]

does any one know japonese calligraphy

[Brian Brazier]

I use to know a little, my aunt is Japanese, and she taught me some when I was little, but she has been speaking english for soo long she hardly remembers how to speak japanese anymore, try doing a search for japanese kanji, there should be a dictionary

[rick]

thanx brain

[Yaso]

I use to know a little, my aunt is Japanese, and she taught me some when I was little, but she has been speaking english for soo long she hardly remembers how to speak japanese anymore, try doing a search for japanese kanji, there should be a dictionary

So I'm not the only person with a Japanese aunt. She's the one that taught me most of the small portion of the language I do speak.

[Mako]

You won't learn how to write in Kanji from this but......

http://hwr.nici.kun.nl/unipen/kanji/english.html#B

.......I hope it's of some help.;)

[Dotanuki]

How to write in Japanese;
The Japanese use three different forms of writing,

Kanji - Chinese ideagrams or characters, used on formal documents and normal publishing
Katakana - a form of printing, often used in conjunction with Kanji in publishing [books & newspaper]
Hiragana - a form of script writing

Both katakana and hiragana are based on sounds or vowels [ta, te, to, tu, ti]

Many names sound the same, but the characters can be entirely different, ken can mean either sword or fist, for example. So what you think you are translating could take some weird turns. [Just look at the names of some of the Japanese Anime titles].
I have always found that if you are going to take on a foriegn language [any], it always helps to know how to read and write your own native language first.
If you can't spell in English, it seems rather ludicrous to try and take on Japanese. I am not trying to be harsh or sarcastic, but just stating the obvious.

I have seen many martial art schools that have made up their names from dictionaries, that have made complete fools of themselves [if they only knew!] because they didn't understand the language.

[Mako]

:) HeeHee :)
I remember seeing pics of the mei on 2 fake katana which someone wanted translated...one read ..."A female singer made this" and the other "A small bird made this".
The guy who bought them then asked if there was any way of putting a date to them...and one of the replies was "About 2 weeks before they were shipped from China". :))

Another mumei [unsigned] blade came with a 'Certificate of Provenence' which translated to something like...
To George with best wishes and signed by 3 women.=))

[bobO]

=))=)):cry:

[rick]

=))that was rich

[Yaso]

Haven't laughed that hard in a while

[rick]

I'm going to check the phone book maybe thair is a japonese ceter around
orlando some where

[goose710]

Red
This is a personal Thank You for the japanese wording you provided for my swords. if ever anything i can do for you , please don't hesitate to ask.
that is not merely lip service but from the heart.
goose710

[Brian Brazier]

So I'm not the only person with a Japanese aunt. She's the one that taught me most of the small portion of the language I do speak.

yep, my Aunte Aki, she does still speak a version of Japanenglish with her freinds but it is like their own language. I speak a little Japanese, but I cannot read it, I would like to pick up the Rosetta Stone thing, but it is a little too expensive right now

[rick]

rosetta stone is expencive

[Yaso]

Hahaha wow. We're two of a kind. My Aunt Harumi taught me to speak it, but not to read it as well. I looked into Rosetta Stone for myself too. I did their free trial on their website and was surprised at how well it worked for me, but like always, I have more pressing things to spend the money on right now. Like more swords...

[Firehand10k]

I have the Talk Now program. I bought the Asia Deployment Pack from a Military Shop so I actually have Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and Tagalog. I haven't tried to use it for Japanese yet thought since my wife is Filipina and I wanted it for the Tagalog.

[rick]

I want to learn japonese so I can go there and not look like an idoit

[goose710]

Been there they all speak some english
goose710

[rick]

what the japonese people or the idiots

[RobbyDoom]

Anybody else as messed up as me? i want to name my sword
because "stormbringer " is taken what a great name !!!! i'm thinking of "Saquine spring" (bloody spring) for the katana and "blood-letter" for the wac. any comments other than i'm messed up?

any suggestions? other than i got too much time on my hands?
goose710


I'm messed up as well...lol.
I name my swords as well.
I use Japanese names. Mostly because I love Japanese, the katana is Japanese and also because Japanese names are sweet sounding!!!

[bobO]

Was going to name my swords in the native american tradition, you know walk out the door and first thing I see would be the swords name, like storm hawk or running bear. Anyway I didn't think stupid tourist was a good name so I dropped that idea.

[Torawashi]

Goose;
you think you're messed up about naming your swords?? take a look at the names of mine:
NAMES OF MY SWORDS

RITTER STEEL GLADIUS: AQUILA(EAGLE)

VALIANT ARMOURY CRECY SHORTSWORD: VALIANT

GENERATION 2 GODFRED VIKING SWORD: GRAMR(FIERCE)

HANWEI SIR WILLIAM MARSHALL SWORD: WHISPER

CRUSADER BROADSWORD: BALEFIRE

HANWEI PPK: FU DOG

HANWEI PP WAKIZASHI: KAMIKAZE(DIVINE WIND)

CHENESS TENCHI KATANA: TENCHI(HEAVEN AND EARTH)

MUSASHI TORAWASHI KATANA: WASHI(EAGLE)

RYUMON SHOGUN KATANA: TORA(TIGER)

MUSASHI TEMPEST KATANA: TSUNAMI(BIG WAVE)

HANWEI CHINESE OX TAIL DAO: RED DEATH

RITTER STEEL SWORD OF TROY: HEMLOCK

WINDLASS STEELCRAFTS HOPLITE SWORD: ARAXOS (NAME OF THE VILLAGE I WAS STATIONED IN, IN GREECE)

WINDLASS STEELCRAFTS QAMA: BLOODMAW

WINDLASS STEELCRAFTS RAVEN CLAW FIGHTING KNIFE: RAVEN CLAW

WINDLASS CLASSIC MEDIEVAL SWORD: EXCELSIOR, a Latin word meaning "superior", "lordly", "ever upward"

WINDLASS FALCATA: GLYFADA (Greek for "sweetwater", also a great party town, suburb of Athens, Greece)

VALIANT ARMOURY PRAETORIAN GLADIUS: Crocea Mors (Caesar's sword;Latin for "yellow death")

WINDLASS COUSTILLE: WEREWINDEL(NIGHTBLADE)

VALIANT ARMOURY CASTILE SWORD: DURENDAL (ENDURING; NAME OF ROLAND'S SWORD)

I guess I must be messed up too;
Here's some more ideas for sword names:
HEMLOCK
STORMBRINGER
WEREWINDEL (NIGHTBLADE)
WILLBREAKER
BLOODMAW
STORMCALLER
DOOMBRINGER
FERAM (SAVAGE BEAST LAT.)
FERUS (SAVAGE, FIERCE, UNTAMED LAT.)
DURENDAL, SWORD OF ROLAND (ENDURING)
BELLATOR(WARRIOR,SOLDIER LAT.)
CUSTOS (‘a guard’, ‘watch’, ‘preserver’, ‘keeper’, defender’ LAT.)

"Have at you"!! :SandS: ;)

[Taygrd]

Was going to name my swords in the native american tradition, you know walk out the door and first thing I see would be the swords name, like storm hawk or running bear. Anyway I didn't think stupid tourist was a good name so I dropped that idea.
Okay that one made me laugh =))