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Sword and Trenchcoat |
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Sounds like a really good name for a store, doesn't it! |
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This is a page dedicated to my sword collection and my trenchcoats (not really a collection since I only have two trenchcoats). Since I am not fortunate enough to have a digital camera, I will supply you with a manufacturer's picture and a brief anecdote/review of the item. |
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SWORDS |
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oOr as Shaun Connery would say, S-words |
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My sword collection started on a whim at the local county fair. There is this one vendor there who always sells survival gear and stuff. In 2003 I bought a machete. Now, in 2004 I bought a two dagger set. I couldn't resist them, the egyptian style was so cool. It's curious why I don't have more egyptian items in my collection. Anyway, I was online that night looking at swords and seeing how bad I got ripped off when I spotted something spectacular. I found the matching sword. The sword (below), is very simalar to he daggers of th same line. All the pieces have the same handle. The glyphs on the blade is paricular to the sword. |
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Paul Chen Banshee (above) |
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This sword has a long history with me and I've only had it for two days. The vendor "Bladematrix.com" must have boggled the order real bad or something. It's all very confusing, but what happened is that after a couple weeks of no shipment and no email of the tracking number which indicates such, I send an email inquirey, and in response, they say it was being engraved that day (I payed for an engraving of my name to be put on). About a week later, I send an inquirey and then I get an "I'll get on it ASAP" message. Few days, maybe a week later another email inquirey, this time I get no email for quite some time, until I get a "we had trouble with your engraving" message. Uh oh, doesn't look good, so I call, he says the guys who run the machine are on vacation for two weeks. After their "two week vacation" I call again, now he tells me a different story, "the machines ....." dot dot dot meaning I couldn't understand him, he mumbled. I call next week, he said "wednesday", Thursday I call and he says it was being shipped out that day. Monday I call and he says the package should of shipped that last Friday. On Tuesday he said he got the tracking number wrong on the shipment, BUT I DIDN'T GET ANY TRACKING NUMBER correct or not, he was lying. I had enough, so I said, "I want this shipped out today, no more excuses" and hung up. So I quickly contact an office in New York I found that deals with internet fraud. I then get directed to a web page and a form. I was armed and dangerous, pissed as hell. If I didn't get a tracking number by 4 o'clock, I was going to call and tell him he's got till the end of the day or else an investigation will be prompted. About a half hour after telling him "no excuses" a tracking number appears in my email. Thats not the end of it, the reason for the trouble was aparently that their chemicals used in the engraving blemished the steel of the blade, I was reading this before even unpacking the sword as a envelope was in the top of the box. Also in the envelope, a check for the amount of the sword!! The banshee itself was blemished, but I cleaned it to a normal luster with a special metal cleaner. So I got a perfectly good, beutifully engraved sword with my name, over one month late and totally free, good things come to those who wait and then get real pissed.
The sword itself has been great, the mounts provide many carrying options but I usually carry it on my belt via a small length of chain. I haven't cut with it yet and don't intend to unless I have to. Thats what gets me with fellow sword owners, the expect their swords to be industructible when in reality their lifetime on a battlefield was short. Thats the quality of yesteryear while todays standards vary greatly. I think its dumb to think slashing into branches and two by fours will leave your sword unscathed. |
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I guess I'll jump right in o the sword that kicks my ass. The German flamberge. This authentic sword of German or Swiss descent was used by only the finest of warriors determined to break enemies defensive lines. The flamberge was used to break the heads off of enemy pikes in order to decimate their front lines, creating havoc and chaos. The sword was then used as a thrusting weapon by grappling the ricasso (part of the sword between the blade and hilt) and plunging it into foes. This sword is well over 62 inches long and scared the hell out of trick-or-treaters this year. Nothing like coming to the door with a gigantic steel blade in your hand. |
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The Claymore is another large sword. It is about 54 inches long. The Claymore was the scottish version of the two-handed sword or "great sword". |
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This is the coolest thing I bought for 28 bucks. I bought this from 5star.com (where I buy alot of neat things and is alongside other links on th links page. Being made in China (good for a sword) the quality is incredible. The piece is havy and stiff, no movement at all. Only thing is that asword of this "stick" type is illegal in New York, oh well. |
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A very cheap katana set I bought. Boy are they cheap, I'd use them to chop boxes and stuff and mess them up but I'm afraid they'd break and cause injury. |
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This ax was my second choice for my collection, it is purely decorative but is interesting non the less because of it's secret spear. This is a fairly large ax at about 50 inches. |
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Trenchcoats |
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The ultimate in manly man's attire. |
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Due to my lack of technical gadgets and a digital camera, I chose similar pictures of what I have in place of an actual picture. |
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My first trenchcoat was bought (from the fair again, how 'bout that!) from a couple of australians. The coat was (is) a very durable canvass material that only ripped when it got snagged and then violently pulled (I'm an idiot) from a bus heater vent. Even then, the rip did not get bigger throughout the day until I got home and sewed it. My actual coat is black as night and has a couple more pockets. My coat also has a small cape on back that is removeable. Pure utilitarian coat. |
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The coat I bought was made from the same company as the one in the pic, Red Balls. This is the "reverend coat", I bought "the matrix coat". I thought sure I would be able to just go over to hottopic where i bought the damn thing and get the pic right away but in the process of a couple weeks, the coat I bought is no more. My coat fits the body the same way, but buttons all the way up leaving a small collar and no lapel. There are no gaudy large cuffs either. Finally, the pockets are of the pants type with no over flap, making them invisible at a distance. I think my coat has a much more formal look to it. |
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Keep you posted..... |
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