My updated Highlander/Sword Experience collection:
“Oniyuri Shadow” hybrid katana built with a Sal D’Aquila Shadow Kevlar/carbon fiber tsuka and a Cheness Oniyuri practice blade. This sword is my first build and although it isn’t strictly Highlander, it’s in the neighborhood.
Lightweight practice katana with a one off hybrid season 1/2-6 Kevlar/carbon fiber tsuka by Daryl Kyle and a Handmade Swords aluminum blade. This is my third build and my One Perfect Thing.
Marto Sword of the Dragon katana. This sword was a fifty dollar pawn shop beater that had seen better days. I repaired it, recarved parts of the handle, cut the collar off and tightened everything up. The cheap aluminum saya had a piece of hard wire inside that left a ton of scratches in the blade and after spending several hours polishing them out by hand I swore to never have the two in the same room again. I haven't.
Lightweight practice katana with Marto SOTD cast Kevlar/carbon fiber tsuka by Daryl Kyle and Handmade Swords aluminum blade. Adrian Paul signed the saya during his 2017 visit to Salt Lake Comic Con. This is my second build.
Note: I did have one more Highlander sword, a low numbered Sal D'Aquila Musashi. I had the saya generically dedicated by Adrian at the same Con and then I sold the works in a moment of temporary insanity. Seldom have I regretted an action of mine so much.
The bokkens are all associated with Adrian's Sword Experience. Four have Kevlar/carbon fiber handles, the first three are signed and the last two would be had Vegas not canceled CombatCon 2020.
Standard hardwood SXP bokken. I was issued this piece for the 2017 SLC SXP and I managed to put a crack in it that goes from one end to the other. The tsuba and tsuka-ito are pretty much the only things holding it together.
Classic White Oak SXP bokken. Adrian actually owned this weapon and used it hard judging from the dents. He also refinished the blade with a deep high quality stain that shows up well in the pictures.
Deluxe SXP bokken. This is production weapon #12 and it has been used extensively for solo drills. I've also modded it for use with interchangeable blades. The one it's wearing in the picture is red oak.
Premium hickory/katalox laminate SXP bokken. This is production weapon #112 and it is the best looking, most perfectly balanced and nicest handling object I've ever owned. It was also the first one to go out with the handle left in the black on request (thanks, Mark!). My wife named it Blackbird.
Raven & Blade bokken with Musashi handle and jatoba blade. This piece is one of five made for sale on Etsy and I picked it up in March for use at CombatCon. Maybe next year...
Update #2: But wait, there's more! Mark Bitner of Raven & Blade just built me a Connor-style bokken with a Mentor tsuka, a cast replica of the H1 Tsuba and an Ipe blade. The tsuka came antiqued but I wanted it darker to match my other ones so I overcoated it with Minwax Dark Walnut stain, rubbed it to a wash with a soft towel and finished it up with three layers of the gloss restorer that comes in the Sword Experience bokken care kit. As a final step I filled in the cutouts in the back of the tsuba with JB Kwik to smooth it out for comfort during extended use.
BTW, this project came about after my wife and I were watching the first Highlander film for the umpteenth time and she asked me why I didn't have a Connor sword of some kind. Yes, I married well.
“Oniyuri Shadow” hybrid katana built with a Sal D’Aquila Shadow Kevlar/carbon fiber tsuka and a Cheness Oniyuri practice blade. This sword is my first build and although it isn’t strictly Highlander, it’s in the neighborhood.
Lightweight practice katana with a one off hybrid season 1/2-6 Kevlar/carbon fiber tsuka by Daryl Kyle and a Handmade Swords aluminum blade. This is my third build and my One Perfect Thing.
Marto Sword of the Dragon katana. This sword was a fifty dollar pawn shop beater that had seen better days. I repaired it, recarved parts of the handle, cut the collar off and tightened everything up. The cheap aluminum saya had a piece of hard wire inside that left a ton of scratches in the blade and after spending several hours polishing them out by hand I swore to never have the two in the same room again. I haven't.
Lightweight practice katana with Marto SOTD cast Kevlar/carbon fiber tsuka by Daryl Kyle and Handmade Swords aluminum blade. Adrian Paul signed the saya during his 2017 visit to Salt Lake Comic Con. This is my second build.
Note: I did have one more Highlander sword, a low numbered Sal D'Aquila Musashi. I had the saya generically dedicated by Adrian at the same Con and then I sold the works in a moment of temporary insanity. Seldom have I regretted an action of mine so much.
The bokkens are all associated with Adrian's Sword Experience. Four have Kevlar/carbon fiber handles, the first three are signed and the last two would be had Vegas not canceled CombatCon 2020.
Standard hardwood SXP bokken. I was issued this piece for the 2017 SLC SXP and I managed to put a crack in it that goes from one end to the other. The tsuba and tsuka-ito are pretty much the only things holding it together.
Classic White Oak SXP bokken. Adrian actually owned this weapon and used it hard judging from the dents. He also refinished the blade with a deep high quality stain that shows up well in the pictures.
Deluxe SXP bokken. This is production weapon #12 and it has been used extensively for solo drills. I've also modded it for use with interchangeable blades. The one it's wearing in the picture is red oak.
Premium hickory/katalox laminate SXP bokken. This is production weapon #112 and it is the best looking, most perfectly balanced and nicest handling object I've ever owned. It was also the first one to go out with the handle left in the black on request (thanks, Mark!). My wife named it Blackbird.
Raven & Blade bokken with Musashi handle and jatoba blade. This piece is one of five made for sale on Etsy and I picked it up in March for use at CombatCon. Maybe next year...
Update #2: But wait, there's more! Mark Bitner of Raven & Blade just built me a Connor-style bokken with a Mentor tsuka, a cast replica of the H1 Tsuba and an Ipe blade. The tsuka came antiqued but I wanted it darker to match my other ones so I overcoated it with Minwax Dark Walnut stain, rubbed it to a wash with a soft towel and finished it up with three layers of the gloss restorer that comes in the Sword Experience bokken care kit. As a final step I filled in the cutouts in the back of the tsuba with JB Kwik to smooth it out for comfort during extended use.
BTW, this project came about after my wife and I were watching the first Highlander film for the umpteenth time and she asked me why I didn't have a Connor sword of some kind. Yes, I married well.
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