Morro Bay sword/knife meet with

sweet

sweet

Joined
Nov 11, 1999
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Here are a few photos from this past weekend meeting in Morro Bay with ElJay and a Salinas Loco from the Himalayan Imports forum... Norm! ElJay and I have been meeting for 4 years now! (he got out of paying for lunch this time too Thanks Norm!) It was really neat to watch ElJay interact with the kids and from the great way he handled them looks like a future knight is now in the works. Norm and I met in the morning for a quick drive...I drive slow in my 6cyl car so I got to check out a nice black arse all the way down to Atascadero :thumbup: where we met up with my dad at the gun club for some shooting...then off to Morro Bay for the meet...

Here are some photos with more to come...Thanks to Norm for being the only 1 out of 7 who said he would show up that stayed true to his word and for bringing that amazing khukuri collection!

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Looks like we are on for next year!
 
Whose are the ones on the black put together thingy's?? Are you sure you don't need a Spanish style conquistador sword and a Claymore??????????????/ Email me if you do ;) :D

Great pics!! Looks like you had a great time!!
 
Really nice stuff!

Wish I'd been a kid in that lot...what a memory it would be.

The grin of the adult watching the kid in the helmet kind of says it all.
 
Wholly cow, what a collection! :eek:

What IS that huge Hanshee-lookin' one? Looks like the Mark Murrow Hanshee on steroids.

2 tarwars, 2 katanas- what a relief. I was thinking I had too many HI swords. Clears that right up.

Nice, nice pix. Tx.



Mike
 
Well, Sweets car weighs 1600 lbs less and has _almost_ ;) the same HP so I had to stay in front! :D. Otherwise I never would have seen him again. It was great seeing the _real_ classic Italian and French and English swords that ElJay has, and a real thrill to hold something that is 350+ years old in your hands! That stuff was incredible. I was holding one sword with a beautiful basket, a rapier I guess, from the mid 1600's that could have been held by Tybalt or Benvolio on the streets of Verona while they fought, and it was like an instant time machine. The swords he had there were just a small part of his collection evidently.

Then Sweet pulled out his $3K Albion sword and I just kind of wilted. (-; He also had a dirk with gorgeous carved handle, a long seax, a beautiful custom heavy dagger and a Criswell Katana that was just screaming at me to swipe it, but he kept a close eye on me the entire time and I wasn't able to accidentally load it into the trunk. :) He looked kind of irritated though when I handed it back to him with slobber all over it. ;)

Man, I wish I was working so I could go further into debt, but someday!

I brought all my long stuff which is all HI, and a few others of interest, but Eljay just kind of looked at me funny. I don't think he quite got the concept of a Japanese Katana made by Nepalese kamis, :eek: :rolleyes: and some of the other models kind of defy classification as we all know. I got a couple of nice comments on a 20" YCS, just 33 oz. and balances very well, with great carving on the handle.

It was also amusing because people kept walking up and asking "how much for that one?" and pointing to one or the other while reaching for their wallets. We could have done great if we were selling!

Still, it was fun comparing the old and the new. It was funny because Sweet and I both brought our walnut M43's and hill walnut tarwars, and as far as I know there have only been about two of three of each. Maybe more M43's but those tarwars were made within a week of each other by Kumar. Salinas, CA seems to be a locus that intersects with Kathmandu on some level, as their knives seems to end up here.

Now I am looking over my stuff deciding what I can sell to buy new types of toys! I already sold 20+ knives and went apes&*t on Bark Rivers, so now maybe it's time for an entry level Albion. Beautiful balance, and razor sharp. Just what I need to clear out those pesky rosebushes. Wait a second...

Anyway, I wish more people had made it, but maybe next year. Between the beautiful fast drive, the range time, the swords and khuks and assorted old and new knives, AND the excellent company, it was a really fun day.

Norm
 
Ad Astra said:
What IS that huge Hanshee-lookin' one? Looks like the Mark McMorrow Hanshee on steroids.

Mike
Click to expand...

Mike, that is a Crescent Moon Sirupate from Tora. I heard about it from a Cantina member who shall remain nameless, who lives in Japan and attacks bamboo stalks from time to time. Very unique and well balanced.

Good eye on your part and comparison to those few hanshees that Mark commissioned. They are the same blade stock and have similar scabbard construction, although they are obviously very different blade shapes, and I think the Tora comes quite a bit sharper.

Norm
 
Fantastic stuff and thanks.

Also for the reminder about Albion. I had lost that bookmark. Fell in love with their Fulham Gladius, and the feeling's still there.

Friend from Okinawa thought my HI kat was heavier than the "real" sam. swords from there, but the 9mm vs. .45 argument comes to mind.

Glad you had fun!


Mike
 
Hey Tom, that Schiavona was made by ElJay Erickson the guy holding it with the gloves on..the other photo is me holding it gloveless:D Eljay is an amazing maker, the blade on this Schiavona is a heavy modified Del Tin that he did....to see more of the work that Eljay does check this link out and just look for his name under the many photo galleries:thumbup:

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=6&uid=717149&

Here is my basket-hilt that I custom ordered from him that he made which I picked up during the 2005 Morro Bay meet, just finishing up the wrap while eating lunch

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and 1 of 2 custom rapier hilts he also made for me and these where picked up at our 2004 Morro Bay meeting

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Wow that looks like a lot of fun. Would have been an enourmous learning experience for me... I know so little about swords. Thanks for posting the pics. They are awesome.
 
Norm, if that $3k sword was the Svante, then I'm very jealous. This is regarded by many as a recreation of one of the finest Euro swords. Every comment that I've ever read about that sword has been nothing short of extraordinary. If I ever get adopted by that long-lost rich uncle of mine, I would buy one of those in a heartbeat.

For anyone who is interested, here is an excellent article on the Schiavona .
 
M. Taylor said:
Norm, if that $3k sword was the Svante, then I'm very jealous. This is regarded by many as a recreation of one of the finest Euro swords. Every comment that I've ever read about that sword has been nothing short of extraordinary. If I ever get adopted by that long-lost rich uncle of mine, I would buy one of those in a heartbeat.

For anyone who is interested, here is an excellent article on the Schiavona .
Click to expand...

It was indeed the Svante. Just holding it was a joy. It is extremely well balanced, and very sharp. Sweet got a good deal on it through unusual and fortunate circumstances, but it is in perfect condition.

Norm
 
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