From the “kissaki” tip through the gentle curve of the blade, to the intricately designed “tsuba” hand guard and hilt, the traditional Japanese sword can be a work of art as well as a fearsome weapon. For Paul Martin, who grew up in London’s East End, it was seeing the classic 1974 gangster film “The

Four remarkably well-preserved Roman swords, dating back nearly 2,000 years, have been unearthed in a cave near the Dead Sea, announced the Israel Antiquities Authority. Hidden behind stalactites in the Desert of Jericho, these swords, complete with scabbards, guards, and handles, offer an extraordinary glimpse into the past. The discovery occurred in June within Israel’s

This volume is an invaluable resource for both new enthusiasts and experienced collectors of traditionally forged Japanese blades-whether long swords, short swords, or daggers. Nobuo Nakahara, a Japanese sword researcher and lecturer, takes a rational and discriminating approach to sword appreciation, closely examining long-held ideas and reevaluating them from a historical and functional perspective. His