Minding the Minefield
Editorial, March 1999 Edition

by Adrian Ko

Bringing to birth a brand new magazine has been no easy task. The challenge of creating something from scratch has truly been exhilarating, akin to the emergence of a blade from the fires of the forge, and the reverent fear mingled with anticipation as the blade is brought to the quenching waters - will it cause the blade to crack and suffer ruination, or will it emerge a stronger steel to meet the challenges of the world?

We wish to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for everyone's praise and encouragement towards the launching of our first issue in January 1999. Additional thanks for the prestigious award by the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts (JJSA). We could finally stop beading down with sweat!

I've been asked by many how much SFMO costs. Nothing! It's free! Many more have asked if a paper publication exists. At present, we are purely an online magazine, free to the public as a labor of love primarily promoting the custom swordmaking industry. Will Sword Forum Magazine become a paper publication? Hopefully - and with everyone's encouragement and support we may get there in the near future!

The mass-production market is saturated with swords from Spain and Taiwan, and even India and the Philippines. There has been little information available that shows the inherent weaknesses in these production swords - especially to those who expect martial arts grade performances from them, and especially from those who are mismarketing the swords in the first place.

Thus the aspiring sword collector is faced with a challenge. The industry is a minefield - a confused mix of attractive swords beckoning to your wallet, yet dangers lurk in the form of poor construction, potential breakage points, and weak materials - any of which can cause harm and injury. The true weapon of defense is education, and it is our earnest desire to enlighten our readers of the praises and pitfalls of these swords.

Amid this minefield arises a man named Chen Chao-Po (Paul Chen) whose factory in Dailin, Manchuria, China has been responsible for various production Japanese-style katana, several Chinese weapons, a "Kamikaze Aikuchi" and even a Fairburn Sykes Dagger of pattern welded steel. Chen's current product offerings through CAS Iberia are notably qualitative in comparison with stainless steel decorative swords made in Spain and Taiwan. Are these swords "battle ready" as some purport - and what are the consequences of using these swords as if they were real weapons?

"Swords are fun" is a motto of Atrim, one of SFMO's Staff Writers. Yet so often we pay a dear price for a wrong purchase. We hope that through these following pages that you will become more informed with your purchases - a little more wise, a little more enlightened - and be able to share this knowledge with others so that they too may benefit.

Hopefully the world of swords is now a more friendly and safer one. We hope you'll continue to enjoy this labor of love. Feel free to write us your feedback (you can use your real name, initials, or an alias or withhold this information) at feedback@swordforum.com. As always, we invite you to our online Discussion Forum to chat with other members of the Sword Forum family!

Legal Disclaimer

The reading of any or all parts of SFMO (including access hereof and use of any information herein) is a consent to the arbitration of any matter relating to this Magazine or its Staff and contributing writers, including any and all conflicts between the aforementioned and third parties, by a panel chosen from the editorial board of Sword Forum Magazine pursuant to the rules of arbitration as adopted by a quorum of said Magazine and website as appropriate to the conflict so arbitrated. It is anticipated that most arbitration will be by submission and that no record will be allowed. The cost of arbitration will be borne by the Complainant. This arbitration clause comes under the federal arbitration statute.

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