Industry News and Tidbits
Happenings and Occurences within the Sword Industry

This section is subject to change without notice.

This page last updated: Friday, October 22, 1999 at 22:00

• Howard Clark, maker of custom-tailored Japanese style swords of 1086 steel for Bugei Trading Company (www.bugei.com) has recently gained recognition among Japanese master smith Yoshindo Yoshihara (co-author of "Craft of the Japanese Sword" by Leon Kapp) as well as a Japanese sword polisher, scabbard maker, and handle maker visiting from Japan.

  Clark also recommends people to purchase his 1086 swords through Bugei Trading Company. According to Clark, Bugei is better equipped to answer technical questions via phone and email, and to coordinate custom furnishing and polishing of the 1086 sword blades. This arrangement would allow Clark to dedicate his time more to forging the blades and give them greater attention and care.

• Randal Graham of Dragon Fist Forge - Canada-based smith specializing in performance Japanese-style art swords - is relocating the business to Nova Scotia. The arrangement will allow for much larger work space which in turn will allow for more craftsmen on-site who each can focus in on a different aspect of finishing and completing the Japanese style swords. According to Graham, higher-end forge-welded (folded) swords made from custom-made steel metallurgically extremely similar to the composition of Japanese tamahagane are planned for release - swords made from this material will have both the physical apperances of not only hamon and activities as well as forge-welded (folded) hada grain but also the subtle hues that make traditional swords so enjoyable to behold.

  This new arrangement will allow for Dragon Fist Forge to open up an apprenticeship program as well as becoming a one-stop-shop for fully completed fully mounted swords in the traditional style.

• Daryl Meier (www.meiersteel.com) - industry leader on pattern welded ("damascus") steels announces that his offerings will now focus more on producing larger quantities of his acclaimed patterned steel, rather than to fulfill orders of small quantities of custom specifications. According to Meier, the change in business model allows for prices to remain low and to reduce turnaround time to fill orders, as custom small quantities of steel require more time to produce, causing all orders to experience the same delays.

  Meier further states that there will be "specials" offered on his website which will be certain configurations other than his standard offerings, but in limited quanities - unique enough to meet various one-of-a-kind projects.

• An official Blade sword from the motion picure starring Wesley Snipes is scheduled for production in Taiwan. Rights secured by Factory-X, a maker of sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre memorabilia. The limited edition decorative piece will be crafted of stainless steel but not designed for any intended use. Production is delayed to around March 2000 due to the recent earthquake in Taiwan. Other items of the famous Vampire Hunter are also planned for production.

  The prototype will be submitted by Tony Swatton, the prop maker for the film. Swatton states that the design was not his but that the molds for the hilt were designed by the prop master for the film, from which he cast resin handles and fitted them with unsharpened aluminum blades for the actor's use.

• Highlander 4: World Without End is scheduled to begin filming this month, as the successor to the motion picture trilogy. The film will star Adrian Paul, star of Highlander: The Series. The series was a spinoff of the first film, Highlander but written to take place in an "alternate universe" as the series and movies do not directly coincide. Also, Christopher Lambert reprises his role as Connor MacLeod. Lambert taking the role of mentor to Duncan Macleod (Paul). Peter Wingfield (playing 5,000 year old immortal "Methos") and Jim Byrnes (playing "Joe Dawson") of the series will be featured in Highlander 4.

  Shooting will commence October 18. Locations selected include Paris, New York and Scotland.

• Dr. Jim Hrisoulas a.k.a "Atar" of Salamander Armoury states that due to a pressing schedule he will not be making high end custom pieces. Orders for simpler customizations of stock items (e.g. mix and match of pommel, crossguard, etc.) are still being accepted. Among regular stock items will be occasional specials through his website. For more information, visit www.atar.com

• Tinkerblades, Inc. - Michael "Tinker" Pearce and former SFMO staff writer Gus Trim ("Atrim") have formed Tinkerblades INc. this month and have begun delivery of their new line of production swords, which are made from a combination of CNC machining and hand-fitting to produce authentic style functional swords, some featuring differentially tempered blades. Suggested retail prices range from $400-$700 US. For more information and links to distributers check out their web site at www.Tinkerblades.com.

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