Welcome to the Summer '99 Issue of our award-winning Magazine! Sword Forum Magazine Online is the Internet's first magazine and discussion forum purely dedicated to the discussion of the art, forging, collecting, and martial arts practitionary use of real swords from various cultures - both modern and ancient. This is where the sword lover and the master sword smith meet and where the next generation of connoiseurs and bladesmiths are born. Adorning our Front Cover is an exquisite art sword by Don Fogg featuring a textured damascus steel blade and a handle formed of ancient walrus ivory. Don Fogg has been working with damascus steel for nearly twenty years and captures remarkable artistry and subtle actions in steel! If you are bookmarking this magazine, please bookmark the front cover instead of this Table of Contents, otherwise your friends will miss the art! The URL for this edition is http://swordforum.com/summer99/ As of this issue, we are a Quarterly e-zine! "What we make with our hands is a by-product of a process, and the process is the path we follow. Each object you make can teach you something new." - Don Fogg.     Editorial The Custom Bladesmith - A word from the Editor of Sword Forum Magazine. Cover Sword: Summer 1999 Textured Damascus Bone-Hilted Sword - This issue's cover sword is by Don Fogg, a humble master bladesmith whose artistry and person inspires the best in bladesmiths around the world. Cover Article: Summer 1999 This Sword Renaissance - This month's cover article is also by Don Fogg who discusses the new era swords, collectors, smiths and martial artists are entering into. By Don Fogg Events Alabama Forge Council 1999 Symposium - Part 1 - Several hundred of North America's leading blademakers converge in Alabama for three days of bladesmithing seminars. By Adrian Ko Alabama Forge Council 1999 Symposium - Part 2 - This year's AFC symposium's guest smith was Michael Bell - trained in the Japanese traditions of swordmaking. Bell shares of his knowledge and experience of Japanese sword making. by Adrian Ko Historical Swords The Swords of St. Maurice - Two High Medieval swords commemorating a man who had eloquently lived out his faith in yet an earlier time. By Björn Hellqvist Japanese Swords The Wakizashi: That Other Japanese Sword - The uncelebrated wakizashi was historically a pinnacle weapon that the Samurai relied upon in indoor defense and as a primary weapon.By Dr. Richard Stein Tsuka-Making: Selecting Materials for a Japanese Sword Handle - The hilt of a Japanese sword functioned in perfect unison with the tang. It is important to use materials that can withstand the stresses of battle. By Christopher Lau / Motoyasu Ryoma - A Literary Biography - A review of a literary biography of the life of an outlaw samurai of the late-19th century named Sakamoto Ryoma, revered for forming the Japanese naval fleet and saving Japan from internal turmoil. By Adrian Ko Shopping for a Custom Japanese-Style Sword - A beginner's guide to the various means of custom-tailoring a battleworthy Japanese-style sword. By Adrian Ko Spotlight Howard Clark - Rough and gruff in appearance, yet the high performance sword blades of this controversial smith reflect a beauty and grace equalled by high stress tolerances in practitionary use. by Adrian Ko Richard Furrer - A talented apprentice-level artist whose bladesmithing interest surrounds Japanese-, Indian- and Islamic-style Blades. by Adrian Ko Rob Hudson - Swords and battle-axes by the modern pioneer of composite damascus blades, and an exclusive look at a sword owned by the Sultan of Brunei. by Adrian Ko Gunstock Indian Club - A cultural style weapon of truly unique construction and character by Larry Harley. by Adrian Ko Forging Sword Shop: Basic Japanese Sword Forging - Part 2 - A continuation to the March '99 Issue article, the author covers the heat treatment and clay coating of the Japanese-style blade. by Randal Graham Swordsmanship Teach Yourself Swordsmanship - A tutorial towards the study of pre-nineteenth century European swordsmanship. by J. Mark Bertrand The Katana vs. The Rapier - A discussion on the outcome between two kinds of swordsmen and their weapons which had never historically met in combat. By John Clements, Director, The HACA The Essence of Stage Combat - Differentiating between entertainment stage combat and historical sword martial arts. By William Eric Slyter, "Vistar", The Seattle Knights Medieval Swordsmanship: Illustrated Methods and Techniques - A review of HACA Director John Clements' second book on the Western martial heritage and use of the Medieval sword. By Adrian Ko At the Movies The Sword of Blade From the motion picture "BLADE" comes a unique sword wielded by a lone man - part human, part vampire who may either save or destroy us all. by David K. Wilson Reviews C.A.S. Iberia "Zatoichi" Sword - A compilation of various reader reviews of the "sword in a stick" made by the Hanwei factory of Chen Chao-Po in Dalian, China. Del Tin 2130 - A sword inspired by the St. Maurice sword of Turin by Del Tin of Italy. By Gus Trim Advertisers A Work of Art Albion Armorers Kevin Cashen Randal Graham - Dragon Fist Forge The Historical Armed Combat Association (HACA) Jose de Braga Daryl Meier - Meier Steel Sal D'Aquila - Point Gallery Christian Fletcher Medieval Military The Final Point Becoming Street Smart In Your Sword Shopping - Do today's sword collectors have to figure fiction from reality in their purchasing considerations when shopping for swords? Next Issue: Fall 1999 Click here for back issues! Copyright 1999 by Sword Forum Magazine Online. All rights reserved. http://SwordForum.Com. Editor: Adrian "WarAngel" Ko - editor@swordforum.com SFMO is free to our readers and is a labor of love. We don't make a cent!