Naming Your Sword

[shesulsa]

Though, now that I think of it, doesn't a sword have to do something worthy of note, to be worthy of a name?

There are various verbal stories as to why a sword would be named and they vary from country to country, region to region, cult to cult, group to group.

Does a weapon NEED a name? Of course not. Is there any logic to it? Of course not. Does it MATTER? Of course not. It's silly to argue logistics behind any, it's just ... ridiculous. You could name it Charlie or Cardboard, Mother Blanking Something Or Other, Xenu or Zeus. It's still what it is.

Naming the sword, regardless of reason or occasion, is ALL about romance. Frogs aren't that romantic, as I remember, though they have a propensity for getting kissed regardless.

 

[Sukerkin]

I think a millenia of Saxon, Viking and Celtic tradition would disagree with that, Georgia.

 

[shesulsa]

I think a millenia of Saxon, Viking and Celtic tradition would disagree with that, Georgia.

That's okay. In my book, thirst for conquest, thrill of victory, etcetera is still 'romance.'

 

[Ironcrane]

I've been thinking long, and hard about weather I want to become the laughing stalk on Martialtalk. I almost couldn't do it, but I guess I will. Here it is.

Long sword -Tenchi
Sabre - Ryoko
Fighting fan - Ayeka
Chain whip - Sasami
Double broadsword
green scarf - Kiyone
red scarf - Mihoshi
Spear - Tsunami
Three section staff - Washu
Bokken - Katsuhito
Pudao - Yukinojo
Tiger hooks
left - Azaka
right - Kamidake
staff - Nobuyuki
Suburito - Misaki
I was never able to get a pair of Butterfly swords,but I was going to name them A and B. And if I was ever able to find a Nagimaki, I was going to name it Achika.

 

[tellner]

And generations of Roman legionaries would disagree the other way. They weren't romantic about their swords and didn't name them or ascribe magical properties. Somehow they managed to make them work.

 

[shesulsa]

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I've been thinking long, and hard about weather I want to become the laughing stalk on Martialtalk. I almost couldn't do it, but I guess I will. Here it is.

Long sword -Tenchi
Sabre - Ryoko
Fighting fan - Ayeka
Chain whip - Sasami
Double broadsword
green scarf - Kiyone
red scarf - Mihoshi
Spear - Tsunami
Three section staff - Washu
Bokken - Katsuhito
Pudao - Yukinojo
Tiger hooks
left - Azaka
right - Kamidake
staff - Nobuyuki
Suburito - Misaki
I was never able to get a pair of Butterfly swords,but I was going to name them A and B. And if I was ever able to find a Nagimaki, I was going to name it Achika.

What, no Ryo-Ohki?

 

[shesulsa]

How about Achu?

 

[theletch1]

How about Achu?

Achu? Son of Asneeze?

 

[Ironcrane]

What, no Ryo-Ohki?

I knew I forgot one. I have a Ryo-Ohki. It's my dagger.

 

[krieger]

I'm not sure when you can name your sword but I thought it was when you received it. Many swordsmen named their weapons. Why shouldn't you continue the tradition? I mean nothing silly sounding like something from LotR.

The characteristics of your swords might be a good place to start. My katana and wakazachi have a bamboo motif, so I could pull from that.

 

[James]

i think you should do whatever the hell you like. name it or don't name it its up to you if you think your sword deserves a name then give one and as that other guy says 'bollucks to the rest'

 

[Tensei85]

Actually I have a few:

One is called Dao (they are twins so I call them Seung Dao)
3 are Jian, they are triplets. But there other name at birth was "Gim" probably from there Mother's side of the fam.

 

[Ken Morgan]

I have never and will neevr name my swords. I treat my iaito and my shinken with great respect when I take them out, use them and put them away.

When its been a while since i've practiced I may say "hello sweetheart" when I unwrap it, but I swear thats as far as I go!

 

[Tensei85]

I have never and will neevr name my swords. I treat my iaito and my shinken with great respect when I take them out, use them and put them away.

When its been a while since i've practiced I may say "hello sweetheart" when I unwrap it, but I swear thats as far as I go!

Sure :wink2:, that's ok your secrets safe with us...

 

[Namii]

Sure :wink2:, that's ok your secrets safe with us...

the ones I spend a lot of time with have names. The others are just random names like Miss Blue or whatever. One of them is the Claw because there is a dragon claw on the kashira. My wakizashi is Little One

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

BB King calls his Gibson ES355 'Lucile.'
Billy Gibbons calls his Gibson Les Paul 'Pearly Gates.'
Yngwie Malmsteen calls his 1970 Fender Stratocaster 'the duck'
David Hasselhoff called his car Kitt.
Kitt called David Hasselhoff a variety of derogatory names.
John Schneider and Tom Wopat called their car General Lee.
Elvis Presley called his plane Lisa Marie.

Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) called his gun "Omia BaBoom" in the Expendables.

I'd say that there is plenty of precedent for naming one's weapon of choice.

Daniel

 

[bizzybazza]

I have several swords and a couple of them that I'm fond of, one that I mainly train with is a Korean saber sword. For the love of me I can't think of a name for it. I think naming it would give the sword personality. The other is a Chesness Tenchi ko katana, so of course i refer to it as Tenchi.
The Korean saber is a straight sword, broader and a little beefy.

On my mok gum KJN wrote my name in Korean and put in parenthesis spirit of a warrior underneath my name on one side and his name on the other. I plan to have this engraved or have it done in needle point on my saber.

Two questions: 1 What is the Korean term for spirit warrior? 2 Does anyone have any suggesstions on naming your sword?

i am just a beginner i have 4 katanas and i love them even if they are not the best quality. i feel so much a part of them i must name them ....so my first is dragon claw ,second is dragon breath,third is bamboo killer and the last has a red saya so i call it red mist tomorrow i get a paul chen practical pro and it is superb and all black so its name will be night shadow. i know its a biy naff but i get more from my collection by naming them.
when i was 18 (48yrs ago) i read a book i would reccomend called "nights of bushido" which told the atrocities by japanese in the name of bushido.although they committed these atrocities when you understand the bushido code you can at least understand why and what they did. since reading it rather than repulsed i find myself looking back to the code of bushido that is the japanese version of chivalry and i am overtaken by the past.that's why i feel close to my katanas and need to name then.....Banzai (may the emperor live ten thousand years ) lol
i am looking for a shinken as a final statement and i will pay a lot for it and i already have a name "heavens breath "

 

[bizzybazza]

There are various verbal stories as to why a sword would be named and they vary from country to country, region to region, cult to cult, group to group.

Does a weapon NEED a name? Of course not. Is there any logic to it? Of course not. Does it MATTER? Of course not. It's silly to argue logistics behind any, it's just ... ridiculous. You could name it Charlie or Cardboard, Mother Blanking Something Or Other, Xenu or Zeus. It's still what it is.

Naming the sword, regardless of reason or occasion, is ALL about romance. Frogs aren't that romantic, as I remember, though they have a propensity for getting kissed regardless.

if you had a dog and loved it you would take some time to find a fitting name and not just call it "DOG" to me it is the same with my katanas which to be honest i like more than some pooch no matter how cute.naming a katana makes it more than an implement ,it gives it a piece of your soul.
so i say Banzai!!!! and watch out for "Red Mist" my latest addition to my collection

 

[Jenna]

if you had a dog and loved it you would take some time to find a fitting name and not just call it "DOG" to me it is the same with my katanas which to be honest i like more than some pooch no matter how cute.naming a katana makes it more than an implement ,it gives it a piece of your soul.
so i say Banzai!!!! and watch out for "Red Mist" my latest addition to my collection

I think "DOG" is an awesome name for a dog, specially all capitals like that.. Is your swords a he or a she? Or gender neutral?