Man admits threatening people with Samurai sword
Date Published January 27, 2009
Northgate, United Kingdom - A man utilizes a Samurai sword to threaten people with along with a Bowie knife, a court was told.
Jordan Walker, 26, of Five Acres, Northgate, pleaded guilty at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Monday to the use of threat of unlawful violence, or affray, and possession of a bladed and sharply pointed article in a public place.
According to Prosecutor Richard Lynn, police went to Northgate Parade to investigate a report of a robbery on the afternoon of January 12.
They spotted Walker approach three other men in a nearby alleyway.
Richard Lynn said witness how Walker was waving a Samurai sword above his head. Walker and three other men started to walk away upon seeing the police officers. He dropped the sword and was arrested on the spot.
A search revealed he was also carrying the Bowie knife hidden inside his clothing.
The suspect claimed that he had earlier been attacked by a group of men. He went home where he collected the sword and the knife and returned to Northgate Parade.
“I saw red, man,” Walker told an interviewing officer. He claimed the sword had been resting on his shoulder and was not being menacingly waved.
Defending solicitor Geoff White explained: “A genuine Samurai sword is a very sharp and dangerous weapon. But this was not a real one. It was a replica - an ornament meant to be hung on a wall.”
Presiding Magistrate Mrs Elaine Richards said she felt the sentencing powers of the bench were not sufficient to deal with the case.
She said: “There was an element of premeditation because you went home to get the weapons. People being threatened would not have known it was not a real sword and you were carrying a further weapon.”
Walker was committed on bail to Lewes Crown Court, on a date to be announced, for sentencing.
City sword killer gets life sentence
Date Published: January 5, 2009
Glasgow, Scotland - A man who murdered a father-of-one with a sword after a row at a party has been jailed for life.
Scott Nesbitt, 23, almost sliced Morgan Proctor’s head in two during the attack at a flat in Townhead in May.
Proctor, a 38-year-old window cleaner, had only gone to the party because his young niece felt threatened.
Judge John Morris QC at the High Court in Glasgow ordered Nesbitt to serve at least 13-and-a-half years in jail before he can apply for parole. The judge said he was reducing the term from 15 years to take into account Nesbitt’s guilty plea.
During the trial, the court heard that Nesbitt attacked Mr Proctor in the street with a 2ft-long blade after an earlier row involving a number of men and youths at a party in a flat in Taylor Place.
Pleas accepted
The blow caused “almost complete detachment” of the jaw from his upper face. Proctor died almost instantly after suffering a 27cm (11in) wound.
Nesbitt later turned up at a friend’s house having changed his clothes and said he had “chopped” a man in the street with a sword. James Nesbitt, 24, George McKay, 23, and Christopher Milligan, 23, also faced a murder charge but their not guilty pleas were accepted.
Simone Nesbitt, 20, was accused of assaulting Proctor. Her not guilty plea was also accepted.
California Police Kills Man Swinging Samurai Sword
Date Published: January 11, 2009
Modesto, California - Authorities on Monday officially released the name of a Modesto man who was shot and killed by a police officer over the weekend after being spotted waving a samurai sword.
Sgt. Brian Findlen, Modesto police spokesman, says Richard Phillip Robles, 45, was seen brandishing the two- to three-foot long sword outside a Doubletree Hotel shortly after 5 a.m. on Sunday.
Officer Latisha Leap was sent to the scene but wasn’t clear why Robles approached the officer with his long sword.
After the shooting, Robles was taken to the hospital and died about an hour later.
The mother of the slain man, Polly Robles, divulged that her son had been taking medication for mental health problems but wasn’t a violent person. She said she didn’t know why he confronted police with the sword.
Findlen said that officers are trained to consider suspects armed with pointed objects a serious threat because their protective vests aren’t knife-proof.
Leap, who has been on the force for three years, was placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
Shocking Leeds samurai sword attack caught on video
Published Date: 14 January 2009
Oakwood, Leeds - A security guard faced his shocking moment when he came face-to-face with a robber armed with a Samurai sword upon delivering cash to a Leeds bank.
Police are in the process of probing the frightening raid at the Lloyds TSB branch in Roundhay Road, Oakwood, Leeds in which a large sum of money was grabbed.
Detectives suspect the robber, who struck at about 2.25pm on January 6, may have escaped by running through nearby Gipton Woods.
The robber threatened the guard with the sword and ordered him to hand over the money. He then jumped into his run away red Mazda MX5 sports car. The said sports car was stolen the previous evening from the Cross Gates area of the city.
Shortly after the bank robbery, the Mazda was dumped in nearby Back Wetherby Grove, Oakwood. Two men were seen to smash open the stolen cash box using a sledge hammer before fleeing the scene. The bank notes were found contaminated with red or purple dye.
The police detained two men nearby in connection with the robbery, but questioning is ongoing.
Detective Inspector Nick Wallen said police were open to speak to anyone who saw the raider escaping from the bank area or two men in Back Wetherby Grove abandoning the Mazda. Contact North East Leeds CID on 0113 2413286.
Watch a video footage of a security robbery attacked with a samurai sword. Click here.
Technorati Tags: California Police Kills Man Swinging Samurai Sword, City sword killer gets life sentence, man admits threatening people, samurai sword news, Shocking Leeds samurai sword attack caught on video
January 27 2009 | antique swords | No Comments »
The Antique Swords blog has received inquiries on how to find buyers of their swords or sword collection. Reader Kim L. sent us an inquiry:
Q: “Hi, We have been asked to liquidate several Marto Fantasy Collection Swords, new in box. Do you have any recommendations on finding buyers? Thanks for your time.”
Alien Invader Fantasy Sword
A: When selling sword collections, you should consider the type of swords you plan to sell. It simply means not all buyers look for the same swords so finding a match is limited. Fantasy swords by Marto of Spain generally command a conservative price than antique swords, samurai swords, Europeans weapons and armors among others. Why not sell your Marto Fantasy Sword collection to eBay or Amazon? Start selling your sword collection on Amazon (click here). or on eBay by clicking here. If you want to cut down on possible shipping costs and sell locally, try Craigslist. Good luck Kim with your quest on finding buyers.
For those of you who have other kind of sword collections. Here is our list of places to view and check where to sell your sword collection - plus a site (Sword Auctions) for identification of swords:
Lion Gate Arms and Armour
Check out Lion Gate to sell your genuine swords in good condition by clicking here.
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Sword Academy
Do you have European arms and armour you want to sell?
We are always looking for good quality European weapons and armour - both authentic and replicas. If you have something to sell - historical pieces in particular - contact us with the details. Please include the condition, manufacturer, photo (if available) etc. Also, if you are interested in purchasing from us or have questions about something we are selling, email us at the address below. Please do not contact us with items other than European weapons and armour.
Japanese Sword
Selling your sword to us is the fastest way to get your money. However, you will not realize as much money selling it to us as you will consigning it. That’s because if we put up our own money, we expect a greater return than if we don’t.
Generally speaking, we will offer you approximately 30% less than what we expect to sell the item for. Let’s say you have a SukeSada we expect to fetch $1000. We may offer to buy it off you for $700. I say “generally speaking” because the 30% margin usually applies only to swords that we can expect to sell reasonably quick (within 30 days). If what you have for sale is something obscure, requires significant restoration or is not in demand, that margin may increase to as much as 50%.
To sell us a sword, please contact us to give a description of the item. Pictures are best. With that information we could give you an estimate as to what it is worth. However, we do need the sword in hand to make the final assessment. So you will have to send the sword to us for inspection. Please insure the sword for its full replacement value. We are not responsible for items in transit. References gladly provided if you need it.
If we do not come to terms, we will ship the sword back to you at our expense. If we do come to terms we will pay you with Certified Funds.
Sword Auctions
Selling a sword can be a fraught and costly process; dealers looking to make large profits out of you, auctions charging large percentages to sell through them. Did you know the average seller’s premium at an auction house is 20% of the hammer price; that is what you pay them. Plus of course you have to get the sword to them in the first place.
Basically, if you have a sword that interests me, I will offer you the current typical auction house sales price for it based on sales of similar swords in recent auctions, plus pay for the postage to me (you have to pack it at your own expense, but strong industrial strength cardboard boxes from which you can make a sword box can be obtained for free from most garages - they receive car parts in these boxes and then throw them away).
Technorati Tags: buy sell, marto fantasy swords, sword collection buyers, sword identification
January 15 2009 | collectible swords | 4 Comments »
In the realm of modern sword collecting, a sword can be used a decoration or a piece of weapon, or both. A sword collector aims to boast a collection of good-looking antique swords. Taking care of swords as just as important as expanding the array of your sword collection. To achieve gleaming and rust-free swords, one should maintain the good condition these swords have since the day you first got them. Read on for tips and suggestions to maintain antique swords you have.
Rust-free
When it comes to swords, humidity plays a crucial factor whether your collection develop rust or not. It is wise to store your collection in a sealed case with enough desiccants to maintain humidity below about 30% to avoid getting rust, most especially in high humidity areas.
Look for ways to protect your swords from skin contact. Upon any contact between bare hands and steel swords will leave oils and salts that will devour its way into your blade and eventually leave pits. Another effective way to avoid rust is not touching the blade and wipes it off once it is touched. Exposed steel will most probably rust over time. Inspect your swords at least once a year and look for new rusty areas. Use fine steel wool or Nev-R-Dull on them.
In cases when your swords have rusts. Two methods can be tapped to clean the rust off the steel: chemicals and abrasion cleaning.
Chemical Cleaning
This method of applying chemicals is the simplest way to clean swords. With a quick application of light oil to the blade, let it sit for a few minutes before wiping with a soft cloth. Repeat the procedure for signs of stubborn rusts. It will remove any loose scale and prevent any further damage to the sword.
Nev-R-Dull is the most recommended for a mild chemical cleaner. This chemical cleaner is simply a penetrating oil and cotton wadding. It is an inexpensive and safe to use as it removes light surface rust and dirt after wiping it off. It is a great solution for rusts caused by light handling and humidity.
Abrasive Cleaning
The top choices to remove light surface rust are oil and steel. Abrasive cleaning doesn’t require special training since you basically rub the surface with the options mentioned below to make your swords rust-free. “Scotch Brite” pads and olive oils can do the trick for the more kitchen inclined collectors.
A piece of copper used to rub the steel will remove the rust as well. Coper is a better alternative to iron because copper is softer than iron hence won’t scratch the surface as well. A brass wire brush works the same way but only effective for swords heavily pitted with rust. Make sure to test it a small area first before rubbing the whole blade. Better yet, test if abrasive cleaning would leave scratches on the blade.
To Clean or Not to Clean
Closely monitor the blades to see when it is cleaning time. Do clean when handling (skin contact) has been made. For small or noticeable spots of rusts, decide the kind of cleaning suitable for the antique swords. Keep in mind not to harm the blade and create more harm than good thereby destroying its value.
Do not attempt to clean the blade when you wish to transform an old sword to make it look new. Don’t try to polish any brass parts of the sword since it destroys the patina.
Caution
Remember not to take cleaning of swords lightly. The blade is extremely sharp and can cause serious injury when mishandled. Never clean or oil the blade holding the edge towards you. Use discretion and common sense when working around other people. When in doubt or any signs of obvious damage of your antique sword during cleaning, it is wise to halt the cleaning and consult a professional.
Technorati Tags: Caring for Antique Swords, collection, how to take care clean swords blades
January 06 2009 | antique swords | 2 Comments »