The Harry Potter movie series is actually an adaptation of the popular fantasy novel written by acclaimed author J.K. Rowling. The story was about wizards and witches in a magical world outside of reality, and it revolved around one boy named titled Harry Potter, a young orphan boy who eventually discovered that he was more than just an orphan under the care of his cruel and mistreating uncle and aunt. Harry Potter soon realized that he was a wizard, who belonged in a different world, and that while he had a dark past as a child; he also had a destiny to fulfill.

Harry potter then goes into the wizard world and enrolls in the famous school Hogwarts, where all young wizards learn to practice their magic. Together with his newfound wizard friends, Harry enters lives an adventure beyond the school grounds, trying to defeat the dark Lord Voldemort, the evil wizard responsible for killing his real parents and was preparing to take over the entire world. The story shows that it seems that only Harry had the power to stop him.

Since this movie came out, even more fans of the Harry Potter series came about. The world was filled with the Harry Potter craze and everyone was suddenly interested in wizards and magic. Because of this, movie and novel fans alike would certainly want to have their own collectible wand to have in their own collection.

In the story you will know that each wizard has his or her personal wand, which they get when they first enter school. It is known that the wands are the ones that choose its owner based on personality and magic, so no two wands are ever alike. This means that even amongst the main characters alone collectors will find a unique wand for each wizard.

Because of this, getting an entire collection of Harry Potter Wands can be a very exciting hobby to work with. You will realize how accurate each wand is made based on the descriptions of the novel and the movie, bringing to life the fantasies you used to only find on film.

Another unique class of collectible swords today is the Samurai swords. While these swords may only a little difference with the appearance and design of their closely related Japanese and Ninja swords, the Samurai swords’ historical and cultural significance and basis was distinct. Because of this, avid sword collectors will want a piece, if not all of this category in their collection as well. This holds true especially for those who are fond of weapons and novelty items that are of Asian origin.

There was a bit of evolution that went on in history as to the meaning of the word Samurai. In the pre industrial periods, it was the noble class of military officials that were called the Samurai. Later on, it was noticed by many that the Japanese character used to mean Samurai also had similarities to the Chinese character which read “saburau”, which refers to the act of serving or accompanying someone who belongs to the elite class of society. Later on, the two cultures shared the same new interpretation of the written symbol which was “to serve the noble class of society.”

With respect to culture and ways of life, the Samurai followed a special code of conduct known as the “Bushido”. It’s pretty much like chivalry in the western counterpart, so the Samurai also take great importance in values like loyalty, frugality, discipline and honor.

While the Samurai was trained to learn how to effectively use various weapons, the only Samurai sword that was truly associated with them was the katana.

The history and lifestyle of the Samurai is a very rich one, and a great part of it is found in the Samurai swords. No wonder sword collectors and historians take interest in them so much. In either case, these swords will look great in anybody’s collection of swords.

Swords are the most common among the types of weapons that were once used in the Middle Ages, an era somewhere between the 5th and the 16th centuries of history. Swords were a symbol of nobility and power to most cultures and they were supposed to reflect the personality of the one carrying the weapon. Aside from that, swords were a practical weapon to have around. These blades were generally easy to carry around even though they were heavy. And while they can be swung with one or two hands, swords are strong enough to cause harm to those who threatened the one wielding it. As such, most of the most famous weapons used in wars set in the Middle Ages, whether historical or fictional, were indeed swords.

The love for Medieval Weapons and the art that comes with it was carried all the way to the modern age.  Now many people make a serious hobby out of collecting all swords that were once used in the Middle Ages.  Of course, if you want to have a really good collection you want to make sure that each and every single addition will be authentic, durable and of high quality. You also want to have them at really good prices.

Among these great swords are the signature swords designed by Christian Fletcher and Angus Tim, namely the Bristol Signature Edition Sword and the Castile Signature Sword, both from Valiant Armory. Both swords are forged with 1060 high carbon steel and come with a leather wrap, belt and a scabbard. What sets the two apart is the design, as each of them were made to be unique. The scabbard and handle of the Bristol Signature Sword are wrapped in oxblood quality leather. On the other hand, the Castile’s handle is wrapped in leather and the scabbard is made of wood.

Aside from being officially licensed products of Valiant Armory, both Medieval swords are sharpened and fully functional, making for an absolutely flawless quality. While the specs may vary per piece, these differences are slight and they all generally make great additions to your collection.

IF you are new to the field of sword collecting, here is a link that i think will help you differentiate the various types of swords.

Swords are generally categorized by their blade shape, size and so on. The following page on Wikipedia will help you better understand the difference between those general categories:

Sword Terminology and Typology

Ninjas refer to specially trained warriors originating from Japan that utilize unorthodox methods of fighting in war. While they are sometimes closely related to the samurai or the common Japanese swordsman, they are distinct in a sense that they employ a mixture of illusion, martial arts, and a variety of weapons in order to complete a certain set of tasks. Ninjas are often deployed to do spy work or assassination jobs or other tasks that require an art of concealment or deception. Thus, the popular idea that Ninjas never attack their opponents head to head without a sneaky trick up their sleeve is a relatively true.

While ninjas are trained to be incredibly agile and self-reliant, part of their expertise in trickery and combat are found in the wide array of weapons that they have been known to use. The reason why these weapons have become so interesting to many and popular to even more is because they are totally different from the commonly expected weapon of a Japanese warrior, and are usually designed for a very specific, if not exclusive reason.

Despite the variety of weapons that ninjas use, however, one can still find the ninjato or the Ninja sword as their common weapon. They are a bit shorter than the traditional samurai swords and have straight blades. Much of these characteristics can be found in the Hanwei Practical Ninjato Sword.

Ninjas also have sharp projectile weapons like the Kohga Ninja Star and the Ninja Spike Set which they use to impale their targets from a distance. As a matter of fact, the ninja star has been one of the most popular trademarks of the ninja. To many, a ninja is not complete in his image without one of these.

Another ninja weapon would be the Kuma Claw. Claws are also well known ninja weapons that are strapped to the warrior’s hands and feet. These claws are used both as climbing tools as well as lethal weapons.

There are also more Ninja weapons out there that are sought after by Ninja enthusiasts, such as the Ninja Bo Staff. One can see more than one of these weapons used in many ninja and martial arts films.

Thanks to the popularity of the Rambo movie series, each knife that was used in the series also became hugely popular. Each movie had a uniquely designed knife. Owning the Rambo knives used in these movies is now every collector’s ambition.

In this article, we shall talk about each knife that was designed for the movie. We shall also talk about why the knife is unique and why this knife should find a place in the knife collector’s collection.

The Original Rambo knife that was used in the first movie of the Rambo series is 14” long. This knife has a one edge which is sleek and sharp and the other edge of the knife has saw like teeth. The length of the blade alone is 9”.  It can come in handy when you go back packing into the woods or trekking in the mountains. You can use this knife to cut twigs to make a fire for cooking. You can also use this to cut the meat or fish that you plan to prepare. You can use this knife to clear up the area where you would like to set up your camp. Now, with so many benefits who would not want to own one!

The Rambo II Movie knife was designed for use in Rambo 2 where Slyvester Stallone goes to Vietnam on a rescue mission. This knife is similar is shape to the knife used in the first part; however, the length of this knife is close to 16”. The 6” long handle of this knife is hollow and this knife comes with a leather sheath. This knife is very handy when you plan outdoor trips. It can help you collect the requirements for setting up basic shelter and also get your food. Once you try this, you will never want another one!

The Rambo III movie knife is huge and is 18” long with the blade length of 13”. This knife does not have a straight handle. The handle is slightly wavy and is made of wood. The saw like edges are not present in this knife. The benefits of the knife are the same as in the other two knives. If you want a handsome looking knife in your collection, then you should buy this.

The Rambo 4 movie knife signature edition is  18” long with the blade being 12” long. The blade is broader and does not taper like it does in the other three knives. This knife looks like a machete. The design of the blade is such that it can do just about anything. It can cut bamboo, grass, coconuts and help prepare a pathway through jungle with ease. It can cut through any meat with ease too. With so many uses for it, it should be a main contender for your collection!

Chinese swords have a very long and rich history in China, From the beginning where stone were used in their creation to a more advanced period were swords were made of iron and steel, China as always produced a great variety of swords.

I wrote a small article about the history of Chinese swords, though you might want to read it. Feel free to leave your comments.

Here are few books you should consider reading if you are interested in medieval weapons and swords in general:

• Swords of the Viking Age
  by Ian Peirce, Ewart Oakeshott
• Records of the Medieval Sword
  by Ewart Oakeshott
• The Sword in the Age of Chivalry
  by Ewart Oakeshott
• The Book of the Sword
  by Richard F. Burton
• Swords and Daggers: An illustrated Handbook
  by Eduard Wagner
• The Encyclopedia of the Sword
  by Nick Evangelista

These are just a few of the book you can read to learn more about this passionate subject. Personally i would recommend you start with the books written by Ewart Oakeshott, this guy is probably one of the greatest expert in the medieval arms and armour.

Lord of the Rings is perhaps one of the most watched movies of all time.  Written by J. R. R. Tolkien several decades ago but was only made into a movie this past decade.  Not only is the movie well-made but the movie props were amazing – especially the lord of the Rings medieval swords.  A lot of the LOTR enthusiasts collect these swords and attend conference and hobbit meetings.  If you are not into miniatures, you may be interested in Lord of the Ring replica swords.

Totally like the real ones in terms of design and make, these swords probably have the best medieval sword concept.  They show heroic personality and fearlessness of the characters.  The swords which were patterned in Lord of the Rings are considered unique and almost antique collection – they are considered as the best swords ever designed in history.

One of the most familiar LOTR swords is the LOTR Sting – Sword of Frodo, which was originally carried by Bilbo Baggins and later gave it to Frodo.  The most interesting thing about this sword is it glows when it senses that the Orcs are near.  Another popular character of the book is Legolas with his LOTR Legolas Fighting Knives; dual wielding swords with soft sweeping curves which harkens the natural world.

Another well-made LOTR sword is the LOTR Hadhafang – Sword of Arwen, the elven sword which once belonged to Idril, the elevn princess.  Hadhafang means Throng Cleaver in elven tongue.  One more LOTR sword favorite is the famous sword LOTR Narsil – Sword of King Elendil, which was shattered when it fell during the balltle of Sauron.  This is the same sword used to cut the ring off Sauron’s finger.  Narsil was reforged later as Anduril.

The Narsil/Anduril may be the most important of all LOTR swords featured in the movie, it is the mightiest of all weapons and it carries the plot device – like the One Ring.  But one should not limit their collection to this specific sword.  Try to collect all LOTR swords. Much like the One Ring, it needs the Rings of Power to conquer Middle Earth.

When thinking of bladed weapons, many first think of Samurai swords and there is a good reason for that. These swords are famous around the world because of their beauty and effectiveness, both features which were perfected by the Samurai which dominated a thousand years of history in Japan and who are known to be excellent warriors and swordsmen. Today the Samurai swords are still being forged with the methods that were developed over the centuries in Japan and this makes these weapons in almost all cases fully functional swords that are highly suited for practicing with or for using in competitions or demonstrations.

The most common kinds of Samurai swords are katana and wakizashi, and they are different only in their size with the katana being the full sized sword and the latter being a medium sized weapon. Both forms are widely used in several martial arts disciplines, such as Kendo, Jiu Jitsu, Ninjutsu and Aikido. A Samurai sword that is to be used for training, practicing and competitions must meet standard safety requirements and be able to withstand the usage. A battle ready Samurai sword meets all those points because of the blade which is forged with varying strengths of high carbon steels.  This makes the sword resistant to breaking and cracking, but also strong enough to cut or hold up to the impact of an oncoming weapon. A good sword will also be balanced and have a handle that is wrapped with a material that is easy to grip, even when being held by sweaty hands.

There are many beautiful Japanese Samurai swords for sale and therefore it is best to see what is around before deciding on the best one, or even more for that matter. Not only are these swords functional, but they are also great to put on display for all to see. There are many sets with all sizes of the Samurai swords included and which include a stand, but it is also possible to have different styles of swords put on wall mounts or other racks. They are impressive weapons that will not only be interesting to martial artists or sword enthusiasts.