Assassination Weaponry

Throwing Stars

Throwing Star or Shuriken is a basic throwing weapon with striking surfaces on all edges. It is specially designed to harm the target regardless of which end it lands on. Some throwing stars or shurikens are diced with poison to accomplish a quick kill. The Japanese art of Ninjitsu was most known for their use of the throwing star (shuriken). Being masters of concealment and deception, a quick release killing tool was ideal. Throwing stars usually come with 3 points and up to 8 points. They are very sharp and made of stainless steel or other hard metallic material. They are usually stashed in pouches and thrown at will at victims. Many years of practice is required to master the Shuriken throwing star. A wooden board or taret can be used to practice the art. The throwing star actually originated in China. Chinese Kung Fu encompasses many arts and even Ninjitsu can be traced back to China. The Shuriken or the Ninjitsu Star is a throwing weapon designed to lethally injure or kill the target. It is a stealth weapon as one can easily hide it. The throwing star is made of hard carbon steel and hard and sharp along the edges. It is thrown by gripping the shuriken with the index finger and thumb. Ninjitsu is in many ways a fusion of these philosophies to become it's own distinct flavor. The ninja clan was harrassed and complicated by the ruling sovereignty of Japan. The government of Japan considered them to be a threat, and rumors flew of their amazing powers. This made the Ninja clan particularly feared among the Shoguns and Samurai.The Ninja worked primarily as farmers and studied Ninjitsu as a means of defense and protection.

Katar

A Katar ,also known as a Bundi dagger, is a type of short punching sword that is native to the Indian subcontinent and popular elsewhere for swift and quick attacks. It is notable for its horizontal hand grip, which results in the blade of the sword sitting above the user's knuckles.
Typically, Katars were used in close range hand-to-hand combat, which is effective in armour piercing. The blade was often folded or corrugated for additional strength. Some knives have a mechanism responsible for making the blades split. This happens when the user pulls the hand grips together. In this variety of katar, two hand grips are used, so that the mechanism can be activated. This feature was often used to inflict a greater damage to the enemy, having the blades splitting inside of them and cleaving their insides. "Hooded katars" are katars with a shield extending over the back of the user's hand. Katars ceased to be in common use in the 19th century.
The Katar is one of the oldest and most characteristic of the Indian knife weapons. The peculiarity lies in the handle which is made up of two parallel bars connected by two, or more, cross pieces, one of which is at the end of the side bars and is fastened to the blade. The remainder forms the handle which is at right angle to the blade. The blades are always double-edged and are generally straight and with lengths from a few inches to about 3 feet. The blades of southern India are often made broad at the hilt and taper in straight lines to the point, and elaborately ribbed by grooves parallel to the edges. European blades of the 16th and 17th centuries were often used, especially by the Mahrattas and were always riveted to projections from the hilt.
Katars with native blades are often thickened at the point to strengthen them for use against mail and are often forged in one piece with the hilt. The blades are sometimes forked at the point, and katars with two, and even three blades occur. The Indian armorers occasionally made katars that were hollow and served as a sheath for smaller ones: or with three blades that folded together, appearing to be one, until the handle bars were pressed together, when they opened out. There is even a katar displayed at the City Palace Museum in Jaipur, with two single-shot pistols built into either side of the weapon. This is an innovative design, as it enables the user to immobilize at least two opponents even before having to use the blade. Many katars have guards for the back of the hand made with solid plates but many are elaborately pierced. Among the Mahrattas the gauntlet sword, called pata, was evolved from the katar. The Katar is a purely Indian weapon and is never found outside of India.
The katar is unique because to stab an opponent one has to punch instead of thrust, unlike when using a regular knife or dagger. This leads to much more acrobatic fighting styles. It is more like an extension of the fist than a dagger, and it seems more natural to attack and defend with a katar. Sometimes, a katar is also used as a main-gauche in dual blade fencing. When a katar with multiple blades is used, it is rather easy to catch any more traditional weapon (sword, staff) between them and get a hold. Katar wielder has an advantage in a narrow passage.
A longer bladed weapon similar to a katar is the pata. A similar style western weapon is the push dagger. Multibladed katar is sometimes called suwayah.
Katar is also a basic term for any short bladed weapon with the same handle as the one in the picture above, although stabbing is its primary purpose, many blunt ended Katars have been made, some with no tip at all.

Kunai

Many ninja developed weapons that were merely adapted farming tools, not unlike those used by Shaolin monks in China. Since Kunai were cheaply produced farming tools of a decent size and weight, and could be easily sharpened, they were readily available to be converted into simple weapons.
As with the shuriken and ninjutsu, the exaggeration persistent in ninja myths played a large role in creating the current pop culture image of kunai. In the mythology of ninja, the kunai is commonly portrayed to be a Japanese knife that is used for throwing as opposed to stabbing. As a weapon it is larger and heavier than a shuriken, and with the grip could also be used in hand to hand combat more readily than a shuriken. In addition, it could be used for climbing, as either a kind of grappling hook, or a piton.
The blade is shown shaped like a squashed octahedron, a rod for the handle with a ring on the end, extremely simple in design. It would be made of tempered steel, with sharpened edges, and polished to a shiny surface. The handle is wrapped in fabric or cord to act as a grip.

Fuma Shuriken

Fuma Shuriken (風魔手裏剣, Fuma Shuriken?) (also known as the "Shadow Windmill Shuriken" or the "Japanese Boomerang" or the "Windmill of Death") is a fictional weapon sometimes seen in Japanese media. Fūma literally translates to "Wind Demon". It is an enormous shuriken, which the user holds by the hole at the center of the weapon.It has four blades that can be sheathed as one, creating a sort of dagger.

Pole Arms

Japanese Polearms
Polearms are long, hafted weapons designed for two-handed use. Polearms were introduced to give the foot solider a weapon capable of dealing with the heavily armored knight and were developed in warfare for combatting mounted soldiers and those with heavy armor. The Japanese polearm, commonly called the "Naginata" is considered one of the fiercest polearms in history. The instrument developed from an agricultural implement but evolved into a weapon style of its own. Japanese warriors studied naginatajutsu (the art of the curved blade), a martial art devoted exclusively to the employment of the naginata in combat. The Japanese polearm or the Naginata, uses a top-quality samurai sword at the end of the pole, and the weapon is backed up by a long-developed and rigorous martial art. When combined with this expertise it was a formidable weapon. The naginata consisted of a katana quality blade attached to a wooden staff. Like other Japanese blades, the naginata was crafted of the highest quality materials and workmanship. The blade tang (portion which fits into the staff) was sometimes as long as the blade itself; thus, it was nearly impossible to break the blade off the staff.

Medieval Polearms
A pole arm is a weapon on the end of a stick and is specifically an infantry weapon. The additional reach the pole gives affords the wielder of the weapon the advantage of striking the enemy before he himself can be struck, or holding the enemy at a distance. The ultimate pole arm was the 18-21 foot pike - but an axe blade attached to a 5-foot-long haft is just as much a pole arm. The polearms increased leverage for cutting the armor and increased reach for reaching above the horse. The pole arm was developed in order to put infantry on even terms with cavalry. The evolution of the pole arm reflects the trends in armor and tactics in medieval warfare. Various types of weapons were employed during the medieval period. While the general use of weapon types is the same, they differed sufficiently to make it important to distinguish between them. Most weapons employed during the Middle Ages were either developments of hunting weapons or adaptations of agricultural implements. Arms developed from simple, basic forms into more sophisticated ones as the art of warfare developed over the centuries. Weapons from the late medieval period were either far more specialized than the models from which they sprang, or else were combination weapons trying to combine the strengths of the more specialized arms.

The different types of polearms common during the Middle Ages include:

Spears, primarily the thrusting weapons are daggers set atop a pole. They are ancient pole arms that can have a secondary cutting function, especially when the blade is lengthened considerably.

Pike is a very long weapon with a small iron head; the ranseur, spetum, and partisan are shorter weapons with side blades. Usually a spear with a shaft of 15' or longer is considered to be a pike and is designed to deliver a thrusting attack at an opponent at a long range. A common form of pike is the awl pike, a strictly piercing weapon, although there are many other forms of blades which were used.

Lance is a long spear carried by a mounted man. During the Middle Ages the weapon grew to an average length of about 14'. Different types of heads were attached to the end of the lance shaft to meet the requirements of varying opponents armor. It was generally a horseman's weapon and not a true footman's weapon.

Pole axes are heavy weapons with axe-like heads that are designed for maximum striking power and include the bardiche, halberd and the voulge or Lochaber axe. Many pole arms in the axe and cleaver families also had spear points to provide some secondary thrusting capability, but the primary use of these weapons was chopping at one's opponent rather than thrusting toward him. Pole axes can be double-bitted, backed by a spike, and/or topped off by a dagger (spear) point.

Fauchard is a development of the sickle and its curving blade could be used for both cutting and thrusting. The weapon offered little in the way of parrying or catching/holding and had no provision for dismounting opponents in its early and more common form.

Glaive is a knife-bladed spear having the thrusting function of the spear and the secondary cutting function of the convex blade of the knife. The increase in the size of the blade of these weapons brought them to the point where they nearly used by merging with cleaver-type weapons.

Guisarme belonged to a specific type Pole arms that got modified into highly efficient combination weapons. The guisarme was furnished with a sharp cutting edge along its convex side, probably from reverse spike to hook. It was soon combined with other forms of peasant weapons to make a second generation of highly effective, all-purpose pole arms.

Bill hook was almost same as the French guisarme, but its concave (hook) edge was the sharp one and had an L-shaped tine projecting forward. This arrangement was slightly more effective than the European guisarme. Being multi-function polearms, thye included a cutting surface, a spearlike spike, and hooks or curved blades on the back for dismounting riders. Bills, bill-guisarmes, glaive-guisarmes, and guisarmes are further extensions of this category of pole arms.
Military Fork had two efficient piercing points, for holding off an enemy, and sometimes a shorter third tine in the crotch of the fork, so that opponents were channeled into a third attack. But it lacked effective penetrating power with respect to heavily armored targets.

Ancient Swords

Chinese Swords
Being the instruments of potential lethality, swords need to be treated with respect and care. Recreated from the swords of the great kings, the Chinese swords represent the glorious art of swordmaking that beautifully illustrates the skills of the swordsmiths of Imperial China. The Chinese swords are usually adorned with beautiful and exquisite gold and silver inlay on the scabbard that is reminiscent of artistic motifs and art of the Warring States Period. The dao, or other single-edged swords are typical of Chinese art of swordmaking. The gold-gilded motifs of dragons on the fittings rendered in the archaic and ancient style represent the ancient Chinese glory. These stylistic dragon motifs are frequently appear used on the jades and bronze vessels of swords. The Chinese art of sword making involves sophisticated methods of forging and heat treating predated. Beautiful and functional laminating and folding patterns perfectly blended with elegant shapes and mataerial durability are the focal points of all ancient Chinese swords. The swords are often hand forged and they are laminated and folded with good patterning on the blades.

The basic types of straight bladed swords used in China include:
1.Wu Jian or "Martial Sword" that is fairly long and heavy.
2.Wen Jian or "Scholar's Sword" is substantially lighter and primarily carried for self- defense.

Samurai Swords
The Samurai sword has long been considered the symbol of old Japan and have defined the warrior for thousands of years. It stands for the power, ethics, duty, and self defense of a class of people that have shaped the face of civilization on this planet. The Samurai sword is indeed a beautiful work of art as well as a formidable weapon and the skill, exercise, mental development and sheer pleasure of owning this sword is unique. The actual process of creating genuine Samurai swords is very important, along with the quality of the steel, which determines the caliber of the blade. Each sword is individually hand forged, heat treated, polished and mounted, therefore no two swords are the same. Each one has individual characteristics that differentiate it from others swords, even it the style is same.

Antique Swords
A sword is a bladed weapon, consisting in its most fundamental design of a blade and a handle. The ancient swords are historical artifacts reproduced to their originality and shape. The blades of the ancient swords are usually of some hard metal ground to at least one sharp edge and often has a pointed tip for thrusting. The handle, called the hilt , can be made of many materials, but the material most common is wood covered by leather , fish skin or metal wiring. The ancient swords are made by using the traditional skills handed down from centuries of experience and reliability. Highly experienced and dedicated craftsmen with decades of valuable experience make all the products to their credit. Throughout history, these swords have not only been used as weapons but also as decorative items for homes & offices, for ceremonial purposes, as status symbols and for the collector.

Viking Swords
Vikings were the seafaring Scandinavian people who raided the coasts of northern and western Europe from the eighth through the tenth century. The Vikings spread all through Europe, raiding, trading and establishing colonies from Ireland to Russia. The ferocity of their attacks was known worldwide. The primary weapon of the Vikings was the sword. The Vikings admired the sword above all weapons and addressed them by fierce names. The swordsmiths during their times created beautiful swords using methods of pattern welding and cryogenic quenching. The typical Viking sword of the 9th and 10th centuries featured a long wide blade with a broad central fuller and two keen edges. The preferred stroke was a hard slash or chopping blow. A simple guard with forward curving quillions was combined with a utilitarian wooden handle covered with leather, bone, or brass. The distinctive feature of the Viking sword was its heavy 5 lobed pommel used to balance the long blade. Both guard and pommel bear traditional Celtic knot embellishments. The swords had both pommel and guard often inlaid with gold designs following the Viking style. The blade was usually hand forged from high carbon steel, with a fuller and capable of bending 5" out of line and return to true. The swords of the Vikings bear typical four viking symbols, "Tir"- Courage, "Ur"- Strength, "Elhaz"- Protection and "Sigel"- Success.

Greek Swords
The Greeks known for big achievements in politics, mathematics, sculpture, literature and philosophy, were fearsome warriors as well. The Greek swords were dual-purpose weapons with leaf-shaped blades. These blades were designed for both cutting and thrusting. With the advance of technology, swords became quaint curiosities. They were very much a weapon of second choice, drawn only once a hoplite's spear had been shattered in the spear-fighting. Fighting with spear and shield mainly required courage, strength and stamina to push on through the enemy line. In the Greek swords, the emphasis was placed on the downward cut and single-bladed swords were designed to maximise the force of the blow. They had a heavy single-edged blade, whose back was either straight or slightly concave, but not recurved. While the edge has a pronounced convex curve and broadens considerably towards the point. Greek swords usually feature fancy hilts and a scabbard decorated with ancient Greek scenes. They were often gold finished honoring one of the ancient world`s greatest warrior kings- Alexander. This sword commonly called a hoplite sword was named after the heavily armed Greek foot-soldier of the classical period. The hoplite sword was essentially a slashing weapon and was generally worn slung from a baldric over the right shoulder so that it hung almost horizontally on the left. The Greeks used "Machaira" and "Xiphos" for describing sword. They were made to a high quality from high carbon steel and twice tempered to achieve a high Rockwell hardness, before being polished.

Medieval Swords
The swords of medieval times between 500 to 1500 AD approximataely evolved from steel Celtic swords arising from a tradition of straight, double-edged swords. During the Middle Ages, the swords had blades just under a yard in length and the grip was designed for a single hand; the other hand left free to hold the shield. By the close of the Middle Ages, swords became stouter in design and more sharply pointed, the cut having been rendered less effective by improvements in armour. With the improvements in armoury, the shield became redundant and swords with hilts effectively accommodated both hands making their appearance grow in popularity. The medieval swords and other ancient weapons, throughout history have not only been used as weapons, but also as decorative items for homes & offices, for ceremonial purposes, as status symbols and for the collector. Nobles used renaissance and medieval swords to prove their status in ceremonial functions. The medieval swords boast of a hand cast hilt and a blade hand. Skilled craftsmen trained in the techniques of swordmaking create individually handmade functional swords. A must for historical collectors and for those who appreciate a quality functional weapon, the medieval swords revice the glorious medieval times. The beautifully detailed collectors swords bring the lore of the Medieval age to the decor.

Egyptian Swords
The Egyptian swords were a direct consequence of the introduction of metal without any stone predecessors. The swords have short wooden or ivory handles and long cutting edges that could only be achieved with a metal harder than copper. Initially bronze was first used for making swords and its natural temper could further be augmented by repeated heating, cooling and hammering. The curved Egyptian swords became the main weapon of the ancient infantry all around the Mediterranean. Egyptian swords were used for both cutting and stabbing. The blades of cutting swords were often bent and wide and those used for stabbing were straight ending in a sharp point and light-weight. They had the centre of gravity close to the handle. The scabbards were rarely used and had metal eyes to be fastened to a belt.

Ancient Daggers

Ancient Daggers

A dagger is essentially a special form of knife, where the tang is placed along the center line of the blade. Since ancient times, daggers have been used as not only as tools for the battlefield but to show the status of the warrior. Ancient daggers are perfect as a home decoration and conversation pieces, as well as for the collector or as stage props. The skills and abilities of the ancient metallurgist and craftsman used in manufacture of ancient daggers speaks volumes about the level of trade in metals and the metallurgical abilities. Ancient daggers can be double edged, although there are exceptions. The ancient dagger owned by Hindus were chiseled with the figures of God & Goddesses and holy verses, while on weapons owned by Muslims quotations from Koran and talismanic signs are frequent.

Medieval Daggers
The medieval daggers stand testimony to the Middle Ages when encounters with any stranger often led to bloodshed. The robust medieval daggers often have a wide blade to take a proper edge for general cutting as well as retaining the true dagger form. The clean and simple lines of the ornate daggers emphasize its strength and efficiency. The crafted designs of the dagger speak of the elegant styles involved to create classic lines in the blade forged to a sword point. The blade can be single or double edged with striking imprinted artwork. Providing sure fighting grip, the daggers may have various finishes of antique brass, stainless steel, pewter or nickel to offer the rustic look. Capturing danger and excitement, the dagger is generally used to fend off blows in close combat situations. The usage can also be for both for self-defense and for utilitarian purposes, both civil and military.

Egyptian Daggers
The unusual and beautiful Egyptian daggers are influenced by Egyptian designs and decoration. They are usually built with an awesome cast metal handle that features a highly detailed Egyptian king and lion's head. Smothered in hieroglyphics, the Egyptian dagger have a short classic cut blades for short distance combat. Available in various metal finishes of antique silver, copper, bronze, nickel or stainless steel, the daggers have a cast metal handle and scabbard that are engraved to perfection featuring highly detailed Egyptian hieroglyphics. The ceremonial style daggers have shining blades attached to metal handle that is intricately decorated with mummy-style pharaoh like figurines, with outstretched wings. Ancient Egyptian daggers usually bear intricately designed crosspiece and pommel. The distinct daggers also make a great addition to collectors collections of collectable daggers or can be given as a special occassion gifts.

Japanese Daggers
The Japanese daggers or tanto, completely revive the Japanese era. Combining traditional patterns and constructed with modern material, the Japanese daggers have blades with a traditional tang. The Japanese daggers are highly detailed with engravings covering the handle down to the scabbard. The saya (scabbards) are generally deep gloss lacquer or crackle finished in attractive color combinations. The saya is available with a black ring-carved section at the Saya Ito (scabbard wrapping). The Tsuka (handle) and the Tsuka Ito (handle wrapping) are all available in varying degrees of decoration and engravings. The daggers thus, are good for both the martial artist and the collector. The daggers usually have extremely sharp single or double edged, decorated blade made of different metals. In the traditional Japanese society, presenting gifts was an integral part of proper etiquette and rewards for service were usually bladed weapons. Used for close range skirmishes, the Japanese daggers serve as impressive decorative items, collectibles, props or out-of-the-ordinary gifts.

Chinese Daggers
Chinese daggers represent some of the most skillfully crafted weapons. The daggers were apparently used as ritual objects in addition to their use as weapons. Chinese daggers are distinctive pieces of ancient weaponry found over most of the Chinese peninsula. The blade edges of the daggers are usually sharp and the carving on the handle and blade are done well. Some daggers are very elaborate and unwieldy and could serve only ritual purposes. The Chinese daggers are seen as indespensible part of the basic paraphernalia of a Chinese. Ingeniously handcrafted, they are the famous traditional handcrafts of the Chinese. The daggers are of unique designs and exquisite workmanship serving not only as weapons, but also as ornaments. Based on the materials used and the level of craftsmanship in the making of the dagger, the prices of daggers can range heavily. Most Chinese daggers have curved blades, and hilts made of either wood, horn, copper, and inlaid with fine designs and patterns of bright colors. The handles and blades are designed specifically for the kind of use they will get.

Samurai Daggers
Samurai daggers are a very convenient tool and a weapon for Japanese. It looks like a spearhead with a short grip and serves as a knife, a gimlet, a shovel, a small hammer, and a throwing cutter. It can be compared to an army knife today. A wide range is available, in varying degrees of decoration, to satisfy the needs of both the martial artist and the collector. An object of great beauty, Samurai dagger's finely polished surface has an intrinsic elegance, which is unique. Superior craftsmanship in the making of these beautiful daggers, makes them highly collectible and a superb display for the den or office. Various designs are based on existing pieces in museums or private collections. These are constructed out of high-grade casting alloy metal. These daggers are intended for collection, display, costuming, and decoration.