I’ve done a few posts in the past on ninjas and ninja weapons, so if you’ve spent any time on this blog, you’ll know that ninjas are a favorite topic of mine. I found an interesting weapon which raises a thorny philosophical question about ninjas, but I’ll save my little diatribe until after you’ve seen the weapon that inspired it:
This, my dear friends, is a (supposedly) modern ninja sword. And it certainly looks the part. It’s got a really cool futuristic looking perforated black cylindrical grip, with a polished pommel. The scabbard also features a cylindrical design, with matching perforations at it’s bottom end.
The guard is equally modern looking, featuring two semicircular sectors with, you guessed it, perforations, and and two cutouts directly opposite each other to accommodate a cool little sub sheath attached to the scabbard, that hides yet another small blade.
The blade, well, it’s pretty par for the course as ninja blades go, featuring the standard single edged straight blade with a sharply angled chisel point style tip. Nothing to phone home about. It’s all been pretty well done though, and it’s name, Shinobi Blade Runner, conjures up images of a futuristic ninja, stalking the streets of the future with this trusty Shinobigatana on his back…
And it is exactly at that point when the obsessive compulsive nerd in my head politely, but really annoyingly, decides to interject: “I have a question!” he wheezes, raising his hand with a smug grin, “Why would a modern ninja even use a sword?” Dagnabbit! Good question. That annoying little geek has a point. Because, you see, unlike a Samurai, a ninja is not duty or honor bound to use his sword.
The ninja viewed his weapons, including his sword, as tools. Nothing more, nothing less. In fact, a ninja used whatever tools were available to get the job done. Roofing tiles, washers nails, sticks, garden trowels, whatever. Now back in feudal Japan, a sword was a very useful tool indeed. However, if there was a better one, they would have used it. Well guess what! There are. They’re called combat knives and firearms. *Gasp!* No!
Yes. Or, even closer to traditional ninja form, silenced firearms. You see, a sword is an almost pointless tool today, because it’s too large, ungainly, and conspicuous. And standing out is generally anathema to a good ninjas modus operandi. Today, they would use one or two smaller, more easily concealable combat knives, and a few, easily concealed, silenced hand guns. No need for a sword whatsoever.
Hence the annoying little voice in my head. Yes, this weapon is cool. It just that the idea of such a weapon makes no sense. And the little dweeb in my head knew that full well, long before he even raised his scrawny little hand. I would insert a ninja in there to shut him up, but he’d probably have to kill the stupid little dork.
Maybe if I armed the ninja with a taser… 😀
Shinobi Blade Runner – [Red Dragon Sword Co.]
The Realm Of The Dark Blade 
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