About Sword Forum International
Revised 10/11/05
Sword Forum International was founded in June 1998 and has since served the international community as an information website, an educational organization and conservation society which promotes history and culture through the study of swords and swordsmanship. Here is a unique blend of collectors, scholars, sword makers, metallurgists, practitioners, artisans, blacksmiths, published authoris and more.
SFI is a community-driven website and operates "out-of-pocket." It's moderators and administrators contribute freely of their valuable time and expertise to foster a warm and friendly learning environment, all as a labor of love. Honorary Educational Advisors are comprised of bladesmiths and sword makers, and many leading instructors of various swordsmanship styles preserve the ancient traditions.
We believe in fostering a sense of international unity through the appreciation of the development of arms and armor developed though the ages by different ethnicities, as well as inspiring good moral values through education.
Though the sword was birthed in brutal times in ancient years, we have come to treasure the sword not only as a focal point of the study of the arts, craftsmanship, metallurgy, science and technology but in a broader context we esteem the sword as an icon of the human experience where history, culture, humanities and personal development —
and values which have been eroded in modern society — and is therefore important towards the
cherishing of life and the preservation of all that is good. In studying swords, we learn not only who we are but what we may be, hence our motto is "Educate, Enlighten, Enhance and Equip."
Swords are far more than physical objects for the wielding of reckless, senseless and violent individuals. Regardless of their culture of origin, because swords inspire virtue within all of us, and because of the inward transformation they cause and the convictions and principles they renew within us, the sword is rather an instrument of preserving life and a window into a world of wonderful learning, understanding, and enrichment of others.
This has been our commitment since our founding, and has been our labor of love.
Sword Forum International appeals also to sword makers, artists, craftsmen, martial artists, historians, researchers, museum curators,
conservationists and members of academia. We are honored to have many of the world's leading sword makers as part of our fellowship and relationships with many fine museums, institutions and antique dealers around the world.
"Those who are enlightened never stop forging themselves. " - Morihei Ueshiba, the Founder of Aikido (1883 - 1969)
"... I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its
swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." J.R.R. Tolkien by Faramir in Lord of the Rings
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