Kill Bill Sword
The director, Quentin Tarantino had a box office hit with his two-part movie, Kill Bill. Inspired by the martial arts films that he had grown up watching, there were some memorable fight scenes and fans can buy replicas of the various Kill Bill swords. Part One came out in 2003, followed by Kill Bill 2 the next year. The stars were David Carradine (Bill), Uma Thurman (The Bride), Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, and Michael Madsen.
Japanese Samurai stories were very much in Tarantino's mind when he shot the film. It is a story of brutal revenge following Bill's attempt to have the Bride murdered on her wedding day. The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, of which the Bride was a former member, are the assassins who make the attempt. The Bride sets out to get her revenge on each member but she needs a special weapon to do it with. This is where the Kill Bill sword comes in. The Bride goes to Okinawa to ask Hattori Hanzo, a legendary swordsmith, to come out of retirement to make her a katana. This is a type of long single edged, curved Japanese sword, used by the Samurai of feudal Japan. The katana has achieved mythical status because of its efficiency in cutting and its remarkable sharpness. The katana is often depicted in anime films and manga books.
Hanzo makes the best sword that he, or anyone else in history, has made and the Bride is ready to exact her revenge. The swordsmith claims that 'if she met God, even God would be cut by the sword'. This is rather special movie memorabilia to collect, as the Kill Bill swords are beautiful to look at. Pulpfictionwallets.com supply a full size replica of the sword used in the film and a Tanto sword, which is a smaller version of the sword. These are both non-sharpened for safety. Many collectors use the Tanto as a letter opener. Kingofswords.com has replicas of the Bride's sword and of Bill's sword. The Bill version is autographed by David Carradine and is engraved with a leather style wrapped handle. The black scabbard is decorated with the Demon symbol. The Bride's Kill Bill sword has a cast metal pommel and collar and the Hanzo Lion symbol is engraved on the blade.
The aptly named Hanzoswords.com make swords, daggers and knives. The Kill Bill sword is autographed by Michael Madsen, who plays Bill's brother Budd. The range also includes swords autographed by Carradine. These swords make beautiful display items and can be bought with a sword stand, protective sheath cloth and cleaning kit to keep them in pristine condition. There are also Kill Bill T-shirts and sofa cushions. Battle Oades Ltd. have hand forged Bride swords and Budd's katana. The long and short versions of the swords come with gold motif and silvered mounts.
