Such a disappointment 

If you didn't see Herron marked blades as this then you're a fool.

So amazing! What a great representation, and seeing the concept art was cool.

Thanks Jason!

I like the music.

3 hours ago, Elgee said:

I like the music.

oh my gosh! a lot of folks hoped that was from the series, it was a great choice.

it's so beautiful 

On 12/2/2020 at 6:05 PM, Tamaska2000 said:

Such a disappointment 

Agreed. They highlight the text from the book, then ignore the line which mentions it has short braided quillons, ("Short quillons, worked to look like braids, flanked the hilt.") not a tsuba. As I recall it's also meant to come to a point, more like a Swiss sabre than a katana (at least that's how it's always been drawn). This is hardly unique, and though it looks pretty enough, it's just a katana, there are a billion of these, and most of them are generic knock off crap. Tam's sword was a more unique design, simply because you don't see crossguards on a slightly curved blade, with a long hilt. It's a more rare conformation of sword elements, and it suggests something more of another world than just y'know a famous Japanese sword design (even though it's really just a Swiss sword design, it's a rare one). I mean there have been illustrations of the damn sword in books for years! This should have been one of the easy things to get right. Sigh... 

On 12/2/2020 at 8:05 PM, Tamaska2000 said:

Such a disappointment 

lol why

I believe I might have said this a few times and will repeat myself here: 

We must let go of all the tiny details that are not 100% right. No book to TV transfer has ever been done in such a way and Wheel of Time will be no different. Let’s not hold this to a unreasonable standard no one has yet to meet. 

I’m so happy that in the time that we are in, this project didn’t get canceled and we have a show that I think most of us have been dreaming for. It has Brandon Sanderson and Harriet McDougall working on it and I know that means we will get a superb story for us to enjoy.  
 

The music is a bit Pirate’s of the Caribbean for me. ?

i'm sort of sad that we got just another katana - doesn't really follow the books at all.

Looking forward, if they proceed with the series into the other books - how will he be branded without the herons on the hilt? those are sort of defining moments of the early series, no?

Its a beautiful piece, but its not Tams sword, its just a heron marked katana ( a tsuba instead of quillions, missing a point, no herons on the hilt)

I didn't really expect a katana.  I always pictured the "heron mark" to actually be stamped into the blade.  Really, anything glued onto the blade (especially near the hilt) is going to be knocked off - or severely damaged - in the first sword fight.  Maybe that's what happened with the one sitting on the work bench in the picture?  LOL!

18 hours ago, Mike_B_SVT said:

I didn't really expect a katana.  I always pictured the "heron mark" to actually be stamped into the blade.  Really, anything glued onto the blade (especially near the hilt) is going to be knocked off - or severely damaged - in the first sword fight.  Maybe that's what happened with the one sitting on the work bench in the picture?  LOL!

Maybe, maybe not. Some swords have had stuff like that as decorative elements, but I too pictured it as engraved into the blade. Also, is it not supposed to be present on the hilt? I mean he gets the heron's burned into his palms...sigh. There are lots of things that will have to be, and perhaps should be, altered for adaptation. But sticking to tangible and clearly described images, and symbolism of objects in the world should be one of the easy things. Like, you don't have to get the outfits right, or what colour cloak someone has, but an iconic sword? That should be right, y'know? 

1 hour ago, Lurklen said:

Also, is it not supposed to be present on the hilt? I mean he gets the heron's burned into his palms...sigh.

 

Like, you don't have to get the outfits right, or what colour cloak someone has, but an iconic sword? That should be right, y'know? 

Oh yeah!  I thought maybe I was mis-remembering that burned palms thing.

IMO, it would make sense to put the Heron's on the hilt.  It would advertise: "this is a skilled swordsman".  And it would be in plain sight, instead of AFTER you draw your sword... 

"It's on now! ...OH!  Um, hang on a sec.  So sorry man, I didn't realize you were Master!  How about we call off this little squabble, ok?"

TIL: Robert Jordan had a "copy" of Rand's Heron-mark sword created and it is on display in a permanent exhibit at the Daniel Library of The Citadel in Charleston, SC.

http://archives.library.cofc.edu/findingaids/mss0197.html

^way down near the bottom under #5 Marketing & Promotional items -> Artifacts.

Looks like they also have Perrin's axe, among other cool goodies.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any pictures to compare with the Amazon version.  Maybe someone else's Google-fu will prevail.

5 hours ago, Mike_B_SVT said:

TIL: Robert Jordan had a "copy" of Rand's Heron-mark sword created and it is on display in a permanent exhibit at the Daniel Library of The Citadel in Charleston, SC.

http://archives.library.cofc.edu/findingaids/mss0197.html

^way down near the bottom under #5 Marketing & Promotional items -> Artifacts.

Looks like they also have Perrin's axe, among other cool goodies.

 

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any pictures to compare with the Amazon version.  Maybe someone else's Google-fu will prevail.

So this was the replica I knew of, which was approved by Jordan, though I don't think it was meant to be Tam's sword, but rather the one from like the map logo. http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=500058

It has it's own issues, but is closer to how they're described (and uses more elements from historical sources, other than just the katana, which makes sense to me as Randland is a fusion of physical cultures).

https://www.fableblades.com/TamsSword.html

This is probably a better representation of Tam Al-Thor's Heron Blade.

17 hours ago, TCTC said:

https://www.fableblades.com/TamsSword.html

 

This is probably a better representation of Tam Al-Thor's Heron Blade.

 

I love this person’s work and have for years! The “Heron’s Flight” and “warder” blades are breathtaking pieces of art…I was hoping the show runners would’ve found them and let them run with it to be honest. They still could for different heron marked blades that show up later but I doubt they will. 

Rand fulfills part of the prophecy by burning the heron which is visibly on the hilt of his sword into his hand.
 

“once the heron, to set his path.

Twice the heron, to name him true.”

Are they just skipping prophecy now too? I understand some small changes but now prophecy from the book is being flippantly ignored?
 

Furthermore, him being able to display the heron for all to see in Caemlyn and elsewhere is an awesome aspect of his character development, it’s what pushes him to train harder as he feels he doesn’t deserve the sword… it’s one of the crowning threads to his story, not to mention I want to see everyone’s reactions to a young sheepherder with a heron marked blade! This impacts so much of Rand’s character development. 

Pitiful 
 

The blade design for the show is underwhelming by far and so generic it hurts.

 They clearly didn’t pull any true inspiration from the book, which would have been unique. which is important! You want your signature weapons to stand out! 
Light sabers, Anduin, Sting, He-man’s sword, the Thundercats’ sword, Riddick’s trench knives etc,  

you get it. 

There are even plenty of outside sources, that with a simple google search would lead you into a world of much better presenting heron marked blades. And also, if possible, would have been a great opportunity to give those smaller known blade smiths a time to shine and become the new “weta workshop”, but that’s a different topic. 

One tiff I have in particular with their design choice was something so simple I don’t know why it was “overlooked”,

There’s not even a heron in/on the handle of the sword, which in their world is THE indicator, while sheathed, that the blade belongs to a sword master! 

Not only does this add to the world building, and would have been so easy to have done, but it would also add so much more dynamic to how the people behave in the world and to the owners of the sword. 
 

Further more, and more importantly this means the producers / writers intend to do away with any inclination of the prophecy;

which is kind of plot crucial! 
I absolutely hate this choice as it will mean a lot of unnecessary thematic and narrative changes which are very much undermining the story of Robert Jordan. 

Regardless, on a more benign note. The design is so unimpressive it’s not even heroic looking/ no glamorous shots of the weapon were had, nothing that would make d*m thing seem remotely important.

It looked small and non imposing at best.
Certainly not a “heroes sword”.

To be honest it looked as if it should have been shattered in the first fight with Tam and the trolock. And that’s just sad. 
 

so all that together and it really makes for something just awful. 

I can only hold my breathe as to how they will portray “Callandor”.

Fingers crossed. 
 

Of course in any adaptation you will loose or gain a thing, but this choice was significant, and fans have the right to be insistent about the integrity / consistency/ importance of this matter.
Clearly this is something that should have been considered more heavily, and as though seeming simple, it has too many an implication upon the story. 
 

I’m glad to see WOT given screen time, as this is indeed a first, but I am very dissatisfied in many of the choices they are making. 
 

Truly my hope is that this series will excite many to read or listen to the books, and enjoy the original story all the more.

But my fear is that the story currently presented will dissuade anyone from picking up the originals and miss out on the incredible world of Mr. Jordan, mistaking it as yet another generic high fantasy story.

 Ultimately I just feel that having a more unique and more book accurate signature weapon would have added to the appeal. 
 

thanks for reading 

-from a fan 

On 9/24/2021 at 2:10 AM, TCTC said:

https://www.fableblades.com/TamsSword.html

 

This is probably a better representation of Tam Al-Thor's Heron Blade.

 

I like the heron on the scabbard. I wish they would have used that shape on the blade (as the heron on the blade doesn't read as a heron from any sort of distance; more of a smudge. A simpler, more graphic, easily decipherable silhouette is better. The one on the hilt is OK, but it's still too many different representations of a heron on a single sword and they should have just used the scabbard version everywhere. Otherwise, the sword is very nice.