Probably most of you guys (& gals) have seen this site before, but for those who have not and are interested in the history and usage of something other than the katana; check this site
ARMA
They have a wealth of information that they share for free. Imagine that on the World Wide Web?
Cheers,
Chad
P.s. - Nothing against the katana; which is truly a beautiful weapon to behold, but it does tend to overshadow many other worthy blades. A situation that I believe Hollywood is primarily responsible for. IMHO