Japanese Traditional Sword Making - General

[video=vimeo;32113233]http://vimeo.com/32113233[/video] As horrible as it is as a weapon, I still enjoy the craftsmanship.

I don't know about horrible weapons but they were definitely inferior to European swords, which is what I think you had in mind anyway.

The quality of iron was inferior in Japan afaik which is why their swords were so shit compared to the serious motherfucking European ones, despite all the effort put into craftsmanship.

[QUOTE=CheeseMan;33326429]The quality of iron was inferior in Japan afaik which is why their swords were so shit compared to the serious motherfucking European ones, despite all the effort put into craftsmanship.[/QUOTE] Europeans swords had the leg up in material and strength, but regardless, put the Bushido behind the sword and it becomes a force to be reckoned with. OH GOD WHY SO MANY FUNNIES?

Got a one and a half sword on my wall, hand made costed about 250euro. However it's really bulky compared to that, i would probably stand a greater chance with a light long katana.

I wanna get into Craftsmen ship and stuff. It looks hard but fun.

I love seing people smith stuff and if ever given the opportunity i would want to try it out. [editline]18th November 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Sexy Eskimo;33326495]Got a one and a half sword on my wall, hand made costed about 250euro. However it's really bulky compared to that, i would probably stand a greater chance with a light long katana.[/QUOTE] It's not about the sword. It's about the wielder.

"Don't ever come back home if you want to be a sword maker." "Bitch do you have any idea how much weeaboos will pay for this shit?"

[QUOTE=Jimesu_Evil;33328995]"Don't ever come back home if you want to be a sword maker." "Bitch do you have any idea how much weeaboos will pay for this shit?"[/QUOTE] I think a sword collector would be willing to pay a little bit more then a weeaboo

[QUOTE=CheeseMan;33326429]The quality of iron was inferior in Japan afaik which is why their swords were so shit compared to the serious motherfucking European ones, despite all the effort put into craftsmanship.[/QUOTE] Doesn't help that most of the techniques used by the japanese were already present and used by various european swordmakers as well. [QUOTE=Sexy Eskimo;33326495]Got a one and a half sword on my wall, hand made costed about 250euro. However it's really bulky compared to that, i would probably stand a greater chance with a light long katana.[/QUOTE] The average katana is shorter and just as heavy as the European hand and half sword (or longsword). The issue with your sword is that it cost 250 euro so it's probably just a machine cut stage ready thing. Which tend to be heavier and able to withstand more punishment.

[QUOTE=Wolverunder;33326472]Europeans swords had the leg up in material and strength, but regardless, put the Bushido behind the sword and it becomes a force to be reckoned with.[/QUOTE] Doesn't matter who is behind the sword, a katana would shatter against most European swords because of its inferior metal quality (going back historically).

[QUOTE=Vasili;33329996]Doesn't matter who is behind the sword, a katana would shatter against most European swords because of its inferior metal quality (going back historically).[/QUOTE] A stab is a stab. A sword is just a piece of metal with a sharp edge. It's true that Japanese swords can't and are not made to withstand punishment, but it is just as capable at killing.

A steel katana is an amazing weapon for slicing really, but that's it. It makes good slices, its very stylish, but its really limited compared to easier to make European swords. A katana in the old days though, well, lets just say the Samurai would cry if they ever had to fight a real knight. A knight would seem to be godly and unstoppable. [QUOTE=sami-elite;33330079]A stab is a stab. A sword is just a piece of metal with a sharp edge. It's true that Japanese swords can't and are not made to withstand punishment, but it is just as capable at killing.[/QUOTE] You need a sword that can stand up to a blow and still deliver a good one if you want to win a fight the proper way. No way your going to win by just slicing at someone and that's it. And if your sword breaks during a fight, how the hell are you even going to fight at all now? Also, if your fighting a knight, you cannot win against a knight with just a Katana in hand, its not possible. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLWzH_1eZsc[/media]

[QUOTE=sami-elite;33330079]A stab is a stab. A sword is just a piece of metal with a sharp edge. It's true that Japanese swords can't and are not made to withstand punishment, but it is just as capable at killing.[/QUOTE] I dunno but if a sword breaks after hitting another one a few times (aka blocking, happens a lot when you sword fight y'know) it's kind of a problem.

[QUOTE=Ganerumo;33330423]I dunno but if a sword breaks after hitting another one a few times (aka blocking, happens a lot when you sword fight y'know) it's kind of a problem.[/QUOTE] A katana won't break after a few hits, but from what I know it's not quite as durable as European swords. Its the perfect weapon for cutting flesh in a quick slicing maneuver IMO, but that's just about it.

AFAIK european swords were more used as improvised clubs but as actual slicing weapons.

[QUOTE=Ganerumo;33330423]I dunno but if a sword breaks after hitting another one a few times (aka blocking, happens a lot when you sword fight y'know) it's kind of a problem.[/QUOTE] They don't break that easily. Katanas break when you stick them in plate armor. The sharp edge will shatter when struck. No sane swordsman blunts their sword in combat. You parry attacks with the blunt or side of your sword. And that dude's youtube channel posted bove your post is awesome. He's not telling facts, but he explains why he thinks something works in a certain way.

American guns> all :downs:

The Katana isn't a weapon that can be compared to other swords of the same time period from other countries because it quite simply did not fulfill the same role. I mean, you can, but that's like comparing a spoon to a knife and saying the knife is better because it's harder to cut things with a spoon (THAT'S NOT WHAT A SPOON IS USED FOR GENIUS). It wasn't a destructive instrument of war, it was a dueling or one on one combat weapon, made to take advantage of the ability to slice while being taken out of its scabbard in one swift motion. It's the quick draw revolver of the sword world. It's supposed to end a fight before anything prolonged happens.

Sword is a sword, they cut, they jab, they can be compared. And good luck ending a fight against someone clad in full plate.

[QUOTE=Jake Nukem;33337705]Sword is a sword, they cut, they jab, they can be compared. And good luck ending a fight against someone clad in full plate.[/QUOTE] As far as I am aware, truly ending a fight or killing someone in full plate was extremely rare to begin with, even with a matched knight fighting the other. According to a thread about this very topic (which was made some time ago) most of the knight fights ended either with one of them falling over from exhaustion or forcing the other to surrender.

[QUOTE=sami-elite;33330079]A stab is a stab. A sword is just a piece of metal with a sharp edge. It's true that Japanese swords can't and are not made to withstand punishment, but it is just as capable at killing.[/QUOTE] A Katana would be barely able to actually pierce a European knights armour, they weren't designed for it. The only thing it can do is slash but against Knight armour slashing against it won't do much, especially with a knights superior diet and training and fighting stances.

This is turning into that thread, some months ago, about who would win, a samurai or a knight.

And the Knight would clearly win. (Barring any mishaps or unluckiness)

[QUOTE=Jake Nukem;33339626]And the Knight would clearly win. (Barring any mishaps or unluckiness)[/QUOTE] Unless being a knight automatically makes you have unbreakable bad luck.

Yeah yeah you got your Knight and Samurai dueling but then some random guy with a spear walks in and stabs them both. Spears > anything else. Expect (cross)bows of course. Why else would spears or some other pole arm be so widely used. Other then the fact there easier to make AND cheaper.

The fact that they require little training. Give a guy a spear, line him up with couple hundred other guys of spear, you got effective anti-cavalry means right there, that's about the only reason spears were so widely used, other than the reasons you pointed out. Also once you get into the thick of the fighting spears (Even short spears) become less useful, easily bested by a guy with a shield and blade or other single handed weapon.

[QUOTE=Professer Trall;33341130]Yeah yeah you got your Knight and Samurai dueling but then some random guy with a spear walks in and stabs them both. Spears > anything else. Expect (cross)bows of course. Why else would spears or some other pole arm be so widely used. Other then the fact there easier to make AND cheaper.[/QUOTE] Most deaths in the wars of times gone by are from arrows and pointy things on sticks. In fact, an arrow is a pointy thing on a stick, So that means most deaths came from pointy things on sticks. [editline]19th November 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Jake Nukem;33341280]The fact that they require little training. Give a guy a spear, line him up with couple hundred other guys of spear, you got effective anti-cavalry means right there, that's about the only reason spears were so widely used, other than the reasons you pointed out. Also once you get into the thick of the fighting spears (Even short spears) become less useful, easily bested by a guy with a shield and blade or other single handed weapon.[/QUOTE] It's he spearmen's job to ensure they don't get that far.

Actually in times of war the main way to die was from famine or disease. And spear formations were widely known as bad menouverers on the battlefield if they wanted to keep their formation(needed to keep off attacks) and thus were easily flanked.

[QUOTE=Vasili;33338647]A Katana would be barely able to actually pierce a European knights armour, they weren't designed for it. The only thing it can do is slash but against Knight armour slashing against it won't do much, especially with a knights superior diet and training and fighting stances.[/QUOTE] That's true for most if not any sword. They would at best bruise you when they hit the padding. And swords were too expensive (and for the more noble/skilled) so that's why spears were used for the poorly trained bottom of the pyramid soldiers.