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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2009 21:57:09 GMT
For now i think the best length for a katana is a 26" blade and a 10.5" handle. who agrees or disagrees add what you think(i know it depends on the size and strength of a person but just post whatever you think.)
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Post by randomnobody on May 5, 2009 22:15:44 GMT
Personally I think I'd find mine at around a 30" nagasa and 12-13" tsuka, but I'm a larger fellow. I'd also like about 1-1.25" koshi-zori but I'm odd.
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slav
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Post by slav on May 5, 2009 22:19:10 GMT
27" nagasa; 12" tsuka.
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Marc Ridgeway
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Post by Marc Ridgeway on May 5, 2009 22:29:33 GMT
29/11 and .75" to 1 '' sori.....
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2009 22:41:41 GMT
i agree with the 1" sori definently makes the draw a whole lot quicker also you know the shorter swords come out the scabbard slightly faster than a longer one would that second can make the world of difference
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2009 22:50:56 GMT
27/10 with a .75 inch sori
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Post by randomnobody on May 5, 2009 23:06:55 GMT
i agree with the 1" sori definently makes the draw a whole lot quicker also you know the shorter swords come out the scabbard slightly faster than a longer one would that second can make the world of difference That's what the wakizashi is for. No, really, I tire of the whole speed drawing debacle. Not every fight ever fought was at the draw. Sometimes the swords were already out. Most of the time, I'd wager. Draw speed can kiss my...uh...kashira?.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2009 23:14:47 GMT
goes back to that whole speed thing remeber. and i agree probably most fights were with the sword already drawn out but i would really be more comfortable with a shorter blade with a better degree of sori rather than a longer slightly curved blade. the wakizashi was more for indoor use the katana for outdoor. im just a low level man at arms but i suggest purchasing katana a little shorter with more curvature you will see what i mean.
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Post by randomnobody on May 5, 2009 23:23:22 GMT
goes back to that whole speed thing remeber. and i agree probably most fights were with the sword already drawn out but i would really be more comfortable with a shorter blade with a better degree of sori rather than a longer slightly curved blade. the wakizashi was more for indoor use the katana for outdoor. im just a low level man at arms but i suggest purchasing katana a little shorter with more curvature you will see what i mean. Why thank you for suggesting I do something I've done a few times already, it really adds to the knowledge you don't know I have, while showing the knowledge you don't seem to have. Katana for outdoor and wakizashi for indoor? Sure, the katana was typically left at the door and the wakizashi kept on 95% of the time but seldom was the wakizashi exempt from play out of doors. Likewise I'm sure if I could reach my katana while inside I'd just as soon use it. I do own a few wakizashi, one antique and one custom, even, and don't really see much benefit in draw. At least, not in the "seconds" scale. Microseconds, sure, but that's a whole new game. Some people are just more comfortable handling shorter things, I guess. (btw no hostility intended on my part, just giving the ol' poo. ) Oh, forgot to mention, but for clarification, my personal favorite weapons are knives. I own a lot of these. From pocket knives up to daggers and dirks, even a bayonet but that's more of a short sword... These aren't my preferred weapon for sake of their draw speed (which in most cases takes longer than a katana, mind) but for the versatility they offer when out. Of course, for swords, I like 'em big. Just because I'm big, really. Not anything for that alleged "reach advantage," either. Just an excuse to add one more to my shishkabodies. ;D
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Post by Reisz on May 5, 2009 23:26:59 GMT
If we are talking about a duel, both combatants with swords sheathed, I personally would be going in for tsuka-ate (thrust form draw with the end of the hilt) before any drawing had commenced My preferred dimensions though would be 28"-29" Nagasa .75" Sori 11" tsuka with a decent amount of profile taper to keep handling nice and smooth. I am 6' 3.5" and have long arse arms so these dimensions are actually a little on the short side for me, for what it's worth throw an O-Kissaki on that. -Reisz
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Post by randomnobody on May 5, 2009 23:33:16 GMT
Tsuka-ate is growing on me lately. I've been working on how to carry it out and in what situations it'd work, but ultimately I agree that if it came to proximity, I wouldn't bother drawing the whole sword, I'd just try to hit you in the face with the back end of mine, and hope it at least stuns you enough so I can back away and get the whole thing out. If I'm lucky I caught you right and your down. Anyway, I stand by my 30/12/1-1.5.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2009 23:34:01 GMT
sorry if you misinterpreted but the last part of my post was intended for everyone not just you. I mean afterall a katana is supposed to be curved otherwise its not a katana. one (i use "one" so others wont misinterpret.) might as well have a bastard sword or something. the curvature is the most notable aspect of a katana blade. or maybe i am wrong maybe the straighter and longer a katana blade is what makes it a true authentic katana blade of course with a bohi to right?
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Post by randomnobody on May 5, 2009 23:36:59 GMT
Uh...well, katana throughout history came in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, curvature also falling victim to the tastes of the time...so uh...no, your idea is wrong. Bohi or not is yet another factor of the climate and design, but ultimately irrelevant. You, uh...might want to get a few books or something...
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2009 23:43:32 GMT
i dont think your giving the swordsmiths in japan enough credit. which is why after the heian period they figured out that the straight sword business was not working to well at least for the type of warfare they fought which is why they started forging curved swords. the chinese on the other hand who are flooding the market with these supposed authentic japanese swords have been forging straight swords for centuries which is why there might be a lack of curvature. so yes a variety of shapes sizes of course but pretty much after the heian period straight swords "chokuto" were primarily used for ceremonial purposes, and let us not forget about the ninja-to im sure thats authentic to right?
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Post by Reisz on May 5, 2009 23:56:25 GMT
I'd just like to point out a bit of Opinion and speculation here,
The shorter Nagasa and deeper Sori you go you are actually dealing with the same technical length of metal, (excuse my lack of math here this is for demonstration purposes only) a 28" Nagasa with a .25" Sori is the same amount of sword as a 26" with 1" of sori and in my limited knowledge of Japanese swordsmanship I would never want to be on the wielding end of an overly curved blade when on the draw, requires more movement to complete Saya-biki (Sp?) and why would you want to start a Cut already extended fully at the chest?
Just my little interjection,
I do love the look of a deep Sori on real Tachi though.
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Post by randomnobody on May 6, 2009 0:00:02 GMT
Actually, while the chokuto may have faded from use, tachi and later katana didn't stay so curved. Heck, at one point they were making them darn near straight again...I want to say toward the end of the Shinto era, maybe shin-shinto? I forget presently but it became pretty common, at least in some parts of Japan, that sori was measured in tenths of an inch. Again, this was a response to the changing climate surrounding warfare of the time (very little at this point if memory serves).
Perhaps you aren't givng them much credit, if only swords with high sori are good enough to be "authentic" to you.
The matter of modern production sword sori is merely a compromise between market demand, performance, and ease of production. Less sori means less wood to make a saya, but people want their swords curved or they cry non-authentic, also the theory of curvature in relation to cutting performance (let's not get into that) dictates that to satisfy all sides equally, the "standard" sori is best-off at around .5-.7" tori sori.
The Hanwei ninjato is not unauthentic, just not a "ninja sword" per se nor a terribly common design.
I'm really not sure where you're coming from anymore.
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Post by Reisz on May 6, 2009 0:15:32 GMT
Yep, I would hazard a guess that you are referring to Early Shinto blades, From what I know, during the Kanbun period, (Mid to late 1600's) The trend was for swords with exceedingly shallow Sori, some of the examples I have seen seemed almost straight when viewed from profile, Very beautiful swords in my opinion.
-Reisz
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2009 1:02:44 GMT
I personally find that a deeply sori'ed blade is easier to draw and to continue the motion of the cut because the cut happens in an arcing motion from. I'm not so unelightened that I would say if it doesn't have deep sori it isn't authentic, that's like saying if an M16 doesn't have a sickle clip it isn't an M16 (ok so I'm not a gun guy ). I like a 24 to 26" blade, 12 to 14" tsuka and an inch of tori-zori, I like my point of balance between 3 to 4" from the tsuba and I like my blade to weigh less than 2.5 pounds.
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slav
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Post by slav on May 6, 2009 1:10:35 GMT
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Post by randomnobody on May 6, 2009 6:40:02 GMT
Yep, I would hazard a guess that you are referring to Early Shinto blades, From what I know, during the Kanbun period, (Mid to late 1600's) The trend was for swords with exceedingly shallow Sori, some of the examples I have seen seemed almost straight when viewed from profile, Very beautiful swords in my opinion. -Reisz Ah, yes, Kanbun. That was the word I couldn't remember, which is odd since for a while I liked them. It seems I also got my shinto backwards. It's been a while since I've done any homework.
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