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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2010 0:30:25 GMT
the edge geometry is different than a european sword which allows it to cut more easily through material
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2010 0:47:58 GMT
I think as has been stated over and over, that all cultures have some form of myth regarding their swords. yes i think that hollywood has hyped the katana desires quite a bit. we even have folks spouting off terminology they heard in movies and anime, or read from an internet sword salesman, that really have no clue what they are talking about. no i dont believe that the katana is the best sword, but it is very good for the style it is used. i prefer the jian, but that is my preference. the dao is an excellent weapon also. my art is chinese so of course i prefer chinese weapons. someone stated that they think some of the hype is from the availabilty of JSA style scools. might be.
seriousness aside. all swords and martial arts can be summed up with the realization that gunpowder was later invented. some enthusist for the kat think you can cut a car in half with a katana... i can with a 1500 psi water blaster with abrasive added also, but it just isnt my favorite weapon for a sword fight.
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slav
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Post by slav on Jan 21, 2010 0:50:55 GMT
I once had a friend who was completely convinced that if you dropped the blade of a katana point-down that it was so sharp it would peirce teh ground and continue until it reached the core of the Earth. Lightsaber...yes. Katana...no.
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Post by randomnobody on Jan 21, 2010 1:04:02 GMT
some enthusist for the kat think you can cut a car in half with a katana... i can with a 1500 psi water blaster with abrasive added also, but it just isnt my favorite weapon for a sword fight. Well, you're not very hardcore or badass at all, then, are you? Can't even fight with a water cutter. Tsk tsk.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2010 1:20:23 GMT
Katana are the most easily recognizeable sword in our collective consciousness. Most people outside of the hobby cannot differentiate between western sword types. Everyone knows what a Katana is. When I mention to a new person that I collect swords, they always bring up "Samurai swords" within the first minute of discussion. This used to annoy me. Spending a lot of time reading this and other forums has given me a good understanding of the type, and I appreciate them for what they are. I had a friend a couple of years ago tell me about how samurai swords had to be able to cut through 7 bodies stacked on top of each other, and they could be dipped in a stream and would cut a leaf flowing by in the current cleanly in half. I just kept saying "really.. " and "hmmmm" and let him prattle on. He didn't know what a hamon was though... I think among the uneducated, katana are overhyped, but among real sword enthusiasts, they are generally appreciated for what they are: elegant, specialized, and highly developed weapons. (they still all look the same to me from more than 5 feet away but that's an improvement since last year)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2010 2:34:51 GMT
I think as has been stated over and over, that all cultures have some form of myth regarding their swords. yes i think that hollywood has hyped the katana desires quite a bit. we even have folks spouting off terminology they heard in movies and anime, or read from an internet sword salesman, that really have no clue what they are talking about. no i dont believe that the katana is the best sword, but it is very good for the style it is used. i prefer the jian, but that is my preference. the dao is an excellent weapon also. my art is chinese so of course i prefer chinese weapons. someone stated that they think some of the hype is from the availabilty of JSA style scools. might be. That would have been me, and the observation is based on many conversations I have had in real life.
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Post by shadowhowler on Jan 21, 2010 2:56:54 GMT
To each, his own, Personally, I revere the katana. All others are just swords. But hey, that's just me. I find that currious... I mean, your not Japaness... so its not a racial/nationalistic pride thing. If I recall correctly your not traditionally trained... your like me, a hobbyist who is for the most part self taught. So... why is the Katana 'revered' and all other swords just swords? What creates that mystique for you? I find myself in the situation where... I have unarmed and some weapons training... but the only sword training I have is fencing. Yet I love swords... ALL swords... from all cultures. I don't prefer any one over the other, I have Katana, Gim/Jian, Longswords, Arming swords, Scimitars, Short Swords, WarClubs, Hand Axes, Staves, Daggers, Gladus, all kinds of weapons... with a focus on swords for the most part. I don't find any one style or culture of sword to be better then another really, tho I do prefer certain specific examples of swords for personal prefrence... I don't revere any one cultures weapon more then another... I revere the warrior culture of history in general, and am fascinated by it in its many different forms. What is it about the Katana makes it so much better to you?
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Post by Jeff K. ( Jak) on Jan 21, 2010 3:03:38 GMT
Well said Maz, I feel the same way.
Now I can see how Lindy Beige's video could upset katana lovers. I do think he does, however make some valid points all of which have already been discussed so I wont dive into that again, but I will say he is not the most well informed individual.
Euro guys, get ready to cringe...a pommel is not a counter weight? not made of steel?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2010 4:21:21 GMT
All I can say is that at least in history and legend none have ever claimed to have cut through an anvil with a katana, unlike at least one famous sword from the icelandic sagas. well, actuuuuuuaaaaallllly, one of the 1st stories i ever heard about sammehrye swords was from my karate teacher when i was in jr high. along with the one about laying in the stream and seeing if it cuts the leaves that float by, one of the final tests of a 'real' katana was that it had to cut the horn off of the anvil it was forged on. if not, back to drawing board. btw, the guy who wanted the glass sword...was he a dungeons and dragons kid?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2010 4:52:33 GMT
Hey the glass sword was never in D&D...that was a part of ultima...yes I am a geek.
Anyways, yeah I like lindy...he has the british humor I like...but I was involved in a rather heated discussion about the pommel issue...and what he considers ¨late¨ middle ages is basically around the time of the battle of hasting, which is a whole other set of issues. Yeah he isn´t exactly a serious scholar...but he is funny.
As for what he is saying about the katana, well that is mostly from being just sick and tired of the hype and trash he get shoveled to him by...well youtube user...which has a pretty dismal level of knowledge about swords and does indeed believe what they see in anime. Where the ¨expert¨ they listen to is people like greg parks and that expert village guy...or worse. It´s the youtube world....
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2010 7:20:57 GMT
some enthusist for the kat think you can cut a car in half with a katana... i can with a 1500 psi water blaster with abrasive added also, but it just isnt my favorite weapon for a sword fight. Well, you're not very hardcore or badass at all, then, are you? Can't even fight with a water cutter. Tsk tsk. refinery tank at 40,000 psi works for me... although i prefer the 20k for handling.
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Post by sparky on Jan 21, 2010 20:44:46 GMT
Katana are not overrated. If anything, they are misrepresented... Well said! ;D seriousness aside. all swords and martial arts can be summed up with the realization that gunpowder was later invented. some enthusist for the kat think you can cut a car in half with a katana... i can with a 1500 psi water blaster with abrasive added also, but it just isnt my favorite weapon for a sword fight. I like a plasma cutter! ;D It cuts swords in half. Katana are the most easily recognizeable sword in our collective consciousness. Most people outside of the hobby cannot differentiate between western sword types. Everyone knows what a Katana is. When I mention to a new person that I collect swords, they always bring up "Samurai swords" within the first minute of discussion. This used to annoy me. Spending a lot of time reading this and other forums has given me a good understanding of the type, and I appreciate them for what they are. I had a friend a couple of years ago tell me about how samurai swords had to be able to cut through 7 bodies stacked on top of each other, and they could be dipped in a stream and would cut a leaf flowing by in the current cleanly in half. I just kept saying "really.. " and "hmmmm" and let him prattle on. He didn't know what a hamon was though... I think among the uneducated, katana are overhyped, but among real sword enthusiasts, they are generally appreciated for what they are: elegant, specialized, and highly developed weapons. (they still all look the same to me from more than 5 feet away but that's an improvement since last year) Again well said! This was me, my first sword was a Katana because they were far superior to all swords after all. Course the Katana from the SBG Sword store lead to this forum which lead to me owning all different kinds of swords. All of which are great swords! I bought into the hype because I didn't know any better. The "hype" lead to my first sword. My first sword lead to SBG and of coarse SBG lead to my education on swords. So I'm glad there is a lot of hype around the Katana.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2010 20:59:36 GMT
I can't say its overrated...I find katana to be quite good at what they're built for...cutting things. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm not a fan, but I can and do appreciate well-wrought tools, and a katana is nothing, if not well-thought out for its purpose.
Having said that, it is never my first choice...for anything; my tastes lie elsewhere, but I think it uninformed to put forth such a statement w/out anything to truly corroborate it.
I have and probably always will love European swords...I grew up reading and fantasizing about them and when I reached adulthood, my first REAL sword was a Euro. Never looked back, either.
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Post by YlliwCir on Jan 21, 2010 22:07:20 GMT
Yes.
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Post by djhere on Jan 21, 2010 22:35:49 GMT
Sanchezero,the actual legend was about two very famous blacksmiths whoes swords were of of such high quality that one could not tell them apart.The one swordsmith was a pious man who believed that his swords were met to enforce what was good in man,while the other swordsmith was a drunkerd,loud mouth brawler who frequented prostitutes and felt that war was good for his economy.If the two swords were tossed into a creek or stream,leaves would be attracted to the brawlers blade while leaves would avoid the pious smiths blade.The story was told to tell of how the blacksmiths spirit was part of the blade-I believe!Unfortunately I cannot remember the names of the two blacksmiths who were actual persons-time has erased that from my memory!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2010 23:57:35 GMT
Well said Maz, I feel the same way. Now I can see how Lindy Beige's video could upset katana lovers. I do think he does, however make some valid points all of which have already been discussed so I wont dive into that again, but I will say he is not the most well informed individual. Euro guys, get ready to cringe...a pommel is not a counter weight? not made of steel? I get the impression he's talkign about very early medieval swords when talking about the pommels, and from his other videos it seems that his area of knowledge is more along the lines of Greek and Roman equipment anyway.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2010 1:05:47 GMT
I agree with eruialsul. And about glass swords - The Elder Scrolls.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2010 1:57:00 GMT
Hmmm haven't gotten that far in Elder Scrolls Oblivion yet. Though at the Fenton Art Glass factory in WV they had a glass guitar. That was pretty cool looking.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2010 2:44:45 GMT
Sanchezero,the actual legend was about two very famous blacksmiths whoes swords were of of such high quality that one could not tell them apart.The one swordsmith was a pious man who believed that his swords were met to enforce what was good in man,while the other swordsmith was a drunkerd,loud mouth brawler who frequented prostitutes and felt that war was good for his economy.If the two swords were tossed into a creek or stream,leaves would be attracted to the brawlers blade while leaves would avoid the pious smiths blade.The story was told to tell of how the blacksmiths spirit was part of the blade-I believe!Unfortunately I cannot remember the names of the two blacksmiths who were actual persons-time has erased that from my memory!!! there are still names attributed to this legend - i've heard it several times, most recently in stephen hunter's the 47th samurai. whether the names are accurate or not...i dunno. i was mostly reminiscing about the good old days, when i still believed in ninjas and dim mak and swords that could cleave anvils. sometimes reality lacks entertainment.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2010 2:57:10 GMT
To each, his own, Personally, I revere the katana. All others are just swords. But hey, that's just me. I find that currious... ...What is it about the Katana makes it so much better to you? I am a huge fan of Japanese culture and the Budo Arts. I love the respect shown for the sword in the Japanese sword arts and I am one of those who feel the katana is a work of art. I can kneel on the livingroom floor and practice zarei again and again, just for the Zen-like feeling it gives me. It's just my thing, the katana.
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