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Bamboo
Jun 21, 2010 4:06:50 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2010 4:06:50 GMT
What's the thickest bamboo you'd try to cut? (green of course) I have a piece that's about 4 inches thick. Debating whether or not To try it. I've cut up to three very successfully. This is hard piece though, I think it's old. The "meat inside is about 1/2 thick. Luckily an old friend has a huge grove in his backyard, WAY overgrown and i've been told to cut as much as i want. Opinions?
Sword=Katana
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Bamboo
Jun 21, 2010 7:17:31 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2010 7:17:31 GMT
Well, depends on your katana and your skill...
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Bamboo
Jun 21, 2010 12:40:53 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2010 12:40:53 GMT
Buy a hatchet?
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Bamboo
Jun 21, 2010 17:09:58 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2010 17:09:58 GMT
what brand and make of katana has alot to do with any advice to be given.
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Bamboo
Jun 21, 2010 18:09:56 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2010 18:09:56 GMT
Dynasty 1095 I'm not asking about the sword sword though , it's sick.
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Bamboo
Jun 21, 2010 18:21:52 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2010 18:21:52 GMT
If it's a TH DF then go at any bamboo you like. I doubt you'll break it if your form isn't absolutely horrific.
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Bamboo
Jun 21, 2010 20:49:36 GMT
Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Jun 21, 2010 20:49:36 GMT
be cautious! old bamboo can be realy hard to cut especially bits that thick. if you have any doubt then maybe you shouldn't. lots of bad things can happen with targets that hard. it all comes down to you. if you have cut 3" with no problem and you are having a good day then you may have no problem with 4" but then again if doubt creeps into your mind there may be troble
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Bamboo
Jun 21, 2010 21:36:51 GMT
Post by wiwingti on Jun 21, 2010 21:36:51 GMT
be cautious! old bamboo can be realy hard to cut especially bits that thick. if you have any doubt then maybe you shouldn't. lots of bad things can happen with targets that hard. it all comes down to you. if you have cut 3" with no problem and you are having a good day then you may have no problem with 4" but then again if doubt creeps into your mind there may be troble that is what i tried to explain before and have been told that bamboo cannot arm swords lol
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Bamboo
Jun 22, 2010 16:52:40 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2010 16:52:40 GMT
It's not through hardened. I wouldn't buy a TH sword. If they were better- or good- It's the way the Japanese would have made them. And they did- during WWII. They are considered to be the worst quality swords they made. The were tempered differentially for a reason , and that reason is still valid.
Back to the Bamboo- Good advice on having doubt. I spared the really thick piece ( Measured Diameter was 5 1/2 Inch, that's too big) and probably my sword too. It will zip through three to four inchers though. Super clean and perfectly angled.
Thanks for your thoughts guys. hachi
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Bamboo
Jun 22, 2010 18:02:29 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2010 18:02:29 GMT
There's nothing wrong with having a blade through hardened. The reason for differential hardening is to create the hardest possible edge without compromising the overall resilience of the blade due to combat tactics of Japanese warriors. The harder the edge, the harder the target that edge will bite into. The downside is that there is a higher rate of breakage as the hardness goes up.
With a through hardened blade, you have less of a risk of breakage. The downside is slightly lowered edge retention and the inability to cut through slightly harder targets.
The reason through hardening wasn't done? ... ... ...well, it was. Some kazu-uchi mono blades from the Sengoku-related eras had no hamon. Some hitatsura blades were actually unclayed and the resulting soft spots were natural formations due to the sensitivity of the steel and the boiling of the water as it contacts the hot steel. The problem is, it's a tough thing to control with that kind of steel, from what I understand. With modern steels, hardness can be regulated much easier as we have computers and hardness testing devices, not to mention the always consistent tool steels. Tamahagane is not a consistent metal.
Going on to the bamboo, the difficulty of cutting bigger bamboo has this tendency to grow exponentially... If you get ready to cut it and feel some hesitation, don't cut it. If you go through with it, make sure you avoid the knuckles and make sure it's nice and green. Really green. Thick, yellowing bamboo is a nightmare waiting to happen.
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Bamboo
Jun 22, 2010 18:29:25 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2010 18:29:25 GMT
Hello all, I will drop by and ask my own question, which is very-similar to Hachiman OP...
Is dry, yellow bamboo useable as a cutting target ?
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Bamboo
Jun 22, 2010 18:31:35 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2010 18:31:35 GMT
Good point on the consistency of metal. I still believe that DH is the way to go though. All the American smiths who work with modern steels DH their blades as well. I would try using one though.
I agree also on NOT cutting yellow Bamboo. I decided not to cut the largest piece because I did feel some hesitation. Good advice , again Thanks
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Bamboo
Jun 22, 2010 19:29:25 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2010 19:29:25 GMT
Sebastian, You'd be better using green(freshly cut) bamboo. It will save for a couple days if you keep the stalks in water.
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Bamboo
Jun 24, 2010 0:05:43 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2010 0:05:43 GMT
Well I decided I didn't have any hesitation. So.. I'll update this with an answer. I wouldn't try anything over about 3 1/2 Inches unless the sword is a very robust one. I tried a piece about 4 1/2 inches and luckily I used the one I learned on- and not my dynasty. The blade on the old is now bent. Not badly, but a little. Twisted a bit. Still cuts mats like a laser though. And it will still shave hair off your arm. Cutting edge fared fine. Don't this at home kids LOL. Oh well. Just figured I'd update just in case anyone else gets any bright ideas.
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Bamboo
Jun 24, 2010 0:21:43 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2010 0:21:43 GMT
I will only add, GREEN as in fresh. Some varieties naturally have a yellow stalk. As long as it is fresh, the variety should have little bearing.
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Marc Ridgeway
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"The best cost less when you buy it the first time." - Papabear
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Bamboo
Jun 25, 2010 3:05:19 GMT
Post by Marc Ridgeway on Jun 25, 2010 3:05:19 GMT
Bamboo is a hard target that can seriously damage a sword... be careful. That said , through hardened swords are fine. The Japanee didnt really have steel good enough to master a spring temper... DH was an aswer to that problem. IMHO. I find that bamboo up to 3 inches is good for most kats... above 3 needs to be a heavy sturdy kat, .. I have cut much bigger pieces , with much bigger swords...
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Bamboo
Jun 25, 2010 12:30:07 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2010 12:30:07 GMT
I still believe that DH is the way to go though. All the American smiths who work with modern steels DH their blades as well. If you mean blades in general this is simply wrong, in fact most smiths TH their blades. There's no serious DH medieval style blade out there and even Hanwei, DF and Cheness, makers of japanese blades have TH blades for their heavy cutting. I'm convinced that today a very well heat treated TH blade is better blade than any DH, period. We can control the heat treat to an amazing degree and have steel no medieval smith would have dared to dream of. If you take an ATrim or even better a blade from Arno Eckhardt who has the best heat treat in the business I feel, you'll find no DH blade that can compete with them, not even in edge retention.
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Bamboo
Jun 25, 2010 15:26:43 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2010 15:26:43 GMT
Mark, I agree with you. Abigger blade with a bit more Niku would have been better. 3 !/2 seems about perfect though.
Chenessfan, I was referring to american smiths that forge Japanese style edged weapons. Rick Barrett, Walter sorrell's, Anthony Dichristifano, etc. And they do in fact DH all their blades. I am referring strictly to Katana and the like.
Thank you guys for your opinions. I hope everyone is having a good friday!!!!!
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