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Post by aussie-rabbit on Sept 27, 2012 15:10:16 GMT
What we need is a classification that we can all agree upon (committee management) about just how sharp a sword is, so I'd like to start the ball rolling with a few of my thoughts.....
Iaitō - (literally meaning mock or imitation sword) this sword is not sharp at all, the purveyors of this level of sharpness get paper cuts just thinking about A4 so they ensure their swords cannot cut wet paper towel.
"Not Good" - Less sharp than your average bread and butter knife, will cut butter when heated to a dull red.
"Factory Edge" - The average factory has been so frightened by American lawyers in Armani suits that the edge is really only good in the kitchen with hard vegetables, forget the tomatoes or soft fruit but great with watermelon.
"Yeah Sharp" - This is the answer given to the question "Is it sharp", the sword owner has used a kitchen type sharpener to run up and down the blade at least a dozen times creating a jagged, wavy edge feared by doctors in Emergency rooms as being difficult to close properly.
"Fairly Sharp" - Better than the factory edge, will cut tomatoes and some fruit, will cut bottles filled with water with practise and good form.
"Sharp" - Cuts water filled bottles with ease, bamboo with good form, a level we all aspire too, those with "Sharp" swords are happy to demonstrate "Sharp" with little urging or the mere sight of a water filled bottle.
"Very Sharp" - Cuts tatami mats with ease, it is difficult to remove these from the hands of their owners for fear you might use them and there by regulate the edge back to "Very Sharp" through use.
"Silly Sharp" - a complete step beyond "Very Sharp", owners of "Silly Sharp" swords will not cut mats, bottles or other things for fear that the mere sight of a water filled bottle will dull the edge, the owners will demonstrate "Silly Sharp" with A4 paper the Iaitō people have cut their fingers on.
"Friendly Sharp" - At first you would think a balanced edge but that is far from the truth, "Friendly Sharp" swords have been polished by their owners using nano diamond particles mixed with Yoghurt and polished with Aunt Maud's missing emerald broach, the edge is difficult to see with an electron microscope, when finished said sword is placed in it's Saya/scabbard with plastic tongs while waiting for a friend to ask "Is It Sharp?" with an offhand "Yeah, check it out" the friend/victim unsheaths the sword and proceeds to run their finger/thumb on the edge promptly losing the digit. Doctors in the ER love "Friendly Sharp" as digits can be reattached with just a couple of stitches and a band-aid.
Here endeth the tome.... YMMV
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Post by Dr. Whom on Sept 27, 2012 15:16:24 GMT
I have bought swords from and it says it is "True Sharp"...Where is that on the list?
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Sept 27, 2012 15:19:30 GMT
Because that comes from the manufacturer it would be classed as "Factory Edge"
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Post by Elheru Aran on Sept 27, 2012 16:47:09 GMT
Before I go any further, I take it that this is slightly tongue-in-cheek? I don't think there's anything wrong with the idea of classifying edge sharpness, but the issue is that your definitions may need some work. People are going to have different ideas of what constitutes sharpness, after all, and you may have a few too many definitions. I will address a few and give my idea. Don't forget 'blunt re-enactment or fencing' swords. Not all blunt swords are iaito. I see no need for this, it might as well fall under iaito or, better, simply 'blunt'. As pointed out earlier, some factory edges are honestly very sharp. I would propose omitting the term 'factory edge' as it could be very misleading. I think 'slightly sharp' or 'ready to sharpen' is better. "Accusharp-Sharp", perhaps? I would call this "Working Edge" or "Working Sharpness". It's a basic edge that you can cut with and is fairly durable. These are honestly not very different. Just "Very Sharp" might be sufficient. Honestly, this is where the degree of sharpness is a matter of opinion. Both of these, I agree, are a level up above 'very sharp', but let's be honest-- again, it's a matter of opinion. The thing is, there are so many variables in the equation. John Clements can cut bamboo with a blunt (or 'ready to sharpen') Windlass longsword; I couldn't, as I would need a sharper edge than that. Then you have the whole matter of edge geometries; a very acute edge may seem extremely sharp, but an edge with a lot of meat, while arguably just as sharp won't be as perceptibly dangerous. Here is what I would propose... --Blunt, with caveats for 'reenactment blunt' or 'training blunt' as they will have thicker edges for durability. -- 'Ready to sharpen'-- blunt, but the edge is fairly thin and can be sharpened with minimal work. -- 'Accusharp-Sharp'-- sharpened with an accusharp, obvious secondary bevel and thin edge that will blunt quickly, but sharp enough to cut paper and cut bottles and such with. -- 'Working Edge'-- a basic sharp edge that you can cut and not worry about blunting it. Might cut paper, might not. Might cut bamboo, tatami, etc, as long as your form is good. -- 'Sharp' or 'Very Sharp'... say your basic good katana edge as it arrives from the retailer, as opposed to your basic Euro edge? Will definitely cut paper and can probably cut harder targets... at least once -- 'Extremely Sharp'-- where you put all the 'scary sharp' or 'silly sharp' edges. Frequently these are extremely acute as opposed to a more thick edge bevel; an extremely sharp edge, but one that's rather fragile and could chip or blunt easily with use or bad form. Still six categories, but better than nine, don't you think?
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Post by SullivanSwitch on Sept 27, 2012 18:06:32 GMT
I've always thought of it in terms of:
Blunt - Blunt. Battlefield Sharp - A strong bevel, with sharpness that will cut hanging meat, but not paper. Paper Sharp - Push-cutting paper. Shaving Sharp - Shaves hair against skin. Hair-Popping Sharp - Mostly pertaining to small utility knives - Cuts hair above the skin. Anime Sharp - Can cut through the barrel of a cannon, while retaining both edge and polish.
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Post by Tater on Sept 27, 2012 18:13:24 GMT
This made me lol
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Sept 27, 2012 19:26:16 GMT
Yes, I like that one too, otherwise, guys, get some levity in your thinking!
"Elheru Aran » Fri Sep 28, 2012 2:17 am Before I go any further, I take it that this is slightly tongue-in-cheek? "
You would be absolutely right there.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Sept 27, 2012 19:35:19 GMT
I have plodded along collecting for 50 years, yes I have seen your page, no I don't own one of your swords, but I have enough collecting experience to understand precisely what sharp means. I also understand advertising.
Meanwhile, lighten up, it's Friday!
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Lunaman
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Post by Lunaman on Sept 27, 2012 20:01:07 GMT
Yo, aussie, listen to dadaochen. His stuff isn't hype, his swords are MUCH sharper than you'll normally find, and 's reputation has been staked on it. Many people on this board have owned blades sharpened by Ricky and can back up his statements. Paul has even had him sharpen katanas for the SBG store that weren't trick-cutting sharp when they arrived from the big name manufacturers. There's no need to goad him.
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Marc Kaden Ridgeway
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Post by Marc Kaden Ridgeway on Sept 27, 2012 20:16:08 GMT
I really didn't see anyone goading anyone... What I saw was a bunch of uptight responses to a thread made in jest...
Folks , it ain't got to be so serious...
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Lunaman
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Post by Lunaman on Sept 27, 2012 20:23:38 GMT
No, it doesn't have to be so serious, but when a manufacturer's reputation and business is built on sharpness and they are dismissed offhand from clarifying this by someone with no experience with their products, I don't think it's unreasonable for them to want to set the facts straight.
The originally post may have been joke-y, but Dr. Whom asked a real question about a product he purchased and was told that it was only slightly sharper than a butter knife and worse than an accusharped edge, when in reality the craftsman spent most of the cost of the sword giving it a hand polished edge meant to be the sharpest budget sword on the market. That's not a very funny joke. That's mean-spirited.
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Marc Kaden Ridgeway
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Awful lot of leaving and joining going on here for me .... And gosh I can't recall doing a bit of i
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Post by Marc Kaden Ridgeway on Sept 27, 2012 20:25:35 GMT
I think almost every response in this thread is unreasonable... And the thread is a bit silly itself ... But really enough already.
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Lunaman
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Post by Lunaman on Sept 27, 2012 20:29:10 GMT
Whatever. I don't have a dog in this fight, it just seemed really weird and I wanted to add some accurate information. Excuse me for trying to clarify things, right?
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Marc Kaden Ridgeway
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Awful lot of leaving and joining going on here for me .... And gosh I can't recall doing a bit of i
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Post by Marc Kaden Ridgeway on Sept 27, 2012 20:33:01 GMT
Sure... Whatever. Excused. It wasn't just you I was speaking to either. The thread was clearly made in jest... It's obviously not a product review, and I doubt anyone is forming lasting definitions of products from it...
Geez what an uptight group.
Ricky's swords are very sharp. Ok thats clear ... Carry on.
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Sept 27, 2012 23:16:55 GMT
H.S.T.S. = Holy semprini That's Sharp
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2012 0:02:06 GMT
From the videos and independent tests I've seen, the swords go beyond anyone's expectations of sharp - they would go into a whole new category of their own - "Absurdly Sharp"! :shock:
You'll need to make a whole new category for these!!! :lol:
I'm not into mat cutting but I'm tempted to own something like this because these swords are really in a class of their own.
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Post by Tater on Sept 28, 2012 0:17:38 GMT
Do it, you won't regret it.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Sept 28, 2012 4:50:24 GMT
Spot on ! I really would not suggest heating a blade to cut butter, but then my Sis puts her knife in hot water before cutting butter However perhaps we do need some sort of standard ? forget deliberately blunt, but relate relate sharpness to things that are common place, as an example "Poor - about as sharp as a butter knife"
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Sept 28, 2012 5:04:15 GMT
No probs, just calm down and put some fun in life. Yes I do, I looked your page up when you offered another forum member a free sharpen. And hype, don't forget the hype... "Can cut tree blade!" I laugh every time I see that As an aside have you researched the "Shibata edge"? great reading
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Post by ineffableone on Sept 28, 2012 5:41:22 GMT
There is one sharpness forgotten on the list, the ultimate sharpness possible. Obsidian sharp.To show you what I mean by obsidian sharp lets look under an electron microscope and scalpels of obsidian and steel To date obsidian makes the sharpest edge known of 3 nano meters.
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