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Post by kk on Jan 21, 2020 13:10:03 GMT
This time, even LK Chen was shocked.
This bamboo log has such a thick wall that it took LK multiple attempts with a machete to dislodge it from the bamboo forest for the demo.
The Heavenly Horse Cavalry Han Dao slash it in half in one go.
This illustrate the superior blade design by the Han Dynasty blade smiths.
Heaven Horse, 1:1 replica of a 1 meter long, 615 gram cavalry Han Dao.
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Post by kk on Jan 21, 2020 13:58:27 GMT
615 grams is 1 pound 6 oz.
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pgandy
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Senior Forumite
Posts: 10,296
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Post by pgandy on Jan 21, 2020 15:32:14 GMT
Wow! I'm impressed.
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Post by kk on Jan 21, 2020 15:57:46 GMT
This is the grandfather of all Chinese Dao - created to fight the formidable Xiongnu.
This is before the Sui Dao, Tang Dao, Sung Dao and over 1400 years before Ming and Qing Dao.
The blade design of the Han Dao is known as
"Thick Spine and thin edges"
When we copy the real specimens 1:1 , we have no idea how well this cuts.
Now we know.
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Post by kk on Jan 21, 2020 16:02:52 GMT
Also note that this is a single handed dao, slashing and cutting on a galloping heavenly horse will even be more terrifying for the opponent.
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Post by kk on Jan 21, 2020 16:12:46 GMT
Also please note at the end of the video the 90 degree bending test. The original Han Dao was like that, showing the skill of the Han Dynasty Blade Smith to create a blade
that could withstood the impact of cutting from a horse. This is an unseen quality that one cannot find out by just looking at the blade. This take a lot of skill from Uncle Hing to
replicate this unseen quality.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jan 21, 2020 19:17:24 GMT
I had noted the flex test at the end. However your statement “The original Han Dao was like that…” raises a question, did you or a cohort actually bend the original like that? If so, wasn’t that taking a chance on a relic that old and valuable? Also since you have brought it up, and I had to go back to make sure that I remembered correctly, you bent the blade with your bare hands which raises two more questions; one is the blade stiffness and the other sharpness, although the video supposedly demonstrated the sharpness. I have no blade that I can bend like that with just my hands nor would I want to with my bare hands.
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Post by kk on Jan 21, 2020 20:57:16 GMT
The flexibility of Han Dao was demonstrated by the author Alex Haungfu in his book "Iron and Steel Swords of China". Mr. HaungFu is the premier collector of ancient Chinese weapons. He has in his private collection, more than 10 Han Dao. One of the dao in his collection was discovered broken in the tang and therefore cannot be recovered as whole. Mr. HaungFu used this particular specimens on some more risky test and find that the steel used in Han Dao have some very advance properties and the ability to rebound after bending is one of them. Mr. HaungFu conclude that from what he have seen in all the Han Dao he handle, that the Han Dao had the best steel of all Chinese Dao and surpass even some 20th century industrial steel. For example, he compared the steel of Han Dao vs Japanese military sabers model 95 made during the 1930. The model 95 sabers was 95 cm long, 3 cm wide and 7 mm thick. But after bending, cannot bound back to straight. While his 2000 year old Han Dao with similar dimensions can do the same. Mr. HuangFu wrote about this in Chapter 1 of his book to dispell a misconception in the Archeological circle that Han Dao did not have good steel since it was created so long ago. That Han Dao have to be thick and heavy to avoid breaking. From all the specimen he handled, Mr. HuangFu find this not true and spend the first Chapter of his book with photos to refute this misconception.
Please note that the Han Dao actually is quite stiff and cannot be bend very easily. Just that LK Chen have very strong upper body strength from his training and normally, few people can do that bending test by hand.
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Post by kk on Jan 21, 2020 21:36:22 GMT
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