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Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by Blind-Kitsune
on 2007-11-06 16:14:38 |
WELCOME ONE AND ALL WHO COME HERE! I am a very active collector of samurai swords, bokken (wooden swords), Naginata, and other weapons. But swords are my specialty. If you have questions about sword care, sword terminology, sword safety, steel types, what to do in case of injury while handling swords, what to look for in a sword that you plan to purchase, or anything else. You got a question I will do my best to answer it. So come by and lets see what I can do to help you!!!  |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by
on 2007-11-06 16:48:11 |
Wow, you got lots of swords huh..?Nice, BTW, is it heavier than other kind of swords? 
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by Blind-Kitsune
on 2007-11-06 16:55:22 |
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Not usually no. It all depends on the material the sword is made from how long it is and the purpose of the blade (I.E.: cutting heavy bamboo) but usually I find it to be lighter than the few European swords I have seen and held. I have about 26 katanas a naginata a jitte nunchuks a few kunai a folding blade shuriken and some bokken. I dont really use them to cut stuff they are just for show but some of them are battleready. |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by zparticus27
on 2007-11-06 16:58:54
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| so it is true that a one well preformed swing from a katana can really behead or cut a man's arm? |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by Blind-Kitsune
on 2007-11-06 17:32:45 (edited 2007-11-09 18:23:53)
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Now I have never heard that saying but its not just the form of the swing that makes the cut smooth and perfect. Curvature of the blade is also a factor. It makes the blade travel through the air faster and since a little more of the blade hits before the rest that portion of the blade has a lot of force behind it because of the extra acceleration. The japanese sword is truely a brilliant design and in my opinion the perfect sword. |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by
on 2007-11-06 17:35:45 |
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I also got one more question, do the swords cut into half if two katana's being crashed together? (mythbusters myth)
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by Blind-Kitsune
on 2007-11-06 17:59:36 |
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now I dnt watch much mythbusters but I would say no. The only way that would happen is if one sword is of poorer quality steel than the other and/or if the other sword is heavier |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by
on 2007-11-07 22:22:51 |
I got a question. What's the heaviest and lightest swords available?  |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by Blind-Kitsune
on 2007-11-07 22:33:26 (edited 2007-11-07 22:36:08)
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The lightest japanese sword would be a wakizashi -medium sword- if you wanna get technical a tanto -short sword- which is more like a dagger than a sword. The two share very different purposes. Now as for the heaviest sword that a tie: Nodach Odachi and believe it or not Zanbatou (not like the kind of Rurouni Kenshin) Katana's some times can be very heavy but that depends on the types of steel and other materials used as well as the forge style that will determine a swords purpose. |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by
on 2007-11-08 06:18:52 |
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Hmmm good statement..really .
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by
on 2007-11-08 07:06:38 |
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oh thanks a lot ronin. oh well, are the sharpness of all swords are the same by the way? |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by Blind-Kitsune
on 2007-11-08 07:31:30 (edited 2007-11-08 08:06:12)
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no they are not and you can tell when a sword is sharpened by hand or by machine. Do you know what to look for or feel for to tell the difference? |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by
on 2007-11-08 11:12:38 |
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Ahh... I'm learning a lot here!... thanks Ronin-san I have a question: when a sword is finished how do they usually test it's quality?   |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by Blind-Kitsune
on 2007-11-08 13:18:59 (edited 2007-11-08 13:19:21)
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After the principle forging of the sword the steel is too soft for cutting. The blades are hardened through heat treament. After that the blade is put into a quench tank to cool the blade and the hardening process continues. The blade is then tempered, which is the processes of heating the steel but not to forging temperatures. Then the blade is quenched again. It is common to do this about seven times. here is somethings cool... "One common method of heat treatment, particularly favored by Japanese sword makers, is to coat the blade except for the edge with a wet clay mixture that dries out and hardens as the blade is heated. The clay retains the heat and retards the cooling process. Some bladesmiths will create thicker ridges of clay that cross the blade to further slow down cooling in those specific sections. The idea here is that those sections will be slightly softer than the rest of the sword, and will increase flexibility while the edge stays hard." After that the swrod is inspected for flaws and I believe bamboo is the victim of test cuts I hope this answers your question. |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by
on 2007-11-08 19:10:23 |
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well i actually haven't touched any swords...so how could you tell the differences? |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by Blind-Kitsune
on 2007-11-08 19:35:51 |
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with a hand sharpened katana the blade is always dullest at the base. With a machine sharpened sword the whole blade is equally sharp. |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by
on 2007-11-09 03:57:48 |
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Hum...interesting. Just wondering, is it true that a katana was made from a steel piece in the middle of two iron ? I think i've hear that somewhere but i'm not sure about it. And also, is it true that only at a specific temperature a swordsmith could make a good bent angle in a katana ?   |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by
on 2007-11-09 07:48:54 |
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Well it takes experience for that sort of thing..Let ronin-sama tell us. I'm also not too sure.
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by Blind-Kitsune
on 2007-11-09 09:45:30 |
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I dont know anything about the first question. But...BUT!!! I can answer the other question. The amount of heat doesn't determine the curvature per say... thats more the forgers choice.... "Steel becomes red hot around 1200 to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit (649 to 816 degrees Celsius) and glows orange at about 1800 F (982 C). Most steel alloys should be worked somewhere within this range. If the steel is cooler and appears bluish in color, it can be shattered by the hammering. Conversely, the steel should not be heated any higher than 1800 F (982 C) unless specified by the alloy's use guidelines.' |
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Re: Ronin Ookami's Sword Stand! (not an RP)
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by
on 2007-11-09 15:22:23 |
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Hey I've heard about that on TV about the special heat treatments they give to the swords blade covering the whole sword except for the edge with some clay in order to harden the cutting part and leave the rest in a non-martensitic state so the swords are more flexible and less fragile. ^__^ Thanks Ronin-sempai! |