The Glade 4.0

Friday morning...I am placing my order.

I never quite realized how inexpensive a quality katana could be!

I figured, you have to spend a few thousand dollars to get a respectable blade that won't do this:

[youtube]C7FBrmpaMAU[/youtube]

I mean, it's mostly gonna be for display purposes (I've always wanted a Katana and I'm sort of a martial arts and weapon enthusiast) but I don't want a piece of crap that won't be able to cut anything. And worse...have the blade come flying off and accidentally impale a neighbor or stab myself like that guy did.


I started checking out reviews of sub-$300 Katanas on the sword buyer's guide website...and I must say, I am pleasantly surprised!

I've narrowed down my selection to these two Katanas.

The Kaze "Wind" Katana: http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/kaze- ... view.htmls

and...the much larger than usual:

O-Katana http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/big-swords.html

They are both made by Cheness Cutlery, the first company to use "9260 Silicon Alloy Spring Steel" in Katanas....apparently this is a popular choice in fencing weapons for their flexibility. Check out the reviews and some of the cutting videos on these swords! They both use that same type of steel, and are about the same price ($5 difference).


As you know, Katanas are fairly short swords when compared to other sword types, but they are very powerful. The Kaze Katana is a standard sized 28" blade and is differentially hardened. This means the sword has a very beautiful natural hamon, which appears as a wavy line along the side of the blade. This is due to the way the blade is cooled, the edge is cooled much faster than the spine. This is a HUGE plus...for one, it looks beautiful, and it is the traditional way of quenching a blade. The reason for cooling a blade this way, is so the edge remains hard and sharp, while the rest of the blade retains durability / strength. You see, if it was all cooled at the same speed, you'd have a very hard brittle blade that wont lose it's edge, but will break easier, or you'd have a durable blade that will not retain it's edge.

Now, this O-Katana, is very long for a Katana...33" blade....however, I'm 5'11" and can probably handle the extra length...plus, it just looks cooler and more intimidating! I like the fact that I can get blue ito wrapping for the tsuka and the tsuba (hand guard) is much better looking, in my opinion. The blade has a fuller as well, which makes it (surprisingly) lighter than the Kaze katana, despite being 5 inches longer in the blade. The only downside to the longer blade I see is unsheathing it from the saya. With a shorter normal size katana it will be much easier. Oh, and the Cheness O-Katana is not differentially hardened. It's all the same hardness, and the "hamon" line on the side of the blade is not a real hamon line, it's only there for aesthetic purposes....however, despite this fact, the through hardened spring steel is apparently much more durable than the differentially hardened Kaze, and check out the description on their website of the different types:

http://www.chenessinc.com/steelselect.htm

The larger O-Katana is made of 9260 TH, and the Kaze is made of 9260 DH (the TH and DH refer to through-hardened and differentially-hardened method of quenching the blade). It seems that even though differential hardening is a technique used to improve the blade and get the best of both worlds (sharp edge, yet still durable), the fact that they use spring steel makes it a moot point unless you care about having a real hamon, and tradition.


What do y'all think?

[youtube]RS2YcBbubs8[/youtube]


Check this guy out! It's much more difficult than it looks and makes you have respect for the craftsmanship and how sharp these blades can be. He's practicing Tameshigiri (literally "test cutting") These are soaked tatami mat rolls and approximate the consistency, feel, of a human limb. Each slice is about equivalent to cutting someones arm off.

With enough force, and a good katana, you could easily slice someones head off, or cut a watermelon in half.


This is why I'm getting a Katana:

[youtube]gqBotRBnW_w[/youtube]
[youtube]hKheFGDJ_1Y[/youtube]
[youtube]u9TWOyW_ZQU[/youtube]
[youtube]DdP8CU_JRxw[/youtube]
[youtube]Z8sSi1DyVcA[/youtube]



Next thing to purchase: High Speed Camera, and lots of watermelons

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

Very nice dude!

_________________

It's an awesome idea! When my friend and I were in Tokyo, we took a small detour to find this shop called 'Japan Sword' listed in my guidebook, figured it would just be kind of a neat shop to look at some swords. It turned out to one of the highlights of the trip! The employees there were super friendly, took their time to explain to us all kinds of information about history and uses of each piece. I couldn't afford anything at the time, and probably cant for some time, but I fully intend to buy something when I have some extra cash laying around because they were so awesome to us (and who wouldn't want some Japanese steel??? )

Here is their website and the guidebook entry:

http://www.japansword.co.jp/js-e.html

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/tokyo/S27109.html

You'll put your eye out, kid.

_________________
In time, this too shall pass.

I know! It's one of those things, I'm nervous because I know with one mistake or careless move I can get seriously injured (or dead)....but in reality, this is one of the few things in life that make me grin from ear to ear.

The other two being Bruce Lee beating the hell out of people with nunchucks, and boobies.

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

Why would Bruce Lee beat the hell out of people with boobies? Aren't nunchucks alone enough?

Boobies will put an eye out too. Hold out for the big ones, Nev! If you've gotta lose an eye anyway, go for the gusto!

_________________
In time, this too shall pass.

Haha funny

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

I thought you meant one of these.

_________________

Holy shitsnacks!

Arafys, maybe when I get the money, I will mount my Katana on my Katana and ride it around. While I do drive-by cuttings of watermelons and various other fruit in slow motion.

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

Nev, with all sincerity and seriousness...please please PLEASE don't try to learn this by yourself in your backyard. Take classes. If you want to to do tameshigiri, there's a lot of it in shinkendo. I studied this art for a bit, and the focus is on using the sword to cut...there is far less emphasis on fencing or ceremony (traditional kendo or iado, respectively). But don't expect to be learning with your live blade for a while...you'll get your form down with a boken (wooden sword) before they will let you cut with a live blade (shinken). You will need to develop the movements and muscles to ensure you have proper control and to minimize the possibility of injuring yourself. You'll also learn how to properly take care of your blade, and meet people who can help you with maybe making slight modifications (changing furniture and re-wrapping). You'll also hear stories about People Who Did Dumb Things With Sharp Blades that hopefully will help you to not make the same mistakes.

But please, Nev, whatever you do, with every fiber in my being...don't try to do this by yourself.

_________________
Women are from Hoboken, men are from Trenton. ~ Jimmy Kimmel

Colphax! Thank you for being concerned....I am also concerned.

If some day my schedule and budget work out, then I will look into a shinkendo school. If not, just for the sheer fun of it.

Fortunately, I have a high understanding of martial arts and I'm pretty well coordinated.

I will be buying a bokken to practice my own forms. I've already thought about joining a fencing class and/or some type of boxing, eskrima or wing chun that has a heavy emphasis on actual sparring and combat. I was reading about Shinkendo just yesterday and that has caught my eye as well!

I'm not afraid to do it on my own, though. I will take the proper safety precautions and not over exert my abilities or attempt anything crazy that I haven't already perfected with a Bokken. Safety first, man.

I definitely see where you're coming from, but you'd be surprised at how much you can do on your own with the right knowledge!


Thanks

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

I warned you!

_________________
In time, this too shall pass.

Guys, this is soooo gonna be me in about 5 years:

[youtube]5Ze1x1Hlykc[/youtube]

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

Long ago and far away . . . (over 30 years and in Arizona)

On the way to an SCA war several years ago one of the Knights passed a guy selling watermelons. The shadows were getting long and the guy was packing up to go home, he still had a lot of watermelons. The Knight stopped and talked to the guy and ended up buying enough watermelons about to be to ripe to fill the back of his pick-up.

The party that night featured lots of people in a variety of levels of inebriation with a variety of swords slicing open the watermelons.

There is a trick to throwing a watermelon at someone, and throwing the cut properly that the guy who bought the watermelons knows. He taught it to some of the other Knights and they had a lot of fun doing this, were supervised, kind of, and amazingly no one got hurt.

After the party had wound down and there were few watermelons left one of the newly arrived Knights saw what was going on and wanted to try it, but everyone was either in bed or partying elsewhere. The newly arrived Knight told his Squire to toss a watermelon at him, and using his own Katana (nice one, I saw it a long time ago) he did an overhead slice straight through the perpendicular to the ground.

You may have noticed in the videos a sideways slice is used. That was the trick that was being taught to the earlier participants. With the sideways slice the watermelon flew to either side of the swordsman. With the nice clean perpendicular cut, and the strength with which the Squire had thrown the melon, the newly arrived Knight ended up with watermelon on his face, then dripping down his garb.

Story is at least third hand, I didn't see it myself.

Congratulations Nevandal, and also congratulations on the wisdom with which you are approaching this purchase and the training for the use of the Katana.

_________________
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

Thank you, Micheal...and wow, I thought you were going to say he lost grip of the Katana and the watermelon pushed it into him.

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

Well, he was bruised a little, mostly ego. Amusingly, he was the most sober, having just arrived on site, and was the only one hurt.

_________________
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

I've never done any kind of sword work. Rattans and knives, but never a sword. Would also like a katana some day. Sounds cool Nevandal.

~Tolyn~

_________________
~Tolyn~

"A penny for your thoughts; $20 to act it out."

I took Kenjutsu class with my friend - man their stances are awkward and require a lot of flexibility. It was fun though. Maybe you could look into that.

_________________
"It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines
The hype vice, murderous nighttimes and knife fights invite crimes" - Nasir Jones

Well, Nev, if you're going to do this anyway...be careful during your draw and when you sheathe the blade. Be aware of where your thumb is, lest you cut it off. That was one of the things they hammered into all the students, of all levels, when I was studying. I can tell you this much...I wouldn't want to try to figure out the proper grip dynamics from a book. Also, don't get cocky. Master your diagonals (and never, ever cut towards your leading leg, natch) BEFORE you try square cuts and don't even think about thrusts until you have cuts mastered.

_________________
Women are from Hoboken, men are from Trenton. ~ Jimmy Kimmel

Oh yeah, sheathing the blade, and constantly being aware that I have an extremely deadly weapon in my hands and not to take my mind off of that is what I'm worried about.

I had a straight razor once and I cut myself stropping the blade....but here's the thing, it didn't happen while I was stropping...I tried to do something else while stropping (I think i tried to readjust something the belt was connected to) and for that 1 split second lost concentration of where the blade was in relation to my other hand and I got cut. Thankfully it wasn't serious, as I know how sharp those razors can get. Unfortunately though, it hurt like a mofo...probably cause I didn't do a good job stropping it.

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

I wish I could decide on which Katana to get!

I'd eventually like to have both, and also maybe an Oniyuri as well...

I've figured out how to measure the proper blade length. Hold the sword as close to the handle as possible with one hand, and let the arm relax at the side. The tip of the blade should come close to the ground without touching it.

28" for me. Same length as the Kaze katana. But the 33" blade looks soooo good.

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

If you prefer one-handed work get the 28" blade.

If you prefer two-handed work the 33" blade will work for you, as long as you are near or over six feet tall. If you are significantly shorter than six foot it will end up being a mantle decoration.

That is my observation over many years of watching SCA fighters with a variety of sword types. Everyone loves the look of the long swords (phallic symbolism is not lost) but once they start using and wearing them, they go to standard or short swords. There are few exceptions.

YMMV

_________________
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

I agree!

I would be very happy with the 28" blade. The 33" blade is very cool, and powerful but it could be too long for me.

Size goes in both ways, though....there's a third katana I'm pretty excited about, and that's the Oniyuri.

14" handle, and only a 23" blade.

Oniyuri: http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/authe ... sword.html


The versatility of the blade, combined with the easier drawing of the sword, and ease of use in tight areas (hallways, etc) have me very attracted to that sword as well

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

Oh and for the LOVE OF GOD take lessons to learn how to properly draw the damn thing! So many people lose their thumbs because they think the scabbard is a single solid piece.

_________________