Today was the first time I learned that this kind of katana actually existed. Whether it was truly practical or not, I have to admit it looks insanely cool. Why did this kind of blade never become the mainstream form of the katana?
>>65066916Moroha zukuri. Fairly common for early tachi when the Yamato would import steel from the mainland or just have the Chinese smiths shape it like that.
>>65066916>Why did this kind of blade never become the mainstream form of the katana?The whole tip must have been far weaker than the traditional shape
>>65066916If the double-edged swords of ancient Japan, influenced by China, were the dinosaurs, and the katana we all know as the weapon of the samurai were the birds, then this sword was quite literally something like an Archaeopteryx: a weapon that embodied a transitional stage of evolution.That said, judging from how brief the age of this type of sword was, its practical value was probably not especially high.
>>65066985Seriously, where the back edge stops halfway down the blade would be a major stress concentration.>>65066916What they don't tell you about, anon, is that even Katanas weren't used all that often as a weapon of war. Of course this changed by historical period, but you were often more likely to encounter a Nagamaki on the battlefield than a Katana. That is the real sleeper Japanese weapon that isn't as well known but was used a lot in massed battles.>In Japan there is a saying about swords: "No sword made by modifying a nagamaki or a naginata is dull in cutting" (長巻(薙刀)直しに鈍刀なし). The meaning of this saying is that nagamaki and naginata are equipment for actual combat, not works of art or offerings to the kami, and that the sharpness and durability of swords made from their modifications have been proven on the battlefield.
>>65068616Pretty sure that's like the first thing a baby weeb learns when he starts reading about weeb swords, in fact
>>65068616>where the back edge stops halfway down the blade would be a major stress concentration.Even after tempering? Or you mean if you managed to catch it on something during a swing?
>>65066916Well first you got to ask what purpose this back edge serves, and there's basically none. The shape of a katana is not very conductive to false edge cuts. The "conventional" tip shape works just fine for thrusts too. To be honest false edge cuts are basically a meme move anyway, even for straight double-edged swords.
>>65068616>Nagamakithese are made from the sad remnants of katanas. Cut a katana in half, make two nagamaki. also spears were wielded by women commonly. Many women, only so many men
>>65068794>Cut a katana in half, make two nagamaki.My MFW when a person in a sword thread doesn't into swords.
>>65068794Trolling or just very retarded?
>>65068794>Cut a katana in half, make two nagamaki.Bro on some Darth Maul-type shit.
>>65070546>buy Oblivion twice go away Tod
>>65066916Sort of a transitional work between the Tsurugi used between about 250-500AD which is sort of like a Chinese Jian for all intents and purposes often made by the same people. The first swords made in Japan all the time where the straight bladed Chouto which lasted until about 700AD-ish and fairly similar to the Tsurugi, so by the time this one was made it was just before/during the Heian period of 790's to 1100's when the Tachii style would have started making more of an appearance with a slightly curved blade by the sword smiths.I guess a lot of it comes down to it probably being more difficult to make and it would have been in an awkward period of martial arts, like are you slashing or stabbing more during the strikes and if you're more stabby, you're probably better off having the blade straighter to keep the tip in-line. It wouldn't really be much weaker as there's still a fairly decent cross section, diamond shape of blade there, but might have lightened up the tip more to make it more responsive. Swords are sort of disposable things in a lot of ways, they got flogged hard, chipped up and eventually made into something else. Sort of why you don't really see many family peasant beaters in that they got used, so it was really only the special, not-used much ones that survived
>>65066916This is a guess but I'm thinking the tip kept snapping off. See, the Japanese used to use Straight Swords, similar to the Chinese Jian. Kusanagi is a famous blade from that period and it's practically a Gladius. According to legend, the transition came when Japan got invaded and their traditional straight swords kept breaking when you swung them. Eventually, someone realized that if you curved back the blade it reduced shearing stress and helped the blade take the hits. Kogarasumaru blades came from these early days. Following this logic, I'm assuming that the transition between sharp reverse edge to thick spine created a kind of weakpoint that would snap if you hit something too hard. That being said, I agree that's a cool-ass blade.
>>65073901I don't know enough about the history to know if that was ever a standard albeit traditional design, but it could simply be an artistic piece.Like the quote in >>65068616 alludes to, a lot of Japanese blades were never intended to be actual weapons of war. A lot were simply the smith trying out new ideas, decorative objects, or votive offerings at shrines.
>>65074002>albeit traditionalMeant to say transitional. fucking autocorrect....
>>65068616>Seriously, where the back edge stops halfway down the blade would be a major stress concentration.If you're dealing with that kind of force on the sword, you're swinging the sword too hard, and and any sword would bend or take damage. The sword has an edge, it's not a hammer. Read less, sword more.
>>65074253Stress concentrations exist regardless of how hard something is swung. They arise from geometry, not from force.
>>65074002>extra size Katana
>>65074274Shouldn't matter if you're just slicing up unarmed peasants.>>65074014That's neat.
>>65074002Not sure if its oversize or the lady just smaller.
>>65074002And the classic Nenekirimaru
>>65066916
>>65068794You mean Naginata? I know of ppl using the blade to make Wakizashi. But 2 Katana?
>>65074002
>>65074002Built for fat drunkards
