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Originally Posted by Chris Evans
Hi Carlo,
Absolutely so.
I don't know if you came across this article:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/artsguerrier...abrekatana.htm
Unfortunately it is in French, but can be translated with Alta Vista's Babelfish. Makes for very interesting reading. I suspect that the sabre in question must have been an experimental one, because all the 19th century military sabres that I have seen, had edge geometries very similar to that of Japanese swords.
Deep fullers can reduce the friction encountered, but that to me is something of an overstated argument because on sabres, the COP usually falls right where the fuller ends.
Here are some measurements that I have made on two of my sabres:
Ames 1862 :Edge angle at COP: 22deg At 3"from pt 17.68deg Blade thickness at COP 5.5mm and 3"from pt 3.5mm
Brit 1854 :Edge angle at COP: 23.53deg At 3"from pt:20.6deg. Blade thickness at COP 5mm and at 3"from pt 4mm
Perhaps you could tell us how these geometries compare with that of Japanese blades. Unfortunately, I do not have one at the moment.
Cheers
Chris |
It's hard to me to give edge angles due to the above mentioned Niku that offers a curved surface to measure. Kasane (spine thickness) on many of either my long blades and/or which I've access to and/or in my files is in that range at COP, a bit less tapering toward the point. Mihaba (width) is crucial and very variable too. Anyway I'm not sure the different processes of making (mass versus custom) can give us a good comparison between the two.
Military swords, being subjected to standardization, are by far easier to
compare (type versus type) then blades made to tightly fit the needs of a specific man, not to talk about difference in tall between europeans and japaneses and avoiding the nightmare of the different smithing schools.
Japanese long blades had only a top-lenght standardization in Edo, every weight or thickness or width allowed as far as it was functional, so it can vary a lot and the homogeneity is only apparent, IMHO. Same for curvature. Another difference is that fullers (Hi) in japanese weapons most of the times passes the COP and its positive/negative phisical action versus the gain in weight is highly debated by Tameshigiri (cutting) practicioners.