Tachi versus katana in horseback fighting

[Chris Evans]

Hi tsubame1 (Carlo)

1, How do you prefer to be addressed? tsubame1 or Carlo?

2. You have a very valuable resource library on Japanese hoplology. Thanks for posting those pics. I will soon reciprocate with those pics that I promised.

3. The story on those curious rehilted blades with the overlong handle and kcucklebow: Story has it that many infantry and naval officers, who had kenjutsu training, could not master cutting with the more flexible Euro swords and simply reverted to their trusty old blades, but making a token attempt to fit in with expected appearances. This account may or may not be entirely correct, but has its parallels in Europe where many officers fitted blades of their preference to regulation hilts - Castle mentions this practice.

4. Western swords vs katana: This is a collectors and not a martial arts forum - You are right, this can be a can of worms, especially if it invites all kinds of cyber warriors to join and passionately argue their favourite view, whatever that may be. I only mentioned this to make clear that Norman was not prejudiced against the Japanese sword and clearly assessed it, in my view, fairly correctly.

Cheers
Chris