Battle damage

[spiral]

Originally Posted by sirupate

I fail to see that Samurai were bullies, from a letter from Will Adams to Bantam in 1612, in which he talks about the Japanese;
‘The people of this Land of Japan are good of nature, courteous above measure, and valiant in war: their justice is severely executed without any partiality upon transgressors of the law. They are governed in great civility. I mean, not a land better governed in the world by civil policy.
Regarding Wakizashi;
In 1629 the Tokugawa Shogunate issued an ‘Edict’ requiring Samurai when on ‘Official’ duty to wear the Daisho, the kamishimo costume allowed the wearing of the Wakizashi with the Katana, primarily before the kamishimo costume the tanto was worn, and even then there was no formal size associated to sword name until 1645.
Regarding Japanese Swords, traditionally made;
The Ming Court started importing them in 1404 for 'their sharpness and cutting
ability, but also because of their splendid mountings', and started to copy them as did the Koreans and Siamese
The Royal Armouries; 'The use of composite construction is shared by blacksmiths of many cultures worldwide, but few attained the skill and experience of the Japanese swordsmiths that led to the remarkable beauty and efficiency of Japanese blades.'
Non Traditional WW2 Gunto sword;
The Metallurgical Analysis of a Japanese Samurai Sword was done by the American War Office, on a Japanese officer’s Gunto Sword (mass produced; the Carbon rating of the blade was
1.05. A chemical analysis showed the steel had many non-ferrous inclusions, indicating very poor quality steel.), requested by the US War Department, Office of the Chief of Ordinance, and conducted at the Watertown Arsenal Laboratory.
Hardness: When the hardness tests were completed, it was found the blade was softest in the tang (as low as 348 Vickers) with hardness increasing towards the longitudinal middle of the blade (550 Vickers), and dropping off slightly as the tip was neared. Edge hardness was fairly consistent for the entire length of the blade (air quenched): between 442 and 446 VHP
The specs for the Gunto Sword are way below par for a well made traditional Nihonto

Your failure to understand my view, is irrelevant to me & it also doesn't surprise me that you think such people are something to aspire to be.

You do make me laugh....Interesting when you couldn't draw me out with your "Papu kukri " thread you then choose this one next.... mmm hoping to get me banned when I tell people in no uncertain terms my experience of knowing you? as I so dislike having to converse with someone who I regard as my deliberate & personal little troll?

I suggest you re read what I posted & then study this page, {you might learn something. But probably not, one needs an open mind to do that.}

Linky re, old jap. swords & koa ishin ww2 gunto.

The page shows the true comparison to the Koa issin & older blades...

Good bye.

[Ian]

Gents:

There is some very "testy" language emerging in this thread that is not in the spirit that this Forum seeks to maintain. Perhaps there are some residual feelings from the recently closed thread concerning kukri marks. Whatever the reason may be, this thread is also at risk of being shut down and individual suspensions handed out. If you want to argue in this manner, please take it to PM or email. In all exchanges, please refrain from any personal attacks on other members.

Ian.

[Battara]

I agree with Ian. This is no place folks for person heat, hostility, or snipes. You have our blessings to exit this thread if you need to.

[VANDOO]

THIS THREAD IS ABOUT DAMMAGE FOUND TO WEAPONS NOT MANS INHUMANITY TO MAN OR TO DREGE UP OLD HATREDS OR ARGUMENTS. THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH OF THAT ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD SO LETS TRY TO LEARN AND HAVE FUN HERE THIS IS NOT FIGHT CLUB

[drac2k]

Actually the most skilled samurai would test a new sword on the body of a condemned criminal; I believe this practice was called Tameshigiri .

[Timo Nieminen]

"Tameshigiri", literally "test-cutting" iirc. Usually performed by professional sword-testers, "shitoka". Perhaps not the most skilled samurai even in the field of swordsmanship, but expert in their particular art.

On the Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tameshigiri there is the account of the "condemned criminal who, after being told he was to be executed by a sword tester using a Kesa-giri cut, calmly joked that if he had known that was going to happen, he would have swallowed large stones to damage the blade." (Described as apocryphal; iirc this is found in The Sword Book in Honcho Gunkiko, one of the two books published together in English translation in "Sword and Same".)

http://www.japaneseswordsmanship.com...shigiri_h.html

[sirupate]

Here is an excellent article by S. Alexander Takeuchi, Ph.D. on Tameshi-giri and Suemono-giri
tameshi-giri and suemono-giri