Biggest KATANA misconceptions DEBUNKED
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ม.ค. 2020
- The Japanese Samurai Katana is the strongest, sharpest, lightest, fastest sword in the world, except it's not. . .
There are things it's good at and things it's not, here's the info.
Full print Chainmail Clothing: teespring.com/stores/shadiver...
Alec Steele TH-cam channel: / alectheblacksmith
My Katana Series: • The TRUTH about the KA...
My novel, Shadow of the Conqueror Audio Book affiliate links:
US: www.audible.com/shadbrooks
UK: www.audible.co.uk/shadbrooks
CA: www.audible.ca/shadbrooks
AU: www.audible.com.au/shadbrooks
Ebook, Paperback and Hardcover available from most major book retailers, here are a few of the main ones:
Amazon affiliate link (be sure to navigate to your country's amazon site):
amzn.to/2XErUaR
Barnes and Noble:
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shad...
Kobo:
www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/shad...
My official website: www.shadmbrooks.com/
Shadiversity on Patreon: / shadiversity
The Hoodie is already on it way and I finally got to read your book... And well, I didn't get sleep last night, because I couldn't stop reading.
Now that's a good grade for a book, I've experienced a few such reads/listens myself :)
dude. you didn't even look at the swords when you sheathed them. that was unexpectedly badass.
The only time that's happened to me what when I read Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way
The only non 40k book on my audio library.
it is one of the most unique worlds I have ever read in any book. only a few chapters in but already amazed at the world building aspects of it. quite good I must say.
Came to learn about Katana's pros and cons in a fight, Left with a degree in blacksmithing
proud of u without knowing u
lol same
~You need Metalurgy to research Rifling
See I dont watch shad anymore his videos I used to take as fact but I've noticed he injects his opinions above the actual weapon I wouldn't say katana is the best but id say its cut ability is better than longsword and broad sword, want proof have shad try both against a tatami mat
Curve doesn't help with cut ratio?? Shad are u getting stupid? A curved blade is tried and tested to increase cut capacity
Shad here just flexing his back scabbard sheathing skills whenever he gets the chance, i approve
Wouldn't you?
Hahaha and at the end he sheaths the katana without looking.
@@thearisen7301 Massive Flex.
Is that Leah from Stardew Valley on your profile? She is best girl!😂
I wanted to comment the same thing.
wait, you're telling me that I can't cut through my enemies to the point where their blood wouldn't spurt out until I've sheathed the katana back in a very cool fashion?!
You just need the power of friendship
and a rival that goes "M-masaka?!" everytime you breathed differently
Maybe you just need to fold it more.
You need to learn a type of breath first and master it
@@ub-4630 katana form 3 folding
Being a baker in Japan, my favourite conversation I had was when I was visiting a friend of mine who specialises in kitchen knives and Japanese swords, his response to steel folding was: "Layering Japanese steel is like making a metal croissant."
Tasty
Therefore katanas are one of my favorite pastries
Mmhh japanese butterloaf. Can get it here in Hawaii from local japanese baker. Almost asvgood as the swiss original.
Gives a new meaning to the phrase "taste my blade"
@@modulo3664 where the hell is that a phrase...genuinely curious
If I found someone in life who loves me with one-tenth of the passion that this man feels towards swords, I could die happily.
dude on god
You should see how he loves his wife and children
They're gonna make a video talking about your sharpness, durability, and curves.
@@kinguin7 "It's very durable, but it's not the best at thrusting. The range isn't very good either, but it gets the job done."
@@oolooo I forget which video it was, but just the thought of something happening to his family brought him to tears. I had no lack of respect for him, but that just made me hold him above every other TH-camr or online personality
I think you missed a big advantage of the katana above of all other swords - it had the better marketing guys
Bruh
Dude you're not wrong. You find find images and books about them everywhere. People say they're over rated but if anything they just were pushed everywhere for some crazy reason.
Katanas are way too publicized and marketed... I personally like katana’s because it is cool to hold it... but I would also love to wield a zweihander, long sword, or Scimitar. Because it is cool... I’m just too poor to afford a cheap long sword, Scimitar, etc...
@@glasslicker2829 haha, yeah, the Zweihänder looks so cool, the guys got double pay even back then, although it soon proved to be virtually useless.
But yeah, for a decent cutting device, the katana feels darng ergonomic. A bastard sword, although maybe more versatile, feels much more like "aehrm, ok....blunt end, pointy end, ok....how am i supposed to use this? Is there a manual?"
It really doesn’t help that cyberpunk latched on to them early and hard
With proper technique it's well known katanas can slice the very concept of time itself in half. Minutes used to be 120 seconds until the first katana was invented.
underrated comment
Is that??? A fate reference
Ooooh thats why clocks have only 12 hours on them.
@@nimra_4679 only in the us
@@jibrilherrcherofhorny4448 actually, analogue clock have 12 hours everywhere.
I actually respect the katana even more now that I know what its realistic advantages are. It may not be the "best sword for everything," but it is certainly a _very cool sword._
forgoing effectiveness for style points is a very respectable thing to do.
katana- Really good cutting and dedication
Longsword- Swiss Army knife of swords. good cutting, stabbing, and craftsmanship.
Katana is cool but i prefer mace
While I like European swords on the effectiveness stance, I'd agree with the 1500's Dutch in that katanas can be really pretty.
for me, I would just use the katana as a display only cuz imo, I like the sabres better
“I think we have covered everything about the katana”
*sheaths swords epicly*
Somewhere else, something suddenly split in half.
I wonder how many takes it took to get it that good.
@@carsonburkholder1548 Take it from a guy that trains with katana in a proper dojo. Sheething a katana without looking, in the way that Shad does it here, is easy :)
Yup. I don't like pinching the katana blade the way Shad did as he sheathed it. Please don't touch the blade, even when sheathing? Not good for the metal.
@@Krishnaeternal Our school does cover the koiguchi with the pointer finger and thumb so the blade doesnt make contact with the saya. But we dont touch the blade with our fingers. The blade only touches the hand between where the thumb attaches and the part next to it, if that makes any sense.
I imagine in 400 years people would be debating the AK47 and M4...
Both weapon are good on their own term
Hadinata Santoso that’s the same discussion as “katana vs (sword)”
They already do.
You think the human race will be alive in 400 years? Here's to optimism
@@collinderrick2159 I thank all you edgelords for providing immediate cringe for the rest of us to enjoy (:
Something that people need to understand is there’s NO SUCH thing a single sword thats the best sword. If there was a single perfect style sword. There literally wouldn’t be any other type of sword made. Each sword style is made the way it is for its style of fighting.
Facts...
id say its mostly the situation your in.
Every sword is suited for it's own purpose in it's own time period
Wrong, the cavalry saber is the best sword
@thesmogo in the 18th century it would be amazing, now send a cavalary sword to a 14th century battlefield and let's see its performance against a fully plated knight with a lance and an armored horse
the most recent misconception of the Katana I've heard is that Shad's killed 2 dragons with one. This is patently false. He's killed 3 with a katana, and another 2 with a bec de corbin, because the medieval can opener needed some modern love :P
Wife: our neighbor is playing with swords again in the backyard
Husband: what is he saying?
Wife: The Katana is not the best sword ever...
Husband: NANI?!?!?!
How do I like this twice? XD
Neighbor: Honey... the sword nerd next door’s yelling at a camera about his weeb stick again!
Husband: Baby, bring me my Katana and a camera, I have a new lesson planned for the day...
Sounds like something my dad would do.
@@alexrobinet7576 I like your like.
"Have you seen that swordsman from Australia? He's got curved swords! Curved. Swords."
I see Skyrim reference, I upvote.
Australia is akavir confirmed.
Red Floyd they both have enough super deadly stuff on them.
Wooooh, wait wait wait, hold up! The nords are surprised about scimitars, but the blades walk around with (curved) katanas. I just had an aneurysm. . .
@@DrownedLamp Remember, the Blades were basically the Secret Service. Not exactly the most public figures.
It's funny, because the first thing the Japanese will admit is that their steel is crap --not only is it crap, they don't have much of it. The Japanese islands are relatively poor in natural resources of many kinds, which is why they made a habit of trying to invade other places like China and various Pacific islands trying to obtain more of what they had very little of at home.
All those fancy forging techniques (including one you didn't cover, which is actually sandwiching and hammer welding together different grades of metal) are designed to overcome the inherent crappiness in their domestic steel. Their forgemasters had to work ten times harder with vastly more skill and precision to make a quality blade out of material that smiths elsewhere in the world blessed with better materials would throw on the scrap pile.
It's the same reason older Japanese automobiles were extremely well built mechanically but the bodies rusted to bits --many a Toyota and Datsun back in the day went to the junkyard with bodies and frames barely in one piece but perfectly running engines because of this. The Japanese, faced with poor materials to work with, made up for it with effort and skill and dedication far in excess of what others put in to the same product.
That's why a traditionally made Japanese sword is so immensely expensive, because you're paying for basically an artisan piece with hundreds of hours of work put into it by a master craftsman. With modern alloys, a cheap machine-forged blade can equal or exceed it in performance thanks to the advantages of modern high-tech metallurgy.
I think that's something that a lot of people miss in these topics. Yeah, people go over-board with over-stating how good katanas are. But.. their blacksmiths were absolutely amazing. If you pluck the best Japanese blacksmith and put him in Europe, where some of the best iron was and steel was produced, he'd probably make some of the best weapons in the world. Not to say there aren't good blacksmiths in Europe, but the Japanese ones had to work much harder and innovate more to compensate. Which is why some of their techniques is used now, elsewhere.
That’s a complete bullshit myth promoted by American steel companies in the 1980s. Japanese still is high quality in terms of carbon content, but very little of it actually exists in japans natural landscape. Shows what you know fool. You just bought into moronic British and American propaganda from the 80s Japan boom. None of that is based on reality.
America is a rogue state that has invaded far more countries than Japan bigot boi.
@@horusschnopp1882 One of my great uncles had a story about coming home after WWII. He was on a supply ship that carried spare parts. They were just getting going when they cracked a propeller drive shaft. They had spare parts for practically every kind of ship in the fleet... except their own. They were also one of the last to leave, so it would be months before a replacement could arrive.
So they asked the locals about who in the area might be able to make them one and got pointed to this old blacksmith up the mountain.
They dragged the broken shaft and a spare for a larger ship up the mountain to this fellow's little forge and told him through an interpreter that they needed him to make the new shaft into an exact match for the old one. He took some measurements, thought a bit, and said it would take him three days.
Two days later they received word that he had run into some unexpected difficulty since the shaft was too big to fit in his forge and it would take some extra time.
Two weeks later they finally got word that the new shaft was ready. When they arrived to inspect it they could hardly tell them apart. Length was the same... Diameters were the same... Bearing races were exactly right...
And they were both cracked in exactly the same spot and the crack was very nearly the same shape...
They called the interpreter over to ask the smith about that and his answer was that he was sorry it took him so long, but he hadn't seen that crack when he was first inspecting it and since he'd never tried to do something like that on purpose before it took him some time to work out how to make a steel shaft fracture like that and then more time to scale his tools up to do it on one so large. He was very proud of himself (and rightly so!)
They explained that the crack was the reason they needed the new shaft and that they'd really like one without that feature and with another spare to start with he banged it out for them in three days.
Never underestimate what a skilled smith can accomplish with simple tools.
@@gibsonflyingv2820 lmao weeb mad that their shit country isnt number one unlike the USA lmao stay mad lololol
Given that katana stayed katana and never really changed from medieval times, it would be nice to see you compare later European blades with it. Pattern 1895 & 1906 heavy cav blades for example or Napoleonic era infantry blades. Supposedly the 1906 was the apex of thrusting sword tech
“The katana is not the best sword. The katana is a greatsword.”
-Shad 2020
but greatsword is greater
Except he would never call that length a greatsword. The thing on his back is a long sword.
Realistically no sword is the best sword as they all have a particular purpose even differing in the same purpose for example while a Katana is great for cutting, but it is designed for two hands and there are other swords that are also great for cutting, but only require one hand so on and so forth
@@tyrant-den884 except you missed the joke
@@YourBoyNobody530 yep🙂 uwu falchion.
"Better than any sword in the world."
*laughs in shovel*
*Laughs in executioner sword*
*Laughs in anime giant shark laser fuck you sword*
*Laughs in daemonic Acursed Croxius*
Damned pole arm users.
*Laughs in Katana R1 running poke*
An excellent explanation of the physics and metallurgy of edged weapons. All weapons have a trade off, just like all defensive armours have a trade off between protection and weight
You missed the point. All weapons are not equal, some armor is factually superior, more durable and lighter than others.
@@crazylegs5063 funnily enough, _you_ missed the point that Steve was making, so,
...as much as you saying he missed the point, you did so too by a greater amount !
well, good thing i dont expect an intruder to enter my house in metal armor or a sword of his own.
Nope but he might with a gun....
And that’s exactly why he will
Good for the intruder
@@machinaanguis4998 shadows are our friends
@@machinaanguis4998 And that's why I have my gunsword. Shoot AND stab.
With this video, Shad has solved the whole argument; not by what he said, but what he wore. A European sword on his back and a Japanese sword at his belt. Best of both worlds!
abnd a M16 and Ak47 in his hands :)
@Wil E MONADO BUSTER
@Wil E They took a lot of greek inspirations in the series. And now Monado is technicaly also an Aegis sword. It's also nice to see another man of culture here.
That sword sheathing flex at the end 10/10
There's something about a riled-up guy waving a katana around that makes me want to listen to them very, very, calmly.
Regarding quality of swords, it was noted by a Japanese historian of the Sengoku era that whenever there was a prolong conflict, the quality of swords drops significantly such that it was not unusual for warriors to carry more than 1 katana and carrying 3 katanas were known to had been done. Does anyone know if something similar occurred in Europe?
So there was a zoro in Japan once
I don't think it would have.
Japan is a lot smaller than most feudal kingdoms would have been in medieval Europe, so each lord in the Sengoku period would have had more relative power to the whole of the archipelago, and I'd think wars would affect each fiefdom's ability to function more than a larger kingdom like France.
This is just a hunch though, so be nice.
@@gangrenousgandalf2102 Japan is not really small though. Honshu alone is larger than Great Britain.
I don't know, but there is precedense for wars and conflicts and worsening quality of equipment over time here in Europe. In WW2, many T34 tanks differed quite a bit (for worse) from how they were intended to be equipped so as to speed up production.
@@gangrenousgandalf2102 I don't think that is accurate. Japan may have been smaller that European nations in the High Middle Ages and early Reneisance - both in territory and land suitable for cultivation - but the population was much higher. 16h century Europeans were utterly schoked at the size of Sengoku armies.
I think it has something to do with rice vs wheat/barley as staple crop. It supports larger populations.
"But a foolish australian samurai, wielding a magic sword, stepped forth to oppose me..."
"So I flung his videos into demonitized and now the fool seeks to return to the home tab to undo his subscriptions to the anglophiles and weeaboo."
(Couldn't help myself)
*Samurai Shad music plays*
@Sightless_Seeker Ah, but you underestimate the power...of his Machicolations!
@@VikingBadass94 while eating spaghetti bolognese !!!
@@majdjinn5042 i see we have a man of culture here !
Is it true that a katana's cutting power increases when paired with a fedora, and when one goes all out, "just this once", despite the prohibition of one's master?
Hahaha. Good one
@BoringBone If you additionally grow out a full neckbeard with that Fedora, you will be granted an extra +20 slashing attack ability bonus.
That depends.
How long have you studied the blade?
That's a misconception, though technically true
A katanas cutting power increases with raw charisma and sexiness, which is increased significantly by wearing a fedora
No, its cutting power increases only if you're using the Hiten Mitsurugi style of sword fighting. ;)
I suspect the reason why "Katana" and Japanese swords in general have exaggerated reputations is due more to 20th century propaganda than 16th century media. During WWII, unlike every other army, officers of the Japanese Army, and even Navy -- and their respective air forces -- were expected to carry swords. Japanese propagandists turned Samurai values, i.e.,. Bushido, into the basis of Japanese military discipline. Even Japanese pilots of single-engine fighters were expected to carry their sword into the cockpit where it was obviously much less useful than the pistol and ammunition that other Axis and Allied flying officers were assigned. What use is a sword, compared to a pistol and/or survival knife, when you are bailing out of a flaming Zero?
Finally, Japan's enemies turned these Japanese myths about swords into anti-Japanese propaganda, to help portray the Japanese military as backward and almost medieval, and generally alien from the Allied militaries. Don't forget that after Japan surrendered, the Allied occupation forced the Japanese to turn over all their weapons, including both military and family heirloom swords, partly to try to end Japanese militarism. My uncle refused to turn over his swords and threw both his IJN weapon and our family sword into the sea.
I guess a katana in your belt is excellent for getting yourself stuck inside that flaming Zero.
"Any officer who goes into battle without his sword is improperly dressed."
-'Mad' Jack Churchill
Well your sword won't run out of bullets like your pistol will if you have to bail out behind enemy lines. It was definitely useful. Also, hard to chop wood for building an emergency shelter with a survival knife. You can't even hack off a small tree branch with one of those. The sword, though.... useful for that survival stuff if you don't have a hatchet or axe. Your uncle is badass. That is cool, man.
@@captaindred342 man please dont try cutting wood with a katana i think you would probably prefer the knife
@@prizmatik8696 It's like you didn't read my post. I said it's useful for building an emergency shelter, cuz it can cut branches off trees. You don't need giant ones for a shelter and a fire, yo. If you don't have a proper axe or hatchet, the katana would be better than a survival knife or swiss army knife for that. A machete would be useful in that situation too.
Katana: I'm not afraid of you!
Polish Sabre: Then you will die braver then most.
lel
I never thought about a curved sword being able to correct its edge alignment on impact. That's actually really cool.
Yep. One of the reasons the saber was the sword of choice for cavalry... you can't really focus on proper edge alignment while controlling a horse and swinging at people trying to dive out of the way of being trampled.
I instantly became a curved sword fan.
I always wondering what the advantage was, because I always felt it had to be more aesthetic
@@Rainbowthewindsage Shad has a video demonstrating the increase in edge-length on a curved sword. This has big benefits for cutting.
Thanks for covering this. Only tiny percent of Japanese historical dramas will make any cheerleader noises about nihonto and the katana specifically. By and large, we treated them as sidearms or status symbols. My family has always told its children that samurai generally started off as damn-near mercenaries for the ancient princes and kings, and eventually the Emperor, and were cavalrymen who focused heavily on archery and spearsmanship. The bushi of the family would only switch to their katana or wakizashi if they were pressed into close-quarters or had the misfortune to run out of ammo.
Guns, on the other hand... we love guns far more than swords. Every few years, you'll see an NHK taiga drama (or similar show with other networks) in which the MC's *cannot* stop talking about the superior firearms they just bought from the Portuguese or another European power. A daimyo (sometimes Oda Nobunaga himself) might spend two to three episodes beating into the heads of their generals that the foreigners' arquebus vastly outperforms the simpler Chinese hand-cannon sitting on a rack in the background, as a curio or war-prize.
Thank you the insightful comment. Highly appreciated.
you realize the folding stage was primarily used for the inner steel right? So that whole rant about how folding makes it weaker just goes up in smoke because its supposed to be weaker to absorb more shock. And its not iron its the weakened softened folded steel that is the core for katanas. The moment you started saying “i love katanas but” i could tell from your tone your just mad that katanas were better than medieval swords
@@sincerelymine I said that my clan's samurai, and going back as far as our daimyo during the Sengoku period, loved guns more than they loved swords. My great great great grandfather had routinely carried pistols in place of the traditional daisho set, with his daito as a backup in some circumstances and his wakizashi in others.
@@sincerelymine Bruh you're probably like 13, the only thing weak rn is your grades
@@sincerelymine "the folding was for inner steel" doesn't make sense. They draw and forge the whole thing. You wouldn't forge weld 2 separate pieces like that, and I dont even know how you would. I blacksmith, and im a welder for a living. I know metallurgy. What you said doesn't make sense.
I always thought that the main advantage for the katana's shape was in speed drawing....that the slight curve made for a faster and more accurate draw.
I can't speak for more accurate, but the curved shape does allow an easier draw from what i've seen
I think so too, a self-defense advantage in a surprise attack.
Lol speed drawing
@@nucklehead718 ..battojutsu ?!
I used to think katanas were better than longswords. I was stupid
Shads dressed like he's been at this a while and has reached a level higher than us low level adventurer's
He's a Level 45 Swordartist
Shad in this video has AT LEAST gotten Extra Attack. Probably has his level 7 fighter archetype feature too.
By 2025 he'll be dressed in full plate (or foam/leather larp plate) in order to demonstrate dominance
Angry Skeleton by 2030 he’ll be on horseback in all of his videos
@@etienneruche2844 He's totally a Battlemaster
"If you fold steel 2000 times you'll probably render it down into iron and ruin it!" Hey, don't dis my iron sword! I worked hard folding that steel into nice pure carbon free iron!
Lol. Guess u could use that sword to whack people as well
Iron sword eh? Good for catching butterflies..
hey look on the bright side. once you hit a low enough carbon content, you won't need to heat it up for forging any more.
and just so you know, cold forged iron blades are as sharp as it gets, they make scythes out of this stuff to this day even when mild steel is actually cheaper than pure iron.
@@UnholyTerra Le gasp! Why would I want to use it on a poor defenseless butterfly?! I use it for slaying dragonflies, thank you!
Hey, keeps the fairies away.
I wonder who came up with all the myths behind the Katana.
Weebs most likely
"WHAT!? THIS IS MAGIC!"
No, say it with me now.....
It's......
SCIENCE!
Science for the science god
science and magic are arguably one in the same
"If you made a sword that was ridiculously top heavy, that you just need to drop it and it'd cut through anything... well there you could say it's the best cutter in the world, but it would be unwieldy and you wouldn't be able to use it."
I may have heard of a sword like that, I think it's called an "axe".
You can wield that though
This made me lol
yes
@@tjthegreat7 Well not as a sword. It be pretty hard to swing it around only at the end of the handle the way you use a sword
That thing was too big to be called a sword.
Too big, too thick, too heavy, and too rough, it was more like a large hunk of iron.
I like how Shad wears his self-made sheath for the back every video to remind us how awesome it is
TLDR: katana is easy-mode choppy-choppy sword
I was just thinking about this... and to think (I believe) there's some sorta idea with Japanese swordsmanship that to be able to cut through tatami mats you need long training, when in reality it would seem that they're just using the easiest thing for the job to do the job 🤔
@@finnishfatman The katana does a good job of doing the job it's supposed to but the job itself is hard so the katana does a good job of the bad job.
Now take a shot everytime I said job
The entire video was very educational, but damn that part about the bevel length and single edge advantages and how double edged swords need to be thinner to still have that same edge point was amazing cause I never thought about those!
I love it how Shad just nonchalantly sheathes both swords like a pro while doing the outro
Very impressive!
10 out of 10👌
Love how he really makes sure to look like he doesn't focus on it, which kinda gives it away :D
@@buttan3399 my guess is a lot xD
That happend so naturally, i didn't even notice it.
Awesome!
@@buttan3399 Right. There is that ominous cut right before the nonchalant successful sheathing ...
"katana is not a magical sword"
well, there goes my dream of achieving Bankai...
dinliner08 try bleaching it
@@FortuneBlackAnimations W.I.N.N.E.R.
it's ok, you can still unlock shikai once you learn it's true name
@@FortuneBlackAnimations GENIUS
@@ChineseWinnie don't get my hopes up
The katana is the most powerful sword in the universe. It can cut mountains. It can cut galaxies. And most importantly, it can cut taxes.
I watch Shad at .75 playback speed, I find it helps my brain keep from having a complete panic overwhelm / meltdown. Pro tip
Shad is really rocking that Shabbard!
Ikr
He has gotten better at sheathing his blade too
I'm going to call all back scabbards "shabbards" now
I really need to get around to making a shabbard for my grosse messer.
Shadbard !!
This is like saying “Our water is filtered 2,000 times, it’s the best in the world!” Ummmmm how nasty was that water to begin with???
Good way of putting it, but the water is still pretty damn clean.
analogy doesn't work great.
@@NafedalbiFilms it's a perfectly good analogy actually
And in the end, distilled water is still more pure than filtered water, the same way crucible steel is the purest
@Sewer Inhabitor and there we have the next myth. That only works in cell cultures, not human bodys. You're totally fine if you drink normal amounts of dist. water, but with water with ingredients, it depends on these. Sure there is mineral water and shitty mineral water, but dist. water is allways as good as the best mineral water, because the "good" minerals are in such low concentrations that they do not realy matter, as long as we talk about water and not for example beer. You take those in with your food, not your water. Google it if you dont trust me. Kinda like with the Katana steel vs crucible steel. Most filtered water atleast in Germany does a decent enough job, so you do not need dist. water, but it is never worse. A carbonfibre reinforced magnesium-titan sword would be beer in that analogy.
That is also good to know, if youre somewhere where you can not be sure, about the quality of the water you can get. Just buy some dest. water at the gas station and you're allways fine. But it will taste like nothing. The Katana steel looks better, so i gess the analogy is even correct on this point.
thank you very much, now I go cry myself to sleep...
I have a spring steel katana variant, I love it, I really appreciate this video, it answers quite a few questions where my research hit a dead end.
*Biggest Katana Misconceptions:*
1. Katanas are Lightsabers
Only with reverse grip
Well, apparently both can’t be switched off and on in battle. And both are missing a pommel. So it’s essential the same. 🤔
Also the other way around since using kendo with lightsabers would be quite silly when they don't have any blade weight. Nonetheless George Lucas liked samurai movies lol
@@Sheepyhead Didn't the blade of lightsabers have weight in Legends?
That's obviously ridiculous. A katana will cut clean through a lightsaber.
The "folded 2000 times" thing was always such a ridiculous claim that I always figured it meant layers. You only need to fold something 11 times to get 2048 layers. If you theoretically folded it fifty times, you'd have 562,949,953,421,312 layers (that's five-hundred sixty-two trillion, nine-hundred forty-nine billion, nine-hundred fifty-three million, four-hundred twenty-one thousand, three-hundred twelve, a.k.a. "a lot"). I say "theoretically" because around fold number 25 or 26, each layer would be about the thickness of an individual iron atom, and at that point you've well homogenized the metal and probably pretty much ruined it a couple folds ago.
Also, people misunderstand what it means to fold steel. There are people, even famous fantasy authors, who seem to think it means you start with a thin sheet of metal, and with repeated folding and welding of that sheet you somehow end up with a bar of strong steel that can then be essentially carved into a sword. Madness!
Yup, that's exactly how I thought of it too
562,949,953,421,312 will be around 100km thick.
Because science.
@@evennot No because you hammer it back to the desired thikness every time you fold it
I would like to see Shad collaborate with Shogo. He is a Japanese sword instructor and does videos on traditional Japanese Culture. Seeing my two favorite educational youtuber collab would be incredible.
Shogo would kick his ass.
@@gibsonflyingv2820 as if two Kings would come to blows.
Well unfortunately Shogo would prove a lot of things Shad said in this video to be false :/
Thanks Shad! I'm an Iaido practitioner of many years and it was great to learn all of this, fantastic video!
The Katana stuff is fantastic, but what got me really excited was Shad using his back scabbard and showing how practical it is.
Yes! I was searching for another one who was as excited about it down here in the comments.
Loved the way how casual he is about that as well
now i can wear chainmail while i'm on a date to rid myself of HERETICS
Beware of the german guys. Heard they are coming to the Hood
@@sirxarounthefrenchy7773 Guten Tag, wie kann ich behilflich sein?
@@sirxarounthefrenchy7773 i'll be sure to avoid the danish straits anytime soon.
Beware XENOS CHAINMAIL IS HERE
Why don't just wear power armour? 😂😂😂😂
Caught you on FNT and now I can't stop watching your vids. I love finding channels a bit late sometimes. Gives you a lot to watch. Also gives you the blues once the binge is over but hey, we're not there yet!
Early Japanese Swords were, in fact, straight swords. They were called Chokutō.
The katana shape and swordsmithing came to Japan through Korea.
3:03 "it is a great sword"
No, the _odachi_ is the greatsword, not the katana.
I'll see myself out.
Isn't it called nodachi or am I wrong?
Yep you got it
Odachi and nodachi are separate things
No they aren't, they're two different names for the same sword. "Odachi" (大太刀) means «Big Sword», "Nodachi" (野太刀) means «Field Sword», but they are indeed the same.
Unsurprisingly there's a Metatron video about it. Is there like a Skallagrim/Metatron/Shadiversity's Law wherein if someone brings up something about Vikings/Feudal Japan/Medieval Europe there's a video about it by the relevant expert? If not, we need them.
th-cam.com/video/8KIb3YYQMrM/w-d-xo.html
"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of weebs suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."
@@rhcpdragon746 Show us on the dolly where the bad man touched you.
Whether or not you stole this comment doesnt matter, its a funny comment! If your wondering, there is a comment posted 4 months ago that starts with the same few sentences
@@ZLemons I dont bother reading that far down into the comments. I just imagined my weeb mates reeling at it. Obi Wan was the first thing that came into my mind.
@@gaznixon5161 hahahahahahaha
@@noone-io4yj A weeb is a sad pathetic individual who believes that Japan has the best culture on the planet and aspire to be Japanese themselves. It's incredibly cringe worthy.
"There are no solutions, only trade offs" - Thomas Sowell
(From a different context, but still appropriate here)
I like the simple fact that instead of just saying this sword is crap, you explain the difference while also explaining its pro's and con's.
I also believe Katana was not meant for defending against opponant blows, it was for making quick swift blows through leather armor.
@@kaingrimm1149 He got a few things wrong. Also all kenjutsu schools teach blocks and parries, and Japan had relatively few animals with thick enough hides to make significant amounts of leather armor from.
@@corneredfox True however it was shipped from china, most fuedal japanese armors are clearly bamboo/leather combo's which are layered up.
However I did notice a couple of disrepencies in his video when discribing how the katana was used, mainly the fact that european weapons ARE in no way meant for slashing and were very much blunt force weapons. Only lighter weapons were used for slashing such as rapiers and saber's.
But I digress
@@kaingrimm1149 The overwhelming majority of Japanese armors are iron, there are even sets that have been proof tested to withstand matchlocks at close range. They've been lacquered (coated in resin to resist moisture) and painted, which is why they don't necessarily look like it at a glance. About the only time bamboo was used as an armor, without looking into prehistoric Japan, was in an emergency. For example the 47 Ronin used bamboo, but they were being watched by the Shogunate and couldn't exactly go out and order 40+ sets of armor without throwing up some red flags.
No swords from any culture are meant for brute force, swords are inherently finesse-based weapons. If you intend to use brute force, best to use an ax or mace.
Yeah because reality is more complicated.
I like the casual back draw and sheath.
It's that "impossible" thing you've made simple.
Add another misconception to both swords: Neither sword goes "shinnnngggg!" when you draw them...
But it IS a very cool sound effect
Back when I did re-enactment fighting I sometimes let the sword slide softly on my mail hauberk when I drew it, just to get that sound ;)
Sarumano Well.... You can kinda do it. If your Scabbord has metal on the top where the hole is you can slide the blade across it while taking it out. That was a strange explination.
@@sirsmellybottom7480 That's true, actually. Hadn't thought about it, but then I checked my sword scabbards and found a parade sabre scabbard that did just that.
I don't know if real sharp fighting weapons would use that kind of scabbard, though. I feel like it would ruin the edge.
I actually installed a small metal plate into my katanas scabbard on the back side so it doesn’t damage the edge just so my sword goes shinnnnnnggg when I draw it. I love that sound lol.
I think that it's great you cleared this up! great job getting all but one of the facts together! (this last one is less of a fact and more of a functionality use. The curve in the blade allows for better combat on horse-back due to the fact that a samurai wouldn't fight in a duel-like function on the battlefield unless they really needed to)
The amount of tiktoks and TH-cam shorts that bash random swords and praise the katana is so bullshit. Everytime they start with some stupid point.
Shad will never cease to scare me with his hand movements around the blade.
Not just me, then...
I puckered my butt when he did that downward slashing motion toward the upturned blade.
Quite sure the blades are dull enough for them to not be a worry.
@Todd Jenkins No. Even razors don't cut you unless you move your hand ACROSS the blade, or force the edge into yourself by pushing it with more force than what's required to grip it.
You can grip the blade of a sword and swing it around if you want so long as it doesn't slide.
Look up 'mordhau' or 'murder stroke' where the weilder grabs fully on the blade and strikes with the crossguard. Or in some cases, halfswording, where the weilder grips up onto the blade to use it like a shorter blade/dagger.
I'm saying with how Shad moves his hands *moving* them around the blade I worry he'll cut himself.
He hasn't done it yet I don't think she'd usually shows us those sorts of accidents.
I'd be more ok with it if her actually did grip the blade and hold it instead of moving his hand around it so much lol
If by 'tapping' or 'touching' you mean you smacked your hand on it, then that's enough movement to cut you. If you mean *touching* it, not swinging your hand at it, then it won't cut, so long as you don't move along the edge, or apply too much force.
5:28
"No Patrick, Katanas cannot cut through space and time."
But.. but.. muh Judgement Cuts. - *Made by the Vergil gang*
Katana doesn’t have a plural form
Same with all Japanese words
But is it an instrument?
But the literally do cut through Space Time.
zelith fang. no it is a tool
Here in Russia, we had the same problem as the ancient metallurgists of Japan: we didn't have iron ore mining through actually mines. The nearest such deposits are from us: Scandaniya, Ruhr, Ural Mountains.
The first industrial production of iron ore in Russia was mastered under Peter the Great by the Demidov brothers in the Urals, in 18th century. Before that, we either fiddled with "swamp iron" - Limonite or simply bought metal blanks from the Hansa and their predecessors.
And just like that, in Russian culture, tales arose about incredible, magical swords that could cut anything: the legendary Myech-Kladenets. Only, unlike Japan, Russia did not capitalize this mythology at the end of the 20th century. But basically, yes: just crappy iron ore.
"It Can Thrust, But It's Not The Best At Thuating" yeah that's what my ex-girlfriend said before leaving me 😂
Am I the only one who's noticed Shad's gotten a lot more practiced at using his back scabbard since he originally designed it?
No
I love that he keeps using it.
Yep he's gotten much better at it. I wonder if he will eventually change the design after mastering that version.
I just wanted to post that the true point of this video is for him to show off his scabbard technique :P
I just came here for this comment. He did it so casually like he didn’t really care, yet he did it so well. He made great impression for someone who’s making video about katanas weak sides 8/10
It's 3 AM and I've never held a sword in my life, but I watched the whole vid and thoroughly enjoyed learning sword tech.
Same
Same
If your sword wasn't the "Springiest" Shad, have no fear, they make pills for that!
So there are pills that make your sword better?How?I ingest it and suddenly my Katana turns into the anime equivalent of it?
@@chriswentz5197 Yes, but if it is longer then 4 hours you should consult a Doctor.... or blacksmith?
I could barely focus on what you said, was scared to death by the flailing 😬😂
Someone I once know said "A katana is for cutting, a longsword is for everything."
Wtf...
Firstly, no sword ever made then or now can cut through a steel even a shit one
(Edit: I think I was high when writing this comment)
@@arewe9647 Um... that doesn't have anything to do with @DrewPicklesTheDark 's comment..
Wtf to YOU sir! :P
@@arewe9647 that’s not the point a long sword can cut and stab while a katana can only cut he never said anything about cutting steel
Lul longsword is unwieldy as fuck. Have you seen those clowns that reenact medieval wars swing them around?
@@superizillian957 It can stab but I have heard practitioners of Japanese sword martial arts preferring the cut over the stab so you do have a *ehem* point there.
it has a misconception of being light and thin, like a scalpel, but it's actually more like a meat cleaver.
That's why it has that long handle even with its relativly short blade.
Euro swords are far lighter, longer and agile but also need more skill(edge alignment) to cut well. Which is another jab at "Katana mastery" when its more of a noob sword for being more forgiving there. Euroswords have much better protection for your hands and allow many more techique including anti armour ones. You cant use katana as a battlehammer with european sword you can. And if you want to just make katana completely irrelevant with few adventages it may have - late medieval kriegsmessers from germany they are superior in every single way to katana robbing it from last couple benefits like forgiving bad skill with edge alighment, single edge etc. While having even better cross guard with protection for knuckles.
@@Kacpa2 length is overrated a sufficiently skilled fencer can easily kill someone using polearms. Also being lighter Also brings it's own problem with It, as being harder to parry blows from heavier weapons. Moreover the differences is top small in both weight and length to even count as an advantage. Last but not least, no it's not harder to use a longsword
@@Kacpa2 Being forginving in a real fight is quite a good advantage. No matter how skilled you are, it is not like your opponent will let you have a perfectly aligned cut on him. Being more dificult to use is not realy something you want from a weapon on a life or death situation.
@@bloody4558 Length isn't overrated. A sufficiently skilled fencer can easily kill someone using polearms, if this person is less skilled than the fencer. A fencer will almost never win against an equaly skilled opponent who is using a polearm
The fact that you still have all your fingers at the end of the video is very impressive and a testimony to your agility... or cheer luck... I am subscribing right now !!
I believe I read
A lot of the myths of katanas were caused by European officers who were used to their mass produced and issue swords, and the katana was seen as this super special one and the Japanese weren't going to correct them
The swords the Japanese military made during westernization were very interesting, the styles were European, but with Japanese decorations.
Most wartime swords were not heat treated so they were soft and bendable, if you had a hardened blade you were untouchable
It's just anime dude
"Not a magical sword"!?!?...says the poor peasant who cannot afford an original Hatori Hanzo.
I have a +10% crit damage rune installed in mine and it cuts through concrete like butter.
I've got masamune with 2 magic card slot init..
And it can cut poporing like butter
@@jumboonia1 Pah, are you challenging me to a good old keyboard duell? I will gladly lead my trusty rapoo-keyboard into battle which already served my father in the glorious 3rd console war from 2007-2010 .
I assume you're a man of honor, so it's needless to remark that caps-lock war-cries are still prohibited under the regulations of online-warfare.
@@mark-o-man6603 NAANI..?... could it be...? Tell me, is that "keyboard" of yours had a pikachu sticker on it.. its the most powerful and the most magical key board that ever exist..
I surrender...
Senpai.......
........
@@jumboonia1 I see you are educated in history quite well, so I shall let you pass with all respect due. Yes, that's exactly the sticker my grandfather Ryu Takanabe took from the dying hands of Dyuske Okabe after he struck him down with the world's first deadly meme. It's the first "surprised Pikachu face" sticker (with a glitter canvas) and is probably worth a billion yen. Now I have the honor to protect this family treaure, and I will till my very last breath. I have already slain hundreds of formidable online-warriors with the might of this keyboard...and we haven't even talked about my Drakonia-mouse yet...
@@jumboonia1 I know this is just a series of joke comments, but it's worth pointing out that there has not been a single katana that has ever been confirmed or even believed to have been forged by Masamune. He forged swords for titled samurai, and during his lifetime the katana was used by peasants and common foot soldiers.
"Katana means Japanese sword, in Japanese."
- Samurai Cop
Except "nihonto" means "Japanese sword," actually a more accurate translation would be "Japanese blade."
@@corneredfox Yeah, but tell that to the guys that made the movie
As far as I can see, "katana" comes from "kata" (one-sided) and "na" (edge/blade). So it means "one-sided blade".
@@Liggliluff katana consists of only one kanji. The kanji for one-sided is completely different.
@Dreyarde I've been in Japan for 30 years (link to my website is in my profile). Katana just means sword. The interesting thing for me though is how did the Japanese in medieval times look at western swords, what did they call those? I'll have to check that out one day.
Great vid, very informative - and a proof that when you are gifted with both knowledge and ability to present it - it doesn't require flashy visuals or sounds to keep viewers glued to the screen (like myself - my coffee got cold, I forgot to drink it whilst watching your programme ;-)
Little detail to anyone wondering what the heck is the historical purpose of the groove on a katana : it's clearly not to appear cool or anything aesthetic related. The point of the groove is to drain the blood on the blade at the end of a fight so the blood doesn't go and accumulate in the sheat so it simply doesn't end up drying and blocking the katana way's out of the sheat
No. The bo hi is for the purposes of lightening the sword without affecting its structural integrity. Done properly by a highly competent smith, it can be used to affect the weight distribution of the sword in the process (lightening it in specific areas while leaving weight in others to affect the balance/handling). The MANY variations of fullers, aka "blood grooves," on European swords also reflects this.
As for the idea of dried blood blocking the blade as it's pulled from the saya, the katana is primarily held in its saya by the habaki. This is why the tradition of "thumbing the blade" out of the sheath is commonly seen in Japanese media, it's to clear the habaki from the saya so that the blade is loose in its sheath and ready to draw. Comparatively, you would have to literally paint layers of dried blood onto the blade to get close to the same effect, something that's not naturally going to occur. More problematic would be the rust that the blood can induce.
Glad to see your overly excited fanboy face again, Shad - blessings to you and yours! We wouldn't want to lose our favourite Aussie dragon slayer.
@Rex Francorum And as he has slayed a snake himself he is a Dragonslayer. ;-)
Beuwen does not approve! They have a peace treaty going though.
Hahaha I loved that picture to the word "context"
Captain Context is a good looking dude.
@@davidtuttle7556 he is very entertaining and shows his opinion in a very precise way
@@Preuen-zs1fz He has a penetration intellect. The thrust of his arguments are quite illuminating.
I'm very satisfied with your logical and good explanation.
If I add a point to this vid, I'm not sure about Long Sword but, Katana was not the main weapon for samurai at war historically (main were bows and spears) and used as a short-range or indoor weapon like handguns nowadays, later become the symbol of samurai during the peaceful era of the Tokugawa shogunate.
I watched through the whole video and i can't believe i didn't get bored. This was amazing, great work!
I watched the series Forged in Fire: Knife or Death. So many times people would bring in their custom Katana that cost thousands of dollars & it would shatter or bend during the challenge. The sword is meant for MEAT. These people believed their swords could cut anything until they came across anything non meat
Agreed, swords are usually for that specific purpose, with addition of stabbing. If you are up against armor, a simple bludgeon is far better than any sword from any place, any era.
@@nenadmilovanovic5271 if the other guy has full plate armor, you have three choices: half hand the sword and use much like a short spear, run the other way, leave the sword and pick up a mace. with spikes. on fire
When you use something like 52100 or 5160 steel and temper it accordingly, companies like Miller Bros Blades and Zombie Tools make swords and katanas that can cut trees and split logs. You can use this type for meat, but you definitely cannot use the traditional meat ones for hard objects..
Do you have any links to that? I am curious to see it
@Data User 0001 Pretty sure Shad knows more about swords and steel than you
The year 2020:
The katana is still the most discussed sword on the internet.
Also a belated happy new year!
Jacob Nion I’d love to own a katana, but more so with a proper European sword.
@Sightless_Seeker do it anyway, but ensure it stays sharp. The more souls it takes the stronger it becomes.
Yeah, I think European and other Asian swords should get more attention. And the sword equivalents for indigenous people around the world.
@Sightless_Seeker you can just hang it higher beyond the reach of people.
@Sightless_Seeker That's pretty normal, now if you can talk it into being nice, you've got a nice sentient sword there. Currently I'm working on my own I've called her excalibur, she demands the blood of frenchmen sometimes but i just dunk her in red wine and she's fine after that.
So you're saying you CAN'T cut a bullet in half with a katana?
I love your channel man!! I learn a lot. Great stuff
One of the sharpest things I have ever experienced in my life is a perfectly machined and ground 90 degree corner.
I split my thumb to the bone with a pair of scissors once when I had to jerk my hands out of the way of my running kid.
@@davesunhammer4218 he was talking about scissors? 90degrees tho
No doubt. I worked at a factory that made semi truck beds once and I was on the line that put the floor together. Long story short, one night while attempting to clean the conveyer that brought the wood down, I slipped on some of the glue leftover on the conveyer and smashed my shin against the edge of the metal "table" below it. It wasnt even the actual "corner" of the table but it put a hole in my shin all the way to the bone while, at the same time, failing to cut through my pants... weirdest way Ive ever been injured. Was like a hole formed out of sheer impact force of a non-sharpened edge.
@@paulpierce1001 happens when you get bitten by a large dog through jeans as well.
@@paulpierce1001 That doesn't sound fun
So Shad is here swinging a katana around wildly and dengerously for 27 mins.
Wait until he gets his hands on a montante.
i'm on the edge of my seat at 3am hoping that he won't accidentally cut himself swinging the sword and nonchalantly touching the sharp edges.
5:28
Something tells me it's not sharp just like the longsword isn't.
My son bought a cheap katana on ebay, it looks terrifying, and when i realised how damn sharp it was I was horrified to have it anywhere in my house. Like a 30 inch razor. No WAY would you swing it around like that, or rest it on your arm. If you touch the blade, it cuts you. But I think anyone who like to use their swords like Shad does would wisely not keep them sharp!
Very informative! Would love to see a future video on Korean Hwando swords - often mistaken for Katana but with 5 faces instead of 6 and such!
I absolutely LOVE the katana, it's my favourite type of sword, but I was always wondering why the katana had such a different shape and look in comparison with a longsword or broadsword. I used to think that it was just for aesthetic purposes, but this video really helped to show the difference.
It is better to watch a video of the process of it being done
Shad: It's not the best sword in the world
Adult me: He's right you know..
Teenage me: I will fight you mate! You take that back!
Same
Yep, sadly yep
For me it was more like
Adult me: Yeah he’s *bamm*
Teenage Me: Shut it old man. Katanas are friggen cool.
/\ found the weeb
David Pena by the 1700s it was probably true that the average steel used in Europe was better than the steel used in Japan.
However the average Katana was very comparable to European swords of the time (sabres, cutlasses etc) because after the crossbow and then gun was in common use efficient cutters were all that was needed because people didn’t wear Plate armour or even chainmail anymore.
So we would have to compare swords from the Middle Ages in both Europe and Japan to see a big difference and most of the examples we have from both places of that age were prised possessions of wealthy families and were likely very well made for the time.
So, to sum up, the Katana is in many ways optimized for chopping through things, and quite a good quality sword for the technology it was made with.
And it looks AWESOME!
@@claylings7383 Yeah. And it looks awesome.
More like, "through a series of happy accidents, the katana is a unique and pretty single bladed sword."
Lmao, they turned the katana from anime into a real thing
You have100 likes.
thanks to youtube for recommending this channel this was a very good explanation on the misconceptions of the katana, i love your content man keep it up and God Bless.
you didnt prove or debunk the claim that a katana can cut through a tank
Shad, I'm 42 now and I've wanted real answers about this since I was ten. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It's refreshing to hear facts instead of hyperbole about these swords. I have an acquaintance who actually believes that, if one had an original Japanese katana, made during Japans Edo period, it could cut through an engine block.
@@donmiller2908 It could cut through an engine block but only an engine block from Japan's Edo period.
You look like a nerdy Witcher...Epic
Guard: you’ll choke on 3 pounds of steel!
Shady:well, actually..
Toss a coin to your witcher.
@@phillipyao4260 bad song change my mind
Bro witchers know all sorts of monsters and remedies... pretty nerdy imo
He is the spitting image of lambert with glasses
There are people who think katana slice to tanks XD
Weebs be like