[.Aaron]

NeoTifa, on 21 March 2012 - 10:06 PM, said:

The best kind of blade for your katana is good old-fashioned Valyrian steel.

Definitely. Hmm.. April is so very far away. Wait.. the first.. I hate whoever schedules these shows.

[Choscura]

You can sharpen it, but (as posted above), the way swords and most long-blade cutting tools are made these days is inferior to the traditional methods. Since nobody's mentioned this, work hardening was the primary method of making solid working long blades. The workpiece was hammered constantly and consistently along the entire length, both when heated and when cooled. The result of each hammer strike was more densely packed crystal atomic structures, and the implications of this were that much less metal could be used to make a weapon or tool that was as strong as an un-hardened weapon with more metal. This was the basis behind (for example) weapons such as the Rapier and saber, and was a contributing factor in the construction of Japanese blades, especially along the edges of katana/wakizashi/tanto.

A derivative method from this is still commonly used to make very durable tools- if you have an adjustable crescent wrench, it probably says 'drop forged' somewhere on the handle. Drop forging is essentially the same idea, but performed by a machine pushing two halves of a mold into semi-molten workpiece.

Similar techniques are used all over the place for very high-performance pieces (eg, hammer forged barrels, which use this process to both harden and shape the rifling into the inside of a gun barrel).... but as far as your sword goes, since this (probably) hasn't happened to it, it's a fancy metal stick, and sharpening it is pointless because it's heavier than it should be in order to be used, and not as strong as it needs to be.

This post has been edited by Choscura: 22 March 2012 - 01:12 AM

[baavgai]

You bought a sword online?!? Without actually holding it first? And for that price?!? You can't even see how the blade curves...

Do not buy a sword online! You have to hold the thing. Swing it around. Scare the staff.

These things are crap. The balance is usually worse than a crowbar. The 440 steel thing means they're sturdy, mass produced, stamped crap. A full tang means that the stamped metal "blade" has the handle screwed to it because it was cheaper than using fittings.

The 440 is probably 440A, low carbon, shiny, and barely takes an edge. I'd use a grinding wheel. Mind you, I'd use a grinding wheel on something cheaper, like a $30 BudK special.

Honestly, get something cheaper and sharpen it. Hack up what you like with something you don't mind banging the crap out of. Because, not matter how amazingly sturdy a blade claims to be, you will damage it if you use it. Particularly if you aren't familiar with how a sword moves.

Get the movement down with your current one. Feel how it swings. Cut the air cleanly before starting on other things. When you can do a full motion without any wiggle in the blade, then you're read to slice without embarrassing yourself. Have fun.

[WolfCoder]

Yeah, it's kind of like a guitar, you don't buy them online since you have to hold and try it. Plus there's only a small group of vendors who don't make shitty blades.

ishkabible, on 21 March 2012 - 09:22 PM, said:

no, skyforge steel is what it needs to be made of; it's the best in all of skyrim.

"something about that forge just makes the steel hold tighter, if that makes sense."

This post has been edited by WolfCoder: 22 March 2012 - 12:41 PM

[NeoTifa]

.Aaron, on 22 March 2012 - 02:41 AM, said:

NeoTifa, on 21 March 2012 - 10:06 PM, said:

The best kind of blade for your katana is good old-fashioned Valyrian steel.

Definitely. Hmm.. April is so very far away. .

Oh I know. I found out my friend has HBO, so I introduced her to the show so she'd let me come over and watch it. Going to be win.

[Kilorn]

Yea, my DVR has been set for months in anticipation for the new season. I can't wait.

[ILoveJava]

Personally, if I could buy a sword, holding it first, and testing it's cutting, I definitely would, but unfortunately, as far as I know, there are NO shops that sell swords in my local places. So I pretty much have to go by on line shit. And honestly, I'm not actually looking for a sharp blade I could chop bamboo in a single slice with, I'm mainly looking for aesthetics for my study/office. This thread was just me wondering if it would be possible to sharpen my current sword.

[ILoveJava]

For some reason I can't edit my previous post.. so here is the sword set I plan on buying next.
worth it?

[modi123_1]

Post #18?

[ishkabible]

Quote

I pretty much have to go by on line shit.

[baavgai]

Edit: Never mind, just go with the pretty. I'll leave the rest for if someone cares.

ILoveJava, on 23 March 2012 - 08:59 AM, said:

For some reason I can't edit my previous post.. so here is the sword set I plan on buying next.
worth it?

You get more swords, and other stuff, for the same low, low price of $99.99? What exactly does one mean by "worth it?"

If you just want a cool KSO ( Katana Shaped Object ) then pay what it's worth. No more that $40 for a big one. I imagine shipping is a bitch on such things; I'd look to buy local. Any martial arts supply will have a few of these things hanging around for people just like you. Even if they're over priced, you can at least see what you're getting.

If you really want a real Japanese style sword, find yourself a Japanese style sword school. Kendo schools may or may not help here; they often favor the equipment of their sport over real blades. Instead, look for iaido or iaijutsu.

I studied iaijutsu years ago ( Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu. ) Once I'd swung a boken around enough that it looked like I wouldn't injure myself, I got my "to" or "iaito". Measurements of my were taken, in accordance to the school's style, specs were sent to Japan via the school, and my sword arrived marked as something completely different ( air plane seat belts, I think. )

I've played about with the kind of crap you're looking at over the years. They're slabs of unbalanced metal that look like swords. My iaito is perfectly balanced. Once you feel that, you know what a Japanese sword is supposed to be. It looks about like this one; has the same utilitarian tsuba.

Yes, that's what it costs for something real. Do not order it! The schools get a discount, they know who to order from, you'll at least get something real for your cash.

Third option, forget Japan; they're pricey buggers. One of the best swords I ever found was at a flea market for $40. It's a Filipino dahong palay. Wicked thing, sings through the air, made my kali master drool. South pacific blades tend to look like ass, but they can have brilliant balance and are generally cheap.

This post has been edited by baavgai: 23 March 2012 - 02:51 PM

[ILoveJava]

Nowthat, is a beautiful sword! I just have to find a sword school I can actually get to. Since I'm only 17 right now, without a car, and I also live in Australia
But none the less, challenge accepted..

Edit: remember, Australia. everything (literally) is a lot more expensive here, and the swords have no postage fees, lol.

This post has been edited by ILoveJava: 23 March 2012 - 03:41 PM

[baavgai]

One of my Australian cousins went to uni to study Japanese. She used to help write Aussie brochures for Japanese tourists...

You could be in the boonies, but you never know. Look around. I recommend iaijutsu if you can find it. It's a very satisfying activity. You have an intrinsic Zen sensibility combined with the simple joy of effectively handling a sword.

[WolfCoder]

I'd personally want a claymore. They're actually relatively thin (width) for being very large, you'll often see greatswords being called claymores in movies and stuff.

This post has been edited by WolfCoder: 25 March 2012 - 10:09 AM

[modi123_1]

Not to mention the damage rolls - claymores do 1d6 and greatswords do 2d6.