which japanese swordsmith forged the best short katana or long wakizashi?

Question

um, well, i was thinking which sword has the strongest blade. Is that samurai using wooden swords real by the way cuz wood breaks easier than metal doesn't it?

Answer 1

Masamune Okazaki is thought to be the best sword smith of all time - not just of Japanese blades, but the best period.

Wooden swords are called bokken (bok(u) for "wood", and ken for "sword"). They can be very effective weapons, but are not used for cutting (obviously), but for blunt force trauma. Regardless, the techniques are the same regardless of material.

Bokken are often used as 'safer' alternatives for sharp blades in practice as is another device called a shinai - a bamboo sword used mostly in kendo. The bamboo weapon is meant to sting but not cause serious harm. A Hardwood bokken can indeed case alot of damage.

As far as danger levels, a real sword can cut, but it probably would not cut through a bokken and would more likely get lodged into the bokken and then broken. Musashi Miyamoto is rumored to have stopped using real blades, switching to bokken exclusively because he apparently was of the opinion that bokken were more dangerous than a live blade. At the time, duels were not always to the death and sometimes duelists would use live blades or wood depending on what was at stake. Musashi would enter duels with bokken regardless if his opponent was using bokken or live blades.

Seeing as how Musashi is considered the greatest swordsman to ever have lived, I don't question his thoughts (assuming its not just rumor or some kind of revisionist history but really was his opinion)

Answer 2

That would depend on what quality you judge it by. Best able to hold an edge? Strongest - ie, most resistant to breaking? Best resistance to corrosion? Best looking design?

And then you can get into the wooden swords. I'm told some samurai gave up on metal blades because they broke to easily, and took to using wooden blades like those used in practice. They were able to kill many foes with them.

Answer 3

Masamune

Answer 4

Glorious.