Nodachi Sword?

Question

What does Nodachi mean, who used them and why are they so big? Here is a link so you can see one http://www.coldsteel.com/88kwarser.html

Answer 1

A Nodachi is a battlefield single edge sword, simply...a precursor to the late Muromachi-era Katana.

Who used them? Samurai....before and during the 'Warring States' period of Japanese history.

Why are they big? They're battlefield weapons, the weight and heft was more suitable for cutting down a man in full or half O-Yoroi armor.

I'm not sure if Cold Steel is really the best source for blade legitimization....they make things that don't exist (for ex: a double edged Katana), but this reproduction is largely spot on.

They're commonly called "field swords" as they were used on the fields of combat exclusively. They were pretty much useless for simple two man duels, but good for mass combat as their range and dynamic physics were good for constant cutting.....very similar to a Naginata or Nagimaki.

Answer 2

The nodachi was carried by foot soldiers and was designed as a weapon for war versus cavalry and open field engagements. Nodachi were generally used on open battlefields as their length made their use indoors or close quarters difficult. They were an effective weapon against cavalry, though they were not commonly used. Nodachi were infrequently used for several reasons:

* The blade was more difficult to forge compared to a normal-sized sword
* The nodachi required greater strength to properly wield
* Weapons such as the naginata or nagamaki were arguably more effective for the same role on the battlefield.