I don't want to chop someone's head off. I just want to know if my sword is as sharp the samurais' swords which they were able to use to chop off a person's head with one swing. I want to chop something which will show me that my having chopped it was just as if I had chopped off a person's head. Is there some kind of fruit or vegetable I can use for this test (i.e. if I can cleanly cut through x fruit/vegetable, it would have been the equivalent of a samurai using my sword to chop off a person's head)?
Does it mean anything if I am able to cut through a fresh olive (including through the seed) that is tossed up in the air?
Thanks.
2007-10-29 12:27:31 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Martial Arts
I'm looking for something besides tatamis (rolled bamboo mats)...
2007-10-29 12:52:37 · update #1
This is just a disturbing little fact, but the real Samurai used to use tied up prisoners (criminals) to test their swords' sharpness on. In Kendo there is a term (I forget what it is) for the "ultimate strike," which is a vertical, top-to-bottom, slice that is supposed to cut a person completely in half, this is what you always see Kendo players practicing: slicing down in the air and stepping forward, stepping back, repeat from beginning. The Samurai used to tie the prisoners by their wrists and feet standing up, but spread out like in a jumping jack, and then attempt the "ultimate strike" to cut clean through the prisoner. This would simultaneously test their skills and sword sharpness.
If you really want to test your swords blade, go to a butcher (the one at your local grocery should work) and ask for a whole side of beef with the bones in it, a side of ribs work best. Hang it up on a hook on the end of a rope at home and slice through it diagonally, top-to-bottom, in one strike. If your sword can cut through alll that meat and bone then a person's head stands little chance. Be warned however, that side of beef can be expensive, so disinfect your sword and lay plastic wrap on the ground so you can BBQ after your blade test!
Happy Training
P.S. if your sword bends even a fraction it was NOT meant for cutting, but only for display and form practice. A sword built for cutting is meant to take some amount of beating unscathed. A bent katana is like buying an expensive kitchen knife set that breaks when you try to cut steak with it.
2007-10-29 21:47:21 · answer #1 · answered by cunamo 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
AH! Don't damage a beautifully crafted sword! Lemme answer your question bluntly- if your sword arrived in the mail as "live", then yes, it can cut. Period. Try to do any test cutting with household items and one of three things will likely happen- 1) you will cut yourself 2) you will wreck your sword and be out a crap-load of money or 3) both.
Your real question is not how sharp your sword is compared to a "samurai" sword, but how the QUALITY is compared to that style of sword. There are more things to consider if we are to answer this question- things like, is there a full tang (sword goes all the way down inside the length of the handle), or is your handle 1/3 pure wood? How many pins are there in the handle holding it together? What kind of steel is my sword made out of, and how has it been forged? All of these things must be considered in order to determine the quality of your sword. An iaito (unsharpened blade), when made of high quality, can actually still cut you (maybe not decapitate you, but you get the idea).
Please don't test on fruit or water jugs with your sword to see if you can cut through it- that's just bad for any sword, but especially if you aren't trained. Most likely, you will end up bending your sword so bad, you will never be able to use it again. Another adverse effect is that you will get your sword "gooey" with juices that will stain and rust the sword (swords MUST be cleansed properly after cutting). A rusty sword is just unsightly and a waste of money. Lastly, there is the danger that your sword is not meant for cutting at all (or you are extremely unlucky or uneducated in technique), and you shatter the sword. This has happened to the best cutters.
I gave you some things to consider. If you are really, really curious still, have someone who is trained in tameshigiri take a look at it, and they will usually be able to tell you if it will cut without having to cut anything, or they may test the sword for you. Please respect your sword. It's still a weapon, after all.
2007-10-29 15:51:48 · answer #2 · answered by cookiesrme 4 · 7⤊ 0⤋
The fact that you are asking this question means you are far too immature to be messing around with a deadly weapon like this that you bought on the internet. Go back to your mortal combat video games and leave the real things alone before you or your friends or your neighbor's dog gets hurt.
2007-10-29 15:41:22 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Get some cutting tatamis over the internet. This is what they use to test katana.
2007-10-29 12:35:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
take a dog bone(like one of the 6 inchers), cut a hole in a pineapple, put the bone inside and slice through it...if its sharp enough it should be able to do it without really moving the pineapple
2007-10-29 12:33:16 · answer #5 · answered by Chippie 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get a pig's head from a butcher's a see if you can chop through with one slice.
2007-10-29 12:36:51 · answer #6 · answered by Rahrah 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the traditional test is done against a rolled bamboo mat, now that tests on people is frowned upon.
2007-10-29 12:41:22 · answer #7 · answered by Walt B 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
These are pretty good vids of testing a blades cutting ability.
http://www.chenessinc.com/video.htm
Test your blade like this and you will have your answer.
2007-10-29 12:58:28 · answer #8 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what is on the minds of these people???
2007-10-29 13:39:40 · answer #9 · answered by Darth Scandalous 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋