13 Spider Bloody Chain 说:
On top of that, I'm also under the impression that most swords outside of chopping blades (machetes, etc) are inefficient as bludgeoning tools, due to the relative lack of mass on the striking point of the weapon, so designing a sword to stun an armored opponent seems rather silly. This isn't to say that a sword can't be used to stun an armored foe (I'm sure there are techniques that teach you to whap the enemy over the heat with the pommel or similar).
This is true, and thanks for reminding me. Swords designed for cutting are usually quite flexible, and in slow motion you can see the blade wobble unless the cut was absolutely perfect. This flexibility prevents, to some degree, the blade from taking a set bend from a bad cut. But there is also the fact that thin edges cut better than thick edges, and though you could certainly make a leaf-thin blade stiff as well, it would be very fragile as a result. Cutting swords can be quite thick next to the hilt, but they taper.
It is true that the katana has very little to virtually no distal taper, and is as such a very stiff weapon. The overall thickness isn't more than European swords, but it is certainly thicker around the business section. The point of balance is still the same, however, because the habaki, tsuba and tsuka is heavier compared to blade length than European swords. Partly because the nakago (tang) is comparatively bigger. Because of its thickness and stiffness throughout, it is an excellent thruster. It would be a worse cutter as a compromise if not for the curve and the excessive sharpness that polishers insist on. There are European swords that rival the katana's cutting power, and out-perform it too, I shouldn't wonder, but because there are so many more sword types found in Europe, it is really unfair to compare katana with "Euro swords", because then you would have to decide
which Euro sword.
I suspect that one reason why the katana gets away with minimal distal taper, however, is its length. It is generally shorter than European longswords, and European sword blades of similar length are usually fitted to single hand grips. You do have the Odachi in Japan as well, which is the equivalent of the European greatsword. However, I have no idea how these feel, and I'm not even sure if
they have distal taper or not.
) i thought that late medieval swords were actually designed to "chop" rather then cut against heavy mail...I'm not referring to plate at all, cause that is only true for a later two-handed sword. Still they sure don't cut but are more used as blunt, to stun mostly. And its true that is not a case that the swords we're speaking of are so "thinner" towards the point...they were used more to trust then slashing.
