The Quest for a TRUE Katana

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V10011011

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Apr 2, 2003
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I'm looking for a TRUE katana, one made with folded steel and can slice cleanly through bricks in midair. Anyone know where to find them and how much they cost? The closest I ventured to find is probably the ones by Paul Chen which are made with 1000 folds of steel but TRUE katanas are supposed to be made of millions of folds and hammering and take many months if not a year to make (they throw out the bad ones if theres any flaw at all)
 
Believe it or not, always check garage sales.

During the war, steel was dear in Japan, and the officers needed swords. Many people ransacked their attics looking for any sword available, and many were collectible then.

Our soldiers brought back some as war sovegniers, believing that all of them were cheap war production. Dealers are now finding that many have historical value.

I haven't been lucky yet, but I always check the 'war toy' marked for five bucks!
 
Apparently Japan doesn't let them cross their national borders by declaring them all national treasures, so I guess I mean accessable to North America
 
If you cut bricks with your katana, you will damage or break the blade. They are amazing swords, but they aren’t magic. If you find a valuable Japanese sword at a garage sale, it may look like a rusted P.O.S. They can still be worth lots of money in that condition, depending on their maker.
 
My suggestion would be to learn more about nihonto. Books such as 'The craft of Japanese sword' by Leon Kapp/Yoshindo Yoshihara would be a good start.

There are still many swordsmiths in Japan who makes katana with the old method. It's all about the tradition. You can check on Yoshindo Yoshihara's stuffs. BTW, the medium grade katanas (made by Japanese smith) start from $6,000.

There are also many American smiths who make katana in the way they were supposed to be made. Howard Clark is one of the examples. His stuffs start from $5,000.

If you want more info, please feel free to email me.

Cheers.
 
I've seen a few shows where they throw a brick in the air and chop it in half, then chop planks of wood cleanly, and then without touching up the edge, make clean thin slices of tofu. *shrug* movie magic? It was a documentary on martial arts
 
Originally posted by V10011011
I've seen a few shows where they throw a brick in the air and chop it in half, then chop planks of wood cleanly, and then without touching up the edge, make clean thin slices of tofu. *shrug* movie magic? It was a documentary on martial arts
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Reminds me of the stuff they those kitchen knives that you can get $29.95 for a set.

You would not want to do those kinds of things with a Katana made by a master. I have seen swords made by Yoshindo Yoshihara that sell for $40,000.00-$50,000.00. Not the kind of sword you would want to cut bricks with.

A couple more fellas that make great Japanese swords are Don Fogg and Michael Bell.
 
Originally posted by V10011011
I'm looking for a TRUE katana, one made with folded steel and can slice cleanly through bricks in midair. Anyone know where to find them and how much they cost? The closest I ventured to find is probably the ones by Paul Chen which are made with 1000 folds of steel but TRUE katanas are supposed to be made of millions of folds and hammering and take many months if not a year to make (they throw out the bad ones if theres any flaw at all)
Click to expand...

me: This might help. Not that a katana needs to have all those folds in it to cut effectively and be durable. The whole theory for the folds is explained at the home page of the link.

http://www.angelic.org/highlander/swordmakers/

I have heard John ( name? ) Criswell is supposed to make nice swords for very good prices. Apparently, they are meant to be used even though they are made with stock removal. Good luck.
 
BTW: most old true Japanese made katanas weren't really made of "1000 leyers of folded steel"... They were usually made of two, three or more pieces of forged steels. Each piece was forged for a different purpose, and was usually folded many times. Each of these pieces was then welded together and this is where all the layers come from. What they did was forge and weld hard steels with medium and soft steel to get the characteristics that you are seeking... And if you ever find a true Japanese Katana and use it... well, you'll really piss a lot of people off, both collectors and the Japanese, too! LOL!!! Even most students of the arts of the Japanese blade would never use such a historical piece simply because of it's rarity and consequent preciousness.
So, listen to the guys here and find a well known and respected maker, tell him what you want... If you can afford it, you'll find a blade that will quite possibly outperform anything the Japanese ever did make! Gotta remember; we now have access to better quality ingredients and equipment which allows us to control the process at a much finer and more repeatable level... and some of these guys are just as good as anybody ever was at making a quality Japanese-style blade.
 
It was a documentary on martial arts
Click to expand...

Yes, and on any given Sunday, you can tune in and watch as guys shoot well below par on some of the toughest courses in the world. But, guess what? Even a million-dollar spend on a set of custom-made golf clubs aren't gonna get me below par. The clubs aren't the problem. :D

Like so many things, equipment is only part of the equation. Proper technique and practiced skill play a huge roll.
 
A "true" katana? Cutting through bricks and still able to make clean cuts on whatever? Wow! Such swords exist? I don't think so. There is no wonder sword - katana, western, or what-not. Please try not to believe all that you see in the movies or TV. Swords are generally meant to cut/pierce flesh and bone (not bricks, steel beams, concret, cars, etc.). Various armors make such work to one degree or another more difficult. However, if you have the money you can buy great blades made by truely gifted craftmen. Just don't expect them to be wonder weapons living up to certain "hype."
 
I'm sorry, as this probably isn't the answer you'd like to hear. But you don't really know what you are asking for, so you should seek some education before seeking a sword.

As people already said, cutting bricks with a katana is crazy. As is chopping at trees. Or watermelons. Or banging it against another sword. Also, katanas aren't folded 1000 times or more. Parts of the sword's steel may have 1000's of folds in it, but you need not fold a piece of steel 1000 times to get that many folds. Besides which, folding a piece of steel that many times would probably chase damned near all of the carbon out of it! Japanese smiths also are allowed to make no more than 2 long swords per month. The best Japanese made swords will cost you tens of thousands (and that is for currently made stuff). The lowest quality will probably still be over 5 grand and under 10.

Anyway, please spend $30 on the Yoshihara/Kapp book. That book will teach you MUCH of the basic fuindamentals of nihonto and you will get a better understanding of what they are, and what they can do. If you want to practice japanese sword arts, you should find an instructor before purchasing a sword as well. In most dojos (all?) you'll have a bokken in your hands for many months before you get to handle a live blade anyways.

Good luck on your search.
 
The other thing you need to know about bricks (and similar material) is that they just aren't that hard to break. Masons "cut" them with chisels which aren't very sharp. You don't really slice through a brick, though it may look that way. You hit the surface sharply causing a crack to propagate thorugh the whole block. If you watch a brick layer at work, he scores the surface above where he wants the cut made, then he puts the chisel on the score line and hits it with a hammer. The chisel doesn't go through the block. The chisel may only go a fraction of an inch into the surface. But, suddenly the brick, which may be three inches thick... maybe more... is cut into two pieces.
 
Also, when you see a video, you have to ask, "How many takes were required to get that one shot?"
 
Originally posted by V10011011
I've seen a few shows where they throw a brick in the air and chop it in half, then chop planks of wood cleanly, and then without touching up the edge, make clean thin slices of tofu. *shrug* movie magic? It was a documentary on martial arts
Click to expand...

I think I'd be more inclined to get a mason's hammer, bow saw, and kitchen knife; and use the remaining $5,915 for other things. ;)

Proper tool for the job and whatnot.

There is simply no way that these feats you have described are possible, although if somebody could prove me wrong and then sell the blade for under $150 I think they would have an awful lot of customers around here.
 
Check out Bugei.com, they have the Howard Clark L6 Bainite Katana.

It's supposed to surpass even the genuine katanas as far as strength, cutting ability, and overall performance. Also do a search for the Shinkendo Federation. Master Toshishiro Obata is one of the foremost experts on the use of the Japanese sword, and the website is full of information as well as various links.

Just leave the bricks alone please. The thought of ruining a piece of art like that brings tears to my eyes.:(

Jubei
 
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