W. Nease JS Kat?

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this one has almost identical specs though the JS has a nicer finish
 
So I take it we are supposed to believe that said sword sliced through what appears to be a 4X4 with one clean slice?
 
Lycosa said:
I believe!!
Watch William's videos.
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It's a chisel grind, isn't it Rolf?:)

Even if you don't say anything, the way it tracked through the wood tells me that....the weight and grind of that "thing" make it more of a flying froe or long axe than a sword.....3 lbs is WAY too heavy to swing at full speed on a regular basis if you like your elbow functionality.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I guess there is a market for all tastes out there. It doesn't really make sense to deny any some showmanship or pride in any grinding or forging blades. The wow factor will always seem attractive to some and I'm sure sells as much as many other properties.

Russ may remember some old Joel Whitmore diaries of wandering the woods with what was a fairly svelt (by today's standards) ATrim XIIa and lopping through saplings up and beyond the 3" mark. He did finally crack a grip on one of the old style bare wood grips. There was a lighter blade but a rather large guy behind it.

Then you have the uber mat cutting and rope cut stylings found in the older Angel Swords tapes/videos and pages. WOW!!!! huh?:p

What ever, I say. I have even come to appreciate gusto and enthusiasm of some of the water bottle crowd that dispense with even breaking down a
rack of small water bottles and just whacking through a whole flat of them in one fell swoop. Hey, ya know? Why not.

While there are always going to be a purist cringe of a lot we see out there, I know that we will likely never be able to let them lie in their own context without comparison to aesthetic and historically fashioned swords or behavior.

The best we can hope as a global community is "Safety First"

The urge to make and buy uber swords because of a "just in case" philosophy is just as valid as me spending on antique wall hangers that will rarely ever be handled more than keeping the dust off them. My own "just in case" perspective is that even the most slight of my fancies can be just as purposeful in its own contexts.

Cheers

GC

Some dainties

spdrn10.jpg
 
Thanks for the vid CSG.
I like William and I like his blades. My JA Kat will be lighter than the standard Kat. I also ordered a double ground blade. :D
 
horseclover said:
I guess there is a market for all tastes out there. It doesn't really make sense to deny any some showmanship or pride in any grinding or forging blades. The wow factor will always seem attractive to some and I'm sure sells as much as many other properties.

Russ may remember some old Joel Whitmore diaries of wandering the woods with what was a fairly svelt (by today's standards) ATrim XIIa and lopping through saplings up and beyond the 3" mark. He did finally crack a grip on one of the old style bare wood grips. There was a lighter blade but a rather large guy behind it.

Then you have the uber mat cutting and rope cut stylings found in the older Angel Swords tapes/videos and pages. WOW!!!! huh?:p

What ever, I say. I have even come to appreciate gusto and enthusiasm of some of the water bottle crowd that dispense with even breaking down a
rack of small water bottles and just whacking through a whole flat of them in one fell swoop. Hey, ya know? Why not.

While there are always going to be a purist cringe of a lot we see out there, I know that we will likely never be able to let them lie in their own context without comparison to aesthetic and historically fashioned swords or behavior.

The best we can hope as a global community is "Safety First"

The urge to make and buy uber swords because of a "just in case" philosophy is just as valid as me spending on antique wall hangers that will rarely ever be handled more than keeping the dust off them. My own "just in case" perspective is that even the most slight of my fancies can be just as purposeful in its own contexts.

Cheers

GC

Some dainties

spdrn10.jpg
Click to expand...

I like those spadroons! The only antique sword in my collection is an American NCO naval cutlass circa 1780-ish. It has a hilt similar to the sword fifth in from the left, but with a "pillow" pommel, shorter curved blade with a deep single fuller, and the guard features a pierced side plate similar to those found on five-ball spadroons only it doesn't have the balls.

Back on topic, congrats on the purchase! As far as modern "swords" go I plan on picking up a Condor Bush Cutlass this summer. :)
 
Thanks FTB! This will be all the sword that I need.
Congratz on your future Condor sword! :thumbup:
 
Kohai999 said:
It's a chisel grind, isn't it Rolf?:)

Even if you don't say anything, the way it tracked through the wood tells me that....the weight and grind of that "thing" make it more of a flying froe or long axe than a sword.....3 lbs is WAY too heavy to swing at full speed on a regular basis if you like your elbow functionality.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
Click to expand...

It's actually a conventional grind (with a poor finish just for testing...120 grit)... I haven't found a chisel edge to be all that suitable for deep wood cutting. The sword in the photo is 2lb 13oz, 37" OAL, balancing 4" blade heavy. You are undoubtedly right that this is something with way too much momentum to use for swordplay practice regularly (if you'd start a new thread on this I'd be grateful, I'd like to know more about the potential for rsi and trauma... You can probably tell I haven't had any training; there just isn't any in the forest).

I spent hours researching balance points, masses, thicknesses, tapers, etc but there is little consensus on how single edged cutting swords (with at least a little agility) should be proportioned, so I had to go with what I know works. I'd guess my swords are typically broader than a "typical" katana, because this results in superior cutting. I admit that I have a tendency toward overkill... in fact I've been sorting through some blades this week thinking "too big, why so big...maybe big cuts don't sell swords..."

Tatami are way too expensive for a test medium so I use wood and 4" rope.

BTW this sword is only 4 onces heavier than a typical bat, and weight is in the full tang. With this sword I was reaching 159.5 fps near the tip in a vertical swing, I think a baseball swing can be faster because the legs and hips add rotational speed. For pure cutting you can swing it a lot... for katas maybe not so much.
 
wnease said:
It's actually a conventional grind (with a poor finish just for testing...120 grit)... I haven't found a chisel edge to be all that suitable for deep wood cutting. The sword in the photo is 2lb 13oz, 37" OAL, balancing 4" blade heavy. You are undoubtedly right that this is something with way too much momentum to use for swordplay practice regularly (if you'd start a new thread on this I'd be grateful, I'd like to know more about the potential for rsi and trauma... You can probably tell I haven't had any training; there just isn't any in the forest).

I spent hours researching balance points, masses, thicknesses, tapers, etc but there is little consensus on how single edged cutting swords (with at least a little agility) should be proportioned, so I had to go with what I know works. I'd guess my swords are typically broader than a "typical" katana, because this results in superior cutting. I admit that I have a tendency toward overkill... in fact I've been sorting through some blades this week thinking "too big, why so big...maybe big cuts don't sell swords..."

Tatami are way too expensive for a test medium so I use wood and 4" rope.

BTW this sword is only 4 onces heavier than a typical bat, and weight is in the full tang. With this sword I was reaching 159.5 fps near the tip in a vertical swing, I think a baseball swing can be faster because the legs and hips add rotational speed. For pure cutting you can swing it a lot... for katas maybe not so much.
Click to expand...

William,

I tend to color my judgement of swords with training, experience and less objectivity than I do knives. I wish you the best in your endeavors, really. Am truly surprised with the shape of the cut you made, and that sword not being chisel ground, so thank you for that.

It is almost laughably easy to cut through tatami, bamboo and maybe even 4" rope(haven't tried that one yet)....and by extrapolation, skin, muscle, live bone and bamboo/light steel armor....the helmet cut is still not particularly easy, fwiw...maybe not so bad to dent/penetrate, but really hard to cleave.

I'll start another thread at some point, but the nutshell difference is one of follow up...either a killing cut, or parrying or cutting another opponent after finishing one....the sword needs to move very quickly with agility....I have no doubt that you can get this sword moving fast, but how quickly can you do a repeat cut and also completely change direction, and does it shock your joints?

In my discipline, we practice Dai(big), Kyo(strong), Soku(fast), Kei(light)..in that order....big movements...it keeps the sword between you and your enemy and is the easiest to get muscle memory with. Strong, so you are not dancing with the sword, but cutting, committing to the cut. Fast is difficult, not to be fast, but to always be fast...I studied with Mitsuo Hataya Sensei at a cutting clinic, and during warmup, his sword was moving so fast that it was like a helicopter blade, literally whirring. Finally, light....light is as my sensei writes bringing the spirit and the mind together to produce technique.

There is a lot to this, and that lot is not just spirituality or a whole lot of bowing and killing your knees sitting in seiza...it is also finding the right tool for the job, and there may be some folks out there for whom this tool is absolutely right.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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