Would you want a Katana?

[Direwolf750]

Only if it's a carbon steel and battle ready model. If I'm going to buy a weapon I'm going to use it...to practice and hone my self-defense skills.

...You CAN'T have non-carbon steel, the carbon is what makes it steel...

Sorry, forgot to put high carbon steel.

They use two different kinds of steel to make a katana anyways. One high in carbon, one high in iron. They have different properties.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

It is quite simply the most well designed sword on Earth, perfected after hundreds of years, used by some of the most honorable warriors on earth.

Why would I want one?

 

[Lizardon]

I have three. Swords... Two handed katana, one handed katana, and a tanto. Came in a set. They be awesome. Once I move out and I actually have room I'll probably be collecting some swords. I more go in for the medieval ones though, broadswords, longswords etc.

Your collection is pretty cool. The closest thing I have to a sword is a letter opener. And I don't get any mail...

 

[Mr. Doe]

Meh Im not really a fan of the Katana a single edge two handed blade that short isnt as practical as a Claymore or a Halberd

 

[atombeast707]

I want one. More precisely i want a cosplay katana. "Murcielago" the sword of Ulquiorra Schiffer. I would settle for any katana, really, but having his would just make it even more awesome.

that would be badass. that or tensa zangetsu.

personally, i dont see the need for one. why have it if youre not gonna use it?

 

[Manicotti]

Not really, for a couple reasons.

- I prefer compact weapons. Knives, stun guns, pistols, etc are much classier IMO - and easier to get permits for. They're also easier to store, deploy, and hide without having to overhaul your ordinary clothing as some kind of FF cosplay getup.

- They're weapons. I don't buy things that I don't intend to get to use, and certainly not for decoration. If i wanted a classy wall hanging, I'd just put my poster [http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20051126082353/uncyclopedia/images/3/3c/Kramer.jpg] back up.

- I don't care for swords as a weapon class. I understand the skill and patience it takes to use one effectively, but I prefer just about anything else in any other category.

 

[Blindswordmaster]

Only if it's a carbon steel and battle ready model. If I'm going to buy a weapon I'm going to use it...to practice and hone my self-defense skills.

...You CAN'T have non-carbon steel, the carbon is what makes it steel...

Sorry, forgot to put high carbon steel.

They use two different kinds of steel to make a katana anyways. One high in carbon, one high in iron. They have different properties.

I'm talking about using battle ready materials instead of stainless steel.

 

[knumpify]

have a few, trained to use them in various ways. also have a couple of straight swords, a claymore, a shinobigatana, a nodachi, two short swords, and a couple i've made myself. I'm trained to use them all. It was hard but worth it.

 

[Billion Backs]

Firstly, the katana is a much more efficient killing weapon than a European broadsword, or any large straight edged blade, because of its curve, the two kinds of steel used to make it, and it is as a general rule, also a work of art. The curve allows a better cutting motion, allowing you to cut all the way through without it getting stuck (ideally). The two kinds of steel are too complicated to describe here, look for yourself, and each blade is a work of art (assuming its a REAL katana).

Each one was crafted individually for the samurai and were both valuable and a mark of status. The blade was part of who you and your family were, not because of resources, but the blade was your family's sword, and heirloom, and not something replaceable. The treatment to make the katana shatters or warps many blades, so making one was a very in-depth and time consuming.

Finally, spears were used by so many cultures because they were useful against cavalry, and were cheap to mass produce for all the canon fodder they were sending out. Unless you are talking about another pole-arm weapon, the plain spear was not exactly a great military feat.

Well, that was kind of what I was implying. A real katana is more of a work of art - and it WILL cost you a lot. An imitation won't, but an imitation isn't much of a katana... a katana was always as much a status symbol as it was a weapon, perhaps more so the former then the latter.

In regards to my spear comment, I still stand by it. I'm not much of a medieval weapon geek, so some specific names might escape me, but when I was talking about a spear I meant more of a generic short/medium length spear and a shield combination that has been used by various cultures including the Greeks. Sure, any kind of big military maneuvers relying on massive formations with shields and spears are very different from anything one can attempt alone...

But in a hypothetical situation where I had to pick a medieval weapon with my current, uh, lack of expertise, I'd go for a spear. Swords are a lot more complicated then some people might believe from the movies and books. A spear is easier - once you know how to do a good thrust, you're probably okay. And a thrust isn't too hard, I at least know how to do some basic thrusting attacks from when I tried using a staff.

A basic spear can be easily made out of a branch or a tree, with no blacksmithing involved. Sure, it won't be exactly a masterpiece, but it would still be sufficiently sharp to pierce someone if you thrust hard enough. And in my limited experience with fighting, most people sooner or later end up more or less attacking your head on - and in that situation, a quick thrusting attack around the stomach might be harder to defend against compared to a swing at the upper torso. You can't really block a thrust directly, you'd need to either sidestep or try to redirect it - which is hard if you put most of your body into the thrust.

Spears can be easily made, do not require too much training to be more or less effective, and they generally have greater reach then some other melee weapons. Hence my choice, and the comment about spear being often used through the history of mankind.

 

[CNKFan]

Machetes are far more practical and more reasonably priced than a katana. Also you dont need any special training to use one.

 

[Flamingpenguin]

Yes. Definitely. I feel the same way. Plus you are correct. Against zombies it would be very useful.

 

[Direwolf750]

Firstly, the katana is a much more efficient killing weapon than a European broadsword, or any large straight edged blade, because of its curve, the two kinds of steel used to make it, and it is as a general rule, also a work of art. The curve allows a better cutting motion, allowing you to cut all the way through without it getting stuck (ideally). The two kinds of steel are too complicated to describe here, look for yourself, and each blade is a work of art (assuming its a REAL katana).

Each one was crafted individually for the samurai and were both valuable and a mark of status. The blade was part of who you and your family were, not because of resources, but the blade was your family's sword, and heirloom, and not something replaceable. The treatment to make the katana shatters or warps many blades, so making one was a very in-depth and time consuming.

Finally, spears were used by so many cultures because they were useful against cavalry, and were cheap to mass produce for all the canon fodder they were sending out. Unless you are talking about another pole-arm weapon, the plain spear was not exactly a great military feat.

Well, that was kind of what I was implying. A real katana is more of a work of art - and it WILL cost you a lot. An imitation won't, but an imitation isn't much of a katana... a katana was always as much a status symbol as it was a weapon, perhaps more so the former then the latter.

In regards to my spear comment, I still stand by it. I'm not much of a medieval weapon geek, so some specific names might escape me, but when I was talking about a spear I meant more of a generic short/medium length spear and a shield combination that has been used by various cultures including the Greeks. Sure, any kind of big military maneuvers relying on massive formations with shields and spears are very different from anything one can attempt alone...

But in a hypothetical situation where I had to pick a medieval weapon with my current, uh, lack of expertise, I'd go for a spear. Swords are a lot more complicated then some people might believe from the movies and books. A spear is easier - once you know how to do a good thrust, you're probably okay. And a thrust isn't too hard, I at least know how to do some basic thrusting attacks from when I tried using a staff.

A basic spear can be easily made out of a branch or a tree, with no blacksmithing involved. Sure, it won't be exactly a masterpiece, but it would still be sufficiently sharp to pierce someone if you thrust hard enough. And in my limited experience with fighting, most people sooner or later end up more or less attacking your head on - and in that situation, a quick thrusting attack around the stomach might be harder to defend against compared to a swing at the upper torso. You can't really block a thrust directly, you'd need to either sidestep or try to redirect it - which is hard if you put most of your body into the thrust.

Spears can be easily made, do not require too much training to be more or less effective, and they generally have greater reach then some other melee weapons. Hence my choice, and the comment about spear being often used through the history of mankind.

The Greeks used a specific kind of spear, which was only really used in large formations. If a Greek hoplite were sepearted from the group or if his spear broke(very common) then each one also has a sword. The phalanx WAS a great military feat. In addition, deflection is one of the first things you learn when you learn to use a sword, and though it is more difficult to learn to use, there is a reason the high class of most cultures used swords. Spears are easily broken, and a single thrust isn't that useful unless you hit the right target, because the spear is likely to break.

Also, an slash to the upper body may be easier to block than a spear thrust, but blocking one is very tiring, and it is also much more intimidating.

 

[inukedsesamestreet]

HELL YES! I mean its a katana! Not only is it cool looking, when have you every reacted negatively do someone saying "I have a katana" unless it was followed up by "and i'm about to use it on you?"

 

[JacobyPAX]

I have a Katana in my room specifically in case of a zombie apocalypse.

 

[Dr. wonderful]

Nah, I love swords...But I perfer a Handblade

 

[SD-Fiend]

yes but a good one that works properly

 

[Revenge Revisited]

I've never really understood why most people seem to think katanas are better than other swords but I guess they just really like them. I would rather have a scimitar or a claymore.

 

[Divine Miss Bee]

i want a sakabato like kenshin's. and a dragon...because that would be cool.