Would you want a Katana?

[maninahat]

I'd rather have a Turkish/Mameluke sabre (both for appearance and performance):

Spoiler: pic

My brother already has two functional Katanas. By functional, I mean they are for actual use, and aren't the display models. He's a ju jitzu practitioner.

 

[Macgyvercas]

Well, I already have 2 swords, a machette, a hunting knife, a fishing knife, a survival knive, and 5 pocket knives...so I guess I could use a katana.

 

[Raineheart]

I don't have a katana.

I have five katanas.

Pity I don't have the arms to wield them all.

 

[Hashime]

I want the sword and the motorcycle.

 

[Abedeus]

I already have a katana. It's hanging on the wall near my bed.

 

[Talvrae]

I own a Katana that is exposed in my bedroom... It was a gift actually.
It's a replica of the Last Samurai... And it's a real Katana, it can cut... but never used it i fear to degrade it

 

[Totenkopf]

Of course I would, just for the sake of looking at it.

 

[Seneschal]

I already have one. Friend has one too. We bought them for a zombie apocalypse. But then she bought a spear and an axe and a gladius and had the nerve to say: "I think these will be more useful against zombies. Look, you can keep them at bay with the sp-..."

I didn't wait for her to finish, I lopped her treacherous head off.

True story.

 

[CheeseSandwichCake]

Katanas are for little girls. REAL MEN DEFEND THEMSELVES WITH

Spoiler: THIS

 

[Jet_02]

I got one lolz (but don't tell any one cuse it's illegal in the uk) it's a nice decoration and is cool just to handle, and chop stuff with lol.

 

[Patrick Dare]

This "3. it is legal to carry one around in america because it is considered and unconventional weapon and as long as your not swinging it around cops cant do a thing" just didn't seem right to me:
http://askville.amazon.com/legal-carry-sword-self-defense/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=8859178

 

[technoted]

Katana's are very very overated due to Anime and films portraying them as some form of unstoppable force that can cut through anything. And as deadliest warrior shows the Viking Chainmail stopped a Katana blow with practically no damage at all, and even the viking sword did a better job of cutting through the dummy, literally taking off its head.

 

[Beliyal]

I already have one. Friend has one too. We bought them for a zombie apocalypse. But then she bought a spear and an axe and a gladius and had the nerve to say: "I think these will be more useful against zombies. Look, you can keep them at bay with the sp-..."

I didn't wait for her to finish, I lopped her treacherous head off.

True story.

Lies and slander. Well, the fact that he lopped my head off u_u

But the rest is true. A katana was my first weapon though, and still the most expensive one I ever bought. For now

 

[Shockolate]

I'd prefer a gun, thanks.

 

[Rakkana]

I'm getting one. I'm getting a wooden one first of course. Just until I learn how to use it.

 

[silversnake4133]

Eh, not really, I'd rather go with a good ol' fire axe.

Reasons why:
1. They're easier to obtain than a katana (Availability and Price)
2. They're low-maintenance weapons
3. Sturdy and durable
4. Multiple-fuctions (chopping wood, starting a fire, sharpening smaller weapons, etc.)
5. Don't require a sheath
6. Broader grip range

The katana to me is mostly a decorative piece to hang on a wall. Sure it looks great, but they are often expensive (the good ones) and are very fragile, plus require regular maintenance to allow for a long life. While a fire axe only requires a good sharpening every once in a while depending on how often it's used.

 

[nut777]

I Want a tank

 

[Ewyx]

Rapier for me thank you. I prefer agility and precision to the raw cutting power of a katana.

 

[jamesworkshop]

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.

lets ignore the fact that westeren by which most people mean anyone other than the japanesse also made curved single edge blades like sabre and scimitars and had already used the same forging technics 1000 years earlier.

You are confusing cutting power with effectiveness the primary goal of a straight blade is penetration not laceration which medically is generally considered to be more fatal and the best way of defeating armour (aside from crushing it).

The scimitars used by the armies of Genghis Khan are without a doubt the most effective swords of history, 15 million killed in 5 years is a testament to that.

Swords were held in the highest reguard over all weapons across the entire globe the japs were not special in that Katanas were heat treated like every other metal weapon or armour made of metal Heating and cooling doesn't leave a lot of different methods fire and water is pretty universal.

As for Samurai themselves the Katana was the least respected weapon (mostly made of bronze for most of history) the primary weapons of warfare are the spear (Yari) and the bow which again is pretty universal concept in warfare.

Nodachi
Odachi
Jin tachi
Tachi
Wakizashi
Tantô
Aikuchi

All bladed weapon made by the japanesse which certanly wouldn't exist if the Katana was capable of fullfilling every role anyone could ever want a weapon for so even by their own standards it's not the best they ever made.

Absolutly nothing suggests that the swords of other culture where any less effective killing weapons it is damn near impossible to make sharp steel into anything less than deadly when even human skin can be cut by paper.
Considering how often the west ran around conquering each other I would say their weapons were effective considering the empires they helped forge.

Katanas are as expertly made weapons just like every other weapon nobody had time/resourses to waste making and training to use weapons that would not help defend their lives.
Warriors across all time have been protected by their weapons and all have granted their weapons mythical tales as a mark of respect to them, weapons were never expendable or badly treated they protected you and all the lives you held dear.

Want proof every weapon that has survived to this day is a mark of quality production and user treatment, weapons and armour didn't become more common because of better rates of production but because they accumilated over time.

Swords were exceptional well treated by everyone because all would rust if not constantly maintained and any damage to the blade edge requires the entire lenght of the blade to ground away or the entire weapon reheated to weld the gap closed.


Good example of western metal work 2mm armour deflecting 140 Mph arrow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3997HZuWjk