I remember seeing a Shogo video where he ask a katana blacksmith why not incorporate modern technique/technology to make a better sword. The blacksmith answered: a traditionally made katana is seen as art by the law-> If you use modern technique to make a sword, it is seen only as a weapon & will be regulated as one

@DTinkerer

Жыл бұрын

Cool

@bigred212

Жыл бұрын

I mean yeah it's part of there culture if it ain't broke don't fix it sure they could incorporate english style blacksmithing and get a better sword but who cares what they made is pretty good

@silverhawkscape2677

Жыл бұрын

Oh. Besides some Blacksmiths seeing it as an art, regulations. Reminds me of how Black power weapons like Muzzle loaders aren't legally classed as a firearm in some US states.

@SeanCrosser

Жыл бұрын

​​@@bigred212ou're replying to a comment about how the katanas are made to follow regulations more so than culture or tradition. The point was they COULD use modern techniques, they'll just have to then file it as a bladed weapon instead of a classical art piece, and there's less market for that.

@SaiTaX_the_Chile_boi

Жыл бұрын

It’s art and status, then a weapon.

What annoys me most about the comparison is that in which ever way soneone is biased they often overstate the pros of their preference and the negatives of the other

@Baraodojaguary

Жыл бұрын

Do you want to set the world on fiiiireeee?

@aircraftcarrierwo-class

Жыл бұрын

What annoys me is when someone reinforces their bias by taking the oldest example of the one they dislike and comparing it against the newest example of the one they like. There's like an 800 year difference between the swords Shad is comparing, nevermind the differences in the amount of actual metal in them.

@lucashayes346

Жыл бұрын

At the end of the day, the swords really matter very little. Its the warrior that matters

@johnderat2652

Жыл бұрын

@@Baraodojaguary lmao great comment. i love fallout and can't wait for starfield

@Baraodojaguary

Жыл бұрын

@@johnderat2652 thank you i m not that hyped for starfield becase i m not into sci fi becase i believe our future is more fallout like than starfield but i really like Elder Scrolls, altough i ve been playing less since i don t have as many time for it and becase as a Christian there is somethings i find disturbing in elder scrolls but same can be said to fallout but in both games i can avoid those quests i don t to daedric quests in skyrim nor aliens quests in fallout

I just came from your helmet video and i must say. I love how well you guys balance comedy and fact to make such an amazing video. I love where this channels going and i cant wait to see what you guys do in the future

@infinitenex8165

Жыл бұрын

I agree on the comedy balance. A year ago when Oz was part of the team, they were experimenting with a much goofier comedy, which imo was doing a disservice to the educational nature of this channel. With the current team , the comedy and seriousness is very well balanced and it works great.

Also, one of the most overlooked fact was that Japanese were shorter, especially pre-1900. To someone from the era, and genetic background, a Katana might be longsword length. In 1870, the average Japanese male was 155-160cm.(5.08'-5.2' for the measurement of countries with a flag on the moon.) Miyamoto Musashi was considered extremely tall, at about 6 foot even. Hermanussen, Michael & Scheffler, Christiane & Groth, Detlef & Aßmann, Christian. (2015). Height and skeletal morphology in relation to modern life style. Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY. 34. 10.1186/s40101-015-0080-4.

@thescholar-general5975

Жыл бұрын

Yes, though it is also possible that the average height of Japanese men in 1870 was shorter than it was in 1570. This is true for Europe at least, the industrial revolution on the population explosions of the 18 and 19th centuries meant that there were a lot more malnourished people walking around which can decrease average height. I do not know about Japan for sure, but in both China and Europe there was a drastic drop in height in that time.

@MW_Asura

Жыл бұрын

"(5.08'-5.2' for the measurement of countries with a flag on the moon.)" - Oh we got one of those here 😂

@RAI-1911

Жыл бұрын

Yes, you're right. I've visited katana shops as part of a tour before, and the explanation that I got was this japanese swords were (and still are) made according the user height and arm length even if you buy the already made ones you will be offered the one that suitable for your size.

@tommeakin1732

Жыл бұрын

Huh I didn't know my country had a flag on the moon - thanks for telling me

@tommeakin1732

Жыл бұрын

@@thescholar-general5975 This is a bit random I guess, and it isn't something I've looked into deeply so don't take my word for it, but I saw some graphs mapping "Average European male height over time" (yeah, I know that's kind of a broad sample lol) and I was surprised to see it show a peak around 700AD that was only overtaken in like 1960. There's obviously a lot of things that could impact that data, but if it's representative of general population trends, that's probably surprising information for people to hear

I look forward to the upcoming comparisons! The japanese swords which were contemporary with the longsword were much longer than the edo period katana. Comparing a 15th century tachi with a particular 15th century longsword would be more interesting. The katana as we know it today is more a civilian sidearm more in the age of the rapier and even smallsword than the longsword. Also if you do compare the tsuba to the crossguard, make sure you also try using edge-parries, flat parries, binding angles, and both point forward and backward guard positions. Otherwise it may be like taking a tsuba and seeing how good of a crossguard it is or vice versa.

@slicerpaper

Жыл бұрын

I’ve heard that 15th century Tachis were in metallurgical terms superior to Edo period Katanas. And they were not as brittle as Edo period ones, and I h believe that the brittle saying comes from Edo Period, yes they were still more chippable than spring steel, but not greatly, and I actually have seen Katanas with rolled edges too, as for the tsuba and cross guard both actually have pros and cons as Tsuba has more area on the side. It’s more than just about design there were different metallurgy in swords that are older as well.

@atom8248

Жыл бұрын

@@slicerpaper This is true, a daimyo conducted an extremely large test in the 1800s where he tested swords from many sword-making schools, many swords chipped easily because a wide bright hamon was the fashion, a razor sharp edge and a bright temper line is more easily attainable with such a hard temper. I have seen a nodachi from the 14th century with small nicks and rolls that are more typical of a softer temper, I think this is more representative than the edo period style swords that we simply think of as katana. 15th century japanese swords and 15th century european swords are pretty much the same metallurgically, I do not understand how the myth of japanese having inferior steel to the rest of the world became so widespread. "That Works" has a great video about myths regarding swords steel, but basically research has shown that european swords are often made of bloom and sometimes even have a iron core (even into the 16th century) essentialy the same methods as japanese swordsmiths. The hema community thinks that their albion swords of modern steel that is almost completely homogenous in any way represents medieval swords, but medieval swords (even if springier than katana) still could be bent out of shape, either due to uneven hardness or because it's not hard all the way through the blade. Even when better steel started to replace the bloom in europe, the end result was much better but still really bad compared to modern steel.

@Ashtor1337

Жыл бұрын

​@@atom8248 because Japan has shit metals. They had to develop advance metallurgy to make weapons that compared to Europen counter parts. European black smiths didn't have advanced metallurgy. They were equally talented in making weapons but getting the metals to that point was something beyond the average smith. You assume the quality of metal is inherent when in fact the Japanese had to do considerably more work to the metal before making a blade.

@Kyle-sr6jm

Жыл бұрын

Everyone made weapons out of what they had, even crap iron. The Japanese did not have a choice with anything other than a crap iron source.

@atom8248

Жыл бұрын

@@Ashtor1337 Bloomeries were a thing even into the 18th century in Europe, the problem with Japans steel is not really its quality, it's rather the quantity, part of the reason they had steel shortages in ww2. The folding process that's supposedly a japanese thing needs to be done to all bloom steel, *and* most other types of old steel. The folding and stacking is standard procedure. In the sengoku jidai swords were just pumped out in the thousands across the country, just like in Europe, because the demand was high.

Crossguard versus suba just makes me think about swapping the guards on the respective blades creating frankenstein abominations.

@PerSon-xg3zr

Жыл бұрын

How about a tsuba that smoothly extends into a crossguard?

@victorro8760

Жыл бұрын

That would pretty much make a short kriegsmesser and a long katzbalger.

@zachhughes9149

Жыл бұрын

Mugen would approve.

@blacksnapper7684

Жыл бұрын

*tsuba つば for your hiragana

@anderporascu5026

Жыл бұрын

Katana cutting like a laser is pure fantasy. The longsword was made equal to an axe. Again Europeans designed their weapons for war, the Japanese mostly made the katana more ceremonial.

I would like to see is Shad do a Compare and Contrast of Yumi, Naginata, and Jumonji Yari with it's western counterparts.

@TMTVL

Жыл бұрын

What would you compare a naginata to? A glaive? Fauchard? Guisarme? Bill? Scythe? Bohemian Earspoon?

@anthonylamonica8301

Жыл бұрын

@@TMTVL I suppose that'd depend on the overall profile of the blade itself, but the fauchard is superficially the most similar to the naginata.

It's like he knew what I wanted to see... This is wonderful! It's amazing how far Shad has come with his channel. Started out just ranting about swords and medieval stuff online, to producing videos easily on par with if not surpassing a lot of the best shows on channels like History, a&e history, discovery history etc. He seems to also be more oriented on being correct rather than having the "superior," opinion, because he will actually eat his crow when he's wrong, and I love that about his content. Now with the evolution of his channel incorporating Tyranth and Nate, and it's just getting better and better. The last 30 videos have been straight banger after banger and I am here for it. It's come to a point that it's disappointing not to see a Shad video in the feed I haven't already seen. Keep up the amazing work mate, I donate when I can and I absolutely buy my share of the merch (those chainmail shirts\hoodies really are noice)

@valrond

Жыл бұрын

Being correct IS the superior opinion. You investigate and reach the conclusion, then you have your opinion. Most people have already reached the conclusion and formed an opinion beforehand.

@gbosman5874

Жыл бұрын

I prefer the older videos about castles etc.. more informative and less show and less focused on dumb discussions.

@titanscerw

Жыл бұрын

And Kramer

I think I remember an older video of yours talking about chivalry as not necessarily meaning a uniform system to adhere to about being a good and respectful person or soldier, but more about adhering to the rules and expectations of your lord about how to act and carry out their wishes. So being chivalrous could very well make you a not good person depending on your superiors. A lot of Bushido concepts align with chivalry as well. Sorry for being a bit off topic but great video and very informative.

@giulyanoviniciussanssilva2947

11 ай бұрын

Both are naughty militiamen in short.

I feel like the main point of this video was just so that Shad could make a new thumbail with his new gauntlets on. That said, this does sound like a more interesting comparison video concept than katana vs longsword. Looking forward to it!

Loving your work Shad, from the deep dives to the fun surface level stuff!

youtube has begun recommending old Shadiversity videos to me again hope that is a good omen for this awesome channel

THIS type of video (teaching, well-presented) is why I subbed to Shad’s channel, and I think that goes for most of us since it’s more typical of your earlier content when you gained the most subs. Please continue to do more content like this! Thank you, as always!

Nothing is ever going to change the fact that a katana was a creative solution to the problem of low quality and scarce resources. And the long sword is one of many expressions of high quality and abundant resources.

@anthonylamonica8301

Жыл бұрын

Exactly. That said, I'm tired of people forgetting that by the time a Japanese bladesmith has _finished_ his work (and yes, it's _always_ a "him") he has not only completed a religious ceremony (traditional sword-making _is_ a religious ceremony, in fact), but also effectively raised the quality of the metal itself to be more-or-less on par with typical European swords of the era. Folding the steel so many times forces out a lot of the impurities inherent in Japan's traditional iron sources, and homogenizes the rest of them throughout.

@itskarl7575

Жыл бұрын

The construction of the katana, sure. But the _design_ of the katana is not related to that.

@pilferedserenity1570

Жыл бұрын

@@itskarl7575 It is because the shape of the blade is influenced by the expected properties of the materials used. For example, if you knew you were using steel that is more brittle, you might be inclined to make a thicker, stiffer and shorter blade.

@Ashtor1337

Жыл бұрын

​@@itskarl7575 you mean having a single edged slightly curved blade? Lots of swords featured that. That is a great design for a weapon used to make slashing attacks. Now explain why European counter parts had crossguards. ... Because European swords are better designed. The "construction" of the katana is the only thing that makes it special.

@eagle162

Жыл бұрын

It was not worse is a myth. Also No. "Gunsen History @gunsen_history" Look this person up. Also see this. "January 27, 2019 Iron and Steel Technology in Japanese Arms & Armors - Part 3: Bladesmithing"

I've never get bored watching Shadiversiy . I always have a fun time. Plus it's great to see all of different types of swords their advantages and disadvantages to each other. I watched the video with Tyrant turning the machete into a falchion and it was beautiful. Hope to see a other video of the falchion in the future.

This video really shows how far you've come. I remember the early days 40,000 followers. Short hair, no castle, less swords.

I feel like in the context of a comparison between kriegsmesser and o-katana, there's a great temptation - almost an obligation - to include the two-handed falchion in that group. Morphologically speaking these swords have striking similarities - all are primarily two-handed, have single edge, and are at least sometimes more or less curved (always in the case of Japanese swords due to the differential hardening technique, but there are enough curved kriegsmessers and falchions that I feel the generalization at least isn't incorrect). All very interesting sword concepts that emerged and evolved to fill the need for swords in their respective time and place.

@Cannibal_Actual

Жыл бұрын

I’m pretty sure you don’t get the curve from the hardening. It is from hammering one side (the edge side) and not the other as much causes the curve.

@HerraTohtori

Жыл бұрын

@@Cannibal_Actual This is common with knife making - the billet is cut so that the sharp side of the blade is "shorter", and then it's drawn out to form the curved point of the knife by flattening it into the sharp edge. But a katana is a very long blade, and if that was the source of the curvature, the blade would turn into a spiral during the forging process. In fact, during the billet stage the blade of a katana is more or less straight, and remains so until it's hardened, or quenched. The way the clay hardening process works is like this: The edge of the blade is covered in a thin layer of clay, and the spine is covered in a thicker layer. When the sword is heated, the clay acts as an insulator, which affects the rate at which the heat is tranferred into the quenching medium, which for Japanese blades is usually water. Since the edge of the blade is only covered by thin layer of insulation, it cools down more rapidly and forms a very hard crystal structure called martensite. During this stage, the blade actually curves forward because the edge side is cooling more and therefore contracting more. But the hard crystal structure then sort of locks the length of the edge in place. When the spine of the blade cools down, it also contracts, but since it cools down slower, it doesn't form the martensite structure and it essentially contracts *more* than the edge. When the sword's temperature reaches equilibrium, the contraction of the softer spine causes the characteristic curvature of the typical Japanese sword blade. The final amount of curvature also varies from blade to blade and is almost impossible to control exactly with the tradiational clay hardening method, since minute differences in the clay thickness over the edge and spine can have pretty big differences. The result from this process is also the hamon, or the line where the blade changes from softer spine into the more hardened martensite structures. It's usually a wavy line going along the side of the blade, and it becomes visible as the blade is polished. Sources: www.boxkatana.com/blogs/%E6%96%B0%E9%97%BB/why-is-the-katana-sword-curved kzread.info/dash/bejne/p2efzbChec6eh8Y.html

@Cannibal_Actual

Жыл бұрын

@@HerraTohtori yea I guess you’re right

I'm just going to show this video to acquaintances of mine that I have this argument with. I can't stay patient with them. I never claim one is better than another, just that they are too disparate to compare objectively. They cognitively dissonate what I say and insist I advocate for longsword, which I never claim. You can see why I get impatient........ logical fallacies used as genuine arguments, ESPECIALLY straw men.

@kevinmorrice

Жыл бұрын

as my nan would say "opinions are like arseholes, everyone's got one and there usually full of shit"

@victorro8760

Жыл бұрын

Move the goalpost to warwolf > katana

@toastyrules8221

Жыл бұрын

You just have to differentiate between objective and subjective truth. You can compare every sword and rank them by looking at their general performance or you can assess them according to their intended use. As long as you can have a nuanced discussion, everything is possible.

@alexanderren1097

Жыл бұрын

Show the a Kriegsmesser

@strellettes8511

Жыл бұрын

It's still a shit sword. And people are making this point compared to longswords because of the years of idiots raising the katana to a godly status. I'm glad people are knocking the katana these days for how shit it is.

I love it Shad! Very interested in the next video as well!

I think the algorithm has noticed the effort in editing, I'm getting your videos within the the first 30 minutes they come out now!

The Shadiversity team is great I feel bad for Shads health and I am so glad he is able to have help from Nate and Tyranth and continue to make amazing content which is even better with the three of them

Great video, one point though, Katana's, or more accurately, Nihontō, also came in numerous variations. Tachi had variable lengths and blade-profiles just like longswords, and *they* were the battlefield sidearm of the samurai. A "katana" (eco period nihonto sidearm) was shorter because it was meant to be worn in a civilian environment and its shorter length made it easier to draw (there was a law I believe, where samurai were not legally allowed to draw their swords first in a fight, so a quickdraw was essential). It was not SUPPOSED to hold up as a battlefield weapon, it was a sidearm meant for in the city. So of course a longsword will seem better at first comparison when compared to an Edo-period. "katana" A tachi is what a samurai would use on the battlefield, and just like longswords, they came in many different forms and variations and most of them were much longer than an Edo-period katana. It's an unfair comparison between a katana and a longsword because a katana is only one, hyperspecialized member of the family of swords it's from, and longsword is the umbrella term for its own family. If we're gonna acknowledge the longsword in all its variations, then I'd respectfully argue we should do the same for the Nihontō.

@anthonylamonica8301

Жыл бұрын

I second this motion, and further propose that they try to get their hands on one of the _oldest_ styles of tachi, called _kissaki moroha zukuri_ blades. It's _technically_ still a tachi, but _double-edged_ for most of the length; once upon a time, in the 900s, it would've been the _typical_ style for a Nihontō, though it never _fully_ disappeared from production even in WWII.

@DrIownyou

Жыл бұрын

I'm sure Shad would love to make a video discussing your comment. You make a good point. Idk why Westernized countries don't have the level of knowledge of the different types of swords of Japan/other Eastern countries. Maybe due to folklore like with stories told as a kid about the heroic knight. It's just strange to me how much we know about the longsword family more so than the katana family.

@anthonylamonica8301

Жыл бұрын

@@DrIownyou Europe overall was _far_ more integrated and _way_ larger than Japan. Naturally, more stories about swords and examples of them survive into the modern age due to this difference.

@Blaquer17

Жыл бұрын

That's what I was thinking. It's like comparing a pistol to a rifle and saying the rifle is more accurate over longer range. Well of course it is, it was designed for that purpose. In fact, the legendary status was probably because of the civilians who saw it used to devastate people armed with clubs or knives rather than it's proficiency on a battlefield.

@annoymous88

Жыл бұрын

the sword you are looking for is called "wakizashi" katana is still more of a military sword, whereas wakizashis were more for urban / "civilian" uses. Well, as "civilian" as a vassal family tied to the royalty or a very wealthy merchant, the ones allowed to be used by civilians are called ko-wakizashi which is an even shorter sword. that said, wakizashi were often used on battlefield together with katana as a pair. weapons adapted to situations their master are in instead of simply "become better", while the tachi were useful on mounted horseback, they were less nimble than katana when fighting dismounted. katana and long sword (or specifically, the bastard sword) is a good enough comparison without diving too deep into the nuances.

I for one want to see that crossguard vs tsuba video! This was an interesting video, good job shad!

Thank you Shad, for another interesting video! That Kreigsmesser of yours is a thing of beauty, by the way.

Another issue is that the techniques that come with the sword are better for that specific sword design. This idea came to me when watching the guard testing when the katana needed a dedicated deflect to use the guard. You guys had said it meant the crossguard was better but that is just a normal deflect for the katana (knocked the sword away while raising your sword then cut back down). One that I can say from experience doesn't work with the longsword (did keno and kenjutsu before I started HEMA so I would do this deflects on instinct and my thumb paid the price). The exchange, the longsword would have its own techniques that take advantage of its crossguard (like the krumphau or how you guys tested the crossguard).

@rmcclure21

Жыл бұрын

Right there with you on the techniques! I’ve done kendo, iaido, HEMA, and all three types of competition fencing, and the styles and techniques have crossovers, but there’s also so many subtle differences, some of which are taste, some are because of sword design. Then, of course, it has to be acknowledged that not everyone was trained the same, so there can be variance between how someone *ought* to use a particular sword vs how someone historically did use a sword. Case in point of the tsuba vs. crossguard. They’re optimized, imo, for the ways they were intended to be used defensively, but if someone uses them improperly, they both have significant weaknesses.

@Ashtor1337

Жыл бұрын

But there is crossover. A capable swordsman would be able to pick up either weapon and effectively use it in almost identical methods. It's not untill you get into advanced or specialized techniques that those differences occur. Those same specialized techniques are found Even amongst similarly related weapons of the same era and/or geographic region. When you get to that level of skill you are far beyond what is the better weapon and are now directly comparing techniques.

@rmcclure21

Жыл бұрын

@@Ashtor1337 Oh for sure, no argument there in broad terms. Of course, there’s a wide divergence in technique between, say, a rapier and a claymore, but when it comes to swords roughly designed for slashing, there’s quite a bit of crossover.

@TheAngryAsianAnimations

Жыл бұрын

@@Ashtor1337 There is most definitely some crossover (I really loved Skallagrim's recent comparison video covering that) but...let me just roll with the crossguard vs tsuba example. So when Shad was testing the tsuba they held the sword with the blade facing the opponent, the flat facing parallel. The tsuba only protected the hand if you performed a dedicated motion to hit the blade out of the way. And this is normal technique for the katana (I'm terrible at technique names). But you would deflect the blade out of the way with the tsuba protecting your hand as you raise your sword then bring it back down for a strike. (Actually, theory time. If you did have a crossguard in that direction it might hinder this technique as it might get stuck on the guard rather than clear it then when you slice down you either impale yourself or let your opponent chop you.) You cannot do this with a longsword crossguard and my hands can attest to this from experience. There is zero protection in that manner as it is barely a finger thick on each side. However if you turn the crossguard so that the flat faces the opponent and the blade parallel (how Shad tested the crossguard) then it works. The trade off is that you can't do the up then down motion like the katana. But this is fine since the longsword has its own set of techniques meant to take advantage of that position. You can't do the same thing with a katana since there is no crossguard and your wrists will pay the price for trying to use it like it has one. Shad said that this meant the crossguard is objectively better but really the tsuba just failed at being used like a crossguard. If Shad tried using the crossguard like a tsuba (keeping the blade facing the opponent and using what little extra thickness the crossguard has as protection) then the crossguard would fail. Basically neither is objectively better as they were made to do different things and their blades allowed the appropriate follow ups to those things. Now the messer is where things get interesting as it seems to address this. Now I've never trained with a messer but I've cut with them before and they usually have a nagel, a tiny protrusion on either one or both sides of the flat. This nagel is big enough it should serve the same purpose as a tsuba. If you test the nagel in the same way they did the crossguard then it would also fail. I suspect that there is a messer technique similar to that of the katana, using the nagel to protect the hand while deflecting away a blade while it rises then cuts. Or another one is the side ring that you can put on a crossguard. Side rings are roughly the same size as a tsuba. If he grabbed a longsword with a side ring then tested it the same way, the side ring will also fail because it was not meant to be used that way. Side rings provide as much protection as the tsuba. Once again, I've never used a longsword with a side ring before but I strongly suspect it was meant to allow the same up then down motion as the katana. Somebody probably hurt their thumb like I did and wanted to change that.

@thescholar-general5975

Жыл бұрын

@@TheAngryAsianAnimations Yes, I am totally with you here. I have sustained a few hand injuries from longswords because I am not used to presenting my flat to the enemy in a crown guard while receiving a strike. I like to just keep my edge facing the opponent to come down for an immediate riposte but this doesn’t work the same way with a crossguard.

I'd be keen on seeing you compare a Japanese bow to a medieval bow, arrows as well. Archery is relatively the same worldwide, whereas swords differ greatly due to the wide variations in sword combat methods.

@CaseyBartley

Жыл бұрын

Japanese bows are also fairly unique as they are asymmetrical recurves....

This is one of the best videos you've ever done. Loved it.

“Cross gaaaaard” love it Shad! This is how I’m saying it from now on 😂

Let the historical nerdish mythbusting fun continue!

Historically I would also add in the cost of getting a katana in Europe. That shipping and handling would limit it to the Royals.

@mandowarrior123

Жыл бұрын

If memory serves a scandinavian king had one as a curiosity.

The one with the green handle is a thing of beauty.

Can't wait for the comparison video

The quality of the steel argument for the Katana annoys me a little. Like for one, Katanas are traditionally folded steel because the steel started off poor quality, whereas European swords generally used better quality steel in the first place, plus, there comes a point where the steel is good enough where you get severely diminishing returns as the quality increases. Both steels qualify as being at least good enough, so that argument really holds no weight for either side. Especially if we're talking purely about cutting, and not about blade maintenance.

@lennoxshepherd3905

Жыл бұрын

the steel didn't start off poor quality it was the iron and the inferior crucible technology they used that resulted in lower quality steel that the Japanese used. If they had forges as advanced as the european ones the steel quality would be comparable.

@Ashtor1337

Жыл бұрын

You are 100% wrong. Japanese metal started off shit and had to be improved. That why thier metallurgy was more advanced. While the quality of metal may be the same the process it took was vastly different.

@tn1881

Жыл бұрын

Katana steel is of such superior quality that modern high-end Japanese kitchen knives are made from the same steel as katana. kzread.infoTldpPYewaQo kzread.info/dash/bejne/ppaWzduYgtqsqcY.html&ab_channel=JapanGo%21 Japanese iron sand is ilmenite iron sand found in granite, which is weathered magma, and contains vanadium, which strengthens steel. In ancient Japan, slag was called noro, and the process of removing slag was called noro dashi or noro shibori. In tatara ironmaking, the iron sand is semi-molten by keeping the furnace at 1300℃, but only impurities such as phosphorus, sulfur and silicate are melted and discharged as slag. Vanadium makes the steel malleable and easy to roll, making it easy to fold. By folding, the vanadium is finely dispersed and combined with carbon to form a fine metal structure, so the katana has excellent hardness, abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, and toughness, and becomes beautiful when sharpened. Hitting the steel with a hammer removes the carbon with a spark, so the carbon content drops to 0.7%, which is suitable for katana. The approximate amount of carbon can be determined by the shape of the spark. By folding, katana steel is in a state in which austenite and martensite structures with different hardnesses are dispersed. When a katana is sharpened with a Japanese sharpening stone, the austenite is removed and martensite remains, so the blade becomes like a microscopic saw. That's why Japanese knives pull when cutting. Japan's Hitachi metals developed Yasugi Specialty Steel (yasugi hagane) around 1970 from the principles of tatara ironmaking. Yasugi Steel has the same properties as katana, so it is hard, impact-resistant, and hard to break. Yasugi Specialty Steel has various uses such as cutlery steel, high-end kitchen knife materials (kai corporation, zwilling), razor materials (Gillette, Schick, Wilkinson razor steel), automobile parts, automobile engine parts, and aircraft engine parts. used for

@lennoxshepherd3905

Жыл бұрын

@@Ashtor1337 no? Their crucibles didn't get hot enough to properly melt the iron, and as such the quality of the steel they produced was super inconsistent due to uneven distribution of the carbon. It's why the smiths who made the katanas would only choose the choice bits of the produced steel to even work with, the whole folding thing is literally only done to even distribute the carbon in the metal. its why it took so long to make their swords compared to European weapons which were much more easily mass produced due to have crucibles that reached higher temperatures.

In short, he says that the longsword is better than the katana. Although it should also be noted that the katana had other designs, such as the tachi or the O katana, which were longer, or the nodachi.

@MW_Asura

Жыл бұрын

Those are no longer katanas, they're their own category of swords, hence they aren't included. The katana has a specific min-max length requirement, if the length of the sword doesn't fit those requirements (they're shorter or longer) they're no longer katanas. The longsword however only has a minimum handle/blade length requirement

@felx233

Жыл бұрын

@@MW_Asura They are basically katanas, only more curved or longer, what happens is that the Japanese give different names to all the different types of designs, while the Europeans say long sword to any straight 2-edged sword.

@anthonylamonica8301

Жыл бұрын

"Better" is a loaded term. "Better" in what context? Are you going to carry a longsword down a crowded city street and use it for self-defense, or are you going to carry a katana onto a battlefield to bash against someone in armor? That's something that Shad and the Boys didn't get around to testing properly, "circumstances in which the blade was intended to be used". You need to judge swords based on their purposes; longswords overall and katanas specifically have different intentions, and so comparing them would be a _horribly_ mismatched affair.

@MW_Asura

Жыл бұрын

@@felx233 They are not. Even though "katana" just means "sword", it's also its own category of Japanese sword. The katana has the strict requirement of only being as long as 60 or 70cm, or else it will become a new type of sword, aka a nodachi. "while the Europeans say long sword to any straight 2-edged sword." - What? All European swords are double-edged, do you even have a clue what you're talking about? The qualifier of whether a European sword is an arming, bastard, longsword or greatsword is the length of the handle and/or the blade

@felx233

Жыл бұрын

@@MW_Asura That is why I am telling you that the Japanese name all the different types of design, in the past the tachi only differed from the katana because one hung from the edge downwards and the katana hung with the edge upwards, but they are all very similar to katanas, only longer or more curved and also all fall into a range of Japanese swords, the fairest thing would be to compare all the designs that derive from the katana with all the designs of the straight swords. That all European swords have a double edge? Do you really know what you're saying? Falchion, Grosse messer, kriegsmesser, Szabla, Falcata etc...

From personal experience with debates anyone that said "Why bother comparing?" "That's a waist of time." OR "That wont prove anything!" people that say this, are afraid of the results.

Hey Shad, are you interested in making a video comparing the PRIMARY weapons of knights and samurai? Like comparing the polearms of Europe to their (rough) equivalents in Japan? I feel like that would a fresh new take on this debate! 😁 otherwise, great video!

@WJS774

Жыл бұрын

Would be great to see, but where can you even _get_ Japanese polearms? It's hard enough to get good European ones.

@luchoman91

Жыл бұрын

@@WJS774 Well it could just be a discussion and theorization video like Shad used to do in the old days. But I am sure Shad and his crew have knowledge of lesser known retailers who can sell the hard-to-find polearms. Or even make their own considering they just made their own falchion recently!

There is a very simple solution Just stop comparing The Katana to the Longsword and instead compare it to the Messer since Katana is just a long knife.

@doctorsketch7476

Жыл бұрын

THAT'S WHAT IM SAYING

@martytu20

Жыл бұрын

If nothing else, if people bring up two edges>single edge, ask them why Messers exist and why daos replaced the jian among soldiers in ancient China.

@getsu6293

Жыл бұрын

@@martytu20 my guess would be they are more useful for horseback and are cheaper to make

@realdragon

Жыл бұрын

Messer is just a knife

@DarkwarriorJ

Жыл бұрын

The pop-katana seems much more contemporary with the saber and smallsword. I say compare the old-style sengoku tachis with longswords; later edo katanas with everything from rapiers to sabers to smallswords.

That Blackfyre replica looks stunning

Great video, informative and entertaining.

Love how this subject conjures up some healthy discussion, shows how passionate the community is.

One notable thing about the Katana is that there is also a range in its family. You have the Chisa (short) Katana and the O (Long) Katana. There is also the Tachi, which isn't technically a Katana but it's form and function are largely the same as the Katana family with very minor differences. But even that sounds a lot like the differences in longsword typology. Basically, the Japanese had a graduated typology for their swords long before the Oakeshott typology. Edit: I am so glad Shad and I were both in that mindset LOL

@danb9460

Жыл бұрын

Don’t forget the O-Dachi.

@WJS774

Жыл бұрын

It's not really a "typology" when it's basically just longer and shorter. The Oakeshott and Elmslie typologies cover _far_ more variation in shape.

@shockwave6213

Жыл бұрын

@@WJS774 On the contrary, there are actually a lot of different variations in blade geometry in Japanese swords. There is a wide range of tip, tang and even blade edge and spine forms. Not to mention the angle of curvature, which the Tachi is known for being more radically curved than the typical Katana.

Shogo and Seki Sensei did a great video dueling with and comparing the two, very interesting. It wasn't really about which was better, just a good look at how you fight with each and how you'd fight one with the other. Seeing a kenjutsu master experiment with a long sword was pretty cool.

Dang. I was mid writing a comment about longer japanese swords to compare to the longer long swords when you bring out the new comparison video you're working on... You win this round Shadiversity.

Katana mean blade or sword in Japanese. It came with different size, people often ignored. Theres Ōdachi (greatsword katana) which is as heavy as european greatsword, and actually used in battlefield. What we have now, its mostly small version of sword from long peaceful era.

@possiblyabacteria

Жыл бұрын

odachi is the biggest size, a larger version of the tachi, the same way the o katana is a larger katana. don't leave out the tachi and o katana.

@kingconstantinusthesadisti133

Жыл бұрын

@@possiblyabacteria i mean, i dont mentioned them all. Just to clarify this video lack of information.

@kingconstantinusthesadisti133

Жыл бұрын

@@possiblyabacteria like i said, the words katana is general term for all kind of japanese sword.

@MW_Asura

Жыл бұрын

Those are not katanas anymore, they're their own category as they go past the requirement. A katana cannot go past 60-70cm or else it will stop being a katana become a different type of sword. Yes, "katana" means "sword", but don't forget that it's still a specific type of Japanese sword, otherwise why would they bother giving the nodachi or a tachi a different name instead of just calling them "katana" all the same? "Just to clarify this video lack of information." - There's no lack of information, you're the one who misunderstood

@kingconstantinusthesadisti133

Жыл бұрын

@@MW_Asura the Japanese literally said that Katana mean sword in general. "Katana" as you mentioned, are what the westerner stand point, thanks to hollywood. As i stated above, Samurai goes to battlefield with big sword.. Okatana, Odachi Nodachi, long Spear, etc. Whatever they calling it.. consider words Katana itself also work for "big sword", until edo period and they reducing the size to become more comfort in public city.. but its not what Samurai use in battle.

I mean, Katana, aka the generic word for sword, also comes in like 50 different types, they all have different names and was used by different types of people. So its not only "what western sword do you mean" but also "what japanese sword do you mean" when you say "sword/katana". But yes, even in japan, the main weapon in warfare is bows, and later guns. Melee was a two handed weapon (glaive, spear, or ridiculously long sword), and a short(er) sword as a secondary. And what people forget is that its not about how sharp something is, you can make anything sharp, but most materials will either lose the edge quickly or even snap/break/chip. Like glass is really sharp, but a sword would just shatter. So the question should be, for example, "How many cuts does it take until the sword can no longer cut XYZ", "How fast does the blade weather". I bet you that a machete can hold its edge longer, since it specifically made to take more abuse, and to be used in harsh environments. If ppl dont even know the name of the sword type they are idolizing i have no respect for anything that person says.

I love how much you wanted everyone at fnt to notice your gauntlets at the beginning of the stream, I noticed immediately 👍

That's going to be a really interesting video

I've been waiting for a video like this! I'm really, REALLY HOPING you bring up factors about metallurgy and smithing techniques. Because there's a lot of people out there, who read a lot of articles on Wikipedia, and spend a fair amount of time practicing with swords, but still don't know the first thing about about crucible steel.

@Douglassilva91098

Жыл бұрын

This subject is already saturated

@kingconstantinusthesadisti133

Жыл бұрын

@@Douglassilva91098 Katana mean sword in japanese, it came with different size from Wakisaki to Odachi. What we have now, is "never in battle" version of this sword, from long peaceful period.

@Douglassilva91098

Жыл бұрын

​@@kingconstantinusthesadisti133um danêsse kkk

Yes please! Do the tsuba vs. crossguard deep dive, but please keep in mind, when you do it, that blocking with the katana is trained to be done with the side of the blade exclusively, and this is reflected in the design of the tsuba. Also katana vs kriegsmesser sounds like a fantastic video! I vote yes! Thanks for your excellent content as always!

@Ashtor1337

Жыл бұрын

You may want to look in that. They blocked with what ever they could. While the best option was to block with the side or back, the same can be said with all single edged blades, plenty of evidence shows that it didn't occur. Due to the Crossguards Superior design European swordsman had and developed more options in defense.

@rmcclure21

Жыл бұрын

@@Ashtor1337 I think we’re speaking of two different things. Only a fool would say no one ever edge blocked with a katana; a claim like that would require absolute knowledge of every move of every samurai in history. I don’t claim even a small percentage of that knowledge. What I’m talking about is how they were trained, which in the case of Japanese swordsmanship is universally side blocks so far as I can tell. My point was simply that the tsuba’s design reflects how they were trained to block, not necessarily how people actually blocked in combat. It’s kinda like a Isshinryu black belt bo class I was in once upon a time. In Isshinryu, you’re taught to head block at an angle, to deflect the opponent’s downward attack and block at the same time. Some of the black belts were flat blocking (holding the bo horizontal), and the master decided to make an example of one and hit his bo with a really powerful downward attack, which broke his bo in half and almost knocked him out. Now, a black belt should have known better, but he let his technique get lazy. Likewise, I’m certain that many samurai let their technique get lazy too. But that doesn’t change the way they were *trained* to do it. Does that make sense?

@TheSilverShadow17

4 ай бұрын

I'm pretty certain that the Kriegsmesser resolves and fixes most of the issues that a typical longsword and Katana have by design and such.

Great video, lots of good information. Lol Camera work was interesting

Shad, my brother, your beard is looking mighty and dignifying. It suits you muchly.

All swords where good at what they where designed to do. Looking forward to other comparisons.

@bigguy7353

Жыл бұрын

*were

@Darbzila

Жыл бұрын

Wh'ere're

@danielhopkins2277

Жыл бұрын

Wear

@vvillhelmzecheekclapper7984

Жыл бұрын

w3@R3

Hay Shad, I just had a wild idea for increaseing Longsword and Katana Defence. What if both had some thing like 2-handed hand gards. Not quite full basket hilts, as thay would restrict movement too much. but an intresting idea right?

@victorro8760

Жыл бұрын

Look up swiss sabre

@victorro8760

Жыл бұрын

I just remembered that Tod's Workshop has made videos about one kzread.info/dash/bejne/hY2Tqbt9oZDUerw.html kzread.info/dash/bejne/Zqpto86vcduoaco.html

More knowledge of the Blades in question Thank you good sir

You got my like for the Anduril replica you got there! 👍

To me, the katana v longsword discussion gets as rediculous as arguing over bolt action rifles from WW2. It has to get too hyper focused and more often than not, on things that dont actually matter or factors that can't be attributed to them.

As always your analysis are highly appreciated, but sometimes i do feel we need an expert on Japanese feudal warfare and weaponry for this subject. Not refuting the strong facts about obvious design advantages on the side of the longsword, but having someone who can read and speak Japanese, as well as have access to a variety of primary sources and overall more firsthand knowledge in regards to the periods, Japanese metallurgy, kenjutsu, etc., would be nice.

A big shoutout to Anduril, Flame of the West. That's a nice specimen you've for there, Shad!

Aaaah, I missed this one! I'm here, though! Just as you should be reviewing A Knight's Tale! Aaaaah!

Notification squad

@KamalAdnanTheFirst

Жыл бұрын

Eeeyyy, notification squad!!

@user-pq4il4xo9s

Жыл бұрын

Recommendations squad

@ric270

Жыл бұрын

Sup notification squad

So we're finally going to see Katana versus Messer, how has no one thought of this before?

@CaseyBartley

Жыл бұрын

kreigmessers just aren't nearly as popular as longswords or katanas....

@laurafreeman8360

Жыл бұрын

CaseyBartley I guess messers are kind of technically considered knives, so . . .

I'm so glad that there are people who actually know wtf they talking about

Ever since I saw the kriegsmesser on screen I've been craving a comparison video with it and the katana!

To me comparing Katanas to Longswords is like comparing apples to oranges. Both are fruits, but you can make juice out of, but there is a difference in use and purpose. You are using a Katana differently to a Longsword, different styles of fighting, different techniques etc.

@Ashtor1337

Жыл бұрын

Not really. Both are swords and can be successfully used using almost identical technique. The difference is the options presented by a long sword are just superior. More offensive options and Superior defensive capability. Using your methodology you might as well compare the human fist to a sword both are weapons both can be used to kill but one is objectively better than the other.

@salihnu

Жыл бұрын

@@Ashtor1337 the katana was definitely a different weapon with different techniques than a longsword. Is there a Mordhau with a Katana? No, because their culture and society didn't have such armor available that such a technique had to be developed. With the Katana you also try more to slash and dodge and are less likely to static block or bind with the enemy weapon. With the longsword and its amazing guard there are other maneuvers and techniques possible, whereas with a Katana's tsuba those are impossible. The Katana on average is a more "softer" and "fragile" blade in comparison to a longsword. In modern terms a Katana vs longsword sidearm would be a 9mm vs a MP9. Different caliber, different use. A longsword was more often viewed as a tool and a Katana was often more ceremonial.

The real problem with comparisons is bias. A katana lover will always create favorable results for it. A long sword lover will do the same. Just love your preference and be happy.

@zwidowca1

Жыл бұрын

If somebody cannot look past their subjective bias then I don't think that they should be taken seriously in this discussion. You can like Longswords or Katanas, but if we have facts and factual evidence then it should not be disputed. It would be like arguing with a dictionary definitnion, at that point you have to recognise that you are dealing with either a fanboy of one sword type or an idiot

@kaimagnus5760

Жыл бұрын

Meanwhile, us blunt weapon enjoyers can find the beauty in any culture's beating sticks.

@zwidowca1

Жыл бұрын

@@kaimagnus5760 I did a few years of impromptu quarterstaff sparrings I can relate lol

@oldmangreywolf6892

Жыл бұрын

@@kaimagnus5760 There is just as many blunt weapon types as there is bladed. If they do not have some out already, they will be coming.

@kaimagnus5760

Жыл бұрын

@@oldmangreywolf6892 And they're all designed to do one thing. Hit REALLY good. Thus why they're all beautiful.

Now compare this video with one Shads early ones where he was still standing in front of a board with mostly wooden models. How far this channel has developed!

I look forward to it.

All members of Shad's team are very good with European style swords and how they operate, I think in order to have a true comparison they would have to invite in a expert in Kenjutsu or other Japanese style that specializes in use of the katana.

@Riceball01

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, that would be great, but not with a kendo-ka. That would be like an expert in Japanese swordsmanship inviting an Olympic fencer over for the same purpose. What they'd need is someone schooled in some form of kenjutusu which is more about actual swordsmanship whereas kendo is more a sport like modern fencing.

@batteredwarrior

Жыл бұрын

*Kenjutsu. Kendo isn't really swordsmanship.

@Ashtor1337

Жыл бұрын

LMAO. None of the team are master swordsman. Plenty of Oriental sword experts have done response videos and find Shads comparisons accurate. Infact you can give those same experts European blades and they can use them to the same effect. The basic techniques are the same.

Honestly, both are shrouded in myth but the popular obsession with comparing them distracts us from more important issues. Like: lightsaber vs. Sword of Omens.

An example I thought of to prove Shad's point at 5:45. A Glock is easier to shoot than an M1A2 Abrams turret. Now answer me this. Is a Glock more deadly than an M1A2 Abrams?

Doing a usage swap video sounds like it would be a riot! And entirely worth react-ception videos to afterwards xD

Love this types of videos

Samurai weapons vs Chinese weapons Much better to compare.

@razzo086

Жыл бұрын

It would be awesome if Shad bought and added some Chinese and Roman swords to his collection

It's also worth mentioning there is a LOT more variability with the European sword(s) than Eastern Asia swords. By this I mean you can take a Sverd and change the hilt, without changing the profile of the blade, and have a one handed crusader sword. It's the same blade, but a different sword. The Katana kind of has one way to make it, same handle and gaurd, just a size variability. People think that because of the uniformity of Japanese swords that means they "figured out the best sword type." No, they were just methodical and followed tradition, it took a lot of work to learn the ways of a swordsmith and therefore it was a respect thing to make swords the way your master taught you. Europe was just like, "how can I change this to better kill the other people around me", and therefore had the higher variability in swords

@eagle162

Жыл бұрын

Japan didn't have this one way to make a katana, they also have different handles designs and guards, is uniformity people think of the Japanese swords is more modern manufacturing because it's easier if a sword has one look people recognize.

@Jaedeok82

Жыл бұрын

Dude, you're so wrong it hurts

Love to see it

I look at it like comparing a Phillips head screw driver and a flathead. They serve a similar purpose but have their own independent uses. The same goes for Samurai vs Knight cause they had different functions and tactics but still served their respective crowns.

One thing that you have to keep in mind is that the swords were designed for different things as well. The long sword was for range of motion, cutting, jabbing, and the rest of the things that it does. Basically he Swiss Army knife of swords. The katana was made for slashing and cutting. It might seem less than the long sword, but that's because of what they needed a sword for back in he day. That's my thoughts. As always Java a good day.

Unfortunately the longsword is far too superior to the katana for there to be a comparison. The only thing that the katana does better is cutting and that can be done even better with a falchion, so it's simply an inferior sword. It's too heavy, short and fragile.

@eagle162

Жыл бұрын

That is not true. "Gunsen History @gunsen_history" Search this guy. And read this. "January 27, 2019 Iron and Steel Technology in Japanese Arms & Armors - Part 3: Bladesmithing' "November 04, 2019 Japanese Swords "Mythbusting" - Part 1"

Great video

Regardless of the blade shape and quality of the steel, the very presence of the crossguard is a MASSIVE advantage over the small disc guard of the katana.

@thescholar-general5975

Жыл бұрын

If the disc guard had nothing to offer than side rings or nagels never would have been added to crossguards. They are there and have a use, it is just not used the same as a crossguard.

@Duke_of_Lorraine

Жыл бұрын

@@thescholar-general5975 it's better than nothing but a crossguard can protect the hand against a strike at a wider angle

@eagle162

Жыл бұрын

​@@Duke_of_Lorraine crossguards was a thing in Japan as well use on different weapons, some use in dual wielding but not on the sword itself didn't require it. Crossguards are found in other cultures but may not be popular or common. That's true if we're only talking about a small disc guard, bigger ones existed more common in earlier times than now.

Man I love the Intro for how incredibly bad it is. Saying "Shadiversity" in the deepest, most cringe way possible has become kind of a meme between me and my brother whenever your videos show up. The old animations fit even better, though. Delightful.

Both longsword & katana are sucks imo. They are just a secondary bunch. Polearms are the kings of kings in melee warfare. The undeniable complete polearm supremacy since ancient history to the very last event of melee war - Average polearm enjoyer

@nikespen768

Жыл бұрын

I personally am always disappointed at the lack of Polearm represantation in fiction, i mean why does the hero always need to carry some kind of sword?

@gameragodzilla

Жыл бұрын

@@nikespen768The same reason heroes these days are associated with handguns rather than rifles, like James Bond and his trusty Walther PPK. Even warriors aren’t in battle 24/7, 365 days a year, every year, for their entire lives. So swords, despite being used less, would likely be carried and handled more often because they were personal defense weapons for every day life on top of being backup weapons in war. Same with handguns in modern times. A rifle beats a handgun in firepower every time. However, if I’m just going about my daily life, carrying an AR-15 every day is cumbersome, inconvenient, not to mention very conspicuous. A small, compact, lightweight handgun for daily carry is much better, which means people are going to be handling that more often. Polearms and rifles being more mainline battlefield weapons usually away from civilian life means they’re more likely to be associated with the faceless redshirts in the hero’s army rather than the hero himself.

@nikespen768

Жыл бұрын

@@gameragodzilla I see where you are coming from, but the disparity between handgun usage and usage of Assault Rifles and Heavier weapons does not seem to be as big as between Polearms and Swords. I mean even James Bond used other weapons on occasion, while there are clearly also many action Heroes that either take what they can get, or go with the biggest weapon available. I do not see that in pre-firearms settings, i mean, while i can see the hero using swords in urban areas or when they dont expect a fight, they then use the same sword on the battlefield (Without a shield!) and do not even think about changing weapons to suit the occasion. So when there are heros awkwardly using swords on the battlefield or some other quest that clearly involves combat why are there no heros, that, the other way around awkwardly use polearms in the city. Especially in Fantasy settings where some swords are more awkward than most polearms could ever be.

@gameragodzilla

Жыл бұрын

@@nikespen768 Sure, James Bond used other weapons on occasion, but he does still primarily stick to his pistol most of the time. You also see Han Solo use his blaster pistol most of the time, only occasionally using a long gun. So it’s definitely a persistent trope throughout history. And yeah, you do see some awkwardly large swords in fantasy just so they can keep using swords, but you also see that with handguns. No practical person carries a Desert Eagle for combat, but they’re a staple of action movies and video games because “big ass handgun” appeals to people the same way “big ass sword” does.

Katana vs Falchion or Scimitar might be a fun match up

Apparently Katana of the past were apparent longer, similar to the O-Katana. Shorter Katana came about in times of peace and the standardisation of martial arts.

@kingconstantinusthesadisti133

Жыл бұрын

Ōdachi (greatsword katana) is as heavy as european greatsword. Katana just mean "blade" in japanese.

@RainMakeR_Workshop

Жыл бұрын

@@kingconstantinusthesadisti133 I know, but when you say Katana, people always think of the Uchigatana. And its not just the Odachi I was talking about. I mean historic Uchigatana were gernally longer.

@kingconstantinusthesadisti133

Жыл бұрын

@@RainMakeR_Workshop yeah, thats more even funny when you realized, samurai rarely or never use this kind of small katana in battlefield. And now we compared it to longsword. This video, is definitely bait.

@RainMakeR_Workshop

Жыл бұрын

@@kingconstantinusthesadisti133 Aye, and when they did carry an Uchigatana, it was larger than the Uchigatana we commonly call a Katana. That "Katana" (aside from being a signal of their station) is more like a civilian life self-defence EDC weapon for a Samurai. I wouldn't call this vid bait though. Its just having fun and joining in a geeky debate that has been around for ages.

@victorro8760

Жыл бұрын

It should also be noted that Japanese men in back then were generally smaller than western men today. This effects leverage, relative reach and how much the tsuba covers the hand.

Oh my god. Could you stop comparasion of katana and longsword. I only see this around youtubers that talks about history and old wars. Sorry for bad english. Your channel is nice.

@MW_Asura

Жыл бұрын

Why?

@Douglassilva91098

Жыл бұрын

​@@MW_Asurabecause its repetitive. Generally ppl who watch about these subject already know the differences and the utility of each weapon. Could say more about the way lived the ones that times, constroctions, limitations, ledears, idk other things. However. Thats ok to talk about these two things.

first view!

@goodmusic4673

Жыл бұрын

Biggest idiot

Hi Shad, are you guys going to the Abbey festival this year?

I acknowledge Lord Shad and his love of all swords.

As much as I love the durability and strength of the longsword, I do love the speed and endurance one would have with a katana. I think both weapons are pretty unique and both have their own reasons for having their place in pop culture.

@bigguy7353

Жыл бұрын

A katana is quite heavy, in fact.

@gilgameshkingofheroes5903

Жыл бұрын

Hmm. The longsword isn't really "stronger" and the katana aint much "faster" though. But I agree with the last sentence.

@KurNorock

Жыл бұрын

User name checks out. What makes you think that a katana is faster and less tiring than a longsword?

@gilgameshkingofheroes5903

Жыл бұрын

​@@bigguy7353 It isn't really heavy either. It's basically what you'd expect from a sword of its size

@Atheismo9760

Жыл бұрын

Katanas are slower not faster. Speed has to do with weight and length. The longer the sword the faster the tip moves and the lighter the blade the faster you can swing it, so longswords are by far faster than katanas. The rapier being the peak of speed for a sword. So the katana doesn't have more speed or endurance for that matter.

EMERGENCY: Shad, have you heard? Thrand is in trouble. The COVID situation has hit him hard, he might loose his property. There are some new videos on his channel explaining the situation. Could you please help raise awareness?

@zwidowca1

Жыл бұрын

Vote this up people

@Shadiversity can you please do a comparison video of celtic seax vs rondelle dagger vs Japanese tanto dagger. Usage/ performance etc

Hi guys, have you altered the grip on your honshu broadsword at all? I'm looking at getting one but online the grip seems different. Thanks.

In you're first video comparing the Kantana to Western swords you talked about both the quality of the raw iron used along with the forging techniques and proved that Western swords were better in both cases. The iron used in European Countries was of better quality and the forging techniques were way more advanced than the Japanese. I think these 2 categories should always be used when comparing though I suppose any modern sword will use the best imported iron and better forging techniques made possible with modern technology so perhaps the point is moot. Also something I find interesting is that Japan always made a big deal of really good swords and the forgers who could make them while the west didn't, which suggests at least to me that making an amazing sword in Japan was far more difficult and thus something worthy of more praise. In the West swords were all of pretty good quality, enough to the point where you just expect a good sword. I really hate how the Japanese have tricked people into thinking the Katana is so great when Western swords are so amazing and in my humble opinion better (for the reasons I just mentioned) overall.

@anthonylamonica8301

Жыл бұрын

The katana is viewed with reverence because the _creation_ of one, assuming you use the legally recognized methods in Japan, is considered a religious ceremony. Part of that is because swords/blades feature prominently in the Creation Myths of Ancient Japan, unlike most Western civilizations. However, as you've surmised, the other part is because the Japanese _did_ typically resort to lower quality raw ores out of necessity, meaning it took a _lot_ of skill and time to turn it into something acceptable; by the time a swordsmith has _finished_ a katana using traditional methods, the metal wouldn't be qualitatively much different from typical European swords of the era. Truly, the only _real_ differences between Japanese and European swords are how they are meant to be wielded. That informed the shape of the blades themselves, which in turn impressed upon the techniques and styles they are wielded in. Neither is _better_ than the other; they have their own intended uses, and they excel in those uses specifically.

@masterclipspro4068

Жыл бұрын

@@anthonylamonica8301 Good bit of info with regards to the myth/religions side of Katana's, I hadn't considered that aspect honestly.

The katana is and inferior sword made with inferior steals made by inferior blacksmiths with inferior techniques! And just about every single sword can be sharpened to a point where it is equal to or sharper than a katana and will cut just as good if not better. The katana is really not even good for offense defense self-defense or even home defense. The katana and all of its Glory the only thing is really truly good for is to be worn on your hip as a status symbol or to be displayed on a Shelf with your dead relatives.... now on the other hand the Saxon broadsword that the Vikings used. That's a real Warrior sword a real man's sword. And I can give you one example concrete and solidifies that previous statement. Here goes.... the katana could barely even take over the island nation of Japan. Now the Viking broadsword on the other hand Concord a little over 90% of Europe! Here's a second example just in case the first one wasn't good enough. If your friends or family see that you have a viking broadsword hanging on your wall people are going to think that you are a badass. If you have a katana on your wall or on a shelf more than likely on a Shelf people are going to know that you had $140 once..... and the thing with all this is with a katana you need some definite training on how to use it properly. A viking broadsword on the other hand that you can pick up and just automatically understand how it works and what to do with it. And now for being a real Warrior sword. The Viking broadsword can hack and cleave The bulk of the Cutting Edge off of a katana in four strikes or less and within those four strikes that Katana will become so bent and so gnarled and so useless that the only thing that you can really do with it is throw it at your opponent as a distraction and a last-ditch effort to run away like a coward. The Anglo-Saxon Viking broadsword was specifically designed to hack his way through 25-pound steel-reinforced Shields and the steel-reinforced men holding them. The katana can't even cut a 2 inch thick sapling without bending and gnarling itself. And let's not forget that the katana has only one Cutting Edge and technically was not designed for stabbing and thrusting. And here's the thing for those of you who are reading this and disagree with me. There literally is nothing that you can show me or say to me that's going to change my mind because historically there is nothing that proves me wrong. But I still urge you to go on some sort of half-assed Quest to try to find this proof. But in the end you're just going to feel really stupid that you wasted your time searching for a fart in the Wind!

Oh my gosh. Please just take my money. Oh, wait. already a patreon... Oh well... I'll just buy one of your calimacil swords then. :D Love your content, guys!!!!

Kriegsmesser V Katana sounds like a really interessting video to me!

The main problem, objectively, is that you do not know what a proper katana is, and as a results, these debates especially those made by western people often fail to address what Japanese swords were in their historical context. It is a linguistic notion first and foremost, that changed through the era. People called swords with different names and the main argument and bias is highlighted when you present a single "well representative of a katana" item and compared it to a series of different European blades of different shape, use and period. I am going to be honest, this form of silly comparison has been done to death to address the innate sense of inferiority HEMA practitioners and enthusiast of Western history have on average compared to East Asian history enthusiasts, which managed to preserved its martial arts tradition and aspect of material culture a bit better. People fail to see that this was due to the lack of modernization and development in East asia before the last 200 years, so we were closer to our middle ages (or at least, a romantic version of it) than the western culture, at least in Japan, which is also a tad racist to be considered the representative of all East Asia and compare it to a whole, not well specified, European continent. A katana has variations, in fact I would argue, much more than your average longsword. A katana can be curved, or straight, with different degrees of curvature. It can have different point geometry and bevels, it can even have a sharpened double edge which is notoriously famous in the kogarasu maru blades. Some have a wider blade, some have narrow ones and so on. Naginata naoshi, shobu zukuri, kissaki moroha zukuri, all these blades perform different. Want to talk about length? Do you know that almost all the original blades were shortened during the Edo period? The lack of acknowledgement on this in my regard testify that you have never seen a Japanese book or handled an antique or spoke with some expert on Japanese blades on their use, history and craft. The debate on the crossguard is also very silly. What about the ease of access in the context of Japanese martial arts, the interactions with traditional Japanese clothes, the way of using the whole sword? Do you think that such "prime" design was not used nor developed in Japan for some mysterious reasons, while it was widely used in polearms?? Do you have any idea how big a tsuba can be? Are you aware that if you so such test with a small sword type of hilt you would likely hit the arm as well? Seriously, if you want to talk about Japanese material culture, I beg you, at least attempt to get a hold on one single Japanese reference.

@MW_Asura

Жыл бұрын

"I am going to be honest, this form of silly comparison has been done to death to address the innate sense of inferiority HEMA practitioners and enthusiast of Western history have on average compared to East Asian history enthusiasts" - Oh yes we have a sense of inferiority alright

@user-lg6tt3rq8e

Жыл бұрын

@@MW_Asura I know this would have generated some flame. But it is true. Otherwise you will not have any single you tube persona dealing with western European history, HEMA, arms and armor having at some point a take on katana/samurai/Japanese history. Very little is done in comparison with middle eastern, Indian, central asian culture. Just compare the amount of "Katana vs longsword" content coming from HEMA or related people (SHAD is definitely not a HEMA practitioner) with any other blade from any other point in world history. How many "Tulwar vs Saber" videos are there? Longsword vs Jian? You tell me. How many Japanese kenjutsu practitioner, bladesmiths, you tube history people do the same with western Europe? There is clearly a form of obsession in my opinion

Edit: never mind you brought it up at the end lol. i'll leave the comment anyhow. Nobody ever brings it up. But i think a big thing people forget is that the katanas length is made after shorter japanese men. probably around 170cm at best especially in those days. A guy like me who is 188cm find my katanas to be too short to be a proper two handed sword and too heavy to be a one handed sword. I think we really should compare between a katana and longsword made for the same length of person. but at the end of the day it barely matters if we look at duels between longsword and katana from people who have trained with them properly. the styles are different. Side note: man i just love the look of that Boromir styled sword... it just hits the spot in aesthetics

when you got all those longswords out for this video, do you now have to oil all of them to keep them from oxidising? I'm curious how much maintenance time you have to spend on your armoury?

You should definitely do videos on if knights had katanas and samurais had longswords