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ForgeCorvus wrote:Its nice to see Long Steel on a survivalist/prepper forum that isn't bent in the middle
The Japanese make swords to defeat Japanese armour. The Germanic and Norse peoples wore different armour and therefore made different swords (not worse or better, just different)

Swords are for speed, Axes for power and Spears & knives are for everyone

Wulf: I'd love to see your work in the metal

You are quite right,
When I was teaching a martial art (Shotokan) I got into the whole katana thing, even opened me gob a bit to quick once and lost out on a set of pre-modern era swords the landlord's son of my local showed me.
As time passed and my period of interest changed to the migration period peoples of England and the histories of the Northern Germanic peoples from circa 449 AD-1080 AD, I became aware that the Japs were 400 years behind the Northern Europeans in the construction of their legendary swords.
By about 850 AD the Northern Germanic monastic forges were forging broadsword blades under the name of ulfberht with a .6 carbon content of their 'mono-steel', I use a .5 mono-steel from Sweden which makes me happy to see a Northern European sword type being forged from Northern European steel
By about 1200 AD when the Japs had their swords right the mono-steel European swords were just as good albeit a bit slower in the hand than the katana. I'd say on a side impact test the European broads would have stood up better than the overrated katana.
I once read a document listing the number of Jap smiths over the feudal period and there seems far to few swords left these days to back up any belief that they did actually stand up in battle as well as their legend would suggest

Wulfshead

When looking at the number of swords remaining for study are you considering the fact that at the end of ww2 all of the katanas were turned in to allied troops for destruction?

The only exceptions were those in museums or shrines.

Thousands of katanas were melted down for scrap.

I was really impressed with the quality and functionality of the sword you forged very cool. I've always been a fan of all kinds of edged weapons and are always in awe of those that create them. Thanks for sharing buddy.

Mortblanc wrote:When looking at the number of swords remaining for study are you considering the fact that at the end of ww2 all of the katanas were turned in to allied troops for destruction?

The only exceptions were those in museums or shrines.

Thousands of katanas were melted down for scrap.

Yes, I know many, many went to the Americans, many ended up being traded. There is even now a scheme in Japan to help people pay to have ancestral swords returned. That would point out that many still survive in private collections, which is good actually.
The smiths from the two distinct provinces were known to be able to make a number of swords and the surviving swords nowhere near touch onto the number of pre-modern era swords that would have been required under feudal dictate.
The vast majority of military katanas in WW2 were mass produced and poor quality swords, scabbards were most often tin and the hilt bindings were wood with complete leather bindings and metal riveted together.
I was offered one such sword for £50 but the blade was far from worth the effort of refitting the hilt with ray skin and fabric cord binding.
The swords I am talking about don't have the chrysanthemum stamp on the tang, they are the old swords, more time related to the period of 1200 AD - 1860 ish.
I am sorry, I can't remember the exact date the katana became illegal to wear in public in Japan.
I kinda like the way the Japs hold a sword in ancestral awe, my grandson will get mine, my son's future blood-line will have his.

Wulfshead

Knife Monkey wrote:I was really impressed with the quality and functionality of the sword you forged very cool. I've always been a fan of all kinds of edged weapons and are always in awe of those that create them. Thanks for sharing buddy.

Thank you for liking my work, I've quite a few others and the odd Northern Germanic seax floating about.
I use a 9.5 inch bone handled seax as my work knife in the workshop, I hang it in the small of my back so it don't get in the way or get abused on abrasive machines that I use.
One of the members of our society couldn't make up his mind between a sword or a landseax, just for fun I said I'd forge him a 27 inch blade langseax and he said "that'll do". I'd not put to much trust in that blade, the steel I use for seax's hardens to a rockwell 60 but I'd not personally like to have it on a blade over 18 inches long. Still, I ain't gonna argue with a slaughter-man

Wulfshead

Wulfshead, your sword looks AWESOME!! There's a series called Forged on Fire which is a timed sword/knife/axe making competition. Inspiring viewing. You could go there and tell them what to do!!