cartoon combat

**Alucard619** · Posted On: 6/25/2010 11:20pm

Originally Posted by Backfistmonkey

Do you know why it came to be in your possession not sharpened?

Do you know anything about the sword you were gifted?

Why do you want it sharp to begin with?

Again, dude this was out of curiosity. No one is trying to 'Hurr loller skatez I troll!!1". Hugo is obviously very knowledgeable about katanas so I figured asking him would be fine. To answer your questions, no. However I'm not going to argue over something as trivial as asking how you go about getting a weapon sharpened.

**Mr. Loobner** · Posted On: 6/26/2010 8:00am

Originally Posted by Alucard619

Again, dude this was out of curiosity. No one is trying to 'Hurr loller skatez I troll!!1". Hugo is obviously very knowledgeable about katanas so I figured asking him would be fine. To answer your questions, no. However I'm not going to argue over something as trivial as asking how you go about getting a weapon sharpened.

I'll probably regret posting a response, but it's generally anathema to practitioners of formal sword arts to discuss such things. It's not necessarily an elite mentality, it is just a matter of "If you have to ask, you'll never know," You see, generally people who train in such arts are drilled continuously and study continuously for years before they are permitted to handle a "real" sword (shinken). For example, in kendo, I still have a few Dan grades to achieve before my instructors (sensei) would even condone my owning one - even then, it is not part of the art and not directly used. Other arts might use shinken for tameshigiri on rare occasion, but the 'martial arts' applicability of such weapons is extremely limited and generally reserved for those with some demonstrated level of mastery.

That said, martial artists of the caliber indicated abover are usually instructors or at least extremely proficient and experienced. People with such experience know practically everything they could be expected to know prior to obtaining real weapons - ergo, such a question just shows a lack of experience. Justifying your question with a response makes the answerer responsible for your folly.

Sword collectors are different from martial artists, though many are martial artists in their own right. Those who specialize in Nihonto are well-read and generally careful about the information they accept and the information they share. They are also not likely to receive swords as birthday gifts.

Put differently, a "katana" is essentially the name of a sword design. Its references in the west are far too broad. A real Japanese sword (Nihonto / Nihon Shinken) is sharp from the forge, sharpening is part of the final polishing process. If it is not sharp, it is not a shinken. If it is supposed to be sharp, the swordsmith would not release it in any form other than sharp. That is strike one against your credibility (on Bullshido) as a sword owner. Iaito are often dulled to facilitate safe drawing and kata performance. They are like shinken of the katana design and may even have differrential tempering and genuine koshirae, but are not shinken and are not designed to take an edge. Though forged or folded carbon steel can be used and many Iaidoka recommend it for the weight, iaito are also known to come in aluminum, magnesium, stainless, etc. They should not be 'sharpened'. Strike two.
Lastly, the presence of a desire to posess a sharp katana or obtain the knowledge one might need in order to make a wallhanger into a sharp katana-shaped object in conjunction with the establishment of strikes one and two constitutes strike three, thus earning negative responses.

Folks here are not necessarily being assholes about it - what you received is a common response. Even kendo, iaido, and koryu instructors who have young children in their classes will smack people for asking such questions. It's to keep people safe.

(I welcome correction to my statements if there are any to be made)

**Rock Ape** · Posted On: 6/26/2010 9:47am

The simple rule of thumb to apply in these cases is this:

If it wasn't sharpened within the manufacturing process then it doesn't warrant sharpening afterwards.

**Mr. Loobner** · Posted On: 6/26/2010 11:12am

See - I could have said it in so few words...
I knew I'd regret answering - give me those minutes back! :5dunce:

**Rock Ape** · Posted On: 6/26/2010 11:20am

By the way... no one in the JSA community really uses the term "katana" very often.

Shinken, Gendaito, Iaito are all more appropriate and more accurate terms (amongst others).

**kelvis** · Posted On: 6/26/2010 5:52pm

Thank you Mr. Loobner, that was a great post. I had assumed as much considering that the MET in NY has/had a special exhibition that I had read about on Japanese weapons and armor. There was a special viewing of how to sharpen a sword. If they had to have an exhibition on that, then it must not be so simple that anyone at home could do it properly.
I guess a regular rock out of the back yard isn't going to cut it. Get it? Cut it? Hahahahahaha! Oops, sorry.:dead: