Parts of a Japanese Sword - How the Parts of a Samurai Sword Work - Hardening & Tempering

[Xhavan]

Does Ronin Katana make any differential hardened swords, or are they all through hardened?

[Roninkatanas]

@Xhavan The elite line is differentially hardened and laminated.

[AlanMolstad]

Here is my video topic suggestions:

You go to a friends home, and he has a sword and hands it to you for your views.

How to tell what you are looking at?

next:

You go to an Estate Sale and notice katana in the corner.

How to tell if its worth bidding on?

What are the clues?

What tip you off that the sword is a treasure, or is junk?

[AlanMolstad]

There are a lot of low end swords Im interested in.

What is the difference between a sword selling for $50 compared to a sword selling for $100, or for $250?

the highest I would go for a sword right now is around $450 - $600, what should I expect of the sword in that range?, what to look for?

[TorionSword]

@AlanMolstad I won't be able to go to any estate sells and such... but later today I will make a video spelling out the differences in swords quality ranges. Watch my channel , or this one as I'm sure Chris will get it up soon.

[AlanMolstad]

@TorionSword cool....

and the "estate sale" idea was just a "scenario"...but what Im getting at is the "chance/lucky encounter" with a sword.

The idea that we might one day spot a sword and need to judge it's merit very fast....treasure of junk?...

or what are the quality ranges to look for in even the economy swords?

[AlanMolstad]

@AlanMolstad how to tell a $30 to $50 sword from a $200 to $400 sword?

[AlanMolstad]

I think if a person wanted to know the value of a sword, you got to talk about the etch, the grinding, the design, the HT, the type of steel, and the beauty etc,.

These are the type of things that I would like to learn about from a maker.

knowing I can use it to open a can of soup is not really all that helpful,

[AlanMolstad]

Then there are the other guys that video a test of a sword by sticking the end in a vise or hammering it into a tree.

What would that prove?....nothing.

Even the best sword ever made can be destroyed with a hammer and vise.

and I dont think real sword appraisers need to use a vise or a hammer to tell you the true value of a sword to a collector.,

[TorionSword]

@AlanMolstad The true value of any collectable is in the eye of the collector. IMHO modern production katana are a tool . This is why some people test them to their limits... True value in a sword comes from 3 origins

1) usefullness/function

2) antiquity

3) craftsman created artwork

In case of production swords , we are really only looking at their value as a tool... and the degree of compromises made to make that tool as effective as possible for as cheap as possible.

[AlanMolstad]

@TorionSword yes you are correct, it is true that the swords near the low end (Where I live) are not going to be fancy.

But Im just saying that chopping a 2x4 is not really going to show us anything of value about a sword.

Its like......I would not really learn anything if I pounded nails with my swords, I have a hammer that can always do that better.

[AlanMolstad]

as far as learning how to cut, I think the guys who use foam noodles have it right. After each cut you have a very clear thing to look at and study just how your cut went. and the noodles are dirt cheap and found everywhere.

[AlanMolstad]

while Im on the topic:

I see a lot of American sword guys who do a cutting test by filling up empty plastic bottles and cutting them with a Katana.

I think we do this because it's showy . But does it actually mean anything?

The Japaneses came up with cutting floor mats to represent arms.

Thats a good way to judge a sword.

[Roninkatanas]

@AlanMolstad I agree, mats are a good test cutting target. Bottles are also important, as most backyard cutters wind up chipping their swords on the lids/caps of bottles. I've sent testers out to people for use against mats, bottles, wood, etc. My dojo customers are not chopping up 2x4s, but the backyard guys do. As a sword company owner I need to see what the swords can do, and also what the blades look like after abuse. 2x4 damage looks different than damage from a mat.

[AlanMolstad]

@Roninkatanas ok...my general feeling is the EVERYONE that fills empty milk jugs with water and then thinks that will make some type of meaningful test of a sword, is missing the point.

I made a copy of the last Rambo knife. It looks like what it is, a truck spring that is very sharp.

I bet it can cut all kinds of water bottles & 2x4s, but thats never going to mean it's equal to your sword in any way, shape or form.

[TorionSword]

@AlanMolstad Hi... bottles are a cheap efficient cutting target that can provide immediate feedback on edge allignment ... but also can tell you something about the edge of your blade. Its hard to get good cuts off of bottles with a dull sword.

[AlanMolstad]

@TorionSword as far as I know, I have yet to see in any Japanese sword book the suggestion that cutting an empty pop bottle filled with water has any merit.

If anyone knows of a Japanese sword maker, polisher, or better yet an insurance appraiser of swords that thinks differently ?..then let me know.

[TorionSword]

@AlanMolstad And youre not going to either... again, it has nothing to do with appraising a sword. Value is in usefullness. Many people cut bottles for fun... so there is usefullness. Most Japanese sword book aren't going to reccomend ANY sort of cutting, because they are dealing with 10k and up art swords ... in full art polish which alone costs thousands,. Today test cutting with tatami is mostly a test of technique ...

[AlanMolstad]

@TorionSword very true, the most important thing you learn in any of the cutting test videos have really little do do with the sword itself, but rather it shows you the skills of the hands holding the sword.

Most swords are sharp, and so will cut miles of plastic, heck my lawnmower blade does that every time I mow.

[AlanMolstad]

@TorionSword While cutting empty pop bottles filled with water might be seen actually employed by a few true Korean, Chinese or Japanese Martial arts teachers, I really get the feeling that most of this is performed by normal guys in their back yard who have limited training, but who do drink a lot of pop or milk.

[AlanMolstad]

I would only suggest the use of pool noodles for a student who seeks to learn how his cuts are doing?

The pool noodle is less messy, and they are cheap, and you can take the cut noodle to your instructor and it can show him clearly how your cut went though the foam.

[TorionSword]

@AlanMolstad Most students studying JSA who aren't very advanced aren't going to be allowed to practice cutting away from the dojo

[TorionSword]

@AlanMolstad True but whats wrong with that? Its good fun and it gives edge allignment feedback and sharpness feedback. There have been contests on at least one sword forum as to how many cuts people could get out of a bottle that involved sword makers like Angus Trim and some sword-art Instructers.. as far as I remember Sifu Restita DeJesus holds the record still. Here is a thread on it swordforum(dot)com/forums/show­thread(dot)php?54082-Pickle-Ch­ips-and-Pooching-the-Cut-What

[AlanMolstad]

@TorionSword we were out deer hunting, and my friend was disgusted with his new China-made gun.

He tossed it down and later my dad picked it up, and put 3 shots in the bulls-eye shooting it cold.

The drop on the ground fixed it?

or

The skill of the shooter made the difference?

Its the same with swords....

[mestremartell]

8:44 the dogs hehe, nice video very informative.

[RazorDsknives]

Was that a wakizashi sword on the stand? The dojo pro one? Also 1095 is just as tough as 1055, the destruction test on the cold steel gi tanto compared to the esee rc4 or cs srk are similar, but, on a longer blade i suppose it will make a difference with more stress. Will the 1045 hold an edge well?

[Roninkatanas]

@RazorDsknives I've sold 1045 blades as my entry level line for years without complaint of there being edge loss or rolling. It really is all in the heat treatment. I good heat treatment on a 1045 blade can harden the edge close to 50 on the Rockwell scale. A poor heat treatment on a 1060 blade can leave it with a hardness around 45.

And yeah, that is the pro wakizashi on the stand. I think the one Marc has disassembled is a pro as well.

[thempireskater]

nice :)

[AlanMolstad]

very good information.

If you have time, I would like to see a review of how to spot cheaper swords from ones that are worth some money?

and i would like to see a slower look at the hamon lines, and cutting edge, , more close with good light

[Roninkatanas]

@AlanMolstad Marc is going to be doing a series of videos for the Ronin channel. I'll pass your suggestions along. I know he will be taking a few katana from my line to the breaking point, and will polishing and etching a hamon on one of my differentially hardened katana.

[AlanMolstad]

@Roninkatanas

There are a lot of swords you see in pawn shops or people's homes that sometimes have a lot of merit.

It would be nice to have someone pick up a few and show us SLOWLY, and under good lighting the types of things to look for, and how to guess the true value of a sword that you dont know the history about?

[TorionSword]

@AlanMolstad I will try to get up a video soon about the differences in a cheap sword and one that is worth more.. or a good sword vs. a bad sword... The best advice I can give is if you find a blade at a Pawn Shop or yardsale always a assume its a piece of crap until proved otherwise.