A couple of days ago, we had that discussion about how dangerous a cheap sword is for training. One of the arguments of the owner of the sword was that the steel was thick and solid, and he didn't believe it would break. I explained that regardless of the steel, heat treatment for a sword is a very important issue because it has to withstand impact. The chances that a mass produced piece of cheap steel would be done right, is nil. Then a couple of days ago I was working in my forge, and I remembered that I had some tool steel files laying around that I was going to make a couple of working knives out of. I have many old files lying around, and I thought that it would be more fun to show just how weak a thick piece of steel can be if it was heat treated incorrectly. After all, a picture says more than a thousand words. Best watch full screen if you want to read the text. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEc10WBvet8&feature=youtu.be"]Breaking steel to prove a point - YouTube[/ame] I decided to post here, because it isn't an article per se, and this is the forum where we had the discussion. Perhaps the weapons forum would be a more logical choice.
I like your video. Thanks for taking the time to make it! Now you need to do one "big giant swords" style where you break the file on some flaming coconuts or something! Just kidding. Seriously, thanks for the video - I think it explained your point way better than any back and forth on the forum would.
today i did some tameshigiri practice with the sword in question on an empty plastic cola bottle filled with water. It went through that really well at least and no visible damage to the blade.
I'm under no illusions that this is going to count towards my kenjutsu or my credits in the dojo. Right now this is at a purely hobbyist level. I come from a country where guns are banned, so this is the closest i can get to popping off a few rounds at the range. I am making sure the target is far softer than the blade so i don't see where the danger is. Even in the dojo, we aren't operating under zero danger conditions. There is always the risk of someone breaking their neck during ukemi or being smacked in the face with a blunt weapon. A big emphasis in our dojo is the words "have fun". For a performance comparison, the higher quality sword in this video is cheaper than my sword. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4I43BWR6q0"]Mall Katana vs Battle Ready Katana! - YouTube[/ame]
In the dojo you are under guidance that is very different from playing with a sharp weapon at home and you are playing.
I've given up. Look at the other thread. He's an Ashida Kim guy. (He'll claim otherwise now but he cited him uncritically first.)
What kind of psychotic dojo do you go to where people are frequently breaking their neck in ukemi and being smacked in the face with real weapons in the name of "fun"?
If you keep practicing with inferior materials without proper instruction you increase your chances of an incident or injury. People here are trying to prevent that.