(Newswire.net — September 21, 2018) — Samurai swords are popular for their razor-sharp edges which make them very sharp. And their robustness is something unbelievable. They used two different types of steel: high carbon steel and low carbon steel in designing a samurai sword. High carbon steel provides hardness and sharpness but it is fragile and prone to break. While low carbon steel has good durability and it has a capacity to withstand many blows, but it becomes week after an extended use.
Samurai Sword Facts
When anyone talks about Japan’s history, the first thing that always comes to mind is Samurai swords. It is also known as katana and it has been widely used in the Japanese culture. These swords are now honored as a part of the Japanese tradition.
This sword first came to scene in the Muromachi period and they were created in response to the changing fighting strategy. They were first developed and used as weapons and later they became symbols of social power and authority.
Although these two steels have their own flaws, their combination in making a samurai sword brought the pros of the two metals together. The samurai sword usually has high carbon steel at the edge and low carbon steel in center. This makes the sword sharper and stronger. When forging these two steels, ultimate care should be taken and it requires some skilled blacksmiths to make the sword stronger and sharper.
It is respected to be one of the most important things in the Japanese culture and hence they served as a subject for many poems, stories etc. Because of their reputation, people have become very much interested in collecting beautiful Japanese swords.
These swords are more popular in western countries than in Japan. It is illegal to have swords in Japan and hence the people in Japan often throw or give away these traditional swords. But one could have these precious swords in Japan by getting proper certification from the government. Even though you get the permission, you should use this wonderful sword only for display purposes.
Despite the interest that many people around the world have for samurai swords, most people do not know much about these swords. There are many different types of swords out there and they can range widely in size, length, blade, and shape.
High-carbon steel is hard and sharp, but brittle and easily broken in combat, while low-carbon steel is durable and could withstand many blows, but it will become blunt and ineffectual after extended use. The blacksmith’s method of combining the two steels involved forging them into each other, usually with the low-carbon steel in the center, and the high-carbon steel at the edge. The resulting sword, when crafted by a skilled blacksmith, would be both sturdy and effectively ready for use in many battles.
How sharp are samurai swords? Really sharp but because of their symbol in the Japanese culture, they are often romanticized and serve as subject matter for countless poems, stories, and legends. As a result of such fame, many people, especially in western countries, have become interested in collecting beautifully crafted Japanese swords. You can always fundraise to restore and preserve swords.