THIS IS WHAT A SUPER SHARP KATANA CAN DO
If you want to know what a very sharp katana can do, you’re in the right place.
The katana is one of the most famous swords in the world. Resistant and lethal; its fame precedes it as one of the sharpest weapons.
But is it really so?
You are about to learn how sharp a katana can be, what are the different kinds of sharpness a Japanese sword can have, and what you can cut with a very (very) sharp katana.
Types of Sharpness for Katana
Movies and anime have made it common to assimilate katanas with a super-sharp blade. What not many know, however, is that a very sharp blade does not necessarily make a good sword.
Here, we distinguish 3 different types of sharpness for Japanese swords. Each of them has a specific purpose and is excellent at accomplishing it.
Let’s take a look.
– Iaito: The iaito swords, as their name suggests, are intended for the practice of Iaido. The katanas with this kind of blades do not have a cutting edge. This makes them ideal for safe sword practice.
– Niku: The niku sharp is the default sharpness of all Japanese swords. It has a thicker structure just behind the cutting edge, which gives it extra strength. It is the most reliable type of edge, and the most used by the samurai throughout history. It is ideal for cutting all kinds of medium-density objects, such as bamboo.
– Ultra: This is the sharpest edge you will see on a Japanese katana. It becomes as sharp as a razor blade, giving surgical precision to the blows. It is the ideal sharpness for cutting lightweight objects, such as tatami. This is the edge everyone refers to when they talk about a very sharp katana.
What Can a Very Sharp Katana Do?
When we talk about a very sharp katana, we are talking about a katana with an ultra-sharp edge.
This type of edge is able to cut all kinds of light objects as easily as you would cut butter.
How easy is that?
Well, to illustrate our point, here is a video of what a very sharp katana is capable of when cutting Tatami.
But what about cutting tatami?
As explained above, ultra sharpness makes the cutting edge of the blade as sharp as a razor blade, making it ideal for cutting these lightweight objects.
As you can see, the katana goes through the tatami with a clean cut.
In fact, it is because of the ease with which it cuts that it makes the cut part fall exactly on the body of the tatami.
Is It Good To Have an Ultra-Sharp Katana?
A sword with an ultra-sharp edge is a very dangerous weapon. It is ideal for you if you plan to use it to cut light objects, such as tatami, rope, pieces of meat, etc.
If you use your ultra-sharp sword to cut hard objects (such as wood), the blade can be severely damaged, as it is much thinner than the Niku blade.
At White Lion Blades, we choose to have our blades be produced with an Ultra Sharp edge for our stock inventory. We're assuming that our blades will be used for cutting competitions or as collectibles. The Ultra Sharp is preferred for both these reasons.