Will This $3500 Katana "Auto-Correct"? - Cutting Test
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- Testing the Sōdai katana by Battle Blades, traditionally made of iron sand, pattern-welded, and differentially hardened with real hamon.
www.kultofathena.com/product/...
The full review video of this sword: • The Most Expensive Swo...
The most expensive swords I've tested and reviewed so far are medieval European ones, mostly by Albion and Lockwood. I was curious how a high-end katana reproduction would perform, so I borrowed one. Special thanks to Kult of Athena and Battle Blades for lending me the Sōdai!
For warmup we cut the usual water bottles (just because they're free), some with a hardwood dowel inside for more resistance. Afterwards moving on to soaked tatami mats, both single and double rolls, most of them with hardwood dowels.
Lots of silly jokes about the katana's meme status in this video, but all lighthearted, with no ill intent. ;)
Also giving you my opinion of the idea that curved blades "auto-align" and help direct the edge during a cut.
The longsword I used for quick comparison:
www.kultofathena.com/product/...
What Makes Swords & Knives Cut Well (Sharpness, Blade Geometry, Etc)
• What Makes Swords & Kn...
** Credits **
"Why Curved Swords Are Better Than Straight Swords" and "Indian Talwar VS Katana! What Slices Better??" by MiniKatanaStore
• Why Curved Swords Are ...
• Indian Talwar VS Katan...
“Imminent Threat” by Matthew Pablo
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Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
“Samurai” by TAD
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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
"RPG Exploration Level 1" by Hitctrl
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license (CC BY 3.0)
Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
theslantedroom.github.io/stev...
Used with artist's permission
*** Time Stamps **
00:00 - 00:37 Fun 'n memes
00:37 - 01:24 First impression of the handling & first cuts
01:24 - 03:32 Does the edge self-align?
03:32 - 04:46 Cutting warmup (water bottles)
04:46 - 08:23 Tameshigiri
08:23 - 09:34 Attacking from the scabbard
09:34 Outtakes
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#skallagrim #katana #sword - Zábava
Katana may not do the "Auto-Align," but have you ever considered the ability of Katana to *teleport you behind your opponent?*
That's a spell, not a sword ability.
@@h0m3st4r Magic attribute of the sword.
@@h0m3st4rYou clearly don’t watch anime.
Nothing personal kid
@@sanctumknight3945 *personnel
I love how you can tell Skall doesn’t favor Japanese swords, and even gets to the point of mockery, but you can also see the genuine interest come through. Always fun videos
The mockery is just for comedic purposes, and not towards the blade, but the community, that tries to infer ridiculous properties
@@THEpsycho404 oh you can tell lol.
Like the Psycho said, this is more to mock weaboos who says that katanas can cut through montains than Skall mocking the blade itself.
This sword cuts wonderfully well, but still just a sword like any other, made to cut flesh, not robotics, montains or planets.
@@FullAdDariusBR I mean, let's face it, katana weebs deserve it.
People that have never tried this: That looks so easy a child could do it.
People that actually do this: Done it hundreds and hundreds of times and I'm still not satisfied with my technique.
That applies to basically any skill 😄
@@ApothecaryTerry Yeah. I was imagining every mall ninja thinking, "Really Skall! I could totally do that without scooping the cut!"
@@tiacho2893 They could! If they could afford the sword and had a few decades of practice 🤣
@@ApothecaryTerryit ESPECIALLY applies to handling a sword because I guess people think it's as easy as it looks in video games and movies
@@mercury2157 Word. I chopped wood only a couple times in my life and I always botched at least half of the swings. And you're only swinging down. With an axe specifically balanced to be swung down.
Here's a way to test the auto-align hypothesis: make a curved sword analog, but replace the handle with a freely rotating round handle. Swing it around, see which way the blade aligns.
I basically wrote the same comment as you before reading yours so I just want to throw my support for this experiment xD
There's no experiment needed.
Any time you swing it with more velocity than it would just "freefall" due to gravity, the portion with the weight bias (the spine, on a curved blade) will absolutely lag behind the handle.
Or do you already know this, and just want Skullagrim to discover it for himself?
Tie it to a rope and swing it around at a target and see if it aligns. Katana flail?
@@WaybackFencingClub well then there would be no axis of alignment (no pivot point). And it would no longer behave in a very predictable way. Things would get more into aerodynamics at that point, but at velocities too slow for them to have much impact. It would mostly turn however it happened to be turning when you swung it.
I don't recommend this test ;)
It spins.
"Will it destroy the planet?" lmao
No, but it will slice through boredom with style!
It will keeel.. all life on Earth!!! 🤯
He has to go Bankai first.
The sword to cut the world in half
@@Prismatic_Pixie Uh, no. That would be Yoriichi Tsugikuni's Nichirin.
Or the katana from One Piece that gets super long.
8:04 I like the way the sword shines along the edge after the cut lol. Very cinematic.
I needed these katana based shenanigans today. especially the outtakes.
"I just channelled the Ninja Turtles, I dunno what to tell you"
this is one of the best videos of "x sword vs y sword" that really demonstrates the point people just don't take into consideration
a sword is a sword, it doesn't matter what it is, the only thing that matters is how well you use it
Yes. All the yes.
Well yes but actually no. If one guy has a rapier and his opponent has a gladius I know who I'm gonna bet on assuming there's not an absolutely huge skill disparity but with fairly similar swords like katana and longswords absolutely.
@@Sir.Alonne Who'd use a gladius with no scutum paired with it?
@@h0m3st4r true
But then you have people who bring up the point of “Japanese trained warriors are better” which is just bias and not a lack of knowledge.
Your practice has really paid off. Some of those cuts were just beautiful.
Thanks. Although I felt this wasn't a great day, I've definitely cut better.
Nice Katana . Excellent choice of background music ... soothing and not distracting .
Every instance I see of people showing the auto-alignment of curved sword they’re holding each end of the sword and the weight then shifts downward and aligns, but both ends have to be supported because otherwise the tip of the sword being off center makes the tip want to point down when you only hold the handle
That's not really the problem.
The problem is this:
when you just "hold it", gravity pulls "weight biased" side (the spine) down towards the planet.
when you swing it down (faster than it would just free-fall), it's in negative-G, and the "weight-biased" side will shift to the top (lag behind the handle).
@@kathrynck but that’s not automatic alignment, that’s guided alignment. Automatic alignment would mean that the blade would automatically fall edge first under its own weight. You’re right that it can kind of correct in the cut with guided alignment from a swing, but even on more heavily curved swords that correction is very little. The curve on a katana is so slight that it doesn’t really help unless you already have good edge alignment to start with
@@artsy_dragon_creations "it's only "automatic" if it does it only under it's own weight, not when you swing it" is a stipulation I wasn't aware of ;)
@@kathrynck "Automatic" literally means "by itself". So it's not even a stipulation.
So they are holding it and controlling it's direction... No magical auto alignment occurs. Just someones grip.
So satisfying to watch tatamis being sword-sliced.
It was really nice seeing you enjoy yourself with good, competent friends who know what they're doing - I really enjoyed this review for their skill as yours and the social interactions
It's not a humongous effect but having a curved blade puts the blade slightly backwards and it acts in a similar way to rocket fins (but the resistance comes from the target instead of the air) stabilizing the blade in the target and making it a little harder to "scoop".
One thing I was actually wondering from the "attacking from the scabbard" section was whether there were any "speed draw" techniques in HEMA for western swords. The reason is because everyone typically compares swords to handguns since they fulfill the same niche (sidearms in combat and self defense weapons in civilian life), and speed drawing a handgun is a very important skill. Usually when you need a handgun, it's still going to be in your holster so drawing the pistol is a core part of pistol shooting skill, whether it's pistol transitions from your long gun in combat or drawing from concealment during a defensive situation.
I always figured a sword would be in a similar situation where the times you'd need a sword, it's still probably starting out in its scabbard, so drawing the sword quickly and smoothly to confront the threat would be important. There were a lot of techniques I saw with the katana for that (iaijutsu), but wondered if there were HEMA equivalents since most techniques I saw seem to assume you have the sword drawn already.
At least some manuals take this into account. The one that comes to mind is the first guard of I.33 sword and buckler having the sword in a just drawn, just above the scabbard position. I can't think of anything more explicit than that, but I have a fairly limited knowledge of the manuals.
The Russian shaska saber is worn blade up like a katana. I think it's how you draw it (with a double edged sword), as with single edged swords, you just have to wear the blade up
Fiore discusses drawing into a parry in his longsword section. Capo Ferro (I think, it was one of the Italian rapier masters) advises that if you are carrying a rapier and dagger when you are suddenly attacked to go for the rapier first, come en garde, parry their first attacks if necessary, and only then go for the dagger if you think you can do so without compromising your defense. Finally there is the fact that the later French school described its first parry as being the position of a sword that had just been drawn from the scabbard.
All in all, the Western material on the subject is not nearly as extensive as the typical Japanese curriculum, leading to two possible conclusions: 1. European sword drawing techniques were passed down orally and have been lost to time or 2. Europeans never developed these techniques to the same extend for cultural reasons. While the first is probably true to some extent, I tend to favor latter explanation as the depth and variety of drawing techniques found in Japan is, as far as I know, unique in the whole world. Every Kung Fu style, Kali, Krabi Krabong, Kalaripayattu, Lashkroba, Furusiyya, and all of the European schools lack an equivalent of iaijutsu.
In addition, since you brought up the hand gun comparison, it is worth pointing out that speed drawing of pistols is a relatively late development. Pistols have been around since the 16th century but the idea of specific training for pulling the weapon from the holster quickly does not seem to have existed prior to at least the mid-19th century. Common soldiers did not carry pistols, formalized training for law enforcement (much less civilians) in fire arms handling did not exist, and gentlemen trained for duels with pistols already cocked and in hand. The prevalence of the "fast draw" in the American West is also greatly exaggerated by the movies, but it did occur, largely as a rough-and-ready version of the gentlemen's pistol duel owing to a lack of a directeur de combat, seconds, surgeons, and all the other attendants at a European style duel. Speed draw techniques only seem to have become a standard part of military and law enforcement training during the 20th century, much like how prior to the 1950's pistols were always shot one-handed were as now the two-handed Weaver stance is ubiquitous.
@@andrewk.5575 Ah makes sense. And since I am American, I typically thought of pistols furthest back to the Wild West and didn’t consider things too much beforehand.
Though I wonder if a lot of this stuff came from the fact that many sword or pistol duels, at least amongst the elite who were more likely to write down their techniques, were more “formal” and therefore assumed everyone would pre-draw their weapons before fighting. Speed drawing would always seem relevant to me in self defense situations against attackers. Possibly the more “low class”, “rough-and-ready” cowboy types as you say might’ve had more incentive to devise speed draw techniques when their duels are less formal and more spur of the moment things, like Wild Bill Hickok vs. David Tutt.
And yeah, speed drawing was definitely standard training, or at least a known thing, by the 20th century. Even as early as WW1, Alvin York famously used a 1911 to kill six charging Germans during his rampage and people mentioned that he would not have been able to fight them off as quickly trying to reload and maneuver his rifle. The pistol, meanwhile, was quick to get into action.
@@andrewk.5575 regarding speed drawing pistols. If you think about it, this simply wasn't possible until cartridge ammunition was developed, because if you tried that with a ramrod'n'ball style pistol, you'd probably just sling your bullet out onto the ground before you fired. It would also be dependent on the faster gunpowder that went with the cartridge era, because the older coarse black powder would make speed drawing a bit irrelevent, eh?
Every time I see the "auto-alligment" shown I do a little inner face palm. Because sure if you drop the sword down without holding it the blade does allign but who in their right mind would throw a cut like that?
An armless Samurai?
Its ridiculous to put it mildly. You swing so fast that there isn't even enough time to "auto-align" anyways because once the blade touches whatever you're cutting, you're more or less committing to that angle.
The auto-alignment effect is misunderstood. It doesn't auto-correct your aim while you hit something, it's a subtle effect where the curve causes drag that can allow you to feel the edge better during the swing, akin to a weather vane. Scholagladatoria mentions this effect as to why some swords with completely cylindrical handles, which is normally bad for edge alignment, can still be useable as cutting weapons due to this effect. Think of it as a subtle auto-aim feature and can easily be overridden like a console FPS, but it's not a full on lock on system like Goldeneye for N64.
@@gameragodzilla Yeah, people seem to hear things like "More forgiving" and decide it's a +5 Holy Avenger now.
Says SO MUCH MOTE to me about the handle/pommel than the “shape of the blade”
I also love how these people do these tests in lab coats - really cute touch
It's almost like both military weapons were designed for the needs of the fighters during both the time period and location. Shocking that they're both effective at what they're made for! /s
funny that isn't it? Most katana "comparison" videos I see are like trying to knock down a brick wall with a shovel, then concluding, because that didn't work, that a sledgehammer is better at digging holes.
Shockingly enough, a well made cut centered sword cuts pretty well with people with a bit of practice. A pretty chill and cool video.
Great video. Very entertaining. I hope the views are worth the cost of tatami. The music you used really worked for me. This serene and surreal jrpg loop matched the test cutting, alternating between normal speed and slo-mo.
Like the song, good cuts, nice format. Keep going skal !
Carefull not to split the moon also!
Lol or cut a leg open or labotimize your self that 2hand sword guy cleaved his self n needed 15 stiches yrsterday
@@based_prophet oh my, can you elaborate further with relevant link?
Or have what happened to that one shopping channel guy with the katana breaking in half and stabbing him while he showcased it
@@ClaimSuit_"I Just Stabbed Myself!"_
Skall seems like a great guy to hang out with! You go over his house and the swords come out in the first 30 minutes! LOL
But there wouldn't be anything to drink :(
Beers and swords, couldn't be happier
really liked this video and the music. Super soothing while engaging.
That was interesting, thank you! And I enjoyed the outtakes!
I love that you didn't spend time talking about what was better, and just showed two fairly equal weapons.
I like the commentary over footage style here, it's great.
This looked like a blast to do.
Was also wondering when initially where you got the money to blow on a $3500 katana, until you said it was "borrowed". Very nice of that person to let you use it. I'm nervous just using my $800 sword, let alone someone else.
The true power of the katana is locked behind the power of friendship.
That's why I prefer the Nodachi, it comes with that feature already unlocked.
I hate that microtransaction BS.
Was that a play on the Japanese? By using japanglish?
"longsword and katana kollided! millions dead!" that was actually really funny 😂😂
Never heard of swords auto aligning before 😂
Nice video Skall, looking sharp
Skall didn't miss the tatami.. he gave it a close shave
Also that curved blade section should be it's own video!!
I like how skall doesn’t just use his arms to cut but his whole body and it definitely shows in the consistency of his cuts.
Seeing how the craftsmanship affects so many different aspects of a cut is always fascinating!
Wow you guys are really good at edge alignment
Katana does look like a hefty/heavy one without that 2nd spine/blood groove, always prefer the balance on those types more..
Always wanted a $2k+ Katana, some beautiful work out there.. Awesome video!..
🃏
I always wonder how can they contain such *planet splitting* sharpness in a scabbard....
difficultly
The scabbard is equally mystical
The scabbard is blessed by the spirits of the ancestors which keeps the blade's sharpness at bay until the blade is drawn by a warrior deemed worthy by said ancestors.
VERY carefully! Traditional lacquered saya are actually quite fragile and it is common for people practicing iai techniques to accidentally slice right through the wood and into their hand. The ryu I train in emphasizes moving the saya rather than the blade during the draw specifically because it is believed to reduce the risk of this happening. And just to be clear, I am not saying the people in the video are doing it wrong, opinions on the proper way of doing the draw very wildly between different schools.
@@andrewk.5575 do you know if there are any techniques that talk about using the scabbard as a weapon in Japanese swordsmanship?
I know by the time we got to the Victorian period, , there are historical accounts of soldiers, whacking people on the head with their metal scabbard of their sabers and and even earlier with guys like Fiore talking about using the scabbard as an off handed weapon.
man that drawing slash looked VERY satisfying
This video got me almost as excited as watching the Principe pre-review.
a $4000 sword is a $4000 sword, enjoyed the video.
You're paying more for the labor of a blacksmith using almost no modern tools than for the sword itself.
That sound when cutting with the longsword 😍
I always thought that the "gravity" version of auto-alignment was for illustrative purposes only, and that the gravity is supposed to represent the force of the hands on the handle. If you push a curved enough sword against a target, it would auto-align, because the point of blade contact is behind the "straight continuation" of the handle. If you push a pool noodle against a target, it would curve back in such a way.
This would also apply for straight blades that are tilted back with respect to the handle, and it would apply in reverse for forward-curved blades and forward-tilted straight blades.
Now, I have never held a sword in my life, but that's what I thought was meant by the auto-alignment. I don't know how much it affects sword-cutting in practice, because it assumes that the only relevant force is the hands on the handle. But of course, sword inertia is way more important, so I can see this effect being negligible, but I don't think it's 100% nonsense.
Had a great time watching this and the memes where spot on, also the comment section is gold.
This video is big balls and will always make me happy.
The blade geometry just looks amazing even from the other side of a screen ❤
Great Video Skall, loved the outtakes.
Curious to see the actuall testing of the blade.
Also very disappointed that no one could draw out its real power, as we all know a good Katana would split the ground even when swung lightly.
Years of practice has paid off well Skal. The other two are good too and their new I believe you mentioned in a previous video? Nicely done.
First time I've seen a video you did outdoors that is this sunny.
God, I love the way that longsword sings.
The intro, the thumbnail showing the blond highlights, the awesomeness of the swords, the upset "auto alignment isnt real!!" Tism mini rant, * chefs kiss *
This was a fun vid!
Nice to actually get notifications for you occasionally.
Looking good bro 😎
whole lot of cutting and some non copyright mystical music in the background . you really went for the 80's samurai superman movie vibe with this one 😂👍
I really like how skall is usually pretty fair and tries to work against his usual biases when talking weaponry from different cultures.
Not in this case though.
But I think it's more of a physics knowledge issue than a bias here.
9:01 can we get more Kata lessons from glorious beard-sensei?
He isnt skill enough to train anyone. Exc. me after 8 years of regular training i wouldnt train anyone. I can see weird moves/taisabaki (work with body) from all three swordsmen in presented tameshigiri, but thats probably they are more into HEMA.
@@23Disciple he isnt training anyone, hes just presenting and talking about stuff on youtube for Edutainment
I love how he swings the sword directly towards his own leg because he cuts with the wrong leading leg
@@TheNCcope This was bothering me with every cut he did. Then he started talking about Iaido kata and I was like "how do you know about that but not how to stand" But we all have room to grow
Nice conductor cap, Skall. Very nice.
bro you really got me with the rock slice cold open. i friggen jumped like "NOOOOOO! don't do it! not for the meme!"
very beautiful cuts
Physicist here. About the auto-align thing, your demonstration letting the curved blade's tip falling with gravity actually helps the case for the auto-align thing. See, when one accelerates the blade, the tip would lag behind just as it wants to fall due to gravity when still (gravity is actually equivalent to an acceleration). Acceleration in a strike would be much grater than gravity, so gravity's effect can kind of be neglected during the swing. If the center of mass of the blade is behind the line of the handle, it would tend to lag behind the movement when accelerated.
Not saying that it actually works, but it has something going for it. I am not a swords expert but I believe that you should hold it steady in your hands and rotation would thus be prevented.
" I just channelled the ninja turtles, i dont know what to tell ya" 🤣🤣🤣💀
The auto-aligning theory you talked about here is different to the one I'm familiar with. The theory I've seen doesn't look at a sword that is falling, it looks at weight distribution and point of contact in swing. A curved blade puts the weight (and potentially the contact point) behind your grip as you swing, which means it's going to want to orient itself in line with your swing when you're accelerating the sword (for the same reason you find it flips backwards under gravity) or when making contact. It seems a fairly logical conclusion when looked at in a vacuum.
In reality, though, I think you'll get a similar effect with a straight sword as well, since you hold it angled back in your swing anyway. The auto-aligning theory looks at your hand and the sword in a vacuum, ignoring the rest of your body. The only time a curved sword would exhibit significantly more auto-aligning is if you swung with your arm perfectly straight and the blade's hilt perfectly aligned with your arm.
Hey you do read your comments 🥳 You gave your kendoka friends a Japanese sword 😄
Honestly though after only 6yrs I prefer my Longsword to a Katana which I've been using for almost 2 decades now. The Katana I have now is a piece of art I got from Swords of Northshire, but my considerably cheaper Bastard Sword that I got from The Knight Shop is better balanced, easier to keep on point and edge on and protects my hand more.
Both great swords that I use regularly 🙂
Regarding your curved sword aligning upside-down - I think it's more to do with handle geometry than anything else. Of course, this totally agrees with what you're saying. I think that handle you chose is a great demonstration of what's actually happening with this (flawed) test.
It's handle geometry to a degree yeah.
But if the handle were a freely rotating axle, it would alight blade-to-the-sky when holding it still, because the weight is curved off to one side. The heavy side will pull towards gravity.
When you SWING it though (faster than it would free-fall) the weight will just try to lag behind the direction you're accelerating it.
So it "does" auto-align ...to a degree.
Gravity never "turns off", swinging fast makes gravity into a secondary force (instead of the primary force) but it's always going to pull a little bit off angle. But it does "make it easier" to align ...assuming you understand what's happening, and don't get all confused by the fact that the sword was trying to rotate one way when you hold it, and it shifts when you swing it.
I laughed - genuinely and aloud - about "WILL IT DESTROY THE PLANET?" at least three times before even clicking on the thumbnail for this video. 😂👏🏻
It's interesting seeing both the god cutter and this blade be used on tatami. Its weird how the blade cuts tatami better than the bottles but we'll see specs with full review. Good stuff!
nice cutting
This was nice what beautiful swords.
I would like to add a little note to the not cutting with the tip. There are schools that focus on maximizing the range and practice cutting with just the tip. Of course, when the range allows for it the more effective cut is favored. 🙂 Cool review!
Very, very entertaining. I think your channeling the 3 stooges.
Curved blade 'alignment' is what is meant by the feeling of the edge angle, especially when you one-hand (especially on horse back), same with saber, katana, etc.
I love how this isn't even the most expensive a usable katana can get, this is on the cheaper side.
"I just channeled the Ninja Turtles, I don't know what to tell ya!"
Skal, 2023
Extremely relaxing video, I don't exactly know why though
One aspect of "auto alignment" has to do with acceleration, when you accelerate a curved sword as you would when cutting, the offset between the axis of the handle (axis of rotation) and the centre of mass of the blade tends to pull the centre of mass to behind the axis of the handle. Holding the sword loosely confirms this because gravity is analogous to an acceleration upwards, the same conditions as an upward strike. This gravitational effect actually interferes with the auto alignment for non-vertical strikes, the degree of interference depends on how hard you are able to accelerate the sword but i would guess that, since most strikes appear to accelerate faster than a falling object, the auto alignment effect probably dominates the gravitational one. How much of the effect is this physical phenomenon and how much is the feedback the effect gives the wielder is up for debate though.
As someone who trains with mostly curved blades, the way you are describing it is very accurate. my lineage focuses on a "cage grip" for an extra point of articulation and when I try to swing straight swords the same way, I absolutely feel a turning force that I don't normally feel with a curved one.
Hmmm. That makes sense, actually. Neat
Katana do cut really great, but it has to do much more with blade mass and stiffness. It's ironic Katana in video game world are known as these super fast light swords when in reality they are forward weighted choppers with a thick blade, and that blade thickness means very little flex. It kind of reminds me of heavy bullets vs light, a heavy grain bullet will power through tougher structure and continue strait because it carries more inertia, while a less massive bullet may travel faster but is more likely to yaw or even fragment apart.
Katana are not all the same you have ones that the weight are closer to the handle and thinner, katanas actually had some flex to them thanks to utsuri common feature prior to the 17th century, which historical European swords were actually less flexible than their modern-day counterparts.
@@eagle162 Many Katana had no spring temper at all, and in general they are thicker than many European swords in history.
@@-Zevin-most European swords were not spring temper, again utsuri was a common feature, are we talking about rapiers exclusively because unless we are that's not the case.
Even among Japanese swords you can see clear differences, like the two in this video.
czcams.com/users/shortsJlZQUFYgxO8?feature=share3
In Dark Souls they weight more units than comparable longswords so I guess they at least got that right
The speed argument comes from the fact that the katana is optimized to slash on the draw, something few other swords of similar size can really do. It's kind of like how revolvers became famed through quick draw duels between cowboys.
As far as the schuk sound for wooden scabbards (mentioned in the first 30 seconds), I seem to remember that sound in old samurai movies. Interesting, that! Also, I think that sound is possibly cooler than the shing, so yeah.
so much fun cutting with friends
I think if there is any self-leading/self-aligning effect, it only applies to blades that curve down past the hilt. If the mass is above the hilt, like your examples, it's going to want to go backwards if anything.
Only $3500? Nah see you need to spend at least quadruple that for the auto alignment feature... dont forget to install the batteries for the gyroscope, accelerometers, lidar sensors, and onboard computer.
Ok not going to lie I want to see a sword with gyroscopes and accelerometers on it now.
Need something for forward momentum like a propeller or jet engine.(just realized I'm basically designing that R9X missile with spring loaded blades now lol.)
I think the idea of auto-edge alignment comes from having the force on the blade where you are cutting is more likely to be behind the center of mass of the blade. This force opposite of the direction of motion will have a tendance to want that point to be lined up behind the direction of motion. The biggest issue with this is that once the force is great enough to do anything to straiten the blades angle of attack that you are far enough into the cut that straitening it is not likely possible.
Any rod with a weight-biased side (which includes a curved blade), or really anything which has a "heavy side" relative to the handle, will align so the heavy part pulls down (with gravity) when holding it, and then shift to having the heavy side try to lag behind when you swing. This DOES result in physics "assisting" with alignment. At least _when_ you swing faster than the sword would free-fall, putting it into negative G's.
Put a weight on a bicycle wheel and use an axle as the handle.
Hold it out... the wheel rotates so the weight is at the bottom. Gravity right? (when you hold a curved blade still, it aligns spine-to-the-ground)
Move it side to side at a slow speed... the part of the wheel with the weight on it will shift to lag behind your direction of movment.
Move it really fast (like you're swinging a sword)... the weight will shift to the position opposite the direction you are accelerating it.
If you swung fast enough (kept a blade in very strong G-force due to acceleration), then you could have an axle for a handle and it would align "relatively straight" (but not perfect), vs your direction of swing.
Absolutely NO testing which fails to include accelerating the blade, will portray this.
It doesn't result in perfect alignment because gravity will always try to bias the angle a little bit. But it certainly helps.
@@kathrynck I was mainly commenting on the largest rotational force on the blade which is when it encounters the object you are trying to cut.
Another way of looking at this is to look at the torque on the blade handle and the center of mass and ignoring gravity for now. When you have a torque on the handle it will try and accelerate the center of mass in the in the direction of the torque. The inertia of the blade can be idealized to the center of mass and this inertia will oppose the acceleration from the torque, this is what causes flexible materials to flex opposite the direction of the acceleration. This is always the case when you have a torque applied at the end of an object. If the center of mass is not along the axial symmetry of the object the center of mass has two points of equilibrium in this scenario. The is a point of equilibrium that is in the direction of the torque this is an unstable equilibrium; the other point of equilibrium is opposite to the direction of the torque and is the sable point of equilibrium and this is the direction that the center of mass will move to while experiencing this torque.
Now let’s look at 3 senecios for a curved blade like a katana being swung vertically before it hits the target:
When you are holding it stationary and horizontal the force of gravity is effectively accelerating the blade down and you are accelerating the blade up with a torque to counter this so this torque you are putting on the blade is opposite to the direction of gravitational acceleration. The center of mass will want to go down opposite to the direction of the torque on the handle which is accomplished by rotating so that the curve of the blade is down.
If you are holding the blade and just let it fall it is in an inertial referance frame so there is no torque you are putting on the blade so there is no tendency for the center of mass to try and rotate from this and because the center of mass is essentially in freefall (inertial referance frame) no gravitational or torque forces so there are no rotation for these forces. The only force to rotate the blade would be air resistance which is also very small.
If you are putting force into the swing, you will be accelerating the center of mass along with gravity but the inertia resisting this is the same and the center of mass will want to move to the stable point of equilibrium opposite to the torque which is in the direction opposite to the swing.
Now if the swing is not vertical the analysis is a bit more complicated but the direction of the stable point of equilibrium for the center of mass will be vector sum of the acceleration due to gravity and the negative of the acceleration of blade due to the torque.
@@CharlesLaCour " if the swing is not vertical the analysis is a bit more complicated but the direction of the stable point of equilibrium for the center of mass will be vector sum of the acceleration due to gravity and the negative of the acceleration of blade due to the torque."
Yeah, i went into that detail under one of the comments. You'd need a little bit of up-right-ing action on the grip to get it aligned "just right".
But yes, the dragging behind on the cutting resistance is likely _also_ a factor. true.
Aah! I almost didn’t recognize Skal with that hat! 😂
"Will it destroy the planet?"
Well at the very least it will destroy your bank account
It will keel your credit card.
The physics associated with an auto-aligning vertical blade is really very straightforward to calculate and a curved blade will auto align better than a straight blade. BUT only if it is falling back first not edge first. A curved blade falling edge first will always rotate flat and if given long enough into a back first.
The only other situation where a curved blade would auto align is if you are moving ridiculously fast or swinging it in a viscous medium i.e. underwater. In this case the drag forces on the blade might overcome the moment of the blade’s weight due to gravity. Working out this transition speed would be a fun experiment.
I thought it was a case of "you can feel where the edge is easier" opposed to "auto-align"
That's a fair point, it's something that I found with a antique Thai Dhab I own, it even has a round grip, which generally is terrible for getting edge alignment, but the grip itself curves in the same direction as the blade, so you instantly feel it, and when the blade is out of alignment you feel the dipping from side to side. It's really interesting and I use this on people who have never held a round grip historical sword, but I hand it to them then tell them to close their eyes and spin the grip a few times in their hand, you can easily align the blade, with eyes closed, even with the round grip.
The handle shape does that better, but in case of a round handle an asymmetrical blade can help feel the edge alignment, yes. I find it makes it slightly harder *during* the cut though.
@@Skallagrim That's because when you swing it, the weight-biased side changes from pulling down towards the earth, to pulling "away from your direction of swing".
It shifts from aligning blade-up (opposite of gravity), to aligning to your direction of movement.
When you are not swinging, gravity "auto-aligns" the blade to the sky. When you swing, the weight bias shifts to try to lag behind your direction of movment.
I think perhaps you might need a rotating handle and a very curved blade to get a feel for what's occurring.
It will rotate spine-down towards the ground. Move it side to side, and it will turn, with the weight biased side (the spine) dragging behind your direction of movment.
Swing it fast (much faster than it would free-fall) and it will turn so the edge is pretty close to aligned. Not "perfectly", but inertia will go from fighting you, to assisting you.
@@kathrynck I wonder how the sword from Rurouni Kenshin would behave.
After all it is curved but has the cutting edge on the inside of the curve rather then the outside.
As its name implies, its cutting edge is where the spine would be.
It should make cutting really difficult, since in the story it is meant to hold back Kenshin from turning into a murder happy psycho.
@@kathrynck If that is a real phenomenon it's too miniscule to really be noticeable. I can tell you from practical experience that edge alignment is no easier with curved blades. The handle shape has much more of an effect.
You didnt kill the planet currently. But the effects of that katan cutting will be felt in all other earths throughout the multiverse
Hey Skall, next time you do some test cutting, could you do some passing cuts - er sword-wise, rather than basketball. When you're stepping past or side stepping the tatami and striking, rather than from a fixed position.
Curved blades only really have a chance to auto-align if the average space the blade shape takes is closer to the middle of the blade's pathing. What I mean is that a curved blade will often put the tip off-center from where the hilt and blade meet. A curved blade's tip can be three inches away from the center of the blade's pathing, with the basis for where the pathing is seeing determination by the exact space that the hilt-to-blade meet. If you point a scimitar at something with the tip of the blade pointed upward, you'll notice that the tip is well above the hilt. This means that the weight of the tip WILL turn the blade, due in part to the distribution of weight not being spread evenly along the length of the blade. Diverting from the path of the blade, starting at the hilt, diverting in some direction that isn't flush with the space that starts at the hilt, the scimitar has a much lower chance of auto-aligning when compared to an arming sword.
That looks like it was a fun day.
I just realized a slow mo guys collab would be pretty neat
While I do HEMA, I've also done Yagyu Shinkage-ryu for 22 years, so yeah, still learning. My school gets together and also does cutting practice, it's...a lot of practice. It doesn't auto-align, just lots and lots of work.
LOL I love the thumbnail.
I like the new hair and beardstyle.
I’d like to see more of that XVIIIc longsword
My guess is that the auto align idea comes from the fact that the point of contact near the end of the blade is "behind" the line of the handle, and so when you push into the target it would tend to rotate the blade into alignment. However, I don't think this is going to play any part in an actual cut - the blade is moving too fast, has too much momentum, and has force applied by the person.
For *$3,500.00,* it better be smooth as hell in cutting! 💰💰💰 And, lo and behold, it does!
Also, you looking as if you were going to cut a huge stone in the beginning almost gave me a *heart attack!* 😳😳😳
The thing with "auto-alignment" is, I believe, that if it's real it would be a product of the weight of the curved tip trailing behind while in motion. I would very much like to see a test done like this: blade mounted on a freely rotating mechanism, swing in different directions recorded in slow motion, compare curved and straight blades. I think that should settle if it's actually real or not.
This video was really cool but the experimental results are basically "quality sword cuts good" xD groundbreaking!
The real mvp is the beard of the bearded sparring friend
Oh, no, Skallagrim! The aftershock waves of this super sword’s swings caused tsunamis in my home town via butterfly effect 🙃
I learned that 1/4 of the blade at the tip has the best cutting potential
Whenni was a kid i went to the balboa park museums in San diego. They had one for military history and a Japanese exhibit was visiting for a couple months. They had all sorts of weapons some dating back to like 400 ad.The one I loved was a sword made in the 1500s. Like an early style of katana. I wanted to howl it so badly but not was encased in glass. They found it in a dig on a battlefield and it was still in its scabard. Luckily the scabard lawyering and fit was so tight no real amounts of moisture crept in so the blade was almost perfect. A few blemishes here or thee but still just as usable as when it was lost during the battle. The cording on the handle and te tuba were corroded and the shark skin was almost gone but the tang was also in goo condition. They restored it by looking at the type of wood the scabard was the color f lawyer the scraps or shark skin and corsage plus the wood of the handle. They also found a bit of inlaid silver on the t suba so they figured it must have belonged to a wealthy or important samurai. Of the samurai of import that died that day they were able to trace back to 3 people who's sword it could have been. All 3 were killed by firearms or arrows.their swords never drawn.Japanese military and culture is just so fascination to me.