So it seems kinda like the distinction is more so a cultural one than a physical one. That’s fascinating. It’s not so much the design but the intended function. Is this an aristocrats status symbol or a soldiers sidearm? Am i mistaken in making that connection?
So the “expert” that the Pawn Stars calls is a fake one. Since there’s an episode where he checked a katana and saw the signature on the mune side and he said it was a fake katana. He claimed that all signature “tachi and katana” should be on the blade side even though it came with certificate saying it’s a tachi.
Do you have a link to the episode? Most mei are on the mune side. Bear in mind that this has nothing to do with the tachi/katana question, which is: is it on the left side or the right?
@@itskarl7575 I forgot what episode. It was way back 2015 history channel and the owner was an elderly lady. Tsuka have brown ito.. that’s all I can remember. But to think of it, pawn stars is just a scripted show.
Question: I know there were lefthanded samurai/bushi, but they perhaps weren't encouraged to wear their swords any differently. Would there be katana or tachi made specifically for left handed people, or would that not matter at to the smith?
I've understood that there's a distinction between Tachi and Katana, but besides one being carried edge-up and the other edge-down, I've not really known what distinguishes one from the other. Were tachi considered purely battlefield weapons, while a katana was carried off the battlefield as well? Or is one for use on horseback and one for use on foot?
I asked this question in a previous video. Although, you explained a difference between the two. I am now in a position of being more confused about the difference than before. Wouldn't it be rather easy for any given person in Japan during the middle of the Samurai period to potentially pick up a Tachi and use it like a Katana. Because he would have to remove the handle and see the signature to see what it really is, as you have taught us. I trained in Aikido for 6 years, our buki included 3 "training" weapons. One of them was a Bokken which was/is a wooden form of a Katana. Aikido (Way of Harmony, as we were taught) comes from the Samurai traditions. Our basic stance was the same as if we were holding a bokken or simply had open hands. Thank you for your videos. Osu!
By my understanding (could be wrong) taking the handle away was made easy on purpose so people could take care of their blades and do repairs easily, which considering swords where tools of daily use back in the day I would be pretty often! So you would know pretty quick which one it was
This makes me wonder (I have barely any knowledge of Eastern swords), if the difference is the placement of the signature, why have the difference? (This is also related to the last sword shown without a signature, but classified as Tachi)
You can tell if its a Katana or Tachi is by locating where the signature is etched on: If you can see the signature while the blade is facing up, it's a katana. If you see it while the blade is facing down, it's a tachi.
@@robloxmadness9062 it’s a bit more complicated than that. Some schools made tachi but signed them on the “katana side”. Sometimes signatures would be put on in a later time period. Generally, tachi are longer and more curved specifically with koshirae-zori whereas katana have tori-zori, are shorter and have less curved hilts. The reason this guy even made the short was to show an outlier. Generally, tachi and katana are differentiated by the shape like most swords but in this rare case. It seems like the katana has the traits of the tachi. Once again, this short was made to fool you as there are certainly typological distinctions between the two yet this one seems to be a rarer example.
All swordsman were forced to use their right but I'm pretty sure even the bladesmith cant change the side for the signature it has to be on the correct side depending on which sword they're making
So it seems kinda like the distinction is more so a cultural one than a physical one. That’s fascinating. It’s not so much the design but the intended function. Is this an aristocrats status symbol or a soldiers sidearm? Am i mistaken in making that connection?
So the “expert” that the Pawn Stars calls is a fake one. Since there’s an episode where he checked a katana and saw the signature on the mune side and he said it was a fake katana. He claimed that all signature “tachi and katana” should be on the blade side even though it came with certificate saying it’s a tachi.
That's Mike Yamasaki, and he's an expert
Do you have a link to the episode? Most mei are on the mune side. Bear in mind that this has nothing to do with the tachi/katana question, which is: is it on the left side or the right?
@@itskarl7575 I forgot what episode. It was way back 2015 history channel and the owner was an elderly lady. Tsuka have brown ito.. that’s all I can remember. But to think of it, pawn stars is just a scripted show.
Question: I know there were lefthanded samurai/bushi, but they perhaps weren't encouraged to wear their swords any differently.
Would there be katana or tachi made specifically for left handed people, or would that not matter at to the smith?
WHAT? Shocking
I've understood that there's a distinction between Tachi and Katana, but besides one being carried edge-up and the other edge-down, I've not really known what distinguishes one from the other. Were tachi considered purely battlefield weapons, while a katana was carried off the battlefield as well? Or is one for use on horseback and one for use on foot?
Tachi is mostly for mounted combat, and there are other aspects, as well
I asked this question in a previous video. Although, you explained a difference between the two. I am now in a position of being more confused about the difference than before. Wouldn't it be rather easy for any given person in Japan during the middle of the Samurai period to potentially pick up a Tachi and use it like a Katana. Because he would have to remove the handle and see the signature to see what it really is, as you have taught us. I trained in Aikido for 6 years, our buki included 3 "training" weapons. One of them was a Bokken which was/is a wooden form of a Katana. Aikido (Way of Harmony, as we were taught) comes from the Samurai traditions. Our basic stance was the same as if we were holding a bokken or simply had open hands. Thank you for your videos. Osu!
By my understanding (could be wrong) taking the handle away was made easy on purpose so people could take care of their blades and do repairs easily, which considering swords where tools of daily use back in the day I would be pretty often! So you would know pretty quick which one it was
0:48 Could that mean that it might have been a tachi that was shortened down, thereby also "cutting off" the signature?
How can you tell if it was a tachi if it's suriage shortened because i posess such a piece where it's cut off at the original mekugi ana
Ouch.
This makes me wonder (I have barely any knowledge of Eastern swords), if the difference is the placement of the signature, why have the difference? (This is also related to the last sword shown without a signature, but classified as Tachi)
WhoA. 😮
i knew it
❤
So kanata and tatchi arethe same type of sword in use
Are these 600 year old blades for sale?
The Katana was made for someone really tall. Shouldn't it classify as o-katana?
Wait then what is the difference?
You can tell if its a Katana or Tachi is by locating where the signature is etched on: If you can see the signature while the blade is facing up, it's a katana. If you see it while the blade is facing down, it's a tachi.
@@robloxmadness9062 ok but is there any difference in the actual sword
@@finn_in_the_bin5263 hell no lol
@@robloxmadness9062 oh that's really neat, I didn't know you could classify blades by that alone, I find that really interesting
@@robloxmadness9062 it’s a bit more complicated than that. Some schools made tachi but signed them on the “katana side”. Sometimes signatures would be put on in a later time period. Generally, tachi are longer and more curved specifically with koshirae-zori whereas katana have tori-zori, are shorter and have less curved hilts. The reason this guy even made the short was to show an outlier. Generally, tachi and katana are differentiated by the shape like most swords but in this rare case. It seems like the katana has the traits of the tachi.
Once again, this short was made to fool you as there are certainly typological distinctions between the two yet this one seems to be a rarer example.
could be bladesmith left handed?
All swordsman were forced to use their right but I'm pretty sure even the bladesmith cant change the side for the signature it has to be on the correct side depending on which sword they're making
@@zumokaijunoted
Great way to get people to never comment on these vids again 🤣
This is incorrect. There are schools that traditionally signed on the tachi side for Katana.