While it was rude to walk into a building armed with a katana, wearing the wakizashi caused no offense. Oftentimes the wakizashi was referred to as “honor blade” because it was used as a backup weapon to kill defeated enemies or to commit ritual suicides called seppuku. Hence, dual-wielding both swords was possible to achieve the best fighting results. You got both the advantages of a long sword and a short sword. The katana was the perfect weapon to pair with the wakizashi. The origin of the name comes from the fact that it was often used as a complement to the katana. The wakizashi found its use in the early 17 th century. Instead every class had free access to get this kind of sword. In contrast to the katana, the wakizashi was not only worn by samurai. The average length of a wakizashi ranges from 80 to 90 cm (31.5 to 35.4 inches). In comparison to the katana, it is slightly smaller. The term wakizashi means side inserted sword. Furthermore, the tanto can either be single or double-edged. In contrast to most other Japanese blades, the tanto has a completely straight blade. The average total length of a tanto is around 40 cm (15.8 in). The length of the blade ranges from 15 to 30 cm (5.9 to 11.8 in). The primary purpose of the tanto was stabbing your opponent. The tanto is more of a dagger than a real sword. Now let’s jump from the biggest Japanese sword to the smallest one. In case you require additional information about the nodachi check out my complete guide. As a result of its massive size the nodachi needed to be worn on the back of the samurai. The nodachi was commonly used in the late 14 th century. Its massive size renders it completely useless inside buildings or for close-quarter fights. You could say it was an overpowered weapon against cavalry.īut even the greatest weapon comes with disadvantages. This makes the nodachi the longest type of Japanese sword.įor this reason, the nodachi sword was the perfect counter against mounted units. (I mean I wouldn’t like to fight such an enemy) Resulting from their massive size of over 150 cm (59 inches). Just their sight sparked fear among enemy lines. Now let’s get to the specifications of the nodachi. Odachi and Nodachi are referring to the same sword, so I am using them as synonyms. This kind of Japanese sword is extremely fancy for sure. Oh, we’re getting to the big weapons guys. Odachi (large sword) / Nodachi (field sword) Moreover, it is important to note that it was worn with the cutting edge facing downwards. The length of a tachi ranges from 120-130 cm (47.2-51.2 in). Furthermore, the tachi was commonly used on horseback to strike down infantry units. This art was also performed on a regular katana, however due to its slight curvature it didn’t give the wielder much of an advantage.īy utilizing the Japanese tachi this technique comes to greater use. The additional curvature improves the ability to cut while drawing the blade, which is called nukitsuke. For this reason, tachi translates to “big sword”. It features a curvier and slightly longer blade than the katana. The tachi is the next type of Japanese sword I am going to cover. Tachi (big sword) (c) Rama, Cc-by-sa-2.0-fr The total length of a katana is around 100 to 110 cm (39.4 to 43.3 in) and weighs 900 to 1400 grams (2 lbs to 3.1 lbs). In contrast to medieval swords, the katana is able to chop off entire limbs. The katana is vaunted for its superior cutting ability and sharpness. The hands of the warrior were protected by either a circular or squared guard. In contrast to the European arming sword, the grip of the katana is long enough to accommodate two hands. This sword is characterized by a slightly curved, single-edged blade. The term “Katana” means “sword“ in English.Īfter all the katana was part of the equipment of every samurai in ancient and feudal Japan. The katana is the sword that oftentimes gets referred to as “Samurai Sword”. I am quite certain that most people know katanas, because of their prominent appearance in modern pop culture. We’re getting right at it with probably the most famous of Japanese swords, the katana. Odachi (large sword) / Nodachi (field sword).
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