Is Your SWORD Too SMALL?

[@nigelomacnigilson3089]

"It would have made only a tiny pocket-knife for a troll, but it was as good as a short sword for the hobbit."

[@cuchulain1647]

Ok.... You have the intellectual equivalent of a 50” inch blade.

[@HughStLeger]

@@cuchulain1647 to get to see you all are welcome and thanks to all those on of hands in oh I on low ooh Jo I have been o of our ink

[@HughStLeger]

@@cuchulain1647 logo and I imagine it

[@leofedorov1030]

I think an opponent’s reaction is paramount. If they start to laugh, when you take out your sword - it’s too short. If they act scared - it’s too long. If they want to engage you immediately - it’s just right.

[@Nerobyrne]

@asdrubale bisanzio UwU

[@notgraham.7215]

If they want to engage immediately then it's too small. If they're cautious it's just right.if he laughs, you forgot pants again

[@leofedorov1030]

Please, folks, keep it clean. We are just measuring swords here. Not sure what the deal is with all the lewd innuendos in the comments!

[@MidnightSt]

the trick for the "too small" situation is to use the time they're laughing to execute a quick and well-aimed attack to end their laugh. and duel.

[@notgraham.7215]

@@MidnightSt while he's laughing, draw your 9mm and knee cap that rude bastard

[@carltonbauheimer]

My girlfriend said the size of my sword is less important than the context I use it in.

[@Willy_Tepes]

No woman has ever said that to me :)

[@carltonbauheimer]

@@Willy_Tepes so you've never shown your sword to a woman? Sorry to hear that, mate.

[@cuteshadow]

its way more important by the penetration it can provide, unless you hit with the butt.

[@Willy_Tepes]

@@carltonbauheimer Attack is the best defense I see, LOL.

[@carltonbauheimer]

@@Willy_Tepes the jokes here just write themselves!

[@ChristomirRackov]

"Is your sword too small?" Matt Easton asking all the important questions.

[@alfredlear4141]

Yep

[@haldyordan2316]

Could add insult to certain dudes 😅

[@ianalexander7267]

The last thing I need is for British Johnny Sins to ask this.

[@BozheTsaryaKhrani]

Only matt is brave enough to compare sword sizes on YT

[@sethdusith6093]

It's always the ones with the biggest swords. He probably sends sword pictures to girls all the time

[@sebastienschubert2991]

And say "GIRTH" with a completely straight face

[@JayChampagne]

I can already tell that Captain Context is going to be out in force today

[@varuug]

The Captain's gone AWOL.

[@KTo288]

You have to love the response of the Spartan mother who's son was complaining that his sword was too short, "if your sword is too short, just take a step forward".

[@kevinmorrice]

is your sword to small spartans: actually its not small enough

[@afinoxi]

"Is your sword too small ?" I can already see the "According to my ex" jokes coming

[@fishin_da_hood5020]

I see you on every video

[@jamestipsfedora]

This, but not according to my ex, cuz I never had an ex

[@gunblade7610]

Protip: just date women that make your bollocks dagger comparatively into a montante * cheers *

[@Neomoon13]

My ex wife broke my sword in half

[@Matthew_Jensen]

Thanks for the shout out! This was a fun video and raises some interesting questions. I don't personally think everyone "needs" to train with a longer sword but I do find it helps force the point. It is hard to remember to do hip motions without the tool prompting me to do so. The same lessons can be learned form training in armor. I have never worn a very good example of Japanese armor but I have had a few base level replicas. Some of the kenjitsu movements I learned only started to make sense after I tried them in armor. Do you find that to be the case in HEMA?

[@TheAsj97]

The vast majority of HEMA (longsword, sword and buckler, dagger, rapier, sabre, smallsword, etc), is meant to be used without armor (except for gambeson), against enemies who are also not using armor. Fiore does teach techniques for armored dueling, but it's very different from the normal stuff, and it's not really practiced - as far as I know - without armor, and given the price of armor, you can imagine that only a very tiny fraction of HEMA clubs might practice that, none that I know of do.

[@kwanarchive]

The problem with scaling for length is that the weight grows cubically. However, muscle strength only grows quadratically because muscle strength increases by cross-sectional area, but then a lot of that strength is simply just holding up the weight of that limb. So if you scale a sword to your height, you may end up with something that is scaled higher than you'd expect weightwise. You'd have to make a lighter sword, which means slightly weaker either due to distal thinning, or from narrowing the blade.

[@vsm1456]

I like your observation. but this, in turn, can be compensated by modern steel quality, I think

[@kidthorazine]

In my experience, at least with Japanese swords, this isn't really a problem, the weight difference isn't nearly as much as you think, and I use a blade that's 3'' (7.62cm) longer than what's generally considered "standard" (although in modern Kenjutsu/Iaido etc. you are expected to have a sword made to fit your height and there are standardized charts and whatnot for this)

[@kwanarchive]

@@kidthorazine Katanas are used double-handed most of the time, which would lessen the effect of added weight. On the one hand, though, even an extra hundred grams can tire you out quicker. Even in sport fencing, if you do epee, you tend to hold your arm out further in guard position, and couple that with the use of tiny wrist movements in epee, giving or defending a beat, it is a killer. I can't imagine how much worse that is for rapier.

[@kidthorazine]

@@kwanarchive That depends on how it's balanced, most fencing swords use pistol grips that have a really weird balance compared to traditional swords so I can imagine slight variations in weight making a much bigger difference, but that's kind of an odd case.

[@jeffhamilton4587]

Your name says it all, ​@kidthorazine, your name say it alzlzzz

[@HistoricalWeapons]

size does not matter, it is how you use it

[@marcellusbrutus3346]

romans agree to this

[@HanSolo__]

@@marcellusbrutus3346 Sure, but not Roman as a single person. Only Romans in sense of an army. Because this was their tactics.

[@phawang37]

@@HanSolo__ I don’t think he’s talking about swords

[@SenTenshi]

Hahaha.

[@thebigeasy87]

@@phawang37 pork swords

[@mattmodisette394]

It's not too small.... it's proportional....

[@cwg9238]

...depending on context..

[@Qwayeasn]

...which is how deep you need to penetrate...

[@francescofavro8890]

i suggest we all think about the jokes in silence. we're all thinking up the same ones, anyway.

[@alfredlear4141]

You know its sad but true

[@timothycampbell495]

Matt started it

[@JCPRuckus]

Nah, I mainly clicked on this video to read the double entendres in the comments.

[@NecroBanana]

My girlfriend said my sword is just fine, even with its sheath.

[@oneparticularlysmartape]

Ok, at this point, Matt is asking for us to make jokes.

[@ThePageofCups]

At this point? It seems like he's been doing it since he started on KZbin.

[@philvanderlaan5942]

I think he's asking us NOT to make jokes, but knowing we will.

[@Iamvalcristvalentine]

yondan iaidoka here, yes you should always be using an appropriately sized sword for practice. The distinction between the naming conventions in blade size and genometry are described by historically derived context which dissolves in modern practice. Blades should be relative to the user, not adhered to historical context if they are intended to be used by that person. In the same way that I should not be wearing the sandals of an ancient Greek Olympic runner if I am trying to run myself.

[@rlochary9352]

@@bigredwolf6 ,'',''

[@TStyx]

This discussion has been going on for at 30 years that I know of in the martial arts communities who like to use "traditional" weapons so keep the weapon sizes the same as originals but I totally agree they should be sized according to your own size. I also seem to recall that a katana blade length should be 10 of your personal handwidths and a staff should be your own head size above your head , for the life of me I can't think where I read it but it always stuck with me. Mind I'm getting older now so my memory probably just made it up, haha.

[@reinerzufall2192]

Are they using "traditional" armour, in which they won't fit as well?

[@erikjarandson5458]

Let me guess: The traditionalists just happen to be about the average size for people in the relevant time period?

[@dustyboots2693]

"Modern people do enjoy a different size range" Matt Easton, 2021

[@Tareltonlives]

Oh man, you just insulted the entire Roman army until the 3rd century It's not the size of the sword, it's the temper of the blade

[@martytu20]

It’s the protection man.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

Well... the Roman Empire never reached far enough to always have day time in at least one province before it imploded, the Brittish Empire did, and dissolved comparatively peacefully.

[@capuchinhelper]

The Romans knew you only had to penetrate 2 inches to be effective

[@wierdalien1]

@@capuchinhelper first inch is most important

[@SenTenshi]

Yeah but they had a huge Scutum so... Size do matter i guess.

[@ArkadiBolschek]

Size doesn't matter: _context_ matters.

[@The_Gallowglass]

If you want antiques, get the ones you like. If you want to practice swordplay then you should scale it up to your body specifications. Simple.

[@scottmacgregor3444]

"Is your sword TOO small?" They make a pill for that.

[@scholagladiatoria]

I'm afraid that the pills only change the flex, not the reach.

[@BozheTsaryaKhrani]

@@scholagladiatoria oh my great one

[@cruelfish4824]

@@scholagladiatoria Depends if it's a show sword or a grow sword.

[@anonymouslyopinionated656]

@@scholagladiatoria as long as you always remember to use a scabbard

[@theblancmange1265]

GROW 11 CM IN 11 SECONDS!!!

[@andylawn9521]

So Matt, silly question i know, but has anyone done studies of the bio-mechanics of sword length, stature and usage cases. Clearly a roman gladius is designed to be used quite differently to say a rapier for example So the context of the weapon is part of the equipment equation along with the other factors. Could it be visually demonstrated in a video(s) that there is an optimum size for a given stature for each weapon system.

[@steffenebener7332]

Oh, i would like to know that.

[@psychoaiko666]

Funnily enough both the gladius and the rapier were primarily (meant to be used as) thrusting swords though.

[@Expeditehistory]

Good question.

[@Zraknul]

In the Roman Empire and the army becoming more German, we get a shift from the Gladius to the longer Spatha. If we are to accept the sources as entirely true, and not just propaganda or a literary device to enhance the glory of their victories, the Germans were a taller people.

[@steffenebener7332]

@@bigredwolf6 i disagree, i am very much shure, it depends on the size of the weapon relative to the wearer. As in: a 160cm Zweihänder would be as usable for a 160cm big person as a 190cm Zweihänder for a 190cm big person

[@edi9892]

The question should be: do you want an authentic sword as it was made back then or one that would befit you? Many things have been adapted over time and thus we lost touch with the original nature of things. For instance, there are still plenty of houses that are 100+ years old and at times even 500 years, but how the houses function changed greatly! For instance, the toilet and bath used to be external and food storage was very different and so was heating...

[@EdwinHendraKusuma]

In Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi, Sasaki Kojiro had his sword, named The Drying Pole, shortened simply because it was too long for him and his fighting style.

[@1IGG]

@@EdwinHendraKusuma sounds like the washing pole of dark souls.

[@MTURC7078]

People made swords to fit them back then too though, so what would change in authenticity? To me to only way to make it more authentic would be to buy an antique instead.

[@EdwinHendraKusuma]

@@MTURC7078 Even with an antique, which has been passed through generations, you can't be sure that it retains 100% of its original form. That Sasaki Kojiro's case, for example.

[@edi9892]

@@MTURC7078 some weapons give you immediately an idea about their original owners. For instance, no Keris would be large enough for me to hold it... In some cases, you can't simply adapt the size. For instance, a Tatami is 3x6ft or 90x180cm. It's obviously limited by the natural length of the grass. The Tatami size in turn determines room-size, the size of sliding doors, wardrobes, etc. Now, the fun part: originally, one Tatami would have been all that's needed for a Japanese person to sleep on, whereas I need 3! Tatami are complex to make and quite costly and thus started off as nothing else than beds, but became floor covers as a status symbol.

[@sameerthakur720]

Next time Matt Easton will do a video, "Is your sword not stiff enough(is it too flexible)?"

[@blochtar]

I remember reading or hearing from several sources, and I tend to agree with the idea -regarding sword length: arming sword: held lightly in one hand, the tip just reaches the ground at a slight angle. long sword: the guard should be at navel height with the tip straight between your feet. katana: just leaving the scabbard with your fist holdin it stright in front of you. sabre: the tip ouching your earlobe when held with your arm straight down. rapier: the guard should be at belt height with the tip straight between your feet. I would love some feedback on these "measurements", which I think precisely take into account the limb length of the user.

[@brotherandythesage]

I've been waiting for this video for 20 years! "Ideal size" is rather subjective though since a large man might like a smaller weapon while a small woman might like a larger one. I remember Matt's hand not quite fitting into a pata and some of the other Indian sword grips look too small for him. As long as weapons are crafted properly they seem to be fairly forgiving for smaller or bigger sized wielders. Still even if a fraction of a percentage better means life or death I want a weapon sized to me!

[@Joe___R]

In the United States Marine Corps the sword length is based off of the distance between your wrist & the brim of your hat with your arm at your side while standing at attention. All be it is just for show today but a similar type of measurement standard might have been common to determine the correct blade length back when swords were intended to be used in combat.

[@TheMasterOfCornedy]

it might not be very large, but has a huge amount of penetration, and we love that here

[@steffenebener7332]

Aaah, thruster, i see

[@righteousindecision2778]

Spain and the Netherland are only separated by France? Belgium is getting it's usual level of respect then.

[@psychoaiko666]

Which is the respect they deserve 🤷🤣

[@spyrofrost9158]

At least they gave us waffles.

[@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699]

@@spyrofrost9158 and French fries

[@leofedorov1030]

Belgium? Never heard of it. Is it related to the Brussels sprout?

[@ChristomirRackov]

You know that Belgium was actually part of the Netherlands, until the 16th century, right? ;)

[@cbrusharmy]

She says it's perfect for her, and not to worry about it. :(

[@HanSolo__]

Yeah I know your pain mate.

[@ShieldWife]

Part of me wonders if a shorter person would want to learn to use an even longer sword to compensate for their natural lack of reach. On one hand, a shorter sword for a shorter person might make certain maneuvers easier, but it seems to compound a reach disadvantage that they already suffer from.

[@tsylvester2523]

A lot of smaller HEMA beginners think this (I thought about it) but ultimately I've found a relatively-shorter-but-long-enough sword to be the way to go. The range disadvantage is best overcome with footwork and what I'd consider optimal technique (good mechanics in terms of guard/parry posture, contact with the strong of your blade against the weak of theirs, accurate and quick counter thrusts etc), and find too large a sword can compromise the latter, while a shorter one is sometimes more helpful.

[@hectorvi1633]

if the difference gets to big you end up with an other weapon which can't be used in the same way.

[@d_jedi1]

Think about the first Highlander film. On the surface, you have The Kurgan with his longsword and MacLeod with his katana.. Seems like MacLeod is at a disadvantage because of Kurgan's reach.. BUT when MacLeod gets close and takes away that reach advantage, it's all him all day long. A longer blade does not always equal a win.

[@Jaggaraz218]

A shorter person wouldn't always be able to comfortably carry a disproportionally long sword, especially in case of a medieval longsword

[@brotherandythesage]

Always use what's most comfortable but in the end if you need reach go for a spear.

[@amacadre]

In Muso Shinden Ryu, one recommendation was to remove 3 shaku from your height for your sword length. In general, it was recommended to use as big as a blade as possible, because it forces you to use your whole body well. If you need to use a smaller sword, being used to a longer one makes it easier than the reverse. Nowadays, the katana size for iaido is "should be barely scratching the floor when held vertically alongside the body": in other words, your sword length is determined by height and arm length. Thanks for the video!

[@Cloudfencer]

I’m 5’ 11” or 180 cm and I practice with Katanas ranging 27-30 inches and also a long sword that is 34 inches. I find them all to be comfortable for my height but the shorter swords are easier to maneuver, especially when moving them around in tighter spaces. I primarily train in Boxing and speed is a factor just as much as reach is. If a swordsman had a longer reach but slow to swing or recover, the shorter quicker sword may have the advantage. It’s a very interesting topic! Definitely worth practicing with both smaller and longer blades.

[@jaysblades]

Matthew Jensen's channel is tremendously underrated. Lot's of great info from that guy as he has the biggest modern production sword collection I've ever seen.

[@rdreher7380]

Tachi! Tachi! ^^ It's so nice to hear you say that CH right. I know you've been doing it right for a while now but it's still brings such delight to my ears. You could say the as a broad (as in "father") but I wont gripe about that. Next, I urge you to switch to saying "Edo" with a short E, as it , not a long E as in . Think of the word "sensei;" in Romanization of Japanese, an represent a short-e like sound (it's actually in between a a "long A" and a "short E" actually), while or presents the same sound lengthened, so more like English Long A as in "pay." At one point in time in Japanese, this was actually pronounced something like "yedo" and was sometimes written as such by Europeans in contact with the Japanese at the time. I think if you keep this "yedo" in mind it will be easy to remember it's "eh" not "ee."

[@Rob1971ist]

"The Netherlands and Spain are only separated by France..." How British to ignore the existence of Belgium. Apart from that, very interesting topic. My kenjutsu teacher (who is 1.90 meters tall) always said we should get swords made to our hand size. Even standard bokken have tsuka made for two Japanese sized hands, which is too small for most people in my club. And yes, I'm Dutch, although shorter than average (and shorter than you Matt).

[@hia5235]

The Romans certainly commented on the size of the Celts and Germans.

[@titanscerw]

Well certainly until it is time to start a Great War over it ... jolly good excuse that one ;)

[@akatsukami9578]

Everyone tries to ignore the existence of Belgium.

[@ReasonAboveEverything]

@@hia5235 What happened. Why are only Dutch really tall nowadays.

[@ivanharlokin]

@@ReasonAboveEverything It's an evolutionary response to the danger of flooding in the Netherlands.

[@DuncanMcBride]

Amazed this video isn't tagged Men's Health with a title like that lmao

[@TesseraCraft]

are you really a man if you don't own a sword?

[@DuncanMcBride]

A very unfortunate man, at best.

[@evilwelshman]

Matt Easton: Spain and the Netherlands are only separated by France. Meanwhile in Belgium: Are we a joke to you?!! 😂😂

[@WanderingTetsubo]

Apparently so.

[@titanscerw]

Nope just differently flagged French and Dutch really 😎

[@shorewall]

@@titanscerw The Tag is either Dutch France, or French Netherlands. :D

[@danielkeding3071]

Matt, A very thought provoking video. In Japanese martial arts sword schools the length of the sword varies. I practice Muso Jikidien Eishen Ryu. In our ryu (school) the blade matches the height of the swordsman/woman. In some other ryus the length of the sword is decided upon by the head of the ryu and has nothing to do with the height of the practitioner. Also, as one grows older it is often advisable to shorten the length of the sword in order to lessen the weight and strain on your joints thus avoiding or lessening pain due to arthritis. Some schools also recommend shortening the length of your sword once you transition from an un-sharpened blade (iaito) to a sharpened sword (shinken). I'm about your height and use a 29' shinken. In the past I have used a 31" blade, a 30" blade and a 28" blade. Once you know the correct movements of a kata the length of the blade is less of a factor. Yes, a slightly longer blade helped me twenty years ago with correct movement but now I just do them automatically and the blade follows me. If you get too long of a blade you follow the sword instead of the sword moving with you. Keep up the good work.

[@keithallardice6139]

Many interesting points raised - I'm not a sword user (more of an aficionado tbh) but I'm a pool/snooker player and it's the same thing for cue lengths - the "standard" size for a cue is 57" or 58" (145 or 147.5cm) whether you be 5', 5'8 and slim, 5'10" and broad or 6'6" and built like a prop forward! Which, of course, makes no practical sense ... custom length cues are now becoming more and more common as we get taller and bigger with each generation. In my humble opinion, the same should be true of swords - biomechanically, it makes sense. Stay safe and take care everyone!

[@georgepatton93]

That's what she said

[@martytu20]

C o n t e x t

[@mohammadalighani5213]

yes, we should scaling it relative to our height. Finally,someone actually talk about this problem.

[@jacobcantrell82]

Okay we're hitting a bit too close to home

[@temperededge]

A couple decades back, I was advised that the ideal size of shinai in kendo was one that, if stood upright on the floor, reached your lower rib.

[@moreparrotsmoredereks2275]

This is probably your most entertaining video ever

[@Jaedeok82]

There's so many variables with this that it's difficult to just draw comparisons based on size of person, because you also have to factor in arms and armor usage at the time. The Tachi for instance, was used in a time period when there were more engagements on horseback. You weren't expected to remove and return the weapon to the sheath constantly, and the greater reach and increased curve was desirable. Foot engagements in the time period were often fought with Yari instead. When engagements with horses began to taper off, you see the swords shorten and the type of deep sori that a Tachi has became reduced as it wasn't as suitable for piercing weapons. It kind of reinforces your conclusion point that you need to consider what your usage is going to entail and make the best decision for yourself. A person doing Iaito who is constantly re-sheathing their weapon may prefer something a little shorter. A person doing backyard cutting sessions may prefer something a little longer for more authority in the cut.

[@DJ-eg1zg]

Good video Matt, but one obvious thing you have missed out on here is WRIST strength, which doesn't increase exponentially with height. Any one handed weapon is going to be heavily dependent on the wrist strength which is required to manipulate it. When you take a sword design which is well balanced and randomly increase length you are going to run into serious problems with balance.

[@macrendilysmir1876]

"It's not about the size of your sword, but about how you use it." -Someone with a small sword facing a large sword, probably

[@otavio.a.8.r]

I totally agree with you that in a sparring (practical) situation, there will always be a better blade length for each person. In archery, there is a better arrow length. Why similar thing would not be useful for swords, spears and etc? Replicas are furniture to decorate a place or show people how was the original, but in the real world, people should have custom tools.

[@aboomination897]

Most important is the Yaw. you can calculate your Adjusted Sword Size (or TMI) with the following formula: ((L*D)+(W/G))/(A^2) -> Length times Diameter plus Weight over Girth divided by Angle of the tip squared

[@jamesbarbour327]

Hey Matt, this is an interesting video with your pungent observations. Hey, what I would REALLY like you to address sometime soon (maybe you have already, but if you did I missed it) would be how you mount your swords on the wall. What do you use for hardware to make your racks and hangers, and what kind of screws etc. I think that would be very useful for those of us who have more than a few swords to mount on our walls.

[@TheGosslings]

Look, the harpies down at the ol' Damascene Grotto don't call me "Xiphos" for nothing, okay?

[@wierdalien1]

Amazing

[@TheGosslings]

@@wierdalien1 Thank you. ;)

[@FaceOfDad]

When I was younger I was told a "fact" about the creation of the Katana. I have no way to verify. Each original katana was made for the individual, and it was measured by the man to be measured, held a sword in front of him at a relaxed angle toward the ground. From the ground to the end of the sword was measured at apx 2 inches from the ground. This measurement was to determine the length the final sword would need to be. Taller people would have a sword that did not reach as close to the ground and so the sword would have to be longer to compensate. This made the length of the sword considered perfect for the wielder it was measured for.

[@ericvanvlandren8987]

Poor Belgium! Matt, if you recall your history - and one of your own videos from about five years ago where you took us to an archeological site on a farm in ... Belgium, then the name Waterloo would come to your mind. Yes, it was in the Kingdom of the Netherlands at the time but it is now in Belgium. A country which, in ADDITION to France, is between the present day Netherlands and Spain. With a name like mine (forgive the Americanized spelling) I feel compelled to point this out. Another great video mate, cheers!

[@DavidMann10k]

My Kenjutsu Sensei told me that my sword ought not touch the ground when held in a relaxed position. I'm 6' and the O-Katana felt really right.

[@TheUncleRuckus]

Funny you mention this. I recently inherited a Civil War era US Army officers saber from an Uncle and while my friend was over the other day and while I was showing it to him he made the comment dude that looks way too small for you. I kind of chuckled and said well I don't think it was meant for someone who was 6'6" lol.

[@pkujawski83]

when making replicas of historical costumes, should we scale them to our dimensions, or should we make them for person a foot shorter?

[@Cleanpea]

Golden comment

[@stuartcoyle1626]

We have swords for doing that!

[@Cleanpea]

@@stuartcoyle1626 Clothes don't fit? Lose those legs, hehe

[@a-blivvy-yus]

In a modern/sci-fi example - lightsaber blades come in a variety of sizes and different sizes are recommended for people of different heights. Many lightsaber manufacturers produce 24 in blades for children (or as an off-hand or "shoto" weapon), then have 28, 30, and/or 32 inch blade options (usually 32 and one of the two shorter options), and longer 36 inch blades show up in quite a lot of places too, which is primarily for those above 6 foot tall or looking for a proportionately larger weapon.

[@BCSchmerker]

+scholagladiatoria *A Tokugawa-era 刀 Katana averaged 0.9m in the steel, approximately 0.65m was exposed out of scabbard;* most swordsmiths gave the other artisans in the sword craft 0.20-0.25m tang length for the grip in Katana and 太刀 Tati, 0.15m for the 脇差 Wakizasi, and 0.10m for the 短刀Tantō. The tangs of 大太刀 Ōdati were appropriately longer. (As polearms, 薙刀 Naginata and 槍 Yari had even longer tangs than Ōdati for secure hold in their shafts.) The 小太刀 Kodati, which is in the length band betwixt Katana and Wakizasi, was the pattern for the fittings on the 軍刀 Guntō, or military officer's sword.

[@aysseralwan]

When you're excited to show her your sword but she's only into Zweihänder 💔

[@steffenebener7332]

Just say its montante

[@joshuakruger9455]

Much as I hate to answer a question with a question, when it comes to "Should it be scaled to the owner or a one-to-one replica?" the answer would have to be "what do you want it for?" Is it for practicing forms, sparring, or re-enactment? Scale it. Is it for educational purposes or historical reconstruction? One-to-one. Is it just a decorative wall hanger? Whatever tickles your fancy.

[@gwynbleidd1917]

Very interesting topic, Mr. Easton.

[@michaelblacktree]

Matt talking about length and girth with a straight face. EPIC. 😛

[@steffenjespersen247]

As long as the sword fits the scabbard, then any warrior should be happy with his sword :)

[@louisvictor3473]

Fun fact: look up what "gladius" was slang for in Latin, and also how do you say scabbard or sheath in Latin.

[@TauLupis]

Ideally, I think we should be scaling our swords. Of course, it depends on the context.

[@al-imranadore1182]

My girlfriends scale my sword regularly OwO!!!!

[@TIMMY8513]

Perhaps You could also take into consideration fact, that some of those swords were used by a better fed nobility class.

[@mllhild]

With me being 195cm I always found most deco katanas looked kinda like short swords even though they had the normal size. I carved myself some wooden swords and noticed that I prefer to have far longer blades and also very long handles. Essentially I prefer a Zweihaender instead of a longsword.

[@samwilliams5283]

I tend to choose smaller swords for use inside than for use outside. A longer sword tends to knock things off the wall tangle in curtains etc.

[@tedhodge4830]

The Romans wrote a lot about the height of the Gauls and the Germans. You get the impression that they were quite visibly in awe of their height relative to their own on average. They consistently retort that strength is definitively more valuable than height in warfare, including one anecdote of the Gauls laughing at the height of the Romans until they saw them moving large towers and siege equipment toward their fortification. They stopped laughing. Interestingly, length of limbs does correlate positively to strength on the push, but a reduction in strength on the draw, e.g. with longer arms you would find it easier to conduct a bench press but harder to lift heavier weights on the curl because of the nature of levers.

[@Atomsk0192]

I mean, it's probably not as big as other swords but it can get the job done

[@kelborhal2576]

Matt be sword shaming my gladius 😤

[@nonna_sof5889]

Actually even if it is found in a tomb, it doesn't necessarily mean that it was the owner's battle weapon. It could just be a favorite part of their collection or, depending on the culture, made as a celebration of their life. I recall a story of a classic car lover who wanted to be buried in his favorite car, though I don't recall if it was allowed. If he was and his grave is discovered by future archeologists it would be incorrect of them to assume this vehicle was considered practical for normal use in this time period.

[@BrennanCh06]

Historical combat norms would make a huge difference as well, too. Shogunate era on would be mostly non-warfare fencing, unarmoured. While earlier swords would be made for fighting under full battle conditions when you're already equipped and ready for a fight.

[@omariscovoador7486]

Surprisingly interesting video Matt! These are some of the things that often we do not end up thinking about much, and it changes the perspective a lot! I see this a lot when i go visit my grandparents at the North of Brazil, people from the North are generally shorter than Sulists, so i'm 6ft tall and my grandpa is 5'3, and when i go to their city much of the older houses are very low, to the point that i have to curve in order to enter, its quite weird, i feel "tall" when i'm around them 😂

[@boomanh63]

I read someplace years ago that a proper length katana was to hold it just behind the guard, relax your arm down to your side and the tip should be 2 inches from the ground. Now this was read years ago and for the life of me I cannot remember where I read it. When I purchased my katan at that time this is how it was fit to me. My blade is 28" and feels perfect.

[@franzglock4231]

Since I am 195cm I asked myself the same question quite often over the years about various aspects of living archeology. The answer imo of course is that 2 people don't experience the same things anyway. A bloke with lets say an office job, 1 hour gym a day and 2 hours fencing practice on wednesday evening will never have the same experience handling a saber,sword, bow or even any tool as a man of that specific profession or medieval muscle conditioning. So my approach would be, as long as its practical, keep the replica as close to originals as possible. They are the only thing certain in a field thats full of assumption, interpretation and guessing anyway.

[@TheMrcassina]

It is not the size that matters, it is how you use it

[@velazquezarmouries]

Well the most feared blade in hand to hand combat is the humble dagger

[@gns942]

I like that you're using the Japanese terms accurately (ie. tsuka, sori, kissaki, habaki, nagasa, etc).

[@dandieckmann293]

I am 6' 7" tall, a full 2 meters. I have thought about this question often and appreciate your thoughts. I use an O Katana.

[@oldschooljeremy8124]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the correct length for a katana was thought to be a blade which when you swung it down between your feet did not quite reach the ground. For me this amounts to a blade of about 28 inches. ( I am 6'1" with longish arms. )

[@fpena6038]

Short answer is yes. Swords meant for practical use historically have always been scaled to the size of the user (except in situations of mass production). As you have noted, fencing treatises bear this out, and other teachings and documentation agree with this. Additionally, the practical matter of human physiology/anatomy agree with this in a somewhat obvious way, and we see adaptations of the same notion to both historical and modern sports equipment and other non-sword fighting equipment that were not produced en-masse. E.g. baseball bats, golf clubs, bows & arrows, and so on. When I took fencing lessons in the mid to late 1990's and again when I took Korean swordsmanship in the early 2000's (almost the same as the katana), both systems taught that the sword should be proportional to your height and arm/leg length, and both had very simple and similar methods for verifying correct sizing.

[@FlavioLanfranconi]

Very interesting question you raise! And I think you're right. Blades should fit your body as well as your style/system.👍🏼

[@BozheTsaryaKhrani]

You heard it hear urself "get a longer sword if ur longer"

[@dashcammer4322]

As a cutlass owner, the answer is "no".

[@d_jedi1]

I think it's a good question and a tricky answer that definitely depends on context. The school I used to train with strongly suggested certain blade sizes but they weren't strict on that as long as your technique was good. What they did demand was that your tsuka was within a certain range depending on your height and they drilled into you that longer tsuka tend to breed bad technique. Basically, you can generate a lot of power with a longer tsuka BUT with good technique, you shouldn't need as much power.

[@TONEDEAFSOUND]

nagamiki enters chat lmao

[@nichmiller4251]

Scaling a katana to oneself was described to me as to take a bokken and place the tip on the ground parallel to the dominant leg and with your back straight stretch your sword arm as far down as possible and grip the wood. You should now be able to swing the bokken parallel to the leg without hitting the ground. Add a thumb thickness above your hand and your tsuba should sit there. Then grip the tsuka with your hands together and slide your non-dominant hand down a half fist length. The kashira should begin at the bottom of your non-dominant hand. Not sure how "official" this is but it feels right when I use it. I'm fitted at a 27" blade with about an 11" tsuka.

[@lukecackett4566]

I have often thought about this difference in size regarding hilts and hand size. I remember at least a few videos where Matt has talked about the restrictiveness of the size of a particular hilt indicating or even requiring the sword be used in a particular way, despite the fact that (being taller) Matt likely has much larger hands than the people those swords were for

[@M.M.83-U]

"If your sword is too short, take a step forward." Seriously, it depend, and in my personal opinion we have multiple possible cases: 1) you are practicing a sistem that indicate the proportions, just follow them. 2) you want to use a military, or otherway issued, sword, you need to follow the official pattern. 3) you have data about the original owner or good, contemporary, depictions of that tipology to use as a base for your (estimate) proportions. 4) you have nothing, or just the average for that place and time, then it become a matter of personal preference.

[@charlesgargotta23]

The rule I was taught for a katana is the tsuka or hilt should end at the elbow when held in one hand and the blade should be twice the length of the hilt. Obviously this results in drastically different swords for different height people. A friend of mine would easily need a sword three quarters of one that would fit me and another needs one that would dwarf mine by a good deal. I would state as a reminder however that since sword combat often becomes close quarters combat and wrestling it is wrong to presume that greater reach will win the fight especially if shields and armor are involved. In addition I should mention that due to the differential heat treatment used in japanese blades there is also an unwritten rule to use as short a blade as is practical. This is because the longer the blade is the easier it is to bend and break. And there are even certain schools that deliberately make shorter swords with long hilts and use sliding techniques to surprise the opponent with reach etc

[@tommyss4l]

If you're starting a new piece of research, like my friend doing Georgian research, I think it's vital to use the equipment as they did. Once you have some basic understanding of the system, then start thinking of scaling the weapons. If you're new to a weapon that your club fences, I think you should try a person's weapon who is your height, and then find a weapon that's a little shorter and a little longer to see what works in your style best before buying.

[@Kremit_the_Forg]

Well in that context we need to talk about the shape too. Swords with a slight bend in a certain way are said to be beneficial for some technics.

[@Annatar]

Fully agree! When tall people use a same size longsword as a person from back then, they won't get that feeling of swinging around this huge killing machine, they need to try it scaled up! If you look at the manuscripts' images, they often do look a bit bigger and slightly more cumbersome on those guys

[@deathsquiggle]

I am 6'3'' and wear large or extra-large gloves. I prefer swords with blades around 24-25 inches long, and here's several reasons why: First off, modern combat is primarily urban and often takes place in alleys, buildings, and similar. Even in rural areas, much of the US is forest land where large blades would be a hassle to carry without snagging on things and in some places difficult to use with a full range of motion. Secondly, consider transportation. In the periods when swords were used in combat, transportation was generally by foot or on a horse/donkey/camel. You could have a long sword hanging from your belt, and it wasn't too much of an issue while you were traveling from place to place. Modern transportation is primarily by car or bicycle. A long sword dangling off your side while pedaling a bike is going to cause issues, and it's rather difficult to get in and out of a Honda Civic while handling a sword that's 40 inches from tip to pommel. Is it likely that I'll ever need to use a sword tactically? Not at all. But if I do, I think a shorter sword is the right tool for the job. Consider the length difference between cavalry sabers, an open field weapon, and naval cutlasses of the same nation and era, designed for use inside of what is, effectively, a building. Shorter, but still plenty effective.

[@Han-rw9ev]

I actually did wonder about this. Some of the older swords did seem a bit short to me (especially the katanas). This video explains the situation clearly.

[@AaronLitz]

I actually recall a D&D equipment book (Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue, for those interested) mentioning something along the lines of "no warrior would choose to go into battle wielding a sword that wasn't sized correctly for his height." I don't know if the writer sourced this idea from historical writings, or just thought the idea made sense.

[@MrJakedog104]

We size axes to people in a similar way today. Holding the head in your hand and extending your arm straight out to the side, and measuring how close the end of the handle is to your sternum. At the sternum is full length, bicep is about half length.

[@terenzohugel2293]

For me it depends on what you want. If you want the sword as a collectors item than maybe going for the most exact copy of a historic example possible (if you can't get the historic one itself) might be the way to go. If you want the sword to train hema or use it as a self defense weapon or what not and intend on using it in some kind of fencing, than making slight changes to the historic one like scaling it to your size makes sense. Swords were in the past usually not mass produced and if you had the money for a good sword you made it fit you. Not just the overall length. If you have big hands you might want a bigger grip, if you have small hands you might a smaller grip. If you are very muscular and heavy, you might be able to wield a slightly heavier sword, if you're very skinny and not that strong, you might want something lighter...

[@rexcaliburn]

i was taught the best way to find a sword "your size" is to hold it with your hand at the guard and hold it straight down the tip should just graze the ground. if it does thats the right length for you. its worked for me so far