Japanese 'Samurai' Swords in Period European Eyes

[@nightmareeyes9419]

3:14 - “Did influenced European swords” Ottoman Empire , Cossacks , Pols and Tattars which was using sabers for quite a while time being: Am I a joke to you?

[@No-ms3hj]

Ikr

[@Obi-WanKannabis]

He didn't say that their influence was the curve

[@TristanBehrens]

@@DaDunge hilt* Japanese swords don't have a pommel as such

[@TristanBehrens]

@@DaDunge No worries, me neither :)

[@Murdo2112]

This video is entirely unedited. Moments such as 0:34 and 4:22 , which some people may mistake for edits are, in actual fact, examples of what happens when a careless handler moves a katana blade too quickly and accidentally cleaves the very fabric of reality. Reality mends itself behind the blade's passage, but evidence of the join is there to be seen by those who know what to look for.

[@harrymills2770]

Also, they never touch a naked blade with their naked hands.

[@HelenKellerDenier]

Lmao I laughed so much to this comment

[@chrismcmichael1242]

Very nicely written. :-)

[@anungunrama9344]

Its like the wheels on a car look like they goin backwards

[@oliverwirth42]

Sounds like the power of [the hand]

[@dorkmax7073]

You see these warriors from the East Indies? They've got curved swords. Curved, swords...

[@nathanerbaugh9899]

Guard might get nervous, man approaches with his weapon drawn.

[@justindorthewonderwizard645]

I used to be an adventu my brother just punched me (I sound out what i type)

[@DreamCrusher2124]

Go cast your fancy magic some where else.

[@Nutellafuerst]

that's for damn sure. Ouu Ouu Ouuu STOP THAT

[@majorasmask5523]

Victory! Or Valhalla!

[@JorisKoolen]

@ 19:09 “So, to samuraize...”

[@markbrigandi7497]

Joris Koolen Brilliant. Congratulations! You have just won the internet!

[@randyclark4026]

I thought the same thing! LOL

[@psi9343]

we did it, reddit.

[@TeaBurn]

This should be used in every video when talking about Japanese swords...hell, he can put it on a shirt and I'd buy it.

[@hectornonayurbusiness2631]

Thank you

[@youtubevoice1050]

@Matt. So how was it the other way around? What did the Japanese think of European swords? Maybe that could be an idea for another video.

[@RCZM64]

It would be very interesting to find Japanese period sources about it. They certainly adopted European saber grips, at least for military use in the late XIX century, for instance.

[@kidthorazine]

Yeah they did that at the same time they adopted western style military uniforms and whatnot, Japan really went crazy for Western aesthetics and culture, to even greater extent that the West went crazy for Japanese aesthetics and culture at the same time.

[@shawn6860]

I wouldn't mind seeing that video myself.

[@alexanerose4820]

Gonna need Metatron to talk about that

[@brianmead7556]

Sounds like a job for Metatron.

[@wlewisiii]

Think of a sword as being like a handgun on the modern battlefield. The spear/lance/pike/etc was the rifle of the day. While it's good to know how to use your sidearm, the comment that a handgun exists to fight your way to a rifle can be used metaphorically with swords and other weapons.

[@Thebuzzki11er]

Maybe more accurate, the handgun is the "sword" of the SWAT, very common and sometimes used in conjunction with other equipment.

[@colin.k6263]

this is such an accurate representation of reality. We should just like put this as a disclaimer on any japanese medieval warfare related videos

[@badfoody]

Depends on the era. Swords were the king of battlefields before the 15th or 17th century

[@xaviervega468]

@@badfoody Not really. Spears, bows, and polearms were kings before the 15th century as well. Matter of fact one of the few times the sword was the primary weapon on the battlefield was the Roman Legions.

[@badfoody]

woah ok ok that's new

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

Collecting tsuba ... would you find those in a tsubanir shop?

[@abc4781]

Hah ha I see what you did there.

[@patrichausammann]

"souvenir shop" "gift shop" 🤣

[@chriswhinery925]

Just take my upvote and leave you bastard.

[@lukecarlson4710]

Yeah, their tsuba cool!

[@patrichausammann]

> "they're" 😉😅

[@ianscott3265]

Quite enjoyed this. Honestly some of the katana-hate amongst the HEMA community gets tiresome at times (and yes, I know that's largely a reaction to anime-obsessed weebs basically equating them with lightsabres incessantly) , so a video from a HEMA person on some of the pros of the katana is a nice change of pace.

[@elysia3294]

Yea that is always the problem with loud nasty minorities on the internet.. they tend to ruin mostly good things with their edgelord behaviour

[@laniusmaxon5281]

It sounds ignorant, but I'd prefer katana hate over HEMA hate any day if i had to choose one. HEMA is relatively an underdog compared to the obscene amount of focus on eastern martial arts we have nowadays. But i see where you come from, both fanboys can be annoying at times.

[@argos-ir7zn]

because the katana are only a 2h cutting sword , no more ,but ratfans of the katna are sooooooooooooooo tiresome with making the katana a super sword, a sword only famous because the culture from the country no from his quality

[@egeist1376]

Thank you!

[@MrDUneven]

I have rather enjoyed the pendulum swings of the internet on this weapon. Personaly I have always liked the aesthetics of katana so it was kinda hilarious seeing people trying to justify their love for katana and how ridiculous their praises for it went. Then of course the opposite swing and the hate, especially fromt he HEMA side going to the point that mere mention of it was dangerous and people seemed to thing that it was made of glass or something. Now it is time for the opposing swing and pointing the uses of it, it was in use after all. We will see what will be the next exremity this time.

[@Tomartyr]

"They can cut a flying cannonball into quarters with a single cut" - Sir Henry Weebston 1852

[@svenofthejungle]

Tomartyr Not so much "cut" as "split itself out of the katana's path out of respect".

[@cyrilbarthelemyguillaumesc17]

🤣

[@Reaverbot]

"They can make the same joke over and over again infinitely" - The Duchess of Memerston, 1799

[@dubuyajay9964]

I smell bullshido.

[@jordanbauman-putnam9524]

@@svenofthejungle You just made my evening

[@Martagdsan]

"Robots... I don't trust them" Matt Easton, 2018 (TM)

[@jamesdonaldson4974]

CherryCherryChairman :3 he warned us

[@aaronseet2738]

Terminator will eventually travel back in time to finish him off, with a sword.

[@samuraijackoff5354]

I should know.

[@andreweden9405]

That genre of still-life painting is known as a "vanitas". They were meant to represent the brevity of life, hence, the human skull is almost always a feature of them. Other recurring objects include books and musical instruments(particularly recorders, such as the early baroque type depicted in the painting shown in this video). Vanitas paintings basically expressed how, no matter the amount, or luxury of the material wealth we accumulate in life, they are only earthly things, that can't be taken with us to the after-life. A Japanese sword in 17th Europe would definitely have been a luxury item!

[@konradvonschnitzeldorf6506]

Isn't it 'Vanitas'?

[@andreweden9405]

@@konradvonschnitzeldorf6506 , you are completely correct, it is vanitas. I'm blaming lack of sleep at the time! 😁 Thank you for not letting that go uncorrected any longer than it did! 😂

[@konradvonschnitzeldorf6506]

@@andreweden9405 As an art student, I am glad for every opportunity lile this. So I am the one who needs to be thankfull.

[@ksztyrix]

Anyone know who painted this?

[@archive4058]

I just love how you brought up the art. It reminded me of the "Japonisme" art influence in France that influenced artists and was adapted by them. Qualities of Japanese art can be found in Impressionism like in Monet, Van Gough, and Toulousse-Laurtrec. I also love all the reference materials you have guided me towards. Thank you very much.

[@jakublulek3261]

There was also big wave of Japanese style influence in Britain during later Victorian era. There were painting reproductions, home goods and furniture made in Japanese style or with Japanese motives.

[@Oddball1991]

"before I wrap this video up" - 10 minutes later...

[@BYGTraining]

I use crossbraid samurai sword wrap on the end of my hockey stick the last couple years since I learned how to do it on KZbin. I absolutely love it! Best grip I've ever had in my 29 years of playing hockey.

[@carltonbauheimer]

That's really cool

[@BYGTraining]

@@carltonbauheimer thx!

[@UnclePutte]

Wonder if sharkskin would make a good grip for a stick?

[@AM-ko4pi]

Build Your Game Hockey Training I need a video of this ASAP lol. Link? Or would you make one of your own?

[@BYGTraining]

@@AM-ko4pi I definitely plan on doing a video, but I'm a terrible procrastinator about doing KZbin videos lol. Your comment gives me motivation though, thanks!

[@RyuFireheart]

Matt Easton character analysis Equipment: *Pun Saber: Has a "long" and "meaty" handle, and its good for "deep penetration". *Context Shield: A shapeshifting shield that transforms to counter the opponent weapons. *Superdry gambeson: An armor made by countless layers of T-shirts, almost indestructible. *Portable mini black hole: May summon an unlimited supply of antique swords (almost like the skill "Unlimited Blade Works" from Fate Stay Night series).

[@Catobleppa]

Wouldn't he rather wield the spundroon?

[@RyuFireheart]

Thats his only weakness.... Don't tell anyone ;p

[@Knoloaify]

More like Heroic Spirit Matt Easton at that point, I guess his Noble Phantasm is pulling out just the right weapons to counter his opponent's and them give them a lecture about his choice for 30 minutes.

[@gstvntt]

hahahahah nice. but wtf with the superdry stuff anyway

[@Ghostrebel017]

Sounds like a D&D boss. Shit, lemme write that down :P

[@andrewshute9761]

Scholagladiatoria has spread his wings. I'm still surprised and thrilled by how often silk gets mentioned on your channel.

[@stormrhode2330]

One aspect of note is that different katana could be shaped and sized very differently. Not escaping the category of standard "katana," you can find them varying fairly considerably and while visually the contrast may not seem significant, but in-hand they can feel like pretty different beasts. I had two sensei when I was studying kenjutsu and the weight of their respective swords was vastly different and encouraged a slightly different approach when cutting. Furthermore, the curvature can be quite different. Some will have almost a scimitar-crescent curvature while others will be nearly completely straight such as yagyu-style katana (my personal preference). As someone who studied kenjutsu for over ten years (with respect to HEMA and other combat systems), I appreciate the video!

[@stormrhode2330]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the shape of the handles can really vary, too!

[@enjoyer6960]

I had to scroll THIS far to find an informative comment? Have an upvote.

[@madscientistshusta]

So what color is your fedora?

[@stormrhode2330]

@@madscientistshusta Fedora???

[@cyrilbarthelemyguillaumesc17]

Curve,lenght, weight, fashion, period,...

[@Marcellodelivera]

Never thought i'd hear Matt Easton describing someone as a 'Pimp', what a time to be alive!

[@scholagladiatoria]

He was actually a pimp though....

[@Marcellodelivera]

Well I've heard it ain't easy, so fair play i suppose!

[@StudyofSwords]

Literally, a human parasite...

[@JanetStarChild]

It's odd that people these days now fetishize the term "pimp" as something admirable when in actuality pimps are low-life scumbags.

[@fsmoura]

careful there . . . you're inching dangerously close to criticizing a protected class the insulting of which can ruin your life in a heartbeat

[@DrVictorVasconcelos]

Crazy that only four years ago (aka 2019) you were looking for a single antique wakizashi, and now you have a small, but beautiful collection on your wall.

[@seancoyote]

What? no real hate on the Katana? Careful man, they might revoke your HEMA membership.

[@gabriel300010]

as a blackbelt in HEMA I deeply respect the katana as a sword.

[@seancoyote]

Good man, but many folks love to bash a bit on the Katana for the silly myths around it, rather than looking that they made a pretty good sword from what was hardly considered steel. It truly meant no disrespect, and was only a joke.

[@rbzuuka7948]

i as a normal civilian deeply respect every weapon with a sharp egde or one that can speed up projectiles to a speed i cannot follew with my eyes

[@michaelmiller7909]

@@gabriel300010 a black belt in hema? 😂😂

[@nickcarroll8565]

Michael J.A. Miller he's being modest. He's 4th dan.

[@jacobj.2017]

I sure love watching this channel. So many hema channels and websites have such biased point of view instead of giving the facts straight forward. And yes I remember when I was younger and starting out in swordsmenship I had a biased point of view as well. When it comes to it every kind of sword, weapon, tactics have their pros and cons, its all about what you like and your preferences. Facts, preferences, and results are what matters. So, Matt please keep doing what you been doing, and thank you for all the useful infomation and teachings you share on your channel, it's appreciated. 🖒

[@slenpaiwashere3599]

But what about the one and only best sword, the Spadroon?

[@scholagladiatoria]

I'm not even sure if a spadroon is a sword.

[@MultiCrimsonRain]

scholagladiatoria apparently it is, based on what I’ve seen anyway. I’m not well versed in this sort of thing........

[@fsmoura]

does it even have any p e n e t r a t i o n ?

[@Hostility1812]

machete

[@nickboelhouwer8375]

scholagladiatoria uhm you made a video about the spadroon once back in 2013 here is the link xDDD kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaatpZmgnpqlm6M

[@stanmckhanic2554]

So what you're saying, with japanese swords not being your primary love, is that they are your side swords. :P

[@jasonnicholas8648]

hahaha..

[@themartianway]

Damn!

[@daymi7300]

@Max Pain Bradley!

[@colin.k6263]

japanese katanas and other smaller swords were sidesrms usually being opted for spears, hammers, or larger swords as the primary

[@tutzdesYT]

I can totally believe this, if those were japanese tanks!

[@bobbybigdaddy]

Despite the fact that this video is not even about western swords vs a katana, the comments keep on going there. "Which one is better?" is, by itself, not a question that can even be answered. Depends on what you are doing. Better how? Sharpness? Weight? Durability? Cost? Accessibility? Maintenance? Aesthetics? "Better" does not exist in the vacuum that many people seem to put it in.

[@yulfine1688]

neither was ever better they were not commonly war weapons. Status symbols and dueling yes and ever with that they were mainly a status symbol. Everyone respected everyone when it came to weapons and armor. Europeans important many things from other countries just as the Japanese did and after they took America similar thing happened.

[@killfacebalor2474]

On the battlefield they both have their pros and cons. Although katanas are undoubtedly preferred when you need to quickly escape by tearing a rip in the fabric of space and time. Or was that the ninja sword?

[@seanchannie5822]

There is absolutely nothing a katana can do that is impressive over European swords which were produced from much higher quality on the high end and didn't overly prioritize cutting. It's not a bad sword but if that was a superior blade shape or design it would have been used all over the world and it just wasn't.

[@Candlemancer]

@@seanchannie5822 you could say the exact same about literally any sword. No one sword design was used everywhere.

[@enovos3138]

for anyone wondering, The thumbnail is from a comic about the cagayan battles. Which is pretty much the Spanish Empire versus Chinese Pirates and Rogue Samurai

[@spitalhelles3380]

You truly deserve the title of captain

[@WingMaster562]

Sounds like it was set in the Philippines?

[@ChupeTTe]

Sounds badass af

[@enovos3138]

@@WingMaster562 pretty sure

[@dadjyker58]

A thousand years later, people will makes movies where the hero uses pistol as primary weapons and could easily destroy tanks with it.

[@junichiroyamashita]

Like Saving Private Ryan?

[@NoFormalTraining]

And youtube being youtube, as soon as the word Pimp is mentioned, it cuts to an advert :D

[@josephalexander4561]

Stumbled on this video and watched due to curiosity and I must say you make quite the good teacher. I appreciate your knowledge and passion for your subject!

[@jonathanpresson777]

Matt, just it of curiosity, could you do a general video on the construction styles and benefits of different European grip styles? I'm really surprised at how interested I was in this conversation and would love to see more.

[@OutOfNamesToChoose]

BUMP!

[@TheWVgoodguy22]

Thanks for this video Matt, I quite like the premise and point of view. Instead of the typical rehashing of the VS whatever sword videos that all or most historical weapon reviewers and admirers talk about, you give actual factual proof and points that Japanese swords were admired and sought after for their uniqueness and beautiful design and utility. Yes some people collect them because of video games and movies, but those in the know and with an artistic eye do so because of how simply yet complex beauty a katana and other Japanese swords provide. Like you said they were sidearms most likely with either a bowman or someone wielding a Naginata (spear). I will begin blacksmithing soon, and the katana/Japanese swords are on my bucket list to make many years in the future, that and a rapier for sure. Thanks again and Cheers Matt.

[@dmytroy]

Very interesting. Wakizashi are a very very nice swords, I can definitely see how one can think of them as a perfect self defence blade weapon, not a dueling sword for sure but as a blade to pull out quick and use in close under stress they seem very nice. Would love to see a video on the pre-katana era swords, mainly the old tachi style long blades(cavalry swords?). I seen some in museums and they look absolutely gorgeous and unique, no clue how they handle. One more thing you mentioned it in other videos but fits here as well. Japanese style blades also make pretty good stabbing implements, stiff blade makes for relatively easy penetration compared to other "cutting" swords. You can also tip cut with them quite easily. Overall they seem like a tool designed for general ease of use in self defense/offense. It is like in wrestling you can learn a lot of fancy throws, but in a fight it is the most basic simple techniques that get used.

[@muellech]

First video of yours I've watched. Enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed the depth and variety of your brief summary. Thanks!

[@jalspach9215]

WWII Japanese officers were allowed to bring their family Katana & Wakizashi into service. However, for some reason the military required all service edge weapons to have 2 Mekugi (peg) holes in the tang. Many, many family swords had a 2nd hole drilled (drifted) as traditionally they had only a single hole. The 2 holes have since been a factor in considering the authenticity of these WWII era weapons.

[@Scott-qq9jd]

Another interesting element that is typically decorative but not always is the menuki, the little decorative figure under the cord wrap. From what I know, it tends to be something like a decorative animal (though I know of one person who was a US Army helicopter pilot who used his aviators wings), and it was usually placed on the left side of the grip as held, thus being visible when worn. But at least one school (Yagyu Shinkage Ryu) actually placed their menuki on the right side of the grip so that it would be in the palm when the sword was held, thus acting as an indexing point for edge alignment.

[@ruialmeida818]

I actually thought the katana shown was "left-handed" due to the menuki. In my kenjutsu style, the menuki is intended to strengthen the grip, thus it's suppose to be nested in one's palm.

[@RAGAHAAR]

"One thing before I wrap this up" only 45% of the way through the video. Classic

[@barrylucas505]

Love the channel, and how you indicate a right angle change in topic with a hearty "Now!"

[@ashrafumar504]

Samurai also used clubs, maces, polearms, spears, and great swords. The katana gets the most exposure, however.

[@abbocchexmedovmaghmedovich8791]

But werent the polearms long handles with a short katana on the end? And great swords big katanas?

[@mondaysinsanity8193]

@@abbocchexmedovmaghmedovich8791 yep

[@mattrichardson4521]

@@abbocchexmedovmaghmedovich8791 you mean like a spear and a greatsword 🤔

[@revolvertaco7493]

It's like the cowboy and his pistol. Anyone in the old west would gladly opt for a rifle, or more commonly a shotgun, but the 6 shooter pistol is just iconic.

[@revolvertaco7493]

@Cure4Living thats fair.

[@fadhli179]

From what i see, the main reason that difference japanese sword than the rest are, they are designed with very stiff blade, compared to other sword. Japanese sword in theory was designed with capability to deflect spear thrust in mind, because they didnt use shield like other culture as their main arsenal. It was essentially quite smiliar to how dane axe fighter combat enemy spearmen and japanese samurai combating spearmen, which involving deflect enemy spear out of their way before closing in for the strike. And if the purpose was to deflect spear, dane axe do better and cheaper to manufacture than sword, but sword in japanese was not footman weapon, it was cavalry weapon. So it was a mixed weapon by design, cavalry sword that can be used to combat enemy spearmen without using shield. And it was make japanese sword in design, feels very different than sword from the rest of the world.

[@WeebSlayer71]

Haram

[@Southeast_Asian_Devil]

Seeing him moving his hands while holding unsheathed sword is like seeing someone so excited holding a loaded S&W 500 pistol in a mall.

[@sleepete12]

It is not lightsaber weeb....

[@hammerhiem75]

It's very strange that when chef's talk about blades, grip is a massively important factor for them, I didn't really connect that when we talk about swords if not a factor. great point..

[@T33K3SS3LCH3N]

"Katana" can be really confusing since we mean a certain style of blade, whereas the Japanese don't necessarily. They use the Chinese character 刀, which is read as "dao" in Chinese and "katana" in Japanese, and is used for single-edged swords, knifes, scalpels, etc in both languages. Tachi (太刀) on the other hand is written as "thick sword", so it gets closer to long-bladed weapons like those we call Katana, and seperated from the even bigger Oodachi (大太刀: big fat sword) and Nodachi (野太刀 - Field-Tachi).

[@ItsJustMilkISwear]

T33K3SS3LCH3N i've always been under the impression that a tachi was a different type of sword than a standard katana. my understanding was that a Tachi has a slightly longer blade, and was more suited to higher status samurai who could afford to ride a horse into combat, since a longer blade would be better when fighting from horseback.

[@kidthorazine]

In modern terminology Tachi describes the predecessor to the modern katana, it's a bit longer and has a more pronounced curve (and usually a curved tang as well, making the sword more crescent shaped) whereas katana describes more "modern" (15th-16th century onwards) swords in the pattern most people are familiar with. There are more technical distinctions concerning how the blade is fitted and what side of the tang the signature is on (which is actually very important for classification purposes) but yeah.

[@ShidenByakko]

Rich Stein has a good description as to Japanese Blades such as Tachi & so-called Katana and their evolution. SFI had a pretty good one as well, though you can't find it now that it's gone down the crapper (along w/ all other quality content)

[@mr.stotruppen8724]

It depends on the time period. During the 15th/16th century they were distinct in blade geometry from what we'd call a katana, usually being longer and more curved, but as time went on - much like the evolution of the rapier and sidesword - the line between the two blurred and in some cases outright disappeared entirely. By the time the 19th century rolled around the term tachi only really stuck around to refer to a specific means of carrying the blade: suspending the scabbard from the waist belt/sash by two points edge down (like a European sabre) to make it more convenient to draw whilst in armor, on horseback, or both, while "katana" carry would be just shoving the entire scabbard through your belt sash edge up which is what was done for every day carry.

[@TheTruth-xp2of]

@T33K3SS3LCH3N Only partly correct. You cannot interpret the meaning of the words from the Kanji alone. >Tachi (太刀) on the other hand is written as "thick sword", >so it gets closer to long-bladed weapons like those we call Katana This is wrong. The Kanji used for a Japanese word, does not necessarily have the same meaning in Japanese as it does in Chinese. Japanese or rather, the Yamato language existed long before Kanji was adopted. The old Yamato words Kata and Na existed long before someone chose to use 刀 to write it. Likewise, the word Tachi existed as a word, long before the Kanji 太刀 was used to write it. It's most likely related to Tatsu, to sever. That they applied the Kanji 太刀 to the word Tachi, doesn't mean a Tachi is a "fat sword". Quite simply in antiquity, specific features of swords weren't so defined. A sword was a sword. Depending on the era, a Katana could mean many different things, and a Tachi could mean many different things. In terms of modern categorization, a Katana means a sword that meets very specific criteria, and most swords commonly called "Katana" don't even qualify as one.

[@VFella]

THANKS A LOOOOOTTT!!! I am Dutch and I very often visit the Reichsmuseum. There is a vitrine in the first floor with weapons of one of the VOC period. There is a striking exemplar of a saber that is made to the resemblance of a Japanese katana. It is still a saber and it was used as such by a Dutch VOC leader. I can unfortunately not find the name of the guy nor a picture of the weapon. The VOC (and the Brits, the Chinese and everybody else) where very fond of Japanese mercenaries and held in great esteem. I assume that the Dutch and the Brits were also quite good at fighting, but in such far away places a whole company of sellswords would no doubt be well received. Thanks for the video, and now, to watch it ;)

[@junichiroyamashita]

Do you have the name now?

[@garynaccarto8636]

I thought I was going to hear alot more baised information but aparently katanas were highly admired among Europeans. Granted nothing is perfect but thats still quite interesting.

[@nelson_rebel3907]

Its a great type of sword for what its purpose was for. I wouldnt want them in combat against armor opponents like most medievel europeans had, but against less armored opponents they would be very good. I would personally take a straight blade made less brittle to have more utility but there are advantages to a katana

[@tulsibeepat3453]

That's a good point concerning the handle make and design,do you think we take handles/grip for granted (I've seen this point practically with high quality scissors 🤔!)

[@frnesbit]

I have a samurai sword that my doctor who is from Tokyo said the writing under the handle he could not read.He said it was in excess of six hundred years old.The handle has not rust and is very very sharp.

[@buisyman]

"I love Japanese weapons"................Let's face it, my friend, you love weapons, period, lol

[@wlaba272]

Those "dead nature" paintings from Netherlands are awesome, true art.

[@yeahbee8237]

They are called vanitas

[@yeahbee8237]

@Cure4Living there is even some speculation that they had some sort of primitive camera/projector to aid them

[@dj_koen1265]

Where im from we call them still life paintings like scholagladitoria called them

[@Regolith86]

New drinking game: drink every time Matt says "grip". Try not to die.

[@austinslaughter319]

Try playing that, but with every time Trump mispronounces a word, or whenever Obama says a variation of "um" .

[@VLTIMARatio]

Or on... "BUTTS" 🍺🍻

[@ghosttronde9239]

Ded

[@pyrrhicwins5101]

I would like to point out that for various reasons, including the ones given in this video, Japanese swords make great executioner's swords. • Basically no guard to show that you aren't scared of anything • Pretty fancy. (subjective) • Only one edge to get razor sharp • Nice long hilt for easy two handed strokes. • Blade heavy, less strength needed. More efficient executions. • Great grip. This based on the assumption that the sword is being used for decapitations.

[@pyrrhicwins5101]

@Pinkaugust Off but not quite off, you are meant to let the head still be connected by a tiny bit of skin.

[@pyrrhicwins5101]

@@arx3516 I am aware of seppuku lol. My point is that it makes a good weapon if you have to put multiple helpless people to death efficiently. From what I understand, during seppuku, people would have a single person dedicated to decapitate them if any at all. Not one executioner going around finishing people off.

[@mauriceanderson5413]

For battle you pick messer which is basically a better katana. All is correct

[@marwapranata5698]

@@arx3516 not only for seppuku actually. I've read somewhere that during the sengoku era, the only way for the soldiers to show earn merits in battle are typically by cutting the heads of the fallen enemy

[@arx3516]

wich raise the question of why was the disembowelment part actually necessary, there are less painful and disgusting way of killing yourself with a sword, without even needing assistance.

[@josephplogger8588]

The tsuka (hilt) actually curves so that you can actually hold it the way that the samurai held the swords. The swords were held with a light hold and the kashira (butt cap) rested on the left pinky. The tsuka ito (hilt wrap) was placed so that the sword would form to the loose grip. Even the menuki (ornament) was added to allow the sword to form to the hand, which is why it is placed where the right hand is to rest. The construction may seem weird at first, but it is an ingenious design once you realize the reasoning for the construction. The main purpose of the tsuba (guard) isn't actually to act as a hand guard. It's main purpose is to ease the unsheathing of the blade and to provide a way for the sword to rest on the hand.

[@s4mur41RPG]

You had to get in that you don't trust robots

[@JohnDoe-nq4du]

Specifically, he doesn't trust this particular bunch of robots, which are the ones angling for the specific job he currently makes a chunk of his living from. He would likely likewise distrust antiques-dealer robots and youtube-video-making robots.

[@aaronseet2738]

Clearly he's never fought with General Grievous.

[@DarkangelJSB]

No u .

[@DarkangelJSB]

Aaron Seet I’ll add that one to my collection.

[@jsanchez034]

Awesome. I’ve seen masters in competition on KZbin. I’ve seen one successfully use it while in there normal sitting position without having to stand delivering both cuts and blocks swiftly. It was awesome. How would u rate kill bills fight with the 88 was?

[@TheHaters112]

The original katana sword was folded over 9000 times by Bankai Master Son Goku during the Edo era where Izuku Midoriya ruled the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It was first imported to Europe by the world-renowned pirate Monkey D Luffy. Legend says the sword was buried with Arturia Pendragon and will be revealed in the 10 Holy Grail War.

[@elijakiger]

Giving you a like for the Fate reference

[@jmalmsten]

I often encounter these claims of thousands of times folding... But I wonder. Is it maybe just mistranslation? Could it be that a katana has thousands of layers because of the folding? In short: 1 fold creates 2 layers. 2 folds doubles that to 4 layers. By the time you reach 10 folds you already have 1024 layers. 16 folds produce 65 536 layers. Already at 100 folds we reach Uhm... 1 267 650 600 228 229 401 496 703 205 376 layers... A thousand folds... Uhm... That's... uhm... Well my phone calculator refused to give an exact nomber but it's roughly 1,071508607*10^301 layers. My guess is that most swords used 10-20 folds which already provides at least 1 024 up to 1 048 576 layers. More than that just seems excessive. And at a certain point the materials are simply fused to one anyway. (And no, I've seen too little One-Piece to do references)

[@83gt17]

@@jmalmsten That is exactly how it works. 2 layers, then 4,8,16,32---. Same as modern pattern welding. It's not FOLDED a thousand times, it has one thousand TOTAL layers.

[@torinjones3221]

@@83gt17 and about 10 times then. That's 1024 layers.

[@deschain1910]

You make a good point. Focusing on the blade is like talking about cars by focusing on just the tires.

[@VideoHostSite]

Katanas look cool. That's pretty much their main advantage. And that's really not a bad thing. :)

[@killfacebalor2474]

Also good when you need to surprise your opponent by tearing a hole in the space-time continuum with a single swipe of your incomparable treasure of a blade.

[@broncosgjn]

That's why I got a Harley instead of all the cheaper faster better handling far more reliable motorcycles I could have had.

[@gw1357]

The bit about the grip is interesting. Even in the most modern combat, I was taught to wrap my pistol/rifle grips with skateboard tape for the same reasons.

[@brandonobaza8610]

"Grippy grip" - particular grip construction characterized by a high level of gription.

[@neilwilson5785]

One of the best ones Matt. Nicely done.

[@patrichausammann]

0:34 This might be, because 刀 "Katana" is beside the word 剣 Ken in Japanese the expression for "sword" in general. It is the same thing, like with the word "sabre"/"saber", which means basically "sword" too. 😉 🦅🌟🌞✨🕊 👩🏻‍💻 © by P. Hausammann 🦄🌛🏰 🌜🦁

[@TheSteelEcho666]

Not in English, sabre really only covers curved swords. In French, I think it can be anything.

[@patrichausammann]

In German a sabre is also defined by a light curvation, but there are exceptions! In its root meaning, it is still a "sword"(> headword). If we have a look at a Japanese Katana, I think we would both agree, wether in German, English or French, that this type of sword belongs to the sabres. This is because sabres define them self by a single-edged cutting blade. I guess most of the people think about the curvation, because of the asymmetric form of the blade, but they do not realize that the blunt edge can be straight and the cutting edge can be tapering or slightly curved.

[@jumpvelocity3953]

刀 and 剣 is technically Chinese btw

[@eloryosnak4100]

I have an old Wakizashi or Shortish Katana styled Japanese sword. The grip is, just a wooden (bamboo?) Untextured Grip around the tang. There seems to have been a peg, but it has since disappeared. I'd be interested to know if there are any references of hilts for Japanese swords without any or much wrapping upon them, as the whole thing feels somewhat suspect to its originality at least in terms of sheath and hilt.

[@Ghorda9]

the hilt should be a blunt section of blade that is sandwiched between two pieces of wood, you might need to wrap it your self.

[@kilindogma9711]

I was getting very nervous when matt was just casually handling the katana, i was worried he might accidentally rip a hole through time.

[@GokuInfintysaiyan]

Kilin Dogma “NOW IM MOTIVATED”

[@seavpal]

The main reason they're in dutch paintings was mostly because they were one of the most exclusive items on earth(outside of Japan), since the Japanese did not allow trade with any other countries at that time and didn't sell these swords in the first place (some Dutchmen got the gifted for being appreciated business partners).

[@fransthefox9682]

I didn't know you love Japanese swords. It's good to know that you treat them equally as any European sword. :)

[@thehermitdruid]

The amount of times Matt downplays how hard it is to find videos in search is only made more aggravating by the fact it took me 30 minutes and some luck to find this video. Please can start linking videos you refer to? Please 🥺

[@KingBobXVI]

Katanas: "What I don't talk about very much these days, although I did start off with videos talking about them." Ah, the lifecycle of all sword-enthusiast youtubers :P

[@chrismcmichael1242]

Hey I love your collection in the background. That’s like almost everything on my wishlist from cold steel and MRL lol I really like your channel man. Awesome job!!

[@tohopes]

Wouldn't be a Matt Easton video without pimps, hard, thick blades, and Japanese... uhhh... robots.

[@robcampion9917]

no penetration this time.

[@Kwijiboz]

One of the first violent encounters between Europeans and Japanese warriors was the Cagayan Battles in 1582, between Spanish soldiers and Japanese pirates, the Japanese force was mostly composed of samurai.

[@charliewhite578]

Bare in mind, pirates were mostly not of samurai class and had little ro no training.

[@jklmnopski7421]

14:49 OMG I think I have that exact same sword, with the wires around the handle and the hex nut on the pommel. I wonder if this is what it’s based off of, mine is more of a theater sword from when my dad did plays, with a thick, blunt edge.

[@wintersking4290]

I've always been more amazed that by the fact that the Japanese didn't ever use shields than anything about their swords.

[@pompadour_gagarin1723]

They did used shields predominantly before the Heian-era, but they still had targa-like hand-shields into the edo-era (including supposedly bulletproof ones). Most of their shields of the "samurai times" were large pavises though, this and the fact that the sode, especially the earlier ones which were quite large, simply came to replace the early shields.

[@wintersking4290]

@@pompadour_gagarin1723 interesting, that's the first I've heard of it. All I've always seen is pictures of spearmen and samurai not using shields. Which always seemed odd since bows were one of their primary weapons.

[@pompadour_gagarin1723]

@@wintersking4290 The early epitome art of the samurai is horse archery (kyuba no michi) and those don't really translate well into the use of shields, hence why they were relagated to the shoulders. Foot samurai of the Heian-era would predominantly use naginata which are not shield-friendly as well. The japanese of the middle-ages focused on armor designs for protection rather than having another implement to protect themselves. Here's a decent new site about japanese arms and armors. gunbai-militaryhistory.blogspot.com/2017/06/introduction.html

[@ramonvelasquez8431]

Awesome video, Matt! It's exactly like that, it's not about bashing on katanas or on any type of swords, but about approaching them from a realistic point of view like a true expert should do. And they make indeed great pieces! I think most important cultures from different periods had interesting weapons that constitute pieces of art, and katanas are certainly not lackluster there.

[@NMahon]

Chinese sauces? What like szechuan?

[@xiezicong]

No, like sweet & sour.

[@svenofthejungle]

The Book of General Tso, of course.

[@austinslaughter319]

Wushu wine sauce

[@gwyn.]

L' FMR General Tso is American

[@spitalhelles3380]

don't forget hoisin sauce

[@BlindZizka]

Great video! I'd love to see more about spears, especially the use of snærisspjót with Norse spears, I can't find a single video of and its hard to imagine how it works.

[@MacA60230]

Funny how I see more people complaining about katana fanboys than actual katana fanboys...

[@Komier09]

Culture is about actions and reactions. The current culture is a reaction to the old. I remember the myth of japanese swords being able to cut other swords being said sincerely by everyone in comment sections/forums.

[@harbl99]

Wasn't there a short video that debunked that myth once and for all? Guy hit a katana with an arming sword (or vice versa). Damage to the inferior western barbarian cast iron beatstick: blade slightly nicked. Damage to grorious Nippon steel folded one thousand times: catastrophic.

[@sethdusith6093]

Komier: Yea, but for how many years now...

[@xiezicong]

It's kind of pathetic, honestly.

[@Komier09]

There was like a good 10 years you couldn't talk about swords without someone bringing up katanas, so I assume this will last at least that long.

[@ramonvelasquez8431]

I like that you mentioned the characteristics of the grip and not just the blade, very complete info video! And if you think about it that's what it is for us swords and martial arts lovers, an appealing piece to admire for its artistic qualities (which can be many also depending on the culture), and for its utility, which is also true and tested if it was actually used in battle. So, yeah, I do like katanas as I do like European swords. We all have a favorite type but admitedly it is more interesting to know more about all of them and their styles than just fanboying over one thing tossing others as "not as good".

[@NightclubPegasus1]

Its like a couple of French people get into a fight, one of them pulls out a wakizashi, the other just goes "Sir, you are a weeb and your feet smell of cheese!"

[@cyrilgigee4630]

Then the one with the wakizashi says "We both smell entirely like cheese, we're French!"

[@h__n1092]

Matt! Love your channel! I have learned a lot from you! You are the best

[@r.huffman1091]

Hey scholagladiatoria, question for you! You have mentioned previously how swords are predominantly sidearms in battle, except for some small, certain situations. What are those situations? I know that some of YT sword people have mentioned things like the cleanup stages of battle but what about other times? Furthermore, is this also true for the skirmishers or "flankers" that you mentioned a couple of times? What was the roles of swords and such for the groups of people? Thanks in advance!

[@elysia3294]

Most skirmishers or light infantry I know of were issued sidearmes

[@junichiroyamashita]

I second this

[@thebobbytytesvarrietyhour4168]

Look up the sword and shield units of the early 16th century.

[@StudyofSwords]

Roman Legionaries, arguably once the Pilium had been thrown, utilized the Gladius in the majority of their tactics. The nodachi was, while limited in scale and scope, used as a primary battlefield weapon during the bloodier parts of the nanbuchuko period in Japan, Bodyguards in the 15/16th century could use spadone/montante/zwiehander/twahanders for those purposes. It has been argued that true two handed swords were utilized as anti-pike weapons, but documentary evidence for this is scant.

[@junichiroyamashita]

If i am not wrong the nagamaki was a primary weapon,even thought is arguable how much sword and how much polearms is

[@malcolmjcullen]

Isn't the cord wrap around the hilt there to hold the wooden handle to the tang? I'm pretty sure it's essential as binding, not just for purposes of grip.

[@aranmccrea8613]

THIS IS A LONG POST, thank you. From a collector's standpoint, there are 3 aspects that stand out most to me about the katana. The culture surrounding it, the uniqueness of the overall design, and the manufacture. Culturally, swords have a special place within Japan, moreso than in almost any other society, I would argue. The expense of a well made traditional sword and the rituals surrounding it embed it in the Japanese conceptions of spirituality, and of the social hierarchy they lived in. The Greeks and Romans depicted their war gods with spears, shields, and bows -the great weapons of war, and glorified swords less than medieval Europeans, for example. That cultural reverence sets katanas apart. Design wise, we have the stiff, curved, and comparatively short blade contrasting with western swords. The blade is sabre length, yet is two-handed, and sports a guard that is to swords as a G-string is to undergarments, sitting over a generous handle constructed of clean, clear lines. They are designed for a certain style of combat against certain styles of garments and armour. They are weapons of war, yet the cultural image of the sword as a "refined" object and its use in seppuku rituals, executions, and codified duels present a unique take on the "place" of the sword-as-tool, and its design as a result. Lastly, manufacture. Japanese metallurgy of the period is an odd contradiction. The Japanese were not known for being excellent metalworkers nor had remarkable alloys for the time. But for some reason they go out and take an especially crude and sand-like iron ore (the best they had available) and refine it through a long and complex, labour intensive process, ending up with meticulously laminated, differentially tempered blades. All of this done through a codified, quasi-religious smithing tradition. It's an achievement, and a fascinating one. To wrap it up, the katana is not an astonishing weapon, I'd sooner take a sabre to war or a smallsword as a defensive fashion accessory. Yet just as Chuck Norris is "the man's man" despite not being the most fearsome martial artist, the katana could certainly be "the sword's sword" despite its limitations as a defensive or battlefield weapon. Apologies for the essay, hopefully I'll have restored some appreciation for the blade that weeb spasming has pissed away.

[@zarkansmay5711]

Always nice when I get recommended a new sword related channel after getting burnt out on skallagrim

[@Smackosynthesis]

If only I could be a traveling pimp.

[@iopklmification]

But you'd never be as cool as a duelling travelling Scottish pimp.

[@mariusdragoe2888]

So abusing women for personal profit is a dream of yours?

[@Smackosynthesis]

@@mariusdragoe2888 ffs it's a joke.

[@Smackosynthesis]

@@iopklmification that's probably true

[@fsmoura]

WHOSE ISNT IT (o.o )

[@uncleouch9795]

Have you tried a copy of the Amakuni Kogarasumaru variant? The monouchi is pretty much double edge, then the mune thickens back to normal thickness about a quarter of the length down from the kissaki?

[@Riceball01]

Werent' the Japanese using European style swords during the time of the Russo-Japanese war? I believe that the Japanese didn't go back to katana style swords until the years leading up to WW II and that probably had to with them being big about trying to invoke the "samurai spirit" in their military.

[@johnharvey5412]

I've seen some that were a blend, with a katana blade on something like a sabre hilt.

[@xiezicong]

Russo-Japanese War did use one-handed kyu-gunto, but a majority of practitioners complained about the weird footwork and change for the sake of change was stupid so they reverted back to shin-gunto or katana-styled military swords. They still had some two-handed kyu-gunto for the navy, but those were reserved for officers anyway.

[@Necrodermis]

While Japan did most certainly use European style swords or Katana with European style guards and grip. You have to keep in mind a lot of the senior members of the military were of the abolished Samurai class (for example Togo Heihachiro. there were still a lot of officers in the early Japanese military at the time that were once Samurai or had a Samurai back ground and as a result may have had their own swords.

[@conradseeto7506]

Remember that katana were outlawed as part of Meiji reforms and the samurai class being abolished.

[@Necrodermis]

@@conradseeto7506 Wearing Katana out in public was outlawed. the weapon itself was never outlawed.

[@Daveyb069]

Hi Matt, Do you have any views on the Kyū guntō, which I believe used a tradition "katana" style blade and married it up with a European style knuckle-bow guard from the late 1800s. I've seen very little information on these swords.

[@TheAsvarduilProject]

Japanese Sword-Master Robots? ...That sounds like a good way to get a post-apocalyptic '80s movie.

[@gm2407]

No it sounds like a set of Futurama characters.

[@jamespfp]

13:10 -- So Yeah, re: the Grip, one of the most interesting things about the Japanese style of manufacture is how the whole thing can be cracked down and cleaned, somewhat like a modern firearm. Remove a pin or two, tap once or twice, and voila! ready for regular oil and maintenance.

[@snakeoveer1046]

Forgot who it was, but an ex spec ops said all you need is a 4 inch long 1 inch wide blade, and a good grip that won't slip even when wet

[@fsmoura]

_"all you need is 4 inches long, 1 inch wide, and a good grip"_ thats what i keep trying to tell them ( ;__;)

[@mariusdragoe2888]

If you're a spec ops that that may indeed be all you need, but if you intend to do more than just silently stab unaware enemies than you might want something more

[@RCZM64]

Fairbarn, maybe? Also there was some old Roman saying about only needing an inch of depth to kill with a stab, or something along those lines.

[@patricks1560]

Some old guy told me 1/2", rip them up the front and their guts fall out. This was some years ago, claimed to be a trainer of commandoes in WW2.

[@twirlipofthemists3201]

You'll win a lot of duels with a 4" rapier.

[@Hellsong89]

Also in Japanese grips must be mentioned the silk cord does tie and holds wood around the tang, preventing cracking of the wood even when enormous are applied. Ray skin under it holds the cord firmly in place and wrapping it self creates surface to hold, it also being relative easy to replace if need to be. I'm not sure but i'm guessing "menuki"(ornamental thing under the wrap) is also there to crease bump what is center of the hand preventing sliding.

[@lassim3111]

My friend: swords were the ultimate medieval weapons that could cut every other weapon Me: try to hit me with that short stick while i have this long stick

[@twotales1645]

Stumbled on this channel by chance. When I was younger I considered trying to get into a program for smithing, ultimately set it aside, but I have never lost interest in the craft or history. Well done video, and you have my sub now.

[@FaykieRS]

Katana is the superior cutting weapon, it can slice through time and space itself REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@Timeyy]

folded 9000 times magical steel REEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@thomascollins5622]

Fa Ke Underpowered in d20 REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@JohnJohnson-kd2vp]

Compared to it European swords are bad REEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@Kubaaa555]

Katana can cut better than longsword though, that's for sure

[@thomascollins5622]

Laserowy Kuba True, but that's simply a trade-off of having a double-edged sword, the geometry will never be as optimized for cutting as a single-edged curved sword, but the longsword makes up for it in versatility and reach.

[@Foxer604]

Honestly I just can't go to sleep at night anymore unless I hear you say "context' in a video. :)

[@raven75257]

But you can't unscrew a pommel Oh, wait. Wrong channel

[@vincentmoohanbuddie5392]

Hey Matt any thoughts of doing a video on the different swords and daggers and blades of the Philippines and Indonesia? I do JKD and BJJ but I'm strongest in eskriva Kali and pencak Silat and love practising stick work either 2 sticks or stick and dagger or the small blade systems of silat which I can't remember the names of the blades or the names of the moves.

[@Ericthefilo]

I can't even remember the last time I saw a katana weab, everytime I watch a video like this the comments are overwhelmed with "woke" people strawmanning

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

Weebs dobt watch hema channels.

[@RoboBoddicker]

Yeah, it's really obnoxious

[@londiniumarmoury7037]

Brilliant, I was hoping for more of these tales ever since you read excerpts from those historical accounts years ago, remember the one where the guy gave him "16 wounds, every one of which was death" Great stuff.

[@VicmundLim]

Scholagladitoria you should do chinese swords according to european eyes

[@John_NJDM]

@scholagladiatoria If you don't mind my asking, where did you come by that particular sword in the video? I have one that I purchased on Ebay almost 10 years ago, that has no markings to indicate its origin, but looks nearly identical to yours. The length, fuller, handle shape, pattern of cord wrapping, mosaic style guard... Mine is a replica sword, I'm positive, but I would just like to know what company made it, what kind of steel it is, etc...