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Justin Watson58 said:...hahaha, you remind me of my crazy cousin; he’s got those same ridiculous takes...
...that whole blog just screams digital illiteracy. And honestly? I get it. It shouldn't matter how flashy the packaging is—it's what's inside the box that counts...
...I'll take all the criticism I can get, but I have zero interest in praise...
...criticism makes you better, while praise just makes you arrogant...

But what if praise is actually just positive criticism, and criticism is just negative praise? 😉 😎

What is there to say about this explosion of blogs, other than that even the most unlikely observers are starting to notice the trend... 😬

It seems having a blog is quite the way to go... I suppose I’ll have to start one of my own eventually...

"Just set the magazine aside before you end up causing some real trouble, alright, Harold?" (Frank Milo)

...thanks, really appreciate it...
...you know what they say; if you see where the blacksmith works, you might just end up setting up shop right next to him...
...hehehe...
..."don't worry, Barba will take care of you; nobody’s going hungry on my watch"...that’s how Barba used to say it back in Sedona...

I’m honestly just curious here—does he try to soak up all that vitamin D like a sponge before hitting the waves, or have those two books he’s been devouring actually scrambled his brain so much that he can't even make sense of his own thoughts anymore?

...you're lying. I read the preface to the first book myself...👍

😢

I've run completely dry... I'm struggling to find anything worth writing about.

Peter Myers29 said:😢

Ran out of steam... honestly don't even know what to talk about right now...

...whatever. It is what it is. One day you're on fire, the next you're hitting a wall. Highs and lows. That's just how life works...

Sun Tzu said:...it doesn't matter. You know how it goes. One day you're feeling creative, the next you aren't. One day you're strong, the next you're weak. It's just the ebb and flow of life...

😢

@sun tzu... since you asked for it on the blog, I’ve started putting together some thoughts on katanas. Honestly, thanks for the nudge, because what kind of place writes about samurai without leading with the blades themselves? Since I have a massive amount of material on katanas, I’ve just posted some photos and close-ups of blade components for now. I’m debating whether to dive into all the different variations of specific parts... but the problem is there are way TOO many variations, so I'm stuck on which ones to actually include. I’ll need to dig deeper into the research to figure out which variations are the most essential before I write anything substantial. I have a great book on the subject, so expect plenty of katana content coming your way soon. Thanks for the interest. Cheers.

Interesting... I still find myself running low on inspiration. 😢 🙂

Edward Sanchez72, that Strava post about the katanas was solid. Keep it coming. 👍

Edward Sanchez72, that breakdown you did on katanas was top-tier... really liked the photos too. but, I was wondering if you could dive a bit deeper... maybe explain what all those specific parts you listed actually do?

happyman said:Edward Sanchez72, that post about the katanas was awesome, and I really liked the photos. But could you actually explain what the purpose of each of those parts you listed is?

Sorry... I have to admit, I’m not following you. If you're talking about that first photo with the tsuba, fuchi, kashira, and so on—then fine, no problem. I thought about it, but I was absolutely wiped last night so I didn't get around to describing every single shot. But if you mean those bottom two pictures showing the blade components... I just don't get the question. Like... what's the "purpose" of the nakaga??? What's the purpose of the sori??? I get asking about the munemachi and hamachi... and how they connect to the habaki... I can write a whole essay on that since there's even a little diagram showing how the habaki, seppa, and those joints fit together. But for certain parts of the blade, asking what their "purpose" is makes zero sense. They exist because of the blade's design and they don't serve a specific function, they just have names because every sword is different. You know what I mean? Please clarify what you're looking for and I'll be happy to go into detail on whatever you need. Thanks!

Sorry, I didn't really make sense there...
I was actually talking about that first photo—you know, the tsuba, fuchi, kashira...

Edward Sanchez72 said:My bad, I didn't explain myself very clearly.
I was actually talking about the first photo (the tsuba, fuchi, kashira, etc.).

Alright, no big deal. But honestly, looking at those other photos... it still makes me wonder about the sori. What's the actual point of the sori—you know, that curvature of the blade—and is there a specific reason for all those different variations? I’m going to try to dig into this with some folks I know over at MIT... I have a contact there, so if I get any real answers, I'll post them. These kinds of structural stresses and technical details are fascinating, and frankly, I want to know more since I'm still learning the ropes.

It’s all about that twist for "aerodynamics," isn't it? Every blade designed to cut has a slight curve to it, whereas the flat ones just sort of hack away. At least, that's how I see it.

Jerry Thompson said:The curve is all about "aerodynamic" cutting efficiency. Almost any blade that actually slices has some degree of curvature, whereas straight blades tend to chop more than they cut. At least, that’s my take on it.

It comes down to physics: a curved edge concentrates pressure onto a smaller surface area. With a straight sword, that contact area is much wider, so even if the edge is just as sharp, it won't slice nearly as effectively as a curved one.

In fact, you can find certain straight swords in Europe that feature wavy edges specifically designed to mimic that concentrated cutting force.

Peter Myers29 said:A curved blade cuts better because you're concentrating more pressure on a smaller surface area. A straight sword spreads that force out too much—so even if it’s just as sharp, it won't slice nearly as well as a curved one.

Even in Europe, they made straight swords with wavy edges specifically to fix that problem and get a better cut.

And here I was thinking flamberges were just for show... my bad. Someone should probably tell the museum staff to update their cold weapon guides... 🙂