SCA legal nodachi

[Mitsurugi Kage]

I'm assembling my kit, but what good is a warrior without his weapon? I want to make a nodachi first, but I need to know if I should plane the rattan before I bend it, or bend it then plane it?

[yoshimitsu]

To keep it from warping I would bend it before shaving it. That being said. A curved sword in sca combat looses some efficiency. reason being you have to swing it further to get a hit. Remember that the curve in Japanese weapons enhances the slicing of it. I have tried curving my rattan and will never do it again. Just my opinion and my 2 cents.

In service
Yoshimitsu

[Ishida Kentarou Mitsumasa]

I agree with regard to curved SCA swords. I do modern kenjutsu, and I still prefer straight swords for SCA.

I usually look for rattan that has a tiny bit of curve--just enough to suggest "hey, this is a Japanese sword", but not enough to affect how long it actually takes my blows to land by much--and build the sword so that it uses that natural curve.

Also, I find that I prefer a more o-katana-ish length for tournament fighting against shields. I settled on about 31" of blade after testing something that was closer to a no dachi for a while. The longer sword got caught up in shields often and was slower than I like.

[Kano Hiroyoshi]

Apr 18, 2012 21:17:06 GMT -5 Ishida Kentarou Mitsumasa said:

I agree with regard to curved SCA swords. I do modern kenjutsu, and I still prefer straight swords for SCA.

I usually look for rattan that has a tiny bit of curve--just enough to suggest "hey, this is a Japanese sword", but not enough to affect how long it actually takes my blows to land by much--and build the sword so that it uses that natural curve.

Also, I find that I prefer a more o-katana-ish length for tournament fighting against shields. I settled on about 31" of blade after testing something that was closer to a no dachi for a while. The longer sword got caught up in shields often and was slower than I like.

My thoughts exactly.

[Mitsurugi Kage]

So, curve before planing, got it.

Thanks.

[Momotaro Masato]

Make sure you take into account your gauntlets size when making the handle... I modeled my awesome daisho (planed down and curved) based on dimensions of real weapons. The point of balance was a little wonky, but the handles felt amazing...until I put on my gauntlets to fight with them. The katana handle is uncomfortably short, and the bottom of my gaunt won't ground out on the waki unless my thumb and forefinger are right up against the tsuba ( resulting in improper grip).

I really regret that decision, but learned from my mistakes. I hope you do, too.

---

Also, on the topic of curved swords... I prefer a slightly curved sword. Yes, it takes a fraction of a second longer to land your shot but I think the curve minimizes the surface area of your strike - thus, more violence behind your blow. Think of a curved axe head.

I like the aesthetics of a slightly curved sword and I just assume a smaller point of impact will deliver more (if even just slightly) concentrated force. The guys at foxknife armory make a great katana with the perfect amount of curve. Check them out for inspiration.

foxknife.com/store/products.php?25&sid=159145308d4c9425fefe4416a4f53797

[Mitsurugi Kage]

Foxknife is who I was looking at i'm going to go for a slight bend, but not by much. I'm thinking between 14 and 16 inches for the handle and the other 34 inches for blade.

[thomasmacfinn]

www.flickr.com/photos/50288439@N03/tags/katana/