Real Sakaba For Sale? I want...

skanks · Post by **skanks** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:15 am

http://www.weaponmasters.com/index.html ... FDX=&FMAX=

I thought making one of these was impossible, yet these people seem to want to sell one.

Kamoc · Post by **Kamoc** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:17 am

you'll cut off the dungeon master's arm.

i rolled a 10-10-HARDCORE

MAS PRODUCTIONS · Post by **MAS PRODUCTIONS** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:18 am

Its funny but I repeatadly asked them a year ago if they could make one but they said it was impossible.

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 4:57 pm

There's no "PDF" Operational and Technical Specifications!

I don't even see WEIGHT and LENGTH listed anywhere.

El Banana · Post by **El Banana** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 5:58 pm

People have been selling these for over two years.

El Banana · Post by **El Banana** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 6:15 pm

Ah, there... found the link.

narcted · Post by **narcted** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 4:39 am

MAS PRODUCTIONS wrote:Its funny but I repeatadly asked them a year ago if they could make one but they said it was impossible.

There is difficulty in making one using traditional Japanese sword making methods. In the process of making a standard katana, clay is used along the cutting edge so that it cools slower than the rest of the sword. This gives the blade a strong cutting edge while the rest of the blade is actually fairly flexible in terms of metallury. This uneven cooling is also what gives the blade it's curved appearance since the faster cooling body of the blade will contract more when placed in water. It is also what the cutting edge it's distinctive shine and wavy border to the grayer body of the sword.

The problem with making a sakaba is trying to maintain the stong cutting and flexibility of a Japanese sword, while reversing the steel's natural tendancies to contract and thus putting the cutting edge on the inside or back edge of the sword. I have never been able to find out how sword makers would overcome this difficulty. I also don't know they in fact bypass the cooling process entirely and if this would actually make the sakaba inferior to the katana in terms of strength and sharpness.

Note that there is no actual photo of the sword and also this was probably machined in this modern age. These days you probably just press a sword and then sharpen the edge with a grinder.

I would contest that a sakaba could ever be considered non-lethal. It can still inflict lethal internal trauma. Miyamoto Musashi gave up using an actual sword by the time he was 19. He killed the rest of his opponents using a bokkuto. He once even killed with a boat oar when he didn't have a sword/bokkuto.

kthulhu · Post by **kthulhu** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 5:16 am

Gun beats sword. 'Nuff said.