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Chris Buechler
30th November 2000, 05:07
I thought steel wasn't a good for iaito construction becuase of someting called "lateral flex"? I remember reading about it in a FAQ some where. Now that nosyuiaido has one I wonder if the differential temper corrects that problem. Just wonder'n, any comments?

Soulend
30th November 2000, 09:46
Hi Chris.

Maybe this is because your interests lie in Iaido, while I am an Iaijutsu guy, but I'm a little confused.

Traditionally made Tachi, katana, wakizashi, and even many Naginata were and are differentially tempered. And of steel. Whether or not they experienced 'Lateral Flex' I am not sure, but they seemed to work pretty darn well at splitting open enemy heads quickly, which was the purpose of Iai in the first place.

I use a live blade to practice, which is not differentially tempered, and I don't see any difference between it and my swords which are, or even a bokken, except for weight.

The reason for using an iaito or bokken instead of a shinken is for safety's sake. However, the art was developed for use with a "real" sword, for killing real people. It would seem that the closer your weapon is to the real thing, the better.

Tony Peters
30th November 2000, 09:53
Someone else will likely write a better answer than I do but this post attracted my attention so here go. The "steel Iaito" that Nosyuiaido sells are called Iaito because the company that commisioned them to be crafted is Japanese. In Japan a shinken (litterally new sword or real sword) has certain legal qualifications that these swords do not meet not the least of which is that it (the blade) be crafted on Japanese soil using a particular process (the blades are made in China) and that the blade be water quenched (these are oil quenched). Other than these two facts I'm sure there are other things that seperate the "steel Iaito" from a Shinken but for the average Martial Artist these are not really important. What is important is that these swords are just that swords that can cut not Mogito which are really just well made fakes. Most of this information can be found at varios places on the net including here on E-budo if you care to look back a ways. What you get with a Nosyuiaido "steel Iaito" is an extreamly well put together (astheticly) practice sword that happens to be sharp enough to cut you hand off with if you don't know what you are doing. Nosyuiaido also makes a tamagrishi version of this same sword which was design for cutting things.

[Edited by Tony Peters on 11-30-2000 at 03:55 AM]