Twice bent sword

[Raígma]

Greetings.

I just received a sword I ordered last week. It is decoration only. The quality is not overwhelming but okay.
But still there are a few questions that came up.

I recommend looking at the attached pictures for better undestanding.

It was claimed that the sword would be for Tai Chi or at least that was
its name. I guess it is Chinese then. Does any of you know if this twice bent shape has a special use?

I think the whole thing looks very nifty because it is bent in the opposite direction at the grip. I guess if you get used to the handling you could direct it more accurate or get at least a tighter grip for every cut.
The balance is a bit strange and the grip is too long at least for my arms
so I have to grip it more to the tsuba. The usual kendo way does not work too good.
What do you think is that grip for?

The cord, or the hanging, where the saya should be attached to the obi is (at least compared to a usual katana or iaito) upside down. So the whole sword should be drawn from below. (I mean that the sharp side of the blade looks down to the floor when it is in the saya)
It is a very strange feeling but I can't make up how else it should work.
Do you know how to exactly draw such a sword?
Can you tell how exactly the hanging is attached to the obi?

The blade is scratching at the end when you insert it into the saya but it fits. So the whole thing isn't really good quality. How I said, just decoration. It looks nifty though.

The blade gets thin already at the tsuba so I won't dare to try to cut anything with it, though the blade is rather flexible and sharpened.

The blade itself is stainless steel 404. Does the number 404 tell anything special? (No, it is of course not really forged)

Thanks for any information.

[Raígma]

Correction:
Stainles Steel 440

[nodachi]

The tai chi swords I seen are either straight, like the crouching tiger hidden dragon ones if you need an example, or curved once, kinda like a simitar. They are also usually held one handed and not in the kendo way. I am not all knowing on tai chi though, I may be wrong. This is just from my brief experience with it.


They may just feel like being more decorative with the curved handle.

[mingshi]

Hey look at the Tsuka!! Look at the Mon on the Saya!! Definately Japanese sword!!

Nodachi is right about the Crouching Tiger reference... Tai Chi Do(Kanji: To) is a curved broadsword, while a Tai Chi Jin (Kanji: Ken) is a straight, thin one.

Maybe you would like to check out www.Swordforum.com for more sword-related info.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Correction:
Stainles Steel 440
440 stainless is a common type of steel suitable for knives. It's often used for very cheap swords. 440 is not suitable for swords as it is too brittle for such a long blade. Don't try to cut with a 440 blade, it's dangerous.

[kendomushi]

Although the fittings on the sword and saya are definitely Japanese style not Chinese, I've not seen a Japanese sword with a curve like that in the hilt. When I did tai chi I saw the swords mingshi describes, but nothing looking like these pictures.
The fittings on the saya would indicate that it is meant to be slung, hanging down from the belt. The bent hilt I can only imagine would work one handed and meant to be gripped at the center of the curve.

[Raígma]

440 stainless is a common type of steel suitable for knives. It's often used for very cheap swords. 440 is not suitable for swords as it is too brittle for such a long blade. Don't try to cut with a 440 blade, it's dangerous.

Of course not. This is decoration after all. It can bear being swung but not cutting. The blade doesn't even go through the whole grip so it would rather break there and at least the hull of the grip that is lying under the bandage (Is that called gawa too?) is made of some obscure kind of plastic.
It looks rather authentic though as long as you don't know that. ^-^

[Raígma]

I am not sure if I am right because some time has passed since I read this article on the internet. Of course I don't know anymore where I got it from but as far as I understood it, it said something like that swords were once carried like this one (sharpened bladeside facing the ground when lying in saya) so for a immediate cut after the draw you must cut from below. Is that of any historic worth?
As I said, I am not sure what kind of article that was.
Drawing it like that feels odd because you grip from above and it is kinda hard to hold it stable while cutting but it would work.

[D'Artagnan]

Are you sure the advert said 'tai chi' or did it say 'tachi'?


i am no expert on eastern swords, but i do know that a lot of sword making companies produce 'historical' western swords, which are really nothing but mere fantasy, certainly not historical.

just a thought

a

[Raígma]

Are you sure the advert said 'tai chi' or did it say 'tachi'?


i am no expert on eastern swords, but i do know that a lot of sword making companies produce 'historical' western swords, which are really nothing but mere fantasy, certainly not historical.

just a thought

a


As you see I do not know too much about swords myself. At least not about this "Tachi". I thought it had been a typo but of course it wasn't. The sword is a Tachi. As far as I found out now (Thanks for the link to the swordforum) Tachi is a longer sword than a usual katana and more curved.
The other forum said that the reverse grip is unusual and not historic, though it might have shown up anytime, anywhere.

Was this Tachi used for fighting on horse only or why was it that long?

Thanks for all the replies so far.

[KATSUJIN]

Hi guys...couldnt reply for so long...anyway..this is my reply...

It is a tachi...i have read abt it...read tat swordsmen on horses use it...
normally to cut other swordsmen on horses....the curved handle allows them to do a bigger swing to cut through the swordsmen and horse...due to the weight of the sword...and due to the limitations of the human arm on a elevated position...

[bokolimit]

It was not usually used on horseback, simply because the bow and arrow were more efficient. there isn't a single example, in any document, text or drawing produced before the 13th century that depicts warriors wielding swords from horseback(the tachi was created during the tenth cetury). It was used as a backup weapon, however, for when their arrows were depleted. It was mainly used as a foot weapon for slashing and cutting. And as for it's length, since it was curved much more than the standard Katana, it could be longer because it was easier to draw from it's saya.

[bokolimit]

I forgot to mention that the curved tsuka is offset from the blade to enhance wrist movement and power when using the Tachi one-handed.

[Hyaku]

This is tachi on this page. The one above is mounted for using in the obi. the one below in the old pring is a tachi mount.

http://www.angelfire.com/linux/moalboal/Nkage1.html

Hyaku