Japanese Swords

The Japanese sword known as the Katana has been the point of many legends and myths.
Here are the truths of the sword:

All real Japanese swords are made out of HIGH CARBON STEEL and therefore RUST if not looked after. They are differentually tempered leaving the cutting edge hard at 60 Rockwell (A way of testing the hardness of steel) and the spine at 40 Rockwell. This gives the sword the strength of a CLAYMORE and the cutting edge of a 30 inch razor blade.

The Japanese are inherently perfectionist and thier swords are perfect as well. No machine is used in a TRADITIONAL sword as it's completely made by hand and crafted by the swordsmith with pride as it is his only claim to immortality. The value of the sword is not measured by how old it is or who used it, with certain exeptions (Takeda Shingen, Miyamoto Mushashi) but how perfect it is. There are swordsmiths that have achieved greatness and probably the most famous is MASAMUNE of which swords by his hand have sold for up to $6000,000,00.

THEY DO NOT SHARPEN THEMSELVES IN THIER SCABBARDS (SAYA) as sharpening takes perfection as well. No swordmith would ever allowed that to take place.

If you drop silk on it, it WON'T cut it! But if you tilt the blade gravity will pull the silk down and then it'll cut.

To be continued...