Bushcrafting with a katana

[Ph34r]

Most will see the title and laugh. If a sharp katana with a hamon can go through thick bamboo in one stike, why are we all using machetes? I mean, the lightweight katana is perfectly balanced, so it could be used for intricate work.

Tbh, I don't have space in my pack for a katana, but I should imagine the ancient samurai used to 'bushcraft' with it.

Any further info would be appreciated,
Ph34r

 

[MrEd]

i wouldnt go for a stroll in england with that in your hand......

 

[Ph34r]

i wouldnt go for a stroll in england with that in your hand......

Wasn't planning on it, just wated some more info. In england you have to register Katanas as leathal weaopns with the local police station as of 2004. You then have to sign more paper than is in the bible to promise never to use it for harmful purposes or to remove it from you dwelling without good reason (breath).

 

[R.Lewis]

No good on trees though. No sword can really take hitting trees, too much mass beyond striking point would cause breakage. Bamboo has certain amount of flex hence why used for demonstration. Often been tempted to try my Katana in the woods but no way would I want to damage a thing of such beauty!

 

[Mojoracinguk]

I thought Katana and the like were not tempered to the same extent as machete/parang and the like.....so being harder they would be more likely to chip..and that would be annoying trying to blend the chip in using a small whet stone
and given that back in the day they were some awesome sword smiths...I think a small sheath knife of some description would be childs play for them....I may have to google it now.

 

[paolo]

First of all it's the same topic that is discussed in the bushcraft folder thread, imho, it's not the tool, but the way you use it to justify the "bushcraft" attribute.
Second I think that's mainly because a good machete should cost waaay less than a katana.
The machete, parang, golok, roncola, khukuri has a simple design, intended for hard work, and not optimized for fencing like a sword, but it was also the self defense weapon of the poor man/worker/farmer that couldn't afford or wasn't allowed to carry a sword.

You can see it easily with the khukuri for the nepali farmers and ghurka soldiers..

Cheers
Paolo

 

[R.Lewis]

Never knew about that Registar with local police station stuff! Have to look into that, not that I have one of course. Ahem....

 

[wanderingblade]

In england you have to register Katanas as leathal weaopns with the local police station as of 2004. You then have to sign more paper than is in the bible to promise never to use it for harmful purposes or to remove it from you dwelling without good reason (breath).

er, no you don't?

 

[R.Lewis]

Can find no evidence of any need to registar Katanas, ya got me spooked for nothing there!

 

[wanderingblade]

Can find no evidence of any need to registar Katanas, ya got me spooked for nothing there!

True - the only legal restrictions concerning Katana's cover the purchase / importation / manufacture NOT use or carry- They are subject to the same laws as fixed blade knives.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I would have thought that simply because something is sharp and cutty dosen't neccesarly make it a good working tool, for defence then yes but for food prep,chopping wood, nipping the little ends of loose threads. as with any sharp tool you could press to these tasks but i think you would find it very uncomfortable, still would be cool to see someone make feather sticks from a meter away. COOLIO!

 

[Melonfish]

A samurai would NEVER use his beloved Kitana or Wakizashi as a tool for cutting wood.
In the UK the only reason you could have for carrying Japanese swords would be if your going to/from your martial arts class or home from the shop you bought it from or if you're a re-enactor.
also to buy one you need to prove your a registered member of a martial arts club
the Tanto however is a good tool, some people don't like the shape of the knife tho.

 

[Bigfoot]

^

I agree with Melonfish. Using a katana in such a way would be disrespectful of the blade.

A tanto or shoto would be a much more practical blade for bushcrafting but probably too long to suit most folks.

 

[wanderingblade]

.......also to buy one you need to prove your a registered member of a martial arts club

.......unless it is a blade made 'by hand.....according to traditional techniques' as such blades are free of purchacing restriction.

As for using a katana for bushcraft it would be a bit like using a bowie knife as a toothpick - you could do it, but why when there are better tools freely available for the job?

 

[Paul_B]

Correct me if I'm wrong but you have to think of Samurais as knights of old. They have a kind of chivalry and honour. The Katana is their weapon but they also carry a "family sword" which was often passed from father to son. Not sure of its name though but it was a short sword. They would never use a katana for peasant work as they would call stuff remotely like bushcraft. That is why the nunchuks were not a samurai weapon having originated from rice flails. Or at least that is what my ju-jitsu instrictors always taught us (bushido kempo BTW).

The funny thing about katana is that you can buy it easily (or always could about 5 years ago) in a martial arts supplier / dodgy knife, air rifle, crossbow and archery shop/suppliers IF you bought it with a stand. Something to do with it being decoration. The same katana bought by a martial artist with training needs special paperwork. That was a moan of an instructor I knew. He was into Iaido as well as the more common ju-jitsu, ailkido, karate and judo.

IMHO a katana is not a bushcraft tool and should never be used as one. Kind of disrespectful in some way that I can't pace my finger on. As said above the kukri and the like are derived from more domestic and utilitarian origins. The fact that they have a martial aspect to them came after their utilitarion use I'm sure.

 

[TeeDee]

Isn't Bamboo hollow.

 

[Melonfish]

.......unless it is a blade made 'by hand.....according to traditional techniques' as such blades are free of purchacing restriction.

Indeed! a blade made before 1954 or a blade made by hand using traditional techniques, i felt that a little more obscure to put in but you're spot on mr wanderingblade.

 

[Paul_B]

Bamboo is a celled structure with hollow cells. Although it is a tough material used for a lot of uses. There is a theory that SE Asia had later stone tool development because they did not need stone tools as they could make a sharp knife or other tool out of bamboo. We're talking stone age here I think. The documentarymaker showed hwo to make a knife out of bamboo. It was sharp enough to easily cut through paper. Bamboo would be plentifull and easy to work plus it rotted down so no evidence of this tech. Imagine that you never had to carry a tool as you could make it out of a piece of bamboo picked up from the ground as and when you needed it?

Off topic. They also use it as scaffolding too.

I wonder how hard or easy it is to cut bamboo with a katana compared to a branch of similar size?

 

[Bigfoot]

A katana (used with proper cutting technique) will slice through 6 inch bamboo with relative ease but will struggle more with a similar sized branch of timber.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Is that due to the straight fibers in the bamboo as opposed the the curvy wood grain, or the the bamboo is hollow in the center?