http://www.mantisswords.com/swords.htm http://www.mantisswords.com/folded_steel_samurai_swords.htm which is more brittle and prone to break and why
well, i see, one is forged, and the other is well "folded" my question was, that if i was searching for a functional sword, would the forged(cheaper) be more worth the money? I know they both are quite expensive and some wouldn't spend more than $200, but im asking u to be more open to it
If you are seriously thinking about buying a sword for cutting, the best thing to do is talk with someone who has experience with several of the exact models you are considering. In ancient times, much of the steel used for manufacturing swords was of very poor quality. To improve the quality, several layers of steel would be welded together, hammered flat, then folded, then reheated and folded and hammered again, then reheated and folded and hammered again....etc. Each fold essentially doubled the number of layers in the steel, forcing the resulting alloy to be of better and better quality. Nowadays, the quality of the starting materials available is much better, and you can get a forged steel sword with just as high a quality as a folded steel sword. It depends on the specific manufacturer you are dealing with. Traditionalists, who want something made 'the old way', will still take the folded sword, and end up paying for the (very high amount of) labor required. Both of the sword types on your links appear to have high carbon content (essential for a good cutting sword that will last and not shatter--stay away from any company that tries to sell stainless steel blades and claim they are actually for cutting!!). The two sides of the blade (cutting edge and back) are heat-treated separately to form two different steel alloys: one will be brittle, but able to take an extremely sharp edge, and the other will be much more flexible, allowing the blade to absorb the shock of cutting or being hit without shattering/breaking. Here is an excellent review article on swords for cutting: http://www.swordforumbugei.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1104 Note that the best ones are all about $1200 to $1500 US. (....so far, I haven't found any of the really good ones on e-Bay )
Well put Capt. Essentially, the folding option nowadays is purely for aesthetics. Shinken made by paul chen are made of a high carbon monosteel, so folding is not really necessary. there is very little difference structually concerning brittleness.
