Quote:
Thomas Dixon wrote:
Would the best description of the actual sword, without having to label it a Katana or Tachi, be "Nihon Daito"? Just wondering if you agree?
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Eh ...
Honestly? I don't think it matters much except to collectors.
For folks doing iaido/kendo/koryu weapons, the sword type and style will probably be dictated, or at minimum, reccommended by the school.
All other distinctions, to me, are pretty arbitrary and are probably dictated more by artistic criteria than practical.
The more I deal with these things (and I've really moved away from empty-hand stuff in recent years, sliding toward a more and more sword based methodology in my chosen system), the more I think that the non-budo-practicing
collectors have unduly influenced the way the actual-budo-practicing community views and thinks about swords.
YMMV.
Chuck