| Peter Johnsson wrote: | ||
Sean, I´ve wondered about those. I do not think they are for attaching weights. That does not sound very practical: you adjust the proper heft in the sword to begin with. Weights would also interfere with the cutting action of the blade. If I would guess a practical purpose it might be that the three holes creates a swishing sound when the sword is swung. This can offer a quick intuitive controll to the alignement of the sword. A clean straight hit is very important, as Craig already have pointed out. If you hear the whisteling sound you can adjust the alignement of the blade ever so slightly during the swing. I do not know if this is reasonable. Not all features are meant to be functional, but it could be something to test. -Anyone that is willing to drill holes in his sword, so we can learn? |
Hei, Peter. :-)
I have wondered about the holes before, and the first thing that struck me when I saw the first pic was "sound". I have an idea, but how good it is, I dont know. What if theyre supposed to make a swooshing or whistling sound just for the dramatic effect? I just keep imagening the crowd falling silent as the headsman prepares, posing briefly before striking, making a clear, sharp whistling sound before the head falls, and the crowd roars in approval. We love drama, and ritual after all. Just a thought.
I also thought that the sound could be used as a way to know exactly when youre making a perfectly alligned cut. I caouldnt say if you could react and adjust mid-cut, like you suggested, but it could be useful in practicing cuts, which I am sure headsmen would do. Isnt this why a lot of iaido students use a fullered blade in practice? (I'm pretty sure they do it for the coolness factor as well. In fact, I have first hand information about that. :D )