What Makes Swords & Knives Cut Well (Sharpness, Blade Geometry, Etc)
4,037Such an edgy video, tsk tsk...
This is my best effort to explain what makes some blades cuts better than others, independent of the whole straight vs curved argument (which I've covered here: https://youtu.be/o7FgiwfmRc0). Of course there are other factors as well, like mass and balance, but this video is focusing on edge geometry and what actually makes a blade sharp.
Many of those who think of the katana as the best sword seem to think that it's all about the sharpness. Same with mono-molecular sci-fi blades (i.e. space magic) that can cut through anything. The problem is that the edge on such a sword would be extremely fragile, basically good only for a single cut.
My videos about cutting mechanics (i.e. technique):
https://youtu.be/YZtqCjZ4mTw
https://youtu.be/5tP0VSv7Ro4
Well written, informative articles that discuss the difference between sharpness and cutting ability, in reference to scientific experiments done on the topic:
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2018/08/06/sharpness-vs-cutting-ability/
https://www.hroarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/sharpness.pdf
More info about edge geometry:
https://dcknives.blogspot.com/p/knife-edge-geometry-tips.html
Kult of Athena, my favorite online store for reproductions of historical arms and armor, fantasy swords, etc (affiliate link):
http://ww4.aitsafe.com/go.htm?go=kultofathena.com&afid=28632&tm=14&im=1
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