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Post by Damen on Jun 17, 2009 7:32:26 GMT -5
There are some pretty darn big swords that were actually used in combat (The claymore and the zweihander have been mentioned), and they aren't as unwieldy as you might think. The problem with huge anime swords is not just their length (they are often no longer than a claymore), it's their width. A medieval greatsword usually has a 2 inch wide blade. Anime swords like the buster sword have blades that are 8-10 inches wide! THAT is what would make those swords unusable. In short, big swords are fine, as long as they are realistically proportioned. I'm not sure if this has been mentioned or not, but let's not forget about physics and the anatomy of a sword. The most important part of any sword or knife is one that few people know about: the tang. The tang is a strip of metal within the handle of the sword or knife and it joins the blade and handle together. In a display sword, the tang is usually thin and round and welded onto the blade. In a battle sword, the blade and the tang is usually squared off both are a single piece of metal. The wider the tang is, the stronger your sword is. In weapons like a rapier or shortsword, the tang can be nearly as wide as the blade itself, but swords or falchions with a wide blade will need to have a smaller tang for the sake of being able to hold it easily, but they're still very strong. Now let's take the average anime style jumbo sword on steroids and kick the Suspension of Disbelief in the teeth, shall we? These swords with their retardedly wide blades will be very, very heavy. The blades are so wide that it will put a huge strain on the tang just lifting it. Now if you can actually get that weapon off the ground and get it into motion you have to keep in mind that is a giant hurdle to overcome because as Newton's First Law states "An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force." The tang of the sword will be under tremendous stress from the forces created by the motions it will be going through and the weight of the blade. Now if that blade comes into contact with something like a human body that wouldn't totally stop a smaller sword like, say, a broadsword or cutlass, that may still prove to be enough resistance to break a anime-style sword at the hilt. And if that sword hits the ground during the swing, or a tree, it will snap off. An object in motion tends to stay in motion and when you have the heaviest part of the sword coming to a sudden stop or encountering sudden resistance and your hands on the handle are trying to keep the object in motion, something is going to break. I guess what I'm trying to say is that even if your character has the means and ability to lift and use a huge sword, the sword itself may not be able to be used. If your goal is to have some realism, then you ought to go with a Claymore. That's a sturdy sword that can decapitate three people at a swing. |
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Post by Admiral Lithp on Jul 10, 2009 3:43:01 GMT -5
Okay, Damen, now how would I go about proving whether or not that is the case?
Picture it: A forum. A group of fans with only a rudimentary knowledge of this shit, at best, are all arguing. Lithp is saying that this would happen, because you guys probably know more about it than he does. They're saying that since the tang runs the whole way through, the ratio wouldn't matter.
I did ask for "better proof than some pictures of anime sword replicas you got on Google," so I thought it only made sense if I were to see if there was some kind of an equation for this, or something.
So, that's all the background info you need to know, & probably more than you want to know.
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Post by John E on Jul 10, 2009 9:13:28 GMT -5
Well, think about it this way, if the ratio of the weight of blade to the width of the tang doesn't matter as long as the tang goes all the way through the blade, then you ought to be able to construct any sword to be battle-worthy with a pencil-thin tang. Even a claymore.
Videos semi-related, given that they demonstrate the dangers of a weak or thin tang.
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Post by Mantorok on Jul 10, 2009 10:47:40 GMT -5
Heh, I could tell that second video was from Australia just from the bird calls.
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Post by Admiral Lithp on Jul 10, 2009 12:43:52 GMT -5
John: Those go a long way to proving my point, thank you.
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Post by John E on Jul 10, 2009 13:23:20 GMT -5
Heh, I could tell that second video was from Australia just from the bird calls. I think he's a New Zealander, but I'm not positive. |
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Post by The Lazy One on Jul 10, 2009 17:50:47 GMT -5
I know it's very Freudian but I've always figured that large weapons, especially swords, is a direct or indirect euphemism for a penis. I suppose that it is just stroking the male fantasy of having a huge member and unlimited energy and power reserves, which male anime characters with large weapons also seem to possess.  Certainly there is no way one could read too much into this.  I just spat coffee all over my screen. And not for the reasons you'd think. Who in their right mind would go to Miroku for a psychologist?! |
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Post by HarleyThomas1002 on Jul 10, 2009 19:04:29 GMT -5
Certainly there is no way one could read too much into this. I just spat coffee all over my screen. And not for the reasons you'd think. Who in their right mind would go to Miroku for a psychologist?! I would. Although I imagine talking to Miroku would be more getting tips on sexual harassment than anything. |
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Post by Mantorok on Jul 10, 2009 20:59:22 GMT -5
Heh, I could tell that second video was from Australia just from the bird calls. I think he's a New Zealander, but I'm not positive. I checked his Youtube profile, he's in Adelaide. |
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Post by John E on Jul 10, 2009 21:13:48 GMT -5
I think he's a New Zealander, but I'm not positive. I checked his Youtube profile, he's in Adelaide. I checked his website just now, which confirms Adelaide. Not sure why I thought he was a kiwi. |
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Post by Admiral Lithp on Jul 12, 2009 10:10:50 GMT -5
I just spat coffee all over my screen. And not for the reasons you'd think. Who in their right mind would go to Miroku for a psychologist?! I would. Although I imagine talking to Miroku would be more getting tips on sexual harassment than anything. While simultaneously being swindled out of most of your worldly possessions. |
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Post by Moon Wolfhowl on Jul 12, 2009 15:39:32 GMT -5
I would suggest having strange or rare sorts of weapons if you don't want to fall into the usual stuff.
Katars and Chakrams are cool for fast and agile characters.
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Post by Thejebusfire on Jul 12, 2009 17:09:32 GMT -5
I know it's very Freudian but I've always figured that large weapons, especially swords, is a direct or indirect euphemism for a penis. I suppose that it is just stroking the male fantasy of having a huge member and unlimited energy and power reserves, which male anime characters with large weapons also seem to possess. Certainly there is no way one could read too much into this. That's wrong, but funny as hell! |
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Post by Admiral Lithp on Jul 12, 2009 22:17:17 GMT -5
Of course. The videos were wrong because the tangs weren't the width of the hilt. It has nothing to do with proportion.
You know, I'm starting to think the only way to get the point across is to have a Mythbuster-esque experiment involving a robot swinging a full size Buster Sword replica, somehow without breaking the machine.
Even then, I imagine there would still be some miniscule nitpicking going on.
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Post by spaniel on Jul 12, 2009 23:38:43 GMT -5
While I'm no expert on weapons, I have a few suggestions. 1. Is this character allowed to use guns? If so, perhaps he can demonstrate his strength by using a particularly large gun. 2.If not, then perhaps a naginata.  or halberd  or a scythe, or any other sort of blade on a stick. 3. A set of bladed chainwhips, as they look fucking awesome. 4. A sledgehammer. With such strength, it is possible to look very graceful using one. 5. Nothing. Like Gene in God Hand, your character could simply use fisticuffs. |
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