The myth about whether a katana can cut through steel persists. The reason for this is certainly the many sword fight scenes, especially from the manga and anime genre, in which the katana is used to cut through just about anything. But is it really possible to cut through real steel with a samurai sword?
Stahl gegen Stahl
To answer this question, you should first realise that the blade of every katana is made of steel. However, there are many different alloys and manufacturing methods, which is why not all steel is the same. The quality and hardness of the steel can vary greatly. Our article on the Blade steel for samurai swords explains the most commonly used types of steel.
Now that it has been clarified that the "Katana versus steel" duel is a "steel versus steel" duel, the question remains as to whether it is still possible to cut through steel with a katana.
Reality check
Wie es geht zeigt uns der „moderne Samurai“ Isao Machii im japanischen Fernsehen. Dort zerschneidet er mit seinem Katana erst ein dünnes Eisenrohr, bevor er in nur einem Schnitt eine 0,4mm dicke, hochkant aufgestellte Stahlplatte durchtrennt.
This is the relevant excerpt from the show:
Für einen sauberen, geraden Schnitt ist neben dem richtigen Katana auch die richtige Technik entscheidend. Diese besteht aus dem Treffen des perfekten Schnittwinkels, der passenden Geschwindigkeit sowie dem richtigen Maß an Kraft. Diese Techniken können im Rahmen des Tameshigiri trainiert und perfektioniert werden. Hierbei werden aber in der Regel Tatami Omote, gewickelten Reisstrohmatten, anstatt von Stahl verwendet.
The Zantetsuken
The editor of the video calls this sword Zantetsuken. This term is derived from the 3 words Zan, Tetsu and Ken.
- 斬 (zan) means "cutting" or "decapitating"
- 鉄 (tetsu) bedeutet „Eisen“
- 剣 (ken) bedeutet schließlich „Schwert“
Conclusion
It is possible to cut through thin steel with a katana. However, cutting through entire iron girders, as seen in the film, can definitely be regarded as fiction.
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