Poll: Slicing a guy in half with a katana in one blow, possible?

Would a Katana cut you in one blow - head to groin?

  • No chance in hell.

    Votes: 268 56.3%

  • Yes, like a hot knife through butter.

    Votes: 208 43.7%
  • Total voters
    476
What about if you had a katana with a space shuttle's solid rocket booster attached to the end, and set it to fire just as the blade touched your victims forehead?

Presumably that would provide enough oompf to cut through his body?

Might kick a bit though. You'd want to be wearing gloves. And maybe some kind of athletic wrist support.
 
Balddog said:
How on earth can you believe that? 7 people in one swing? The physics alone make that impossible..

The cutting tests are interesting things..From what ive read, the various cut tests were just cut tests, they didnt necessarily have to go through the entire body...Just cut into the body.
Click to expand...
Nothing in physics makes it impossible. The longest katana I know of is 3.77m long, with a cutting edge of 226.7m. If sharp enough, a blade of that length could easily go through seven people, and with the right cut, like an o-kasa, which is a very easy cut, would cut seven people in half.

Anjow said:
I reckon a scimitar would have a better chance - more momentum.
Click to expand...
I doubt it, firstly "scimitar" was never actually a type of sword, it refers to various middle eastern swords, and the majority of blades were actually thin rather than being wide as they are depicted in films etc. The only way it would be possible, would be if the sword happened to be made from damascus steel, which is possibly the strongest steel compound ever made.
 
Last edited:
Phnom_Penh said:
Nothing in physics makes it impossible. The longest katana I know of is 3.77m long, with a cutting edge of 226.7m. If sharp enough, a blade of that length could easily go through seven people, and with the right cut, like an o-kasa, which is a very easy cut, would cut seven people in half.
Click to expand...
What has length of blade got to do with cutting ability?
 
fatiain said:
Ever seen a butcher cut a pig carcass. They don't use katanas.
Click to expand...

I agree.. You can cut a human in half from head to groin. I have been a butcher for 14 years and have cut many a side of beef up. We have knives and cleavers that can, with force, cut through bone. Beef bones are very strong too.

A cow leg bone is probably about the circumfrence of your fore arm and I have chopped straight through with one clean blow with a cleaver, granted the cleaver has probably more wieght behind it in comparison to the size compared with the Samurai sword.. Getting through the first bit of hard bone is the hardest part and once that is done you sail the rest..

the human skull is roughly as thick as the leg bone outer casing so i should imagine thatonce you are past the skull the rest is easy as long as you have enough force behind your initial blow to carry it on down to the groin..

The only bones worth worring about after the top of the skull would be the jaw bone, coller bone and pelvic bone.. These are relativly brittle compared to the skull..

laters
 
Phnom_Penh said:
Well if the swords 5cm long how the hells it going to cut one person in half, let alone seven?
Click to expand...
But if it's 3m long, the leverage on the end is going to wrench it out your grip.

Simple physics.
 
fatiain said:
But if it's 3m long, the leverage on the end is going to wrench it out your grip.

Simple physics.
Click to expand...
Not really, these blades are extrememly thin (and light), so the force exerted on them is extremely small, and therefore the force than needs to be used to move them is also extremely small.
 
Hmm....I have a friend who is obsessed with Katanas, and has a multitude of them. Perhaps I should aquire a dead body from somewhere and have a go at hacking it in half?

Obviously I wouldnt tell him what I'm borrowing the Katanas for.....I swear he sleeps with them at night.....and gives them names. God help me if I dent "Susan"....
 
droolinggimp said:
A cow leg bone is probably about the circumfrence of your fore arm and I have chopped straight through with one clean blow with a cleaver, granted the cleaver has probably more wieght behind it in comparison to the size compared with the Samurai sword.. Getting through the first bit of hard bone is the hardest part and once that is done you sail the rest..
Click to expand...

But the power from a katana comes from the 2 handed grip. Its not just a swing of the arm but of the wrists pivoting as well creates extra force.

Or at least i think it is from what ive seen on martial arts progs on Discovery.
 
Nope, you're right. I'll add that most butchers wouldn't use a katana, as although it would be sharper than a cleaver, a decent katana costs £1-10k, wheras a decent cleaver costs £100.
 
Yes, of course. And the fact that it's 4-6' long and would be tricky to wield in a cramped butcher's shop has nothing to do with it :rolleyes:
Seriously, anyone who's actually seen one up close will tell you it's a very thin blade, especially at the edge! It's not meant for this kind of work! It'll nick!
 
droolinggimp said:
The only bones worth worring about after the top of the skull would be the jaw bone, coller bone and pelvic bone.. These are relativly brittle compared to the skull..
Click to expand...
The whole of that statement is incorrect if you are going for a midline incision.

Firstly the jaw bone would rip straight from the joint with relatively little force, so there would be no need to cut through it.

Secondly, the collar bones don't meet at the midline, so would not be involved.

The pelvis at the midline only consists of a relatively small joint, the pubic symphysis, so would not pose much of a challenge to a blade with enough force (certainly less than the crests).

Finally the skull is quite susceptible to a vertical blow, especially along the midline from behind.

What will pose the real problem, and will ultimately (imo) be the undoing of the attempt will be the vertebral column, as I said in my previous post.
 
Phnom_Penh said:
Nothing in physics makes it impossible. The longest katana I know of is 3.77m long, with a cutting edge of 226.7m. If sharp enough, a blade of that length could easily go through seven people, and with the right cut, like an o-kasa, which is a very easy cut, would cut seven people in half..
Click to expand...

Is that 3.77m long blade the one which cut through the 7 people then?

Im sorry, I dont know what an o-kasa is. If such things are easy, why then is this one sword touted as being so amazing as to be able to cut 7?

I would LOVE to see a 5 tall guy swing an 11 foot sword with any degree of accuracy and cut through 7 people..Id flippin love it.
 
droolinggimp said:
I agree.. You can cut a human in half from head to groin. I have been a butcher for 14 years and have cut many a side of beef up. We have knives and cleavers that can, with force, cut through bone. Beef bones are very strong too.
Click to expand...

Forgive me if im wrong, ive no clue about butchery other than what ive seen on TV....but dont butchers tend to cut down onto some kind of cutting board?

Do you think it would be as easy to cut through flesh, and indeed bone, if the carcass was free standing?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom