Go DR! *Whoots* We'll be expecting those pics soon though
Here is another post of an interesting kind of sword called the Chokutō... Before we understand chokutō we need to first know a little about the differential tempering technique purely because the chokutō does NOT have such a technique used in its making.
Differential tempering:
This a method used in forging swords and knives to increase the hardness of the edge without making the whole blade brittle. To achieve this,
the edge is cooled more rapidly than the spine by adding a heat insulator to the spine before quenching.
Clay or another material is used for insulation.
Chokutō
The chokutō is a type of Japanese sword that dates back to pre-Heian times. Chokutō were made in later periods, but usually as
temple offering swords. Chokutō were
straight and single-edged (sometimes partially double). It is believed that chokutō were imported to Japan from other Asian countries such as China and Korea.
Chokutō was among the earliest in the history of Japanese sword forging. It was created before the differential tempering technology evolved. Chokutō typically come in hira-zukuri and kiriha-zukuri tsukurikomi (blade styles) which make them very distinct from later tachi and katana which rarely use these forms. The main distinctive feature of the chokutō is the blade, which is curved on the katana sword and straight on the chokutō. Its blades are also often confused with shikomizue. Very few examples of chokutō mountings remain and there is little evidence to suggest that they were ever mounted as cane swords.
Chokutō was less effective against other swords which were lighter and had curved blades. This is why the samurai culture turned towards a sword with a curved blade so they could protect their daimyo. Later, several talented swordsmiths learned special techniques to improve the blade of the chokutō sword. They made it more resistant and at the same time kept its original straight shape.
Despite the fact that chokutō is not very useful in battle, many warriors considered it an excellent way to test their skills when struggling against curved blade swords. Its tip is curved and it is delimited by a ridge, which is perpendicular to the blade.
Chokutō have been used in anime and media. One that comes to mind is the Naruto series where the chokuto becomes
Sasuke's weapon of choice later on in the series.
Of course gotta have pics
... So here we go!
Pic1: Nicely shown from swordforum...
Pic2: The actual blade (full tang)
Pic3: A completed set
