I found a description of a Nodachi so we can all have a firm clue as to what they are. You all tell me if you wanna wear armor using this thing.
"An enemy warrior called Saji Magoro, a resident of the province of Tamba, brought his horse up sideways in front of the west gate and easity slashed the bellies of the three enemies with his five-shaku [1.7m] sword."
1.7 meters... now THAT sucker if gonna be heavy come what may. No amount of grooving or anything else is gonna make it light enough to be tossed around easily. Plus you figure - with a size like that your gonna want some weight, else it won't take much to snap it like a twig.
Also - found a good little definition of my favorite - Naginata.
Naginata are a large polearm weapon in the form of a claive. The blade was similar to a sword blade, but it was much wider and fixed on a polearm handle between 3 and 7 feet long. Long slashing strokes were the primary method of fighting, and these weapons could produce really nasty wounds. These weapons were used both in hand to hand combat and against mounted warriors.
This makes a bit of sense, as using a weapon such as this would be more easily done in armor, as it would allow for slower movement. Also note that the shear length and type of weapon helps explain why naginata infantry are so effective - keeping your enemy at bay means he can't stick you with his katana. It also helps to understand why they stand so well against cavalry, as pole weaponry can harm a horse and rider, although they lack the edge in spearing that goes to Yari troops.
Just a couple of things I figured might make some sense to folks. Qapla!
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BSM_Skkzarg
"A mind is a terrible thing to taste."
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