Are Old Samurai Swords Better Than New Ones?
With modern technology and our understanding of science constantly progressing, we could be forgiven for thinking that anything which was created centuries ago would be of inferior quality to anything created now. But is this the case with samurai swords? Are the swords which actual samurai carried around in those days of superior quality to the ones being made now? The answer is, yes and no. You see, it depends. Most samurai sword connoisseurs agree that the best swords produced now are equal to any of the best swords produced in the past. Undoubtedly, this has much to do with the fact that the methods of making the swords, the materials, and the sword designs themselves are very similar. It’s a very traditional art form. However. In times of war when the state called for mass production of swords, because of the scarcity of materials and the limited time available to make the swords, the quality most often suffered, resulting in an inferior blade. Moreover, for seven years after WW2,
