Back to Mondo Sword Basics…
May 31st, 2008 | 
Author: Having not done a piece on an oversized sword for a while, it thought it fortuitous that I should run into this:
Under normal circumstances regular polished blades are not my forte. However there are exceptions. And this one happens to be a rather large one. This beast is a good 69″ long… He He He… 69… LOL… *solitary cricket chirp*… *cough* what? I can’t indulge a little juvenile humor every once in a blue moon…? C’mon, there are soo many possible innuendos I could slip into this post… Aw… Fine, whatever… Pfft… Y’all are no fun…
Anyway, This odachi is just a big old sliver o steel. And I like big pieces of steel. They are cool. And this one doesn’t look half bad. There isn’t much really to say about it. I like the black cording in white rayskin same-kawa that was used for the rather abnormally long tsuka. The added length is probably intended to allow greater leverage, and also act as a counterbalance to the weight of the blade.
And the blade itself is simple, unremarkable even, except for being really, really, large. Even the tsuba is a simple cut out shape. Other nice touches were the cord wrapping on the top half of the Saya, as well as the chain on the buttcap and sageo for wearing on the belt. All small simple details that come together to make a great not-so-little sword…
69″ 
Odachi – [True Swords]
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How the devil do you wear a 5 and a half foot sword on your belt…?
Awkwardly?
It is a really cool looking sword, I like the desgin, but I am not much of a fan of oversized swords.
Yeah, the oversized sword thing is an acquired taste… LOL
Hey man what to do with this swordd?
Well you pretty much just look at it, since you really can’t use something like this…
i have a blade similar to this XD it started falling to pieces now ¬_¬ how typical of ancient warrior brnad of swords ^_^
See that’s what happens when you don’t take care of them…
:O phyre that is a very insulting thing to say! ill have you know its down to crap design the blade actually has a half inch screww bit bolted to the blade which screws into the handle and to be fair… thats a load of … yeah for a 69 inch sword not that i swing it around like
LOL sorry, Mozza, my bad… I figured the design might leave something to be desired, did not realize how much… I’d usually just put something like this up on the wall and never touch it (let alone swing it) for this very reason…
Ok, maybe I’d swing it once or twice… But that would be it… it would then serve permanent wall hanger duty…
LOL yeah it is really a decorative piece but its still crap design. and who couldve thought of tartan tsuka-ito…. hold it and you look like the scottish version of sephiroth XD!
LOL OK, come on now Mozza, A tartan Tsuka-ito? I don’t think so… Tartan requires more than two colors… and is usually square or rectangularly checkered, not diamond shaped.
The tsuka-ito on that is the traditional cord wrap… Nothing tartan about it whatsoever… Yes, it’s probably garbage in the quality department, but I think most Japanese swords would not like to be called Scottish… something about Claymores being overbearing or something… It’s probably a size thing… Who knows…
no it actually does have a tartan tsuka-ito no jest (see the pic link on “the man with saber claws…” post)
that’s not tartan man…
Tartan = 3 or more colors, combination of Square patterns and fine lines
Mt Fuji Spear = 2 colors (red/black), diagonal/diamond pattern. Not tartan.
Ya gots to put down that bud sometimes bruv…
sorry man, slightly colour blind lol always looked like 3 to me, but ill take ya word for it
A couple people asked what you could use something like that for… To the best of my knowledge it was an anti-cavalry sword, it was used to remove a rider from a horse or render the horse useless… Served the same purpose as a spear, only with a long swing instead of just a jab…
actually the odachi is anti cavalry and anti ifantry. i know this because its my kenjutsu sensei’s preffered weapon… yes phyre, darren the katana wielding viking from harry potter XD
LOL Darren Like Odachi? How long of an Odachi does he use?
i think the sato is 30-32 inch and the tsuka is about 13.
traditionally (i think) an O-dachi/nodachi would have the Saya carried by hand and dropped on the draw of the blade
I forge swords myself and I have to make mine to withstand 5000 plus pounds of pressure and the are usually single hand or bastard swords so i dont know how these odachi swords hold up to combat. they dont really have very wide blades and theyre so long…
it just doesnt make sense
How many bamboo pegs hold the blade into the handle?
I own that sword! It’s my favorite sword, and weapon of choice. I can wield it decently. I like large swords like this one much better than a smaller katana. Stab and Slice! lol
thing is if i get past the long cutting arc of your odachi with my wakizashi. your odachi cant scratch me
leaving you open to all sorts of nastiness thus the reason you should have 2 preffered weapons one for primary such as an odachi or katana (preferably the later as its much less suicidal) and a shorter weapon so if they get through the cutting arc you drop it and draw your secondary (Y)
also odachis were often forged by swordsmiths as a symbol of there skill and craftmanship
OK, that’s not too bad… Yes, i think that if they were hand carried, it would always be by the saya…
An Odachi is your weapon of choice? Would you really try to use an Odachi against a person wielding a Katana? This I’d like to see… though to be honest, I think the concept of “wielding” an Odachi is oxymoronic, so i tend to think the show down would end with you looking like the latest Ginsu advertisement…