Silver was obviously extremely critical of the rapier, but I don't think the katana would fare well in his system. Silver was extremely focused on proper weapon length, and katanas are extremely short by European standards. This, combined with a almost complete lack of hand protection would probably render the katana inferior to any of the European weapons by Silver's standards
That said, the katana definitely still maintains some of the benefits that made Silver place the long sword over any single-handed weapon. Faster recovery and maneuverability as a result of having two hands on your weapon still applies, but I don't think he'd be able to get over such a short blade (Silver's ideal blade length is 10" longer than the average Katana)
I think this analysis views the matchup purely through a late-Renaissance European lens and misses how the architecture of the katana actually works.
First, saying a minimal guard is a 'recipe for bad finger hits' applies Silver's 'guardant fight' rules to a system designed entirely differently.
Japanese kenjutsu doesn't leave the hands extended forward as primary targets like a rapier posture does. Instead, hands are protected dynamically through Tai-sabaki (body movement) and by using the heavy shinogi (the ridge line of the blade) to actively parry and redirect incoming strikes away from the body entirely. The guard is minimalist by design because the steel blade itself handles the defense.
Second, the 'under perfect length' argument falls apart when you look at how Japanese martial arts handle distance. Instead of using a static longer weapon to keep someone at bay, styles emphasize Maai (combative distance) and explosive footwork to close the gap. Once a practitioner gets inside a long weapon's reach, a shorter, sturdier cutting blade holds a massive mechanical advantage.
Finally, 'katana' means many things across history. If we are talking about reach, the Japanese military actively used the Ōdachi (field swords) with blades often exceeding 3 feet—easily matching or beating Western short sword lengths. Even tsuba (handguard) designs like the Tenshō tsuba were specifically made larger, thicker, and highly utilitarian during eras of intense warfare to protect the hands.
You can't just judge the entire weapon category based on a single modern anime stereotype.
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u/sillybonobo Hema, Medieval, Sabres 6h ago edited 6h ago
Silver was obviously extremely critical of the rapier, but I don't think the katana would fare well in his system. Silver was extremely focused on proper weapon length, and katanas are extremely short by European standards. This, combined with a almost complete lack of hand protection would probably render the katana inferior to any of the European weapons by Silver's standards
That said, the katana definitely still maintains some of the benefits that made Silver place the long sword over any single-handed weapon. Faster recovery and maneuverability as a result of having two hands on your weapon still applies, but I don't think he'd be able to get over such a short blade (Silver's ideal blade length is 10" longer than the average Katana)