Katana vs. Tachi  

I appreciate that most Dark souls specify an Uchigatana, seems like one of the only pieces of media that seems to make that distinction

The tachi was used primarily when the Samurai were mounted archers. It was worn in a way that was more accommodating to riding on horseback. The uchigatana was a foot soldiers weapon at its inception. The Edo period is where the uchigatana became the ubiquitous sword due to mounted warfare being pretty much a thing of the past, and a law dictating what swords a Samurai was required to carry as a mark of their class.

Yes, you got that right. But more info: - Tachi were longer - Tachi were used primarily by cavalry - Uchigatana were used primarily by infantry - Bladesmith markings on the tang always face outward when worn and outward depends on wearing blade edge up vs edge down

I really like your style of content for the shorts. Not flashy or hyper stylized, but also not super watered down. You present yourself professionally and it comes across regardless of the topic you cover. Always enjoy learning about gear, tactics, or history when I see you in my feed!

My favorite hidden difference is also where the swordsmith's signature is. If worn properly, it should be pointing outwards regardless of which one you're talking about.

The only thing not brought up is that their are even more misconceptions because their are tachi made to look like uchi-gatana, and vice versa depending on the style and period that samurai lived in. A Handachi is a Tachi that is less curved and worn downward, same size as the uchi-gatana but used the same way as a tachi or, vice versa. Something I've noticed among weapons with the samurai is that people should never forget their way when it comes to the weapons they use in battle, Musashi always made the emphasis of "always carry the weapons you need, nothing less nothing more" or something along those lines. I imagine this was a way for the warring period samurai to adapt to the more peaceful times while still keeping their traditional style of fighting.

I like to think that when he says he's been "repeatedly educated on the subject" he means Bruce has told him, _many times._ Thanks for sharing this knowledge with us Clark 😀

You're pretty much spot on with this. Interested to know where you got the katana from though. Is it the same seller as with the tachi?

I absolutely love your suit! ❣️

I LOVE the color combo on that tachi, its beautiful.

Seems all the comments have served you well haha! Well done overall! Only thing I would add is that your tachi is a later period (16th century) version around the time the uchigatana was prevalent. Around this time the differences in the sword was mainly the mountings/fittings as the length was essentially the same and curvature varies with all swords but tachi tend to have their curve lower down (closer to the hilt) on the blade while uchigatana were more curved at the end. Early Tachi (11th-13th century) was quite different. Generally lighter and thinner as it is a single arm cavalry sword that had more of a taper and curved more near the hilt of the blade. Some had a pronounced curved but many were nearly straight at the blade. They likely descend from a weapon of the Emishi people called a Warabiteto. Sorry I’m sure you get a lot of comments trying to “correct” you but I’m just trying to help spread more information for the sake of knowledge! Good stuff (Edit: Misspellings)

The uchikatana is a bit straighter due to its main usage in dueling between individuals of the samurai class. The dueling style of sword fighting which evolved into modern kendo emphasizes the technique of thrusting and the mutual confrontation of the 'middle form'. If the sword is mounted blade up, the 'middle form' is a natural posture when pulled out. The Tachi is more curved, and mounted blade down for the ease of deployment in horseback combat during warfare. And when pulled out the tachi goes into the 'upper form', which is a more aggressive form that emphasizes high impact slashing on armored enemies instead of guarding and thrusting of the 'middle form'.

I love how beautifully crafted these swords are and how well maintained they are

You look like a dapper Superman. 😊 The more I watch your content, the more I gain an appreciation for your sword knowledge and solid kata.

Another key distinguishing factor is the handles, Tachi handles have a more pronounced end cap with the ability to mount a sword knot. Katana end caps are less pronounce and can't mount an end cap. It's useful to categorise the swords by their handles, because you also have the Handachi, a tachi that's worn like a Uchigatana with the appropriate mountings. This is also why Japanese military swords are based on 13th Century Japanese sword than swords during the more recent Edo Period.

That orange-green color scheme was dope 👍

I love your historical analysis of these weapons keep it up

That thing got me through the first half of Elden Ring.

Yes, that was an excellent explanation.. my Iaito/Kendo Instructor would be very very pleased with that explanation. Thank you for putting it forward

Thank you for the content! If I can add something I know, katana does not have to be worn upwards. That’s called Ronin zashi(sashi=wearing)/Otoshi zashi(otoshi=dropping), and it’s how lower class samurai or ronin would wear it and could be without wakizashi(the smaller katana), I heard. In Edo period it was the way to wear it in the city. (i don’t know about when they visit somebody higher because i also read somewhere that otoshi zashi was not considered formal.) maybe it depends on where and when. When they go into a castle, they probably had to leave their uchi gatana to the worker in the castle at the entrance, and they go in with their wakizashi, changing the position of it(more forward to make it easier to be seen if you dear to take the sword out). I googled a lot but there are a lot of theories and idk what’s right. But yeah. At least there are ways to wear katana.

The Tachi was designed to be on one's waist while mounted. It was typically longer and was one of the earlier iterations of the Katana. Later, mainly after the Sengoku period, it became more ritualized to have smaller katana in the obi. (belt)

A very well read gentleman with extensive knowledge

You can also easily tell which a sword is by where the signature is. The signature on the tang will always face outward so whichever way the signature faces away from you on the left is the correct way to wear the sword

It’s always a good day when this gentleman uploads

Tachi used primarily by the cavalry. The fact that Tachi has to be hanged curve facing downward is to prevent the tip of the scabbard hitting the back side of the horse. If something hit the back side of the horse, it could panicking the horse or unintentionally triggering it to run faster.

Tachi: Longer, more taper, koshi-zori (curve near hilt), often smaller point, usually signed on the side that faces out when worn edge down. Uchigatana: Shorter, less taper, torii-zori/saki-zori (curve near of the middle/tip), tipically at least a medium-size point, usually signed on the side that faces out when worn edge up.

My understanding of the subject has always been that the tachi predated the more modernized uchikatana and the uchikatana is the result of alterations designed to meet the changing needs of the battlefield and the eventual use of it as a "gentleman's sidearm", as it became a sign of station and combat with a sword became closer and more necessary for thrusting instead of sweeping strokes.

Thank you for actually putting the kanji, and not just the romaji like most people would.

This is one of the most fact-right short videos about the said swords. Tachi predates Katana ( in this case Uchigatana ). In some sources tachi is said to be traced to the 7th century, but archeological traces date to the 9th, but most commonly to the 11th century, while the Uchigatana, or katana dates only to the 16th century, so I have a saying that " the Katana is the youngest Japanese sword ". However, both swords belong to the family of " Japanese swords " or the " Nihonto " in which the word " To " means a curved, single edged sword. Before the " Nihonto " family came along, Japanese used a double edged straight sword called " Tsurugi-ken ". So in this manner, we can difference the words " To " and " Ken " in which the word " To " means a singled edged curved sword, and the word " Ken " means a doubled edged straight sword. Another point is that Samurai-san in 11th century used to be horsemen with bows and arrows, and a Tachi as a backup weapon, so Tachi commonly has a more curved blade, because it is easier to use and cut in swings from horseback. It could be said that Tachi is equivalent to a European saber. Kacem sensei is very good at explaining and showing the technique. Look him up. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3x0JbDXXDhU.html

Another difference is the curvature itself. Uchigatana have a more symmetric curvature at the center of the blade. The tachi’s curve is closer to the hilt, which leads to a more pronounced curve in the hilt.

You did get it right! Japanese blades despite being super popular are also super misunderstood. Good on you for passing on solid info!

Tachi was used by samurai in older periods of Japan, when the combat in battlefields were more frequent. The fact that the curve hangs upwards was due to the efficiency into drawing while mounting a horse.

There's also the distinction of the usage of these swords, which is closely related to the eras in which they were most widely used. Tachi were battlefield swords, and fittingly saw the height of their use in the Muromachi and Sengoku Jidai (warring states) periods, when battlefield warfare among samurai factions was common and widespread all across Japan. The uchigatana, meanwhile, was historically a sidearm and a required badge of status for samurai in civilian settings, and it accordingly rose to prominence in the following Edo period, which saw an end to constant warfare and a gradual shift in the societal role of samurai from a warrior class who served the local territories of their lords to essentially a glorified bureaucrat class who lived mostly in urban centers. This is the reason the uchigatana is smaller and why it's worn blade-side up: it made the sword easier to draw and use at a moment's notice, kept it from physically getting in the way of everyday activities when sheathed, and also displayed the sheathed swords more prominently on the wearer's body. TL;DR: Basically the Tachi is to a Longsword or Greatsword (i.e., primarily a battlefield weapon) as the katana is to a sidesword or spadroon (a smaller sidearm meant for civilian settings, duels, etc.)

thank you for the explanation

Thank you I’ve been wondering about this for years

Something important to remember when classifying swords (at least European ones, but I think it's similar for everywhere) is that they were made to serve a function first and foremost and not to fit a definition, many terms we use for swords nowadays were only invented a good while after the swords had stopped being used, if you asked the people at the time most likely they'd just call it a sword. My point is that the definitions aren't law.

I know there are subtle differences in size and weight, also usage. But the overall process in the creation of these masterpieces is pure genius and the pinnacle of sword manufacture in himan history. No other weapon ever made can match the beauty, strength and durability of the Japanese Katana. If there was ever a Zombie apocalypse and there is no more ammo I would want a good bow not an Umi and a Katana.

Specifically you can also look at the fittings on the tsuba and Kashira. Tachi tend to have two seppa on either side of the tsuba (where uchigatana usually only have one seppa on either side) a larger kashira with a ring through it that fits to the tsuka itself (where uchigatana usually just have a cap fastened by the tsuka maki) and can have two habaki, usually with the outer one made of silver (ive seen this more on tachi but is not too uncommon in uchigatana). Less definitively tachi tend to have more floral patterns for their fittings, where as uchigatana tend to not have a specified theme. Tachi can also forgo samegawa (the ray skin under the wrappings) often times lacquering the wood beneath with pretty colors, OR they can forgo tsuka maki (the wrappings over the ray skin) leaving only the ray skin and fittings visible, neither of these are often done with Uchigatana or Wakizashi but are seen in both Tanto and Tachi.

Thanks for the lesson of the day

It good to learn small details on different ways

I learned something new today. Thank you.

Whoa, not a lot of people know that katana actually means one sided blade. Kata (片) means "one side" (or "part of a set") and na (な) here means "edge" (or blade). Good stuff!

I appreciate the color syncing between your shirt and the wall lol

Wow. Here I thought sekiro was being odd by some of the bosses having them wear the blade down. I knew they did it for a reason but it didn't make sense with the limited knowledge I had. Now i know. Thanks

Tachi were used at a period where warmen used horse a lot, so this is why the curve, the handle and the bigger size often. The other at a peace period where warmen were mainly maintaining order and status. Like in people, in war there is a selective evolution

You're correct. There's also something of a maker's mark on the tang or blade. The sword is meant to be worn so this mark faces out. It is worth noting that this isn't a hard and fast rule as many tachi were reforged shorter to be converted into uchigatana towards the early years of the uchigatana's inception.

So as long as its a curved single edged blade its basically determined on how the maker decided to mark the tang and how you choose to wear it rather than any hard defined physical characteristic if I understand correctly Unless specifically longer and more curved which seems to be somewhat subjective

The reason for the Tachi and Uchigatana being so different has their reasons. Tachi: Was a bit heavier, was a chavalry sword, most of the time had slightly thicker blades (to slice'n dice better through light armor) and the length and wider curve was what a samurai riding a horse wanted. Uchigatana: At some point, samurai realized that riding a horse with a pointy stick rather than a sword stick or a sword was much better than just the sword. So they took older designs (back when they still used one handed, double-edged straight swords [Tsurugi]) and made the tachi smaller, thinner and less curved. Now you have a sword that you can just carry around in public.

Also, a great way to tell historical examples apart just from the blade itself would be the smith's signature on the tang that was generally facing outward from the way it was meant to be worn. While it wasn't always the case as the Japanese were known to shorten blades and covert Tachi into Uchigatana or even use them on pole arms as a way to recycle the blade you can tell what a blade originally was based off this method.

It gets funnier when you realise that in period the word tachi was occasionally used for the uchigatana too

Tachi are usually longer and used for war, a katana is usually shorter and used for self defense. It’s like the difference between a rifle and a pistol.

Tachi where older style swords. The form eventually went out of fashion and many where reshaped into the modern katana forms. Several items in the British Museum started life as tachis, but with the passage of time, they got modified.

Thankfully another soul that realizes the true name of the ‚katana‘

From what I can recall reading, Uchigatana were practically Tachi that later had to be cut shorter into Katana lengths due to the change in laws that prohibited carrying swords longer than the regular length we see on katana. You are supposed to tell the difference by looking at the tang, because the signature of the smith is on different spots between a katana and a tachi (which would be indistinguishable from a katana once it has been turned into an uchigatana). The word uchi might mean "strike", as in "striking sword", but it seems to me like the more plausible literary meaning is "struck/hammered/smithed sword" as the Uchigatana is a Tachi that had to be smithed again to be shortened into size. This tells the buyer/user of the general quality of the sword, in that it was an existing piece essentially "cut and reforged", instead of a product that was made as-is. I recall a famous daimyou owning a famous sword that came from another famous daimyou and it was one of these "shortened" swords in classification. I just can't recall the names since it was way back then when I read about it.

The difference is not only in the way to carry two swords. But in also who was to use them. Tachi was used by elite samurai, nobles and generals, while uchigatana by ordinary samurai. Tachi was heavy and with proper skill you could make bigger damage to the opponent.

Sounds right. I think the tachi was designed to be used from horseback oposed to the shorter katana.

Well, turns out the katana I own is actually a Tachi. That’s cool, cheers for the quick education

If one has the means to do so, might I humbly suggest purchasing a katana from a Japanese swordsmith. A lot of people don't realize that they're going extinct. There are only 300 of them left, some of whom have shut down or stopped taking apprentices due to the pandemic. With them, the knowledge of how to make katana is going extinct as well. Any support would probably help, I imagine.

What you call them depends on how tall you are and whether or not it’s on a pole. The blade is the blade. The rest is just semantics.

Oh so that's why Rean Schwarzer wore his sword with the blade down. He DID say it's a Tachi instead of a Katana/Uchigatana

Uchigatana only a matter of time before Gucci makes its own line of Katanas called Guchigatana

Beautiful blue color on the uchigatana

Another one is the Nodachi, which is essentially a larger version of a Tachi

So by this the blades can be so similar that the sheath is the main dusting feature.

so beautiful swords ❤

They both KEELS

Tachi was the OG blades of legends

oh cool!! so that's why you see people with two swords in those positions. I thought they were just different ways of holding them, didn't realize they were completely different styles of katana

The existence of the uchigatana raises the question of what would make a sotogatana

Seems like other pretty much gave all the tips. two things i may add that could be useful: the taper with the tachi is stronger, the point could be quite small and it could have more meat/niku compared to edo period katanas etc. purpose of the niku was to protect the edge bit more. iirc from what research i have done the its true the tachi was mostly worn edge down however so was the katana in war times. Iirc edge up was reserved for peace times , edge down for feuds and war. To wear a tachi/katana edge down in peace time could mean someone planned on doing blood shed in a warlike manner. Not an expert on kanji and japanese esoterism but the kanji or sign for wearing the sword edge upward is similar to peace or luck , wearing it edge down was similar to kanji of war or death iirc. Something along those lines.

"This isn't always the case." Very true! Sometimes it's called a scabbard or a sheath!

Katana is for horseback and battlefield Uchigatana is for 1 on 1 encounters in the street and are slightly shorter and are meant for killing enemies with a single blow (iajuitsu/battoujutsu).

From memory you might also be able to tell the difference by looking at the Tsuka, the handle, if the blade is furnished: On Tachi the handle tends to continue following the same curve of the blade, whilst on Uchigatana it tends more straight. Probably not a hard and fast rule but certainly looks true for the two examples in the video.

You're really right. The Tachi was used in battle on horse. It was warn edge down to be easaly draw with one hand to slice while riding. Thats the reason for edge down and more curvature.

Odachi/nodachi is my favorite kind of sword from Japan, loved using it in nioh

Tachi is a war sword that samurai actually used in battle. Katana is a dress sword that you carry with you to show your status, and for self defense. Shorter, lighter, more comfortable for everyday carrying. But a lot less deadly and suited to a battlefield. And during the centuries without big wars after Tokugawa won katana became the main sword that everybody used.

Bro you are literally Clark Kent. 😭😭😂

Shadowversity did a good video about this recently. There is also the udi-techi, or the udachi. His points were 1- people are different sizes, so their swords can be too. 2- it really depends on how they are used, not their characteristics. Katana are warn by samurai exclusively and is of a more everyday symbol of status. Tachi are warn in battles. The tachi's most distinct difference is not only the blades curve and length, but the hilt was often "off center" as in that it angles away from the rest of the sword. Think count duko's dealing Saber. I would assume this was to make for stronger slashes. Probobly more common for mounted combat

I can't get over the fact that he looks like Ralph Caspers, a german actor who explained science to children on german TV when I was a kid. And now his Doppelgaenger explains sword stuff to me on youtube

if im not wrong the main difference is in the way they made them , originally tachi were a more traditional kind of sword in how they made it , while the katana used a different way where the hard part ia on the edge and is soft on the back making it heavier and sturdier kinda, that method is why the katana was a big deal , later they used the method on many othwr weapons and even some chinese reverse engineer it with some of their swords , the method also make the shape more natural while the original tachi the curve was manually shaped instead of a secondary effect while cooling , tho... i think that they also qre making tachi now with that method ... so now the differences are more of nitpicks on very detailiatic things

Thank you! I remember some rando at a renfair tried to "discreetly" tell me I was wearing my sword wrong.

thank you! I'm gonna show this to a lot of people I've been trying to prove wrong for a while

My understanding from school gladatorius is in the usage. A odachi is a cavalry weapon back when samurai were primarily mounted troops. But like many historians will say. A lot of these are just us trying to categorize everything.

Bill Nye’s son teaches me about swords

the fact that he is holding them like that tells you everything you need to know, you do not hold them like that, it is very disrespectful

I get immense Vergil vibes from this guy.

This is like trying to understand the difference between a sabre and a scimitar

As a person with 0 years of experience in katanas and swords, i can say this video is very correct!

There was this fantasy game called Arkona. It was set in the X century. Slavic nations vs Catholics. You could play as one of those fractions. Magic was based on Slavic and catholic beliefs. All monsters where from folklore. Equipment was only from that time period. Pretty neat game tbh

Tachi is used from The horse back, The way of carry and The more curved blade is both advantages from Fighting cavallry

Listen I love ur vids but I need to ask, do u sell katanas🤔

The tachi was usually made longer than the katana, and tapered off more intensely towards the tip. This length and thinner tip made the tachi more effective on the battlefield than the katana. The katana was made afterwards and was modeled after the needs of self defense rather than during war.

It is good to recognize though that to pre-Edo Japanese (even samurai)…and also during and after the Edo period, a sword was just a sword fit for your needs, and named as you pleased according to your purpose. A wakizashi no kodachi 脇差の小太刀 (shortsword) to one may have been a tachi 太刀 / katana 刀 (longsword) to another depending on their respective body size. Sword naming was VERY individual-arbitrary up until modern times when someone felt that a naming standard had to get established…rather arbitrarily.

Also one fact from distinguish them from another is Tachi's hilt is slightly more curve than Katana's.

I thought that the difference is not only in how these swords are carried, but that one is a sword for war, and the other is a costume sword (like a European rapier) as far as I understand, During the reign of Tokugawa Ieyasu, it was forbidden to wear a long obi, which is why long swords were purposefully shortened and there was no point in wearing them on a sling. Maybe I'm wrong, so don't throw pissing rags at me

I can hear the scream of someone calling out “weeeeeeebooo”

You missed the biggest point regarding the blacksmith's marking on the nakago (tang.) If it's a tachi then the marking will be on the side which would be showing if the blade was worn with the edge down. The inverse is true about uchigatana. There is of course a caveat to this given if the blade is mumei or without a signature. The default blade geometry is then generally taken into consideration: blade length to handle length ratio summarily in the order of 2/3s to 1/3, ie a uchigatana with a blade length of 30 inches will usually have a handle close to 10 inches. This of course has multiple stipulations as well; tachis being cut down in size to uchigatana format etc. The more you read into nihonto the more you realize how complex it truly is, despite seeming outwardly straightforward. Cheers.

I think it's funny how aggressive modern people will argue about names, when in those times they probably misidentified, if at all, the swords they were selling to the warrior

Could you do a video on the effectiveness of gauntlets in sword fights?

you got the mountings correct. but, a tachi is an older sword. the uchigatana is a prototype katana that was derived from modified tachis that can be worn without the mountings. this modification is called a handachi (half tachi) the modification became popular due to it being easier to draw, hence the uchigatana was made. a straighter and shorter sword that's quick on the draw after the sengoku era, there are laws implementing on standardizing swords. hence, the katana was developed for this standardized sword law