Haidong gumdo- penetration power and edge retention of ayame
by Brandon
(United states )
I too am a practitioner of Haidong gumdo (It is fun, what can I say :-)) and Ayame is the perfect sword in my honest opinion, for the job. The ayame has similar edge retention to that of the tenchi and shura, the tip(kissaki) is more frail, however. But, penetration power is only used on straw mats, which are soft targets, as a result, this will not affect the tip very much.
Now, Seeing how I actively use my tenchi and ayame, I have grown to like the ayame more. I can say without a doubt that this sword is superb! My sensei actually got one after I showed him, he is a collector too though, he doesn't use it, but I am not going to sit here and keep rambling :-)
The tenchi has edge retention that is a little bit better than the ayame, so beginners should go for the tenchi, also because the shobu-zukuri katana is exceptionally dangerous, one false move and the tip can go right through your hand. When sheathing, the tip is fairly long, so it is tricky to maneuver, which has resulted in many, many injuries. A friend of mine came close to stabbing it through his arm, even though he had no problem with a jingum.
The Jingum that I have seen at minimum cost $1300 dollars, I have not found too many, and I highly doubt that there are any in this price range, so I had to go with what was available, and best for straw mat cutting, which is what I like to do most. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right? Life gave me an ayame instead of a jingum....Wait, I hope that you guys don't think that I am implying that the ayame was made for making lemonade.....hehe, just kidding.
All and all, I am totally satisfied with this sword, I encourage you to go and get one, especially if you practice gumdo.
Thanks for reading!!! ^^
