How long would a sword last *really*?

[Andrew NDB]

I mean in terms of carrying the same sword through the centuries, getting into bunches of sword fights. How long would, say, an actual katana hold up?

I feel like even the finest crafted katanas only last for a couple of swordfights in Japan's history before they either break or are dangerously damaged, no?

[Saber Dog]

There are actual katana hundreds of years old. How many times they were used in combat? I have no clue. Edge to edge strikes would yield tremendous pressures and I have to believe they would do significant damage. Perhaps they rotated the blade when blocking or parrying to be less damaging to such a valuable weapon. I can't imagine they disposed of blades as if they were razor blades.

Connor's may have had healing properties. Brenda took a chunk half the size of a fingernail out of that concrete column, but there was no apparent damage.

[Gardner]

I's a kind of magic! I don't think Ramirez Masamune katana would have lasted from 596 BC to Connor's fight against the Kurgan, he must have repaired it countless of times as he did in Highlander III!

[Perfect Warrior]

Just keeping it sharp would destroy it. I have one of my grandmother's knives that's about half it's original width, and that's less than a century.

[Nicholas Ward]

A good sword probably lasts a couple of decades with active use. They're probably prone to Theseus's paradox.

[dubiousbystander]

The swords are semi-Immortal by proximity and regenerate!

[Nicholas Ward]

Self-healing swords!

[Freebooter]

I would probaably get a new on once there were too many nicks in the blade.

[Andrew NDB]

Brenda took a chunk half the size of a fingernail out of that concrete column, but there was no apparent damage.

That always bugged me. Like, damn... that came off the sword?

[Freebooter]

Me too. If a chunk that big broke off my blade I would get a new sword, thinking that big chip weakened my blade where it mighty break or something

[Kladdagh]

That is a really good question ... =O
If you take care carefully of your sword, it could serve you well your lifetime ... and beyond

[Coolwater]

I've seen a cut down katana. It came to the US after WWII as a broken souvenir and the owner sharpened it and used it as a yard knife. I really wanted to take off the handle to see if it had kanji.

[klimbo123]

There are real katana several years of age. How often they were utilized in battle? I do not understand. Edge to edge strikes would yield enormous weights and I need to trust they would do noteworthy harm. Maybe they turned the edge when blocking Lucky Patcher 9Apps VidMate or repelling to be less harming to such an important weapon. I can't envision they discarded cutting edges as though they were extremely sharp edges

[Colleengael]

Even Adrian taught us during the sword experience to block with the side of the blade instead of using the edge. He said that a swordsman must keep his wrists strong and flexible because you want to protect the cutting edge of your blade. He also reminded everyone not to touch the metal blades with your fingers because the oil from your body also contains acids which can damage your blade if you don't clean it regularly and properly. Other martial arts instructors that I have had told me the same thing.

[Andrew NDB]

Even Adrian taught us during the sword experience to block with the side of the blade instead of using the edge. He said that a swordsman must keep his wrists strong and flexible because you want to protect the cutting edge of your blade. He also reminded everyone not to touch the metal blades with your fingers because the oil from your body also contains acids which can damage your blade if you don't clean it regularly and properly. Other martial arts instructors that I have had told me the same thing.

It's true. I've handled swords, put them back in their scabbards to sit in the shadows for years... then pulled them out and can see my fingerprints rusted into the metal of the blade. Whoops!

[Darth Reaper]

It's probably also worth it to consider what materials the swords are made with. Modern steel might last longer than, say, iron or bronze.

I would wager that the practical answer to this question is that Immortals replace parts of their swords from time to time when they're damaged, or simply get new swords or have new versions of their old ones made. I'll bet that the sword The Kurgan uses in 1985 isn't the same sword that he used when he first met Connor in Scotland.

But, I do kind of like the idea that over time an Immortal's sword could be imbued with some of its owner's Quickening, making it stronger and resistant to the ravages of time. Whether this would be done intentionally, is the result of prolonged close proximity to the Immortal, or could even be some kind of psychological effect may depend on the Immortal.

[Perfect Warrior]

So the 'this is my grandfather's axe' thing. (I've replaced the handle five times and the head once, but this is my grandfather's axe.)

[Darth Reaper]

It very well could be.

[Van Owen]

In my own RP, an Immortal may summon forth any weapon that either they, or any any of the Immortals whose Quickenings they hold, have ever used to take a head, and this weapon always appears in pristine shape. To do so, they typically reach as if to draw the weapon from a coat, jacket, or even behind them, and appear to draw it forth, even if the blade itself plainly wouldn't fit there. This works no matter if the weapon was previously broken, or is currently locked away somewhere like a police evidence room, or museum display. In this manner, a rusty medieval sword might vanish from its resting place in a private collection, the bottom of a river, or long buried underground to arrive as new as the day it was made, in the hands of the one calling it forth. This weapon does not have to be a sword--Van Owen has used two firearms to decapitate other Immortals, one was a Thompson SMG, the other was an Accuracy International AW sniper rifle chambered in .338 Lapua. In the case of ranged weapons, however, they'll only arrive with a single magazine worth of the same type of ammunition they were originally loaded with, and more cannot be brought forth in this manner. Likewise the weapon in question must have directly caused the decapitation, rather than achieved it in some indirect manner (such as a knife cutting the rope to a Guillotine), must actually be a weapon, (so no Guillotine, either) and must of a size that the Immortal could reasonably carry it on their person and directly employ it in combat, and cannot be a single use item. (So, no artillery or explosive devices)

[CryptidWorks]

Even Adrian taught us during the sword experience to block with the side of the blade instead of using the edge. He said that a swordsman must keep his wrists strong and flexible because you want to protect the cutting edge of your blade. He also reminded everyone not to touch the metal blades with your fingers because the oil from your body also contains acids which can damage your blade if you don't clean it regularly and properly. Other martial arts instructors that I have had told me the same thing.

Depends on the material. Stainless is pretty rust resistant (it's why it's used in hard-use tools and knives) but the carbon steel used in high-end, battle-ready swords will 100% rust right through if it's not constantly cleaned and maintained after every use or handling.

As likely would the primitive steels used in historical swords unless it came from a source that had elements that cause rust resistance already naturally forming in it

[dubiousbystander]

In my own RP, an Immortal may summon forth any weapon that either they, or any any of the Immortals whose Quickenings they hold, have ever used to take a head, and this weapon always appears in pristine shape.

That is cool! Emotionally, I object to the deus ex machina of it, but it's still quite a clever idea. I'd think it should be a mastered skill, though. Wait, did you say that?

[darkguyver]

Most sword welders tends avoid edge to edge combat and would use the flats of their blades to block or parry attacks. If you are a very skilled swordsman and perform good maintenance on your sword it would last a life time. My Shotokan Karate sensei has a katana that has been in his family since the Edo period, it was handed down from generation to generation. The blade is in very good condition despite it's age, the saya, handle and grip wrapping have been replaced throughout the ages due to wear.

[Michel de Burgoyne]

Hi! According to this video, the Kurgan's sword would only last few seconds!
https://youtu.be/ggvlwELRmXI
Maybe you already know about it otherwise try to watch it until the end and don't throw tomatoes. Although the way the blade halves get together has always flinched me, I have always loved his sword along with that scene when he assembles it and trains in the hotel room.