With all apologies to Obi-Wan Kenobi, it’s strange to think of a weapon as being elegant. And yet despite the nature of their purpose, katana swords are gorgeous instruments; their sleek design makes them worthy of such a description. However, it turns out their exquisite shine has less to do with form and more to do with function, because with just the right turn of the wrist they can be made invisible.
In this video we came across at Kotaku, a katana sword with its reflective face is turned slightly towards the ground, and when it finds the exact angle to reflect the ground, the blade disappears into the background, like an invisibility cloak was thrown on it.
https://twitter.com/wasato0604/status/949834869114195968
You might say you can still see the outline, but that’s only because you were watching it “disappear” and know to look for it. But imagine what this must have been like for a samurai’s enemies who had no such hint. In a flash, an unarmed opponent would suddenly be equipped with a dangerous sword seemingly conjured from thin air. And even if enemies were aware a samurai had a sword, this twist makes it impossible to know just how long the blade is, giving the samurai an advantage anyway. As if facing down a skilled samurai wasn’t hard enough. You might call that an inelegant problem.
Is there any other sword you’d rather use than an “invisible” katana? Slice up our comments section below with your weapon of choice.
Featured Image: Miramax Films
Cut through more stories about katana swords!
- A rocket-powered katana slices a flying drone in half.
- Watch a red-hot katana bend when submerged in water.
- See a katana slice through bottles in slow-mo.
