Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin
I was not actually saying anything about the use of the _word_" "katana". Use of katana v. tachi may indeed go back that far but i believe thye were distinguishing infantry swords from cavalry swords that are otherwise very similar. We can get into how they are worn too if you want.
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In fact, I've heard people claim that one of the key differences between the two was which side of the blade the swordsmith stamped his mark. Tradition dictates the smith's mark should be worn facing out, and cavalry and infantry usually wear swords on opposite sides.