How do jingums differ from katanas?

QUESTION: I am now interested in jingums. I just wonder how they are different from katanas. As far as I understand, the differences are the tip, the width, and the weight of the blade. With lighter and wider blade, a jingum can be wielded faster and can cut better than a katana. Is that correct?

ANSWER: Jimgums aren't really my strong point (at all) and I could be wrong with my answers here (I'm sure someone will correct me if I am off base).

But my understanding is that the Jingum's blade is thinner and wider as you note (a bit like 'competition cutters'), with a kissaki much like a Shobu Zukuri Katana and quite a style of fittings and it has less curvature than a Katana.

They definitely feel lighter than a Katana (usually around half a pound or more) and handle accordingly - though as to them being a better cutter or not, I'm not going there - wars have been fought for less..! Lol.

- Paul

Comments for How do jingums differ from katanas?

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Jingums
by: bradg

Jingums cut Very Well. Of course, at $1400 each I would hope they did. The Martial Art Swords (MAS) jingums are basically the same as the official WHDGDF jingums; the only difference is the fittings and trim.
From my experience cutting bamboo, I can say every jingum I have used has been a pleasure to cut with.

Jingum
by: Anonymous

Jingums are thinner but wider that is the fundamental difference

Jingum VS Katana
by: Ernie Harper

Hi Paul
It's been too long away from your web page, hope you're doing well? Now to swords the Jingum was firs made around 300 ad and true Jingums look and feel like a katana. The ones you can buy State side are not true Jingums, a true Jingum starts around $1,200.00 and up. I have taken JSA for about 23 years and Haidong Gumdo for about 6 years. If you want a very good sword that looks and feels like a real Jingum buy sword fro Paul.. Real Jingums and katan as are made the same way. Hope this helps?

Differences
by: AJ

there's a few things that set the two swords apart.

first something I have only most recently learned is that in construction, Japanese smiths fold their steel(tamahagane), Korean smiths from what i've been told spread the metal (?), the process is different but yields essentially the same effect (more research needed).

the bend or "suri" of a Jingum is less than a katana, the Jingum blade is wider, traditionally contains no groove (bohi), and no ridge (shinogi)
it comes to a sharp consistent curve as it crests at the tip. Jingum do seem a bit lighter and in my experience cut just as well.

i care not for the culture war that koreans and japanese go to town on, i have studied both systems and used both style swords for half my life, I enjoy both styles/swords and both have value.

About the same
by: Musashi D

Jingums and Katanas are about the same. The funny thing is that they are technically both jingums. Te reason is the the literal translation of jingum is "real (true) sword". Gum meaning sword and jin, from the Chinese 'zhen', means real or true.

My Korean Gumdo Master did a lot of cultural outreach with Kenjitsu dojos in Japan. He basically said the swords cut the same. However using them in forms (which is is seldom the case), or extremely dynamic cutting demos, may feel different.

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