Actually Unsub A well made Nihon-to(Japanese sword) made traditionally has a blade layered several thousand times as a result of folding ,a crucial part of the forging process.Also the way that a japanese sword was tempered using a clay tempering process results in a blade very similar to the differentially tempered Swamprat knives. That is a softer blade body for toughness with a lower rockwell hardness 45 to 50 or so and an edge with a much higher rockwell hardness probably 60 or higher. This rusults in a nearly unbreakable blade which holds an edge but can withstand a large amount of lateral stress. Swords have been made this same way for centuries in Japan. I am not talking about the $9.99 BudK katanas, I mean real Katanas which cost in the thousands.Class dismissed. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />