Bo-hi
2015 10 17
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I made my sword whistle the other day - rather, the sword I was borrowing that I cut myself with. This might seem like a very small accomplishment, but it's how you know you’re swinging it properly, especially with the big swing cuts from over your head. The air whistles along the bo-hi. It's that whoosh sound. I did a couple of practice swings when I first got it into my hands, and didn't realise it was me making the whooshing sounds. I felt like a kid in a candy shop. "Was that me?"
So whenever someone swings a katana and you hear that whoosh sound, it's not a sound effect. They actually do do that.
Some refer to the bo-hi (or hi) as the "blood groove". That's not what it is. As I understand it, the groove is cut along the blade to help lighten it, without sacrificing much/any of its strength. They can be very heavy, carbon-steel katana - and so can alloy iaito blades.