You might have missed the line in Balanced Blade's description that it's 'A small sidearm to a longer, heavier weapon, perhaps.' The Old Country is largely based on the Heian Period, so if you want to look at weapons from that time the Swift Sword would be more of a tachi than a katana and the Balanced Blade would probably be a tanto, maybe a kodachi if you want to play a bit loose with the timing because this is a game and not a work of historical fiction.
On that note, Tobs has mentioned that Not!Japan kind of sped through a bunch of periods so it's not going to be strictly limited to any one in particular even if the bulk of influence comes from Heian Japan. So yeah, depending on what period you want to imagine the weapons are from, Balanced Blade would be a tanto, kodachi or wakizashi and the Swift Sword would be a tachi, katana or maybe an odachi, though those aren't really meant to be used one-handed.
This concludes Wolfram's Weeb Hour, back to your regular programming.
On that note, Tobs has mentioned that Not!Japan kind of sped through a bunch of periods so it's not going to be strictly limited to any one in particular even if the bulk of influence comes from Heian Japan. So yeah, depending on what period you want to imagine the weapons are from, Balanced Blade would be a tanto, kodachi or wakizashi and the Swift Sword would be a tachi, katana or maybe an odachi, though those aren't really meant to be used one-handed.
This concludes Wolfram's Weeb Hour, back to your regular programming.
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I don't think I did, swords, as effective as they are, is usually the last weapon you would want to use in open battle, the polearm of some kind reigns king in the foot soldier's battlefield. Swords are the equivalent of a secondary weapon.
I've always assumed it's a waki and a katana, personally.
I repeat: Small sidearm. I don't care what standards you're using, a ~70cm blade (which is what any of the proper swords would be) is not 'small' unless you're a giant.
By the descriptions, the Balanced Blade is shorter than the Swift Sword so if you think the former is a katana I don't want to know what you think the latter is supposed to be.Also, this is a fantasy game where you can fight hordes of enemies while armed with a dagger and still win, I don't think 'muh realism' is anywhere on the priority list.
Just identify em as 'weeb weapons' and call it a day.