You may have heard that Japanese sword-smiths create their masterful weapons by heating the blade steel, stretching it, and folding it over it self many times. This laborious process requires at times the need for up to five men working in unison. Like many of the world's innovations, it was invented in China. What I did not know was, up to three different alloys of steel are used in this process. Bonding these alloys against one another creates the sharpest possible blade edge, while also maintaining an overall "soft" sword that flexes without snapping.
I also didn't know that the steel is never folded more than 16 times. Ten folds creates 1,000 layers, while 16 folds creates 65,536 layers; folding the steel any more creates a homogenous metal that is very brittle and therefore not useful in weapon-smithying.
Surely it is this centuries-old base of incredible knowledge which ultimately leads Butch Coolidge to disdain the pawn shop's hammer, baseball bat, and chainsaw, and ultimately select the katana as the perfect weapon with which he can avenge Marcellus Wallace from Zed and Maynard.