the warrior into the building as his only source of protection. Therefore, this short sword became critically important and was often worn along with the katana, tucked into the belt, and ready for use.
Tantō—The tantō is a sword that is very short, usually serving the function of utility knife, self defense weapon and for use in seppuku, ceremonial self-disembowelment. Tantō come in many sizes and shapes but are generally less than 30 cm. Despite the size of the tantō, it showcases the same craftsmanship as its larger cousins. Therefore, the tantō is still considered a work of art equal to its longer counterparts. Tanto are sometimes given to newborn child ren as protective talismans, referred to as mamori-gatana.
Distinguishing Blade Characteristics
Swords are often discussed, evaluated, and appraised/ attributed using several measurements. These measurements are considered, along with other attributes, to determine the school, smith, condition, and even the value of a sword.
Length—The length of a sword, called the nagasa, is determined by measuring the distance between the tip of the kissaki and the munemachi. While nagasa is often used in describing the cutting edge in terms of length, overall blade length can be measured from the tip (kissaki), to the tang-end (nakago-jiri).
The daisho set, consisting of katana and wakizashi swords, was produced to be worn together.
The ken-brandishing Buddhist deity Fudo Myo-o.
The upper section, handle, and tang of a disassembled katana.
The tantō has a short, utilitarian blade.
Thickness—The thickness of a sword, as measured from its lateral sides’ ridges (mune-kado), is called kasane. Swords are described as being thick or thin. Some blades that have been polished many times are referred to as “tired,” because this measurement has decreased as a result of much of the metal having been polished away. On the contrary, swords that have retained their original kasane are sometimes called “robust,” or “healthy.”
Width—The width of the sword from edge (ha-saki) to back (mune-saki) is measured at two places on the sword. The first measurement, called sakihaba, measures the width from ha to mune at the yokote (the ridge delineating the sword’s point). The second measurement is called motohaba and it is taken between the ha and mune at the habakimōtō (the area at the base of the sword covered by the habaki). The relative difference in these measurements can mean different things to an expert appraiser. The term fumbari is used to describe the degree of tapering between the base and the tip. Therefore, blades with a lot of fumbari are considerably narrower at the tip than at the base.
Curvature—The depth of a sword’s curve is called the
sori. Sori is measured between the deepest point between the mune and the sword’s imaginary nagasa line.
Sword Tip Design (Kissaki)
The tips (kissaki) of swords show different types of construction in various schools and in various historical periods. Although each offers slight differences in performance, the selection of a certain type of kissaki over another is usually done as a result of a sword maker’s instructional lineage, personal style and trends of the historical era. Three basic kissaki are frequently seen, as shown below.
Edo era fittings for the tachi are often ornamental, as many were ceremonial and given as gifts among high-ranking samurai. Note the attention to detail in the metalwork as well as the harness and cords.
The terminology for different parts of the blade.
The angle of a kissaki varies and is influenced by training, individual preference and the fashion of the day. The three basic types are shown here.
Temperline Patterns (Hamon)
When a Japanese sword is made, a special process of hardening the sword creates a wavy line. The line, called the hamon, is the delineation between hard edge-steel and the softer steel in the back of the blade. See Chapter 2 for more information on this process.
Shown here are some examples of hamon. They have been expertly drawn by mukansa-level sword polisher Abe Kazunori. This type of drawing, called oshigata, is an art form in and of itself. Painstakingly difficult, oshigata allows the subtle and sometimes hard-to-distinguish features of swords to be seen all at once and without special lighting conditions.
STRAIGHT (SUGUHA)
Suguha hamon run parallel and equidistant from the cutting edge. Variations generally refer to the width of the line from the hamon to the cutting edge and include hoso-suguha (narrow), chu-suguha (medium), and hiro-suguha (wide).
IRREGULAR (MIDAREBA)
All hamon other than suguha can be considered midareba. However, due to the great variety of irregular hamon, many types of midareba hamon have names of their own. Midareba hamon can either be classified as ko-midare (small irregularities) or ō-midare (large irregularities) depending on how irregular they are. According to the Nihon Tōken Hozon Kai, this hamon was established by the famous Masamune of Sagami and propagated by other schools as his works’ influence spread throughout Japan. Some irregular hamon are featured here to introduce readers to the art of hamon.
WAVES (GUNOME)
Gunome hamon show relatively regular wavy pattern.
IRREGULAR WAVES (NOTAREBA)
Notareba hamon are created with waves that seem to swell towards and away from the cutting edge in an irregular pattern.
CLOVE FLOWERS (CHOJI)
Chōji hamon come in many variations and mimic the clove bud. These hamon are generally irregular but their clove patterns can be regularly waved, irregularly wavy, small, or large.
BAMBOO CURTAIN (SUDAREBA)
Sudareba
