Underside of tang (unsharpened metal area of the sword)
18.
Hitoe
Upper portion of tang
19.
Nakago-jiri
Butt of tang
20.
Mekugi-ana
Peg hole
21.
Mune-machi
Notch—merge of mune (30) and hitoe (18)
22.
Ha-machi
Notch—merge of ha (24) and nakago (17)
23.
Mei
Swordsmith’s inscription
The Blade
24.
Ha
Cutting edge
25.
Hamon
Temper line
26.
Yakiba
Tempered portion of blade
27.
Jigane
Area between the hamon (25) and the shinogi (28)
28.
Shinogi
Longitudinal ridge located above the jigane (27)
29.
Shinogi-ji
Area located between the shinogi (27) and mune (30)
30.
Mune
Back of blade
31.
Hi
Blood-groove
32.
Kissaki
Upper portion of pointed blade-end
33.
Fukura
Cutting part of the kissaki (32)
34.
Boshi
Tempered part of the kissaki (32)
35.
Yokote
Latitudinal line that separates the ha (24) from the fukura (33)
36.
Mitsukado
Junction of the shinogi (24), ko-shinogi (38) and yokote (35)
37.
Monouchi
Maximum striking area of the ha (24)
38.
Ko-shinogi
Extension of the shinogi (28) beyond the yokote (35)
THE SWORD MAINTENANCE KIT
1. Uchiko
Powder hammer
2. Washi
Cleaning cloth
3. Mekuginuki
Small brass hammer
4. Oil cloth
For applying oil to the samurai sword
5. Choji oil
Oil for use with the samurai sword
An essential accompaniment to any samurai sword is the sword maintenance kit. It is a multipurpose tool that enables the user to clean the sword and dismantle it in a safe manner, without damaging the hardware or the sword’s intricate components. Like an improperly maintained aircraft that might experience mechanical failure during flight and endanger the lives of its passengers, a samurai sword that is poorly maintained might lose its functionality and put its owner at risk. Hence, it was historically imperative for the samurai that his honor- and life-preserving sword be kept in an optimal working state. Neglecting to do so was a serious matter, because it could impair the samurai’s performance and consequently result in a dishonorable death. Proper maintenance of the sword is no less important today. To ignore it is to invite serious physical injury.
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR GUIDELINES
The following are guidelines for regular maintenance of the samurai sword. As a general rule, before and after every use, perform these procedures in order to achieve maximum functionality and longevity of the sword.
