Classifications
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Classification
by Age
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Old
Sword [Ko-Tou] |
These
swords were made before 1600. The style and use of the
sword clearly different before the appearance of guns
in 1543, and after that time.
The style has variations relative to peaceful and war
periods in which they were made. Five traditional sword-making
areas are famous. |
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| New Sword
[Shin-Tou] |
These swords were made mostly
during Tokugawa's peaceful period until foreign ships appeared
around Japan in the 1840's. Rules defined the size and exteriors
of these swords. Beside the five traditional sword-making areas
others were added.
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| Very New
Sword [Shinshin-Tou] |
These swords were made during
the fighting age for the Restoration, from the 1840's until
1868. There are many styles, and most of them are very heavy
practical blades and the copies of older blades. Their production
was spread over all of Japan.
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| Modern Sword
[Gendai-Tou] |
These swords were made after
1868 as artistic items rather than as weapons. There are one
hundred sword smiths in Japan and one smith makes two swords
per month.
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Classification
by Length of Blade
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| Katana |
Only swords with blades longer
than 2feet (60cm) are called Katana. The Tachi is longer and
was hang on the belt, blade is downward. The Katana was held
between the belt, blade upward.
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| Wakizashi |
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Swords with
blades between 1 foot and 2 feet in length are called
Wakizashi. More Wakizashi exist than any other Japanese
sword type.
At indoor activities only a Wakizahi was worn. Later not
only by Samurais but Wakizashis were worn by rich, high-ranking
farmers and by people of the merchant class. Many swords
outfits that remain today have cloth wrapped tangs, but
two pictured here have lacquered tang wrappings. They
were practical. |
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The bottom sword pictured here
has 45cm Ko-tou balde. The top sword has a very old 38cm blade
signed "Gatu-san." Gatu-san, a king of religious place, means
"moon mountain" and it was located in the northern part of the
main island. It is a beautiful blade in a beautiful outfit of
Hizen-koshirae.
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| Tan-Tou |
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Swords with
blades of less than one foot (30cm) in length are called
Tan-to ("short blade"). Some dagger types with thick blades
are sometimes called Yoroi-toshi, and they were used in
hand-to-hand fighting.
Tan-tou were not adopted officially as a Samurai's equipment
during the Edo Period,that is form the early 17th century
until the mid-19th century, but they were worn casually.
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Tan-tou baldes and scabbards
are often older than 1600. The blades pictured are Hira-tukuri
blades, probably used for hand-to-hand fighting against heavy
armor. The blade below is signed "Nanki-Shigekuni," and is 25cm
in length. The blade below it used to be a "Yoroi-toushi," which
was mounted in a Navy dagger during the WW II period, and finally
it was mounted in a fancy Gosan-no-kiri crested outfit. It is
a Koto blade.
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Classification
by Area of Production
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Ancient Japan was
divided by many different areas, and every district had its
own style of sword smith. In the Koto Era (until 1600) there
were five distinctive areas: Yamashito, Yamato, Sagami, Mino,
and Bizen. In the Shin-to Era several areas were added which
were to become famous: Setu, Musashi, Kaga, Hizen, Higo, and
Satsuma. In the Sinshin-to Era sword production occurred all
over Japan and there was hardly any place where swords were
not made. To guess the place where a sword was made is one of
the sophisticated pleasures of enjoying Japanese swords.
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This set also
is a combination of Shi-tou Katana and Ko-tou Wakizashi.
The Katana has a straight, Sugu-ha blade of 68cm which
is signed "Kaga-Kane Kiyo." The blade is also in an original
dragon designed outfit. The Wakizashi has a 40cm blade
and is of the style called Osoraku, which means that "probably"
it was once an old long stick weapon blade which later
was converted for use as a Wakizashi.
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Classification
by Blade Shapes
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Most Japanese sword blades look
the same generally, but there are many differences in the details.
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| Curve [Sori] |
A straight Japanese sword blade
is very rare. Most all sword blade have a curve because the
curve is necessary for cutting an object efficiently. The curve's
steepness, and its position - close to the hand, at the middle
of the blade, or close to the tip - is noted in this classification.
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| The Blade
Shape |
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Most Japanese
swords are called Shinogi - tukuri; their blade show welding
lines on both sides which clearly identify the steel which
composes the cutting edge. If a blade does not have these
lines it is called Hira - tukuri. Japanese kitchen knives
mostly are Shinogi - tukuri, and most kitchen knives made
in the west are Hira - tukuri.
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| The Difference
of in Tips |
These two Sugu-ha blade show
two different tip sizes. The top is a Ko-tou blade, Mihara with
narrow Suguha, which has a small tip. The bottom is a Shin-Shin-tou
blade with mid width Suguha, and which has a large tip. Shin-Shin-tous
were made in the fighting era of the mid-19th century. This
blade is signed "Nanki-Shigekuni."
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| Boushi |
| The tip of
this blade that the heated blade edge was turned over
to the upper side of the blade during manufacture. The
resultant pattern on the blade is called a "Boushi," which
means a cap. In the case of this Hira-tukuri Shin-Shin-tou
the heated part of the blade was turned over about 2cm
to the roof, or back, of the blade. The blade pattern
was called "Gunome." |
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