Samurai Sword Katana in US

What is Civil War Swords?

2010-05-24T00:43:00.000-07:00

It is generally agreed today collectible Civil war swords history started with manufacturing of sharpened blades in 1830. Many states in pre-war years began to hint the impending crisis, and had started to trained militias and stacked them with firearms and swords. About a hundred American smelting companies supplied the market, many of whom copied the classical form of European blades.

The rise of Civil War swords

Firearms were standard military weapons during this tumultuous time. But their loading and unloading was not as efficient as they are today. When enemies were engaging in close combats, guns and bullets were impractical and even risky to use. Here, the Civil War swords found their purpose: to decide the fate of soldiers on the ground at a crucial moment when their guns were mute and their bullets were of no help. They were the soldier’s last line of defense.

Historically speaking however, swords and other edged blades such as knives and lances were not heavily combative. Only one out of every 250 injuries was caused by saber or bayonet attacks, and majority of the cases were personal duels of honor.
Types of Civil War swords

There are two basic types of civil war swords: the battle ready and the ceremonial. Many of the existing antique Civil War swords were actually dress, ceremonial, or presentation swords. They served no other purpose than to decorate, recognize the rank or authority of, and award distinguished soldiers and officers during the war. The battle ready swords on the other hand were used for actual fight.

Union and Confederates Civil War swords

The Union (of the North) and the Confederates (of the South) used the same designs for weaponry. It is therefore very tricky to distinguish Union swords from Confederates swords; for instance, it is difficult to recognize Civil War cavalry sabers of the Union from that of the Confederates. During the opening months of the war, trade blockades were set up. Ambushes on supply routes and looting were frequent. The Confederates cornered many government-issued Union swords and used them. When the Union had gained some advances, the Confederates swords were made by local smiths from the South to produce their own American officer and presentation swords. But design and form were very similar to the Union’s. Thus, the antique American swords from the Civil War period are still hard to classify.

Civil war swords for troops

Antique American swords today have been grouped according to their designs and the position to which they are issued to. Some of the most famous civil war blades are:

• Civil War Foot soldiers sword/Foot Artillery Sword – is likened to the classical Roman swords. It features a fuller at the centerline of the blade, brass-hilted, and a the scabbard has brass fittings.

• Civil War army Staff and Field Officer’s Sword – has a curved blade. The grip is leather-wrap and wound brass wire. The leaf-shaped hand guard has the midrib extending out towards a pommel, forming a knuckle guard.

• Civil War artillery Officer’s saber – is similar to French model and has a more delineated curved blade longer than the Field Officer’s sword. Its scabbard is premium steel, the grip is leather-wrap and wound with brass wire. Its

• Civil War cavalry saber – is different from the artillery Officer’s saber for its longer, but less curved blade. It has three-branched guard that extends toward the pommel to form a knuckle guard. The grip is leather-wrap and wound with brass wire.

• Civil War US Naval cutlass – is patterned after the saber-liked European sword. It has a short blade, straight or sometimes slightly curving, with a broad face. The grip is leather-wrap and wound with brass wire.

• Civil War NCO (noncommissioned officer) sword – has German influences. It has a long, straight, single-edged blade with a brass hilt. It has a round-plated hand guard, which extends to a small globe-shaped pommel. Some of the blades have leather scabbards instead of steel.

Collectible Civil War swords

Collecting antique American swords produced at the time of the Civil War is not just a hobby. For some collectors, it is a way of rediscovering the lessons of history. The United States of America is now considered a democracy at its prime. Its constitutional guarantees for equality, its people’s enjoyment of liberal rights, and the end of slavery and forced labor are all legacies of the scarring Civil War.

Thus, collectible Civil War swords are your ticket to America’s darkest, yet most enlightening, war. Starting your own small collection is probably the best way to learn history. After all, they are not just swords you are gathering. They are pieces of memory, the threads of the past, the stirring narratives of soldiers whose pains and triumphs have given to a bright promise of today.

History of Medieval Sword

2010-04-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

Medieval swords are like leaves. They spring forth from different branches, but they belong to only one tree. In the same way, swords from the Middle Ages came from different countries and small kingdoms. Their number and origin are so vast that some of them are now forgotten. The art of their making, as well as the craftsmanship required, are also lost. But they sprung forth for only one need: to kill.

Copper, Bronze, and Iron Swords

What are medieval swords? The swords that were forged in Medieval Ages were distant cousins from crude daggers used in 3000 B.C. Copper was already mined as far as 3700B.C. and was therefore the metal used for short and long daggers. They found their weapons from pure copper frustrating, as these were not long enough to be used for slashing and thrusting.

Smiths in ancient Egypt and Asia made an alloy called bronze by melting copper and tin in 2500 B.C. When the smiths lengthened daggers to make swords, the metal bronze becomes ductile and bends. They had to wait for other substances that would improve the strength of bronze, or a good substitute to it, to be discovered.

The metal iron was mined by the ancient people – the Hittites – of Turkey at the same time as they did with copper. However, the method of forging swords out of iron was devised only at around 1400 B.C. Iron swords were longer, bolder, and bigger to be potent weapons for hand-to-hand combat.

Iron Swords around the Ancient World

In Europe, medieval age swords were descendants primarily from the iron swords of the Roman Empire. Other European tribes like the Vikings and Saxons were also skilled in ironworking at those times, but the Romans had the greater influence on middle age kingdoms and their method of medieval sword making. The sword used at that time, called spatha, was used by gladiators and Roman foot soldiers. It was straight, long-pointed, and double-edged of about a meter in length.

In Asia, the Chinese forged the then bronze double-edged jian sword and its close relative, the single-edged dao, in 3000B.C. The Chinese then use the metal iron to improve their weaponry. The Japanese and Koreans used these Chinese iron swords long before 800AD. Southwest Asian countries like Persia and India forged swords made from iron and they called them scimitars, a curved sword that can be seen in the Coat of Arms of Saudi Arabia.

The rise of Steel Swords

At the turn of 10th century, iron and iron-alloy swords became insufficient. The armor used by knights and soldiers became very heavy, impenetrable, and hard. The swords were easily broken and the edges jarred, providing more pressure for ancient smiths to improve the craft. The concern was not only about how to make a medieval sword, but how to improve them.
In Europe, steel became the alloy of choice. Steel was produced by combining carbon and iron. Not only did it make the swords fatal, they also made them heavy and sharp. The heaviest and the largest medieval sword belonged to a giant Dutch rebel. It weighed fifteen pounds and is seven feet long.

In Japan, the production of samurai sword set started. They were built according to a complex hammering, inlaying, and molding of iron ores, carbon, anvil water, and steel fibers. The scimitars also underwent the same improvement, although of a different process.

Medieval Swords as Angels of Death

The result of advanced sword-making process and use of better substances produced an array of stunning and fatal medieval swords, weapons strong enough to slice metals into shreds. The grip, or the handle, was given more area so that knights, samurai, and soldiers can hold their weapons with two hands. With sharpness, more weight, and momentum, the weapons were transformed into lethal Angels of Death.

The Zulqifar, the scimitar of Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali, became legendary after it cut an enemy into two. European medieval swords were renowned too for their ability to cut through any object, metal, or rock.

But the best of all medieval swords are the samurai in Japan. Here sword-making was not only a matter of production, but an art-form. It has been said that when ancient samurai swords were tested during the World War II, they were able to cut through the barrel of a machine gun in one slash.

History of Daggers

2010-04-21T00:59:00.000-07:00

If you think only swords are important in the history of our world, think again. Daggers may be shorter in length, but they have many tall tales to tell too. For instance, St. Peter used a Roman dagger to cut an ear of a soldier on the night Jesus was arrested (John 18:10). Famous Roman senator Julius Caesar was stabbed more than twenty times by the daggers of his trusted friends and allies. William Shakespeare put these words to his famous character Macbeth, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?”

The above examples only point out that daggers have been with us since time immemorial. But what is a dagger and what is its place in our history?

Prehistoric Daggers

Pre-historic humans relied on their tools to survive. Their household knives, other kitchen elements, and hunting swords were made from certain types of stones, bones, and woods that were chipped into blunt objects. These primeval knives, created around 2.5million years ago, were the forerunners of daggers. Few dagger artifacts survived to modern time, and what have been found through archeological explorations are scarce, since most of these materials were highly perishable.

Copper and Bronze Age Daggers

The creation of daggers started with the discovery and mining of pliable, but sturdy metals. Around 5,000 years ago, knives and blades were forged from heating metal ores in furnaces and striking them to blunt objects. Copper was the first raw material used, and then tin was mixed to produce bronze. The first metal daggers, patterned after the double-edged stone knives, were produced.

The early copper and bronze daggers of this period were used as backups to the longer maces, axes, and javelins. Such secondary role in warfare is necessitated by two reasons: smiths found out that the longer the blades were, the weaker they became; and ancient daggers lack in length, reach, and force.

Iron Age Daggers

It was not until iron was mined and smelted around 2,000 years ago that ancient daggers benefited from breakthroughs in metallurgy. They were stronger, flexible, and able to survive through damages brought by ageing, war, and use. They were also rich in design details, with improved craftmanship on the blade and ornate decorations on the hilt.

The discovery of steel further improved the metalworking of the period and the quality of daggers. The Iron Age marks the beginning of a whole new warfare with the introduction of swords, which were practically recognized as oversized daggers. Swords replaced the functions of the maces and axes.

The Athenaian Hoplites were known to use daggers called acinaces alongaside with Greek swords. Legionnaires were also known to put daggers (called pugio) as sidearms as a backup to the Roman swords.

Medieval Age Daggers

The crude bladesmithing from the Iron Age continued to pervade through the opening decades of Middle Ages. It was innovated with the introduction of techniques in laying different strands of steel together to produce ancient medieval daggers of stronger built. The folded process employed in Japanese sword making and the pattern welding popular in Medieval Europe were the two most important metalworking technqiues that flourished in this period.

When the knight sword and knight Templar swords came into vogue in 13th century, the knights copied the Romans; they carried sidearms like long daggers called arming sword at their side. Samurai warlords and soldiers were also doing the same thing. They were considered naked if they appeared in public without a Japanese katana sword and a dagger (called tanto) slinging from their belts.

Early Renaissance Daggers

Metalworking greatly improved in the Rennasiance. In 15th century, bladesmith experimented and succeeded in lengthening medieval swords. Forged with simple lines and basic ornaments, they boasted of towering lenght that they were called longswords. Artifacts from the period testified the lingering use of daggers as backups. An example of this was the single-handed parrying dagger, a popular choice for defense. Fencing schools were put up, and they standardized swordsmanship using these two swords across Europe.

The Renaissance sword, knives, and daggers were considered to be the most elegant. They bear the traces of artistic movements that swept the Western World at that time. For example, decorative hilts guards called quillons evolved into intricate basket hilts. The daggers were decorated with rococo (18th century art period in France characterized by ornate decorations) and baroque (17th century art movement characterized by awe-inspiring oppulence) designs.

Late Renaissance Daggers

Firearm was introduced to the battlefield in 17th century, signalling the end of dependence on swords as the main tool for war. In spite of this, the survival of the dagger was secured by the use of bayonets. Bayonets were daggers, knives, and spikes fitted on the muzzle of longarms such as muskets and rifles. Bayonets transform ordinary firearms into fatal, close-combat spears. Films on American civil wars were famous for their bayonet-wielding soldiers charging through enemy lines.

World War I daggers

Napoleonic wars, American Civil war, and The First World War saw the massive use of trench warfare, a battle scene where two opposing camps dredge up trenches to rally the infantrymen. As it were, surprise attacks in the form of brutal raids were often practiced: an elite small group of soldiers would cross the battlefield at the dead of the night and attacked the enemies. Aside from bayonets, grenades and guns, the small group carrying out the raid used the following:

• Trench knives and daggers were originally made from cut-down bayonets. Later on, American, British, and German factories supplied the army with standard double-edged, full tang daggers, long “ice-pick” daggers, and knives to be used for small scale, close quarters fighting.
• Push daggers were issued at the height of the war because of their rugged, unique design. The hand does not grasp the handle but the pommel, which is made up of a metal or wooden bar. The blade of the dagger forms a letter “T” to the hand, and the pommel is situated between the middle and index fingers.
• Bowie knife, daggers, and other combat shortswords were used for such mundane tasks like cooking, first aid, and combat. The Bowie knife and daggers are famous for their sharpness, rigidity, and reliability; they were strong enough to cut through Plexiglas and were therefore used for body and supply retrievals from downed aircrafts.

World War II daggers
Nazi or German daggers gained notoriety as the Second World War raged on from the years 1941-1945. Soldiers and ranked officers began to wear ceremonial or dress daggers on their full regalia. Other such decorative or dress daggers include Italian and Japanese daggers, also called Tanto knife. The dress daggers especially the Nazi daggers became synonymous to tyrants, brutality, and death.

Aside from purely decorative purpose of the Second World War daggers, they were also shortswords and long daggers that were employed for utilitarian use. Most of them were employed for covert – that is secret – operations such as surveillance, sabotage, and subversion.
• Stilleto daggers were very effective for stabbing for its long, narrow blade ending in a very sharp and defined point. First used in ancient times for assassination, it helped stave off the attacks of knight swords and penetrate the hard armors of knights in the Middle Ages. They began to be popular in Second World War when the American armed forces issued them to combatants. Examples of stilleto daggers are Marine Raider Stilleto and V-42 Stilleto.
• Switchblade daggers were a type of dagger that springs outward or forward from a grip through a spring mechanism. Because of their reducible size, they were a standard shortsword in any infantrymen essentials.
• Fairbairn-Sykes fighting daggers were double-edged daggers issued by the British government to its foot soldiers. It was first produced in 1941 and continued to be manufactured to this very day. Such enduring popularity owes so much from its sleek design: ring grip, lacquered leather wound around the handle, and an absent ricasso.
• Sleeve daggers were special and limited type of daggers exclusively used for undercover agents, international spies, and covert operations officers. They were made of a long, slender, oftentimes round, blade bolted snugly on a leather strap, which would then be wrapped around on an arm or below the knee like a wristwatch or an anklet.
• Lapel daggers were Second World War daggers used by special operatives of British intelligence agency. They have grooved centerline on a flat blade that extends fully to the tang. The tang has a hole for a knotted cord, which was used to access the dagger when needed. Lapel daggers were sewn on the suits of the agents just above the chest, like the way lapels are worn.
• Thumb or Button daggers were another variation to the lapel daggers. The difference was that the thumb daggers do not have a hole in their tang for the cord. They were also smaller in terms of blade and tang size. They could be hidden behind and drawn from the belts.

Collecting Daggers

Like sword collecting, collecting daggers and knives offers a brand new experience. It opens a door of fun and excitement, with the opportunity to open the pages of history through ancient artifacts. Daggers are perfect as home decorations, conversation pieces, and good investments. It is no surprise then that market for collectible daggers and knives is on the rise.

To get you started on collecting daggers, here is a 5-step tip that would come in handy:

1) Dagger collection is a very particular field. This means you would have less information to get you by. Instead of looking at this as a problem, you can use this to your advantage. It is a great opportunity to meet people of the same interest; buy daggers that are neglected and underappreciated but have promising value; and train yourself to be an expert in this challenging hobby.
2) Dagger collecting is fulfilling not only in terms of experience, but also of money. Take advantage of the prevailing trend of the antique market by buying ancient, rare daggers.
3) Dagger collecting is riskier than sword collecting. This is because there are many unscrupulous dealers ready to cheat you if you are not careful. Mind your every purchase, research thoroughly, and limit the price tag of potential daggers when you buy them. Do not ever be tempted to put your guards down. You can never be too careful.
4) Be able to appraise daggers by yourself before resorting to professional help. In this way, you can avoid colluding dealers and experts from deceiving you. This is also one of the joys of dagger collecting: by knowing how to evaluate daggers, you become attached to them and learn to value them highly.
5) It is wise to reward yourself once in a while. Therefore, do not be afraid of selling some of your collected daggers if you are preparing a purchase of a more expensive dagger, or if you want to cash in early on.

What is a Dagger?

2010-04-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

Definition of dagger

What is a dagger? A dagger has the size of a knife. It is a one-handed, bladed shortsword made up of two cutting edges tapering to a sharp point along the centerline of the blade. Its tang extends too through the centerline with a wooden or metallic hilt. It is used for stabbing and thrusting. It can also be used for cutting, as its edges are sharp enough to slash through flesh, wood, and other objects.

Parts of a dagger

There are two basic parts of a dagger: the hilt (which includes the guard, grip, and pommel) and the blade (which includes the ricasso, cutting edge, fuller, and point).

What is a dagger hilt

The hilt is the part of the dagger where the hand is fitted for holding and control. It is usually called a handle, because it is the only part where the human holder is safe. Below are some of basic parts of the hilt:
• Dagger Grip is the major part of the hilt. It is what the hand holds when wielding the dagger. Japanese daggers have beautiful shark skin wrapped around the grip to improve control. Other ancient knife swords have wood, animal skins, leather, and thick cords.
• Dagger Guard is a barrier that protects the hand from slipping to and being wounded accidentally by the sharpened edges. For daggers, the guard is usually made of wood or metal and range from a simple cross-guard (a bar perpendicular to the blade) to elaborate basket hilts.
• Dagger Pommel is a relatively heavy metal placed at the end of the hilt. In martial arts, putting some weight at the end of the dagger would counterbalance the weight of the blade. The pommel provides the swordsman an improved performance, better handling, and more control.

What is a dagger blade

The blade is the sharpened part of the dagger. It consists of:
• Dagger Ricasso is the unsharpened part of the blade to enable the handler to place some fingers without being wounded
• Dagger Cutting edge is the sharpened part of the blade responsible for cutting.
• Dagger Fuller is the hardened groove along the centerline of the dagger. The fuller makes it possible for the dagger to be swung, hit a hard object, and suffer no chips or breaking afterwards.
• Dagger Point, also called tip, is the end of the blade, often rigidly sharpened, and fatal for stabbing or thrusting action of the dagger.

Difference between dagger and knife

Dagger is sometimes confused with knife since it is of the same size and length. The main difference between them is design. Knife has only one cutting edge. Its point is either absent (which means, it is primarily for household use such as chopping) or prominent (which means that it can be used for slitting and, sometimes, as a weapon). The dagger, on the other hand, has two cutting edges with a prominent point.
Another difference lies in their primary use. The dagger is more effective for stabbing. A sharp point is powerful in opening or inflicting wounds. The gradual, equal increase of the dagger’s blade toward the hilt and the two cutting edges cause fatal mortal damage as it is driven deeply to the wound. The knife, on the other hand, is more effective for cutting. This distinction is hardly rigid, since both dagger and knife can be used either way.

Difference between dagger and other combat swords

A dagger is sometimes called knife sword and small sword. There are two other varieties, called long dagger and shortsword, that are too long to be called a dagger and too short to be called a sword. The below illustrates the difference between these combat swords:

Dagger: Tanto(Japanese dagger) between 6in – 12 in
Long Dagger: Pugio(Old Roman dagger) between 12in - 17in
Shortsword: Gladius(Old Roman shortsword) between 17in – 24in
Sword: Knight Arming Sword between 24in – 35in
Longsword: European Knights Templar Longsword over 35 in

Use of daggers

The dagger was used as a backup to the longer axes and maces. This was necessary, obviously, as the dagger lacks in reach and force that axes and maces can provide. This was also practical, because metalworking around 3rd millennium BC was crude and mining of ores was limited and labor-intensive. Ancient blades were forged from weak metal alloys of copper, bronze, and iron. These materials become brittle (their tensile strength will give in to stress) when they are made into long blades.

Daggers as a close-combat shortsword

The dagger became instrumental when somehow, the use of axes and maces proved to be cumbersome to carry for ordinary infantrymen. As military tactics and formation became advanced and dynamic, close combat was fast becoming the central arena for fighting and showing valor on the battlefield.
Such evolution in warfare was coupled with the discovery of steel around 1st century BC. Smiths found a way of lengthening the dagger and the first of the ancient swords were produced. This breakthrough afforded the infantrymen to drop their axes and maces. From that time, the dagger became secondary to sword.

The survival of daggers

When heavy artillery and firearms were introduced to war, the use of swords waned correspondingly. Instead of being employed as primary weapons, the swords were carried symbolically by generals and other high-ranking military officials to manifest honor and prestige to their position.
It is surprising that daggers proved to be more resilient than swords. They survived through the sweeping change of arms technology. In 17th century, antique daggers were mounted onto the muzzle of longarms to produce bayonets and instant spears. They were continued to be used as killing weapons even when guns and bullets were preferable.

Royal and Religious daggers

There are daggers however that have never been used in the battlefield. Some of them were meant to be a display of power, authority, and affluence, such as those carried by kings and royal family members. Still some were meant to be a symbol of reverence and respect, such as those used for religious purposes.
They are often designed with elaborate accessories. They are forged, enmeshed, or hammered together with other precious metals such as gold and silver. They are inlayed with rare gemstones especially on the guard and pommel. Markings are often found etched on the blade. For instance, some Indian daggers are carved with the faces of the deities. Ancient Arab swords and daggers bear quotes taken from Holy Koran.

Famous daggers

Admittedly, daggers are not a popular as swords. But starting to collect daggers as a hobby is an even more exciting endeavor. Because daggers are fewer, they would command heftier prices than swords. They are also somewhat difficult to search for, which make their discovery more romantic and adventurous. Historical daggers are also rich with tales of treachery and betrayal, which makes them even more precious.

To tease your interest with daggers, here are some of perfect masterpieces that you can start viewing for appreciation:
• Ear dagger is a medieval shortsword famous for its Moorish design. Its prominent part is the oversized, oval pommel, which looked like and has almost the same size of a human ear (hence its name). For its design, museum curators consider it as a very rare European dagger.
• The famous gold encrusted dagger of Shah Jahan, the Indian ruler who commissioned the construction of Taj Mahal in India. A collector in the ’60s brought it for only a thousand dollars. However, it was traded for $3 million when it was auctioned in April, 2008. It only proves that knowledgeable collectors are inviting money into their homes when they get hold of valuable daggers.
• Topkapi dagger is a very rare antique shortsword now on display in a museum in Turkey. It is a priceless 16th century dagger considered to be the pinnacle of ancient Turkish bladesmithing. Its golden hilt holds three big emerald stones and the scabbard is covered in diamonds.

What is a medieval sword?

2010-04-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

What is a medieval sword? For historians, this is not an easy question to answer. They may point to a large sword now on display in Fries museum of Netherlands. It measures seven feet in length and weighs fifteen pounds, a weapon that only a giant can effectively put to use. Indeed it belonged to a giant, a 15th century Dutch peasant rebel named Pier Gerlofs Donia, a man of towering height and strength that he could slash the necks of several people using his sword in one cut. Or they could point to Zulqifar, the sword of Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali, who cut a Meccan opponent and his shield into two halves.

Medieval swords are weapons that are documented to have been made during the Middle Ages or Medieval Ages, which spanned from the time the Roman Empire was in decline (500 AD) to the time of the Renaissance (1500 AD). This period is also known as the Dark Ages because the progress of science was put on hold and people did not have access to education and power. They have to rely on their kings and nobles for guidance and survival.

Medieval swords in service for the Kings

Thus, it was during the Dark Ages that kings, queens, and princesses lived in huge palaces. Often, the royal families are always under the threat of attacks from neighboring kingdoms. So, to protect their territory and power, they employ military officers, called knights, and foot soldiers to defend their land. With the rise and fall of kingdoms and civilizations, medieval swords, medieval daggers, and armors were produced and became very good relics of those olden times.

Medieval swords according to their edges

The question what is a medieval sword and what type does it belong seem to have a lot of answers. Many cultures and many countries have produced countless classes of swords that are classified further according to rank, purpose, shape, length, and even the monograms etched on their hilts. Classification is further made more difficult as different eras produced different versions, which are by-products of advancing technology in metallurgy and sword-making. It is thus impossible to classify swords according to their form.

Today, experts classify them comfortably according to the shape of their edges. Medieval scimitar swords (Asian swords with curved blades design), sabers (cavalry swords with slightly curved blade design), and samurai swords (slender, curved Japanese) are examples of single-edged swords. Double-edged swords, on the other hand, include longsword (a European sword with cruciform hilt), and the famous Gaelic claymore (a Scottish sword with down-sloping hilt).

Medieval swords according to their use in combat

They are also divided according to how they are used in combat. The Middle Ages was the age of the Romantics; people and philosophers were preoccupied in reliving the teachings of the Classical World of the Greeks and Romans. Hence, Germany’s katzbalger (a short arming sword with a figure-8 hilt) and Italy’s cinqueda (a thrusting sword with a heavy blade and a rounded point) reintroduced and improved the classic single-handed sword spartha. The arming sword and medieval scimitar swords are another foremost example of a single-handed sword. Double-handed swords, on the other hand, are used in tandems. They include the longsword and the samurai sword.

Medieval swords and their symbols

Some of the swords of famous heroes like Ali have names. Spain’s national hero, El Cid, had his swords named Tizona and Colada. This illustrates the romantic symbols, and even religious connection, of the sword to its owners. For one, it represents inseparability of the weapon and its wielder for life. Together, they symbolize strength and invincibility. Two, it represents prestige, as it a symbol of elitism. Three, it is a symbol of authority, as it can protect or take away life. Swords represented a badge of honor. A lowly commoner may rise into ranks by showing valor in the battlefield, and may be gifted by a sword.

Medieval swords and their purpose

Swords were used by noblemen like knights and samurai, and ordinary soldiers as hand-to-hand combat weapon. They served as backups to lances, bows, and arrows. Not only are they used for the grisly purpose of killing and subjugating enemies. Sometimes, they are used as an instrument of punishment for those who were proven traitors or perceived threats to power. In medieval kingdoms of France and Austria, capital punishments were in the form of beheadings. Because swords are linked to nobility, princes and other high ranking officials were beheaded by sword. Ordinary people were punished by the axe.

What is a Samurai Sword?

2010-03-29T22:44:00.000-07:00

Japanese Samurai swords have the finest and best quality of swords there are, not only in Japan.
Even historically speaking, these are the swords that are considered elemental piece of the history of Japan that until today, collectors highly venerate this sword if not literally worship it. Here are some samurai sword information a samurai sword collector must know.

History of the Samurai sword

The Samurai sword history could be traced around 12th century. Samurais were widespread during feudal Japan when military support was very powerful particularly during the Kamakura Shogunate (1185-1333) until some time in 19th century. The warlord shogun ruled and governed Japan and gave the samurai control over civil, judicial, and military matters.

The Samurais had different weapons with them like bows, arrows, spears, and a tanto knife which they would use for the ritual suicide seppuku in the form of hara-kiri. But two swords were considered important to him – a short sword of 12-24 inches in length called the wakizashi and a long Katana sword. A Samurai katana sword and a wakizashi together are called the daisho which literally means big and small.

More than a weapon, the Japanese Samurai sword katana is a symbol of the samurai spirit and pride. It was regarded very sacred that it was used by a warrior as a last resort. The Samurai believe that the long sword is his soul so it must only be drawn out in the name of his honor. To add, only a Samurai warrior has the right to bring a katana.

Traditionally, the katana making & marking in itself was a revered ritual. Only the best Japanese sword smiths working for the high classes of the society are supposed to forge a Samurai sword.

What is a Samurai sword today?

Even in the modern times, the value of the Katana is still known all over the world. The Samurai sword is one of the most popularly collected swords today among sword enthusiasts because of its rich history and its symbolism to its owner.

There are still quite a number of authentic samurai swords nowadays but there are more decorative katanas available in the market for commercial purposes. These ornamental swords are only meant as wall hangers for they will break when used in some cutting tests.

The following are a few things to consider in knowing the samurai Katana sword is real:

1. The sword must be forged. Mass produced swords do not undergo forging so, they do not have the strength like that of a real sword.
2. The blade should be carbon steel. In the old times, the raw steel for the katana blade was called the tamahagane made from black sand.
3. The hamon should be present in the sword. It is that wave like pattern found at the age of the blade as a result of heat treating. The wave pattern should be at random; else, if it is predictable, it does not come from the heat treatment.
4. The shape and form of the sword should be according to the description of the samurai swords told in the history.
5. It should be durable and of the finest quality. All samurai sword parts should be stable from the kashiri to the ken or blade and must have a full tang.

Some test cutting will help you determine the sharpness of the sword. The aesthetic value of the katana is also important, so see if it is well finished.

Katana training are being taught in martial arts schools. Though the real Samurais had long been gone, there are people who continue to emulate the Bushido or “Way of the Warrior” with the philosophy of “freedom from fear”. And to attain this, possessing a Japanese samurai sword is not enough but training in discipline, law of honor, obedience, duty, and self-sacrifice.

Cheap Sword for Sale

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Cheap swords for sale may stir you to doubts, but there is actually nothing to fear. It is true that quality and historical swords, even the decorative ones, do not go cheap these days.
But then again, there are swords in the market that are meant to be kept as a novelty rather than as an investment collectible.

What are cheap swords

Cheap swords are swords that are sold way below a hundred dollars. They are most often replicas of famous swords.

Why buy cheap swords

It is actually great buying cheap swords. For one, they are light on budget. Very cheap swords can go for about two dollars and the pricey range can be as affordable as a hundred dollars. The swords in between these price ranges come in all shapes and sizes, making them exciting collectibles.

Two, the cheap plastic swords are good for the kids. They can offer clean fun without exposing them to danger. Three, they can be interesting decorations in the room or any spaces at home and because they are affordable, they can be changed anytime to suit one’s interior designing needs.

Lastly, cheap swords can be a good start for sword collecting. You can buy replica swords that are low cost to begin appreciating the make, feel, and magic of an antique sword.

Cheap ornamental sword

A large volume of low cost swords are ornamental swords. They are a great ceremonial sword, wall hanger, or decorative sword to be adorned as room or space accents. Ornamental swords are good conversation pieces, add a striking appeal to the look of a room, and improve interior designing.

Cheap fantasy swords

Low cost swords are made also to keep up the demand with fantasy swords in TV, film, or interactive video games. This is particularly so when a new swashbuckling adventure has been released recently. Examples are fantasy pirate swords from antihero films (Pirates of the Caribbean swords), high fantasy movie (Lord of the Rings swords), and Errol Flynn-types (Highlander sword).

Cheap fantasy swords also include sword replicas from video games such as Final Fantasy swords, animated films and graphic novels such as Reverse blade sword in Samurai X and Rurouni Kenshin fiction, and historical novels like Excalibur of King Arthur legend.

Cheap Replica swords

Low cost swords can be a great way in saving money while buying replica swords. This is ideal for those who want to have an ornamental sword with a touch of historicism. This is also good for those who wants to have a replica of a favorite ancient sword. Without shelling a fortune, you can have your own Roman sword or Greek sword replica. They are very good in providing a classical look at your room’s interior designing.

Cheap Japanese sword

Cheap ninja swords are bestsellers since Japanese anime took the world by storm in the 90’s. Nowadays, very cheap samurai sword sets are available. Their unique mounting, the different lengths of the swords in display, and their curving blades are their greatest attraction.

Cheap swords for the kids

Affordable swords are especially useful for doting parents. Their kids can enjoy the thrill of using a sword without exposing them to harm and accident. Cheap swords for kids are usually made of plastic, foam, and other harmless materials that would keep the child in safety. Harsh chemicals like lead paints are also checked to make them hazard-free.

One of the most popular kid toys is the Star Wars’ light saber. Kids find it irresistible to have a switch on/off sword made of light energy and to hear the “zoom” sound when they swing it. They are not only safe from any danger, they can also play their favorite Star Wars heroes like Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, or Master Yoda.

Tips on how to buy affordable swords for sale

Certainly, it is not a walk in the park purchasing affordable swords. Here are five timely reminders to get you going on the right track:
• Nothing is too good to be true. Remember that you are buying a sword equal to the value of your money. If a sword has been labeled “limited” and “hand forged” and other labels, it is okay to buy the collectible in a bargain price for as long as you do not believe too much in the hype.
• Pay for a sword for what it’s worth of. Even with cheap swords, you can still make a mistake of paying too much. Know the materials of the product beforehand, judge if the sword is fairly priced, and proceed buying.
• Don’t test the cheap sword. If you’re buying a sword to practice your cutting skills, cheap swords should not be your choice. Buy a beater, battle ready, or a real sword.
• Cheap swords for the kids must be purchased with caution. Only give to your kids swords that are safe and harmless to play, such as those made of plastic.
• Be wary of the delivery cost. There are some affordable swords whose price tags become inflated with delivery cost. Check the delivery cost if you are shopping online before placing an order.

Antique Sword Value

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Antique sword value in the market may change every now and then. However, by knowing what the factors to consider are, you can determine how much your antique swords could be worth:

1. Type of Sword

Is it an ancient Chinese sword or an old Japanese Samurai sword? Asian swords are known to be legendary and are the most popularly collected in the present, especially a Japanese Katana. Expectedly, they can cost you a lot.
Medieval swords can also be expensive for they are rare swords and have rather rich history as they could be swords of kings and knights in the Middle Ages.
Some good antique swords may have been owned by other collectors already, so, you might just have to wait and save up for antique sword auctions.

2. Structure

Durability matters especially for serious sword collectors who want to give a few test swings of the sword. Durability is also an assurance that sword could last longer than it already has.

3. Beauty and Artistic value

Imagine the uniqueness of art expressed when sword smiths meticulously carved sword pommels or handles during the medieval times…even imagine how they used to do it without using high technology equipment or high powered machines? The beauty of the Katana, on the other hand, does not only express art but sends a deeper meaning – for it is a sword that depicts a brave Samurai spirit. Artistry and character are essential in determining antique sword prices.

4. Markings and signs

Apparent blade markings and signs are one factor to consider in an antique sword appraisal. Signs are carved signatures usually made by the maker on the sword. These markings could chronicle how they were used in the past or what era they were made. Earliest signed Japanese sword was a tachi by Sanjo Munechika of the Heian Era (794-1184). Masamune, the greatest Japanese sword smith from the Kamakura period, signed very few swords.

Some important reminders in determining your antique sword value:

• Study the swords well and take your time. Remember, more than the price tag, you are after the swords values through the era of its making, its story, and the country it came from.

• Be careful because there are a lot of fake buyers and sellers and other forms of fixers who may take advantage of you when you are ignorant at dealing with sword transactions.

• Only go to professional and reliable appraisers for the most accurate antique sword prices. They are the most efficient people to know how much your swords are worth. Then again, don’t just rely on one, if possible, get a second or maybe, a third opinion.

• Discourage your self from online appraisers especially if you have just started trading with sword shops online. If people you see personally can defraud you, how much more those whose existence are “virtual”?

• Safeguard your self with an attorney in case things get more serious and legalities are raised. After all, when you take antique sword collecting seriously, you are investing a lot of money. Sword prices could even range from $8,000 to $30,000!

Types of Replica Sword

2010-03-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Perhaps because of the seemingly mystical effect and story of swords that is why some people develop a hobby of sword collecting – from real antique swords to the modern pieces. There are sword enthusiasts who collect swords to practice sword fighting techniques, to create a beautiful exhibit of swords hung on walls or shelves, or to use the swords in staged battles (e.g. historical theater acts).

Since it would be difficult to collect authentic ancient swords, real medieval swords, and even the exact movie swords, collectors buy a replica sword instead.

There are two types of replica swords available on the market:

• Ornamental Swords

Ornamental swords or decorative swords are sword replicas that are for display purposes only. They are usually made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel. They can look like exact replica swords, but they are not supposed to be used in cutting. Decorative sword blades do not have the quality that can withstand tension and impact from hard objects like metal. An obvious manifestation that a sword is ornamental is when it looks extraordinarily shiny. Functional swords may be well polished but they do not often reflect like as decorative swords do.

Ornamental swords do not make good weapons for self-defense as well. Even in plays or theater acts that include mock sword fighting, it is not advised to use an ornamental sword; else, the sword will be damaged.

Fancy decorative swords can be hung on walls or placed inside glass boxes or shelves. Replica swords that are purely for decoration could include models of Viking swords, Celtic swords, Roman sword replicas, and Samurai swords.

Very famous swords for display are movie replica swords – imitations from the films Kill Bill, The Last Samurai, 300, and others. Fantasy swords like Lord of the Rings sword, Final Fantasy swords, and fantasy pirate swords like a Jack sparrow sword are many collectors’ favorites.
The problem with movie replica swords is they are frequently highly commercialized. They can have very expensive price tags though the swords are cheaply and poorly made. Sometimes they can even be pricier than some functional swords. More often than not, if you buy a movie replica sword, you are paying for its name and popularity.

• Functional Swords

Contrary to the decorative sword, functional swords are full tang, battle ready swords which can be used in modern sword fighting techniques and sword martial arts. Consequently, since they are of better quality, they are also generally the more expensive swords. There are a few movie replica swords that are functional like Braveheart swords and Kingdom of Heaven swords.

High-end battle-ready swords are made from carbon steel – a strong type of steel that is hard but has an extent of flexibility at the same time. Because of such quality, it can withstand contact with another hard object and springs back to its shape when hit.

Functional swords used for staged combat or reenactment fighting are usually made of spring steel. This type of steel has similar qualities with high carbon steel but spring steel is less expensive. Theater swords have blunt edges to ensure safety.

Though battle ready swords are durable, it doesn’t mean it is immune to damage like breakage and rust. Proper use and sword care and maintenance have to be observed so to protect the sword from speedy deterioration.

It is not advised to strike a sword on bricks, hard wood, or rocks because it can cause thin (often microscopic) fractures that weaken the blade faster. Historically, it was for this reason that swords were disposable because frequent use of it on hard objects damaged or broke the blade. For test cutting, practitioners or collectors may settle on cutting bamboo or cutting mats (like those used in testing a Samurai sword).

A Sword Collecting Guide for Beginners-Sword Types

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Follow are types of sword description for the collectible swords that will be very helpful in sword collecting for beginners.

Geographical origin:

1. African Swords

In Africa, tribes used different weapons for self-defense and hunting. Though spears, axes, and knives are most common to the African natives, they also used swords. Egyptian swords are first example of swords of Africa with Khopesh as the most popular. The Khopesh is an ancient sword symbolizing authority. Pharaohs would bring this type of sword in their grave.
Another example of African swords is the Flyssa which is a traditional sword of the people of Morocco from the tribe Kabyles. Their blades could range from 12 – 38 inches long.
An Ida is a sword of the natives of West Africa called the Yoruba people. This sword was always carried by their local soldiers. Among the types of swords in Africa, this is known to have the best quality in terms of cutting ability.

2. Asian Swords

Asian swords can be few of the most sought after swords in the industry among sword enthusiasts. For one they have unique and exotic appeal that is why any collector will be driven to grab their own piece of the sword. The inclination of Asians towards martial arts explains their widespread use of swords, daggers, and sticks as weapons. Here are the most well-known Asian swords:

The Katana sword is a Japanese sword that is also more commonly referred to as a Samurai sword. This type of sword has a curved, slender, single edged blade. Always been a dramatic symbol of Japan from the olden times to the present, this sword is recognized for being a representation of a samurai Spirit. It is known to be the only sword with the most outstanding cutting ability and beauty.

Masamune swords made by the best swordsmith of the Japanese sword history, Masamune are renowned for its excellent quality despite the impurity of metals during his time. Aside from that, Masamune swords are also considered holy swords.

The Chinese sword Dao is mainly used in slashing and often in chopping. Because of the shape and size of its blade, it is called in English as a broadsword. Also named as The General of All Weapons, this sword type is one of the four major weapons used by the Chinese.

3. European swords

Europe has a lot of variety of types of swords as well – from those medieval swords and ancient swords to the swords that the royals still use today.
The claymore is a two-handed sword used by the highlanders of Scotland during the medieval period to the early modern era. On the other hand, it may also refer to the basket-hilted broadsword from the 16th century which is still used today by regiments of the British Army.
Some other types of European swords may include foils and rapier swords used as civilian swords and in fencing. Most ancient swords such as Greek swords and Roman swords also belong in this category.

4. American swords

There may be American swords as well. However, the collectible swords of American origin like are mostly presentation swords which are not intended to be battle ready swords. Examples for good display swords are the antique US Civil war swords.

Other types of swords or those categorized according to their structure:

1. Longsword are European swords using during the medieval era to Renaissance period with lengthy sword handle or hilt. The length of its blade could reach 35 inches.
2. Short swords are those swords of the earlier times when the materials (such as copper) that were used by the ancient people could not stand with a longer length.
3. Saber swords are single edged swords which are distinctive with its curved blade
4. Bayonet comes with a French origin as it was named after Bayonne, France. It is a blade or a dagger put at the tip of a rifle and is used as weapon. Some of these kinds were also used by the Japanese when they conquered some countries.

Fantasy swords

Fantasy swords are interesting swords to collect especially for the young at heart enthusiasts. One very famous fantasy sword is the King Arthur’s legendary sword – the Excalibur sword. According to some stories, this is the sword that King Arthur pulled out from a stone and made him king. There are also the Final Fantasy swords that come from a popular Japanese videogame and dragon swords that are identified for their unique designs and mythical look. Most of the time, these are only ornamental swords.

Detailed Steps to Sharpen Modern Japanese Sword

2010-03-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

Before you get started

There are two stages in sharpening katana swords: shitaji togi and shiagi togi. Shitaji togi

or foundation polishing aims to remove unwanted grooves and to refine the overall shape of

the sword.
The sword is to be brushed over a stationary stone. Any new swords have to undergo this

stage, but older ones can get started to next stage. The shiagi togi or finish polishing

aims to even out the surface and to finally produce the shiny gloss. Fine stones with tiny

grits are moved over the blade this time.

Things you need to know

Here is a list of things you need to have.

1. SHARPENING KIT You can buy one at any online store or specialty shops in your locality.

Usually they contain several whetstones, polishing oil, hammer, cloth ball, and wooden jigs.

A manual is also included to provide step-by-step instruction.

2. GRIT is a measure of the abrasives on the sandpaper, stones, or other polishing

materials. English scale is measured in particle size (microns). Take note that the Japanese

grit differs from the US grit. So be careful, select only water stones and sandpapers for

polishing which are measured against Japanese grit standard.

3. SANDPAPER is made from coarse to fine grits as the polishing progresses. A favorite

choice among polishers is silicon carbide abrasive paper.

4. JAPANESE WATER STONES can either be natural or artificial. Natural water stones are

difficult to acquire and if they are obtained, they are expensive. Artificial water stones

are the substitutes, only that the results would vary. The stones have be to wetted before

sharpening and when they become concave for constant friction, they have to be restored to

shape by rubbing them with other stones.

5. JIGS are wooden contraptions that can keep your work stable and steady.

6. OIL would be helpful to keep off dust and rust from the blade while working. It will also

keep the sword’s surface to be with the right moisture for polishing.

Now the real job: Sharpening sword

The first thing that you have to do is to buy sharpening kit. All the things that you may

need are already included in the package, so you do not have to go to far lengths in

procuring everything. However, you need to invest on Japanese water stones of increasingly

finer grits to get your job perfectly. After that, proceed to the following steps:

1. Soak the stones. Japanese water stones are to be wetted before they can be used.

Neutralize the acidity of the water first by sprinkling baking soda (about a fourth of the

cup will do). The stones are to be soaked for around half an hour.

2. Shape the stones. The ideal shape of the stones is convex, but by constant friction it

becomes concave. You need to reshape them back by scraping a stone against another of a

coarser grit.

3. Prepare the wooden jigs. Some sharpeners can do the job standing, others sitting down.

There are some who do it comfortably squatting. Whatever your most comfortable position is,

make sure the wooden jigs would hold the sword and stones strongly.

4. Remove the blade from the scabbard and hilt. Do not rush by pulling things apart

haphazardly. You might not be able to piece everything back together after you are done

polishing. Do not unravel the leather wrap; it is done in a way so intricate that it would

not be easy to wound it back again.

5. Straighten the blade. This is a difficult task because you need to have a good sense of

geometry to get it right. Just remember that Japanese blade surface should be rigidly

straight and not bent, curving gracefully from the base of the tang to the point. You can

straighten the blade by placing the sword on your knee and forcing both ends downward. Use

the wooden jigs for more ways to straighten it.

6. Sharpening. You are now on the first stage, the shitaji togi. Use arato stone (of a

Japanese grit 180), secure it on the floor, and grind the sword against it. Grind

deliberately, slowly, and carefully.

7. More Japanese water stones. Use stones of less coarse grits in the following order:

binsui stone (of grit 300) to remove rust, kaisei stone (of grit 500) for finer shape,

chu-nagura stone (of grit 800) for refining shape, koma-nagura stone (of grit 1500), and

uchigumori stone (of grit 4000). It takes smart guesses and estimation when to use the

stones, so it is better to read more information and follow instructional steps carefully to

guide you through.

8. Now the second stage, the fine polishing. You are now in shiage togi for finer polishing.

Prepare the stones for this stage by hacking paper-thin sizes from uchigumori stone to

produce hazuya stones. Create the polishing powder called nugui powder (either the kit

includes this detail or you have to produce your own). The nugui powder is very fine and it

includes pulverized narutaki stones, tsushima stone, iron ore, etc.

9. Polishing. Unlike in the first stage, the stones have to move against the sword. Use

your thumb in polishing the edge of the sword with hazuya stones.

10. When the tempering line is visible, use the jizuya stone. You can also use sandpaper of

the grit 6000.

11. Use nugui powder. Mix nugui powder with sharpening oil. Moisten a swab of cotton or

cloth with the oil and polish the surface of the blade.

12. Polish the cutting edge by hazuya stone to reveal the temper line (hamon).

13. For the mirror finish, you need to have steel needles, horn powders, and wax ball. Use

the horn powder to wet the surface and run the wax ball to smoothen it. Carefully scratch

the surface of the blade with the steel needles to see the gloss effect.

14. Finish the job by dabbing a white clean cloth over the blade. Remove all moist by

letting in air throughout the blade’s surface. Once done, you can refit the sword back to

the hilt and the scabbard.

The instructions here must be supplemented by expert guidance and comprehensive research.

This is not a detailed guide on Japanese sword sharpening and must be read as a basic

overview of polishing. When in doubt, please refrain from proceeding to any steps. It is

best to hear what the professionals say about the condition of your sword before doing

anything.

Sword care and maintenance

Samurai warriors went to great lengths to look after the condition of their swords. In the

past, anyone who knocked down a katana sword on display or who carelessly handled it could

be fighting a death match. You should take care of your ancient samurai sword—see the

article sword care and maintenance—but let sharpening be the duty of the experts.

Ninja Sword History

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A ninja is a Japanese warrior highly trained in unconventional arts of war. They have a sword called ninjato which they bring along wherever they go. The exact Ninja sword history is still hard to trace until today.

Despite the many passed on stories about ninjas, there are still doubts whether they truly existed in the past as few people consider their story a myth.

The ninjas are very opposite to the honorable Samurai warriors. While Samurais fight with dignity and in loyalty to the higher ranks of society, the ninja fights in deceit. Ninjas were highly trained for assassination, subterfuge, espionage, stealth, and camouflage. They were taught to become sneaky fighters that work well at night.

Considered as outlaws and outcasts, ninjas practice and train secretly in far flung, mountainous areas. There, they make their weaponry out of limited resources and their sword makers can be short on skills.

What is a ninja sword?

One of the most used ninja weapons was the ninjato or the ninja sword. It had a straight blade (shorter than a katana sword but longer than a wakizashi) that was primarily used for stabbing and as a survival tool unlike Katana swords which are suitable for slashing opponents.

The traditional ninjato sword had a sheath or scabbard longer than the sword itself to accommodate in the sheath other tools and smaller knives or daggers used for their mission. The scabbard also had a detachable bottom which had its own purpose. The ninja swords were much cheaper than katana swords because of the quality of materials used.

The ninja sword history started during the emergence of ninjas in the 14th Century feudal Japan.

Generally about 20 inches long, the sword of ninja warriors had a single-edged blade with an oversized tsuba or hand guard. But contradicting to the common belief, the ninjato was not actually a very straight sword. It was slightly curved but only looked straighter compared to the other swords of its time.

The tricks of the Ninja

Ninjas often worked closely to their enemies (as spies, impostors, and other forms of cheats). The shortness of a ninjato works well in situations wherein the ninja faces a combat in closed places or quarters like houses (a traditional Japanese home was small and had low ceiling). A ninja could fight easily and move freely with the short sword. A Samurai who had a long Katana would have limited movement in these circumstances, so Samurais prefer fighting in an open area.

As said earlier, the sheath of a ninja sword is longer than the sword itself to give space to other smaller weapons. But this is also to deceive opponents. Once a ninja draws his sword out from the scabbard, the enemy would expect it to be a longer sword only to find out it is not and so he could not prepare for the ninja attack.

The ninjas did not only have daggers and swords, they as well had powders of medicine, poisons, and fireworks hidden in their sword sheaths – they would use these to distract, kill or escape from their adversaries. Remember the detachable tip of the scabbard? It could be used as a breathing tube when they would jump into a river for escape and stay underwater for a long time.

While a Samurai sword was symbolic and signifies pride and honor, the real ninja sword was less dramatic than that. The best word to describe the ninjatos was practical. It had many uses and function despite of it being of less quality using inferior materials from its blade to its handle. For a ninja, he had a sword to do the job.

Other ninja weapons were: smoke bombs, firecrackers, shobo (a small ring worn on the finger when in a hand-to-hand combat), ninja stars, and kunai knives to mention a few.

Japanese Sword Markings

2010-02-22T17:40:00.000-08:00

Japanese sword markings are very significant in identifying an authentic Japanese sword. The age and value of antique Japanese swords are also determined through file marks that are etched on the tang. Other marks on Japanese swords like creative carvings add beauty to the blade while a blood groove improves the weight and balance of the sword. This article will help you learn more about sword markings, their types, and their purpose.
The Japanese sword markings:
1. Sword tang markings
a) File markings
Japanese file markings are etched on the tang (nakago) of the Japanese sword blade. They would vary in designs, depth, thickness, and spacing – all of which depend on the sword smith, sword making school, and the time the sword was made. Tools in marking may include a chisel, a hammer, and a plane used for shaving iron steel.
b) Signature
Japanese characters (Kanji) are also engraved on the sword blade. These characters are signatures of the sword smith who made the Japanese sword or the name of the sword owner. Most signatures are carved on the tang while some are etched on the base part of the blade.
Signed swords, especially signed antique Japanese swords can be expensive depending on the age of the sword and whose name was engraved on the blade. According to the Japanese sword history, the oldest recorded signed blade was a tachi (an ancient Japanese long sword) which was forged by Sanjo Munechika of the Heian Period.
2. Temper lines on the sword blade (Hamon)
The hamon is that pattern of lines on the sword blade which appears after the heat tempering process. This is created by applying a thick clay coating on the body of the blade and a thinner coating on the sharp edge before the sword is heated and quenched in water.
There are several types of hamon and a few of them are:
a) Suguha – straight line
b) Gunome – regular waves or loops
c) Sanbon-sugi – literally means “three cedars”; it displays cone-shaped waves that look like three cedar trees
3. Temper line on the tip (Boshi)
The temper line on the tip (kissaki) of a Japanese sword is called boshi. Like the lines on the sword blade, there are also different types of boshi patterns; for example:
a) Ko-maru – the temper pattern follows the shape of the kissaki part of the sword but forms a small arc when it reaches the back end portion of the tip.
b) Sansaku boshi – the temper line enters the point area and follows a straight outline until the tip of the point.
c) Midare-komi – a very irregular pattern
4. Blood groves (Hi)
A blood groove or fuller (hi) is a narrow channel found near the spine of a Japanese sword blade. This marking on Japanese swords is made by scraping off steel (with a plane or a chisel) from that portion of the blade.
According to some myths, grooves are created so that blood will flow from a stabbed person while some people say that blood grooves are made purely for decorative purposes. Both statements are not true.
A fuller is not made to let blood flow from the enemy. It is created to lessen the weight of the Japanese sword and improve sword balance, speed, and cutting ability.
Types of grooves:
a) Bo-hi – a thick straight groove
b) Bo-hi with soe bi – a large straight groove with a smaller and thinner line beside it
c) Bo-hi with Tsure-bi – also a large groove accompanied by a thinner but longer line beside it. The thinner groove curves as it passes by the end of the bigger groove and reaches spine of the blade.
d) Futasuji-bi – two parallel grooves of different lengths
5. Artistic carvings (Horimono)
Artistic carvings on the Japanese sword blade are called horimono. Traditionally, they had a religious and ritualistic background as the designs of these carvings were deities, Sanskrit characters in Buddhism, and mythical creatures like dragons. Antique Japanese swords with horimono were usually used as ceremonial swords.

Japanese Iaido Swords

2010-01-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

Japanese iaido swords, more commonly known as iaito, are the weapons used in practicing the Japanese martial art iaido. Shopping for the right type of iaito sword is not as easy as it seems. Particularly for an iaido practitioner, it is very essential to choose the best practice sword for a more efficient execution of sword art movements.

Get to know the martial art Iaido and find out about the qualities an iaido sword you should look for.

What is Iaido?

Iaido is one of the most widely-practiced Japanese sword arts. It is the art of smooth, controlled movements of drawing a sword from its sheath, striking on an opponent, removing the blood from the blade, and placing the sword back to its sheath. Iaido teaches its practitioners how to use actual weapons.

The Iaito Practice sword

An iaito is the primary Japanese practice sword used in different Japanese sword fighting techniques especially in iaido. This sword looks very similar to the Japanese long sword katana: from the shape, fittings, to its furnishings. Generally, an iaito is lighter than actual swords although it may often be designed to have more or less the same balance and weight to a katana.

The Japanese iaido sword is usually made of aluminum-zinc alloy. Because such material for sword is weak, it is not suitable for combat and sword fighting exercises. It is only used for solo drills (with imaginary opponents). On the other hand, there are also iaito swords made from carbon steel but they are unsharpened pieces to ensure the safety of iaido practitioners. Therefore, an iaito sword is not supposed to be used in Japanese sword cutting technique.

Guide in choosing the right Japanese iaido sword:

1. Correct sword length

Blade length is important to draw out a sword smoothly from its sheath. If the training sword is too long, the movement of an iaido trainee will be limited and awkward. It would be difficult for him to control the sword. The following table shows standard sword blade lengths for corresponding body heights (for male only). It is best to consult your martial arts teacher on this:

Body Height (ft in)	Blade length (ft in)
4’11”	2’ 2 ¼”
5’1”	2’ 2 7/8”
5’3”	2’ 3 3/8”
5’5”	2’4”
5’7”	2’ 4 5/8”
5’9”	2’ 5 ¼”
5’11”	2’ 5 ¾”
6’1”	2’ 6 3/8”
6’3”	2’7”
6’5”	2’ 7 ½”

2. Weight and Balance of the Sword

A Japanese iaido sword made from aluminum is a lighter sword. This can be beneficial to beginners because it makes an iaido trainee’s movement more refined and accurate. A heavier iaito sword (those made of steel) may also be advantageous because it makes a practitioner be aware of how much a real sword could weigh. This makes the transition from training with a practice sword to training with a real sword not very difficult.

Then again, as a beginner, to be very familiar of every movement is a good way to start in mastering iaido. Therefore, it still usually encouraged to use the lighter aluminum iaito training sword for freer movement.

3. Structure and Aesthetics of the Iaito

Another priority in looking for a Japanese iaido sword is structure and aesthetics. By this it means that the sword must be in its best condition – no tampers, no scratches, no signs of damage whatsoever. You must also see to it that all parts of the practice sword are stable. Ornaments are not necessary but may be considered so long as the decorations are not affecting the balance of the sword. You have to remember that you are going to use the sword regularly, so, it must be of excellent quality regardless of its beauty.

Some tips in shopping Japanese iaido swords:

1. Shop from a recommended supplier and reputable iaito sword stores.

2. If buying a new iaito practice sword is too heavy for your budget, you may also buy a second hand iaito sword (provided that the sword is not yet more than three years old). Why? So that it is still usable. It is also better if you personally know the previous sword owner.

3. Always ask assistance or guidance from your iaido teacher when you are about to purchase a Japanese iaido sword for your training. He can be of great help!

What is a Chinese sword?

2010-01-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

Stone and bronze swords have been around in China since ancient times. Many bronze daggers have been found in the tombs of Chinese kings from Zhou Dynasty (1000 BC), which is thought by experts as the peak of bronze-making in China.
Chinese swords have helped open up Japanese sword making industry particularly before and during Heian era (794-1185).
Chinese sword makingThe Chinese have been casting iron alloys since 500 BC and exported their products to East Asian neighbors through sea trade.
The discovery and mining of iron revolutionized metal-working techniques. The first steel Chinese war swords were produced. Smiths found out that by combining two strands of steel, each of different carbon contents, a hard but resilient sword can be made.
The combination of two steel strands was the foundation of Chinese sword making. There were three ways to achieve this:

Twistcore or twist core

It is the process of putting metal bars of different degrees of carbon content on top of the other. The smith can mold these bars into one through heating and hammering. Because this process produces interesting shiny details on the surface of the blade, a talented smith can create beautiful traces on the sword.

Baogang or wrapped steel

It is the process of enclosing soft steel (lower carbon) with hard steel (higher carbon). The core alloy, to further strengthen the blade, can be a product of folding two steel strands or can be layered with iron.

Qiangang or inserted steel

It is similar to baogang except that the hard steel bar is sandwiched between two soft steel bars on each side. The smith can then produce the blade by heating and hammering the whole alloy.

Types of Chinese swords

Chinese swords evolved throughout the nation’s more than two thousand years of history. Here are some of the most famous Chinese sword types:
Chinese dao sword
since the Bronze Age. Up to now, it is the main weapon used in wushu championships. Its blade is straight to slightly curved, cant-hilted, and about a meter in length. A cord, tassel or lanyard is fitted to the hilt for decoration and practical purposes.The dao sword is a true Chinese war sword. It was used by generals to repulse the Mongolian invasion in the Medieval Age. In recent history, militias lacking of proper firearms used it in Chinese-Japanese war (1937-1945).
Chinese butterfly sword
Butterfly swords, also known as butterfly knives, are a shortened dao with the length of the average human arm. They are used in pairs stored in a single scabbard in order to trick enemies. Because of their short length, they are easily concealed in sleeves and allow swift bladework. These Chinese twin short swords have knuckle guards to protect the hand of the wielder from the sharp edge. They also served as a way to trap or lock the opponent’s sword.A butterfly sword measures half a meter, and the blade is about 0.3 meter. To protect it from getting jarred and chipped, its single cutting edge is not wholly sharpened. From the base of the hilt to about midpoint of the blade is blunt; the cutting edge starts at the midpoint and right up to the tip. Chinese changdao sword
Similar in appearance to Japanese long sword odachi, changdao means long knife and was an effective Chinese war sword against the cavalry. The sword is about two meters in overall length, two-handed, and slightly curved. It was first recorded to be used in 1560 as a Chinese weapon to fend off Mongolians from China’s borders.
Chinese dadao sword
The dadao, known also as Chinese war saber or great sword, resembles the German Großes Messer and the European falchion. Based on an agricultural short sword, it measures about 0.7 to a meter in length. Its strength lies in its weight-forward balance that provides a strong striking force.
Chinese hook swords
The hook sword has the most exotic look among Chinese swords. The tip resembles a shepherd’s cane, the hilt is part of the blade with a leather wrap, and the hand knuckle is a blade extension that forms like a Japanese torii. It sometimes is called tiger head sword because of its look.The Chinese hook sword is often unsharpened and used as a pair. It is proficient for deflecting the opponent’s sword.
Chinese Jian sword
The jian has been around for thousands of years. First used in 500 BC and cast in bronze, it was a versatile double-edged, straight-bladed, cut-and-trust weapon. When iron was mined, it was made of steel. The jian ornamental sword, which was used for religious purposes, was made from a precious chunk of jade.The hilt of the Chinese jian swords can be an intricate sloping cross-guard or disc-shape. The pommel is attached to the blade rather than held on together with a nut.The jian can be single-handed or double-handed, depending on the prevailing taste and practical usage of the time. It was an ideal sword for the foot soldier in both defense and offense: cleaving, deflecting, percussive cutting, and slashing.

How to collect Chinese swords

Today, thanks to films about Chinese history and martial art, there is a renewed interest in collecting battle ready Chinese swords. For instance, the rare 18th century jade-hilted Chinese sword called Baoteng sword was worth six million dollars in 2006 Sotheby’s auction.You too can take part of the Chinese war sword collecting hobby.

Here are our tips on how to collect Chinese swords:1.) Be updated. Collecting antique Chinese swords is a very specialized field. Not only are ancient texts scant, the research into their making is also hard to come by. So always be on the loop for news by attending swords shows and museum antique sword exhibits.
2.) Learn how to appreciate Chinese martial art by attending tai chi swords workshops and watching wushu competition. In this way, you can appreciate the functionality of the Chinese sword.
3.) Join sword collecting community for information and transactions of Chinese rare swords.
4.) Always deal with well-reputed antique shops and dealers so that you would not risk your investment on counterfeits.
5.) Participate in antique swords auctions such as in Sotheby’s and Christie’s. This is where you can bid and buy the best Chinese swords collectibles.

Process of the Polishing Work

2010-01-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

The sword restoring work is roughly divided two steps. The first is shaping, next is polishing. These two steps are very different on their action. And the shaping is the most important for the blade, and most difficult in the polishing work.
1) shaping To restore the blade we shape it with stones. We start with a rough stone, and step up toward finer one to make the shape finer. Normally we use some kinds of stones, from rough to fine, Arato, Binsui, Kaisei, Chu-Nagura, Koma-Nagura, and Uchigumori. For this work, the shape of the stone is very important.Wide stone is good for the flat surface and the cutting surface. Narrow one is good for the back surface. Stones, there are two kinds, natural stone and artificial one. Each kind has good point.
preparation Before starting the shaping work, we have to study the blade exactly to make a plan how shape it up. And straighten the blade with wood vice. To make it exactly is very important to get good shape.
ARATO stone The most rough stone. We use it only for fresh borne blade or deep rusted one, to make a good shape. Hold the blade with right angle to the stone, and push the arms forward. For the flat surface (shinogiji), a little slant angle is not so bad. For the back surface, hold the blade 45 degrees to the stone, and push forward. The work is same to the next step BINSUI. This step is the most important for the shaping. The system is very simple but it is the most difficult in all steps of shaping. Never grind too much steel. We have to get the perfect shape with the least grinding.BINSUI stone Most of blades are started with this stone. To remove rust and make a good shape. Be careful to save the flesh on the cutting surface.KAISEI stone To make the shape finer. Hold the blade with 45 degrees to the stone, and push the arms forward. But the working system for kissaki never change with any stones.CHU-NAGURA stone To make the shape finer. From this step we never use artificial stones. ( In some case artificial stones are easy to be used by hobby polishers. ) Hold the blade 45 degrees to the stone, and move the blade along the blade's length. The work looks like pushing the blade toward the left hand. The trace should be parallel to the length or a little slant.KOMA-NAGURA stone To make the shape finer. This stone is a little finer and harder than CHU-NAGURA stone. The work is same to CHU-NAGURA step. But the trace has to be very parallel to the length. UCHIGUMORI stone To complete the shape and to make the character of the blade come up. Hold the blade the same way as in the previous step. But the working direction is opposite. It is pulling the blade carefully towards your right hand. Then every surface is completely shaped, and the characters come up.
2) polishing To study the quality of the blade we make the surfaces clear. Then we can see the details easily. In the polishing work, there are two kinds of finishing style. One is the classical polishing style (SASHIKOMI). The other is the modern polishing style (HADORI). The big different between them is in the step of NUGUI.
preparation Before starting the polishing work, we have to make the stuff for the work, HAZUYA, JIZUYA and NUGUI. Good preparation is very important for smooth work. making hazuya and jizuya Hazuya is made from uchigumori stone. Jizuya is from narutaki stone. Both stones are similar kinds of finest stone in Japan. Narutaki is a little harder than Uchigumori. The fineness of texture and the hardness is very important to select them. Slice the stone with chisel and hammer.Grind them to get flat surface and the thickness as thin as paper.Fix them on the paper with lacquer. The paper should be thin and strong. Cut and shape them to proper size. Grind them again to the proper thickness to use. The hazuya for NARUME work is larger size and the best quality. making nugui powder Nugui is very fine powder mixed with oil. Each polishers have their own powder making system and material. One of them is grind the material completely with mortar to the finest powder. Examples of the materials are, narutaki stone, tsushima stone, iron ore, oxidized iron, and other things. polishing migaki needles There are some kind of needles with different shapes for blades' surfaces. Polish them up completely to get mirror surface on its own. The finish of needle surface moves to blade surface. HAZUYA HAZUYA is a very thin Uchigumori stone fixed on the paper.Polish the blade surface with HAZUYA on the thumb completely, especially in the hamon.Then the surface becomes clean. And all the tempering effects come to be seen.JIZUYA JIZUYA is a very thin NARUTAKI stone. Some of them are fixed with paper, and some are not. Choice is case by case. And select suitable quality jizuya for the steel quality. Polish the blade surface with JIZUYA completely except the hamon area. The steel becomes clear and the steel particles come up.NUGUI NUGUI is a very fine stone powder mixed with oil. Polish the whole surface of the blade with it using cotton ball. In this step, the work is very different between the classical style and the modern style. The nugui work in the classical style is the final cleaning for the blade surface. The work in the modern style is to make up a good contrast for an attractive view. On the classical style, natural stones can be used for NUGUI. There are various kinds of stone for it, for example, NARUTAKI, NAGURA, TSUSHIMA, iron ore.The surface becomes clean and the hamon comes up.On the modern style, polishers have their own special material and oil for nugui. It is far harder than the classical style's to make a black shining surface on the blade. The work effects whole surface of the blade even on the hamon. So the hamon is masked by this hard effective polishing. Then the hamon area has to be polished again with hazuya. Polisher uses hazuya carefully by their thumb to make a white pattern along the hamon. This work is called "HADORI". So this polishing style is called " HADORI style". Good hadori work makes good contrast between the white pattern and the rest black shining area. On this work polishers are thinking to get an attractive view. So the pattern of white area is quite different by each polisher's sense, even if the hamon would be the same. And the real hamon can be seen in the white pattern when you use good lighting.
Be careful, some polishers use acids or chemical treatment on polishing process to trick the view. They emphasize hamon pattern and layer pattern, and its view is indecent and unnatural. However skilful it is, they never lift the blade quality up, only damage the steel. Such work is done for purpose to deceive beginners. It is very bad for serious sword lovers. Good polishing never use any acid.

Detailed Information of Japanese Sword Hamon

2009-04-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

Hamon: Temper line

Nie and Nioi, these are basically crystals that are made up of either martensite or troostite. The temper line or Hamon, is made up of these 2 types of structures. Generally, Nie is the larger crystal formation and is easily seen by the naked eye. Nioi is much smaller, and appears misty, but still bright. The brighter the hamon, usually the better the sword. There are many types of known hamon patterns, but basically there are only 2 types, straight (suguha) and undulating (midare). All others are variations stemming from the 2 basic hamons. For example, what is most commonly known as “choji” is properly called choji-midare, gunome is called gunome midare, notare is called notare midare, and so on.

Combinations of 2-3 types of hamon exist in one sword. Sometimes a sword will have what is known as gunome-choji midare, such as those from the famous Kamakura Bizen School. Straight temperlines with slight variations are often called “sugu-ko midare”, meaning a basically straight hamon with midare like activity within.

Blades that are made up of mostly nie are called nie-deki, those that are made up of nioi are thus then called nioi deki. Smaller nie swords are often confused with nioi, but are actually called ko-nie, or what is known as “small nie”. More nie, however, isn’t always better. Even sized, thick, bright nie is a good sign that a sword is in healthy condition and manufacture. A finely controlled hamon also shows quality of a well tempered blade, and the skill of the smith. When a well polished sword is pointed at the proper light, the hamon should “pop” out easily if the sword is both healthy and well made. The kesho, or whitening of the hamon in polishing should NOT be confused for the actual temperline.

By developing this method of forging, the Japanese sword smith showed his skill not only in the base design and manufacture, but in his artistry as well. Hamons such as “3 cedar zig zag”, or Mount Fuji show the artistry with out losing the blades effectiveness as a weapon of choice. The Japanese sword, as well as Japanese swordsmanship have been often described as a type of “violent beauty”.

Suguha (straight ) - Used from the beginning of Japanese sword manufacture to present day. Used by all five main schools (Gokaden) with different variations.

Midare - Heian period to present day. Ko-midare, choji midare, notare midare, gunome midare, O midare, hako midare, sudare midare, doran gunome midare, yahazu midare, mimigata midare amd hitatsura midare.

Choji (Clove Pattern) - Used from the late Heian period to present day. Many types were used and developed. Juka choji, kawazuku choji, saka choji are just some of the variations that were developed.d

Gunome - Used from the Kamakura period, but different variations were developed from the original design during the Shinto period, especially the hamon known as gunome doran used by the Sukehiro School. Kanemoto made the sanbon sugi (3 cedar zig-zag) gunome hamon famous for its cutting ability during the Muromachi period.

Notare (Billowing wave) - Used from the late Kamakura period to present day, but ko-notare was seen in earlier periods as part of some hamons. The Soshu School was well known for using this within their hamons.

Hitatsura (Full) - Used from the late Kamakura period by the Soshu School, but became popular during the Muromachi period by most of the other main schools. Rarely seen in the late Shinto and Shinshinto period, even fewer during the gendaito periods.

Sudare/Kikusui ba (Bamboo strip/ Chysanthemum in the river) - Developed in the Shinto period, and a small group kept this hamon style alive during the Shinshinto period. Kyoto or Osaka Schools.

Fujiyama (Mount Fuji) - Developed from a notare midare with gunome within the hamon. Modified later in the Shinto period (1600’s) to resemble Mount Fuji. Popular also during the ShinShinto period, but rarely seen during the 1900’s.

Is the hamon changed by re-polishing?

"Re-polishing" involves re-working the blade surfaces without serious loss of steel.

Because of this , the hamon can never be changed by a repolish. However in the modern polishing style, the hamon-like, white pattern may appear different due to the individual polishers' aesthetic taste.

The real hamon lies within the steel itself and therefore remains unchanged what ever the polishing style. However the colour of the hamon area, the brightness of the hamon particles or the width of the temper line can be changed by the polisher. Therefore the impression of hamon can be changed by how the polisher treats the hamon particles.

Is the grain changed by re-polishing?

We often hear stories that the steel has been dramatically changed by re-polishing.

"Straight grain (masame) has been changed to small wood grain (ko-itame) by re-polishing!"

"Small wood grain has become large burl grain (o-mokume)!"

Firstly we have to recognize that by grain we do not mean the layer pattern.

The layer pattern never be changed by re-polishing, but the grain may be changed by the individual polishers.

On good quality blades, an array of steel particles also constitute grain. Therefore the grain can be changed by how the polisher treat these particles.

How to Appreciate Blade Quality?

2009-03-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Generally, we appreciate blades with the three elements.

At first shape, then steel, and then hamon.

1) Shape

You must take an over-all look at the blade first.

Seeing the shape completely is very important to appreciate blades. It should be well-ordered from the bottom of tang to the top of kissaki.

All the elements of the blade are condensed to its shape. So understanding the distinction between good shape and poor shape is necessary to know its quality. For the good shape, every line must be smooth and sharp, every surface even, and full meat is kept on the cutting surface. And the harmony of the whole shape is most important. A good shape will come from good steel and good tempering. It illustrates a sense of the smith. But it is difficult to explain the "shape" by words or images. "Good shape" doesn't mean some design of blade. It is general word used for every kind of style of blades.

2) Steel

Steel is a base of blade quality. A good steel is necessary for good shape and for good tempering effect. It is not a meaning of layer pattern. Steel is the foundation of blade quality .To appreciate a blade the steel structure is very important. To recognize the steel quality is a little difficult for beginners, but very interesting.

Japanese blades have a layer pattern caused by fold welding work. These patterns are interesting and are one of the characteristics of the blade.

(layer pattern = HADA in Japanese)

A beautiful layer pattern does not necessarily mean good steel. It is a secondary effect of the fold welding.

In Japanese blades this forge welding is not performed to create a patterned steel. The pattern develops as a bi-product of refining the steel.

This is a very big point that many overseas collectors misunderstand.

Good blade steel, in other words, has a clear colour and is made of fine particles. That comes from good material and good tempering.

Such a steel must accompany a good hamon. This doesn't mean an aesthetic hamon pattern. It means a hamon that is bright and made of fine particles

This is what the samurai of the past appreciated in a blade because behind the beauty lay a weapon they could trust with their lives.

-important-

The main purpose of fold welding work is to refine the primitive steel.

The raw material for a Japanese blade is very pure, but primitive. It contains slags and voids due to the low temperature reduction utilized by the traditional Japanese smelting process.

Blade smiths squeeze the slag out of the steel by a fold welding method. Finally, they arrive at a fine grained, pure steel block that can be used for blades. This refining work put layers in the steel as a secondary effect.

When we try to attribute a blade to an individual smith, the layer pattern becomes one of elements we use to define the smith's tradition or his personality. In the modern age, people began to appreciate the layer pattern designs as an art form.

However, what ever the layer pattern, it does not define steel quality.

Sometimes blade steels show open layers. These failed welds are detrimental to the aesthetics of the blade but they don't necessarily mean a lack of quality in the steel. Likewise, a blade with no weld failures can't be guaranteed to have good steel. Visible and attractive layer patterns do have visual appeal and I see nothing wrong with this, as long as steel quality is maintained.

Material

TAMAHAGANE and OROSHIGANE

Traditional Japanese blades are made from a pure carbon steel that is produced by the low temperature deoxidization method.

The steel is mainly TAMAHAGANE, with additions of OROSHIGANE.

TAMAHAGANE is made by the TATARA method from iron sands using plenty of charcoal. It is primitive, but very pure.

The smelt temperatures in the Tatara are low and the reduced iron doesn't become fully liquid. Because of this, other trace elements in the sands can't form alloys in the steel and are removed along with the slag.

A fresh born tamahagane billet from the tatara furnace is very big. It is the size of a calf and includes various qualities of steel.

It is broken into many small pieces, and they are surplied to smiths.

Tamahagane is very pure as a steel. But it has some slags and many voids.

OROSHIGANE is a steel that made by sword smiths themselves. By this process the smith gets

exactly the quality of steel he wants. The materials of Oroshigane are pure iron, sponge iron, electrolysis iron and old iron wares that were made from Tatara smelted iron. Anyhow eliminate non-Fe metals.

Using there own fires, and plenty of charcoal, the smiths can produce their own pure carbon steels. Simply put, Oroshigane is a smith personal tamahagane.

3) Hamon

Various types of Hamon patterns are attractive for beginners eye, but to see the quality of hamon is far more important.

Utsuri (shadow of hamon) also can be seen by this way.

Real colours come up.

Hamon is a borderline of the areas between very hardened area and not so hardened area. It can be seen as a white line in properly polished blades. The hardened area is made by the tempering work, heating and quick quenching. And the border line is an effect of the work.

Hamon is the most visible appearance of the sword. Looking at it is very interesting. Hamon is a big factor of the character of a blade. Its pattern is very attractive for beginners’ eye.

But, the pattern does not mean the quality. An aesthetic hamon pattern doesn't mean a good hamon. It is just a matter of liking. The brightness and the fineness of the hamon, not only the hamon line but also the hamon area, is a bigger criterion of the quality.

A good hamon is made of fine and bright particles.

HAMON particles, NIE and NIOI

A hamon area, hardened area of the blade, is a mass of the hardened steel cristal.

A hamon line is made of small particles of hardened steel. The particles are classified with different names by their sizes. They are roughly called NIE and NIOI.

The smallest particles are NIOI.

It is hard to recognize each particle on the hamon. The hamon pattern that made of NIOI looks like a narrow white line.

The visible particles are called NIE. It can be seen as a construction of many grits. NIE is classified into three sizes again.
1) Small particles are KONIE. It means a small nie.
2) Large particles are NIE.
3) Rough particles are ARANIE. It means a rough nie.

So the particles are classified into 4 degrees by their sizes.

nioi (smallest) => konie (small) => nie (large) => aranie (rough)
But the classification is not exactly. They are seen as combined form on the hamon.

In roughly speaking, the sizes means a temperature of the heat treatment. The steel crystals become large by heating. So the temper line made of NIOI is lower than the temper line made of NIE in the work of heat temperature. Therefore, NIOI hamon on tight steel tends to be sharp edge, and NIE hamon on rough steel tends to be tough edge.

But actual blades are not so simple. Seeing the brightness of particles is very important to appreciate blades.

WHY ARE JAPANESE SWORDS SPECIAL?

2009-03-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

The uniqueness of the Japanese sword lies in the technical innovations devised by the Japanese in an effort to resolve the three conflicting practical requirements of a sword: unbreakability, rigidity, and cutting power. Unbreakability implies a soft but tough metal, such as iron, which will not snap with a sudden blow, while rigidity and cutting power are best achieved by the use of hard steel. The Japanese have combined these features in a number of ways which have given their swords a very distinctive character.

First of all, most Japanese blades are made up of two different metals: a soft and durable iron core is enveloped in a hard outer skin of steel which has been forged and reforged many times in order to produce a complex and close-knit crystalline structure. Seconds, the cross-section, widening from the back to a ridge on both sides, then narrowing to a very acute angle at the edge, combines the virtues of thickness for strength and thinness for cutting power. Third and most important of all, a highly tempered edge is formed by covering the rest of the blade with a special heat-resistant clay and heating and quenching only the part left exposed. The result is a steel which is even harder then the rest of the outer skin and can take a razor-sharp edge. A fourth feature, the distinctive curve away from the edge, owes its origin to another practical demand: the need to draw the sword and strike as quickly as possible and in a continuous motion. Where the sword itself forms part of the approximate circumference of a circle with its center at the wearer's right shoulder and its radius the length of his arm, drawing from a narrow scabbard will naturally be easier and faster than with a straight weapon.

But to the Japanese specialist the beauty of a sword lies in more than just its fulfillment of practical requirements or its almost mechanical perfection of finish and cleanness of profile. The Japanese swordsmith has given his product a number of features which, although they may have a strictly practical origin, have been elaborated far beyond the simple requirement of hard-wearing efficiency in slaughter. One example of this is the forging of the outer skin, a process necessary to produce steel of adequate purity and hardness: this has been done in a multitude of different ways so as to obtain a wide variety of distinct grains in the surface of the blade. But it is the tempering process which has received the most careful attention. The heat-resistant clay is wholly or practically scraped away from the area of the edge in a seemingly inexhaustible range of outlines resulting in an enormous number of patterns of hard crystalline steel which guarantee that no two swords will ever be the same: and yet these outlines have no practical function beyond the simple requirement that the edge must be tempered in one way or another.

Making A Japanese Sword

2008-08-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

A Japanese sword is made of the peculiar material called the "Ta-ma-Ha-ga-ne (Japanese steel)". Ta-ma-Ha-ga-ne is produced in the smelter combining iron from iron sand and carbon from charcoal.

There are many steps to make a sword.

1. Preparation for the material

1) He-shi-process (Re-melting for carbon percent control, Hardening and Platening)

The production of the sword begins from the manufacture of the base steel called the He-shi-process.

The lump of Ta-ma-Ha-ga-ne is heated, and hammered into flat sheets. This is the starting point of forging.

Next, the flat pieces are hardened to obtain the heshi-metal. This heshi-metal is struck and broken in little pieces to be sorted.

- The pure iron, carbone content closed to 0, called the pig iron.

- The high carbon content, called zuku

- The Hocho-iron, higher carbon content used for the jacket of the blade. The O-ro-shi-process, re-melting process is used to adjust the carbone content of these steels and make them suitable for the next process steps.

2) Tsu-mi-wa-ka-shi-processing (element adjustment)

The small pieces are stacked on a tool called Teko, they are wrapped in the Japanese paper to be hold together.

Straw ashes are put on the surface and the whole is coated with clay juice.The stack is heated to such a temperature in the charcoal fire (Hodo) that clay on the surface does melt. Straw ashes and clay prevent the loss in weight of the steel due to the oxidization.

The pieces are heated and taken out from the fire floor when the suitable temperature is reached.The pieces are then strucked with small hammer blows, the piece is strengthened, and a "base", 60mm widthwise, 90mm lengthwise is created.

This process is called "Tsu-mi-Wa-ka-shi"

3) Shi-ta-ki-ta-e (Lapel forging 5-6 times)

Next, few layers of steel are piled to obtain a stack weighting about 1.8 to 2.0 kg. the Wa-ka-shi-process is repeated, the material is extended to a length of about 200mm.

With a cold chisel the material is cut, in the center, the cutting line in the direction of the material extension. The piece is folded lengthwise and the Wa-ka-shi-process is done again to weld the folded parts. Then the extending, cutting and lapeling operatons are repeated. Such lapel forging is called Shi-ta-ki-ta-e. It gets rid of extra carbon in the steel and is repeated about 5-6 times to make an homogeneous steel.

All the Ta-ma-ha-ga-ne, pig iron (zuku) and Hocho-iron are treated by the O-ro-shi-process (re-melting process) and the Shi-ta-ki-ta-e-process. Making Japanese sword requires number of pieces of the three kinds of steel.

2.Tsu-mi-wa-ka-shi, Tan-ren, A-ge-ki-ta-e

1) Tsu-mi-wa-ka-shi (making alloy)

The 4 following parts are combined to make Japanese sword.

a) Shi-n-ka-ne (Body steel)

b) Mu-ne-ka-ne (Ridge steel)

c) Ha-no-ka-ne (Edge steel)

d) Ga-wa-ka-ne (Side steel)

All metal of these parts are mixed by combination of the three kinds of metals coming from Shi-ta-ki-ta-e, Tsu-mi-wa-ka-shi and lapel forging.

2) Ta-n-re-n (making of Body steel, Ridge steel and Edge steel)

The center steel will be done from 7 times lapel forging steel. The ridge steel will be done from 9 times. The edge steel will be done from 15 times lapel forging and has 32,768 layers.

3) A-ge-ki-ta-e (making side steel) process

After the forging completed, edge steel, body steel and ridge steel are combined in three layers and welded by forging .

It is done by welding 4 pieces. The result is a piece of 90mm long, 20mm width and with a thickness of 40mm.

This becomes the part of the wick of the sword called "wick steel" generally.

The steel for Ga-wa-ka-ne which becomes the surface of the Japanese sword is made from Tsu-mi-wa-ka-shi, Shi-ta-ki-ta-e and will be support 12 times the lapel forging process. It is called "A-ge-ki-ta-e" especially.

3. Combine

The forged side steel is further extended in the double length of the wick steel. After it is cut in the center and the 2 parts are placed on the side of the wick steel. The side steels are sandwich-shaped around the wick steel.

4.Wa-ka-shi-No-be, Na-ka-go-Tsuke, Su-no-be, Hi-zu-ku-ri, Ka-ra-ji-me (cold forging)

1) Wa-ka-shi and No-be processes

Tsu-mi-wa-ka-shi process and welding process by forging are done for this sandwich-shaped piece. This piece is lengthen by Nobe-process to 500-600mm long with 15mm thick and 30mm width. These processes of Tsu-mi-wa-ka-shi and No-be will create a special compound material which is ready to make a Japanese sword.

2) Na-ka-go-tsu-ke process

After that, the handle used for forging is separated, and the Na-ka-go which becomes the handle of the Japanese sword, it is processed by tsu-mi-wa-ka-shi and welded to the compound material.

3) Su-no-be process

The length that it is linked to the weight of the material is calculated here. The piece is forged to obtain the desired dimensions and then smoothed with small hammer blows. These processes are called Su-no-be. The shape of sword is prepared; length, width and thickness are set up to correspond with the archetype of the final figure of the sword.

4) Hi-zu-ku-ri process

The work of making the actual shape of the sword is done with the Hi-zu-ku-ri process. The ridge of Nakago (Tang) is forged to get a round shape, the ridge of the sword body is forged to become a triangle. Next, the edge of the sword body is forged more, and made thin. The whole shape is modified after forging with the Shi-no-gi-chi. The sword is heated to the color of the adsuki bean (a low temperature) and then the sword body is cooled down gradually.

5) Ka-ra-ji-me process (cold forging)

After a sword body gets cold, the black skin of the surface is removed with the rough grindstone. Then, the cold processing of forging Hi-ra-ji and Shi-no-gi-chi with same procedure as Hi-zu-ku-ri, named as "Ka-ra-ji-me" is done. It's assumed that the cutting performance of the sword increases with this process. The ridge and the edge line are made straight before finishing the body of the sword. After that, the little roughness on the surface is shaved with the plane. The shaved iron is called Sen.

When the roughness has disappeared, the Machi (notch) between the ridge and the edge is made in the border of the sword body and Nakago. The Machi decides the end of the edge length (Ha-wa-ta-ri) of this sword and a basic sharpening of the blade is made before the quenching process. This sharpening operation is done with the rough polishing-stone to take out the shaving marks made with plane called Sen. Oil and fat on the surface of the sword body is removed with a mix of straw ashes and water, and then the surface is dried.

5. Tsu-chi-o-ki and Quenching (making the curve)

1) Tsu-chi-o-ki processing

The next process is the quenching which gives a Japanese sword a beautiful curve and toughness. Both of the intuition that it was sharpened and purified, and the very advanced technology are required in everywhere steps of this treatment. Before doing the quench process of the sword body, the "Tsu-chi-o-ki" work of applying three kinds of quench soil (clay coating) to Hi-ra-chi, Ha-mo-n and Shi-no-gi-chi is done.

Quench soil is applied to Hi-ra-chi of the sword body, uniformly and thinly in the beginning of the tsu-chi-o-ki. Next after, the outline line of the ripple is marked with a writing brush. Another layer of soil is applied in Shi-no-gi place to get a thicker soil for this part than for the edge. When it is done like this, a thin part of the edge is cooled more rapidly during the quenching process and quenched completely. On the other hand, the cooling speed becomes slower for the thicker soil, and the quench isn't done fully in the ridge of the sword.

The part of the edge fully quenched becomes hard and a little bit longer. On the opposite the steel of the ridge which cools slowly contracts. This property is used skillfully to obtain the curve which is peculiar the Japanese sword.

2) Quenching

The workplace is darkened to know the heating temperature properly. The sword body which has tsu-chi-o-ki done is deeply put on the fire floor, and the whole of the sword body is heated uniformly to about 800 degrees. The sword body with an even heat is pull out from the fire floor. Then a sword body is plunged into the water tank. This is done quickly, the craftsman plunged the sword body into the water at a stretch in accordance with his breathing. In the water, the sword body begins to turn in the direction of the edge, but after short time, it warps conversely.

When the sword is fully cooled, it is pulled up from the water tank, and sharpened with the polishing stone which is rough at once, and the quench condition of edge is checked. If a quench edge is prepared as required, a sword body is reheated in the charcoal fire, and tempered. This treatment is called "A-i-do-ri". A sword body could warp during the quenching operation. Therefore, while there is remaining heat from the Ai-do-ri, it is struck on the wooden base with light hammer, and it is corrected. Moreover, the nakago is also tempered and its shape corrected.

6. Togi (polishing) - Registration

1) Togi (polishing)

After this, the whole shape of the Japanese sword and its thickness (the swell condition of the sword body) are modified by Japanese sword master as his last work before the polishing by the Japanese sword polisher. According to the order, the groove, a U letter shape which it is called as the "gutter (Toi) " is shaved with the Sen in Shi-no-gi area of the sword body. After the shape of Na-ka-go is finished with the Sen and a file, the Me-ku-gi (peg) holes are drilled and some clean line figure are engraved on the surface with the make-up file on the Nakago (tang).

An inscription is cut with cold chisei at the last and the work of sword master is finished. Then, the Japanese sword send to the polisher and the Ha-ba-ki and the Sa-ya (sheath) are set on the Japanese sword. The Japanese sword are polished finally. After all works are completed, the Japanese sword is finished.

"Sa-ya (Sheath) " materials ; The tree of Hoh which dried well is used. The profile of the sword is copied on the surface of wood with a pencil. It is shaved with the chisel. (inside) A curve is made in the sheath in the case of the sword which doesn't have a curve. (outside ) It is sealed with the glue made from rice grain called So-ku-i. (The part of the sheath is the investigation result of Mr. Kumano of ML from the item of "Ma-ki-e" (lacquer craft) of the "Heisei craftsman picture history Kanto edition".)

Definition of Iron, Steel, and Cast Iron

2008-08-18T23:26:00.001-07:00

Iron. Chemical symbol "Fe".

Iron is a general word used to describe metals that have pure iron as their main constituent. Sometimes the word iron is used as simile of something hard like an "iron lady".

Most iron wares around us are not made of chemically pure iron but are alloys, the most important of which is Carbon. Carbon is a big factor in understanding the difference between Iron, Steel and Cast iron. Adding some carbon to chemically pure iron makes steel. Add even more and you'll make cast iron

Iron

Technically, iron means just that, chemically pure iron. Without carbon, iron is very soft and ductile.

Iron become softer upon heating. So a smith can change its shape by hammering but it can never be hardened by heat treatment.

Steel

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. The amount of carbon dictates whether a steel is hard or it is tough.

Adding Carbon makes the iron harder. The more carbon the harder the steel. Carbon content in steel usually falls a range between 0.3 ~ 1.5 % by volume.

Iron /carbon alloys within this range are called steels.

Steels can be forged and hardened by heat treatment. The high carbon steel is harder than the low carbon steel. Because carbon content is critical to hardening, the effect of heat treatment is big on high carbon steel, and small on low carbon steels.

In other words, high carbon steels are more sensitive to tempering work. High carbon steels undergo structural changes when heated and cooled rapidly making them useful for items that require degrees of hardness.

High carbon steels appear some different phases that come from the difference of the situation in tempering work. The result of relation between sensitive steel and good tempering work makes subtle appearances on blade surface.

Cast Iron

Carbon content over 1.5 % make iron alloys brittle, non-ductile and unable be worked by hammering. Also these alloys can't be hardened by heat treatment.

Such metals are easy to melt, and easy to break by hammering. Therefore they are used only for casting work.

Therefore we can see that iron, steel, and cast iron form a family based on the absence or degree of carbon content.

Although iron is not used for blades it can be used for tsuba and other fittings like fuchi/kashira, kuirikata, and kojiri etc.

Low carbon steel is used for various kinds of tools and arms.

Most good tsubas are made of low carbon steel. Some "dubious" tsuba are made of cast iron.

High carbon steel is used for cutting edges of blades and tools.

Usually a blade is made of combination with some kinds of steel.

Sword smiths can use either iron or cast iron as ingredients to produce their own steels. They control the carbon content of the steel using their forge. We call this home-made steel "Oroshi-gane".

Purity of materials for making blades and tsuba

In the modern age there are numerous kinds of alloy steels. Other metals are added to the iron to produce special properties for example stainless steel. We call these steels "alloy steels" to differentiate them from "pure carbon steels". (Although this term is strange in exact meaning of the word, I will use it. Please see note at bottom.)

Even commercial Carbon steels have trace amounts of other metals, that is why we don't call them "pure" carbon steels. Japanese swordsmiths never use these modern steels for blades or tsuba and a Japanese blade can not be made with these metals.

TAMA-HAGANE is the main material used in making a Japanese blade. It is a primitive and pure steel made using a traditional Japanese furnace, the TATARA.

The materials for OROSHI-GANE must also be pure of course.

The next step, fold welding, can remove slags and bubbles, but can't remove metal contamination.

Therefore the materials must be as pure a steel as possible.

A Japanese blade must be made from this "pure" steel. Pure steel, simply iron and carbon is a reflection of the beauty of nature.

The value of the Japanese blade lies in its purity.

Some other terms about iron/steel

pure iron = the most pure iron we can get by the top technology today. It can be one of the materials for oroshigane.

sponge iron = one form of pure iron. It looks like a sponge because it has many bubbles inside of it.

electrolytic iron = another kind of pure iron. It is made by electrolysis from iron salts.

TETSU = iron

HAGANE = carbon steel

ZUKU = cast iron

IMONO = cast iron ware

TAMA-HAGANE = a pure steel made by TATARA method.

OROSHI-GANE = a pure steel that is made by sword smith themselves.

Etiquette About Japanese Swords

2008-08-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

A samurai must never appear unarmed even in peace-time. Katana and wakizashi are parts of daily dress for going out.

Wakizashi is worn at home as well (optional), but katana is not to be worn at home except in times of war.

You must store the swords (katana, wakizashi, tanto) at the best place in the house. This in Japan means the best room for receiving guests, named tokonoma. At the place is also kept yoroi (armory). All of them must be cleaned and kept from dust everyday. You must clean the blades yourself to keep away rust. This is not a job for servants. The idea is to keep the close relation between you and the weapons, which are a reminder of your duties and obligations.

Wakizashi is a samurai 'name card'. It should be left on the body of the man you kill in a vendetta/vengeance, as your responsibility of the death as well as the reason why.

You must never let anyone else to touch your swords at any time, except for servants who handle storage of swords of guests (katana only) when you visit another samurai's house. Upon a visit, you must leave your long sword/katana with the servant of your host, unless your intention is unfriendly.

If you sit alone in someone else's house, you may put your sword next to you in any fashion on the floor.

When you sit with a host or a guest, you must put your sword at your right side. This indicates friendly intention.

If you are invited to a suspicious neighborhood or environment, or you are not in good relation with the host, you must put your sword at your left side, and get ready to draw it if necessary.

In short or hurried visits, you may keep wakizashi on your girdle.

In parties, you must leave wakizashi with the servants, and keep only tanto.

Clashing a sheath of one's sword against another's is a breach of conduct. You may demand a duel on such occasion, and the other samurai may do the same.

To turn a sheath in your belt under someone else's eyes means a tantamount challenge to fight. Hence do not even touch your sword that you are wearing, when you don't mean to have a duel.

No weapon at all including tanto is to be displayed drawn out of the scabbard, for any reason.

Do not request to see a sword of another samurai's, unless you have a very good reason to do so (to examine a very famous sword, you are an antique collector, etc.)

The samurai ladies in Japan used halberd or kusarigama, not katana (see picture above), but they also used wakizashi and tanto. Upon going out, samurai ladies may wear wakizashi (optional), and tanto (must-have). The etiquette is the same as the above.

The Japanese Blade: Technology and Manufacture

2008-08-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

The forging of a Japanese sword is a subtle and careful process, an art that has developed over the centuries as much in response to stylistic and aesthetic considerations as to technical improvements. To fashion these blades, the smith not only must possess physical strength, but also patience, dexterity, and a refined eye for the limits of the material and the beauty of a finished sword.

Japanese smiths traditionally use tama-hagane, steel produced in a tatara smelter from iron-rich sand. Modern smiths making Japanese swords in the traditional manner still use this type of steel today, now produced in the last operating tatara smelter, located in Yokota, Shimane Prefecture. However, the tatara smelting process, though efficient, is not perfect and tama-hagane is full of impurities and lacks a consistent dispersal of carbon content, the vital ingredient for turning iron into steel. Too little carbon and the metal will be soft, too much and the metal is brittle.

Kitae: Forging the Blade

In order to correct and compensate for the quality of the tama-hagane, the folding technique of kitae was developed. First the smith selects suitable pieces of tama-hagane and forge-welds them into a single block. This block will form the outer skin of the finished blade. Next the smith begins the laborious process of hammering out and folding the block back on itself. The process yields two important results. First, impurities are worked out of the steel and the carbon content is homogenized throughout the metal. An experienced smith can control with great accuracy the quality of the steel in this way.

Second, the folding produces the jihada, or patterns, for which these blades are so famous. Each time the block is hammered out and folded back, layers are formed. By folding only fourteen times, over 16,000 layers are produced. When the blade is finished, the jihada is visible in the ji, the surface between the edge and ridgeline. The smith can choose specific jihada, such as masame (a straight grain parallel to the edge) or ayasugihada (concentrically curved grain), simply by varying the direction of folding. The block can be folded repeatedly in the same direction, in alternate directions, or crosswise, each method producing a different style of jihada.

The outer skin, called kawagane, is then wrapped around a softer iron core, or shingane. This combination gives the blade both the flexibility and the strength to resist breakage under stress. Additionally, the harder kawagane is better suited to sharpening than the more ductile core. The two layers are heated andhammered out into a long bar. This welds the layers together and forms the blank from which the finished sword is made. Once the blade has been forged into its basic form, the smith uses files and planes to bring out the final shape, followed by a rough polish. At this time, all the distinctive characteristics of the sword are present—a clearly defined profile, point, and ridgelines, the tang, and an even, level surface. All that remains is for the smith to prepare the edge.

Yaki-ire: Hardening the Edge

The hardening of the edge is in many ways the most important, and the most difficult, aspect of the sword-making process. It is the hardening of the edge that gives the blade its ability to take and retain amazing sharpness. To begin with, the blade is coated in yakibatsuchi, a mixture of water, clay, ash, and other ingredients. Every smith has his own special recipe, often a closely kept secret. The yakibatsuchi is applied over the surface, thicker along the spine and thinner at the edge. Working in a darkened forge room using only the light of the glowing coals, the smith carefully heats the blade. As the temperature rises, crystal structures within the metal begin to change. The smith carefully observes the color of the glowing blade, and when the critical temperature is reached the sword is quickly quenched in a trough of water.

At the critical temperature, around 750°C, the structure of steel changes to austenite, a phase where carbon thoroughly combines with iron. When the blade is quickly cooled by quenching, austenite changes to martensite, the hardest type of steel. However, where the thick yakibatsuchi was applied, the blade will cool more slowly, turning not into martensite but instead forming ferrite and pearlite, which are softer and more flexible. Like the kawagane and shingane, this combination of hard edge and softer body is what gives the blade its desirable qualities.

The hardening of the edge also creates a visible change in the surface of the metal. Depending on the way in which the clay mixture was applied, a variety of effects can be produced. This edge pattern is called the hamon, and is one of the most important aspects in the aesthetic appearance of a blade. Like the jihada, each of these patterns has a specific name. Suguha, for example, is a very straight hamon, while sambonsugi describes a zigzag line in clusters of three.

After the hardening of the edge, if the smith is satisfied with the appearance and quality of the blade, it is then passed on to the polisher, who will give the blade its final mirrorlike polish, and other craftsmen who will make the scabbard and sword mountings. Complete mountings have many elements, including metalwork such as tsuba and menuki, lacquered wood, silk cords and wrapping, and ray-skin grips. Though these are all works of art in themselves, the blade remains the true centerpiece of the finished work, an example of the ingenuity of centuries of Japanese smiths and their desire to achieve the perfect blend of technology and art.

How to Master a Sword?

2008-07-21T02:23:00.000-07:00

Handling swords is not an easy thing to master, it takes years of instruction to use one correctly, and even then you will still make some mistakes. Set short term goals in swordsmanship, with your long term goal always being to improve yourself. Please note, a knowledge of physics and geometry will only make this easier. Also, this is a very technical article, intended for people who are actually interested.

Steps：

Start by clearing up a few myths:

"Ninja swords" are no different in construction than "Samurai swords." Although every sword is different, and the Ninja had their own specifications like any other sword school, they are all Katana (Nihonto), they were either forged as Koto (old sword) Shinto (new sword) or Shinsakuto (New Revival Sword). It is in recent years that people have begun to believe that ninjas used secret techniques and special swords. It IS true that they had their own fighting systems with a sword, but keeping sword techniques a secret was the regular practice of almost all japanese sword schools. If you want to learn Ninjutsu, Study with a Qualified Bujinkan Instructor.

There is a saying: "The sword can protect, it was made to protect." It is false. The sword is a tool for killing. No matter whose hands it is in. If you want to master a sword, then you must be at peace with death, both your own and someone else's.

You cannot move at superhuman speeds just because you know how to use a sword. It does not make you faster or give you some kind of power. A sword is a special chunk of metal. The skills you learn after many hours of practice with a qualified teacher do not open up a floodgate of secret energy within you. Nothing, not even the samurai, is unbound by the laws of Physics and Geometry when a sword is used correctly.

You can't cut through trees in one slice. And if you try you'll probably ruin your sword, the cutting you see in movies is either faked or done with bamboo, which can be cut at such.

Study all of the eight directions. Yes, the compass directions.

Stand facing forward, you can define four quadrants easily (think of this as though you're facing north, even if your not): north, south, east, and west. Now think about the four sub-quadrants, called octants: Northwest, northeast southwest, and southeast. These make up a total of eight ways. You can do a simple exercise to learn them, too.

Stand with your right foot forward, left foot back, pointed out to your left, they shouldn't be too far apart, but they shouldn't be too close together, either. Now step with your right foot and bring your left foot so that your exactly like you were before. That's one, or north.

Here comes the hard part: the pivoting technique. Examine your stance, with as little effort as possible, turn to the stronger side. In swordsmanship, a strong-side turn is simply turing to the side that will make you use lesser amount of effort when compared to the otherwise. (Whilst turning otherwise is called back-turn or weak-side turn.) If your right foot is forward, pivot back to your left, vice-versa. Now step in with your leading foot and turn back to your first direction. That's called Zango. Two directions of movement, and that's also how you do the eight ways. Move through on a strong side pivot to 3, which comes instead of the redirect north. Do zango. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are a little different. From 4, turn 45 degrees to your strong side by sliding your back foot (in this case, your right) in to face the fifth way. Zango from this and do the same to reach 7 and 8. When you hit 8, you should be easily be able to turn back to one. Do that 1000 times. If you want something a little more interesting, try stepping backwards instead of forwards. Then combine the two by doing both. That is Hachi Kata (Method of Doing 8 [ways], or Hachi Do (lit. Eight way).

A lot of japanese will pass your eyes and ears, so learn to pronounce it. It's a simple phonetic language and can be learned easily. Ask a native speaker to teach you to pronounce, or watch some subtitled anime, available on most DVD's and on Bittorents like weeds.

No matter how hard you try, you can't master the sword on your own, or with videos. So go join a Dojo. Try for any style done pre-17th century. Try to stay away from Kendo, it's a sport and you are not likely to do any real cutting, but if that's all you can find go for it.

The Draw. Stand with your body squared (just as though your standing with friends, but your shoulders need to be in line with your hips, and your back straight), feet should be shoulder width apart. Take the sword (still sheathed) in your left hand, blade side up (outside of the curve facing up) and by the upper part of the saya (sheath). Pull it up against your left side as though it were in your Obi (belt). Grasp (don't grab) the Nakago (hilt) right below the Tsuba (hand-guard), and pull straight out, as though you were using the Nakagojiri (very end of the hilt, the end cap) to hit your opponents stomach. STOP THERE. Imagine yourself in samurai armor. How would you stop from cutting your webbing and/or arm? Step your left foot back as you draw out and move the sword in an arc over, and point the tip as though you were pointing it at the chest of an enemy as tall as you. Set the saya aside and put your left hand on the nakagojiri, so the the bottom of your hand ends at the end of the sword. To look like you know what your doing, rotate the blade to the Ura (left) by a few degrees. Congrats, you're now in right-foot-forward-center(or middle)-guard position.

The Six Ways. Stand in Center guard with your right foot lead. Now raise the sword up, so that it's blade points about 45 degrees behind you (i.e. straight up would be 90, straight back would be 0). This is Right foot forward upper position.

Stand in right foot upper, and move the blade down, until it forms a 45 degree angle pointing down, don't move your shoulders off your center. This is right foot lower position.

Move to right foot upper and step your left foot in so that it is in the lead and your right foot is pointed to your right side, do this without moving the sword. This is left foot upper.

Move the sword out to the side of your head, pointed about 15 degrees off of the 90, but don't hold it right next to your head, because your still wearing a helmet, and a wide one at that. This is left foot lead, middle.

Square up your body, while still keeping your right foot behind, and your left foot forward, move the handle of the sword to your center, while the blade is still pushed back. This is left foot forward lower.

Try not to think of these as positions, the are merely springboards to your movements. Practice moving between these on your own, but not fast. Move slowly and fluidly, speed will come later. Then get a partner and have him move while you match, then match him a-symmetrically, by doing something different, but at the same rate. Be the shadow to the eagle. Then have your partner be the shadow to your eagle.

Your first cut. start out in right foot lead, center guard. Raise the sword over your head into an upper-esque looking move, but not the same. Swing the sword down, and bring the handle to your center. That is called Shomen'uchi (downward cut to the head). Another thing to try is Yokomen'uchi, a downward cut to the side of the head or neck. (If your taking Aikido, all of these words will be falling into place shortly) The cut you just made is the primary technique of Japanese kenjutsu (swordsmanship) no matter what school.

Many, many more cuts. Kenjutsu is something that takes stamina, so you need to do some practice. Take the cut you just learned and do it 1000 times, sets of 5, 10, or 50. That burn your going to feel will teach you what you need to know. But remember, practice makes permanent, so if your doing it wrong, you'll keep doing it wrong. So join a dojo.

Other cuts. You can make a cut from any of the six positions explained earlier, and with either foot forward. They can be made by a slide (actually, it's a step, but it's a step with your lead foot, that's why your sword stance needs to have your feet close) a step, or just standing. Just remember to index your cut from above your head. That means to pick it up over your head before you cut, because you might have to turn around and cut an enemy behind you before dealing with whoever is in front of you. Example of indexing is left foot lead, lower position. Your instinct is to deal with what's in front of you, so naturally you would draw the blade past your ear. Instead you need to pick it up over your head, pretty much into upper, then make your cut.

PRACTICE!!! Seriously, do 10 sets of 10 of all of the cuts you can think of (remember, we're doing downward cuts, not sweeps and thrusts) every day or so. You find it gets a lot easier over time, and you can move to heavier bokken (wooden sword), suburito(a heavier bokken, usually more than 6 pounds) , or iaito (an unsharpened katana).

When you feel as though you can go no further with this (don't expect to master it in a day, week, month, or even year) Then try making up kata using the 8 ways, the six ways, and your cuts.

Repetition is everything. If your part of a school, do the suburi they give you, otherwise follow these with both left and right foot lead:

0) Standing cut (center)

1) Slide in cut (center)

2) Step in cut (center)

3) Step in cut (Left foot side, right foot side+)

4) Walking cut++ (center)

+ Note on the right foot side position: You wont learn this in many schools, but take the sword in your right hand, the blade facing left. Cross your left hand under and place it underneath without grasping it, lay the mune (back) against your left arm and cradle the nakagojiri in your left hand. All you have to do is pick it up over your head (index) and cut. If people look at you funny, it can be justified, just look behind you and turn with out moving the swords physical coordinates (i.e. move it off your arm, not out of the space it occupies) too much. Now your in position for a Tsuki (thrust).

++All you do is take a step as you cut. Do it slowly, then move into fluidity. You can turn on either a strong side pivot, or a back turn (just place your weight on your back foot, and swing your front around so that it's in front and your facing the opposite direction.) If you do a pivot, pick your sword up over your head and you can turn the turn itself into a cut. If you pivot, try dropping the sword and bringing it up so that it's and upwards slash as your turn.

if you grasp all of these concepts, your on your way to becoming a skilled swordsman, but this is all I can teach you, you need to go find a school of kenjutsu in your area. If you can't, and your devoted enough, move. There are good schools all over America, and usually your local community college will offer classes in a Japanese Martial Art, if hey don't teach Kenjutsu they might know someone who does.

Tips：

Practice with a light bokken, then move to heavier ones, this will build power

Don't move fast, that will come later, when your muscles have built up memory.

If your waiting for your sword to arrive, or can only get your hands on one in a dojo, you can use what's called a tegatana (hand-blade), use your hand as though it had a blade from the wrist to the end of your little finger, it may not have any weight, but it can help build the mindset needed to use a sword.

Warnings：

Try not to hit yourself

Don't slash things with your sword/bokken it doesn't teach you anything.

If you're searching for professional instruction, Western Fencing and Kendo are two great ways to learn how to fight. Do your homework first and research the school.

Don't start with a live (a weapon with a ground and sharpened edge) blade right away, a bokken is the best, but if your dead set on steel, try an iaito (pronounced ee-i-toe), an unsharpened katana. They'll run you between 100 and 1000 dollars, and you can probably find some good ones on ebay, but I suggest Bugei swords, they have the highest quality steels, and forging techniques, a simple Iaito will run you 600 bucks from them.

Never preform edge on edge combat, movie swords aren't sharpened and can be as thick as 1/2 inch, a real sword vs real sword will ruin both. To block you use the mune (back) of the sword.

Check the laws in your area to make sure it's legal to own a katana, or practice in public, and try not to disturb the peace.

Don't carry a bladed weapon unless you have a license (i.e. your a marine officer or a licensed bodyguard)

Never threaten the thin blue line, they will taser you.

Safety comes first, always wear protective gear before you ever touch a sword.

And never EVER threaten anothers life with it

How to Take Care of Swords？

2008-07-15T23:50:00.000-07:00

A sword today can serve as a weapon, piece of art and décor or both. All swords need special treatment because they are not very often used today. This is why collectors not only have the goal of adding new swords to their collection but taking care of them as well. Note that if you do not have time or money to take all your collection swords to a professional then you can take care of them in your own home. The suggestions given below will help you in maintaining one or several swords.

Steps：

Clean the blade of the sword, it's best to use a paper towel but you can also use a clean cloth or towel.

Oil it. After cleaning, it's time to apply oil. Leave a thin film of oil on the blade. Remember that this is how you should proceed every 1 to 6 months.

Note that wooden parts of the sword will also be handled. Thus clean the handle and the scabbard with special lacquer, varnish, or wax. Lemon oil for cleaning the furniture is also useful for cleaning the sword's wooden parts.

Polish. If using either Brasso or Autosol you will be able to polish the brass components of the sword.

Wax leather elements. In order to take care of leather scabbards as well as sheaths and handles that are covered in leather you may use a quality paste wax.

Tips：

The blade should be cleaned with oil depending on the type of storage area as well as on the level of humidity in the area. Thus is the more humid is the area the more times you will have to oil the blade.

Leather sheaths should not have their blades stored in them, it will promote corrosion. Wooden scabbards should be stored with the blades in them, to prevent the wood from warping.

Remember that not only the blade but all metal components of the sword, along with the handles that are wrapped in wire must be covered with a film of oil. You can use such things as Lanotec or silicone spray to keep your sword protected against rust.

To protect the blade of the sword from dust accumulation, which is the cause of pitted areas, you can use a gun/reel cloth.

Try to study about swords as much as you can. It may serve you well in the future.

Warnings：

Banging the sword against various hard objects is certainly not the kind of thing to do. Despite the fact that a sword is a weapon, today it is used for collecting and not for testing its strength.

If any bare steel is touched by fingers, you could be left with rusty fingerprints on the blade. Use gloves, or if you (or your inquisitive but uneducated friends) touch the blade with your bare hands, be sure to wipe it off afterwards and re-apply the light coating of oil within a day.

Testing the sword is a dangerous task, not only because you can harm yourself but also because blood causes rust on the blade.

The blade of the sword surely needs care but not using sandpaper, emery paper, or other materials that can easily scratch it; this would have a serious impact on its natural look and beauty.

How to Choose a Martial Arts School?

2008-07-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

Martial Arts can be a very healthy and exciting addition to your life but be sure to choose wisely. When selecting a martial arts school for yourself it is very important to find a place that you will meet your needs. Choosing to become active in martial arts means knowing you know "the package" that comes with it along with the responsibilities; starting martial arts means, more thatn anything, respect for others and for yourself. Many academies offer many different styles. Some may focus primarily on self defense and competition while others focus more on personal develpoment and character building. Be sure to know what you hope to gain from your experience and don't be afraid to try out several schools before choosing one.

Steps：

Decide what you hope to gain from taking Martial Arts. Many people make the mistake of choosing an academy too soon before they have really established their goals. This is a shame because it usually leads to that student quitting out of disappointment and never getting the opportunity to experience all the great benefits of Martial Arts training. Write down your goals beforehand and be specific even if you're not sure which style you wish to practice. You should ask yourself how important are

self defence

improving your fitness

competition (as in martial sports).

Every school has a different mix of these three things and it is important to find a school with a balance that you're happy with.

Shop around. Don't join the first school you go to unless you are positive that no other could meet your needs any better. Nearly all Martial Arts schools offer a free trial period or at least a free class. Narrow the search down to the schools that you enjoyed the most and from which you benefited. If you're not having fun than chances are that you will not last at that particular academy.

Find a qualified instructor. Research his/her credentials and make sure that you feel comfortable with this person. Remember also, "world champion" does not always equal "great teacher". The teacher that takes his time with you and helps you to understand the lesson will be much more helpful than the undefeated grand champion of the world who just boasts about how great he is. Even if you have to drive a little further or pay a little more for training it will be well worth it to know that you are getting great instruction.

Sit down with the Instructor and discuss your goals with him/her. Also, don't forget to ask plenty of questions. While discipline is a large part of martial arts you must remember that the instructor is working for you and you deserve the best instruction available. Good luck and good training.

Tips：

● When choosing a martial arts school for your child, go alone the first time and watch the class without your child in tow. It is relatively easy for most schools to get your child to REALLY want to do class there, and then you are stuck being the bad guy if the school is not what you want for your child.

● Choose a school that is accessible to you. If your school is too far away or takes too long to get to going to class becomes much harder.

● Before fully committing to a school, go in a few different times when you know the schedule will be different and watch the classes. You want to make sure you're looking for things like good discipline, that the students are in line, students have uniform to their technique, good pre excersizes, and a good amount of higher ranks that you know can be there to help you when you need it.

Warnings：

Watch out for Martial Arts schools that charge too much for belt advancement, or schools that promise guaranteed Black Belts in a short amount of time. These are usually too good to be true and therefore scams.

If a school offers multiple training "levels" at different prices, be leery. Often, a school that does this only offers self-defense training if you are willing to pay more money.

If you see instructors are out of shape and with something like "Bob, World Champion 2007" on the back of their uniforms, you are in for a scam. Ask the school about what flavor of martial arts they are teaching and make sure something they came up with. For example, Taekwondo has many different flavors, but only Kukkiwon and ITF are recognized as real Taekwondo.

How to Handle a Japanese Sword？

2008-07-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

A Japanese sword is part of the rich tradition and history. People should respect the work of Japanese masters because the art of creating such swords as, for example, Katana, needs a lot of hard work, patience and talent. This is why all Japanese swords need to be treated properly and with precaution. Thus you won't harm yourself and be able to protect your body from scratches. Remember that the sword can be damaged as well, whether by scratches or rust.

Steps：

Note that all Japanese swords are safe in their sheathes. The wooden scabbards are not enough for a sword to be fully protected. Remember that the scabbard's head is the one to be introduced in the bag first, thus you we be able to protect the sword if it accidentally falls.

Hold the scabbard in the right hand. Note that the hilt of the sword must be put up, the blade, thus will safely hand down. This is how you will protect yourself and the sword from accidents that may happen.

Make sure that when you draw the sword out of scabbard, its hilt is not in a lower position than the scabbard.

Be aware that a Japanese sword should have a registration card. It is a must that the registration card is tied to the scabbard. You may also find it sewed onto the sword bag. In Japan the owner of a real Japanese sword has a legal obligation to have his sword together with its registration.

Tips：

Before you purchase a Japanese sword you should get acknowledged with the history and tradition of Japanese weapons.

Consult someone who is trained in tsuka-maki (handle unwrapping) if you need to have a handle re-built. Likewise, in case of damage you may consider applying to a professional that will help you in handling the sword.

Ideally you should learn Iaido or another sword art before you even start shopping. This will enhance your background knowledge and teach you how to care and handle one properly. Your master will also probably be in the know on where to buy and how you can assess quality.

Warnings：

Be careful not to unwrap the handle of the sword. There is a special process of handle wrapping called tsuka-maki. This process is a very sophisticated one. The removed silk chord will be impossible for you to re-wrap.

Japanese swords are deadly sharp, which is why you should handle them very carefully, slowly and patiently. Remember they are weapons!

How to Win a Swordfight？

2008-06-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

Steps：

1．Draw your sword before you engage. It takes longer to draw a sword than it does to get hit. On the other hand, if your sword and scabbard are suitable for a quick draw, and you practice, this can be a great surprise attack. Note that this is mainly applicable to the Japanese sword which has styles for attacking while drawing the blade called Iaido and Batto-jutsu.

Relax! It is perfectly understandable to tense up in combat, but you must make every effort to stay calm, keep the muscles loose, and regulate your breathing. If you are tight, you cannot act with speed, which can be fatal.

Balance, keep your body balanced so you can strike or parry without being hit. Always have your feet shoulder wide and when you move, move so your legs spread apart never have your feet close to each other. Hold your sword so you can handle it with ease. Watch your opponent's movements and learn when he moves in to attack and launch a preemptive strike (counter).Be quick. When you parry you keep the blade close to you so you don't stretch out to block and always try to counter your opponents attack. Your footing and proper foot placement is key for balance. The more of the sole of your foot touches the ground the more grounded you are giving you greater strength in your attacks. To keep your balance try to slide your feet rather then lift them up and stepping. Leaning forward lifting up your heal also reduces your grounding so be cautious with how your feet are placed and used during each strike because you give great opportunity for your opponent to knock you over. Keep your posture straight and your chest and torso forward which will keep you from losing your balance during your swings and allows you to avoid with a simple twist any blows with ease rather then having your torso turned sideways locking yourself to only be able to evade an attack in only one direction.

Assess the situation. Crafty fighters always strive to be aware of their surroundings, their assets and liabilities, and those of their opponent. Ideally, you should take note of the terrain and environment beforehand, and if you can, try to get an idea of how your opponent fights. Is he brave, or cautious? Skilled, or a novice? Everyone has a weakness, for instance, small opponents can frequently be overpowered, tall people have longer reach but often leave their legs exposed, etc. That being said, it may be that you won't have time to come up with a plan, so try to do this as fast as possible.

Engage with care. If you charge in recklessly, especially against a trained fighter, he may just wait and let you impale yourself on his sword. By engaging carefully, you are able to maintain control and focus at all times. This also will allow your best defense which most of the time is just sidestepping (or side sliding) your opponents attack potentially saving your life and allowing the opening for your winning blow.

Have a strong defense. Missing one block or parry can be fatal, so protect yourself well. Maintain your sword in a position that runs from the bottom of your torso to the top of your head. This is a middle position, suitable for any skill level, that will enable you to respond to an attack with reasonable speed, and also gives you many angles for your own strikes.

Keep your weapon ready. Generally, your sword should be extended a comfortable distance away from your body, and toward your opponent's throat, or perhaps his eye. This is referred to as putting him "on point". It serves as a ward against an opponent (who must, after all, get through your sword first), and can be quite intimidating, especially to an inexperienced fighter.

Keep your elbows bent, and close to your body. An inexperienced fighter tends to stretch out his arms in order to keep his opponent further off, but this will hurt your ability to thrust and parry quickly. Extend your sword towards your opponent, not your arms.

Measure twice, cut once. Historically, in the vast majority of cases, a real sword fight was decided and ended with the first blow struck, and often took less than 30 seconds. Be sure of your attack, for it is likely that if you miss with your first strike, your opponent will take advantage, and end the fight himself with a fatal blow.

Find and maintain a distance based on a balance of your sword and his. If you have a shorter sword, get in close and stay within his guard. If you are using a longer sword, keep your distance. If about the same, stay about where it would only take 1 large step forward to attack. Keep your distance, so as to be able to strike the opponent. Your distance will be very unique because your height, sword length, sword style, and fighting style all affect your proper distance.

Remain calm and confident. Poise can decide a fight as surely as the sword, and is an effective stratagem. If you are nervous or frightened, your opponent may try to take advantage of your lack of confidence and attempt to goad you into making a fatal mistake. Cool warriors tend to make others wary, or even unsettled. You may also choose to show aggressiveness and intimidate your opponent instead, or even pretend to be scared, in the hope of lulling your enemy into making a fatal error.

The most important thing once the fight begins is to find the flow of battle and attempt to control it. This is just a fancy way of summing everything else in this article up in one sentence but its very important in it's own right too. If you succeed in finding the flow and controlling it you have a very good chance of almost directly influencing the entire fight directly through you actions. It is a difficult concept to grasp but try the next time you spar during practice. Find the patterns and flow from one move to the next and try to control your opponent. It takes many years and lots of practice to accomplish this but if you do this then the battle is already half yours.

Tips：

"The sword is a weapon. Kenjutsu (sword art) is an art of killing. That's Kenjutsu's true nature, even if you use beautiful words to describe it." (Rurouni Kenshin) The art of the sword is this: to kill or incapacitate your opponent in the shortest possible time, with the least amount of effort. Once you have engaged in combat, fight to win. Compassion, chivalry, and good sportsmanship are wonderful concepts, but if it's a choice between you or your enemy, the choice is obvious. Often, the fighter who is more willing to be merciless will be the one left standing after a battle. Sad, but true.

When facing any opponent, even if he is a weaker fighter, then try to get any edge on him you can. This includes a mental edge as well. Using sand in the eyes or insults or anything else that will make him weaker. Don't get cocky because he is weaker; he can still harm or kill you. Accumulating many of these small advantages is a mark of a good swordsmen. Also, be aware that your opponent will attempt the same. Rather than getting flustered by this, think of how to counter and remove his advantages and try to prevent him from the onset of even trying.

Know your sword and sword style, and what both are designed for and capable of. A sword is a tool and is designed to do a certain task. They are not magical and will not exceed their design. Plan ahead based on this knowledge. Is your sword light and nimble, designed for stabbing? Or a heavy one capable of a single body-severing, but potentially slower stroke? Or a razor blade made to cut? Each has weaknesses and strengths, as do the styles accompanying them. Knowing the limits and abilities of yours and your enemy's sword and style is the key to winning.

Conserve your energy. It is well-known among veterans that a fight to the death takes an incredible amount of effort, so don't waste your time with fancy maneuvers or unnecessary motion. Your survival may depend on this.

If possible, wear armor. Anything that extends your life past the first cut is a good investment. Be sure that it is well-fitting and durable. Be aware that while light armor gives you more freedom to maneuver and is easier to fight in, heavier armor can absorb more punishment. Be aware that heavy armor such as plate steel changes everything: the way you move, see, and even how you should hold your weapon.

Take good care of your equipment. Well-maintained weapons and armor are far less likely to let you down when it matters most.

Choose your weapons carefully, and if possible, carry more than one weapon. Weapons bend, break, or become wrong for the circumstance. Be sure to carry a combination of weapons that can serve in multiple situations, and that complement each other as well as your strengths.

Remember that every part of your sword is a weapon, including the point, each edge, the handguard, and the pommel. Along with this your body is a weapon and anything around you can be a weapon. There is no reason a sword fight should be restricted to your blade. Use whatever you can to win.

If at all possible, avoid fighting more than one person. If you must fight many opponents, try to maneuver them so that they interfere with each other, and thus enable you to deal with each one individually.

Friends can be a big help, or a great hindrance. If you can, train with others, so that you can function together as a group. Also, try to pick allies, weapons, and techniques that complement each other, such as using a polearm from behind a couple of friends using shields and swords.

If you don't need to block, don't - it is a whole lot easier to get out of the way than use brute force. Your opponent(s) may be stronger than you, but they can't hurt you if you're not there. That being said, a proper parrying form is also necessary, since you cannot possibly dodge all attacks. Learn to parry while exposing as little of the vital targets on your body as possible. You need to know what your sword is designed for as well. Some swords cannot block effectively without being ruined (Katana) and some are mainly to block (Chinese sword catcher). For this reason there are little blocks in Kenjutsu as a apposed to Chinese or European sword fighting. Also remember that stepping out of line of an attack and then pushing the opponent's weapon off to the side is not only an effective defense, but allows a good opening for an attack.

In defense, when it's enough to only move your wrist, move just the wrist. When the wrist is not enough, move the elbow. When the elbow is not enough, move the shoulder. When none of this is enough, retreat.

Examination of eyewitness accounts show that many sword duels were won by gashing the opponent's arms or thighs, then waiting until blood loss made them faint, at which point they were at their assailant's mercy. Hands, feet, arms and legs are legitimate and useful targets, and will often be easier to strike than the torso or head.

A common mistake is presenting one's legs as an easy target - such an opportunity should never be missed. If one of the opponents goes down, then the fight is usually over.

Combination strikes are more effective than single blows. In an extended battle, a good fighter will attack with more than one attack. This gives a much better chance of success than just one strike. Keeping an opponent under pressure increases the possibility of a mistake on his part.

Most fighters tend to separate defense from attack, which limits their technique severely. The best warriors combine the two, so that a block or parry turns into a natural counterstrike. Their fighting becomes a smooth, flowing progression of movement.

Where you are standing isn't worth dying for. If you always move in a linear fashion, or just stand still, you limit yourself, and a cunning enemy can take advantage of this. Be prepared to utilize the terrain fully, and move in whatever fashion the situation calls for.

Use weapons and techniques you are familiar with, and that cater to your particular strengths. Trying something new during combat is a good way to get killed.

Training is vital. If you practice very hard, perhaps 10% of what you know will be available to you during combat. You must be able to act instinctively, without thought. Basic techniques lend themselves well to this, which is why they are called 'basics'. Be sure to train yourself constantly in these essentials, for much of the time, they will be the only things you have to fall back on. It generally takes about two months to learn a technique fully, but only one month to lose it.

Practice exactly as you would fight, because you will fight the way you were trained. If you impose a limitation that wouldn't normally exist in combat, you risk developing a bad habit that could ultimately prove fatal.

Know the length of your sword. If both fighters are correctly judging length, you'll only ever have the opportunity to hit with the top six inches or so. Keep your eye on your sword and that of your opponent at all times. However, focusing just on the opponent's sword is not advisable, since you can be misled. A skilled fighter should be able to judge the direction of the opponent's next blow by examining his posture.

In fencing (fighting with a sword designed to thrust, as opposed to cut), always keep your sword point directly at your opponent; if you parry (block) exactly to the end of the side of their body, they will not be able to hit you. Overextending yourself (parrying past that point) will leave you vulnerable.

Positioning of the body is important. Keep your body perpendicular and the shoulder of your sword arm pointed toward your opponent (like fencers do). This makes your torso a smaller target and will protect many of your vital organs.

Maintain your balance. Keep your weight evenly balanced on both your feet; only ever have one foot not on the ground at a time. Never cross your feet as this will throw you off balance; only the slightest bit of force can knock you over. There is a reason that almost all martial arts stress balance (except for one or two weird ones where you're constantly falling and recovering) - it gives you more options to move.

Never jump or take both feet off the ground. Try for 2 feet at all times. While jumping may look cool, it will get you killed as you cannot change direction in midair and your balance is gone. You are using a sword as well and therefore you need extra stability and balance. Keeping your feet planted and on the ground is very important. Also, when stepping slide your feet instead of lifting them, this way you can change direction or plant them quickly.

If you're using both hands to grasp a sword (as with a so-called "bastard" or a hand-and-a-half sword), keep your strong hand right under the swordguard and the other hand (the off-hand) right above the pommel. Keep your arms flexed at the elbows (but not stiff), with your strong fist in front of your solar plexus and the sword positioned as described above. When defending, your strong arm should not move far from this position.

If your sword is properly balanced, it will work as a lever. Use your off-hand to guide it, and your strong hand to lend the force to the attack or parry.

Watch your opponent carefully. Notice where he is looking - this may be the area where he's preparing to strike. When your opponent is about to attack, his fists and shoulders may tense for a second.

Be aware of the terrain around you and use it to your advantage. Sending an opponent tumbling backwards over an obstacle behind him will surely help. Also, placing your back to the sun can cause your enemy to be momentarily blinded, thus opening him up to a fatal strike.

Always remember that any of these tricks can be used against you.

While this may not be true 100% of the time, use smaller and lighter swords. Bastard swords and claymores are heavy and not very agile. They will tire you out faster than if you use a Tachi or Shortsword which are lighter and much more maneuverable. In a sword fight agility is everything. Having a big sword just tires you out and is meaningless if you can't hit anything. Remember, these are swords, not clubs: they cut, not crush, so having a big heavy sword is unnecessary.

Remember if your pointing your sword while facing them be ready to tilt your sword and block or dodge or it could leave a weakness.

Warnings：

Expect to be cut, or worse. A warrior who is worried about his own skin tends to freeze up in the middle of battle.

Remember that there are no awards for 2nd place in a sword fight. 1st place means you are still standing when the fight is over. 2nd place leaves you dead. This means that, once you set out to fight someone with a sword, or indeed, any weapon, your ultimate goal is survival, not a prize.

Never, ever turn around. Although flashy and cool, it is largely ineffective, and doesn't work. Turning your back to your opponent, even for a second, can have fatal consequences, so don't do it!

Never, ever let go of your sword. A single blow on an airborne sword will send it flying, making you defenseless. Unless you've got more than one sword to waste, keep your hands on your weapon.

When using a two-handed blade, keep your arms from crossing. You lose much of your maneuverability, which can be disastrous. Use the "lever" grip described above.

Sword twirling is usually reserved only for drum majors leading a marching band. In combat sword twirling can result in losing the grip on your sword, as well as leave you exposed to attack. That said, doing a "windmill" with a two-handed blade can leave a less experienced fighter intimidated - though it is tiring, and is not advisable against a more experienced opponent.

When fencing (for fun, like kids with sticks), the #1 mistake most people make is they try to hit the sword instead of the person. If you keep that in mind - hitting the person (his hand, body, or head), not his sword - you can more easily defeat someone who is attacking your sword (or stick). Plus you find your posture and confidence change, and that usually spooks an amateur.

It's a cliché, but always expect the unexpected. There never were any clearly defined rules of sword fighting other than survival. Your opponent could kick at you, throw dirt in your face, or any one of a thousand other things to distract you. Remember that these are tactics that you can also employ.

Staying on the defensive is only partially effective. In historic German style swordplay, keeping your opponent on the defensive is the best way to keep them from attacking. Use with care.

The most important thing to remember is that swordplay is not "play". It is very serious business to draw a sword. Swords were designed for killing, no other purpose. Treat a sword with the same respect as a firearm and others will treat you with respect.

It is said that the greatest warrior is the one who never has to draw his sword. This can mean that a swordsman has only himself to compare to, and doesn't need to test himself against an opponent. More practically, if you are in a true sword fight, seriously consider running away. Sword fighting is a good way to get killed, and is very hard to explain to the authorities (hence why duels are illegal). A three inch thrust or slice in your neck/face area is fatal or debilitating, 80% of the time. This means that the most likely outcome of a real sword fight is that the "loser" dies fast, and the "winner" dies slow. If you survive a sword fight without injury, consider yourself lucky, and try to avoid such things in the future. If the unfortunate does happen, and you are hurt, seek medical attention immediately.

In an actual combat situation, the rules in a competition don't apply. There are no points or time-outs, and that honor codes except personal ones don't apply. This is a case were you may gain advantage over your opponent by knowing what kind of person he is and playing off of personal codes of honor or ego.

How to Start Collecting Swords?

2008-06-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

Steps：

Decide what kind of sword to buy. Swords come from all different eras of history and different areas of the world. Uses have included ceremonial, dueling, cavalry, infantry and executioner. Do some historical research to learn what type of sword, what use or what region or what era, most interests you.

Search the Internet, sword and collector's magazines and professional collectors and historians for information on types, availability and prices of swords.

Think carefully about where to keep your sword(s). You should know what will look good in your home and where you want the sword to be displayed to impress your guests.

Keeping your investment safe is also important. You may need to put a sword in a special case, or up high on a wall to prevent unnecessary handling.

It is important to take your budget into account, for collecting swords is not cheap. You should know how much you are able to spend for a particular sword.

Be patient when you don't have enough money, and do not splurge. A collection is meant to be built over time.

When you are able to buy your favorite sword you should decide where to purchase it. There are several ways one can do this: you can buy on eBay, in different gunshows, you may also consider analyzing the offers of private dealers, specialized shops that deal with antiques and you can also look through web-sites that specialize in selling swords to the public, you may also try a "Flea Market" around your area, sword can be more affordable there. If you know where to find a sword seller.

When you buy a sword on-line an important aspect here is its reference. Look through all the feedback concerning your sword. If there is a negative feedback you should email that reviewer and ask about his concerns about the product.

Before starting your sword collection with the purchase of your first sword you may email the seller to ask some questions about the product. Think over what you want to ask so to get concrete answers.

Tips：

Make sure to keep the blade clean and safe from rust. However, avoid cleaning the sword with rough materials. Its finish is fragile so do not use wires, steel wool or such material as sandpaper. Thus you will keep the sword clean and beautiful for a longer period of time.

You should familiarize yourself with some of the names of the swords or brands. Try to read books on the subject you really want to become a collector.

You may consider consulting a professional that can help you in becoming a sword collector. You can thus find out new things about swords that may not be found in the specialized books.

Try to find a special stand for swords. Thus you can keep all you swords in one place accurately set in a row.

Check with your insurance agent about the cost of protecting your investment in a sword. Some collectibles, especially very valuable ones, may not be covered by your standard homeowner's policy.

Warnings：

Check local laws about possession and importing swords before attempting to do so.

Be careful with the sword; do not swing it where you might damage it or other objects (or people!)

Your sword is for collection， so do not use it as a weapon.

Make sure everyone who comes into your house knows not to handle

How to Choose the Right Sword?

2008-06-25T23:18:00.001-07:00

Steps：

Realize what you will do with the sword. Choosing a sword for martial arts is substantially more problematic than choosing a decorative sword.

Do some research on the type of sword you have selected. Be sure you understand your desired sword completely， and that you meet any required technical aspects before you purchase one.

Select a type of sword. Understand that different swords have different functions and purposes, then select one to your liking. Do not be influenced by popular culture or peers.

Browse online to get an idea of value. It is recommended you make the purchase in person to ensure that the sword meets required technical aspects. The internet can be misleading.

Enjoy.

Warnings：

A metal blade is dangerous regardless of whether or not it is sharp. Employ common sense before handling.

Weapons, real or not may or may not be illegal in your area. Check with local law enforcement before purchasing, or displaying in public.

Avoid using decorative swords for practice. Decorative weapons are generally not capable of enduring the stress of practice, and may break, causing injury or death.

Avoid combat with swords altogether. Not only is it illegal, it often ends in injury or death unless both parties are qualified to handle a live (sharp) blade.

Do not attempt to reenact anything in movies or video games, even without anyone else around. The manner in which the blades are handled is often inaccurate in films, and replicating such practice may result in injury or death.

A sword does not establish your superiority. Patronizing seemingly unarmed persons may result in your arrest, injury, or death.

NEVER point a metal blade at any living organism. Though you may not intend to thrust, stab, slash (etc), you still may trip, be forced forwards or drop the weapon, injuring or even killing another being. Handle blades (even decorative ones) for what they are - They are designed for killing and nothing less.

Bushido - The Code of the Japanese Samurai

2008-06-25T00:40:00.000-07:00

Bushido literally means " the way of Samurai warriors," and is a code of conduct that places a stress upon self-discipline, courage, honor, noblity, frugality, loyalty, and self-sacrifice.

The concept of Bushido is heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism. All the Japanese martial arts, such as Kendo, Judo, Sumo, Aikido, and Karate, are closely linked to the spirit of Bushido.

There are seven virtues associated with Bushido:

Gi - Rectitude

Yu - Courage

Jin - Benevolence

Rei - Respect

Shin - Honesty/Trust

Meiyo - Honor

Chugi - Loyalty

Seven (7) Codes of the Japanese Samurai, PLUS "Bushido" as a bonus with Kanji symbols (2 fonts):

7 Codes of the Japanese Samurai + Bushido with Kanji symbols:

You will get the critical 7 words (Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honor/Honour, Loyalty) for Samurai , PLUS "Bushido" as a bonus in 2 different kinds of font styles.

It is also said that Samurai also followed a code of five virtues:

Jin - Benevolence

Gi - Justice

Rei - Respect/Politeness

Chi - Wisdom

Shin - Honesty/Trust

These Kanji characters are perfectly suited for a tattoo design not only for those who practice Japanese martial arts but also for those who share the Samurai values.

Seppuku in Japan

2008-03-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Seppuku

Seppuku is a ritual form of committing suicide in the Japanese society. Behind this gruesome and barbaric act lies the concept in Japanese thinking that an honorable death is more desirable than a life in shame.

Seppuku in Japanese History

The earliest reliable reports about seppuku are from the 11th century, when several powerful family clans fought for supremacy in feudal Japan. But the habit of committing suicide on the battlefield to avoid being captured by the enemy is certainly much older.

The way of ritual seppuku came up probably during the period of the civil wars in the 15th and 16th century. With the final unification and pacifying of Japan under Tokugawa Ieyasu, 1543-1616, and the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Seppuku was no longer officially supported. It was even forbidden by two decrees - in 1603 and in 1663. But the practise continued to exist nevertheless. It was again officially abolished by the Meiji government in 1868.

The latest known case is from 1970, when Yukio Mishima, a well-known but rather nationalist writer in Japan, committed suicide in seppuku manner. The act caused worldwide attention in the Western media.

The Seppuku Ritual

Seppuku was considered a privilege for samurai and the nobility. Feudal Japanese history is full of cases of defeated enemies, who were 'forced' by their conquerors to commit suicide. This was considered as a grace. The looser received a chance to keep his honor.

If the circumstances allowed it, the ritual suicide was executed in a formal, procedural manner. Even spectators were not uncommon. The suicide candidate was clad in a white kimono. Before the final act, he was expected to write his death poem, formerly a practice common for the higher social classes.

Now the seppuku candidate was supposed to take a short dagger and cut his abdomen by slicing it from the left lower part of his upper body upwards in right direction. This must have been extremely painful. Then the candidate was supposed to lower his neck. This was the sign for the assistant, the kaishakunin, who stood behind him, to proceed to the last step - to blow off the seppuku candidate's head - possibly with one blow of his sword. The kaishakunin could be a person close to him, sometimes his best friend. The kaishakunin had it in his hands to shorten the suffering of the suicider by executing a strong and swift blow.

Suicide was often committed by samurai warriors and noblemen on the battlefield. Then there was no time for the above ritual and seppuku was done hastily.

Reasons for Suicide

The reasons to commit suicide were manifold.

First of all it was practiced as an honorable punishment. A mere commoner would have been executed.

Seppuku could be performed to show the ultimate loyalty towards one's deceased lord or husband, although this form was rare.

Seppuku could be the ultimate expression of showing one's disagreement with the lord.

The most common form was probably the suicide in the battlefield to avoid the shame of falling into the hands of the enemy.

Seppuku for Women

Suicide was not unique for men. For women existed the practice of stabbing into the heart with a knife or a long and sharp hair-pin.

Famous Suiciders in Japan's History

A number of suicides that took actually part in history became legend and subject to Kabuki plays and thousands of book and ukiyo-e illustrations.

When Yoshitsune was surrounded in his last castle resort by hostile troops sent by his own brother, he killed first his wife and his own children. Then he committed seppuku. This happened in 1189.

In 1582, the reckless tyrant Oda Nobunaga was forced to commit suicide after one of his generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, had successfully revolted against him.

The most spectacular case were the 47 ronin - masterless samurai. The real events happened in 1701 and 1702. Their lord, Asano, had been forced by the Shogun to commit an unjustified suicide for the sole reason of a heated sword duel,that resulted in some minor bruises. The opponent, Kira, had provoked the duel by his rude behavior, but got away without any punishment. The 47 vassals of the dead Asano vowed revenge. In the end, they raided Kira's mansion during a night assault and decapitated Kira with the very same sword used for Asano's suicide. The 46 ronin (one had died before) were arrested and forced to commit seppuku themselves in spite of an outcry of the public.

In 1877 Saigo Takamori, the leader of a rebellion against the imperial Japanese government was defeated in the battle of Satsuma in Southern Japan. He was wounded and committed seppuku in samurai manner on the battlefield. He became a folk hero for the Japanese population.

In 1895, forty men of the Japanese military protested against the return of the Liaotung peninsula to China by committing seppuku. The Japanese had gained an unexpected and easy victory against the Chinese in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894/1895. The peninsula had been returned as part of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, hammered by mediation of the US.

When Emperor Meiji died in 1912, general Nogi committed seppuku.

Seppuku in Japanese Arts

Seppuku is a rather frequent topic in Japanese Kabuki and Noh plays. Compared to Western theater plays by Shakespeare or Schiller or Italian operas, this is nothing unusual. Outstanding however is the frequent depiction of suicide scenes in the visual arts of Japan - mainly on ukiyo-e, the traditional woodblock prints. But most seppuku scenes are images, which illustrate Kabuki plays.

Seppuku scenes were designed by all major artists who took commissions from the Kabuki theaters - among them Kunisada and Kuniyoshi. These images are characterized by the use of a lot of red color for the blood. We decided to refrain from showing any of these examples on this page and rather chose one of the rare, unbloody prints by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. The image shows general Akashi Gidayu about to commit suicide after he had lost a decisive battle in 1582 for his lord, Akechi Mitsuhide.

Suicide in Modern Japan

Until today, suicide plays a special role in the Japanese society. Students commit suicide because of a botched university examination, businessmen for the shame of bancrupcy and company employees because they lose their job. The Japanese suicide rate is the highest among industrialized countries.

The suicide rate in Japan is 17 compared to 11 per 100,000 in the US. On the other hand the murder rate in Japan is only 1 compared to 7 in the US. Combined chances to die by suicide or by murder are the same in both countries with 18 per 100,000.

How to Tie a Sageo

2008-03-20T01:37:00.000-07:00

Sageo are cords, usually silk or cotton, used to secure the saya (scabbard) to the obi (waistband). There are several variations in wrapping sageo on the saya for display. These are the two most commonly used methods of wrapping the sageo on the saya for display. These wraps can be used for katana, wakizashi or tanto.

The Japanese Samurai Versus The European Knight

2008-03-18T00:11:00.000-07:00

For six centuries the medieval knight dominated the battlefield and influenced the Western world greatly. The armored, mounted warrior, born in Middle Ages, revolutionized warfare and became the foundation of the new political structure known as feudalism. The Church put the medieval knight to the ultimate test-the First Crusade of 1095. The Church, which Christianized almost all of the knights, gave them a very high status in society, one that was sought after even by kings and princes. In the end, the legendary knights of the Middle Ages were lost in a world in which there was gunpowder, muskets, cannons, national states and so on.

No soldier or warrior has ever been around as long as the knight. They fought on the battlefields in Europe for over six to eight hundred years. Slowly, the knight rose his social status from that of the peasant to nobility. They were supposed to follow a code of honor and rules for a knight known as chivalry, which was actually not very well followed.

In England and in America, the popular image of the knight is mostly English, thanks mostly to the story of king Arthur. Real knights, though, first originated in France and weren’t even known in England for a long time. The king Arthur tale was about the political countryside of post-Roman Britain.

Basically, there were three main stages of the knight: first, the emergence of the armored, mounted soldier in the ninth and tenth centuries; second, the development of knighthood in the eleventh through the thirteenth centuries as an institution, and the age of the makers of the King Arthur legend; and third, the fall of knighthood as a result of the rise of new social forces in the late Middle Ages and early modern times-like colonization in the new world, and the discovery of guns, cannons, and bombs.

The early knights lived in castles like the early fortress that was built in Rudesheim in Germany during the 11 th-century. In the fifth century, the Western half of the Roman Empire was destroyed by the invading Germanic tribes. Powerful local lords and war chiefs offered protection to the peasants in return for service, which gave rise to a feudal society.

In the late eight century, the Holy Roman Empire was created by Charlemagne, king of the Franks. To build and defend his new empire, he needed thousands of well trained and prepared soldiers. At the top of his army were armored cavalry men which were pretty much the first knights of Medieval Europe. The armies led by Charlemagne and his allies were the only ones who were able to stop the invading Vikings who raided northwest Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries. The heavily armored cavalry of Charlemagne’s Empire led his armies to victory against the Carolingian and Ottoman emperors; they were also able to move quickly and easily. The early knights fought with spears, swords, and sometimes a bow and arrows. Their armor was usually an iron helmet, body armor, and a large wooden shield. These equipments were so effective that they hardly changed for 300 years! However, all the things that a knight had were very expensive to make and to acquire. The knights had to live all over Western Europe if they wanted to defend every area from invaders. Only they alone could defend the people of Europe from people like the Vikings, Magyar Hungarians, Saracans and Muslims from the south , and others who almost destroyed the huge and wealthy empire that Charlemagne made.

The development of feudalism helped sustain the knight class. A local lord, noble, or other leader would grant land to a knight in return for his military service and loyalty. Peasants, then, would get protection from the knights and local lords, but they had to work hard to serve them by feeding them with their crops and by paying them a lot of taxes. This kind of feudal system raised the role of the knight from mere soldiers to members of a new and powerful ruling class.

The Normans are known by many historians as the most effective of the ‘new knights’-they were descendants of the Vikings who settled in Normandy in northwest France. The Normans learned a lot about warfare from Charlemagne's armies and won many battles through careful planning and daring attacks. They made states in southern Italy and Sicily, and conquered a lot of Great Britain. Many Normans also served in the Byzantine armies, and when Pope Urban II called for a crusade against the Muslims, Norman knights were at the forefront of the great armies that went to the Holy Land.

The arms and armor used by knights and other Western European fighting men changed a lot during the Middle Ages. However, from the earliest days, armor almost always had more than one layer. The first layer would be a pair of loose breaches (see picture on next page) and a shirt. Over the breeches the knight would wear hose, which were like two separate tight-fitting trouser legs. Over his hose, a 12 th-century knight wore mail leggings, called chausses. Next, to cushion his armor, he would put on a padded coat called a gambeson. On top of this would be a tunic (kind of like a robe), which was very long and used as a mark of wealth and status. The knight’s armor consisted of chain mail-sheets of interlocking iron rings-mostly worn over some sort of quilted padding that absorbed the shock of a blow. As his main piece of armor, the chain mail shirt was called a hauberk, which usually had a chain mail hood called a coif. The hauberk was really weird because over this the knight would wear a short surcoat known as gipons, where it would really hard to wear in the summer because it would get very, very hot. The knight also had a helmet, called a bastinet, to protect his head, and a wooden shield. He was armed with a heavy sword that was used for cutting mainly, and not stabbing. Some were equipped with long lances, like those long sword like weapons that would be seen in tournaments where two knights would charge at each other while on horses. In the 14 th-century, the lower layers of clothing and armor were similar to those worn earlier, but the knight had extra protection on his arms, elbows, legs, knees and feet. The strongest part of the armor was now the plate armor, which was made of metal scales and plate covered in decorative cloth.

The knight’s most important possession was his special war-horse, the “destrier”, which is special because it was born and raised for the sole purpose of aiding a knight in battle. Without this expensive animal, the knight wouldn’t be considered a full member of the elite members that followed the cavalry. In training, the knight practiced using weapons while riding this large animal, and war-horses were looked after carefully and were so valuable that some wealthy kings even dressed them in armor before going to battle.

In battle, a closely packed group of knights on horseback walked into the attack, then lowered their lances to make their final charge. The sight of the dozens of knights riding side by side, with the blades of their lances was very frightening.

When charging, a knight almost stood on his stirrups (foot supports), but was held steady by the raised back of his tall, wooden frame saddle, which gripped his hips. He held his heavy lance, which was usually over twelve feet long, in a couched position (almost sitting down), as it was locked tight under his armpit. This meant that it could only be moved just a little bit to the left or to the right when he aimed at his target, but it gave him a very firm grip at the lance. Basically, the knight, with his horse and lance, became totally unstoppable. It was really hard for another knight to get knocked off his horse, since his feet were almost ‘latched; on to the stirrups; but once he got knocked off, it was almost impossible for him to get back on during a battle.

Knights were the leaders and the backbone of most western European armies. They were supported by the squires, who were young men that fought only in an emergency, and professional cavalry sergeants, including highly paid archers. There were also thousands of highly equipped foot soldiers from towns, or peasants who were forced to leave their homes in the country, who had little or no training.

To win a battle, the knights of one army usually had to defeat the knights of another army. The other soldiers tried to protect their own knights. One of the most important battle tactics was conrois. This was a close formation of knights designed to charge at enemies that were just standing around, and other cavalry, and was supposed to catch the enemy off guard. It was almost impossible to stop a conrois once it was started, and once the knight split up, it was really hard to get them back together again. So, if the tactic was going to be effective, the knights had to knockout their enemy in one huge blow (doesn’t it remind you of the legend of the green giant earlier?).

At first, the knights, and men in general treated women very poorly, or more like ‘possessions’. But when the crusaders returned to Europe, their view of women changed after seeing how the Muslims treated their women. Courtly love, and love songs from troubadours became very popular. This type of love between the knight and his ‘lady’ wasn’t very sexual, but very mature and romantic; the woman would give the knight a handkerchief that the knight would take with him to the battle field and fight with the cloth on his arm of tucked away somewhere safe.

There were many reasons why knighthood declined towards the end of the Middle Ages. Archers began to replace knights as the ‘elite on the battle fields, while new weapons like steel-armed crossbows, gunpowder, cannons, and eventually handguns made the heavily armored knight seem weak. The main cause of the knights’ decline though was that western European was changing and the feudal knight was now outdated.

Although fighting men played an important role in Japanese history from the nation’s beginning, the class of warriors known as samurai did not emerge until the twelfth century A.D. By that time, many small chiefdoms were unified into a central state that was headed by an emperor or empress who was believed to be a godly figure. In his study of early Japan, Jonathan Norton Leonard writes: When landholders found they could no longer depend on royal officials for protection against outlaws or predatory neighbors, they armed their sons and retainers[servants] and put themselves under the leadership of chiefs renowned for fighting ability…To gain additional strength for defense or offense, the warrior-chiefs of each small region banded together and offered their services to more important lords. In return for this support the lords agreed to protect the minor chiefs and their followers and to share with them any booty that they might win. The lords in turn pledged allegiance to still loftier noble men who were members of some ancient and mighty family, or at least claimed to be.

This was very similar to the feudal system in medieval Europe where the lords protected the vassals in return for their services. In medieval Japan, the relationship between warriors and clan chiefs was very intense. An outcome of this feudal arrangement was a strict code of warrior behavior emerged known as Bushido (way of the warrior), which called upon warrior to sacrifice his life for his master. Such an act was thought of as the highest from of honor and respect. It was during the twelfth century that these warriors became known as samurai, meaning “those who serve.” Although the samurai were mainly soldiers, many excelled in the arts and philosophy. In these pursuits, the samurai normally showed the same type of discipline that characterized their martial skills.

Throughout the centuries dominated by many different shoguns (military leaders) and daimyos (ruling families), the samurai evolved from servants to military rulers (similar to hoe the medieval knight rose in status). However, the samurai weren’t one single group of fighter-there were many different ranks and jobs, where a complex system of subclasses existed. At the top were wealthy chieftains, while at the other end of the scale were poor samurai barely made a living. In between the two levels, here were many different social levels with different lifestyles, privileges and responsibilities.

Most of the stories about samurai that go out to the public as movies, books or plays and art depict these legendary warriors in history as ferocious men with extraordinary swordsmanship, battling, mastering of the martial arts, and the strict code of discipline by which they lived and followed. Although these views show accurate accounts of samurai I a particular time of their ‘evolution’, there are many other phases of the samurai- seven centuries total! Not many people know, for example, that the first samurai were mounted archers, more skilled with bows and arrows than with swords!

What I found even more surprising was that many samurai warriors became scholars, poets, artists and philosophers who like to make fine handwriting in ink and brush (calligraphy), flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.

Horses and bows were very important in Japan (as in medieval Europe), and were used in warfare from very early times, as shown in statues and artifacts found in tombs of early chieftains. Samurai eventually became very skilled in using the horse. Because their main weapon at this time was the bow and arrow, early samurai exploits were spoken of in Japanese war tales as the “Way of the Horse and Bow.” The quickness and force with an archer could shoot an arrow was amazing! A bunch of arrows made of mainly wood with poison tipped points were worn on a warrior’s right side so he could quickly take out an arrow and fire it as he galloped along on his horse.

Although they weren’t as important as the bow, swords of various sizes and types were also part of a samurai’s armory in the early days. They were mostly for fighting close up with an enemy. Many different kinds of spears were used also. The naginata, one of them, was a curved blade fixed to the end of a pole several feet long. This was known as a woman’s spear because samurai girls were taught to use it from an early age. That was one main difference between the medieval knights and the samurai of Japan-women fought among the samurai as well as men, even though most of them weren’t as respected as the males. A device called the kumade that looks like a long-handled garden rake was used to grab the clothing or helmet of enemy horsemen and to take them off their horse.

Common samurai archers had armor made of lamellae pieces laced together with colorful cords. The lightweight armor allowed for greater freedom of movement and was light, so it was easier on the horse, which could even move faster. The knights of Europe though, wore a lot of armor, and eventually they wore an entire ‘metal’ suit, which gave them a lot of trouble in movement, and was much heavier than what the samurai wore-plus, it must have literally killed some of them during the summer due to so much heat; after all, the medieval knight wore a lot of clothing, as you saw earlier.

As political events changed throughout the centuries, so did weapons and armor. One of these changes was the shift from bow and arrows to spears and swords as the main weapons of the samurai. Changes in armor followed as well. Some mounted archers wearing heavy armor were very effective in wide-open places, but as time went by, the samurai had to fight more on rough, wooded and mountainous terrain, where it was hard to stay on a horse. The bow and arrow was slowly abandoned, along with heavy armor. Light, flexible armor that gave more freedom of movement when fighting with swords was developed. Later, in peaceful times, armor further evolved into very ornate dress uniforms now recognized as works of art.

As the sword and spear became more popular, disputes came up among warriors about which one was more effective in combat. Unlike swords, which were used mainly to slash or pierce the enemy (if the warrior could get close enough), heavy spears were better for knocking down armored warriors from their horses. Overtime, samurai swords became prized possessions of a samurai warrior, and were considered to be the soul of a samurai’s being. During the peaceful Tokugawa era, only samurai were allowed to wear two swords- one with a long, curved blade called a katana, and another shorter one called a wakizashi. Samurai were very, very sharp. A katana could literally cut a person in half when used by a warrior trained in the art of swordsmanship. Fine swords were not only effective weapons, but works of art as well. With beautifully decorated handles and coverings. Before being used in battle, new swords were often tested on the bodies of criminals. Sometimes new swords were used to carry out the execution itself.

More changes in traditional combat tactics occurred among the samurai as a result of Mongol invasions of the thirteenth century. During two invasions from China’s Kublai Khan, the samurai clans worked together to drive away the Mongols. However, the Japanese samurai were at a disadvantage because they were used to fighting one on one combat whereas the Mongols fought as organized units. The samurai were able to hold off the Mongols thanks to the forces of Mother Nature.

So as time went by, the size of Japanese armies increased, and a new style of warfare called ashigaru (“light feet”) came about, where disciplined troop movements and imaginative strategies were used.

Life among the samurai changed drastically, but the strict discipline and training that turned them into fighting men continued in peacetime as well.

Japanese Tachi Sword

2008-03-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

The tachi ( 太刀:たち ?) is a Japanese sword, often said to be more curved and slightly longer than the katana. However Gilbertson, Oscar Ratti, and Adele Westbrook state that a sword is called a tachi when hung from the obi (belt or sash) with the edge down, and the same sword becomes a katana when worn edge up thrust through the girdle. The "tachi" style was eventually discarded in favor of the katana. The daitō (long swords) that pre-date the katana average about 78cm in blade length; larger than the katana average of around 70cm. As opposed to the traditional manner of wearing the katana, the tachi was worn hung from the belt with the cutting-edge down, and usually used by cavalry. Deviations from the average length of tachi have the prefixes ko- for "short" and ō- for "great" attached. For instance, tachi that were shōtō and closer in size to a wakizashi were called kodachi. The longest tachi (considered a 15th century ōdachi) in existence is more than 3.7 meters in total length (2.2m blade) but believed to be ceremonial. During the year 1600, many old tachi were cut down into katana. The majority of surviving tachi blades now are o-suriage, so it is rare to see an original signed ubu tachi.

The tachi was used primarily on horseback, where it was able to be drawn efficiently for cutting down enemy footsoldiers. However, on the ground it was still an effective weapon, but awkward to use. This is why its companion, the uchigatana (the predecessor of the katana) was developed.

It was the predecessor to the katana as the battle-blade of feudal Japan's bushi (warrior class), and as it evolved into the later design, the two were often differentiated from each other only by how they were worn and by the fittings for the blades. It was during the Mongol invasions that it was shown there were some weaknesses in the Tachi sword which lead the development of the Katana.

In later Japanese feudal history, during the Sengoku and Edo periods, certain high-ranking warriors of what became the ruling class would wear their sword tachi-style (edge-downward), rather than with the saya (scabbard) thrust through the belt with the edge upward.

Japanese Ninja & Sword

2008-03-11T02:11:00.001-07:00

In the history of Japan, a ninja ( 忍者 ninja) was someone specially trained in a variety of unorthodox arts of war. The methods used by ninja included assassination, espionage, and a variety of martial arts.

In the Japanese culture, they were usually trained for dangerous missions.Their exact origins are still unknown. Their roles may have included sabotage, espionage, scouting and assassination missions as a way to destabilize and cause social chaos in enemy territory or against an opposing ruler, perhaps in the service of their feudal rulers (daimyo, shogun), or an underground ninja organization waging guerilla warfare.

The ninja use of stealth tactics against better-armed enemy samurai does not mean that they were limited to espionage and undercover work: that is simply where their actions most notably differed from the more accepted tactics of samurai. Their weapons and tactics were partially derived from the need to conceal or defend themselves quickly from samurai, which can be seen from the similarities between many of their weapons and various sickles and threshing tools used at the time.

Though typically classified as assassins, many of the ninja were warriors in all senses. In Stephen K. Hayes's book, Mystic Arts of the Ninja, Hattori Hanzo, one of the most well-known ninja, is depicted in armor similar to that of a samurai. Hayes also says that those who ended up recording the history of the ninja were typically those within positions of power in the military dictatorships, and that students of history should realize that the history of the ninja was kept by observers writing about their activities as seen from the outside.

"Ninjutsu did not come into being as a specific well defined art in the first place, and many centuries passed before ninjutsu was established as an independent system of knowledge in its own right. Ninjutsu developed as a highly illegal counter culture to the ruling samurai elite, and for this reason alone, the origins of the art were shrouded by centuries of mystery, concealment, and deliberate confusion of history." A similar account is given by Hayes: "The predecessors of Japan's ninja were so-called rebels favoring Buddhism who fled into the mountains near Kyoto as early as the 7th century A.D. to escape religious persecution and death at the hands of imperial forces."

In their history, ninja groups were small and structured around families and villages, later developing a more martial hierarchy that was able to mesh more closely with that of samurai and the daimyo. These certain ninjutsu trained groups were set in these villages for protection against raiders and robbers.As a martial organization, ninja would have had many rules, and keeping secret the ninja's clan and the daimyo who gave them their orders would have been one of the most important ones.

The ninjatō ( 忍者刀 ), also known as ninjaken ( 忍者剣 ) or shinobi gatana ( 忍刀 ), is the most common name for the reputed sword a ninja would have carried. These swords came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Often, however, they were much shorter than the traditional daito katana used by the samurai.

The typical ninjatō carried by a ninja would most likely have been a wakizashi or cut-down katana, perhaps even an aikuchi or most likely a chokuto fitted with a katana-length handle and placed in a katana-length saya (scabbard). This may have been used to deceive one's opponents into miscalculating how quickly it could be drawn, allowing one to use a battoujutsu strike faster than expected. It also disguises the weapon (that would easily identify them as a ninja) as a common sword. The extra space in the saya may also be used to store or hide other equipment or goods.

Modern ninjato are often straight with a square tsuba (hand guard), but this is not historically accurate. According to the same book by Masaaki Hatsumi, the ninja ken was straight, but only in contrast to the average sword of the period which were much more curved. The ninja ken still had a slight curve to the sword.

What is A Good Sword Blade

2008-03-10T00:55:00.001-07:00

Swords have been made of many different materials over the centuries and with a variety of tools and techniques. While there are many criteria for evaluating a sword, generally the three key criteria are hardness, strength and balance.

A good sword has to be hard enough to hold an edge along a length which can range from 18 inches (45 cm) to more than 36 inches (90 cm) and at the same time it must be strong enough and flexible enough that it can absorb massive shocks at just about any point along its length and not crack or break. Finally it should be balanced along its length so that it can be easily wielded, although many functional swords are purposefully unbalanced. Balance has a great deal to do with preference and is not a necessary standard.

Japanese Sword-Grip&Guard&Pommel

2008-03-07T00:53:00.000-08:00

Detailed Information of 3 Parts of Japanese Sword:

The requirement to grip:

The grip must be the appropriate size for the hand holding it. And the material on the surface of the grip must enhance the hand's grip upon it.

It must also be durable to withstand the stresses of its mounting.

The grip must be attached to the sword in a dependable, durable manner.

A guard between the grip and blade might serve several purposes:

Prevent hand from sliding forward.

Registering the hand on the grip.

Prevent opposing blade from reaching the hand.

Trapping the opposing blade.

Covering the mouth of the scabbard to prevent water and dirt from entering.

The pommel serves three principle purposes:

Add weight to counter-balance the blade at the appropriate point.

A fastening point for the tang of the blade.

A tool for bashing your opponent, usually in the face.

Japanese Martial Arts

2008-03-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

Martial arts are becoming increasing common in our modern society, though it requires much effort, discipline, and often pain. Why do we study it? What do we hope to get out of this training?

The truth is martial arts, no matter for your physical health or your mental condition, it is both the best choice. When used as exercise, martial arts can improve balance, strength, flexibility, and posture. They also enhance weight loss and improve muscle tone. On mental aspect, it is a real way to pursue, polish, and perfect the essence of our own spirit. In these turbulent times, we must learn to cope with daily stress, anxiety, and fear. We need to find the correct distance between others and ourselves, in relationships of vocation, avocation, friendship, and love. Martial art is a "path" to understand the self.

It is of great importance to search for the style of martial arts that best meets your objectives. For prospective students, you should attend classes at various schools (dojos), and should talk to students and teachers to find the right program. Right program means not only you are interest in it but also t it is suitable to you. You also should search for schools with adequate facilities, including padded or sprung floors, full-length mirrors, and most importantly roomy practice spaces without obstructions.

Martial arts can be dangerous. Students are often supposed to suffer blows and falls during the learning process, as well as to fight with weapons. Students should search for teachers and schools who teach these methods as safely as possible. People with health conditions and injuries should consult a physician before attempting a martial art, and should find a teacher familiar with their condition. Otherwise, it may result in bad result.

Following are several martial arts for any prospective students who want to learn martial arts to have a general knowledge about the martial arts.

Generally, in Japanese martial arts, the "do" forms are those used to improve the self, while the "jutsu" forms concentrate on teaching the techniques of war.

Kendo: The way of the sword. The primary goal of kendo is to improve oneself through the study of the sword. Kendo also has a strong sporting aspect with big tournaments avidly followed by the Japanese public. Thus kendo could be considered the philosophical/sporting aspect of Japanese swordsmanship. As traditional Japanese sword fighting, kendo teaches students how to use various weapons with agility, speed, and effectiveness. Kendo also emphasizes discipline and ethics. Kendo is usually practiced wearing armor and training with a bamboo shinai. The shinai is constructed of 4 pieces of split bamboo. The tip of the shinai is covered in leather; the four staves are held apart by a t-shaped piece of rubber. The staves are held together at the opposite end by a long leather handle. The handle is round rather than oval like a real katana. A leather lace tied in a complicated knot about a third of the way from the tip keeps the staves from spreading too far apart. A string runs down one stave -it signifies the dull edge, or back of the sword. However, many advanced kendoka use bokken or wooden swords. Bokken are usually constructed of white Japanese oak. They are curved and sized like a katana, and the handle is about the same length and oval. Kenjutsu is often practiced with bokken, and in fact kendoka use bokken to practice the kendo kata, which are derived from kenjutsu.

Ken-jutsu: Art of the Sword. Having the ability to protect the innocent from evil is the goal of kenjutsu. The pursuit of kenjutsu made the samurai warrior a more competent and responsible citizen. This is as true for modern practitioners as it was in ancient times. The primary goal of kenjutsu is victory over opponents. However, since the early 1700s virtually all ryuha teaching kenjutsu have promoted it as a means to self-improvement and emphasized the philosophical aspects of the art. Some schools use live blades, while others use bokken or leather covered shinai.

Iaido：Iai-do represents derivative of Japanese Kenjutsu (techniques of swordsmanship). It is the study of drawing the Katana sword, slashing and returning the sword to its scabbard with a minimum number of moves. Iai-do represents a non-combative discipline practiced for person's spiritual improvement. Today Iai-do is practiced as technique of self-discipline and coordination. Although use of Iai-do for war isn't really necessary in our era of missiles and laser-guided bombs, it is still practiced for preserving Katana sword cutting techniques. Many people find it helpful in their everyday life because Iai-do teaches how to deal with unexpected attacks and how to defend yourself with a minimum number of moves. And it doesn't matter whether you practice martial arts or not because Iai-do you become stronger physically and psychologically.

Iai-jutsu: Art of Drawing the Sword. It focuses on instantly drawing the sword from its case as one deals with an attack from the enemy. As a classical art, Iai-jutsu concerns itself with three primary considerations: combat application, mental and physical discipline, and morals. The ability to rapidly and fluidly draw the sword and successfully engage an enemy was crucial to the samurai both in attack and defense. The techniques for accomplishing this feat are sophisticated and take serious instruction and practice before they can be done safely at speed.

Aikido: Japanese art of self-defense. It emphasizes the importance of achieving complete mental calm and control of one's own body to master an opponent's attack. There are no offensive moves. It traces its origins to Japanese martial (samurai) traditions dating to the 14th century, and it was developed as a modern form in the early 20th century by Ueshiba Morihei. The basic tenet is never to oppose force with force, but to direct and utilize the power of the attack to overthrow the opponent with his own strength.

Tameshigiri: sword cutting. Tameshigiri is cutting practice with the Japanese sword. How much pressure to apply to cut different objects, rapid multiple cutting with proper angle of attack of the blade and controlled follow through, and how impact affects the blade are the main aspects to do Tameshigiri well. Mental concentration is of the most importance to do Tameshigiri,that is the mind that does the cutting.

Blade Fuller--Blood Groove

2008-03-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

A Fuller is a rounded or beveled groove on the flat side of a blade. Although 19th century romantic fancy referred to them as "blood grooves", their purpose is to strengthen or lighten the blade, rather than to allow blood to flow from a stabbed person.

A well made blade will have a forged Fuller to increase the strength in the spine of the blade. If the Fuller has been cut or ground out of the blade, the spine is weaker.Many blades use fullers even when they are so short that the physical effect is negligible; in this case, the purpose may be to make the weapon resemble larger blades.

The basic design principle is that bending causes more stress in material near the edge or back of the blade than material in the middle, due to leverage.

The stress distribution in an ideal blade with a rectangular section, with only a small amount of shear stress present at the neutral axis of the blade. Fullers remove material from near this neutral axis, which is closer to the blade's spine if only one edge is sharpened. This yields stiffer blades of a given weight, or lighter blades of a given stiffness.

In Japanese bladesmithing, fullers have a rich tradition and terminology, enough that there are separate terminologies for the top (hi) and bottom (tome) ends of the feature. A listing follows:

Bo-bi: A continuous straight groove of notable width, known as katana-bi on tanto. With soe-bi, a secondary narrow groove follows the inner straight length of the main one. With tsure-bi, the secondary is similar but continues beyond the straight length.

Futasuji-bi: Two parallel grooves.

Shobu-bi: A groove shaped like the leaf of an iris plant.

Naginata-bi: A miniature bo-bi whose top is oriented opposite from the blade's, and usually accompanied by a soe-bi. Seen primarily on naginatas.

Kuichigai-bi: Two thin grooves that run the top half of the blade; the bottom half is denoted by the outer groove stopping halfway while the inner one expands to fill the width.

Koshi-bi: A short rounded-top groove found near the bottom of a blade, near to the tang.

Tome

Kaki-toshi: The groove runs all the way down to the end of the tang.

Kaki-nagashi: The groove tapers to a pointed end halfway down the tang.

Kaku-dome: The groove stops as a square end within 3 cm of the tang's upper end.

Maru-dome: Similar to the kaku, except with a rounded-end.

Sword Sheath

2008-03-03T23:51:00.000-08:00

There are two types of sheaths:

One is the shirasaya. A shirasaya, is a plain wooden Japanese blade mount consisting of a saya (scabbard) and tsuka (hilt), used when a blade was not expected to see use for some time and needed to be stored. They were externally featureless save for the needed mekugi-ana to secure the nakago (tang), though sometimes sayagaki (blade information) was also present. The need for specialized storage is because prolonged koshirae mounting harmed the blade, owing to factors such as the lacquered wood retaining moisture and encouraging corrosion.

Such mountings are not intended for actual combat, as the lack of a tsuba (guard) and proper handle wrappings were deleterious; as such they would likely never make their way onto a battlefield.

The other one is the more decorative or battle-worthy sheath which is usually called either a jindachi-zukuri, if suspended from the obi (belt) by straps (tachi-style), or a buke-zukuri sheath if thrust through the obi (katana-style).

Koshirae---mounting of Japanese Sword

2008-03-02T22:49:00.000-08:00

The Koshirae is the mounting 'worn' by the Japanese sword (e.g.Katana), when it is being worn by its owner, whereas shirasaya is the wooden sheath and grip the sword wears when in storage.

In the proper manner a Koshirae should be presented with tsuka to the left. The origin of this custom is that you cannot unsheathe the sword easily this way. Also, in times of peace, koshirae is stored with tsuka to the left, while in times of war - to the right (always ready to be unsheathed).

Origin of the word

The word Koshirae is derived from the verb "koshirareru", which is no longer used in current speech. More commonly "tsukuru" is used in its stead; both words mean "make, create, manufacture". More accurate is "Toso", which translates to sword-furniture: "Tosogu" are the parts of the mounting in general, and "Kanagu" stands for those made of metal. "Gaiso" are the "outer" mountings, as opposed to "Toshin", the "body" of the sword.

Individual parts of the koshirae

Kashira - butt cap on the end of the hilt

Fuchi - hilt collar (above the guard/tsuba)

Same-kawa - ray skin wrapping of the handle

Menuki - ornaments on the hilt (generally under the tsuka-ito)

Tsuba - sword guard

Tsuka - hilt

Tsuka-maki - silk wrapping on the hilt a.k.a "tsuka-ito" or "ito-maki"

Habaki - wedge shaped metal collar used to keep the sword from falling out of the scabbard and to support the fittings below

Seppa - washers above and below the tsuba of a samurai sword

Kozuka - decorative handle fitting for the kogatana; a small utility knife fit into a 'pocket' on the scabbard

Kogai - spike for hair arranging carried sometimes as part of Katana-Koshirae in another 'pocket'

Wari-bashi - metal chop-sticks fit in a 'pocket' on the scabbard

Kuri-kata - knob on the side of the scabbard for attaching Sageo

Sageo - cord used to tie scabbard to the belt/obi when worn

Koiguchi - mouth of the scabbard or its fitting

Kojiri - end of the scabbard or its fitting

Kaishizuno - a hook shaped fitting used to lock the scabbard to the obi while drawing

Japanese Bladesmithing

2008-02-28T01:27:00.000-08:00

Bladesmithing is the art of blacksmithing that relates specifically to creating knives, swords, and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. Bladesmiths employ a variety of metalworking techniques used by blacksmiths, as well as woodworking for knife and sword handles, and often leatherworking for sheaths.

Bladesmithing is a branch of blacksmithing, thus most, if not all, blacksmiths will be familiar with bladesmithing as well as the other aspects of their craft, while bladesmiths will not necessarily be familiar with other aspects of blacksmithing.

Japanese bladesmithing stems from Chinese blacksmithing, and is often considered an extremely rigid, precise process, involving folding and forge-welding the steel many times over to create a laminated blade. In the past, it was typically assumed that more folds resulted in a higher quality blade. However, in modern times it is widely agreed that folding the steel past a certain point will actually decrease the effectiveness of the sword, resulting in a blade so thinly folded that it approaches the same effectiveness as a solid piece of metal with no folds at all. The number of folds that 'optimize' the blade toughness and edge-holding ability vary between smiths and between blade thickness and types of metal.

Often Japanese bladesmiths would forge their blades out of multiple materials, rather than simply folding and forge-welding one type of steel to itself. Wrought iron, which is very durable and less brittle than steel, would sometimes be used for the spine of the blade, with extremely hard high-carbon steel forming the blade's edge. This process creates a highly impact-resistant blade with an extremely sharp edge. However, under heavy usage, the edge would be more prone to chipping than its European counterparts, which were typically designed to deal with heavier armor than Japanese blades.

It is often mistakenly believed that two famous swords, the Muramasa and Masamune katanas, were forged in medieval Japan. The mistake in this belief is that there were in fact multiple "Masamune" and "Muramasa" swords forged in medieval Japan, as these were names of swordsmiths who produced various works, all of which could be called a "Masamune" or a "Muramasa" depending on which maker forged the blade. The sword most traditionally referred to as "The" Masamune is the Honjo Masamune, a national treasure of Japan.

Samurai Clothing

2008-02-28T01:01:00.000-08:00

As may be expected, the basic clothing item in a samurai's 'everyday' wardrobe was the kimono, which for men normally consisted of an outer and inner layer. Heavier kimonos were worn in the winter, while lighter examples (those made of finer silk, for instance) were worn in the summer. In fact, there was a ceremonial day where winter kimonos were exchanged for their summer counterparts, traditionally on the 1st day of the Fourth Month (by our reckoning, in the first week of May). A samurai's kimono would normally be made of silk, a material considered superior to cotton and hemp not only for its feel and appearance but for it's relative coolness in the hot Japanese summer. (Incidentally, kimono makers traditionally reckoned on one roll of silk measuring about two feet by 20 yards for one kimono). Naturally, the quality of a kimono a given samurai might wear largely depended on his personal station and income, though, at least prior to the Edo Period, there were no hard and fast rule in this regard. Hojo Soun, for instance, touches on the matter of clothing in his 21 Articles, "Don't think your swords and clothing should be as good as those of other people. Be content as long as they don't look awful. Once you start acquiring what you don't have and become even poorer, you'll become a laughingstock."1 Exceptionally bright colors and outlandish patterns were typically avoided or sneered upon as a show of immodesty or conceit. On the same token, women of samurai families tended to wear kimono layers and colors dependant upon the station and/or power of their husband. Samurai children, however, were dressed rather flamboyantly, and a more subdued appearance was one of the results of the coming-of-age ceremony. Older samurai tended towards shades of gray or brown, in keeping with their dignified age.

Beneath the kimono, a loincloth (fundoshi) was worn, of which there were two varieties. One was essentially a wrap that, for lack of a better description, resembled a diaper (familiar to anyone who has witnessed or seen footage of some of modern Japan's more esoteric festivals); the other type (more often worn under armor) was a long piece of material worn down the front of the body. A loop slung around the neck fastened the top of the loincloth while the other end was pulled up around the other side of the abdomen and tied around the front of the lower waist with cords. Samurai had the option of wearing socks, called tabi, which included a space to separate the big toe from the other toes (to facilitate the wearing of sandals). Tabi worn in an everyday capacity were normally white and were tailored to the season.

Footwear generally consisted of sandals (waraji) and wooden clogs (geta). Sandals were made from various sorts of material, including straw, hemp, and cotton thread. Clogs were generally associated with the lower classes (geisha, for instance, and kabuki actors are often depicted wearing geta) though samurai wore them from time to time. The Tale of the Heike, for instance, mentions that the powerful Taira Kiyomori wore clogs, though it was considered sufficiently unusual to find its way into puns composed by his rivals. Bearskin boots were at one time popular, especially with armor, but by the 16th Century had come to be considered archaic.

For rainy days, samurai, like everyone else, wore raincoats made out of straw (kappa) and availed themselves of folding umbrellas (which looked rather like Victorian era parasols, complete with decoration).

Between the 12th and 17th Century, the hitatare style of dress was popular. Unlike the common kimono, hitatare was a two-piece costume, though comparably flowing and ample (Yoroi hitatarewas a snugger version for use under armor). This costume, for a possible frame of reference, is what most of the samurai wear in Japanese movies set prior to the Edo Period (the oft-mentioned Kagemusha, Ran, Throne of Blood, Heaven and Earth, ect?. Generally worn when in some 'official' capacity, the hitatare were normally adorned with the crest (or mon) of their immediate family or clan, or, in the case of relatives or direct retainers of the lord, the crest of the daimyô or shugo. Decorative bows also often adorned hitatare, normally worn on the breast.

As with the standard kimono, the samurai's swords were normally thrust through a belt (obi) worn wrapped around the waist and tied in front. Alternatively (and again in 'official' circumstances) the main sword could be slung by cords from the obi (in a fashion more akin to a western dress uniform convention) while the short sword (Wakizashi) or knife (tanto) was worn through the Obi. Regardless, the sword was ALWAYS worn on the left side, probably a case of a practical consideration (ease of drawing) that became more fashion oriented (after all, there were certainly some left-handed samurai?.

Indoors, the samurai might dispense with his long sword, but always kept some form of weaponry on his person, even if the simple dagger. A daimyô could expect a page to carry his sword for him, though typically only in the most formal of circumstances. (Traditionally, pages or trusted or honored men would carry a lord's sword and bow for him, especially in ceremonial circumstances. By the 16th Century, few daimyô bothered with keeping bows around their person, even for formalities.). In addition, a simple folding fan might be tucked in the obi, as well, perhaps, as a few tissues.

The hitatare could be worn 'half-off', that is, the upper half was allowed to hang about the waist, and this would be done when engaging in impromptu wresting matches or, occasionally, shows of swordsmanship or archery (in other words, for martial purposes).

By the Edo Period, the hitatare gave way to the kamishimo. The kamishimo consisted of a two-piece costume worn over a kimono. This is probably the most well known samurai dress. The upper piece was called the kataginu, and was essentially a sleeveless jacket or vest with exaggerated shoulders. Alternatively, a long sleeved coat, the haori , could be worn, especially when traveling or in bad weather. The lower piece was the hakama: wide, flowing trousers somewhat like those found in the older hitatare. The kamishimo would normally be composed of the same material, and was more likely to reflect the status of its wearer than not. The Edo Period was an extremely status-conscious time in Japanese history and this was nowhere more the case then among the samurai. Style was, as always, important, but subject to much greater regulation.

The kamishimo was normally worn outside of the house, or when expecting visitors. Otherwise, the trusty kimono would do.

Western Samurai

2008-02-26T00:11:00.000-08:00

The English sailor and adventurer William Adams (1564–1620) seems to have been the first foreigner to receive the dignity of samurai. The Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu presented him with two swords representing the authority of a samurai, and decreed that William Adams the pilot was dead and that Miura Anjin (三浦按針), a samurai, was born. Adams also received the title of hatamoto (bannerman), a high-prestige position as a direct retainer in the Shogun's court. He was provided with generous revenues: "For the services that I have done and do daily, being employed in the Emperor's service, the emperor has given me a living" (Letters). He was granted a fief in Hemi (逸見) within the boundaries of present-day Yokosuka City, "with eighty or ninety husbandmen, that be my slaves or servants" (Letters). His estate was valued at 250 koku (measure of the income of the land in rice equal to about five bushels). He finally wrote "God hath provided for me after my great misery" (Letters) by which he meant the disaster-ridden voyage that had initially brought him to Japan.

Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn (1556?-1623), a Dutch colleague of Adams' on their ill-fated voyage to Japan in the ship De Liefde, was also given similar privileges by Tokugawa Ieyasu. It appears Joosten became a samurai and was given a residence within Ieyasu's castle at Edo. Today, this area at the east exit of Tokyo Station is known as Yaesu (八重洲). Yaesu is a corruption of the Dutchman's Japanese name, Yayousu (耶楊子). Also in common with Adam's, Joostens was given a Red Seal Ship (朱印船) allowing him to trade between Japan and Indo-China. On a return journey from Batavia Joosten drowned after his ship ran aground.

Also, during the Boshin War (1868-1869), French soldiers joined the forces of the Shogun against the Southern Daimyos favorable to the restoration of the Meiji emperor. It is recorded that the French Navy officer Eugène Collache fought in samurai attire with his Japanese brother-in-arms. At the same time, the Prussian Edward Schnell served the Aizu domain as a military instructor and procurer of weapons. He was granted the Japanese name Hiramatsu Buhei (平松武兵衛), which inverted the characters of the daimyo's name Matsudaira (松平). Hiramatsu (Schnell) was given the right to wear swords, as well as a residence in the castle town of Wakamatsu, a Japanese wife, and retainers. In many contemporary references, he is portrayed as wearing a Japanese kimono, overcoat, and swords, with Western riding trousers and boots.

Tea Ceremony Related to Samurai

2008-02-25T01:17:00.000-08:00

Perhaps one of the most fascinating arts that has come to be linked with the samurai is the cha no yu, or tea ceremony. Few activities in general are quite as thoroughly refined and thoughtful and yet evolved through such troubled times. Complicated and yet utterly simple, at once straightforward and deep, the tea ceremony in many ways could be a metaphor not only for the samurai ideal but also for the land of Japan itself.

Tea was made popular in Japan during the early Kamakura largely thanks to the efforts of the monk Eisai (1141-1215); fifty or so years later the Zen monk Dai-o (1236-1308) returned from a visit to China and brought with him knowledge of the tea ceremony as it was practiced in Chinese Zen monasteries.

Initially, and unsurprisingly, the tea ceremony was an activity indulged by the nobility, as tea itself was primarily the elixir of the upper class at this time. This began to change with the advent of Sen no Rikyû. A man of merchant background from Sakai, Rikyû (known for much of his career as Sôeki) had been trained as a tea man in the elegant Ashikaga style; he would in time reject this school in favor of a very different approach. The nobility's tea ceremony had been developed to cater to the sorts of individuals that partook of it, with elegant Chinese utensils and great pains taken to avoid offending any guests of higher status.

In his own take, Rikyû substituted the pricey utensils with simple, practical ones, and replaced the expensive and often gaudy teahouses of the nobility with the Sôan, or 'grass hut' style teahouse. The only way into the tearoom of a Sôan was through a small door, the nijiriguchi, which was only some two and a half feet square. Guests therefore entered by crawling, a deliberately humbling device intended to create a sense of equality once inside.

Brief Introduction of Tea Ceremony

The tea ceremony normally took place in a tearoom, the chachitsu. The guests entered through the nijiriguchi, with samurai leaving their swords outside (another conscious equalizer developed by Rikyû) and the last to enter closing the door behind him. The tearoom was arranged so that those entering would first spy a scroll hanging in the tokonoma - or alcove. This scroll was normally of calligraphy, with its subject often that of a simple observation such as Honrai mu Ichibutsu ('Originally there is nothing').2 As this scroll is carefully chosen by the host to reflect a mood or the season, the guests customarily spend a moment appreciating it before seating themselves around a small hearth in the center of the room.

At this point the host enters, and the principal guest thanks him or her for their invitation and politely inquires about the scroll or some other object in the room should one be present. However, and throughout the time spent in the tearoom, conversations and articulations are brief, and it was considered impolite to speak of things not related to the ceremony. The principle guest then serves a light meal (kaiseki) that was intended to be pleasing to the eye as well as the taste. At this time, a modest serving of sake is also offered in shallow bowls, followed by a piece of fruit or some other light dessert. The guests then exit the tearoom while the host prepares it for the drinking of tea, replacing the scroll with a single flower in a vase. When the guests return, the host heats water in an iron kettle, then rinses and wipes the tea bowl and utensils. He places powdered green tea in a bowl with a bamboo dipper, then whips the tea with a whisk (also bamboo) until the surface is slightly frothy, then serves it to his guests.

Two kinds of tea will be served: koicha, which is the more formal of the two and possessed of a thicker consistency and bitter taste, and usucha - thinner and more 'informal'. Koicha is served first, and all the guests drink a small quantity from the same bowl. Later in the ceremony, usucha is served in individual bowls. The tea bowls themselves can vary in design according to the host and the season. 'Winter' tea bowls are deeper, to help contain heat, while 'summer' bowls are shallower and broader to release the heat and give the impression of coolness.

Throughout the ceremony, the hosts and guests both aspire towards a sense of tranquility.

How to Recognise a Good Sword

2008-02-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

There is a reasonably logical procedure for examining a Japanese sword blade as followed:

1) First the Sugata or shape of the blade must be examined. The shape should appear strong, the curvature natural and the Kissaki should be in proportion to the width and length of the blade. The Mune or back edge's shape and height should also be noted. When examining a blade's Sugata, the blade is best held upright at arm's length.

In fact the Sugata may impart a great deal of information about the age of the blade and sometimes about the area in which it was made. However, if the blade has a good shape and sits comfortably in the hand, there is a fair chance that it has some quality. It is impossible for a good sword to have a bad shape unless it has been altered, damaged or repaired in some way. This frequently happens and so it is important to try and imagine the Ubu (unaltered) shape of the blade.

2) The next area to study is the Hamon. This is often referred to as the 'tempered' edge. This is where the sword has been quenched to provide a high carbon steel area which will hold a sharpened edge. It will be seen in contrast to the body of the sword.

The Hamon may be in an infinite variety of patterns, but appears as a milky white colour on a properly polished blade. The upper edge of the Hamon will be formed from tiny martensite crystals called Nie. Sometimes these are too small to see with the naked eye and are then known as Nioi. It is Me and Nioi that border the Hamon and form the pattern of the Hamon and they should be examined very closely, ideally by holding the blade at eye level, ideally pointed towards a spotlight. The Nioi- guchi (line of the Hamon) should form an unbroken and constant line from the Machi area (bottom of the blade) along its entire length. A break in the Hamon, called Nioi-giri is a serious flaw and should be avoided. It is also important that the Boshi (the area of the Hamon within the Kissaki) does not disappear off the edge. This is also a serious flaw in the blade and is only acceptable on great swords of historical and cultural significance! No compromise should be accepted here.

3) If Sugata and Hamon pass muster, the sword should be OK. However, we need to assure ourselves that it is hand forged and not a cleverly mass-produced piece such as a Showato (mass produced during World War 2). This is ascertained by examining both the Jigane and Jihada. The Jigane is the actual steel from which the sword is made and might show subtle change colour and texture whilst the Jihada is the surface pattern of the Jigane caused by the forging process and emphasised by the polishing. This is mostly visible between the edge of the Hamon and the Shinogi or ridge line. The Jihada, appearing like a wood grain, is described by its type and size (i.e. Ko-mokume small burl) and there are many criteria for judging the quality of the Jihada. However, for the purposes of this essay, I guess that it is sufficient to say that if Jihada is present, then the sword is at least a hand forged blade.

4) Whilst undertaking this detailed examination of a blade, any flaws or faults will become apparent. Some of these may be more acceptable than others, dependent on the age of the blade. In other words, a 12th century blade is entitled to have a few problems that would not be tolerated in a modern sword. However, all faults and flaws obviously detract from both the beauty and value of a sword.

Look for holes or bubbles in the sword which may indicate air or impurities that have been included in the forging process and may be just under the surface of the blade. Also check the Ha-saki (cutting edge) very carefully for hairline vertical cracks running from the Ha-saki into the Hamon. Called Ha-giri, these are very serious flaws as if the sword were used to cut, at the point of Ha-giri it would bend or break. Ha-giri is not acceptable under any circumstance.

5) Finally inspection of the Nakago or tang takes place. The Nakago on a good sword will always be carefully finished. The patination should be a good colour and the rust should not be cleaned off under any circumstances. If there are any inscriptions these will be of interest. A good Mei will be skilfully and confidently written, not untidy, jumbled or hesitant. It almost does not matter whether you can read the inscription (most modern Japanese cannot read the old Kanji in sword inscriptions) so long as it looks confidently executed.

Japanese martial arts---Swordmanship

2008-02-21T17:47:00.000-08:00

Japanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": "budō", literally meaning "martial way", "bujutsu" (武術, "bujutsu"), which has no perfect translation but means something like science, art, or craft of war, and "bugei" (武芸, "bugei"), literally meaning "martial art." The term "budō" is a modern one, and is normally intended to indicate the practice of martial arts as a way of life, and encompassing physical, spiritual, and moral dimensions with a focus of self-improvement, fulfillment, or personal growth. The terms "bujutsu" and "bugei" have more discrete definitions, at least historically speaking. Bujutsu refers specifically to the practical application of martial tactics and techniques in actual combat. Bugei refers to the adaptation or refinement of those tactics and techniques to facilitate systematic instruction and dissemination within a formal learning environment.

Swordsmanship

Swordsmanship, the art of the sword, has an almost mythological ethos, and is believed by some to be the paramount martial art, surpassing all others. Regardless of the truth of that belief, the sword itself has been the subject of stories and legends through virtually all cultures in which it has been employed as a tool for violence. In Japan, the use of the katana is no different. Although originally the most important skills of the warrior class were skill at riding a horse and shooting the bow, this eventually gave way to swordsmanship.

Kenjutsu (剣術:けんじゅつ, Kenjutsu?) literally means "the art/science of the sword". Although the term has been used as a general term to refer to swordsmanship as a whole, modernly, "kenjutsu" is more often used to refer to the specific aspect of swordsmanship dealing with partnered sword training. It is the oldest form of training, and at its simplest level, consists of two partners with swords drawn, practicing combat drills. Historically practiced with wooden katana (bokken), this most often consists of pre-determined forms, called kata, or sometimes called kumitachi, and similar to the partner drills practiced in kendo. Among advanced students, kenjutsu training may also include increasing degrees of freestyle practice.

Kendo (剣道:けんどう, kendō?), meaning the "way of the sword", is the sport of Japanese fencing. It is a relatively modern evolution of the art of kenjutsu, and its exercises and practice are descended from several particular schools of swordsmanship. The primary technical influence in its development was the kenjutsu school of Ittō-ryū (founded c. 1500s A.D.), whose core philosophy revolved around the concept that all strikes in swordsmanship revolve around the technique kiri-oroshi (vertical downward cut). The modern form of kendo really began to take shape with the introduction of bamboo swords, called shinai, and the set of lightweight wooden armour, called bogu, by Naganuma Sirōzaemon Kunisato (長沼四郎左衛門国郷, 1688–1767), which allowed for the practice of strikes at full speed and power without risk of injury to the competitors. Today, virtually the entire practice of kendo is governed by the All Japan Kendo Federation, founded in 1951. Competitions are judged by points, with the first competitor to score two points on his opponent declared the winner. One point may be scored with a successful and properly executed strike to any of several targets: a thrust to the throat, or a strike to the top of the head, sides of the head, sides of the body, or forearms. Practitioners also compete in forms (kata) competitions, using either wooden or blunted metal swords, according to a set of forms promulgated by the AJKF.

Iaijutsu (居合術:いあいじゅつ, Iaijutsu), approximately "the art/science of mental presence and immediate reaction", is also the Japanese martial art of drawing the sword. However, unlike battōjutsu, iaijutsu tends to be technically more complex, and there is a much stronger focus upon perfecting form. The primary technical aspects are smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard.

Iaidō (居合道:いあいどう, Iaidō), which would be "the way of mental presence and immediate reaction", is nominally the modernization of iaijutsu, but in practice is frequently identical to iaijutsu. The replacement of jutsu with dō is part of the 20th century emphasis upon personal and spiritual development; an evolution that took place in many martial arts. In the case of iaidō, some schools merely changed in name without altering the curriculum, and others embraced the wholesale change from a combat-orientation to spiritual growth.

Battōjutsu (抜刀術:ばっとうじゅつ, Battōjutsu), literally meaning "the art/science of drawing a sword", and developed in the mid-15th century, is the aspect of swordsmanship focused upon the efficient draw of the sword, cutting down one's enemy, and returning the sword to its scabbard (saya). The term came into use specifically during the Warring States Period (15th–17th cent.). Closely related to, but predating iaijutsu, battōjutsu training emphasizes defensive counter-attacking. Battōjutsu training technically incorporates kata, but generally consist of only a few moves, focusing on stepping up to an enemy, drawing, performing one or more cuts, and sheathing the weapon. Battōjutsu exercises tend to lack the elaborateness, as well as the aesthetic considerations of iaijutsu or iaidō kata. Finally, note that use of the name alone is not dispositive; what is battōjutsu to one school may be iaijutsu to another.

Naginatajutsu (長刀術:なぎなたじゅつ, Naginatajutsu) is the Japanese martial art of wielding the naginata, a weapon resembling the medieval European glaive. Most naginata practice today is in a modernized form (gendai budō) called the "way of naginata" (naginata-dō) or "new naginata" (atarashii naginata), in which competitions are also held. However, many koryu maintain naginatajutsu in their corriculum. Also of note, during the late Edo period, naginata were used to train women and ladies in waiting. Thus, most naginatajutsu styles are headed by women and most naginata practitioners in Japan are women. This has led to the notion that naginatajutsu is a martial art that was not used by male warriors. In fact, naginatajutsu was developed by the warrior monks of early medieval Japan and was widely used by samurai.

Swords of Myth and Legend

2008-02-21T00:27:00.000-08:00

Arondight - Sword of Lancelot

Attila the Hun's sword, which he claimed was the sword of Mars, the Roman god of war

Caladbolg - Sword of Fergus mac Róich

Chandrahas (Moon blade) - King Ravana's sword in the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Claíomh Solais - Sword of Nuada Airgeadlámh, legendary king of Ireland

Crocea Mors - Sword of Julius Caesar

Curtana - Sword of Ogier the Dane , a legendary Danish hero, and a paladin of Charlemagne

Durendal - Sword of Roland, one of Charlemagne's paladins

Excalibur/Caliburn/Caledflwch - Sword of King Arthur

Heaven's Will/The Will of Heaven/Thuan Thien/Thuận Thiên- Sword of Vietnamese King Le Loi

Fragarach - Sword of Manannan mac Lir and Lugh Lamfada

Gram (Balmung) (Nothung) - Sword of Siegfried, hero of the Nibelungenlied

Hauteclere - Sword of Olivier, a French hero depicted in the Song of Roland

Hrunting - Sword lent to Beowulf by Unferth, ineffective against Grendel's mother

Naegling - Sword of Beowulf in his old age, used to fight the dragon

Joyeuse - Sword of Charlemagne

Kusanagi - Sword of Susanoo

Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar - Sword of King Solomon(in Persian folklore)

Tyrfing - Cursed sword that causes eventual death to its wielder and their kin

Information of Japanese Sword Tsuba

2008-02-21T00:20:00.000-08:00

A tsuba is the hand guard of a Japanese sword. It served several purposes. The tsuba balanced the sword. And it protected the hand of the sword holder from an attack by an enemy as well as from gliding into the sword blade. The third purpose was a more refined one. The Japanese tsuba developed into a kind of a status symbol for the sword owner. Thus the Japanese sword tsuba became an elaborate piece of art-far beyond its practical use.

Tsuba hisory

During the Muromachi period(1333-1573) and the Momoyama period(1573-1603) feudal lords and powerful clans fought fierce battles against each other. Therefore the functionality of the sword tsuba was more important than its decoration. The Edo period brought an uninterrupted period of 256years of peace to Japan. Now the Japanese sword tsuba rapidly developed into a refined piece of art.

Tsuba materials

Most tsubas were made of iron. However a great variety of other materials can be found as well.
☆ Copper
☆ Sentoku-a yellow alloy consisting of copper, zinc and tin
☆ Shakudo-a dark pickled metal alloy-a mixture of copper, gold and some other materials
☆ Shibuichi-a silvery gray metal alloy consisting mostly of silver, copper, tin, lead or zinc
☆ Brass
☆ Bronze
☆ Silver
☆ Gold

The shapes

☆ Plain oval
☆ Plain round
☆ Square
☆ Mokko-with 4 lobes
☆ Aoi-the pattern of the leaves of the mallow

Decorations

The subjects for decorations on Japanese sword tsuba were taken from religion, history, Japanese mythology and nature. Dragons and forms from nature like leaves are often to be found on Japanese tuba. Early decorations were Buddhist prayers.

Samurai Marriage

2008-02-19T23:56:00.000-08:00

The marriage of samurai was done by having a marriage arranged by someone with the same or higher rank than those being married. While for those samurai in the upper ranks this was a necessity (as most had few opportunities to meet a female), this was a formality for lower ranked samurai. Most samurai married women from a samurai family, but for a lower ranked samurai marriages with commoners were permitted. In these marriages a dowry was brought by the woman and was used to start their new lives.

A samurai could have a mistress but her background was strictly checked by higher ranked samurai. In many cases, this was treated like a marriage. "Kidnapping" a mistress, although common in fiction, would have been shameful, if not a crime. When she was a commoner, a messenger would be sent with betrothal money or a note for exemption of tax to ask for her parent's acceptance and many parents gladly accepted. If a samurai's wife gave birth to a son he could be a samurai.

A samurai could divorce his wife for a variety of reasons with approval from a superior, but divorce was, while not entirely nonexistent, a rare event. A reason for divorce would be if she could not produce a son, but then adoption could be arranged as an alternative to divorce. A samurai could divorce for personal reasons, even if he simply did not like his wife, but this was generally avoided as it would embarrass the samurai who had arranged the marriage. A woman could also arrange a divorce, although it would generally take the form of the samurai divorcing her. After a divorce samurai had to return the betrothal money, which often prevented divorces. Some rich merchants had their daughters marry samurai to erase a samurai's debt and advance their positions.

A samurai's wife would be dishonored and allowed to commit jigai (a female's seppuku) if she were cast off.

The Samurai Creed

2008-02-19T23:42:00.000-08:00

I have no parents; I make the Heavens and the Earth my parents.
I have no home; I make the Tan T'ien my home.
I have no divine power; I make honesty my Divine Power.
I have no means; I make Docility my means.
I have no magic power; I make personality my Magic Power.
I have neither life nor death; I make A Um my Life and Death.
I have no body; I make Stoicism my Body.
I have no eyes; I make The Flash of Lightning my eyes.
I have no ears; I make Sensibility my Ears.
I have no limbs; I make Promptitude my Limbs.
I have no laws; I make Self-Protection my Laws.
I have no strategy; I make the Right to Kill and the Right to Restore Life my Strategy.
I have no designs; I make Seizing the Opportunity by the Forelock my Designs.
I have no miracles; I make Righteous Laws my Miracle.
I have no principles; I make Adaptability to all circumstances my Principle.
I have no tactics; I make Emptiness and Fullness my Tactics.
I have no talent; I make Ready Wit my Talent.
I have no friends; I make my Mind my Friend.

I have no enemy; I make Incautiousness my Enemy.

I have no armour; I make Benevolence my Armour.
I have no castle; I make Immovable Mind my Castle.
I have no sword; I make No Mind my Sword.

How is a Japanese sword constructed?

2008-02-19T00:26:00.000-08:00

The swordsmith forges the actual blade. He starts usually with a special kind of traditional Japanese steel called tamahagane, and works with hammer and forge to fold it a number of times. There are two processes in general, one to make core steel (shinganae) and the other to make jacket steel (kawagane). Kawagane is folded more times and ends up being harder and less ductile than shinganae. In the most simple construction, a piece of kawagane is folded around a piece of shinganae to form a jacketed core. Thus the shinganae allows the sword to flex instead of breaking on impact, and the kawagane allows it to take the famous razor edge. More complicated construction methods can produce swords made of as many of 5 pieces of steel, all forged differently.

The folding process is used to closely control the uniformity and carbon content of the steel. An accomplished smith can tell by eye to within a tenth of a percent the carbon content of a piece of steel.

When the basic blank has been constructed, the smith will continue to work what is essentially a metal bar into the shape of the sword. When the forging is done, the blade is the correct length, curvature and general shape, but lacks a finish and certain of the various edges and features. The smith will then use coarse polishing stones to further define the blade before passing it onto the polisher.

The polisher uses successive grades of stone to finish the blade. The polisher is responsible for the famous edge, but that is only one part of his job. His real job is to bring out the beauty of the smiths art. Properly polished, the complexity of the construction is revealed. Improperly polished, the blade is ruined.

A woodcarver makes a saya (scabbard) for the sword. Each saya is custom carved out of wood from the ho tree. The actual blade is required, as the carver will use it as a template to make a properly fitting saya.

A jeweller makes the habaki, the small but critical metal piece which is constructed to fit exactly on the blade next to the tang, and provide the snug friction fit which keeps the blade from rattling in the saya.

Further craftsmen make the finishings. There can be separate craftsmen for the tsuka (handle), tsuba (handguard) and menuki (hilt ornaments).

Sword Decoration

2008-02-19T00:23:00.000-08:00

Almost all blades are decorated, although not all blades are decorated on the visible part of the blade. Once the blade is cool, and the mud is scraped off, the blade may have designs or grooves (hi or bo-hi) cut into it. One of the most important markings on the sword is performed here: the file markings. These are cut into the nakago or the hilt-section of the blade, where they will be covered by the tsuka later. The nakago is never supposed to be cleaned: doing this can reduce the value of the sword by half or more. The purpose is to show how well the blade steel ages.

Some other marks on the blade are aesthetic: dedications written in kanji as well as engravings called horimono depicting gods, dragons, or other acceptable beings. Some are more practical. The presence of a groove (the most basic type is called a hi) reduces the weight of the sword yet keeps its structural integrity and strength using the engineering principles of the I-beam.

In Japanese, the scabbard for a nihontō is referred to as a saya, and the handguard piece, often intricately designed as an individual work of art — especially in later years of the Edo period — was called the tsuba. Other aspects of the mountings (koshirae), such as the menuki (decorative grip swells), habaki (blade collar and scabbard wedge), fuchi and kashira (handle collar and cap), kozuka (small utility knife handle), kogai (decorative skewer-like implement), saya lacquer, and tsuka-ito (professional handle wrap, also named emaki), received similar levels of artistry.

Single-edged and double-edged swords

2008-02-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

One strict definition of a sword restricts it to a straight, double-edged bladed weapon designed for both slashing and thrusting. However, general usage of the term remains inconsistent and it has important cultural overtones, so that commentators almost universally recognize the single-edged swords such as Asian weapons (dāo 刀, katana 刀) as "swords", simply because they have a prestige akin to their European counterparts.

Europeans also frequently refer to their own single-edged weapons as swords — generically backswords, including sabres. Other terms include falchion, scimitar, cutlass, dussack, Messer or mortuary sword. Many of these refer to essentially identical weapons, and the different names may relate to their use in different countries at different times. A machete as a tool resembles such a single-edged sword and serves to cut through thick vegetation, and indeed many of the terms listed above describe weapons that originated as farmers' tools used on the battlefield.

Samurai Name

2008-02-17T19:57:00.000-08:00

A samurai was usually named by combining one kanji from his father or grandfather and one new kanji. Samurai normally used only a small part of their total name.

For example, the full name of Oda Nobunaga would be "Oda Kazusanosuke Saburo Nobunaga" (織田上総介三郎信長), in which "Oda" is a clan or family name, "Kazusanosuke" is a title of vice-governor of Kazusa province, "Saburo" is a name before genpuku, a coming of age ceremony, and "Nobunaga" is an adult name. Samurai were able to choose their own last names.

During the course of Samurai's life, he could expect to be known by a series of names. Sometimes confounding to the historian, this tradition occasionally produced a myriad number of tags for a single well-known samurai. Each name carried with it a certain significance.

Childhood. At birth, a samurai was given a name by which he would be known until his coming of age ceremony. These were occasionally chosen to sound fortuitous or simply by fancy. In a well-known example of the former, Takeda Shingen was born Katsuchiyo, or '1000 Victories in Succession', or, simply, 'Victory Forever'. These childhood names were often superceded to an extent within a samurai's household by a certain nicknaming custom. By tradition, the eldest son in a household was known as 'Taro', the second, 'Jiro', and the third, 'Saburo'. These familial names might even linger into a samurai's adulthood, especially while his father was still in charge.

Adult Names. A samurai typically received his 'first' adult name upon the event of his coming of ag ceremony (normally conducted in his 14th year). This almost always consisted of two characters, one of which was hereditary to his family and another that might have been given him as a gift from an exalted personage or simply by whim.

Some samurai, especially lords, might opt to change the characters in their name at some future date, often as a result of the sort of reward mentioned above. Occasionally this name change might be made to mark a fortuitous event, or for political expediency.
Uesugi Kenshin provides us with a nice example of the various reasons a daimyô might change his name around. Originally called Nagao Kagetora, Kenshin later changed his name to Terutora when he was honored by the shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru (Kenshin being exceptionally filial to the Ashikaga). He changed his name again, to Masatora, when he was adopted by Uesugi Norimasa around 1551.

Religious names. Of course, the name Kenshin is the best known, and this provides us with an example of a Buddhist name. Many samurai - both daimyô and retainer - adopted Buddhist names at some point in their life, at least nominally taking up a monk's habit and shaving their heads. Some daimyô took this much more seriously then others (Kenshin being one of those), while a certain few, including Ôtomo Sorin, went from layman to Buddhist monk to Christian - and sometimes back again to Buddhist monk.

Information of Women Samurai

2008-02-14T23:08:00.000-08:00

Maintaining the household, or ie, was the main duty of samurai women. This was especially crucial during early feudal Japan, when warrior husbands were often traveling abroad or engaged in clan battles. The wife, or okusan (meaning: one who remains in the home), was left to manage all household affairs, care for the children, and perhaps even defend the home forcibly. For this reason, many women of the samurai class were trained in wielding a polearm called a naginata or a special knife called the kaiken in an art called tantojutsu (lit. the skill of the knife), which they could use to protect their household, family, and honor if the need arose.

Traits valued in women of the samurai class were humility, obedience, self-control, strength, and loyalty. Ideally, a samurai wife would be skilled at managing property, keeping records, dealing with financial matters, educating the children (and perhaps servants, too), and caring for elderly parents or in-laws that may be living under her roof. Confucian law, which helped define personal relationships and the code of ethics of the warrior class required that a woman show subservience to her husband, filial piety to her parents, and care to the children. Too much love and affection was also said to indulge and spoil the youngsters. Thus, a woman was also to exercise discipline.

Though women of wealthier samurai families enjoyed perks of their elevated position in society, such as avoiding the physical labor that those of lower classes often engaged in, they were still viewed as far beneath men. Women were prohibited from engaging in any political affairs and were usually not the heads of their household.

This does not mean that samurai women were always powerless. Powerful women both wisely and unwisely wielded power at various occasions. After Ashikaga Yoshimasa, 8th shogun of the Muromachi shogunate lost interest in politics, his wife Hino Tomiko largely ruled in his place. Nene, wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was known to overrule her husband's decisions at times and Yodo, his mistress, became the de facto master of Osaka castle and the Toyotomi clan after Hideyoshi's death. Chiyo, wife of Yamauchi Kazutoyo, has long been considered the ideal samurai wife. According to legend, she made her kimono out of a quilted patchwork of bits of old cloth and saved pennies to buy her husband a magnificent horse on which he rode to many victories. The source of power for women may have been that samurai looked down upon matters concerning money and left their finances to their wives.

As the Tokugawa period progressed more value became placed on education, and the education of females beginning at a young age became important to families and society as a whole. Marriage criteria began to weigh intelligence and education as desirable attributes in a wife, right along with physical attractiveness. Though many of the texts written for women during the Tokugawa period only pertained to how a woman could become a successful wife and household manager, there were those that undertook the challenge of learning to read, and also tackled philosophical and literary classics. Nearly all women of the samurai class were literate by the end of the Tokugawa period.

Sword Components

2008-02-14T22:53:00.000-08:00

There are four basic parts of the sword:

Blade - The length of steel that forms the sword. A typical blade has six areas:

Edge - This is the sharpened portion of the blade. A sword may be single or double-edged. For example, a Japanese katana has a single edge but a Scottish claymore is sharpened on both sides.

Tip - The end of the sword furthest away from the hilt. Most swords taper to a point at the tip, but some blade lines are straight until the very tip. A few swords, such as a U.S. Civil War saber, are curved along their length.

Back - The part of the blade opposite the edge. Of course, a double-edged sword has no back.

Flat - The sides of the blade.

Fuller - Often called the blood groove or gutter, the fuller is a narrow groove that runs most of the length of many swords. Most people believe that it is there to allow the blade to be easily removed by blood escaping through the channel, thereby reducing suction. Contrary to popular belief, the fuller is not a channel for blood to run along. The actual reason for the fuller is to decrease the weight of the blade without diminishing the strength. Use of a fuller allows a bladesmith to use less material to comprise the blade, making it lighter without sacrificing too much structural integrity. This is similar to the use of an I-beam when building a skyscraper.

Tang - The portion of the blade that is covered by the hilt. A full tang is the same width as the rest of the blade and extends beyond the hilt and through the pommel. A partial tang does not extend all the way through the hilt and is normally not more than half the width of the blade. The length of the tang and the width, particularly where it narrows before entering the pommel, vary from sword to sword. The thickness and width of a tang within the hilt will determine the handling of the sword.

Guard - The metal piece that keeps an opponent's sword from sliding down over the hilt and cutting your hand. The guard on Japanese swords also prevented the hands from sliding down to the blade while many European sword guards also protected the hands in close quarters combat against a shield. Also, the cross guard on a European sword can aid point control and manipulation of a blade. Guards can range from a simple crosspiece to a full basket that nearly encloses your hand.

Hilt - The handle of the sword, a hilt is usually made from leather, wire or wood. It is fastened to the tang of the blade to provide a comfortable way to hold the sword.

Pommel - The end of the sword that the hilt is on. Pommels are normally larger than the hilt and keep the sword from sliding out of the hand, as well as providing a bit of counterweight to the blade. They also can be used as a means to secure the hilt to the tang, and were sometimes forged out of the same length of steel as the rest of the blade.

When to Clean and When Not to Clean Your Sword?

2008-02-14T00:52:00.000-08:00

Clean:

>>When handling has caused light rust.

>>When moisture in the air causes light rust.

>>When a new sword has light rust on it.

>>After finding an area that is just starting to rust.

>>If the rust is heavily scaled.

>>If you are willing to accept that there is a chance that you may damage your blade and may diminish its value.

Don't clean:

>>Don't try to polish any brass parts of the sword (it destroys the patina and looks really bad in conjunction with a rusty blade).

>>Don't try to remove the patina from the blade.

>>Don't try to make an old sword look new -- it isn't! The patina is often seen as an authentication of age.

>>When in doubt or before any heavy cleaning, consult a professional.

Types of Blade Tempering

2008-02-14T00:49:00.000-08:00

There are three basic types of tempering in Japanese swords:

Un-tempered: Simple, there is no tempering. The least durable and least functional type of sword blade.

Homogeneous, or "mono" tempering: The blade is tempered uniformly and has the same hardness all over. These swords can be both fully functional and fairly inexpensive. I recommend this type of swords as a first functional sword till you know if you will maintain interest.

Differential tempering: The edge is tempered harder than the back of the blade. This makes the edge very hard with excellent edge retention, while the softer back gives the blade flexibility and shock absorption. A differentially tempered San Mai blade will be very durable and have excellent edge retention, I recommend this type of sword for intermediate to advanced practitioners.

Types of Blade Forging and Construction

2008-02-13T01:51:00.000-08:00

There are three basic types of Japanese sword blade that can be built by forging:

Simple: The blade is made from one piece of unfolded steel. Very simple and effective. Most high quality swords are made like this.

Damascus: A folding technique where the steel is folded over itself many (generally up to sixteen) times, leading to hundreds or even thousands of layers (one fold = 2 layers, two folds = 4 layers, three folds = 8 layers, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, etc.). More folds than sixteen are pointless, as the layers would become thinner than one molecule - which is impossible. This method was developed to removed impurities from the steel (it also removes carbon, which is bad, but can be compensated for to some degree), but modern steel is so pure that Damascus folding is no longer needed. It is now used for aesthetic reasons; Damascus steel looks really good; you can see the layers in the blade.

San Mai: Translates to "three layers". Layers of softer, lower carbon steel (or iron) is forge welded to layers of harder, higher carbon steel. The lower carbon steel forms the core (and sometimes the sides and/or back), and the higher carbon steel forms the edge. The hard edge will hold its sharpness, the softer core provides shock absorption; making the sword harder to break. Unlike Damascus, San Mai is still very practical. San Mai folds should be invisible; if you can see a San Mai fold the forging was flawed and the blade should be discarded - you'll have to trust your seller that the blade is San Mai - you can't tell by looking. San Mai can be revealed by etching the blade with acid, such as lemon juice, but I don't recommend trying this unless you know what you're doing; you can permanently stain the blade. San Mai swords are more durable (and more expensive) than simple blades. They are more durable (and usually less expensive) than Damascus blades. A blade can be either San Mai or Damascus, or it can be both; Damascus steel which is then San Mai folded. Very cool, looks good and lasts long.

Blade Material For Japanese Sword

2008-02-13T01:47:00.000-08:00

There are three basic blade materials for modern Japanese style swords, these are: steel (commonly called carbon steel), stainless steel, and non-steel alloy (commonly called alloy).

Steel: Commonly called carbon steel - which is redundant - all steel by definition contains carbon. Steel is simply iron with carbon added. The carbon makes the iron stronger. There's nothing magical about carbon steel. Here's a breakdown of the various types of "plain" carbon steel and what they're good for:

Plain Carbon Steels
These steels are iron, usually (but not always) with less than 1 percent carbon, plus small amounts of manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, and silicon. The characteristics of these steels are primarily a product of carbon content, although the alloying and residual elements do have a minor influence.
Plain carbon steels are divided into four groups:
1. Low
2. Medium
3. High
4. Very high
Low. Often called mild steels, low-carbon steels have less than 0.30 percent carbon and are the most commonly used grades. These steels are too soft to hold an edge, and would be easy to bend with use. Some display swords are made from mild steel. Stainless is preferred because neither is fully functional and stainless looks better.
Medium. Medium-carbon steels have from 0.30 to 0.40 percent carbon. Increased carbon means increased hardness and tensile strength, with decreased ductility. These steels are too soft to hold an edge, and would be easy to bend with use. Some display swords are made from medium carbon steel. Stainless is preferred because neither is fully functional and stainless looks better. Carbon content of .40% is an important threshold; steel with a carbon content of .40% or greater can be hardened, below .40% it cannot be hardened.
High. With 0.45 to 0.75 percent carbon, these steels are capable of sword quality hardening, can hold an edge well, and make a good sword. Remember that a sword is not just a big knife. A functional sword will be subjected to stresses that a good knife has nightmares about!
Very High. With up to 1.50 percent carbon content, very high-carbon steels are used for the highest quality knives and functional swords.

The lowest carbon content usually found in functional swords is .45%, and this would be called 1045 carbon steel. The highest carbon content commonly found in swords is .95%, and this would be called 1095 carbon steel. The "10" that precedes the percentage indicates that it is plain carbon steel. Another prefix you might see is "52", as in 5260 steel. The "50" family of prefixes indicates the chromium content, and is usually used in spring steel.

The higher the carbon content, the more expensive and harder it is to work with, and the higher the price. Lower carbon steels are easier to forge and sharpen, but don't hold an edge as well.

Stainless Steels

There are many types of stainless steels which fill a variety of roles. For the purpose of this discussion, there are four basic types. All of them contain varying degrees of carbon, manganese, chromium, and vanadium, as well as a few other ingredients. It is the quantities and ratios of these ingredients which give each type its characteristics. It should be noted that although a very high quality functional knife can be made from stainless steel, it is impossible to make a fully functional sword from stainless. There are some stainless swords that can be used for Aikido, Iaido, and kata, but a stainless sword should never be used for tameshigiri; it will either bend or break, and usually on the first swing.

Here are the four types commonly used in swords and their general characteristics:

420, 420J and 420J2: Quite soft and not very rust resistant. Very inexpensive and easy to grind, so lots of cheap swords can be made very quickly. Swords made from these steels should do nothing but hang on the wall; even swinging one could break it.
440A: Soft but extremely rust resistant. Treat these swords as you would one made from 420 steel; it will look better than 420 steel, but will be very prone to bending. You could probably store a 440A sword in salt water and not have it rust; good quality diving knives are made from 440A.
440B: Harder than 440A, but less rust resistant. A good quality sword made from 440B can be used for Aikido, Iaido, or kata if the blade is thick enough and the tang is long enough (it doesn’t have to be a full tang, but it should be at least eight inches long and not be a rat-tail), but won’t be suitable for tameshigiri. Again, good quality diving knives are often made from this type of steel.
440C: The hardest and least rust resistant in the 440 family. These are the most functional stainless swords, but still can’t be used for tameshigiri.

Swords marked “440” not followed by an A, B, or C are usually A or B. Contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as “plain 440”.

There are other families of high quality stainless (such as D-2) that are used for knives, but not for swords, so that will be the topic of another review

Introduction of Sword Maintenance

2008-02-01T21:36:00.000-08:00

Common Sense to Treat and Protect Your Edged Weapons

Simply treating your edged weapons with great respect and carefully maintaining them with great patience will easily keep them looking brand new for many years to come.
Advice on treating your edged weapons (The Samurai respects his sword’s edge and protects it at all costs)
Keep in mind that your sword, battle ready or not, is still a weapon that may injure, kill someone and/or become damaged if used improperly. Although we all have a "warrior" inside of us, we are not always on a battlefield. No matter how tough or strong the steel is in any sword, it will nick when struck against something equally hard. Do not bang your sword against another sword in theatrical-style duel. The swords you see in movie to do the theatrical-style duel are all specially designed, they are wider, with thicker edges. And do not attempt to chop down a tree with your sword. When you strike a firmly fixed object like a tree or a thick branch with a sword, a great deal of the blade projects past the object being cut, causing the blade to bend or torque. You can choose a replacement in your practice such as thick bamboo which is resistant to a cut, but doesn’t have the rigidity of a tree. For a Japanese warrior to cut in to a tree would have been unthinkable.
Careful maintenance and cleaning with your sword
It is the natural propensity of steel to rust, you must properly care for your blades.
Immediately After Receiving Your New Sword
Most collectors have a misconception that they should wait only until the blade is rusted or pitted to clean and maintain it. In fact, it is very crucial to maintain and clean your sword the moment you get it. If you lose this important time for the cleaning and maintenance, it will be much more difficult in the following time.
Swords directly from factory will probably with a light oil or a heavy coat of grease to protect the blades during transcontinental transport. To remove the grease you may use a solvent such as lacquer thinner or mineral spirits. Then it is better to wipe it using a silicone coated reel cloth due to there is less tendency for dust to accumulate and trap oxygen to cause pitted areas in the blade.
Since it is the natural propensity of steel to rust, you must properly care for your blades.
Rust prevention
Regardless of method, cleaning has its risks. Improper cleaning or maintenance may damage your blades and/or their temper. It is better to take measures before the rust happens.
Effective measures to prevent rust. First, The best way to prevent rust is to keep the sword lightly oiled with lightweight oil due to the heavyweight oil is likely to stain the interior of the scabbard by causing dust to collect. Japanese Choji Clove Oil by far is the best choice. The Japanese have used it for centuries. The clove oil's primary purpose is to prevent rusting, Oil is made of 99% mineral oil and only 1% of clove oil for fragrance. Do remember to wipe off the old oil from the sword with a soft fabric before reapplying the oil to the blade. Then, sprinkle special oil-removing powder on the blade surface. After that, wiping off the powder by a clean cloth before applying the light oil to the blade. Second, blades must be protected from moisture at all times. Also be sure to keep in mind that the blade should never be touched with the hand. For your bare hands will leave oils and salts that will eat their way into your blade and eventually leave pits.
Removing rust
Though you have taken effective measures to preventing the blade from rusting, if it still happens, please don’t be sad or depressed. Most of the rust can be removed successfully like they never appear. For this, you have to take effective measures.
Mainly, there are two kinds of method to remove the rust: one is chemical method and another is abrasive cleaning. Chemical cleaning includes using a Sword Cleaning Kit, solvents, acids and so on. Be sure never using strong acid which will leave microscopic etching to give a dull,leaden look to the blade. For abrasive cleaning, oil and steel wool is the most often prescribed way to remove light surface rust. Rubbing the steel with a soft wire brush may be useful for a sword that is already heavily pitted or scaled with rust. Polishing stones will give a mirror finish to the blade. But remember, this may actually detract from the value of the sword.
Improper cleaning is probably to destroy your valuable sword, the best way when rust happens is to see a polishing specialist at once just like a sick person would need to go to see a medical specialist. And, even if yourself could fix it, please be sure to test on a small part to avoid any bad result!
How to Treat Wood or Leather
Wooden handles or scabbards may be treated with a light coating of lemon oil or tung oil to help prevent cracking.
• Leather scabbards and sheaths as well as leather covered handles should be treated with a good paste wax. The scabbard can also be treated with mink oil for waterproofing. Do not store your sword in its scabbard for long periods of time since the leather trap moisture which can produce rust spots on the blade.
For sword storage
Usually the average collection is not damaged by being hung on a wall with steel hooks or on wooden display racks. In high humidity areas, it is best to keep your collection stored in a sealed case with enough desiccants to keep the humidity beneath about 30% to hinder rust. If you do not wish to display your swords, the most important ways for protection are to protect it from rust, skin contact, and theft. A gun safe will protect it from all of these. If that route is unavailable, however, we recommend making a sword bag. In either case, we recommend placing a few packages of desiccant with the sword to keep humidity down.

Wooden Sword

2008-02-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

A waster is a wooden practice weapon, usually a sword. The use of wood instead of metal provides an economic and safe option for initial weapons training and sparring, at some loss of genuine experience. A weighted waster may be used for a sort of strength training, making the movements of using an actual sword comparatively easier and quicker. Wasters as wooden practice weapons have been found in a variety of cultures over a number of centuries, including ancient Ireland, Scotland, Rome, Egypt, medieval and renaissance Europe, Japan, and into the modern era in Europe and the United States. Over the course of time, wasters took a variety of forms not necessarily influenced by chronological succession, ranging from simple sticks to clip-point dowels with leather basket hilts to careful replicas of real swords.

Used commonly in the modern Historical martial arts reconstruction community, the term refers to wasters fashioned to resemble western European weapons like the longsword or arming sword. The increasingly popular Historical martial arts reconstruction groups, as well as the role-playing and renaissance festival groups, have provided an ample market for commercial waster retailers. As the martial art has grown and academic interest has risen in weapons other than the longsword and arming sword, other types of wasters have been produced commercially.

The concept of wooden practice weapons is not limited to the Western Martial Arts. Some Japanese martial arts involving swordsmanship like kenjutsu and iaido use bokken or shinai as practice weapons. Eskrima, a martial art from the Philippines, also uses a type of rattan stick as a practice weapon in place of a blade. The martial art of single stick is more or less entirely derived from the use of wasters as practice weapons in place of broadswords.

Type: Practice Weapon

Place of origin: Western Europe

In service: Late Bronze Age to current. Rare after the late 1800s.

Used by: Soldiers and Students

Weight:
Longsword: 2 - 3 pounds

Arming Sword: 1 - 2 pounds

Dagger: 0.5 - 1 pound

Length:
Longsword: 42 - 50 inches

Arming Sword: 32 - 42 inches

Dagger: 17 - 19 inches

Blade type: Wooden; lenticular (lens shaped) or diamond cross-section with blunted edges and tip

Hilt type: Wooden; generally cruciform and full-tang, with functional pommel, cross, and oval cross-section grip

Terms Related to Samurai

2008-01-31T21:31:00.000-08:00

Samurai: Member of the warrior class. The word "samurai" is derived from the archaic Japanese verb "samorau," changed to "saburau," meaning "to serve"; thus, a "samurai" is a servant, i.e. the servant of a lord.

Ronin: Master-less Samurai. A Samurai became a ronin under two circumstances. The first was when the samurai had shamed himself in the eyes of his master, but refused to commit seppuku. The second case of a samurai becoming a ronin resulted from his master’s death in one of the countless battles.

Bushido: The Way of the Warrior (Such as loyalty to one’s master, self-discipline, bravery, honor, ethical behavior). The philosophy of Bushido is "freedom from fear." It meant that the Samurai transcended his fear of death.

Giri: Samurai's duty. "Duty" is a primary philosophy of the Samurai.

Zanshin: Samurai's sensing danger. It is the ability of the samurai to sense danger, trained into him from his youth by teachers that would sneak up on him until his senses were acutely developed.

Seppuku: Ritual suicide. The only way out for a defeated samurai was death or ritual suicide. A samurai stabs a knife into his abdomen and literally disembowels himself by cutting out his guts. After the samurai disembowels himself another samurai, usually a kinsman or friend, slices his head off.

Musha-shugyo: Warrior pilgrimage. It was a samurai tradition, in which a warrior would become ronin and travel the land, fighting in duels to establish and perfect his own skill, and to promote the strength and value of his school. It was started by Musashi. Musashi became the archetypal unkempt, invincible ronin, as he passed through duels and wars undefeated.

Ken: sword - refers specifically to an ancient straight-bladed sword made before the ninth century with both single and double cutting edges and curved point sections. These early swords were apparently carried slung from the waist by cords or some other materials. They range from two to four feet in length and various shapes of hilts.

Tachi: refers to long, deeply curved sword that mounted Samurai used in ancient Japan. As early as the 8th century, the straight-bladed sword began to change to one with more curvature in a longer and a stronger blade with a single cutting edge---Tachi. The curved form of sword was better suited to the needs of the Japanese fighting man, the tachi became the principal weapon of the bushi (warrior). It was specially suited for the horse-mounted combat of the late 8th century. Usually Tachi measures almost four feet in length.

Daito: Long sword. (katana, uchi-katana, tachi, no-dachi ) – nagasa (length) over 2 shaku(shaku = 11.9 inches )

Shoto: Short sword. ( wakizashi, chisa-katana ) – nagasa (length) between 1 and 2 shaku(shaku = 11.9 inches )

Tanto: A common Japanese single or, occasionally, double edged knife or dagger with a blade length between 15 and 30 cm (6"–12"). Tanto first began to appear in the Heian period. Tanto were mostly carried by Samurai; commoners did not generally carry them. Before the 16th century it was common for a samurai to carry a tachi and a tanto as opposed to a katana and a wakizashi. Women sometimes carried a small tanto called a kaiken in their obi for self-defence.

Daisho: Samurai's two swords (one long - katana, one short - wakizashi)

Katana: Long sword Samurai worn. Katana emerged in the sixteenth century as a curved, single-edged weapon of the Samurai warrior class in Japan. A replacement of the long Tachi.It was Smaurai’s most important weapon. When paired with a shoto (short sword) such as a wakizashi or the dagger-like tanto, the result is a daisho. The longer katana was used in open combat primarily for cutting, slashing, and parrying maneuvers, while the shorter blades were used for close-quarters stabbing as well as seppuku, or ritual suicide. Katana swords were traditionally worn the edge facing up, and the art of drawing and attacking an enemy, known as iaido took years to master its many intricacies. The katana had great importance outside combat as well. Throughout the Era of States at War, it was a symbol of Samurai’s status as a warrior, his obedience to the code of Bushido and his undying loyalty to his master. Most Katana was about 42 inch from tip to pommel.

Wakizashi: Short sword Samurai worn. The wakizashi was usually worn together with the katana to make a Daisho or pair by the samurai or swordsmen of feudal Japan. It was, essentially, a shorter katana that could be wielded with one hand and came at handy when, at many times, the katana’s length was a disadvantage. The first usage of a wakizashi dates back to the period between 1332 and 1369. For example, Oda Nobunaga　(織田信長, 1534–1582) wore a daishō pair of uchigatana: a Katana with a Wakizashi. This reflects the common practice of wearing a wakizashi as the side sword of a katana. The wakizashi was also used to perform seppuku. Most wakizashis are between 12 to 24 inches.

NinjaTo: Shinobigatana (straight bladed short sword used by shadow warriors)

Naginata: Long pole with curved blade on one end. The Samurai sometimes use the Naginata while fighting at close quarters on horseback. It was made from a short, curved blade, like that of a wakizashi, but it was attached to a staff. The staff Naginata could be from 38 inch to 4 feet long. This made the weapon extremely useful in close quarters.

Ryu: Particular school or style of martial arts

Bo-jutsu: Staff fighting

Kyo-jutsu: Bow and arrow fighting

So-jutsu: Spear fighting

Kyu-jutsu: Japanese archery

Budo: Martial or Fighting Arts

Kyuba no michi: The Way of the Horse and Bow

Brief Introduction of Samurai Tanto

2008-01-31T20:46:00.000-08:00

A common Japanese single or, occasionally, double edged knife or dagger with a blade length between 15 and 30 cm (6"–12"). Tanto first began to appear in the Heian period. Tanto were mostly carried by Samurai; commoners did not generally carry them. Before the 16th century it was common for a samurai to carry a tachi and a tanto as opposed to a katana and a wakizashi. Women sometimes carried a small tanto called a kaiken in their obi for self-defence.

Brief Introduction of Samurai Wakizashi

2008-01-30T22:26:00.000-08:00

Wakizashi: Short sword Samurai worn. Originally, the term "wakizashi" was used to mean any sword worn on the side of the main sword. Later, the term was used to denote the group of swords which were shorter than the main sword of the samurai, and as a result, "wakizashi" acquired the meaning of the side sword, because a side sword was shorter than the main sword by its nature. The wakizashi was usually worn together with the katana to make a Daisho or pair by the samurai or swordsmen of feudal Japan. It was, essentially, a shorter katana that could be wielded with one hand and came at handy when, at many times, the katana’s length was a disadvantage. The first usage of a wakizashi dates back to the period between 1332 and 1369. For example, Oda Nobunaga　(織田信長, 1534–1582) wore a daishō pair of uchigatana: a Katana with a Wakizashi. This reflects the common practice of wearing a wakizashi as the side sword of a katana. The wakizashi was also used to perform seppuku. Most wakizashis are between 12 to 24 inches.

Brief Introduction of Samurai Katana

2008-01-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

Long sword Samurai worn. Katana emerged in the sixteenth century as a curved, single-edged weapon of the Samurai warrior class in Japan. A replacement of the long Tachi.It was Smaurai’s most important weapon. When paired with a shoto (short sword) such as a wakizashi or the dagger-like tanto, the result is a daisho. The longer katana was used in open combat primarily for cutting, slashing, and parrying maneuvers, while the shorter blades were used for close-quarters stabbing as well as seppuku, or ritual suicide. Katana swords were traditionally worn the edge facing up, and the art of drawing and attacking an enemy, known as iaido took years to master its many intricacies. The katana had great importance outside combat as well. Throughout the Era of States at War, it was a symbol of Samurai’s status as a warrior, his obedience to the code of Bushido and his undying loyalty to his master. Most Katana was about 42 inch from tip to pommel.

The History of Japanese Samurai

2008-01-30T01:05:00.000-08:00

Despite been abolished, the history and philosophy of the Samurai lives on in the form of the Samurai sword. Today, Samurai sword is of great popularity all over the world. But for collecting valuable Samurai sword, you must have some knowledge of its master ---Samurai to feel the spirit within the sword.
Below follows a concrete history of the Japanese warrior (Samurai):
By 200AD, the growth of farming drew people away from hunting and from hunting skills. Some were naturally better suited to fighting than others. Gradually, those who fought became warriors. Warriors of this era fought on foot with bows, stabbing swords, and spears. Armor was worn, but most warriors probably had only shields.
The samurai's importance and influence grew during the Heian Period(794-1185), when powerful landowners hired private warriors for the protection of their properties. Towards the end of the Heian Period, two military clans, the Minamoto and Taira, had grown so powerful that they seized control over the country and fought wars for supremacy against each other. The government had come to depend on the men of the Kanto, courtiers no longer personally took up arms. The term "samurai", meaning "those who serve" came into use. Warriors continued to fight on horseback, with bow and arrows as their primary weapons, but also with a newly designed sword. The Emishi had been found to be fighting with curved swords, which seemed much better suited to slicing cuts inflicted from horseback, and thus the Japanese tachi, which had previously been modeled on the continental sword, was revised for the same effect.
Though originated from regional groups of ancient warriors, Samurai quickly lost their provincial ways. They developed a unique, sophisticated culture that was renowned for stoicism, honor and military expertise during the Kamakura period (1192-1333).
During the Muromachi period (1338-1573), Samurai culture created the idea of artist-warrior. Samurai training began to include the ritualized tea ceremony and flower arranging to add refinement and balance to the warrior persona. The code of Bushido became formalized. Bushido is the way of Samurai. Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self- discipline, respectful, and ethical behavior. The samurai's loyalty to the emperor and his overlord, or daimyo, was unsurpassed.
The peak of the Samurai era was in 12th century Japan when they enjoyed the benefits of belonging to a unique, privileged class.
The downfall of the Samurai began during the Edo period (1603-1867). According to the Edo Period's official hierarchy of social classes, the samurai stood at the top, followed by the farmers, artisans and merchants. Furthermore, there were hierarchies within each class. All samurai were forced to live in castle towns and received income from their lords in form of rice. Masterless samurai were called ronin and caused minor troubles during the early Edo Period. The gradual decline of the Samurai continued until the last Shogun resigned during the Meiji Restoration in 1868. In 1871,the new government abolished feudalism and betrayed the Samurai by stripping them of all their privileges. Thus ended the era of the Samurai.

Samurai Sword Forging Process

2008-01-29T00:56:00.000-08:00

Samurai Swords weren't simply 'cast' in a mould and then sharpened. A Japanese samurai sword was made by an intricate process of heating the steel, hammering it flat, then folding it, then hammering it flat again, and folding. This process of repeated hammering and folding would be done up to many many times.
The Steel is Heated Prior to the Forging Process in a Charcoal Fire.
After hammering the steel out, it is cut in half and folded.
The folded steel is then hammer welded together, as the forging process continues.
The smith then continues to shape the blade, first with a power hammer and then with a hand held hammer.
After forging, the blade is shaped by hand, and then coated with clay, prior to the hardening process
After the claying of the blade, it is heated to critical (about 1450 degrees) and then quenched in water. This process creates the martensite edge and pearlite body of the sword.
The blade is then final shaped and polished. This sharpens the blade and reveals the hamon that is created by the hardening process.

During the hammering and folding, firstly,any air pockets which might develop during the heating of the steel would be eliminated. Having an air pocket in a seemingly solid blade would be a weak point.Secondly, in the repeated folding and hammering, what might be described as 'layers' were produced. Take a book and roll it up it parallel with the spine, these internal layers would look something like this, almost like the rings of a cross section of a tree trunk. This added much strength to the blade.
Also the natural strengthening carbon elements within the steel, as well as the steels impurities would be spread throughout the whole of the sword, therefore strengthening it in its entirety. When the blade came to be cooled it wasn't simply quenched in water, another process had to be done first.When steel is been cooled, if it cools from a high temperature right down to cold in a short amount of time, the metal becomes very hard and brittle. Conversely, if steel is cooled slowly from alower temperature right down to cold, the steel takes on more supple, even softer properties. Because a samurai sword was used primarily as a slicing weapon the blades were subjected to a lot of shock upon impact on the enemy, therefore the blade couldn't be made of the more brittle steel throughout else it would shatter like glass. But the sword had to retain its sharp edge, so it couldn't be made of softly forged steel throughout else it would simply blunt. So a balance was struck using a very clever procedure.

Expecting more. Any feedbacks will be highly appreciated.

Samurai Sword History

2008-01-28T00:59:00.000-08:00

Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns; but their most famous weapon and their symbol was the sword.
Generally, samurai swords are made of steel, single bladed, curved, and tempered. Following are four important periods in the history of the samurai swords:

Jokoto (pre800) refers to ancient sword period. The Age of the Straight-bladed sword. They are generally straight-bladed swords with both single and double cutting edges and curved point sections.

Koto(pre1596) refers to the "old sword period"; It is the period of founding of the Gokaden, the "Five Traditions" of Japanese sword-making:
Yamato (present Nara area)
Yamashiro (modern Kyoto area)
Bizen (present Okayama Prefecture)
Soshu (Sagami) (Kamakura region)
Mino (Seki) (modern Gifu Prefecture)
During this period, the sword became an everyday weapon and was carried constantly by the samurai. The swords with the cutting edge of more than 4 feet were often employed.

Shinto(1597-1780) refers to the "new sword period";The swords of this period were deemed "new" at the time because forging techniques underwent radical changes: most smiths used metal obtained from a central source located in the modern Shimane prefecture and also methods adopted from European technology. Many smiths forged blades of vastly inferior quality. During this time, samurai wore katana and wakizashi. The end of the long civil war caused the sword lost its functional value. The smiths engraved extravagant of flowers, shrubbery, and dragons on the swords. Besides, pictures of maple leaves, cherry blossoms, chrysanthemums, or Mount Fuji could be found in the tempered lines of the swords in this period.

Shinshinto(1781-1876) is the "new, new sword period"; The feudal system and the prestige of the samurai came to an end in this period. Swords could no longer be worn. The smiths of swords lost their trade and turned to make hoes, scissors, and knives for their livelihood.
Besides the above 4 periods, there are two more periods in Japanese sword history by now:
Gendaito (1877-1945) is the "modern sword period"; During this period, not all swords were made by the orthodox methods of hand forging-shaping and the water-quench tempering process. Two types of Japanese swords made in this period are not properly classified as Nihon-to:
The Murata-to(Machine-made but of good quality, the Murata-to can be recognized by the high degree of metallic sheen in its blade.)
The Showa-to(also a machine-made weapon, but vastly inferior to the Murata-to because of its generally poor-quality steel. The Showa-to can easily be identified by the presence of a serial number and a cherry-blossom design engraved on his tang.)

Shinsakuto: refers to newly swords period. Swords made after 1953 when the post-war blade manufacture prohibition was rescinded. They have an emphasis on 'art' rather than 'use'.

Expecting more. Any feedbacks will be highly appreciated.

Samurai Sword , Katana

2008-01-27T06:11:00.000-08:00

To Samurai Sword collectors, those beautiful Japanese, Japanese style swords are not just swords but priceless art pieces which stands for ancient oriental cultures.
US holds most samurai sword fans among western countries. There are many reasons that people like to collect those swords, however we may not realize, US movies and movies stars really talk. Jantai from Star Wars can tell how much influences of Asian cultures, Asian martial arts on movies since 70s last century. Although, “The Last Samurai” faced many critics from Japanese historians, on the other hand, this movie attracted more and more samurai sword fans from the United States. To help samurai sword fans to know more about these swords and samurai cultures, we opened this blog as a forum to share our knowledge of Asian sword history, samurai katana forge process, and samurai sword smithes now and past. As most of fans, people always ask us to recommend where we can find the best Samuai Swords in US as they have not much experience, or expertise to choose from thousands of stores inthe market.
Basically, it is hard to suggest any store, the more knowledge of katana the more chances we can find the better real good collections before spending too much. Among those many brands in US Samurai Sword community, “Paul Chen” and “Furubushidoo” (stands for ancient bushido)” are standing out. Make no mistake, we do not recommend any brand or store here, however, we’ll try our best equip samurai sword fans as much detail as possible knowledge of samurai sword , katana. It may take months, even years of us to post all we know, but we’ll post it here per the below guidelines.

Samurai Sword History
Forging Process
Double edge Vs Single Edge Sword
Samurai Katanas
Samurai Wakizashi
Samurai Tanto
Sword Stands
Wooden Sword
Samurai Sword maintenance

…….
Expecting more. Any feedbacks will be highly appreciated.