The Samurai Sword: A Handbook

177 Pages·2017·6.56 MB·English

by  John M. Yumoto

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THE
SAMURAI
SWORD
A HANDBOOK
THE
SAMURAI
SWORD
A HANDBOOK
John M. Yumoto
TUTTLE PUBLISHING
Tokyo • Rutland,Vermont • Singapore
Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd., with editorial offices at 364
Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, Vermont 05759 U.S.A.
Copyright © 1958 by Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Co., Inc.
Introduction © 2008 by Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Co., Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
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LCC Card No. 58007497
ISBN: 978-1-4629-0706-9 (ebook)
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Contents

List of Plates 7
List of Figures 9
Introduction 11
Foreword 17
Acknowledgments 19
1 Japanese History and the Samurai Sword 21
2 Types of Swords 48
3 Parts of the Sword 54
4 Blade Shape, Construction, and Grain 92
5 The Making of the Sword 99
6 Inscriptions and Their Readings 111
7 Care and Maintenance 136
8 Appraisal and Value 138
9 Relative Point Values 141
Bibliography 171
Glossary 177
Old Provinces and Modern Prefectures 187
Index 189
List of Plates

1. A collection of swords 43
2. Daito (long sword) 43
3. Three types of wakizashi 44
4. Tanto (short sword) 44
5. Three tanto 44
6. A straight sword in ken mounting 45
7. A long sword in jindachi-zukuri mounting 45
8. A long sword in jindachi-zukuri mounting 45
9. Painting of a mid-Edo period samurai 46
10. Daito and wakizashi in buke-zukuri mounting 63
11. Kozuka (utility knife), kogai (skewer), and wari-bashi (chopsticks) 63
12. Shira-saya (plain wood scabbard) 63
13. Kyu-gunto (proto-army sword) 64
14. Police or parade saber 64
15. Two shin-gunto (neo-army sword) 65
16. Shin-gunto (neo-army sword) 65
17. Three kaigunto (naval sword) 66
18. Shikomi-zue (sword cane) 66
19. A tang with four rivet holes 75
20. A tang with an inscription 75
21. Blade with shortened tang 76
22. A tang with the results of a cutting test inscribed 76
23. Two tanto with scabbard pockets 77
24. A pair of matched tsuba 77
25. Tsuba with inlaid design 77
26. A collection of tsuba 78
27. Tsuba with gold filling 87
28. Hilts for buke-zukuri mountings 87
29. Habaki (collar) 87
30. Seppa (spacer) 87
31. A collection of fuchi and kashira (pommels) 88
32. A collection of menuki (hilt ornaments) 89
33. A set of fuchi and kashira 90
34. Purification rites by master swordsmith 103
35. Praying before the deity shelf 103
36. Heating and flattening of iron 104
37. Piling of the iron pieces 104
38. Heating of the iron pieces 104
39. Pounding of the iron 105
40. The sakite (aids) and master 105
41. Steel pieces fitted together with borax 106
42. The shaping of the sword 106
43. The rough blade is shaped 107
44. Coating of clay determines tempered pattern 107
45. Plunging the blade into water 108
46. Correcting the curvature of the blade 108
47. Grinding the blade 109
48. The tang is inscribed 109
49. A standard certificate issued by the Honnami family 110
List of Figures

1. Map of Japan showing old provinces and modern prefectures 22
2. Swordsmiths at work 27
3. Sword-bearing official of the mid-Heian period 29
4. Warriors of the Old Sword period 30
5. Inscribed titles on tangs 37
6. Edo-period samurai 38
7. Stamp found on blades of the Showa era 42
8. Tang rubbing of a Showa-era blade 42
9. Parts of the blade (shinogi-zukuri type) 55
10. Points classified by shape 55
11. Points classified by shape and size 55
12. Points classified by tempered lines 57
13. Ridge lines 58
14. Upper surface or ridge area 58
15. Grooves 60
16. Groove ends 61
17. Groove tips and chiri 61
18. Nioi and nie 62
19. Tempered-line pattern 68 & 69
20. Back ridges 71
21. Curvature, torii variety 73
22. Curvature, koshi-zori or Bizen-zori 73
23. Tang shapes 80
24. Shaoes of tang tips 80
25. File marks on tangs 82
26. Mountings 85