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Tsubame1
Joined 13 September 2006
removed the "Japanese Swords" info.
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− + SAMURAI SWORDS
−
−It is not possible to talk about Samurai without talking about their swords.
−During the ages they radically changed in form and, at the end, even in
−meaning. This article will not discuss ideals related to the sword, rather
−focusing on the change of the shape during the centuries, changes mostly
−due to practical reasons.
−
−Japan entered the iron age quiet late in front of other civilizations and
−the China's influence,directly or thru the Korean peninsula, greatly influenced the
−first swords produced in Japan. Already in the VI cenruty b.C. we have the
−insurgence of a Japanese taste in fittings but the design of the blades
−was still strongly influenced by the continent, being the fighting tactics
−equally imported from China and mainly based on masses of footsoldiers
−with spears and shields.
−When these tactics changed due to the fight against Emishi for domain of the
−Kanto plain, the advantages of a curved sword for horseback fighting begun
−evidents to the japaneses, that already showed their tendence to practicality
−and skillfullness in adopting foreign items adapting and upgrading them to
−their needs.
−Is generally agreed that the fully developed Japanese sword appearance was
−around the 940 a.C., period in which we find the most ancient extant swords
−with all the characteristics needed in the "ideal" japanese sword :
−single edge differentially hardened with strong curvature.
−Some of these ancient blades already shows another peculiarity of the
−japanese sword : a softer steel inner core wrapped by one made of harder
−steel. It's debated if all such ancient blades are made the same way,
−but at least some shows that this technology was already used in this
−period.
−
−The japanese swords are divided in periods as follows :
−
−Jokoto 上古刀 pre-938
−early Koto 初古刀 938 ~ 1319
−middle Koto 中古刀 1319 ~ 1460
−late Koto 末古刀 1460 ~ 1596
−Keigen-Shinto 慶元新刀 1596 ~ 1624
−Kanei-Shinto 寛永新刀 1624 ~ 1658
−Kambun-Shinto 寛文新刀 1658 ~ 1684
−Genroku-Shinto 元禄新刀 1684 ~ 1764
−early Shinshinto 初新々刀 1764 ~ 1818
−middle Shinshinto 中新々刀 1818 ~ 1854
−late Shinshinto 末新々刀 1854 ~ 1868
−Gendaito 現代刀 1868 ~ today
−
−There is another term we usually find when talking about japanese swords :
−Shinsakutô 新作刀. This means "recently made swords" and is referred to
−swords made by a living smith and after 1952 when the 1945 ban of forging
−swords ended. It's basically a sub-group of Gendaitô, because if the smith
−pass away, for the NBTHK (Nippon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai) Shinsa
−(judgement) the sword begins Gendaito.
−
−The following layout shows the main "Sugata" (shape) changes of the japanese
−sword with period and lenght (in shaku, 1 shaku = 30.3022 cm or 11.93 inches)
−When you're reading about a Samurai fighting in the late Kamakura, most
−likely his sword had the shape you'll find hereunder.
−Thanks to Valdek Laur for it.
Tsubame's User Page.
−