Changes

There is an ancient legend that attribute this revolution in sword making to Amakuni, traditionally belived to be the maker of Kogarasumaru or ‘Little Crow’, the first curved NipponTo, now in the Imperial Household Collection. According to this legend Amakuni was the Emperor’s swordsmith. One day he saw his lord’s army returning from a battle and the Emperor ignored him instead to give the usual cheers for the good work made with the blades. Then he noticed that many soldiers had  broken swords. They where chokuto or straight swords. He was so disappointed of this that he avoid to eat food and drink water for a week, studying a better way to make swords. According to the legend Inari, the Kami of swordsmakers, appeared in a dream to Amakuni, teaching him how to wrap a soft steel core in an harder one, and how a curved edge is more suitable to cuts and more resistant to shocks  than the previous straight one.  

There is an ancient legend that attribute this revolution in sword making to Amakuni, traditionally belived to be the maker of Kogarasumaru or ‘Little Crow’, the first curved NipponTo, now in the Imperial Household Collection. According to this legend Amakuni was the Emperor’s swordsmith. One day he saw his lord’s army returning from a battle and the Emperor ignored him instead to give the usual cheers for the good work made with the blades. Then he noticed that many soldiers had  broken swords. They where chokuto or straight swords. He was so disappointed of this that he avoid to eat food and drink water for a week, studying a better way to make swords. According to the legend Inari, the Kami of swordsmakers, appeared in a dream to Amakuni, teaching him how to wrap a soft steel core in an harder one, and how a curved edge is more suitable to cuts and more resistant to shocks  than the previous straight one.  

The day after Amakuni made Kogarasu Maru, the ancestor of all NihonTo.   

The day after Amakuni made Kogarasu Maru, the ancestor of all NihonTo.   

Heian was the era of tachi. In this period became customary to sign the blades. The oldest signed blade is probably one tachi forged by Sanjo Munechika. The oldest tachi with date as well as the name of the smith engraved on the tang is from 1159 and was made by Naminohira Yukimasa.  The shape of a Japanese sword ( Tachi ) in this age is Mihaba ( width ) of near Nakago is wider than that of near Kissaki, so to speak, like a man who standing with keeping his feet. Kissaki is small ( we call it Ko-Kissaki ) and Sori ( curvature ) looks like suddenly fall to the ridge side at right above Nakago. But Sori near Monouchi is little. This shape is refined in a sense. Hawatari (length ) is about 75/80cm. This size is fit to chop the enemy on the ground with riding on Japanese horses. The horses in this age were not like present ones but small and massive. Moreover, it fit to stab the enemy on the ground  because the curvature near the point is little and Nakago (tang) is short compared with the percentage of the blade. Hamon is Sugu, straight.

Heian was the era of tachi. In this period became customary to sign the blades. The oldest signed blade is probably one tachi forged by Sanjo Munechika. The oldest tachi with date as well as the name of the smith engraved on the tang is from 1159 and was made by Naminohira Yukimasa.  The shape of a Japanese sword ( Tachi ) in this age is Mihaba ( width ) of near Nakago is wider than that of near Kissaki, so to speak, like a man who standing with keeping his feet. Kissaki is small ( Ko-Kissaki ) and Sori ( curvature ) looks like suddenly fall to the ridge side at right above Nakago. But Sori near Monouchi is little. This shape is refined in a sense. Hawatari (length ) is about 75/80cm. This size is fit to chop the enemy on the ground with riding on Japanese horses. The horses in this age were not like present ones but small and massive. Moreover, it fit to stab the enemy on the ground  because the curvature near the point is little and Nakago (tang) is short compared with the percentage of the blade. Hamon is Sugu, straight.

During the Heian era two clans, the Minamoto (Genji) and the Taira (Heike), raised in power and importance. The end of the era is marked by the battle in Dan-No-Ura, where these two clans clashed together.  

During the Heian era two clans, the Minamoto (Genji) and the Taira (Heike), raised in power and importance. The end of the era is marked by the battle in Dan-No-Ura, where these two clans clashed together.