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After the death of Oda Nobunaga, the country was unified under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Sengokujidai started his last run.
After the death of Oda Nobunaga, the country was unified under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Sengokujidai started his last run.
Into the late Muromachi we find the artistic revolution of the '''Momoyama'''
Era, when the Katana finally replaced the Tachi as main sword of the Samurai.
finally replaced the Tachi as main sword of the Samurai.
The difference between a Tachi and a Katana is, to make an incredibly difficult
The difference between a Tachi and a Katana is, to make an incredibly difficult
thing the easiest possible, the position of the '''Mei''' (signature). The signature
thing the easiest possible, the position of the '''Mei''' (signature). The signature
then one Shaku (30.3 cm) is legally speaking a Wakizashi.
then one Shaku (30.3 cm) is legally speaking a Wakizashi.
(Takeuchi, Alexander)
(Takeuchi, Alexander)
'''Edo''' Era
Here starts the '''Shinto''' time. Shinto means "new swords" and entered the
common use in Meiji time. It refers to swords made with new materials and
new methods, both enhanced by a better technology. This is true especially for
the process of extracting steel from ore, that now gives a much better starting
material for smithing. More, in order to fulfil the huge demand for blades
that lasted for 100years, swordsmiths mass-produced swords and during about
this 100 years, most of them did not use inherited method from ancestors.
Therefore, inherited methods from Koto time largely begun extinct.
The increased transportation facilities made them able to travel and settle
wherever they wanted and begun to live in castle towns or big cities.
Due to this ability to travel and learn the started to mix the old styles
and the old classification in five schools was no more
Therefore, individual characteristics appeared much more pronounced than before
Tamahagane was mass-produced in this period, becaming more uniform and of better
quality, with less impurity. So even local characteristic of materials are, from now on
no more a matter for determining the provenience of a blade.
An easy-to-find (but not definitive neither exclusive) difference between
between Koto and Shinto is the Boshi shape.
Koto time Boshi was Midare-ba matching the Midare-ba Hamon,
whether in Shinto time became to be Sugu-ha thought Hamon on
the blade was Midare-ba.
Edo period is divided in five periods, the last two being the ShinShinto
period.
* Keigen-Shinto period (1596 - 1623)
Keigen is a name of an era in Shinto time made by mixing
the initial part of the eras Keicho and Genna.
Swords made during these eras, Keicho and Genna, Keigen-Shinto.
In this period a lot of Tachi made in the Nanbokucho period were shortened
to adjust the size at about 70cm inorder to put them on the waist as requested
by the new fighting style (and fashion).
Mihaba near the Kissaki and near Nakago is almost same size and Kissaki is
O-Kissaki. This shape became to be popular, but the difference between Nanbokucho
blades and Keigen-Shinto is Kasane. Kasane in now is thick.
These shape will appear again in the end of Edo Era
***
*** works in progress.....
***
The following layout shows the main (NOT all) '''Sugata''' (shape) changes of the japanese sword with period and lenght (in shaku, 1 shaku = 30.3022 cm or 11.93 inches) from right to left, first line first. Obviously an infinite number of possible mix are found, but these are
The following layout shows the main (NOT all) '''Sugata''' (shape) changes of the japanese sword with period and lenght (in shaku, 1 shaku = 30.3022 cm or 11.93 inches) from right to left, first line first. Obviously an infinite number of possible mix are found, but these are