Japanese Samurai Swords - Samurai Swords Terminology
Samurai Swords

History of Samurai Swords

The Japanese term Samurai formerly referred to those standing close guard to nobility but it has later evolved to include warriors. Closely associated with Samurais were swords.  However, as the name underwent metamorphosis, so did their weapons. From AD 710 to 784, it was known to be a straight blade and was called  Chokutō.  Towards the end of 900’s, a curved version appeared and it was called a tachi. Another famous sword that came around, but much shorter than a tachi, was the Uchigatan.  Finally, the katana came about and this become what is known to many now as the Samurai sword.

Sometimes, the katana is used with a smaller sword known as Wakizashi or tantō.  Together, they are called a daishō (which means big and small), and wearing them was a symbol exclusive for the samurai warriors only as it represented their honor and power.

Description of Samurai Swords

Through the course of time, the length of samurai sword had been altered to suit the ease of use during combat.  Generally, the blade length is greater than 60 cm (23.6 inches) and it is moderately curved. Samurai warriors wore this sword with the cutting edge up.

How to Check for Authenticity of Samurai Swords

Owning a samurai sword either as part of a decoration, collection or for martial arts activity,  brings also honor to some people. But with so many out in the market now, how does one find a real one over replicas?

A Japanese steel called "Tamahagane” is used in making the Samurai sword. Thus, to test if it’s really made from a metal, a magnet can be used.  Most replicas are made of aluminum and do not react with the magnet.

Another way to check for authenticity is to use a magnifying lens and check on the temper line or hamon. Tiny dots or specks are to be found along the border of such line. If it’s smooth, it’s likely to be a fake.

Going to a renowned store that has the reputation for selling authentic samurai swords 

is the best and most convenient way to stay safe. You can try to get recommendations from friends and associations who are considered experts on the field.

How to Take Care of Samurai Swords

As a general precaution, the sword must be treated with extreme care during handling. It should never be considered a toy and played around with. It should be kept away from kids and shouldn’t be handled at all by them.

The blade of the samurai sword is extremely sharp and may cause injury if mishandled. When cleaning the blade, it should be positioned with the edge away from you and it should never be touched. Even when sheathing or drawing out the sword, the blade should always be positioned away and never towards the person. 

The blade of the sword must be well- oiled, powdered and polished to prevent rust from developing. The choji oil, which is 99% mineral oil and 1% clove oil for fragrance, is the traditional oil used. However, the salts in the oil can also be a food for molds so it should be inspected and aired frequently.

When storing, the sword is kept inside the scabbard and it’s placed in a horizontal position with the sharp edge up. In such manner, the condition of the scabbard and the sword’s edge are preserved. The sword must fit well into the scabbard. If it starts to loosen up, it must be fixed to avoid accidental unsheathing and possible injury.

Samurai Swords Terminology

bakufu
Japanese military rule; rule of the shogun

budo
The Way of combat; a name adopted in the 20th century for martial arts in general with an emphasis on their peaceful aspects

bushi
Warrior; name given to all the warriors who made up families with a warrior tradition

bushido
Way of the warrior; a code of honor and social behavior; succeeded the unwritten code of the Way of the bow and the horse

daimyo
a feudal lord; maintained a great number of samurai in their service, who all swore an oath of allegiance to them according to the rules of Bushido

ken-jutsu
The warrior art of the sword; art of using the sword as soon as it is drawn from the scabbard, in order to attack the enemy; transformed into the art of kendo

kendo
Way of the sword; a martial art (budo) of using the sword (ken). This art was developed from the earliest times by the warriors (bushi) of Japan, and from the 14th century on by the samurai. Ken-jutsu was prohibited in 1876 when the samurai were forbidden to carry swords, but was transformed into a martial sport (kendo) for physical and mental training of the young.

naginata
weapon used by foot soldiers against horsemen or to cut the tendons of horses or to disembowel them; also favorite weapon of the wives of samurai and of warrior monks

ninja
a group of men and women specially trained for espionage and assassination; generally drawn from the lower classes and used by the daimyo to assassinate enemies and penetrate enemy fortresses

ronin
during the Tokugawa period, name given to all bushi and samurai who did not serve a particular master, either because the master had died or because his lands had been confiscated. A number of these ronin became martial arts teachers or began some other job which was compatible with their samurai status (e.g., bodyguards).

samurai
a class of bushi (warriors). The original samurai were there for the protection of their lord and were especially trained in martial arts. Later the name was given to all bushi of a certain rank belonging to warrior families

seppuku
the act of ritual suicide performed by the samurai (The expression hara-kiri, to cut the abdomen, more widely used in the West, is considered more vulgar.)

shogun
title given by the emperor to the daimyo who showed himself to be the richest and the most powerful of all the lords

so-jutsu
techniques of using the lance, and performed wearing the ancient armor of the samurai



More Vocabulary Terms

Unokubi-zukuri, which is found in short swords (tanto) after the late Kamakura period.

Shobu-zukuri, which was popular in the Muromachi period and generally, found in short blades.
Moro-ha, which is found in the tanto from the mid-Muromachi period. Straight blades with two cutting edges are known as ken.

Kata-kiri-ba, which is found in the short blades and was popular in the late Kamakura and the Momoyama period.

Kata-shinogi, the blades are generally short.

Hita-zukuri, which is the most common type for short blades without ridgeline.
Besides, there are five different types of construction of the blades:

Maru-gitae, which is with one grade of steel and used for mass production. Usually the swords reveal a smooth, grainless appearance on their surfaces.

Wariba-gitae, which is a better construction than Maru0gitae because harder blade-steel is applied to the blade.

Makuri-gitae, which is with the soft core that, surrounded by hard steel.

Hon-sanmai-awase-gitae, which is the skin steel cover the soft core and harder blade steel.

Shiho-zume-gitae, which is same as Hon-sanmai-awase-gitae with the addition of back steel.

 

Home | Main Parts | Classifications | Making of the Blade | Legends of Yamato Province | Samurai Warriors in History | Timeline | Terminology

Copyright (c) 2011 - 2015