Samurai Swords Length and Types of Mountings
Statistically, there were around 1 1/2 million swords existing
before World War II. Around 1/3 of them were over 2 feet in
length (daito). At present, there are more samurai swords in the
United Sates than there are in Japan. Japan has no more than
100,000 swords today. Around 250,000 to 350,000 swords has been
brought into United States as war souvenirs by returning
servicemen after the end of Pacific War during the occupation of
Japan. Most of them are long sword (daito) which is formerly
used by Japanese commissioned and non-commissioned officers.
Around 70% of the long sword are in United States today. Swords
of buke-zukuri type, neo-army (shin-gunto) type, proto-army type
(kyu-gunto) type, police sabers, army parade sabers, navy types,
ken and jindachi-zukuri types have been brought into United
States.
Samurai swords can be classified by length or by the types of mountings.
Classifications of swords by length
Japanese use the shaku to measure the length of the cutting edge of the samurai swords. 1 shaku = 11.903542 inches.
Long Sword (Daito): over 2 shaku in length; there are the longer of the two swords commonly worn by the samurai; difficult to temper a daito because of its length.
Medium Sword (Wakizashi): 1~2 shaku in length; worn by samurai as auxiliary sword, or by non-samurai, who were allowed to wear no more than one sword of this length.
Short Sword (Tanto): less than 1 shaku in length; the shorter of the two swords worn by the samurai as auxiliary swords. Women and tradesmen used them as protective weapons. Commonly called as hara-kiri knives. They are usually the hira-zukuri (without ridgeline) types.
Classifications of Swords by mountings
Ken mountings: The oldest type known for swords of the ancient sword period. Straight, either single or double-edged blades.
Jindachi-zukuri mountings: For the long sword of the Old Sword period and were 4 ~ 5 feet in length. There were two rings on the scabbard because the swords worn suspended from the hip by cords. Many imitations of these mountings copied in the past one hundred years in some areas of Japan.
Buke-zukuri mountings: Come from the New Sword period. The handle is bound with narrow tape or leather thongs. There were no rings attached to the scabbards because the words were worn on the left hip, inserted between the hip and the sash and not suspended. The full length of this mounting was 3 ½ ~ 4 ½ feet. This is the most common and is of great interest to connoisseurs. There have pockets for a kozuka (utility knife), a kogai (skewer), or a set of wari-bashi (split chopsticks) near the mouth of the scabbard. At the most, only two of these three itens were carried in the pockets of a scabbard.
Shira-saya mountings: Made of plain wood and were used to protect the blade or to replace a damaged mounting. It has no guard. It is also called as yasume-zaya (resting scabbard). This type is convenient for protecting a blade or an original mounting. A substitute blade (tsunagi) of wood or bamboo will be inserted to preserve the mounting when a blade is not kept in its original mounting.
Gunto (Army and navy swords) and their mountings
Kyu-gunto (proto-army sword) mountings: The scabbard was chrome plated. The handle was wrapped with shark or giant-ray skin and bound with gold-colored wire. There was a strip of metal starting at the base to the top of the hilt.
Shin-gunto (neo-army sword) mountings: The scabbard of this type resembles that of jindachi-zukuri mounting but is made of brown-colored metal and usually covered with leather when used in combat area. The handle, which is bound by leather thongs or cord, resembles that of buke-zukuri type. The handle usually has cherry-blossom designs on its pommels and ornaments. Blue color of tassel is for company grade; red is for field grade; red and gold is for general grade.
Kaigunto (naval sword) mountings: Three types of swords used by the officers of the Japanese navy: (1) about 15 inches long short sword; (2)long and bears a close resemblance to the jindachi-zukuri type or new-army type; having two rings attached to its dark scabbard. (3) long, but narrow and looks like a police saber.
Shikomi-zue (Sword cane) mountings: Made after the Meiji Restoration and most of them are of a poor grade.
Mountings
Including all the fittings and furniture of the sword exclusive of the blade. Mountings are classified by:
Scabbard (Saya): It is made of wood to protect the blade. It is lacquered or inlaid usually. Some scabbards have pockets that we mentioned before.
Guard (Tsuba): It is made of steel, copper, silver or some other metal to protect the palm of the hand when holding the sword. It is usually has patterns or designs on both sides. More decorative design with makers signature will usually at the front side and the backside is usually less decorative. People like to do collection of tsuba because of the beautiful craftsmanship displayed in their construction. The front side of tsuba always face toward the hilt when mountings are assembled.
Hilt or handle (Tsuka): It is made of wood and is wrapped in ray skin and taped that made of silk, leather, or cotton and may be either broad flat tape or cords wound in sets.
Collar (Habaki): It is made to prevent the blade from rattling in the scabbard and from slipping out of the scabbard.
Spaces or washers (Seppa)
Pommel or metal sleeve (Fuchi)
Rivet hole of the hilt (Mekugi-ana)
Hilt ornaments (Menuki): A hilt has a pair of menuki with identical designs or companion or counterpart designs.
Pommel at base (Kashira)
Commonly, the samurai-sword blades are divided into the hira-zukuri type (without ridgeline) and the
shinogi-zukuri type (with ridgeline). There are eight different types of the common samurai-sword blades:
Shinogi-zukuri, which is the most common and mostly found in long swords (daito).
Kanmuri-otoshi.
Samurai swords can be classified by length or by the types of mountings.
Classifications of swords by length
Japanese use the shaku to measure the length of the cutting edge of the samurai swords. 1 shaku = 11.903542 inches.
Long Sword (Daito): over 2 shaku in length; there are the longer of the two swords commonly worn by the samurai; difficult to temper a daito because of its length.
Medium Sword (Wakizashi): 1~2 shaku in length; worn by samurai as auxiliary sword, or by non-samurai, who were allowed to wear no more than one sword of this length.
Short Sword (Tanto): less than 1 shaku in length; the shorter of the two swords worn by the samurai as auxiliary swords. Women and tradesmen used them as protective weapons. Commonly called as hara-kiri knives. They are usually the hira-zukuri (without ridgeline) types.
Classifications of Swords by mountings
Ken mountings: The oldest type known for swords of the ancient sword period. Straight, either single or double-edged blades.
Jindachi-zukuri mountings: For the long sword of the Old Sword period and were 4 ~ 5 feet in length. There were two rings on the scabbard because the swords worn suspended from the hip by cords. Many imitations of these mountings copied in the past one hundred years in some areas of Japan.
Buke-zukuri mountings: Come from the New Sword period. The handle is bound with narrow tape or leather thongs. There were no rings attached to the scabbards because the words were worn on the left hip, inserted between the hip and the sash and not suspended. The full length of this mounting was 3 ½ ~ 4 ½ feet. This is the most common and is of great interest to connoisseurs. There have pockets for a kozuka (utility knife), a kogai (skewer), or a set of wari-bashi (split chopsticks) near the mouth of the scabbard. At the most, only two of these three itens were carried in the pockets of a scabbard.
Shira-saya mountings: Made of plain wood and were used to protect the blade or to replace a damaged mounting. It has no guard. It is also called as yasume-zaya (resting scabbard). This type is convenient for protecting a blade or an original mounting. A substitute blade (tsunagi) of wood or bamboo will be inserted to preserve the mounting when a blade is not kept in its original mounting.
Gunto (Army and navy swords) and their mountings
Kyu-gunto (proto-army sword) mountings: The scabbard was chrome plated. The handle was wrapped with shark or giant-ray skin and bound with gold-colored wire. There was a strip of metal starting at the base to the top of the hilt.
Shin-gunto (neo-army sword) mountings: The scabbard of this type resembles that of jindachi-zukuri mounting but is made of brown-colored metal and usually covered with leather when used in combat area. The handle, which is bound by leather thongs or cord, resembles that of buke-zukuri type. The handle usually has cherry-blossom designs on its pommels and ornaments. Blue color of tassel is for company grade; red is for field grade; red and gold is for general grade.
Kaigunto (naval sword) mountings: Three types of swords used by the officers of the Japanese navy: (1) about 15 inches long short sword; (2)long and bears a close resemblance to the jindachi-zukuri type or new-army type; having two rings attached to its dark scabbard. (3) long, but narrow and looks like a police saber.
Shikomi-zue (Sword cane) mountings: Made after the Meiji Restoration and most of them are of a poor grade.
Mountings
Including all the fittings and furniture of the sword exclusive of the blade. Mountings are classified by:
Scabbard (Saya): It is made of wood to protect the blade. It is lacquered or inlaid usually. Some scabbards have pockets that we mentioned before.
Guard (Tsuba): It is made of steel, copper, silver or some other metal to protect the palm of the hand when holding the sword. It is usually has patterns or designs on both sides. More decorative design with makers signature will usually at the front side and the backside is usually less decorative. People like to do collection of tsuba because of the beautiful craftsmanship displayed in their construction. The front side of tsuba always face toward the hilt when mountings are assembled.
Hilt or handle (Tsuka): It is made of wood and is wrapped in ray skin and taped that made of silk, leather, or cotton and may be either broad flat tape or cords wound in sets.
Collar (Habaki): It is made to prevent the blade from rattling in the scabbard and from slipping out of the scabbard.
Spaces or washers (Seppa)
Pommel or metal sleeve (Fuchi)
Rivet hole of the hilt (Mekugi-ana)
Hilt ornaments (Menuki): A hilt has a pair of menuki with identical designs or companion or counterpart designs.
Pommel at base (Kashira)
Commonly, the samurai-sword blades are divided into the hira-zukuri type (without ridgeline) and the
shinogi-zukuri type (with ridgeline). There are eight different types of the common samurai-sword blades:
Shinogi-zukuri, which is the most common and mostly found in long swords (daito).
Kanmuri-otoshi.
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