Sword types

Japanese sword blades were/are made in a variety of lengths.
The blades are classified by there lengths.
 1 bu    00.30 cm  00.12 inches
 10 bu  1 sun  03.02 cm  01.20 inches
 10 sun  1 shaku  30.22 cm  11.93 inches

 Tachi   > 2 shaku (30 cm - 24 inches)
 Katana   > 2 shaku (30 cm - 24 inches)
 Wakizashi (shoto)   Between 1 and 2 shaku
 Tanto   < 1 shaku

Daito:     Long sword, either tachi or katana.
Daisho:  Combination of the long and short sword.


Sword mounts



Fushi-gane Collar (ornament) of the hilt near the tsuba.
Kashira Pommel of the hilt of the sword.
Kodogu Fittings and furniture.
Koshirae Fittings & furniture assembled, minus the blade.
Koiguchi Mouth band on open end of scabbard.
Kojiri Butt cap of the scabbard.
Kurikata Cord retaining knob on the scabbard.
Kushi-gane Collar (ornament) of the saya near the tsuba.
Mekugi A bamboo peg that secures the nakago in the hilt.
Menuki A pair of hilt ornaments under the tsuka-ito.
Sageo Cord used to tie the scabbard to the waist (165 cm).
Same Rayskin used on hilts and scabbard.
Saya Scabbard.
Seppa Small guard washer.
Tsuba The handguard of the sword.
Tsuka Hilt of the sword.
Tsuka-ito Wrapping of the hilt of the sword.
Tsuka-maki Pattern of lacing the tsuka-ito.


Blade parts



Boshi Tempered part of kissaki.
Fukura Cutting edge of kissaki.
Ha (Hasaki) Cutting edge.
Ha-machi Notch on cutting edge between blade and tang.
Habaki Metal collar on the blade (acts as a wedge in the scabbard).
Hamon Pattern of temper line of cutting edge.
Hi Longitudinal groove (when present).
Hitoe Back edge of the tang.
Horimono Carving or engraving on the blade (not the tang).
Ji (Jigane) Blade surface between hamon and shinogi.
Kissaki Point section of the blade.
Ko-shinogi Shinogi continuation in the kissaki.
Mei The blade signature or inscription.
Mekugi-ana Retaining peg hole in hilt.
Mitsukado Point of junction of shinogi, ko-shinogi and yokote.
Monouchi Area of maximum force generated by the blade*.
Mune (Mine) Back-edge surface of the blade.
Mune-machi Notch on back edge between blade and tang.
Nakago Body of the tang.
Nakago-jiri The tang end.
Sashi-omote See below**.
Sashi-ura See below**.
Shinogi Longitudinal ridgeline.
Shinogi-ji Surface lying between shinogi and mune.
Toshin (Mi) Naked blade.
Yakiba Tempered edge between Ha and Hamon.
Yasuri-me File marks on tang.
Yokote Line dividing point from body of the blade.

* Area of maximum force generated by blade in motion: approximately 15 cm from tip of point toward the blade.
** A katana has two faces.When a katana is propely worn at the left side of the waist with cutting edge upward, the sashi-omote side is facing away from the wearer while the sashi-ura side is facing the wearer.


Measuring the blade

 


Motohaba Width of blade from ha-machi to mune-machi.
Nagasa Lenght of the blade from mune-machi to kissaki.
Sakihaba Width of blade at yokote.
Sori Amount of curvature of the blade.
Nakago Mesure of tang from mune-machi to nakago-jiri.