The blade of the Samurai sword is the most important aspect of the sword.
The quality of steel can be readily appreciated when inspecting a blade.
There is texture and character built into it. The blade is not bright
like the modern replicas but rather dull in color.
Jitetsu is a term employed when refering to the texture and color of the
blade. This pattern comes from the manufacturing technique of folding
and hammering the blade multiple times. The Jitetsu provides the
principal means of dating a blade because it varies greatly from period
to period.
The Kamakura era is considered by many experts as the time
in which the highest quality blades were produced. Examples from these
years exhibit a dark gray velvet appearance.
When looking at the value of a Samurai sword some of the key questions that should be answered
are:
SHINOGI: ridgeline.
THE TANG - BLADE SIGNATURES
Samurai swords bare the signature of their maker on their tang. However,
the only swords that were signed were those that met the standards of the
maker. Therefore, it is possible to have two blades made by the same person
and yet have one that is not signed.
The collector must be aware that signature forgeries have been going on
since the early days of sword making. Lesser known sword makers would
copy the signature of more famous craftmen and chisel it on a sword. The
fact that a signature is old does not necessarily mean that it was made
by a famous master.
Often times the tang contains incriptions on both sides. One side houses
the date of manufacture while the other side contains the name of the
maker. If the information was available, the side with the name would also
have the title of the maker and the town or school where the blade came from.
Unlike the blade the tang was never polished. As a last step in the sword
making process, the master would draw a pattern of lines on the tang and
then chisel the inscriptions on it. The collector should never clean the
tang of a sword because it contains a great deal of information regarding
the age of the blade and authenticity of the signature.
THE TSUBA - HANDGUARD
The handguard of the Samurai sword is known as the Tsuba. It is of metal construction. the shape of the Tsuba
is either round or rectangular. The main purpose of the Tsuba is to protect the hand of the warrior from the
incoming strike of another weapon.
Tsubas can be very plain in design, as they were in most of the mass-produced Samurai swords during WWII or highly
ornate. True master pieces, as they are when they are manufactured by artisans.
During WWII most of the swords that were created had a round shape and contained the designed of a chrysanthemum
flower, which was the symbol of the Japanese Imperial Army.
There are some individuals that are dedicated to collecting Tsubas exclusively.
THE POMMEL
The Samurai sword pommel is a metal piece located at the end of the handle. It is the closest part to the body
of the warrior when he is holding the sword in a combat stance.
The design of the pommel can be very basic or highly ornamental. In general, the swords that were mass produced
during WWII have a very plain pommel. The hand made swords produced before and after WWII tend to have more
ornate designs. They are created by true craftsmen who specialize in this art.
The standard pommel for the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII was of a bronze color and had the design of a large
chrysanthemum on one side.
THE HAMON
During the manufacturing process the blade is covered in a special
insulating clay which is then heated to extreme temperatures, then
water is poured on the mix. These steps provide a hardened edge with a
visual pattern that loosely resembles the pattern in which the clay was
applied. A common practice which often followed was that of polishing the
hamon to make it stand out more from the rest of the steel.
As a general rule older blades have a narrow and straight and narrow hamon. One of
problems experienced when fighting with older blades was that the hamon
would chip horizontally following the edge of the blade. The other problem that could
occur is that a chip could easily go through a narrow Hamon, requiring extensive polishing
to correct the edge. This could easily cut into most of the Hamon.
The Heian period saw the introduction of wider hamons. This is
the period where the serrated, toothlike hamons (gunome) were invented.
Each tooth projection is known as ashi. This design greatly reduced the
chiping problem and confined the maximum size of any lateral breaking to
the distance between two ashi. The pattern of the ashi were also used
as a signature of particular schools.
THE HABAKI
Samurai swords are designed to fit loosely inside the scabbard. When pulled out, the sword will slide on its
back. This is why the sword is worn with the curved side down.
in battle, the Samurai warrior would be moving constantly. Whether riding a horse or on foot. The need was clear
to develop a way in which the sword could be held securely inside the scabbard - Enter the Habaki.
The Habaki is a wedge shaped piece of metal collar placed at the base of the blade. Right against the two notches
that indicate the begining of the tang. The Habaki has a tapered shape which allows the blade to be held snuggly
to the opening of the scabbard.
The Habaki is most commonly made of copper. However, it has been covered in different types of material
throughout time. A gold cover has always been very popular.