Size of yari

[Marius]

Gents,

 

I have recently bought a yari from Ed Marshall (http://www.yakiba.com). Apart from the excellent service Ed provides (I can really recommend him as a no-nonsense, very honest and professional dealer), I wanted to raise another question:

 

what were the smallest sizes of yari? How were they used (apart from a yari carried in a palanquin or kept beside the bed)

 

The yari I have bought is simply cute and I could not resist. I know, this is a strange criterion for a purchase :D but I think this yari is somewhat different than most others. Nagasa is 13.5 cm, which is not much, but pretty normal. But the width of the blade is a bit over 1 cm! Now, that is odd and the yari could almost be confused with a yajiri (but the tang is too long and too massive).

 

What kind of yari is that? Is it a makura yari? A te-yari?

 

Here is the link to Ed's pics of the yari:

 

http://yakiba.com/Yari_Ujisada.htm

 

I have also attached a picture showing this yari with a ballpoint pen, just to make clear how slender it is.

 

A charming little bugger, I must say

[Bugyotsuji]

Yes 1 cm is narrow, isn't it. Sometimes you will find a large arrowhead and mentally you reach crossover land. It could be that yours was for an Uchine, but they were so rare that perhaps we will never know. It could have been used for an uchine, but what happened to the haft? Rotted away? As my Japanese collector friends are fond of saying, "Enjoy the romantic notion".

 

On a more pragmatic level, it has been said that Suyari held diagonally upwards were most efficient when aimed at the opponent's eyes. Soft and exposed, once hit, the victim was no longer capable of fighting. Seen in this light, the size of the yari blade need not have really mattered. Small ones have a deathly beauty to them, don't they. I suppose really small ones would be more useful at close quarters, Go-shin-yo　護身用, like a Derringer?

 

Just throwing out odd thoughts.

[Stephen]

this just begs to be said, "Its not the size of the yari, its how you use it!"

[Marius]

Just wanted to add, that this blade came with a saya, a rather elaborate affair, with a surface finish to remind a pioece of old , withered wood. I'll post some pics later today.

[Brian]

I definitely see the attraction to it. I love these diminutive polearms myself. I have one that I will post pics of this weekend...but it is more leaf shaped.

 

Brian

[Marius]

And here are the pictures of the saya.

[RobertM]

Nice yari, any ideas why the hamon runs off the edge towards the bottom?

[Marius]

@Robert:

Just a style. Yakiotoshi.

 

@Piers:

Thanks for the uchine hint. I have found an interesting thread concerning a blade that was/is in your collection:

http://www.militaria.co.za/nihontomessa ... fdc5b4ac4c

[Bugyotsuji]

Well, if we are going to link things in, then check out this thread, Mariusz! Lots of info here:

http://nihon-no-katchu.proboards.com/th ... -uchi-sale

[Marius]

Fantastic link, Piers, many thanks!

 

Now I know, I have an uchine. Wow! :D

[Gilles]

Dear Mariusz,

 

I am not sure that you have an uchine even if the quality of that nice blade is unquestionable.

The length of your nakago show that it could not be used as such. original uchine nakago are short. Some yari were also used as such and had their nakago cut in order to be fitted on the shaft. Here is a picture of what I believe to be a real uchine blade (only the blade) recovered in Japan (signed MUNETOSHI).

I also join a picture of an uchine which could have been made a while ago (showa era).

Last but not least, I also post some photos of two yari with a nagasa inferior to 9 cms.

 

Please take into account that I am not an expert and that I can be wrong.

 

Hope it helps.

[Brian]

Great pics.

Here's mine....with a pen for scale. I cannot see a hamon, but that may be due to state of polish, or it may be entirely hardened.

Nakago is well finished, with tiny yasurime, so I assume not modern.

 

Brian

[Marius]

Gilles, Brian:

 

Sweeeeet!

[estcrh]

 

What kind of yari is that? Is it a makura yari? A te-yari?

Makura and te are terms for the type of shaft, I do not think you can tell how your yari was mounted just from its size. I have a very small yari mounted on a small shaft that is still much longer than either a makura or a te yari.