Types of sword

 

太刀 – Tachi
刀 – Katana
脇差 – Wakizashi (alternative 脇指)
短刀 – Tanto
槍 – Yari (alternative 鑓)
薙刀 – Naginata
長巻 – Nagamaki
 

Sword shapes
 

造込み – Tsukurikomi – The shape of the sword as a whole
姿 – Sugata – figure, form, shape
鎬造 – Shinogi zukuri
平造 – Hira zukuri

菖蒲造 – Shobu zukuri
鵜 の 首 造 – Unokubi zukuri
冠落とし 造 – Kanmuri otoshi zukuri
両刃造 – Ryoba zukuri
片切刃造 – Katakiri zukuri
 

Dimensions
 

刃長 or 長さ– Hachō or nagasa – length of cutting edge
幅 – Haba – width
身幅 – Mihaba - width (alternatively 身巾)
元幅 – Motohaba – width at the part nearest the tang
先幅 – Sakihaba – width at the yokote

元重 ね– Motokasane – breadth at the machi
先重ね – Sakikasane – breadth at the yokote
反り – Sori - depth of curvature (腰 – koshi – deepest nearest the tang, 鳥居 – torii – deepest in the middle or 先 – saki – deepest nearest the tip)
厚 (ku) – Atsu(ku) – thick/ thickness
差 – Sa – difference
深 – fuke – deep (re sori)
踏張り – Funbari – noticeable widening of the blade at the machi
部分 – Bubun – section or part
 

Units of measurement
 

尺 – Shaku (30.3cm)
寸 – Sun (3.03cm)
分 – Bu – (3.03mm)
厘 – Rin (0.3mm)
 

Parts of the sword
 

鋒 – kissaki – point
帽子 – Bōshi – shape of hamon within the kissaki
中子 or 茎 – Nakago – tang (alternative means “stem”)

尻 – Jiri – butt (of tang nakago jiri)
棟 – mune
横手 – Yokote
三つ角 – mitsukado
区 – machi – notches just before tang
刃文/刃紋 – hamon – hardened edge of sword
焼(き)刃 – Yakiba – hardened edge of sword
焼頭 – yakigashira – start of the hardened edge of the sword
地肌 – Jihada – texture of folded metal above the hamon; also
鍛え – Kitae – forging
佩表 – Haki omote – side of sword facing outwards when worn
佩裏 – Haki ura – side of sword facing the body when worn
鑢目 – Yasurime – file marks on tang
目釘穴 – Mekugi ana (sometimes “ana” = 孔) – hole in tang for retaining peg
個 – Ko – Counter for mekugi ana
 

Types of forging pattern
 

板目肌 – Itame hada – wood grain

杢目肌 – Mokume – wood burl grain

綾杉肌– Ayasugi hada – wavy pattern

柾目肌– Masame hada – straight grain

梨子地肌 – Nashiji hada – pear skin pattern

小糠肌 – Konuka hada – rice bran pattern

松皮肌 – Matsukawa hada – pine bark pattern

肌立 – Hada tachi – hada that stands out

流れ – nagare - flowing
 

Types of hamon

 

乱れ – Midare – irregular pattern

直刃 – Suguba – straight hamon

互の目 – Gunome – half-circle pattern

尖刃 – Togariba – pointed pattern

濤瀾乱刃 – Toranba – irregular rolling wave pattern

飛焼 – tobiyaki – hardened areas above the hamon

皆焼 – hitatsura – “everything hardened”

Effects within the ji and hamon

暗帯 – antai - the dark areas between nioiguchi and border of the utsuri

段映り – Dan utsuri – utsuri comprised of various layers

地斑映り- jifu utsuri – if jifu spots appear all over the blade and form a pattern this term is used. It is rare and hardly appears after the nambokucho period but is typical for Ko-Bizen, Un group and Aoe swords.

景刃文 – kage hamon – shadow hamon: another name for utsuri

匂 – Nioi – small, indistinct martensite crystals (think of the milky way)

沸 or 錵 – Nie – martensite crystals that can be seen individually (think of individual stars within the milky way)

出来 – Deki – manufacture, style (used in combination with nie or nioi indicating predominantly one or the other.

足 – Ashi – Feet

金筋 – Kinsuji – black line of nie in the hamon (if straight)

稲妻 – Inazuma – literally lightning bolt – kinsuji that are zigzag shaped

砂流し – Sunagashi – brushed sand effect

湯走り – Yubashiri – “hot running water” – formations of ji nie

地景 – Chikei – “Shadows in the steel”- black lines of nie in the Ji – the same substance as kinsuji

縮緬 – chirimen – crepe paper (chirimen hada refers to a style of forging pattern in the Aoe school)

 

Carvings

 

棒樋 – Bo hi – a single straight groove

添樋 – Soe bi – “accompanying groove”- single narrow groove below a bo hi

止め – Dome – the end of a groove

丸止め – Maru dome – round end of a groove ending before the habaki

掻く – Kaku – to scratch (re making of groove)

梵字 – bonji – Sanskrit symbol

素剣 – suken – carving unadorned sword

 

Nakago

 

磨上 – Suriage - shortened

 

Styles of yasurimei

 

鑢目 – Yasurime – file marks

大筋違 – Osujikai – greatly slanting file marks

化粧 – Keshō – “Make up”- style of yasurimei occurring in the Shinto period and later

刻む – Kizamu – To engrave
 

Time

 

年紀 – Nenki – date/ period

年号 – Nengo – Generic name for the Japanese eras corresponding to the reign of an emporer

時代 – Jidai – era or age – can refer to a nengo era.

鎌倉– Kamakura [jidai]

南北朝 – Nambokucho – Northern and southern courts period

室町 – Muromachi

安土桃山 – Azuchi-Momoyama

江戸 – Edō

幕末 – Bakumatsu – end of Edo period “end of Bakufu”

現代 – Gendai - modern

前期 – Zen Ki – Early period

後期 – Kō ki – late period

歳 – Sai – Years of age (suffix)

- Compiled and shared by John J (Shugyosha) -