Questions on Habaki

[Martin]

Hello,

 

I was wondering if the material of an habaki generally tells anything about the value of a sword. Almost all blades of respectable smiths I have seen yet had gold foiled, solid gold or silver habakis made.

If a sword is just furnished with a simple copper habaki - does this tell something about its value or quality of workmanship?

 

Hope this question isn´t too naive

 

kind regards,

Martin

[paulb]

A sword that has been valued and appreciated throughout its life will generally have a good habaki. However this isnt just a case of material used. Many good swords do have gold foil or shakudo and gold, but an equal number have copper or silver. The material used is a result of the taste of the owner. What is important is how well its made and its design and whether these are in sympathy with the sword.

there is, of course, always the risk of an unscrupulous dealer putting a high quality habaki on a mediocre blade to attempt to make it look higher quality than it is.

[sencho]

what about dissimilar metals? Any consideration give to this and electrolysis between the blade and habaki?

 

Cheers

Nigel

[Loki]

It used to be that gold habaki was for koto blades, silver was for shinto period blades and copper was shin-shinto onwards. To-day this isn't as applicable as it once was. I think since the War and the dissmenation of blades out of Japan this has fallen by the way-side.

[Mike]

I think Ihad read once (but can't put my finger where) that a double part habaki were used on better swords, and usualy were made of solid gold, or gold foil.

Mike

[Tokaido]

Hi,

as Loki stated already, once it was tradition that the metal (gold, silver, copper) indicated the age of the sword.

But nowadays you should better look at the habaki and decide if it is an old one (>100 years) or a new made one.

There are several styles of habaki, but you often see some new (boring) standard type.

Good taste and a propper fit and style matching the blade indicates a good habaki!

E.g. Osaka habaki with Osaka blade, Kaga-Style with Kaga blade, Umetada-habaki with top-notch tanto and so on.

Generally a habaki states how much a previous owner valued the sword when he ordered the habaki.

 

I remember seeing a Kokuho Tachi with a shabby iron habaki! (The habaki dated back to the Kamakura Period, but thats another story)

 

With newly made habaki you see more often silver than copper based items. Thats because the silver is MUCH easier to work with than the copper! (Food for the lazybone habaki-makers, sorry

So do not dismiss a propper made and patinated copper habaki.

 

Kind regards

[Martin]

Hello,

 

many thanks so far.

The blade I refer to is a koto blade made by a respectable smith. So the furnished habaki obviously doesn´t indicate the age of the sword in this case...

By the way from what kind of material were the habaki made in koto times and could it possibly be the original habaki that was made for the blade?

 

best regards,

Martin

[Henry Wilson]

That is an interesting thread.

 

Can anyone point me the direction of finding out more about habaki schools?

 

What about during WW2? Was there a particular style / school that was used for by the military?

[Grey Doffin]

Chris Leung wrote an excellent article on the subject of habaki schools and traditions that appeared in the December, 2005 (Volume 37, #6) "Newsletter" of the JSS/US.

Grey

[Martin]

hi grey,

 

sounds very interesting.

Could this article somehow be shared (if it exists in digital form)?

 

regards,

Martin

[Tokaido]

Hello,

 

many thanks so far.

The blade I refer to is a koto blade made by a respectable smith. So the furnished habaki obviously doesn´t indicate the age of the sword in this case...

By the way from what kind of material were the habaki made in koto times and could it possibly be the original habaki that was made for the blade?

 

best regards,

Martin

 

Hi Martin,

copper would be ok for any period, because when a sword was brandnew it was intended as a weapon, primary. (At least during pre-Edo Period!)

A copper habaki was the choice of the swordsman, no thrills

I guess we all like to see a picture of the habaki in question?

 

There are other types of decoration as well:

- foil coating (gold, silver, shakudo)

- simple filemarks (nekogaki=cat scratching)

- decorative filing

- sukashi (moon, sun, kiku, sakura)

- takabori carving (dragons, flowers, karakusa etc.)

- two piece habaki

- habaki which follow a groove in the blade

 

Please do not forget: labor was very cheap during Edo period (and earlier), but a precious metal was very expensive. So a delicate goldfoil would add to the beauty and elegance without the enormous cost of a solid gold habaki. Anyway, today foiling is likely more expensive, because of the labour envolved.

 

With Showa Period you find some not traditional metals: habaki made of alluminium or brass (the western alloy, most likely not the sentoku=to brittle).

 

Greetings

[Mantis dude]

I've seen 2 piece habaki in gold, silver and copper. To sum up best, you can't tell much about blade with habaki, better to just look at blade. A set of nice mounts may indicate a nice blade but so many blades have been swapped around that you can't really conclude anything. perhaps if there where a bunch of swords to look at, go for the nicer mounts 1st. I do wonder if there were particular styles used in different eras. I assume the fancier ones with designs weren't used until the edo period although that doesn't mean 2 piece construction wasn't done. wonder if there are any benefits to different construction types?

[Grey Doffin]

hi grey,

 

sounds very interesting.

Could this article somehow be shared (if it exists in digital form)?

 

regards,

Martin

 

To my knowlege the article doesn't exist in digital form. Barry Hennick is our (JSS/US) web master; Barry, can you help here?

Grey

[Martin]

Hello,

 

as for a picture of the habaki in question: All pictures I´ve got from that particular one are of really low resolution quality

It is a simple 1 piece habaki with a filemark decoration (cat scratching or maybe rain?).

Here is a picture of a piece with similar design.

 

kind regards,

Martin