Nihonto Article

[Danny]

Greetings to all,

 

I have just added an article to my web site entitled "Nihonto Performance Lessens in Cold Weather - A Test by Omura Kunitaro"

Please take a look if you have any interest.

 

http://www.nihontocraft.com/japanese_sword_home.html

 

Best regards,

Danny Massey

http://www.nihontocraft.com

[Brian]

Danny,

 

Great article, thanks for sharing. For those of you who haven't browsed through some of the other articles there, take a look. There are some very interesting and unique articles.

 

But ouch!

Am I the only one to whince at some of the blades that were tested to destruction back then? Muramasa..Tadamitsu...Norimitsu..Masaiye...

I understand the feelings expressed by "The cutting ability should be the first consideration for a Nihonto. Its beautiful appearance comes in second. A true Nihonto should fulfill the first requirement of being a weapon and that is to cut well. The beautiful appearance is only secondary. Art-sword theorists have the priority of this all wrong." but I am not sure I agree with them completely. The function of the sword is the most important thing...up to a point. When it becomes of such age and significance that the weapon aspect is secondary to the cultural and artistic value..then shouldn't it be regarded as beyond weapon status and become worthy of preservation purely for the art aspect? I am surprised that around WW2 this attitude wasn't held more highly. Surely the swords that were dedicated to shrines were not seen firstly as functional weapons, and secondarily as symbolic gifts with a higher purpose?

 

So the question is raised...when did important swords start being awarded Juyo status in spite of hagire or other fatal flaws? Was this before the war..or after?

This would indicate a change of attitudes towards the value of historical significance vs the functionality. Only in swords that are above a certain level of course...but i am glad there was a slight change of mindset.

Otherwise the wanton confiscation and destruction of swords after WW2 cannot be faulted?

 

Just some ranbling thoughts though. Great article, thanks!

 

Brian

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

The respect toward antiques the Imperial Japanese Army had during WWII

is mostly overvalued. I've read an article by an actual Togishi sent to repair ancient NihonTo that saw orrible things made to NihonTo by

officiers that grew up with the idea the NihonTo were indestructible.

This test confirm me that IJA was absolutely moron-minded about antiques.

Likely this Ohmura is the same that wrote an article about the project with

Seijuro Masahide Aoyama and Mitsutaro Honda from Tohoku University, in collaboration with the Toyo-Hamono Co. ltd, Sendai, to produce a Gunto specifically made for polar climate.

"Tahado-Tetsu" (Nickel/Chrome/Manganese steel), Maru-Kitae,

differentially hardened quenced in water.

 

If I remember well they should have been called "Kikento".

Never handled (and even seen in person) one...

[Danny]

Hello Brian and Carlo,

 

Thank you very much for your feedback on the article.

 

Best regards,

Danny Massey