Kama, Jingama, Kusari-gama, Kama-yari etc.

[estcrh]

Well Eric, the official name given to that one is 'Kata Kama yari', i.e. One-sided sickle spear', but there is no hole in the back of the blade.

In 1978 the NBTHK gave it the paperwork, but no suggestion as to its age. There was a smith of this name Kanesaki active around Bunsei, (Nihonto Meikan) said to be of the school of Suishinshi Masahide. Hmmm...

Piers, I saw that it is being called a "katakama-yari" but it is not a yari as far as I can see, it is a kama / jingama / sickle etc. Below is a "katamaka yari". As for there being no hole, maybe on a custom made one the buyer had to ask for a hole???

[Bugyotsuji]

Ah, thank you. You did not specify where you found the image or who wrote the definitive-looking description!

The old blue-green NBTHK paperwork says merely 'Kama-yari', whereas it could easily be a jingama etc., as you say. There seems to be a crossover point in the definitions, but where or what it is, is still not clear to me, and probably to most people too. Possibly because of their rarity.

BTW Did you get the Kanesaki one above?