Mete-zashi?

[Gabriel L]

Hello all,

 

A small matter of curiosity: rattling around in my brain is the word "mete-zashi," tanto worn on the right side of the body with point facing forwards. I cannot find any decent reference of such practice, however. Besides which, even if it was done, the mounts or blade themselves wouldn't have to be different, would they? In that case "mete-zashi" would just mean wearing your tanto backwards .

 

Basically I'm wondering where this term comes from and if it's something that slipped into my subconscious from inferior sources, or if it's genuine but just very esoteric.

 

Cheers,

-GLL

[Nobody]

Hi,

 

This is not always true but the shape of Nakago for mete-zashi was Furisode (振袖). The shape makes it easy to draw it with your right hand when the blade is worn on the right side of your body with point facing forwards. And also there were some mete-zashi whose blade shape were Uchi-zori (内反り) or Takenoko-zori (筍反り) to stick easier.

 

As for the naming, mete-zashi is written as 馬手差, and mete (馬手 = literally a hand for a horse) means right hand because the reins of a horse were usually handled with right hand by samurai while his left hand grasped a bow.

 

 

notes; the following photo is attached only to show Furisode and I do not know if it is actually a mete-zashi or not.

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

And as per the reason it was worn this way seems to me to remember that in body-to-body combat when the brests of the two opponents are in contact, possibly both rolling on the terrain, a Tanto placed in such a way was easier to draw then in the standard position.

[Darcy]

I posted about these a while back... Gabriel *AND* Carlo, sorry wrote that on the train and everything was bouncing around, thought Carlo was Gabriel following up. Both of you I think have recalled pretty much everything I had to say then.

 

The NBTHK wrote this Awataguchi Kunimitsu up as being possibly a mete-zashi due to the signature being on the opposite side to standard use.

 

[Gabriel L]

Thanks everyone for their feedback, a couple points I hadn't heard or considered before.