Body Cutting Test Blades

[manfrommagnum]

Just wondering if naginata were ever body tested and signed like swords and how common was it compared to swords.

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[SwordGuyJoe]

Good question. I can't recall seeing one, but I assume they were. Hopefully the folks with some examples can post some.

[seattle1]

Hello:

 Yes really a good question! There are illustrations of yari used to pierce bodies, usually a skull as I recall, but naginata are different in the way they are used in comparison to a sword and I imagine different success criteria and testing methods would have to be fashioned for them.

 Arnold F.

[Jean]

Beforehand, one has to wonder when began cutting tests and their inscription on nakago, and above all who request them, then you have to wonder what is representative of Samurai weapon, answer is daito and shoto.

 

 

Taking into consideration that yari and naginata were mainly ashigaru's weapons no wonder one does not encounter body cutting test result on their tang. In the case of yari, it will be the number of impaled skulls.

[seattle1]

Hello:

 While Jean is doubtless correct in describing the yari and naginata as the weapon of the foot soldier, a lot of that weight rests on the yari; however the initial question was directed to the naginata and we should not forget its very substantial role as a weapon from very early times at least through Nanbokucho, and for the warrior monks in and around Nara for many years thereafter. For the latter, who controlled for the temples of Yamato the vast holdings of the various Buddhist sects, the naginata was their primary weapon until they were thoroughly suppressed by Oda Nobunaga in 1571. In an earlier period many bushi used the naginata during the failed Mongol invasions as depicted in paintings. Roald M Knutsen. Japanese Polearms (1963), p. 36, states that prior to Nanbokucho times "the naginata vied with the sword as the most popularly used weapon and many famous heroes armed themselves with it." and he does go on to mention that during Muromachi times it lost favor in comparison to the yari. The obviously excludes the Shohei and Yamabushi of Yamato. The Yamato Kanabo were known for both their excellent yari and their naginata.

 The foregoing however does not address the under representation of cutting test examples of naginata. Perhaps by the time for wide spread testing of the Edo era the naginata had become an obsolete weapon in terms of tactics and many were doubtless shortened into suriage wakizashi, as were many nagamaki, make into farm implements or scaped. The only hint of testing I found is an illustration in Fukunaga Suiken. Kubikiri Asaemon Token Oshigata, I, (1970), p. 58, where a rig looking like a longish two piece tsuka with sliding iron securing rings is found fitted to a naginata in preparation for testing.

 Arnold F.

[SAS]

I seem to recall also that samurai women were trained and expert in the use of naginata to defend their homes while the men were on campaign.

[Stephen]

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/5098-women-training-with-naginata/?hl=%2Bwomen+%2Bnaginata

[Ray Singer]

It does not answer your question about body cutting tests, however nagamaki (koto and shinshinto) were used in the extreme cutting tests described in the article below.

 

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

 

Best regards,

Ray

[Jean]

The initial question is testing naginata with the aim of chiselling the result on the nakago.

 

 

That nagamaki/naginata/yari were tested throughout eras, is probable but I don't think they were tested in the same way and for the same purpose as katana.

 

Katana were tested (to magnify a blade) by famous samurai or family testers with the goal of putting the result on the nakago. Testers were allowed one try, they were not allowed to fail the cut. That is what I shall call "showing off cutting test". You will notice that the cutting test found on nakago belongs to above average smiths/valuable swords. No doubt that a Bungo Takada katana or a Dotanuki blade could achieve the same. Take the wazamono classification and look at the classified smiths, only the top ones were rated but once again I am sure that a chu saku smith (lambda) blade could have achieved the test. And when I am talking about about chu saku smiths I am not referring to Fujishiro classification. Utilitarian blades could cut very well.

[Mark]

I have a Bungo Katana with 2 body cutting test

[nagamaki - Franco]

 

 

Japanese Sword - Juyo Token - Hojoji Naginata Naoshi Katana ..... This blade has a cutting test

 

 

Hello, perhaps someone with record books could take a look and see if there is such a sword with a cutting test as described above. Suspect a naginata/nagamaki naoshi katana may be the closest we're going to come to finding an answer to the question. Thanks in advance.

[Jean]

Mark,

 

Is it signed or not, who did the testing and any idea of where it comes from?

 

It is just a confirmation of my post above, Bungo Takada can foot the bill as well as a Tadayoshi. All depends on the blade owner. Is he fully confident in his blade and does he like it enough to order a testing cut and have it chiselled on the tang.

[Mark]

Jean

 

signed, ubu, Kuniyuki, sorry pictures have a little reflection so hard to see the test on the upper left, tester is Hisahide

[Jean]

Splendid Mark,

 

Yamano family tester, kanbun era for the smith as well as for the tester, you can say that the blade owner really liked this blade to hire Yamano Hisahide as tester.

[peterd]

Hi,cant find any naginata. In fact i only found one thats not on a sword.

I think this is the picture Arnold referred to

[Prewar70]

Since we're talking about cut tests, what do you make of this. It's in a format I have tried to find but cannot. It is also in silver, which doesn't seem to be very common.