"Tachi Habaki"

[jrs]

Is "tachi habaki" an actual term? I read this recently and had never run across it before. I just wanted to know it there is a difference between a "normal" habaki and a tachi habaki. And if there is, is it refering to the shorter, sometimes fatter habaki with the rounded upper edge that I've seen before but just didn't realize that there is a specific name for them?

[remzy]

No i dont think this exist as a term. you can have habakis that were used on tachis, but they simply were called habaki.

[pcfarrar]

This is a tachi habaki:

[Nobody]

A tachi habaki is generally slim and neat. (Ref. 1) – the upper picture

Early Tachi habaki were made of iron, and some of them were fitted from the tip side of blades. The upper left habaki in the lower picture is a Tachi habaki. (Ref. 2)

 

Ref.

1. USAGIYA: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/habaki.html

2. NBTHK: http://www.touken.or.jp/syurui/tosogu.html

[Grey Doffin]

some of them were fitted from the tip side of blades

I don't understand what that means. How could a habaki fit from the tip down, rather than the nakago up? Would you explain please.

Thanks. Grey

[Jacques D.]

Hi,

 

On Kenukigata tachi the habaki cannot be fitted sliding along the nakago but it is fitted sliding all along the blade.

 

[IanB]

Just to elaborate slightly on Moriyama San's comment: Kenukigata tachi have the hilt forged in one with the blade, rather than having a tang. This thickened iron hilt section was covered by a sleeve of silver or gilded copper to make it look more decent. This meant that the seppa, tsuba and habaki could not be fitted in the normal way but had to be slid up the blade to butt against the hilt. To keep everything in place, the blade and habaki have a hole in them that held a rivet, peened over both ends and hence more or less permanent. I had one of these swords in my care for years with silver mounts. When you held it the hilt seemed too narrow and felt very unyielding. I suspect striking with such a sword would have jarred the hand badly - which is why they were superceeded by the more conventional wooden hilt.

 

Ian Bottomley

[Jacques D.]

Hi,

 

A better picture,

 

You can see the "mekugi" hole and the lack of machi on it.

 

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Early Tachi habaki were made of iron, and some of them were fitted from the tip side of blades.

 

Just discussed it on another board.

 

Here how it looks like a on a modern copy :

 

[remzy]

So, with all that, is "tachi-habaki" an actual term or a mix of two?

 

Like "hotdog" is a term composed of two different terms.

[Nobody]

Early Tachi habaki were made of iron, and some of them were fitted from the tip side of blades.

 

Just discussed it on another board.

 

Here how it looks like a on a modern copy :

 

Ah, that is not a modern copy but a real Tachi in Heian period. That is a Juyo-Bunkazai (é‡è¦æ–‡åŒ–財) in possession of Jingu Chokokan (神宮徴å¤é¤¨: http://www.ise-kanko.jp/cgi-bin/temp.ph ... re&idx=333). The caption in your picture says that the Tachi is said to have been put on by Fujiwara no Hidesato (藤原秀郷) and has a cut from an arrow on its Tsuka.

[Nobody]

So, with all that, is "tachi-habaki" an actual term or a mix of two?

 

Like "hotdog" is a term composed of two different terms.

I think that “Tachi-Habaki†is an actual term which consists of two words.

Anyway NBTHK says that Habaki are classified into “Tachi-Habaki†and “Katana-Habakiâ€.

Ref. http://www.touken.or.jp/syurui/tosogu.html

[jrs]

First off, thanks to everyone who has responded. I've learned something new. The reason I brought up the question is because of a blade that I've just acquired. The habaki on it is very short considering the length of the blade when you compare it to the normal proportions seen in most habaki. It just made me wonder if it is the so-called tachi habaki i had read about. I'll include a picture.

I can't find my camera right now so I used my cell phone. I apologize now for the picture quality but I hope it can convey what I am refering to as far as the height of the habaki.

The blade has a nagasa of 77.6cm and the habaki is 1.7cm at the ha and mune and 2cm in the center.

[Nobody]

First off, thanks to everyone who has responded. I've learned something new. The reason I brought up the question is because of a blade that I've just acquired. The habaki on it is very short considering the length of the blade when you compare it to the normal proportions seen in most habaki. It just made me wonder if it is the so-called tachi habaki i had read about. I'll include a picture.

I do not think that your Habaki is a Tachi-Habaki. Usually a Tachi-Habaki is thinner and has Shinogi, I assume.

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o95/tsubame1/REPRO.jpg[/img

Ah, that is not a modern copy but a real Tachi in Heian period. That is a Juyo-Bunkazai (é‡è¦æ–‡åŒ–財) in possession of Jingu Chokokan (神宮徴å¤é¤¨]

 

Hi Moriyama-San. I'm writing from work.

My fault. I've cut a frame from the original page and I left the caption of the item above

(not showed in my post, actually the orignal sword) together with the modern

reproduction. The caption you've translated is referred to the original item I've cut away.

Sorry for the confusion I've caused.

[Nobody]

Ah, that is not a modern copy but a real Tachi in Heian period. That is a Juyo-Bunkazai (é‡è¦æ–‡åŒ–財) in possession of Jingu Chokokan (神宮徴å¤é¤¨: http://www.ise-kanko.jp/cgi-bin/temp.ph ... re&idx=333). The caption in your picture says that the Tachi is said to have been put on by Fujiwara no Hidesato (藤原秀郷) and has a cut from an arrow on its Tsuka.

Hi Moriyama-San. I'm writing from work.

My fault. I've cut a frame from the original page and I left the caption of the item above

(not showed in my post, actually the orignal sword) together with the modern

reproduction. The caption you've translated is referred to the original item I've cut away.

Sorry for the confusion I've caused.

Carlo,

 

Actually, I have the book which includes the picture you showed. There are two similar Tachi on the page. However, they are different Tachi. And both of them are real. The lower one is not a replica of the other.

Please see the attached pictures.

 

The 2nd picture shows the Upper Tachi on Kasuga Taisha site.

The 3rd picture shows another image of the lower Tachi of Jingu Chokokan.

 

EDIT (Aug. 2, 2008): A typo in the 1st pic is corrected (Nishikizuzumi ---> Nishikizutsumi).

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Thanks and sorry again Moriyama-San. I should have supposed I was in error someway.

I'll add your pics to my archive.