First Ko-Wakizashi

[autodex]

Hello all,

Thought I would share 1st Ko-wakizashi I will own. Sue Mihara school Mumei Shobu-Tsukuri with NBTHK Hozon cert. I love this blade shape style. Opinions are welcome

[ChrisW]

I like the shape of the blade as well!

[Ken-Hawaii]

A great addition, Steven. Hacho?

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Hello here are the stats from the sale

 

【Shirasaya Full length】 52.5cm

【Blade Full length】 45.2cm

【Temper length】 33.4cm

【Sori】 0.6cm

【Hole】 1

【Widith】 2.85cm

【Thick】 0.7cm

[Ken-Hawaii]

The hacho of 33.4 cm puts your blade in the middle of wakizashi length, Steven. No idea why it's listed as a ko-wakizashi.

[Geraint]

Dear Ken.

 

As usual trying to nail down terms is problematic.  We tend to think that a sword stops being a tanto at 30cms and anything over that becomes a wakizashi.  Or ko wakizashi.  Or sunonbi tabto.  As for when in terms of length a sword stops being a ko wakizashi and becomes a wakizashi well....

 

This from Markus' blog.  

 

In the eighth year of Kanbun (寛文, 1668), the Tokugawa-bakufu issued the so-called mutô-rei (無刀令) with which it prohibited all persons not belonging to the samurai class to wear swords with a blade length over that of a ko-wakizashi (小脇指). Therefore a ko-wakizashi blade was determined to measure maximally 1 shaku 5 sun (~ 45.5 cm). 

 

Though the whole thing is well worth a read.  https://markussesko.com/2015/08/11/the-wakizashi/

 

All the best.

[autodex]

Thank you for the explanation