Tanto mei

[Bencld]

Hi all. Hope everyone is having a good day. Just a general question. Were tanto through history signed ura side (tachi mei) ? If so, any idea on smiths, schools, era that may have ? I have already asked Mr Google and as usual got pages and pages of rubbish.

 

Thanks.

[Ken-Hawaii]

I've not seen any tanto signed tachi mei, Chris. Fred Weissberg is the local expert on tanto, & he may have different info.

[Fake Babu Account]

If a tanto were made for a left handed person then the mei would naturally be facing away when worn on the right side of the body or in the right sleeve. 

So yes and I've had at least three that were signed in this way in the last 40 years. 

[SAS]

Throughout my martial arts career, I have always been told that there were/are no left handed swordsmen.

[Babu]

Yet we know of so many documented lefties Steve.

This was pointed out in one of my threads a while ago.

[Geraint]

Dear All.

 

Metezashi tanto is the name given to tanto worn on the right.  Apparently the name means horse hand and refers to the fact that the reins would usually be grasped in the left hand.  In this case I do not think the rule, such as it is,  for tachi katana mei applies and it is down to the individual smith.  

 

All the best.

[SteveM]

There were rules that discouraged left-handedness. I don't know if it was law or not, but in feudal Japan I don't know if there was much distinction. I will post on Adam's other thread regarding this so as not to derail this one too much.