New Collector trying to learn more about the lexicon

[Winchester]

If there is a link here posted and I missed it, please delete and my apologies. 

 

I am a new collector and the lexicon/vernacular is a bit to interpret. I understand it is intermingled with history and that I should start there, but what books would you recommend to a new guy/gal trying to learn more or rather, not speak so inefficiently?

 

I have been using all my available free time for the past few months to learn here, prior to being a member, and just barely got the surface. Any help is appreciated, insults to my ignorance, understood; but all-in-all like to think I'm a nice guy to share a beer with. 

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Brian,

There are gobs of sword terms in Japanese; witness this book:

https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b103-1100-Japanese-sword-terms-and-400-named-blades

but you don't need to know any where near that many to get started.  Yumoto's The Samurai Sword:

https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b771-samurai-sword-handbook-yumoto

or Sato's The Japanese Sword:

https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b138-Japanese-sword-kanzan-sato

will cover the basics and that's enough to begin.  Keep reading, studying, & looking at good swords; you'll be pleased with your progress.

Grey

[ckaiserca]

I found  The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords by Kokan Nagayama to be a really useful addition to my library. 

[Shugyosha]

Hi Brian,

 

An on-line glossary at the JSS-US web page: http://www.jssus.org/nkp/nihonto_glossary.html

[DoTanuki yokai]

You can also look at usagiyas very informative Website 

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/information.html

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/terms.html

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Good visual glossary:

http://japaneseswordindex.com/glossary.htm

and

http://japaneseswordindex.com/military.htm

 

and many more pages at the homepage.

[O-Yumi]

    I would also recommend Joe Bott's "Sword of Japan"...very good!    John Weeks

[Winchester]

Thank you everyone for the kind responses. This is most helpful. I have a lot of reading to do.