Age old hamon question - does size matter?

[JamesH]

I am not sure whether it has been discussed here previously, but I was hoping to find out more about the practical aspects of the style and size of the hamon.

 

In my previous experience, which is humble at best when compared to other members of this forum , the majority of nihonto carrying a cutting test mei (especially those with a gold cutting test mei) seem to have a very large true hamon (by "true" I mean not a hadori created one).

 

Does a large hamon mean a stronger, "more practical" blade?

 

I have heard that during the mid-shinto era, smiths began to control the hamon using more advanced claying and brushstroke methods in order to create a more artistically focused hamon line.

 

Also, in my understanding, and I welcome you to correct me if I am wrong, samurai owned more than one nihonto, each with its own purpose. One would not wear a ceremonial tachi everyday, nor an everyday sword (if I may call it that) to a ceremony.

 

I guess what I am asking is, were there any specific sought qualities of blades forged specifically to be taken into battle.

 

Any thoughts or information you have on the topic are greatly appreciated.

 

 

James

[sanjuro]

Does a larger hamon mean a stronger more practical blade? .......... No.

 

Ceremonial tachi were not owned by all samurai. Only high ranking ones, and for court wear usually. Many of them have no true blade in the saya but rather a hammered out length of steel unsharpened. Given the intrigues at court it is hardly surprising that it was not desirable to have a lot of belligerent men with sharp blades at their hip wandering about in close proximity to the imperial person. At court only the Efu (Imperial Guards) wore ceremonial tachi with a true blade.

A bu no tachi(war sword) was only worn on the battlefield by an armoured and mounted samurai. the more common soldiery wore uchgatana or katana, Depending on the period. Tachi were worn by samurai on foot, and essentially they were similar to those used by the mounted samurai. Many samurai did not own a tachi at all. A tachi cost the equivalent of about five years stipend. Gi samurai (Country samurai) could hardly afford such luxuries. The upper classes of samurai owned a variety of tachi types.

 

There were indeed specific qualities required in a tachi meant for war. Those qualities evolved and changed over time however, and were not common to all periods of history.

 

This is a huge subject without short answers, but essentially, there are many misconceptions about the various types of Tachi and swords and how they were regulated by fashion, convention and necessity. Your question highlights those misconceptions and deserves more in depth answers than there is no room for in the frustratingly little panel I am writing this post in.

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

This is a huge subject without short answers,

 

I second this.

 

James, even the experts that devoted a lot of time and studies on the effectiveness subject, like Fukunaga Suiken, couldn't give a short answer.

The action of Nie as "pillars" helping dividing the target during the cutting motion, how the Utsuri or other activities help the blade to slip into the target or how the distance of the inner core from the cutting edge can affect the performance/resistance.

 

IMHO, you've to watch at the sword as a "system", several technical achievements that acts together accordingly with the "recipe" you use mixing them. Different Jidai, different targets, different recipes.

 

Ha is just one ingredient of the recipe for a good sword.

 

Only thing you can be sure about is : the better the chef the better the cake.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hello,

 

suggested reading: http://www.nihontocraft.com/japanese_sword_articles.html

 

Extreme Aratameshi

by Fukunaka Suiken

 

The Functionality of Nihonto

by Suishinshi Masahide

[cabowen]

I will take a quick poke at this...

 

There were a few books written during WWII about the practical aspects of swords after actual use. Some were quite gruesome. Nakamura Taisaburo, the famous iai master, has also written quite a bit on this based on his experiences using a sword during the war....

 

Briefly, as relates the hamon, the point of your question:

 

- a wide hamon makes for a brittle blade that breaks rather easily.

-a narrow hamon if chipped, is gone, and the blade can break at that point rather easily.

-ashi are softer areas within the hamon and act as crack stoppers. Choji and gunome with many ashi therefore are probably a good thing!

-shinto and shinshinto are, in general, harder and brittler than koto.

 

Hope that helps...

[Jacques D.]

Hi,

 

 

The action of Nie as "pillars" helping dividing the target during the cutting motion, how the Utsuri or other activities help the blade to slip into the target

 

 

[JamesH]

suggested reading: http://www.nihontocraft.com/japanese_sw ... icles.html

 

Extreme Aratameshi

by Fukunaka Suiken

 

 

Thank you so much, Franco. I read in absolute awe.

 

 

P.S. I love this forum !! :D

[JamesH]

Forgot to sign,

James

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hello,

 

Thank you so much

 

 

Providing a link is simple Simon, Brian Robinson for NMB, and Danny Massey for Nihontocraft's article page, are the ones deserving recognition and thanks.

[mdiddy]

Here is an interesting article from Ohmura's "Military Swords of Japan" site: http://www.k3.dion.ne.jp/~j-gunto/gunto_138.htm.

 

While it mostly speaks to Gunto, it addresses, and questions, the practicality of Japanese swords made since the end of the Sengoku jidai and aligns with some of Suishinshi Masahide's observations/thoughts. It also frowns on the art sword movement for allowing the image of swords to become detached from their original intent ("not distorted, not break and can be cut well" of the golden rule of a Japanese sword"). Worth a read.

 

Chris - are any of the books you mention regarding WWII performance available in English?

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Hi,

 

 

The action of Nie as "pillars" helping dividing the target during the cutting motion, how the Utsuri or other activities help the blade to slip into the target

 

 

 

t.ndeed. Hence the emoticons : added at the end of the post.

 

However somebody once had a long discussion with me on SFI about this very matter...

[cabowen]

Chris - are any of the books you mention regarding WWII performance available in English?

 

 

Unfortunately, no.....

[JamesH]

Here is an interesting article from Ohmura's "Military Swords of Japan" site: http://www.k3.dion.ne.jp/~j-gunto/gunto_138.htm.

 

Matt, thank you for posting.

 

It does offer an interesting point of view, in relation to the evolution of Japanese swords.

I agree that original fame of nihonto was that of superior cutting ability and durability, especially in comparison to other swords/steel of the time.

 

However, while I am a big gunto fan, and to a point concur that during the Showa era perhaps more emphasis was placed on function over artistic expression, one cannot discredit the development of nihonto as a true form of art, which yes particularly flowered during the peaceful Edo Era.

 

While perhaps not intentional, could it be said that the evolution of Japanese swords experienced a schism around ww2 era, and more so during the industrial revolution. Function developing in one direction through the use of modern types of steel alloys (and in some cases factory mass production), and a completely different direction as a form of art, preserving tradition.

 

I welcome you to disagree.

 

 

James