A name for this type of yari.

[estcrh]

I see your dilemma........ It has always been my understanding that sansaku is a generic term for all three sided yari, most of which have parallel sides for the majority of their length.

I would think that there is a term missing which differentiates between the two types of three sided yari, the three equal sided yari and the yari with two equal sides and one longer side. Would they label them all just "sankaku"?

 

 

Both of these yari have three sides but one has three equal sides and one has two equal sides and one long side. Is it accurate to call them both "sankaku"?

 

[sanjuro]

As far as the term sansaku goes yes...... They both have three sides. The lower one is clearly a sasaho sansaku.

 

I see what you mean about the equal sides versus the unequal sides, and knowing the Japanese fondness for technical terms there is probably a separate term that makes the differentiation. I am not aware of it, but I'll hit the books this weekend to see if one is quoted or defined anywhere.

[Bugyotsuji]

Look for 'Hira/Hei Sankaku' 平三角= flat triangle, and 正三角Sei/Masa Sankaku = equilateral triangular cross-section.

[estcrh]

Look for 'Hira/Hei Sankaku' 平三角= flat triangle, and 正三角Sei/Masa Sankaku = equilateral triangular cross-section.

Piers you have done it again I believe, I have seen a few of the equal three sided sankaku yari with sei in front of the sakaku. Thanks! You mentioned "Ryo-shinogi Choku yarimi" excuse my linguistic ignorance but can you explain "yarimi".

[John A Stuart]

I am not sure Piers, you're better at the Nihongo than me, but, whereas 正三角 seisansaku sounds right, I think the two equal sided should be 二等辺三角 nitouhensansaku. Perhaps? John

[estcrh]

I am not sure Piers, you're better at the Nihongo than me, but, whereas 正三角 seisansaku sounds right, I think the two equal sided should be 二等辺三角 nitouhensansaku. Perhaps? John

Here is the kind of thing that causes me problems when trying to find an exact label for Japanese items, one person says one thing and then you find another completely different term. This quote is from http://www.japaneseswordcollector.com/def1.html

 

SEI SANKAKU YARI A Hira Sankaku blade with 3 equal sided blades.

Is this saying that a three sided yari with equal sides is an unequal three sided yari that has three equal sides?

[sanjuro]

Now you make it so that Sanjuro's head beginning to hurt.

[estcrh]

Well unless someone comes up with something better I am going with hira sankaku for a

isosceles triangle shaped blade and sei sankaku for the equilateral triangle shaped ones, thanks for all the input everyone.

[Bugyotsuji]

First of all, John's Nitohen Sankaku Yari. This makes sense to me, although I have never heard this

expression before. It means a triangle of which two sides are equal.

 

Secondly, the description of Hira and Sei above come out of the same Sasama's Japanese armor/armour and

weaponry encyclopedia that I quoted earlier. It's an old book, but quite well regarded and I was pleased

to find a copy of it last week for the book shelf.

 

As to Yarimi, it could also be pronounced Soshin, perhaps, but -mi is difficult to render into English. It's the

same -mi in Sashimi, and it means meat or body, a delicious slice, the best bit. Just another way of saying

the Yari blade, Eric.

 

Finally, in the English list quoted by Eric above, I think there is a slight problem not with the Japanese, but

with the English explanation. Where it says 'A hira sankaku blade with three equal sides' by definition it is not a

hira Sankaku any more as it doesn't have one large flat side. Perhaps the author in choosing to use Hira again

was imagining that all three sides are flat, not curved or humped. (?)

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

the description of Hira and Sei above come out of the same Sasama's Japanese armor/armour and

weaponry encyclopedia that I quoted earlier.

 

Matches with Knutsen. I'd go with these.