How were swords treated after a battle?

[Sporkkaji]

We've all seen the movies where after a duel, the Samurai victor gives his blade one or two wipes on his sash and then puts it away in the saya. In reality, after a sword battle the blade would be covered with blood, and blood is very corrosive to steel if not removed promptly. I would think that if it were not thoroughly cleaned before inserting it into the saya, the blood would soak into the core wood and contaminate it so that a blade could no longer be kept in it for any length of time. Were the sayas of the time basically considered disposable?

[John A Stuart]

Having at one time worked at an abbatoire I am familiar with how blood adheres to blades. Not well. Prior to noto there is a motion to dislodge any detritus called chiburi 血振 and some styles have it progress to cleaning with the kaishi 懐紙. So care is taken to prevent such. Saya were replaced as neccessary, some having liners to facilitate this process. John

[sanjuro]

Please dont confuse hollywood with reality. After use and before returning the sword to its saya, there is a movement with the blade called chiburi, which literally shakes off the blood from the blade. ( by virtue of its polish a blade sheds the blood fairly easily) It is not only the blood but also the fats and acids that corode a blade and these were wiped off with a silk cloth carried specifically for the purpose. After the battle or engagement, the owner of the sword would clean the blade properly.

You ask if the saya was considered disposable. Yes it was and for the reasons you have mentioned. Both saya and tsuka were usually replaced regularly and most particularly after an engagement. Tsuka and the tsuka ito were prone to become blood soaked during an engagement. Often a samurai would deliberately wet the tsuka prior to a fight in order to stop it from becoming slippery with blood. You cant do that more than a couple of times before the tsuka becomes unusable. Saya were often discarded or damaged during a fight and even if retained relatively unharmed were replaced afterward. Although we think in todays terms of a mounted sword as being an integral unit, it was not so when they were in use. A properly maintained sword had sometimes its mounts but particularly the saya and tsuka replaced at least once a year. More often in times of warfare. It is for this reason among others that most katana and uchigatana saya are fairly plain lacquered items with a minimum of metal mounts or none at all.

[John A Stuart]

Keith, in what ryu is a silk cloth used? One major purpose of a kaishi was this, and it was paper. John

[sanjuro]

Hi John.

 

I believe Yagyu (Shinkage) used a cloth not specified as silk though, or a type of washi paper. TSKSR or rather the older Katori Ryu oral traditions make mention of a silk cloth about 18 inches square used as a kaishi, carried by mounted samurai. There is a special term for this cloth but I cant remember it so I'll look it up. I have never seen one used or carried in modern swordsmanship, probably (and thankfully) because we dont need to cater for all that messy blood anymore. I have seen an old one that was made of silk, it was retrieved from the right sleeve of an armour that was being restored. (Early Edo I believe). The use of silk I think stems from the fact that it could be folded and/or crumpled up and carried under the armour/obi without being bulky and the natural tendency of silk is to suck up oils and fluids. Sword cleaning I have also seen recommended to be done in the field with a raw silk cloth for the same reason. The silk isnt much use after it has been fouled up with blood and detritus, so it gets discarded. Silk would be an expensive material to do that with, so paper is often the best substitute.

The paper Kaishi would have served the same purpose and folded flat under the armour or the obi and I imagine would have been more widely used. The practice makes a heap of sense and I would imagine that although they dont mention it in books very much, most historical swordsmen would have carried and used a kaishi of some sort of absorbent material.

Which ryu have chiburi followed by the use of a kaishi to wipe the blade prior to noto? I confess I have never seen it done except in a demonstration of tachi iai, some years ago.

[kusunokimasahige]

Keith, wouldnt the oiling of the blade also have helped the blood not sticking on the metal ? Or would the cutting action itself through the flesh remove all the oil...

 

KM

[sanjuro]

I guess the oil would have some effect toward not having the blood stick to the metal at least for the first cut or perhaps two, after that it would be negligable. Choji oil has only one purpose. It excludes oxygen and moisture from the blade surface.

Blood will not stick easily to a polished steel surface, it has a tendency to run off anyway despite what you may see on television in CSI shows. Blood alone is not the great enemy. Human fat like any other fat smears across the steel and sticks. Human fat contains enzymes and acids which first stain and then attack the surface of a blade. The effect can be very quick to take effect, and I am told that hard fat like renal fat is the worst. Wiping this mess off the blade is far more important than mere blood which takes some hours to attack the surface of polished steel.

 

Interestingly, when a samurai was called upon to act as a kaishaku, at least in one version of the ceremony, the kaishaku would hold out the blade of his sword point angled downward to allow an attendant to pour water along the length of it, first one side and then the other. This in effect was a purification and also was thought to assist the blade in swift passage through the flesh of its victim. Blood also disperses swiftly in water and cannot so readily attack the steel when it is diluted. The act of chiburi after the cut was made, would therefore shed all the blood from the blade. It would then be wiped with a Kaishi.

 

My God.... This really is becoming a grisly subject.

[kusunokimasahige]

But still, a fair and good subject on the use of the Japanese sword in history. They were not intended to cut fruit so to speak.

 

Great explanation Keith. I know from personal experience how just a mere fingerprint on a polished and unoiled Roman iron helmet left for about 3 hours gives a rust mark which is difficult to get off. Grass is even worse. I can only imagine what human fat would do.

 

KM

[sanjuro]

It is an inescapable part of sword lore, but I think that many collectors prefer to forget the gory purpose and efficiency of the nihonto and focus rather on the art or in the case of some newbies, on the romance of the sword.

 

"Art saber it may now be. As a weapon it had no practical or spiritual peer. Yet simple weapon for slaughter only, it never was".

[Brian]

Indeed, and however tangible the link may be, I would ask that we consider this one done and dusted now, before my inbox lights up with the objections.

 

Brian

[sanjuro]

Topic closed. Done and dusted.........No further correspondence will be entered into by me Lets keep the boss's inbox nice and dark.

[Ruben]

Hi Gentlemen,

 

this is Sekiguchi Komei, said to be the 21. Soke of Muso Jikiden Eshin Ryu.

In this Ryu the technics seem to be more realistic and less stylised (as far as I can judge this by learning just this single one), also there is a great attendion payed to chiburi.

 

Regards!

 

Ruben

[raven2]

This subject, although grisly, is still interesting and informative. Thanks for the information.