TSUBA sizes

[ROKUJURO]

In museums and exhibitions I have seen long blades mounted with rather small and large size TSUBA, WAKIZASHI with larger TSUBA as well, but admittedly mostly with smaller TSUBA.

 

People offering TSUBA for sale generally relate the respective sizes to the length of a blade, calling a smaller TSUBA a WAKIZASHI or TANTO TSUBA. As I have never heard of a rule, I am interested to read the comments of the well informed gentlemen here on this subject.

[b.hennick]

As with everything in the study of nihonto there is an exception to every rule. Some styles of swordmanship used no tsuba, others very small one etc. In general very small tsuba fit on tanto. Medium sized ones on wakizashi and larger ones on katana. I have never seen a tanto with a huge tsuba. It would look strange. OTH a katana with a very small tsuba might say "I'm so good that I do not need a tsuba's protection."

[nihonto1001]

The nakago-ana, the hole the tang goes through, has much to determine if the tsuba was used for a katana, wakizashi or tanto. It is definitely not an exact science.