Which of these swords is the longest. How did the samurai katana sword appear: myths and reality

A katana is a long, single-edged slashing weapon. It has a slightly curved one-sided blade, a long or short handle, can be slightly developed in front, this allows you to cover it with two palms. The shape of the blade allows cutting and stabbing. The length of the blade is 60 centimeters, the handle could be different. Weighs up to one kilogram.

History of the katana

Such a sword appeared in the fifteenth century and lasted until the end of the twentieth as a weapon of the samurai. His "ancestor" was a long Japanese saber tachi. Their main difference was the way they were worn. Tati was tied with a special bandage on the belt, and the katana was thrust behind it. The first was paired with a tanto, the second with a wakizashi.

It was made from two types of metals. Viscous for the central part and hard for the blade. Before forging, the components were thoroughly cleaned. The handle was covered with leather and wrapped in silk fabric. This method of manufacture did not allow hands to slide over it. Handles made of wood or ivory, described in various patterns, can be seen on ostentatious and decorative sabers.

The carrying case was made of wood and varnished. Metal ones also took place, their mass production began in the 20th century, but, nevertheless, they also had a wooden lining.

The sword was part of the clothing of the samurai and was worn on the left side of the body in a sheath, blade up. But after the seventeenth century, there was no particular need to take it with you every time. In addition, the blade could corrode. Therefore, they came up with a way to preserve the integrity of the sword. A mount was worn behind the belt, which included a scabbard. The sword itself was kept at home in a wooden case, which was not varnished, which made it possible for it to breathe, moisture accumulated in it. Therefore, no corrosion appeared on the blade. In the nineteenth century, this method of making sword cases became widespread. In the twentieth century, after the ban on wearing swords, they began to disguise them. The sheath began to be made in the form of a cane or staff.

The art of swordsmanship

The use was as a cutting weapon, and less often as a stabbing one. Wrapped around with two or one hand. The first schools teaching young samurai were formed in the fifteenth century. The techniques of Japanese swords differ from European ones in that the axis of the sword during the attack does not go to the enemy at a right angle, but along, thereby cutting the enemy. For such a construction of the battle, it is the curved blade that is very suitable.

Despite the great changes in the history of the development of the state regarding the wearing of the sword, the samurai art schools have survived to this day. The most famous are Kashima Shinto Ryu, Kashima Shin Ryu and Katori Shinto Ryu.

Saber care

The implementation of cleaning the sword occurs in stages and with different tools.

With the help of polishing stones, notches are removed.

Rice paper, which does not contain acid, perfectly removes the remnants of oil that is smeared on the sword. Before use, it is strongly rubbed to make it soft so as not to scratch the blade. If you don't have rice paper handy, you can also use a regular paper towel. Lime has cleaning and polishing properties. When using it, it also does not leave scratches.

The Japanese samurai had a sword. But did they only fight with swords? It will probably be interesting to get acquainted with their arsenal in detail in order to better understand the traditions of ancient Japanese military art.

Let's start by comparing the arsenal of a Japanese samurai with that of a medieval knight from Western Europe. The difference in both the quantity and quality of their samples is immediately evident. The arsenal of the samurai will first of all be much richer. In addition, many types of weapons will be practically incomparable with European ones. In addition, what we consider to be true is in fact very often just another myth. For example, everyone has heard about the fact that the sword is the “soul of the samurai”, since they wrote about it more than once. However, was it their main weapon, and if so, was it always so? Here is a knight's sword - yes, indeed, it has always been a symbol of chivalry, but with a samurai sword, everything is far from so simple.

Firstly, this is not a sword, but a saber. We just traditionally call the samurai blade a sword. And secondly, he was far from always his main weapon! And here it would be best to remember ... the legendary musketeers of Alexandre Dumas! They were called so because their main weapon was a heavy matchlock musket. However, the heroes of the novel use it only during the defense of the Saint-Gervais bastion. In the remaining chapters of the novel, they make do with swords. This is understandable. After all, it was the sword, and then its light version - the sword, that were symbols of chivalry and belonging to the nobility in Europe. Moreover, even a peasant could wear a sword in Europe. Bought and wear! But to master it, you had to study for a long time! And only the nobles could afford it, but not the peasants. But the musketeers fought by no means with swords, and the situation was exactly the same with the Japanese samurai. The sword among them became especially popular in the years of ... peace, that is, in the Edo era, after 1600, when it turned from a military weapon into a symbol of the samurai class. There was no one to fight with the samurai, it was beneath their dignity to work, so they began to hone their fencing art, open fencing schools - in a word, cultivate the art of antiquity and promote it in every possible way. In a real battle, samurai, of course, also used swords, but at first they did it only as a last resort, and before that they used a bow!

Like the French nobles, the samurai did not part with their swords both in the days of peace and in the days of war, and even a sidelong glance was considered as an insult! Woodcut by Utagawa Kunisada (1786 - 1865).

An ancient Japanese verse said, “Bow and arrows! Only they are the stronghold of the happiness of the whole country! And these lines clearly show how important kyudo, the art of archery, was for the Japanese. Only a noble warrior in ancient Japan could become an archer. His name was yumi-tori - "bow holder". The bow - yumi and arrow I - were among the Japanese sacred weapons, and the expression "yumiya no miti" ("the way of the bow and arrows") was synonymous with the word "bushido" and meant the same thing - "the way of the samurai." Even the purely peaceful expression “samurai family” literally means “bow and arrow family” when translated from Japanese, and the Chinese in their chronicles called the Japanese “Big Bow”.

A fragment of the scroll "Heiji no Ran" depicts a rider in a white o-yoroi, armed with a bow and sword. The scroll was created at the beginning of the 14th century.

In the Heike Monogatari (The Tale of Heike), a well-known Japanese military chronicle of the 14th century, for example, it is reported that in 1185, during the Battle of Yashima, the Minamoto no Kuro Yoshitsune (1159 - 1189) commander fought desperately to return the bow, which he accidentally dropped into the water. The enemy warriors tried to knock him out of the saddle, his own warriors begged him to forget about such a trifle, but he fearlessly fought the first, and did not pay attention to the second. He took out his bow, but his veterans began to openly resent such recklessness: “It was terrible, lord. Your bow may be worth a thousand, ten thousand gold pieces, but is it worth risking your life?”

To which Yoshitsune replied: “It’s not that I didn’t want to part with my bow. If I had a bow like my uncle Tametomo's, which could only be drawn by two or even three people, I might even deliberately leave it to the enemy. But my bow is bad. If the enemies knew that it was I who owned it, they would laugh at me: “Look, this is the bow of the Minamoto commander Kuro Yoshitsune!” I wouldn't like it. So I risked my life to get him back."

In Hogan Monogatari (The Tale of the Hogan Era), which tells about the hostilities of 1156, Tametomo (1149 - 1170), Yoshitsune's uncle, is said to be an archer so strong that the enemies, having taken him prisoner, knocked him out chisel hands out of the joints to make it impossible to shoot a bow in the future. The title of "archer" was an honorary title for any distinguished samurai, even when the sword and spear replaced the bow. For example, the military leader Imagawa Yoshimoto (1519 - 1560) was given the nickname "The First Archer of the East Sea".

The Japanese made their bows from bamboo, while unlike the bows of other peoples who also used bamboo for this, they were very large in size and at the same time also asymmetrical, since it was believed that with such a warrior it would be more convenient to aim and shoot. Moreover, such a bow was especially convenient for shooting from a horse. The yumi is usually longer than the English " longbows”, as it often reaches 2.5 meters in length. There are cases that there were bows and even longer. So, the legendary archer Minamoto (1139 - 1170) had a bow 280 cm long. Sometimes the bows were made so strong that one person could not pull them. For example, yumi, intended for naval battles, had to be pulled by seven people at once. The modern Japanese bow, as in ancient times, is made from bamboo, various woods and rattan fibers. The usual distance of an aimed shot is 60 meters, well, in the hands of a master, such a weapon is capable of sending an arrow up to 120 meters. On some bows (at one of the ends), the Japanese strengthened the tips, like spears, which allowed this type of weapon, which was called yumi-yari (“spear bow”), to combine the functions of a bow and a spear.

Ancestral arrow and case for it.

The shafts of the arrows were made of polished bamboo or willow, and the plumage was made of feathers. The tip of the yajiri was often a real work of art. They were made by special blacksmiths, and often they signed their tips. Their shapes could be different, for example, bifurcated moon-shaped tips were very popular. Each samurai had a special "ancestral arrow" in his quiver, on which his name was written. It was used to recognize the dead on the battlefield in the same way as in Europe it was done by the coat of arms on the shield, and the winner took it as a trophy. Tsuru - bow string - was made from plant fibers and rubbed with wax. Each archer also had a spare string with him - a gen, which was put in a quiver or wound around a special tsurumaki coil ring that hung on his belt.

Katakura Kadetune - a samurai in black o-yoroy armor and with the same black bow with a characteristic braid. On a belt the coil for a spare bowstring. The back flag of the sashimono depicts a Buddhist bell. Sendai City Museum.

Much kyudo, according to European concepts, lies beyond the reasonable understanding of reality and is inaccessible to a person with a Western mentality. So, for example, it is still believed that the shooter in this half-mystical art plays only the role of an intermediary, and the shot itself is carried out, as it were, without his direct participation. At the same time, the shot itself was divided into four stages: greeting, preparation for aiming, aiming and launching an arrow (moreover, the latter could be fired standing, sitting, kneeling). A samurai could shoot even while riding a horse, and not from a stationary position, but at full gallop, like the ancient Scythians, Mongols and North American Indians!

An ancestral arrow (left) and two tsuba guards on the right.

According to the rules, the bushi warrior received an arrow and a bow from his squire, got up from his seat and assumed the appropriate posture, demonstrating his dignity and complete self-control. At the same time, breathing was required in a certain way, which achieved “peace of mind and body” (dojikuri) and readiness to shoot (yugumae). Then the shooter stood at the target with his left shoulder, with a bow in his left hand. The legs were supposed to be placed at the length of the arrow, after which the arrow was placed on the bowstring and held with the fingers. Meanwhile, relaxing the muscles in his arms and chest, the samurai raised his bow over his head and pulled the string. It was necessary to breathe at this moment with the stomach, which allowed the muscles to relax. Then the shot itself was fired - khanare. The samurai had to concentrate all his physical and mental strength on the “great goal”, the desire for one goal - to connect with the deity, but by no means on the desire to hit the target and not on the target itself. Having fired, the shooter then lowered the bow and calmly walked to his place.

Archery gloves.

Over time, yumi turned from a weapon of a noble rider into a weapon of a simple infantryman, but even then he did not lose respect for himself. Even the advent of firearms did not detract from its importance, since the bow was faster and more reliable than the primitive muzzle-loading arquebus. The Japanese knew crossbows, including Chinese ones, multiply charged doku, but they were not widely used in their country.

By the way, horses and riders were specially trained in the ability to swim across rivers with a turbulent current, and at the same time they had to shoot from a bow! Therefore, the bow was varnished (usually black) and also dyed. Short bows, similar to the Mongolian ones, were also well known to the Japanese, and they used them, but this was difficult because the Buddhists in Japan were disgusted with such things as the hooves, sinews and horns of dead animals and could not touch them, and without this they could make short but enough powerful bow just impossible.

But in Western Europe, the feudal lords bow for military weapon did not recognize. Already the ancient Greeks considered the bow a weapon of a coward, and the Romans called it "insidious and childish." Charlemagne demanded that his soldiers wear a bow, issued the appropriate capitularies (decrees), but he did not succeed much in this! sports equipment to train muscles - yes, a hunting weapon - to earn a living in the forest, combining pleasant pastime with useful work - yes, but to fight with a bow in hand against other knights like himself - yes, God forbid! Moreover, bows and crossbows were used in European armies, but ... they recruited commoners for this: in England - peasant yeomen, in France - Genoese crossbowmen, and in Byzantium and the crusader states in Palestine - Muslim Turkopoulos. That is, in Europe, the main weapon of a knight was originally a double-edged sword, and the bow was considered a weapon unworthy of a noble warrior. Moreover, horseback archers in European armies were forbidden to shoot from horseback. With a noble animal, which was considered a horse, you had to first get off, and only after that take up the bow! In Japan, it was the opposite - it was from the very beginning that the bow was the weapon of noble warriors, and the sword served for self-defense in close combat. And only when the wars in Japan stopped, and archery at by and large lost all meaning, the sword came to the first place in the samurai's arsenal, in fact, which by this time had become an analogue of the European sword. Of course, not in terms of his combat characteristics, but in terms of the role that he played in the then Japanese society.

And with spears, the situation was about the same! Well, why does a warrior need a spear when he has a powerful and long-range bow at his service ?! But when spears in Japan became a popular weapon, there were so many types of them that it was simply amazing. Although, unlike the Western European knights, who used spears from the very beginning of their own, they received them in Japan only in the middle of the 14th century, when infantrymen began to use them against samurai riders.

Senzaki Yagoro Noriyasu is one of the 47 loyal ronin who runs with a spear in his hand. Woodcut by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798 - 1861)

The length of the spear of the Japanese infantry yari could be from 1.5 to 6.5 m. Usually it was a spear with a double-edged tip ho, however, spears with several points at once are known, with hooks and moon-shaped blades attached to the tip and taken away from it to the sides .

The rarest kuradashi yari spear of blacksmith Mumei. Edo period, circa 1670. Next to it is a suitably shaped case.

Using the yari spear, the samurai struck with his right hand, trying to pierce the enemy’s armor, and with his left he simply held his shaft. Therefore, it was always varnished, and the smooth surface made it easy to rotate in the palms. Then, when long yari appeared, which became a weapon against cavalry, they began to be used rather as a striking weapon. Ashigaru foot warriors were usually armed with such spears, resembling the ancient Macedonian phalanx with long pikes lined one to one.

The tip of the yari spear and its case.

Well, if the tip of the spear broke, then they didn’t throw it away, but turned it into such an elegant tanto-yari dagger.

The shapes of the tips varied, as did their length, of which the longest reached 1 m. In the middle of the Sengoku period, the shaft of the yari lengthened to 4 m, but it was more convenient for riders to control spears with short shafts, and the longest yari remained the weapon of the ashigaru foot soldiers. Other interesting view polearms such as fighting pitchforks were sasumata sojo garama or futomata-yari with a metal tip like a slingshot, sharpened from the inside. It was often used by samurai police officers to detain intruders armed with a sword.

Sasumata sojo garama

In Japan, they also came up with something resembling a garden trident cultivator and called kumade (“bear paw”). In his representations, one can often see a chain wrapped around the shaft, which must have been attached to the wrist or to armor so that it would not be lost in battle. This weapon curiosity was used during the storming of castles, during boarding, but in a field battle with its help it was possible to hook an enemy warrior by the kuvagata horns on a helmet or by cords on armor and pull them off a horse or from a wall. Another version of the "bear's paw" was a mace with outstretched fingers, and entirely made of metal!

The kumade mace is a striking fusion of two styles of Chinese and Japanese island weapons.

The police also used sode-garami (“tangled sleeve”), a weapon with hooks diverging from the shaft, with which they caught on the sleeves of the criminal so that he could not use his weapon. The way to work with it is simple to genius. It is enough to approach the enemy and forcefully poke him with the tip of the sode-garami (it doesn’t matter whether he is injured or not!) so that his hooks with the ends bent like fishhooks dig into his body.

Sode-garami tip.

It was in this way that murderers, robbers and violent revelers were captured in Edo times. Well, in battle, sode-garami tried to hook the enemy by the lacing on the armor and pull him off the horse to the ground. So the presence of a large number of cords on Japanese armor represented a "double-edged sword." In certain cases, for their owner, it was simply deadly! The navy also used something similar to it - the uchi-kagi grappling hook.

Many martial arts have been invented in Japan. Many of them require the handling of edged weapons. Samurai immediately come to mind - warriors who fought mainly in this way. And today fencing with a Japanese sword is quite popular, especially in the country where this art originated.

But to the question: “What is the name of the Japanese sword?” - there can be no single answer. However, if you ask it to an unknowing person, then in most cases the answer will be: “Katana”. This is not entirely true - a Japanese sword cannot be limited to one name. It must be understood that there are a large number of representatives of this cold type of weapon. The types of Japanese swords can be listed for a long time, there are dozens of them, then the most famous of them will be given.

Manufacturing

The tradition of swordsmanship goes back to the distant past, in the days of the samurai. Dangerous weapon - Japanese sword. Making it is a whole science that is passed from master to master. Of course, it is almost impossible to fully tell how a real work is created in the hands of blacksmiths, everyone uses various techniques and special additions and tricks. However, in general, everyone adheres to the following.

It is mandatory to use laminated steel with controlled carbon content. This gives the sword a special plasticity and strength at the same time. Refined steel is refined at high temperatures, iron becomes pure.

Sori

Absolutely all Japanese swords have a characteristic curve called sori. It can be made in various versions. The centuries-old evolution of this type of edged weapons, and at the same time the equipment of the samurai, made it possible to find an almost ideal option.

The sword is an extension of the arm, and in the swordsman it is almost always slightly bent, so the weapon also has a curve. Everything is simple, but at the same time wise. Sori appears in part due to a special processing that uses enormous temperatures. Hardening is not uniform, but zonal, some parts of the sword are much more affected. By the way, in Europe, masters used just this method. After all the procedures, the Japanese sword has different hardness, the blade is 60 Rockwell units, and the reverse side is only 40 units. What is the name of the Japanese sword?

bokken

To begin with, it is worth designating the simplest of all Japanese swords. Bokken is a wooden weapon, it is used in training, since it is difficult to cause serious injury to them, only masters of art are able to kill them. An example is aikido. The sword is created from various types of wood: oak, beech and hornbeam. They grow in Japan and have sufficient strength, so the choice is clear. For safety and appearance resin or varnish is often used. The length of the bokken is about 1 m, the handle is 25 cm, the blade is 75 cm.

The weapon must be strong enough, so crafting also requires skill. The bokken withstands strong blows with the same sword and jo, a wooden pole. The most dangerous is the tip, which can seriously harm.

As already mentioned, a professional is able to apply death blow using Japanese wooden sword. For example, it is enough to take the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who often used a wooden sword in fights, most often the fight ended in the death of the opponent. Therefore, in Japan, not only real blades, but also bokken are treated with great respect. For example, at the entrance to the plane, it must be checked in as baggage. And if you do not use a cover, then this is equated to wearing cold weapons. This Japanese sword is dangerous. The name can be attributed to all swords made of wood.

Interestingly, there are three types of wooden sword: male, female and training. However, do not think that only the fair sex use the second. Women's most popular, as it has a special curvature and lightness. Male - with a thick blade and directness. The training one imitates a steel blade, the blade has a particularly large thickening, implying the weight of an iron one. What other types of Japanese swords are there?

Daisho

Literally, the name translates as "big-small". This is the main weapon of the samurai. The long sword is called daito. Its length is about 66 cm. A short Japanese sword (dagger) is a seto (33-66 cm), which serves as a secondary weapon of a samurai. But it is a mistake to believe that these are the names of certain swords. Throughout history, the bundle has changed, used different kinds. For example, before the early Muromachi period as long sword tachi was used. Then he was supplanted by the katana, which was worn in a scabbard secured with tape. If a dagger (short sword) tanto was used with tati, then wakizashi were usually taken with her - Japanese swords, photos of which can be seen below.

In Europe and in Russia, it is believed that the katana is a long sword, but this is not entirely true. It really has been such for a long time, but its use is a matter of taste. Interestingly, in Japan, the use of daisho only by samurai was strictly observed. Military leaders and shoguns held this rule sacred and issued decrees accordingly. The samurai themselves treated the weapon with special trepidation, they kept it near them even during sleep. The long sword was removed at the entrance to the house, and the short one was always with him.

Other classes of society were not allowed to use the daisho, but could take them individually. A bunch of swords was the main part of the samurai costume. It was she who was a confirmation of class affiliation. Warriors from an early age were taught to take care of the weapons of their master.

katana

And finally, perhaps the most popular of representing the best Japanese swords. Katana in modern language means absolutely any representative of this type of weapon. As mentioned above, it was used by samurai as a long sword, most often it is paired with wakaji. Weapons are always carried in sheaths to avoid accidental injury to others and themselves. Interestingly, the angle at which the katana is usually placed on the belt allows you to hide its true length from the rest. A cunning and simple method appeared in the Sengoku period. In those days, weapons ceased to be a necessity, they were more used for the sake of tradition.

Manufacturing

Like any Japanese sword, the katana has a complex design. The manufacturing process can take several months, but the result is a real work of art. First, pieces of steel, put together, are poured with a solution of clay and water, and also sprinkled with ash. This is necessary so that the slag that forms during the melting process is absorbed. After the steel is red-hot, the pieces are joined.

After the most difficult process- forging. The pieces are repeatedly flattened and folded, thereby allowing the carbon to be evenly distributed throughout the workpiece. If you add it 10 times, you get 1024 layers. And this is not the limit. Why is this necessary? In order for the hardness of the blade to be the same. If there are significant differences, then under conditions of heavy loads, the probability of breaking off is high. Forging lasts several days, during which time the layers reach a truly large amount. The structure of the blade is created by the composition of the strips of metal. This is its original appearance, later it will become part of the sword.

The same layer of clay is applied to avoid oxidation. Then hardening begins. The sword is heated to a certain temperature, which depends on the type of metal. This is followed by instant cooling. The cutting edge becomes hard. Then the final work is done: sharpening, polishing. The master carefully works on the blade for a long time. At the end, when the edges have flattened, he works with small stones held with one or two fingers, some using planks. Today, engraving has become popular, which usually conveys scenes with a Buddhist theme. Work is being done on the handle, which takes a few more days, and the katana is ready. This Japanese sword is dangerous. The name can be attributed to a large number of representatives that differ from each other.

View

Real Japanese swords should have not only a sharp blade and strength, but also durability. They must not break strong blows, as well as a long time without sharpening. Carbon gives hardness, but at the same time, the sword loses its elasticity, which means it becomes brittle. Blacksmiths in Japan invented various forms that could provide both elasticity and durability.

Ultimately, it was decided that layering solved the problem. The traditional technique involves making the core of the blade from mild steel. The remaining layers are elastic. Various combinations and methods help to create such a Japanese sword. A combat blade should be comfortable for a certain warrior. Also, the blacksmith can change the type of steel, which greatly affects the entire sword. In general, katana can be very different from each other due to the above reasons.

The designs of the blades, due to the complexity of manufacturing, cost differently. For example, the cheapest one involves the use of one grade of steel. Usually used to create tanto. But soshu kitae is the most complex design, it has seven layers of steel. An exemplary work created with its application is a work of art. One of the first soshu kitae was used by the blacksmith Masamune.

In the house and on the street

As you know, in Japan there are a huge number of traditions, many of which directly relate to edged weapons. For example, when entering a house, a warrior never took off his short Japanese samurai sword. Wakaji remained in the scabbard as a reminder of the combat readiness of the guest. With a katana (long sword) it was different. His samurai held in his left hand, if he was afraid for own life. As a sign of trust, he could shift it to the right. When a warrior sat down, he also did not part with his swords.

On the street, the samurai carried a katana in a scabbard called a saya. Mounting for the sword was called kosirae. If there was a need, then the warrior did not part with the katana at all. However, in peacetime, the long sword was left at home. There it was stored in a special shirasai assembly, which was created from untreated magnolia wood. She was able to protect the blade from corrosion.

If we compare a katana with Russian counterparts, then it most of all resembles a checker. However, thanks to the long handle, the former can be used with two hands, which is a distinctive feature. Useful property katana can be called that with its help it is also easy to deliver stabbing blows, since the bend of the blade is small, and the blade is sharp.

Wearing

The katana was always worn to the left of the body in a sheath. The obi belt securely fastens the sword and prevents it from falling out. In society, the blade should always be higher than the handle. This is a tradition, not a military necessity. But in armed conflicts, the samurai held a katana in his left hand, that is, in a state of combat readiness. As a sign of trust, as already mentioned, the weapon passed to the right hand. The Japanese katana sword replaced the tati by the end of the 14th century.

Usually, everyone chose a handle decorated with decorative elements, and no one chose an ugly and unfinished one. However, at the end of the 19th century, it was forbidden in Japan to carry swords, all but wooden ones. And the raw handle began to gain popularity, since the blade was not visible in the sheath, and the sword could be mistaken for a bokken. In Russia, the katana is characterized as a two-handed saber with a blade of more than 60 cm.

However, not only the katana was used by the samurai. There are lesser known and popular species Japanese swords. They are written about below.

Vikadzasi

This is a short Japanese sword. The traditional type of edged weapons was quite popular among the samurai. Often it was worn in a pair just with a katana. The length of the blade actually made it not a sword, but rather a dagger, it is about 30-60 cm. The entire wakizashi was about 50-80 cm, depending on the previous indicator. The slight curvature made it look like a katana. Sharpening was one-sided, like most Japanese swords. The convexity of the section is much larger than that of the katana, so soft objects were cut sharper. Distinctive feature is a square handle.

Wakizashi was very popular, many fencing schools taught their pupils to use it and a katana at the same time. The sword was called the guardian of his honor and was treated with special respect.

However, the main advantage of the katana was the free wearing of wakizashi by absolutely everyone. If only samurai had the right to use a long sword, then artisans, workers, merchants and others often took a short sword with them. Due to the considerable length of the wakizashi, it was often used as a full-fledged weapon.

Tati

The long Japanese sword, which was replaced by the katana, was quite popular at one time. The fundamental differences between them could be identified even at the stage of creating the blade - a different design was used. Katana has much better performance, however, tachi deserves attention. It was customary to wear a long sword with the blade down, a special dressing fixed it on the belt. The scabbard was most often wrapped around to avoid damage. If the katana was part of civilian clothing, then the tachi was exclusively military. Paired with him was a tanto sword. Also, tati was often used as a ceremonial weapon at various events and in the courts of shoguns and emperors (the former can also be called princes).

Compared with the same katana, the tachi has a more curved blade and is also longer, about 75 cm. The katana is straight and relatively short. The handle of the tachi, like the sword itself, is rather strongly curved, which is the main distinguishing side.

Tati had a second name - daito. In Europe, it is usually pronounced "daikatana". Error due to misreading of hieroglyphs.

Tanto

Paired with tati was a short sword, which could also be attributed to daggers. Tanto is a phrase, so in Japan it is not considered a knife. There is also another reason. Tanto was used as a weapon. However, the kozuka knife was worn in the same sheath as it. The length of the blade is within 15-30 cm. Most often, the blade was one-sided, but sometimes double-edged ones were created, but as an exception.

Interestingly, wakizashi, katana and tanto are the same swords, only different in length. There was a variety of yoroi-doshi, which had a trihedral blade. He was needed to pierce armor. Tanto was not banned for use by ordinary people, so not only samurai wore it, but also doctors, merchants and others. In theory, a tanto, like any short sword, is a dagger. Another variety was the kaiken, which was shorter in length. It was most often worn by ladies from high society in an obi belt and used for self-defense. The tanto did not disappear; it remained in the traditional wedding ceremonies of royal people. And some samurai wore it instead of a wakizashi in conjunction with a katana.

Odachi

In addition to the above types of long sword, there were less known and common ones. One of these is odachi. Often the term is confused with nodachi, which is described below, but these are two different swords.

Literally, odachi means "big sword". Indeed, the length of its blade exceeds 90.9 cm. However, there is no exact definition, which is also observed with other species. In fact, any sword that exceeds the above value can be called odachi. The length is about 1.6 m, although it often exceeds it, the hilt of the Japanese sword was considerable.

Swords have not been used since the Osaka-Natsuno-Jin War of 1615. After it, a special law was issued prohibiting the use of edged weapons of a certain length. Unfortunately, a meager amount of odachi has survived today. The reason for this is that the owners cut their own edged weapons in order to comply with the standards. After the ban, swords were used as a gift, as they were quite valuable. This became their purpose. The high cost was due to the fact that the manufacture was extremely difficult.

Nodachi

The name literally means field sword. Nodachi, like odachi, had a huge length. It made creation difficult. The sword was worn behind the back, since only this method was possible. The distribution of nodachi did not receive just due to the complexity of manufacturing. In addition, when fighting, he also required skill. The complex technique of possession was determined by the large size and huge weight. It was almost impossible to draw a sword from behind in the heat of battle. But where was it used then?

Perhaps the most best use there was a fight with the horsemen. The large length and sharp end made it possible to use the nodachi as a spear, moreover, striking both a person and a horse. The sword was also quite effective when dealing damage to several targets at once. But for close combat, nodachi is completely unsuitable. Samurai, if necessary, discarded the sword and picked up a more convenient katana or tachi.

Kodati

The name translates as "little tati". Kodachi is a Japanese edged weapon that cannot be attributed to either long or short swords. It is rather something in between. Due to its size, it can be easily and quickly snatched and perfectly fenced. The versatility of the sword, due to its size, made it possible to use it in close combat, where movements are constrained and at a distance.

Kodachi is best compared to wakizashi. Although their blades are very different (the former has a wider one), the technique of possession is similar. The length of one and the other is also similar. Kodachi was allowed to be worn by everyone, as it could not refer to long swords. It is often confused with wakizashi for the reasons described above. Kodachi was worn like a tati, that is, with a downward bend. The samurai who used it did not take second edged weapons in daisho due to its versatility. The Japanese combat sword was not required in a bundle.

In Japan, a large number of swords were created, for which there was no exact definition. Some, relating to small ones, could be worn by all people. The samurai usually chose the types of swords that he used in a bunch of daisho. Swords crowded out each other, as the new ones had better characteristics, tachi and katana are a prime example. Qualitatively made by great masters, these swords were real works of art.

There are many legends about Japanese swords, often not justified. Probably, a lot of people will answer the question of what the Japanese sword is called - Katana. This is true in part, but only in part. The classification of Japanese swords is not an easy task. The most simple classification, in my opinion, is by length.

It is known that the samurai wore two swords - long and short.. This couple was called Daisho(lit. "larger and smaller") and consisted of Daito ("greater sword"), we will call it Katana, which was the main weapon of the samurai, and Seto ("smaller sword"), in the future Wakazashi, which served as a spare or additional weapon, used in close combat, for chopping off heads or hara-kiri, if the samurai did not have a Kusungobu or Tanto dagger specially designed for this. If the wearing of a large Katana sword was allowed only for samurai wars and aristocrats, then Wakazashi had the right to wear both artisans and merchants.

Kusungobu - melee dagger

So the long sword was called Daito (Katana)- 95-120 cm, short - Seto (Wakazashi)- 50-70 cm. The Katana handle is usually designed for 3.5 fists, Wakazashi - for 1.5. The width of the blade of both swords is about 3 cm, the thickness of the back is 5 mm, while the blade has a razor sharpness. The hilt is usually covered with sharkskin or wrapped in such a way that the hilt does not slip in the hands. Katana weight about 4 kg. The guard of both swords was small, only slightly covering the hand, had a round, petal or multifaceted shape. It was called "tsuba".

Katana and other Japanese swords were kept on a special stand - Katanakake.

Katana, has several varieties, one of them is Ko-katana (kokatana) - a variant of a short katana, which, along with a katana, is included in a regular samurai set of edged weapons. The handle of the kokatana is straight without a bow, the blade is slightly curved. The specimen described in the domestic literature has a length of 690 mm, a blade length of 520 mm.

Kokatana a type of katana

The katana was attached to the belt or behind the back. Tied with a special Sageo cord, this cord could also be used to bind an opponent. To carry a katana behind the back, special scabbards were used (Watarimaki is the part of the scabbard of Japanese bladed weapons that touches the back when worn).

Katana is the most modern and perfect type of Japanese edged weapons, its production has been perfected for centuries, the predecessors of katana were:

Tati - a sword common in Japan from the 10th to the 17th centuries, equal in length to the Katana. Although Katana swords also have a decent blade curvature, overall it is less than that of the Tachi. Their exterior finish is also different. It is much simpler and stricter than Tati's. Has a round tsuba. The tachi was usually worn with the blade down, paired with the koshigatana.

Tanto - small samurai sword

Kozuka - Japanese combat knife used as a melee or throwing weapon. IN Everyday life served as a household knife.

Ta-chi - a single-edged sword of small curvature, worn on the back. Total length 710 mm.

In addition to Daise, a samurai could also wear Nodachi - "field sword" with a blade longer than a meter and a total length of about 1.5 m, sometimes its length reached three meters! Several samurai wielded such a sword at once, and its only use was the defeat of cavalry troops.

Nodachi

Katana - the strongest sword in the world

Katana production technology is very complex - special steel processing, multi-layer (repeated) forging, hardening, etc. Katanas are the strongest swords in the world, they are able to cut materials of almost any hardness, be it meat, bones, iron. Masters who know the art of katana fighting in a battle with a warrior armed with an ordinary European sword could cut this sword into two parts, the samurai's strike force and katana steel made it possible to do this (Monuchi is the part of the blade of the blade of the Japanese bladed weapon, which accounts for the main force hit).

A katana could be equally easily stabbed and cut. The long handle allows you to actively maneuver the sword. In this case, the main grip is the position when the end of the handle rests in the middle of the palm, and the right hand holds it near the guard. The simultaneous movement of both hands allows the sword to describe a wide amplitude without much effort. Both the Katana and the straight European sword of a knight weigh a lot, but the principles for performing chopping blows are completely different. Most of the blows are applied in a vertical plane. There is almost no division into “block strike” accepted in Europe. There are knockback blows to the hands or weapons of the enemy, throwing his weapon out of the line of attack and making it possible to deliver a striking blow to the enemy in the next step.

Weaknesses of the katana

Speaking about the features of the manufacturing technology of the samurai sword, it is worth noting the weaknesses of this process, namely, gaining greater hardness and power along the axis of the blade, this type of sword is more vulnerable if hit on its flat side. With such a blow, you can even knock out a Katana with a short mace (or Okinawan nunchucks, which were specially used to break samurai swords). And if the European sword usually breaks at a distance of the palm or two fingers from the guard, then the Japanese one breaks at a distance of 1/3 or 1/2 of the length of the blade from the guard.

Yes, those stories are also true when metal was cut with a katana. It's possible! It is documented that when a master strikes with such a blade, the speed of the tip of the sword (Kisaki) exceeded the speed of sound. And if we take into account the fact that Katana swords are among the most durable in the world, then the conclusion suggests itself.

Tachi - a sword as long as a katana

Japanese long sword tachi. The wavy hamon pattern on the blade is clearly visible.

The most ancient handmade katana (sheaths for katana were also decorated with ornaments) are most valued and passed down from generation to generation as a family heirloom. Such katana are very expensive, especially if you can see Mei on it - a brand with the name of the master and the year of manufacture on the shank of a Japanese bladed weapon - of any famous master.

Many master gunsmiths from different countries tried to copy the katana, as a result of this they got such famous swords how: Three - Tibetan sword, copying the samurai; Taijinjian (Chinese sword of the great limit) a type of jian; korean sword, Japanese name katana in the 7th-13th centuries; etc. But, real katana can only be found in Japan, and if a katana is not made in Japan, it is no longer a katana!

Components of a katana:

• Decoration adjacent to the tsuba, a ring that strengthens the handle (clutch) - Fuchi,
• Cord - Ito (Ito),
• Blade - Kami,
• The upper ring (head) of the handle is Kashira,
• Entrance to the scabbard - Koiguchi,
• The tip of the scabbard - Kojiri (Kojiri),
• Tie loop - Kurikata,
• Bamboo wedge for fixing the blade in the handle - Mekugi (Mekugi),
• Decoration on the handle under (or above) braid - Menuki (Menuki),
• Shank - Nakago,
• Ties - Sageo (Sageo),
• Stingray leather on the handle - Same (Same),
• Scabbard - Saya,
• Laying between the guard and the ring (washer) - Seppa,
• Hammer for dismantling the sword - Tetsu,
• Blade - Tosin,
• Garda - Tsuba (Tsuba),
• Handle - Tsuka (Tsuka),
• Braid - Tsukamaki,
• Clutch for fixing the sword in the scabbard - Habaki.

Japanese short sword wakizashi. Blade and sword in scabbard.

Wakizashi is a short traditional Japanese sword.

Mostly used by samurai and worn on the belt. The length of the blade is from 30 cm to 61 cm. The total length is 50-80 cm. Wakizashi is similar in shape to a katana. It was worn in tandem with a katana, also plugged into the belt with the blade up.

In a pair of daisho (the two main swords of the samurai: long and short), the wakizashi was used as a short sword (shoto).

The samurai used the wakizashi as a weapon when the katana was unavailable or unusable. IN early periods In Japanese history, a small tanto sword was worn instead of a wakizashi. And also when a samurai put on armor, instead of katana and wakizashi, tachi and tanto were usually used. Entering the room, the warrior left the katana with the servant or on the katanakake. The wakizashi was always worn with him and was only removed if the samurai stayed for a long period of time. The bushi often referred to this sword as the "guardian of one's honor". Some schools of swordsmanship taught to use both the katana and the wakizashi at the same time.

Unlike the katana, which could only be worn by samurai, the wakizashi was reserved for merchants and artisans. They used this sword as a full-fledged weapon, because by status they did not have the right to wear a katana.

A more correct classification: Somewhat conventionally, it is possible to classify weapons according to the length of the blade. "Tanto" should have a blade no shorter than 30 cm and no longer than 40 cm, "wakizashi" - from 41 to 60 cm, "katana" - from 61 to 75 cm, "tachi" - from 75 to 90 cm. "Odachi" from 3 shaku 90.9 cm. The largest odachi that has survived to this day has a length of 3 m 77 cm.

The name "samurai" can be considered conditional. It is familiar to a European who understands this type of sword primarily as a katana, but this form of the sword came to Japan itself from Korea, and in Japanese chronicles of the 7th-13th centuries. such a sword was called "Korean". The ancient Japanese sword - tsurugi - had a long handle and a straight double-edged blade. They carried it obliquely behind their backs and exposed it, grabbing the handle with both hands at once. Starting from the 3rd century AD. tsurugi becomes sharpened only on one side, and some of its types have a massive counterweight on the handle. The curved blade in Japan began to be made in the Heian era (the first serious mention of them dates back to 710), that is, almost simultaneously with the appearance of the classic saber in the Middle East. By the 12th century, with the growth of power and the strengthening of the samurai class, the curved blade, which is the service weapon of the samurai, completely replaces the straight one in Japan.

Both in European and in our literature there is sufficient confusion in the names of samurai swords. It is known that the samurai wore two swords - long and short. Such a pair was called daisho (lit. "larger and smaller") and consisted of daito ("larger sword"), which was the main weapon of the samurai, and seto ("smaller sword"), which served as a spare or additional weapon used in close combat, for chopping off heads or hara-kiri, if the samurai did not have a kusungobu dagger specially designed for this. True, the custom of carrying two swords finally took shape only by the 16th century. A long sword has a blade length of more than two shaku (shaku = 33 cm), a short sword - from one to two shaku (that is, 33-66 cm). The long sword is the most famous in Europe, commonly referred to as the "katana". But this is not entirely correct. A katana is such a long sword, which is worn in a scabbard, with the blade up in the belt, and is pulled out of the sheath, uncovered, in a downward motion. This method of carrying a sword appeared in the XIV-XV centuries. and became the main, most convenient (by the way: wearing a katana behind the belt with the blade up makes it convenient to pull it out not only with the right, but also with the left hand) Until that time, the word "katana" denoted a long dagger or short sword stuck in the belt, and the long one was called " tati". Tati was worn on his side in a sling tied to a scabbard, in which he was placed with the blade down, exposed from the bottom up. This way of carrying a long sword was suitable when the samurai fought mainly on horseback, but for foot it was much less convenient. In addition, etiquette required that a long sword be removed at the entrance to the house, and removing the sword in the sheath from the belt is much easier and more convenient than unhooking them from the sling each time and then tying them back. From the 14th-15th centuries, when such swords began to be worn mainly behind the belt, wearing a sword in a sling began to be considered more ceremonial, and therefore the tachi itself and its scabbard got off much richer, because they were ceremonial. The short sword, always carried in a scabbard at the waist, was called a katana or tanto when paired with a tachi. And when worn in tandem with a long katana, it was called wakizashi. So the name of the samurai swords reflects mainly the way they are worn, and the larger and smaller swords removed from the scabbard, whatever they were called, had the same length and shape, except perhaps very early forms of the smaller sword (at the time when it was still called katana) had a barely noticeable curvature and seemed almost straight.

The length of the daito is 95-120 cm, the seto is 50-70 cm. The handle of a long sword is usually designed for 3.5 fists, a short one for 1.5. The width of the blade of both swords is about 3 cm, the thickness of the back is 5 mm, while the blade has a razor sharpness. The hilt is usually covered with sharkskin or wrapped in such a way that the hilt does not slip in the hands. The weight of the long sword is about 4 kg. The guard of both swords was small, only slightly covering the hand, had a round, petal or multifaceted shape. It was called "tsuba". The tsuba of a small sword could have additional slots for putting additional knives into its scabbard - throwing kozuki and household kogai. The production of tsuba has literally turned into an art craft. They could have a complex openwork shape, be decorated with carvings or relief images.

In addition to daise, the samurai could also wear a nodachi - a "field sword" with a blade more than a meter long and a total length of about 1.5 m. They usually wore it behind their backs like a tsurugi or on their shoulders, holding it with their hands. With the exception of length, the nodachi was structurally no different from the daito, which we will refer to as the katana from now on.

The rider could hold a katana with one hand, but in battle on the ground this sword was preferred to be held with two hands because of its weight. Early katana techniques included wide, circular cutting and cutting movements, but later they became much more developed. A katana could be equally easily stabbed and cut. The long handle allows you to actively maneuver the sword. In this case, the main grip is the position when the end of the handle rests in the middle of the palm, and the right hand holds it near the guard. The simultaneous movement of both hands allows the sword to describe a wide amplitude without much effort.

Both the katana and the straight European sword of a knight weigh a lot, but the principles for performing chopping blows are completely different. The European method, aimed at penetrating armor, involves the maximum use of the inertia of the movement of the sword and striking "with a carry". In Japanese swordsmanship, a person wields a sword, not a person's sword. There, the blow is also applied with the force of the whole body, but not from the usual step, but from the side step, in which the body receives a powerful push forward (greater than when the body is turned). In this case, the blow is applied "fixed" to a given level, and the blade stops exactly where the master wants it, and the force of the blow is not extinguished. And when the master of the sword cuts into small slices a head of cabbage or a watermelon lying on his student’s stomach, or cuts off a half of a lemon clamped in his teeth (often also blindly, blindfolded), then at the same time, first of all, it is demonstrated his ability to block a blow. And if such a blow did not hit the target, then it no longer pulls the owner along, as is the case with the European sword, but gives him the opportunity to change direction or strike the next one, especially since a short side step allows you to deliver powerful blows at every step - today's A kendoka with a black belt can execute three vertical sword strikes per second. Most of the blows are applied in a vertical plane. There is almost no division into "block strike" accepted in Europe. There are knockback blows to the hands or weapons of the enemy, throwing his weapon out of the line of attack and making it possible to deliver a striking blow to the enemy in the next step. Retreat when fighting on katanas forward. Leaving the line of attack while striking is one of the most commonly used combinations. After all, it must be borne in mind that a direct blow with a katana can cut through almost everything, and Japanese armor is simply not designed to "hold" direct blows. The duel of true masters of the samurai sword can hardly be called a duel in the European sense of the word, because it is built on the principle of "one hit on the spot." In kenjutsu, there is a "duel of hearts", when two masters simply stand or sit motionless and look at each other, and the one who first jerked to the weapon lost ...

Schools of kenjutsu, as the art of sword fighting is called in Japan, existed and there are many. Some are turning Special attention for an instant departure from the line of attack, accompanied by a vertical strike ("Shinkage-ryu"), others pay great attention to placing the left hand under the blade of the sword and fighting techniques carried out using this technique ("Shinto-ryu"), others practice working with two swords at the same time - big in right hand, small in the left ("Nito-ryu") - such fighters are called "reto zukai". Someone prefers undercutting blows in a horizontal plane with a detour around the opponent - there are many similarities between kenjutsu and aikido techniques. You can beat with a handle, you can intercept the sword on reverse grip, can be used in close combat trips and undercuts. Features of the samurai sword allow you to use almost all techniques for working with long bladed weapons.

In the 17th century, after the unification of the country under the rule of the Tokugawa house, a trend began to turn kenjutsu into kendo - a way of sword fighting into the Way of the sword. Kendo paid much attention to the moral self-improvement of the individual, and is now one of the most popular sports in Japan, which no longer uses real combat weapons, but its sports equivalents made of wood or bamboo. For the first time, a wooden sword, repeating the outlines of the present (bokken, or bokuto), was introduced by the legendary master of the 17th century. Miyamoto Musashi. True, such a wooden sword was still a formidable weapon, which could easily split the skull. Samurai often kept bokken at home, at the head. In the event of a sudden attack, it was possible to disarm and take the enemy without shedding blood, simply, for example, by breaking his arms or breaking his collarbone ...

Compared to the Japanese long sword fighting technique, the short sword fighting technique is less well known. Here there are also whipping blows with a brush, built on the same principle of a fixed blow, and the suspended position of the sword, which fans of the Slavic-Goritsa wrestling love to flaunt so much, and frequent blows with the handle in solar plexus. Naturally, compared to a long sword, there are more poke blows, since this weapon is still intended for combat at close range.

A lot has been written about the place of the sword in Japanese society and Japanese culture. The sword was and remains one of the symbols of the imperial dynasty, the object of the Shinto cult, one of the symbols of the upbringing of the national spirit. Before starting to make a real traditional Japanese sword, the Japanese blacksmith performed a long preparatory ritual, reminiscent of the preparation of a Russian icon painter for painting a church or creating an icon important to him: fasting, cleansing ablutions, long prayers, putting on clean, ceremonial clothes, celibacy .

Perhaps, in no country in the world was the etiquette of the sword so developed. As in other regions, a blade stuck in the belt on the right side or placed to the right of oneself meant trust in the interlocutor, because from this position the sword was more difficult to bring to combat readiness. At the entrance to the house, a long sword was left at the entrance on a special stand, and entering inside with this sword meant a demonstration of extreme disrespect. It was possible to pass the sword to someone, both for display and for storage, only with the hilt towards you - turning the sword with the hilt towards the enemy meant disrespect for his abilities as a swordsman, since a real master could instantly take advantage of this. When demonstrating weapons, the sword was never fully drawn, and it could only be touched with a silk scarf or a sheet of rice paper. Drawing a sword, hitting the scabbard against the scabbard, and, even more so, rattling the weapon was tantamount to a challenge, which could be followed by a blow without any warning. As in Europe, swords could have names and were passed down from generation to generation. And the best Japanese gunsmiths often didn’t brand their swords on purpose, believing that the weapon itself tells about who created it, and for a person who is not able to understand this, there is no need to know who created the sword. The word "sword" was often taboo, and, for example, "wakizashi" literally means "stuck on the side"...

Speaking about the features of the manufacturing technology of the samurai sword, it is worth noting the weaknesses of this process, namely, gaining greater hardness and power along the axis of the blade, this type of sword is more vulnerable if hit on its flat side. With such a blow, you can even break a katana with a short mace (or Okinawan nunchucks, which were specially used to break samurai swords). And if the European sword usually breaks at a distance of the palm or two fingers from the guard, then the Japanese - at a distance of 1/3 or 1/2 of the length of the blade from the guard.

The Japanese sword is a bladed single-edged slashing and cutting weapon made according to traditional Japanese technology from multi-layer steel with a controlled carbon content. The name is also used to refer to a single-edged sword with the characteristic shape of a slightly curved blade, which was the main weapon of the samurai warrior.

* Tati - a long sword (blade length from 61 cm) with a relatively large bend (sori), intended mainly for equestrian combat. There is a kind of tachi called odachi, that is, a “large” tachi with a blade length of 1 m (from 75 cm from the 16th century). In museums, they are shown in the blade down position.
* Katana - a long sword (blade length 61-73 cm), with a slightly wider and thicker blade and less bend compared to tachi. Visually, it is difficult to distinguish a katana from a tachi by the blade, they differ primarily in the manner of wearing. Gradually, from the 15th century, the katana replaced the tati as a weapon for foot combat. In museums, they are shown in the blade-up position, according to the manner of wearing. In ancient times, daggers were called katanas, but from the 16th century this name was transferred to uchigatana swords.
* Wakizashi - a short sword (blade length 30.3-60.6 cm). Since the end of the 16th century, paired with a longer katana, it forms the standard set of samurai weapons, daisho (“long and short”). It was used both for fighting in a cramped room, and paired with a katana in some fencing techniques. Unlike the katana, it was allowed to be worn by non-samurai.
* Tanto (kosigatana) - dagger or knife (blade length< 30,3 см). В древности кинжалы называли не «танто», а «катана». Меч тати, как правило, сопровождался коротким танто.
* Tsurugi - a straight double-edged sword common in Japan until the 10th century. Many samples do not belong to real Japanese swords (nihonto), as they are made according to Chinese or Korean technologies. In a broad sense, the term was used in antiquity to refer to all swords. At a later time, it was supplanted by the term ken to denote a straight sword.
* Naginata - an intermediate weapon between a sword and a spear: a strongly curved blade up to 60 cm long, mounted on a hilt the length of a person's height.
* Koto - lit. "old sword" Swords produced before 1596. It is believed that after this time, many of the techniques of traditional technology were lost.
* Shinto - lit. "new sword" Swords produced from 1596 to 1868, that is, before the beginning of the industrial revolution of the Meiji period. With rare exceptions, Shinto swords are not considered highly artistic creations of blacksmiths, although they can be distinguished by luxurious finishes. According to external signs, koto swords are reproduced, but they are inferior to them in terms of metal quality.
* Gendaito - lit. "modern sword". Swords produced after 1868 to the present. Among them, there are both mass-produced for the army according to a simplified factory technology, shōwato (lit. “sword of the Showa period”), including shin-gunto (jap. shin gunto: ?, lit. “new army sword”), and swords , forged after the resumption in 1954 of production by modern blacksmiths using traditional technologies, for which it is proposed to use the name shin-sakuto (Japanese shin sakuto: ?, "recently made sword") or shin-gendaito (lit. "new modern sword").
* Tsuba - a guard of a characteristic rounded shape, in addition to its functional purpose (to protect the hand), it served as a decoration for the sword.
* Jamon - a line of pattern on the blade, which appears after its hardening between the blade and the butt as a result of the formation of fine-grained crystalline structures in the metal.