This site  is to help sword lovers to explain many of the Japanese sword related topics which sword lovers may want the answer.

We welcome all to ask questions and we will put your questions answered by the smith master and display in this page.

This page will be updated from time to time, please stay tune with us.
Topic one: Japanese Sword Part in General.
Topic two: How to clean your swords in a correct way?
Topic three: Free advice from the smith?

Topic one: Japanese Sword Part in General.


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• Boshi - the hamon on the kissaki
• Fuchi - hilt collar between the tsuka and the tsuba
• Ha - the edge of the blade; typically much stronger than the rest of the blade
• Habaki - wedge shaped metal collar used to keep the sword from falling out of the scabbard and to support the fittings below; fitted at the ha-machi and mune-machi which precede the nakago
• Hada - the grain of the blade, created by the folding process to remove impurities from the blade
• Hamon - the pattern on the blade indicating the border between the harder ha and the softer mune
• Hi - the fuller or blood groove; also called a bo-hi (wide fuller)
• Kaishizuno - a hook shaped fitting used to lock the scabbard to the obi while drawing
• Kashira - butt cap (or pommel) on the end of the hilt
• Kissaki - the geometrical change at the tip of the blade intended to use for stabbing
• Kogai - spike for hair arranging carried sometimes as part of Katana-Koshirae in another 'pocket'
• Koiguchi - mouth of the scabbard or its fitting; traditionally made of buffalo horn
• Kojiri - end of the scabbard or its fitting to protect the saya; also traditionally made of buffalo horn
• Kozuka - decorative handle fitting for the kogatana; a small utility knife fit into a 'pocket' on the scabbard
• Kuri-kata - knob on the side of the scabbard for attaching Sageo
• Mekugi - small peg for securing the tsuka to the nakago; nihonto traditionally had only one bamboo mekugi which was flexible but strong
• Menuki - ornaments on the hilt (generally under the tsuka-ito); to fit into the palm for grip and originally meant to hide the mekugi
• Mune - the spine of the blade
• Nakago - the tang of the blade
• Nakago-ana - the hole(s) for the mekugi
• Sageo - cord used to tie scabbard to the belt/obi when worn
• Same-hada - literally the pattern of the ray skin
• Same-kawa (samegawa) - ray or shark skin wrapping of the tsuka (handle/hilt)
• Saya - a wooden scabbard for the blade; traditionally done in lacquered wood
• Seppa - washers above and below the tsuba to tighten the fittings
• Shinogi - the ridgeline which runs down the center of the blade
• Shitodome - an accent on the kurikata for aesthetic purposes; often done in gold-ish metal in modern reproductions
• Sori - the curve of the blade, measured on the mune side, from the mune-machi to the tip; a product of the hardening process
• Tsuba - sword guard
• Tsuka - hilt; made of wood and wrapped in samegawa
• Tsuka-maki - the art of wrapping the tsuka, including the most common hineri maki and katate maki (battle wrap)
• Tsuka-ito - the wrap of the handle, traditionally silk but today most often in cotton and sometimes leather
• Wari-bashi - metal chop-sticks fit in a 'pocket' on the scabbard
• Yokote - the line between the kissaki and the rest of the blade, indicating the geometry change

Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/