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Maru gitae

Maru-gitae (丸鍛え)

Japanese word for a basic blade construction consisting of one type of steel.
Shin jugomai kobuse logo

Shin jūgomai kōbuse-gitae (真十五枚甲伏鍛え)

Japanese sword construction that is was found inscribed on some tangs.
Kobuse logo

Kōbuse-gitae (甲伏せ鍛え)

Japanese word for a sword construction with high carbon steel outer jacket around a softer core.
Kanetuhu-etuhu point of knife or sword

Kanetuhu / Etuhu

Ainu words for the point of a knife or sword.
Notak logo

Notak

Ainu word for the edge of a sharp tool like a knife.
Back of knife

Mekkashike

Ainu word for the back of a knife, or sword. Also the ridge of a mountain or house.
Makiri saya

Makiri-saya

Ainu word for the scabbard of a utility knife called makiri.
Makiri nip

Makiri-nip

Ainu word for a knife handle.
Ibehe ainu

Ibehe

Ibehe is an Ainu word for a knife or sword blade.
Nioi

Nioi (匂)

Japanese word for fine martensite crystals in the blade's temperline.
Nie logo

Nie (沸)

Japanese word for martensite crystals that form in blade under certain conditions.
Yoki wazamono logo

Yoki Wazamono / Ryō-wazamono (良業物)

Japanese term for a sword with the third highest rated cutting ability.
o-wazamono logo

Ō Wazamono (大業物)

Japanese term for a sword with the second highest rated cutting ability.
Saijo o wazamono

Saijō Ō Wazamono (最上大業物)

Japanese term for a sword with the highest rated cutting ability.
Wazamono logo

Wazamono (業物)

Japanese term for a sword that is tested to cut well.
Tametsugu signature logo

Tametsugu (為継)

A Japanese swordsmith in the Shōshū tradition.
Tametsugu logo

Sōshū sword with tachi koshirae

Tokubetsu Hozon, attributed to Den Tametsugu. With fine itomaki no tachi koshirae.
Itomaki no tachi

Itomaki no tachi (糸巻太刀)

Japanese term for a type of tachi koshirae.
Koshirae logo

Koshirae (拵)

Japanese term for the mountings of an edged weapon.
Makiri blade logo

Makiri-ibe

Ainu word for knife blade.
Ainu emushi sword with sash

Ainu sword with sash

With deeply carved scabbard, complete with fine guard embroidered sash.
Ainu tanto logo

Rare Ainu kuttom-ushbe

A luxury Ainu knife styled after the Japanese tantō.
Unusual Ainu knife

Unusual Ainu knife

Resembling a makiri but with the blade's edge on the opposite side.
Ainu makiri knife logo

Ainu knife

Of a typical style used in Hokkaido in the 19th century.
Slender Ainu makiri knife logo

Bark wrapped Ainu makiri

A slender makiri with a bark wrapped scabbard.
Finely carved makiri dagger

Fine Ainu makiri

An exceptionally well-carved Ainu knife.
Ainu items group

Knives and swords of the Ainu

19th-century ethnographers noticed that they had no iron production and relied solely on trade for articles like knives and swords. However, archaeologists found iron working facilities in 1988 and 1990.
Kuttom-ushbe logo

Kuttom-ushbe

Ainu word for a long knife worn in the belt.
Ainu sword logo 2

Emushi

Ainu word for sword
Ainu makiri knife logo

Makiri

Ainu word for a knife.
NBTHK papers

NBTHK Japanese sword papers

An introduction to NBTHK Japanese sword certifications and rankings.
Winged dragon tsuba

Winged dragon tsuba

A fine and unusually large tsuba. Attributed to Hizen by the NBTHK.
Kunikiyo wakizashi with horimono tested by Yamano 2 body cut

Kunikiyo wakizashi, Yamano test cut

A wakizashi by master Kunikiyo, tested by the most famous sword tester of 17th century Japan.
Kunikiyo logo

Kunikiyo (國清)

A line of Japanese swordsmiths working in Echizen.
Kinai tsuba logo

Fine Kinai dragon tsuba

Made by the Kinai group of Echizen, who originated as horimono carvers.
Sukesada logo

Bizen Sukesada

A group of sword makers in Bizen, Japan, active in the Muromachi period.
Yosozaemon Sukesada

Yosōzaemon jo Sukesada (与三左衛門尉祐定)

A Japanese swordsmith from Osafune, Bizen, who lived from 1466-1542.
Sukesada

Sukesada uchigatana made August 1523

With a sayagaki by Honma sensei attributing it to Yosozaemon.
Jumonji yari

Jūmonji yari (hozon)

A fine cross-shaped yari made by Enju Nobakatsu, with NBTHK Hozon papers.
Yari logo

Yari (槍)

Japanese word for spear or spearhead
Kusabi-hi logo.

Kusabi-hi (楔樋)

Japanese term for an irregular hamon sometimes found on spearheads
Yajirigata yari

Yajirigata yari (鏃形槍)

Japanese for arrowhead-shaped spearhead
Mitsuhiro yari logo

Yari with kusabi-hi

Large Japanese spearhead with red lacquered zig-zag groove. Signed Mitsuhiro.
Otateage suneate with Dutch goudleer logo

Suneate with Dutch leather

A pair of Samurai shin protectors finished with Dutch "goudleer".
Handachi wakizashi

Handachi mounted wakizashi

With Nanban-style guard and kozuka. Signed Fujiwara Hisayoshi.
Momoyama kabuto

Golden kabuto with iron menpo

A striking battle helmet from the Momoyama period of 1568-1600 A.D.
Uchigatana logo

Uchigatana (打刀)

Japanese word for a single-handed curved sword, the predecessor of the katana.
Nanban style ship tsuba signed Hishu Kanesada logo

Signed nanban style ship tsuba

Signed by an artist named Kanesada from Higo.
Tetsugendo Seiryuken Eiji tsuba

Seiryūken Eiju dragon tsuba

Tetsugendo school. Round plate with discoid cross-section, chiseled with dragons.
Hamon logo

Hamon (刃文)

Japanese term for the temperline on a blade, typically achieved by differential heat treatment.