Japanese medieval swords: history, classification and manufacturing features. Japanese sword of a samurai warrior Ancient swords: before the 9th century

MUSO JIKIDEN EISIN RYU IAI HEIHO

Without a doubt, the most noticeable and beautiful detail of the Japanese sword is its tsuba, that is, the guard. It is difficult to say where this enduring custom came from, but for a millennium the blades of all traditional swords (including many spears and naginas) have been separated from the hilt by a flat disc. On the one hand, the classic Chinese saber “dao” has a round guard, although it is surrounded by a rather wide belt, on the other hand, the famous straight sword “jian” is equipped with an ordinary crosspiece such as waves or horns. Most likely, the transverse plate came from Korea, since it is Korean swords that most of all resemble Japanese ones, including the mount.
The idea may seem doubtful, since the tsuba gives the hands a very illusory protection, but here one should take into account the basic principles of Japanese fencing, which deny direct stands for an enemy strike, especially the European habit of taking it “on the guard”. The design of the tsuba is both simple and intricate, and all its fragments are subject to the strict norms of tradition. All the more surprising is the skill with which the manufacturers (tsubako) managed to give the small disk such a variety of forms. If we imagine some average tsuba, it is easy to notice a number of common elements that are present in the vast majority of products.

The most noticeable details in the outline of any tsuba are: the oval “seppa-dai” platform (Seppa Dai) in the center, as well as the “kogai-ana” and “kozuka-ana” windows, designed to exit the handles of the kogatana knife and the kogai hairpin, so that the owner had the ability to extract them without extending the blade. "Ana" - a hole, sometimes also called "hitsu" (Hitsu), that is, "slot". Accordingly, you can come across the terms “kogai-hitsu” and “kozuka-hitsu”, as well as the general concept of “r-hitsu” (Rio Hitsu), which implies both windows at once:

It is easy to notice the obvious differences in their clearance: kozuka-ana is always oval, while ko-gai-ana has the appearance of a shamrock. But this is a classic, and a large number of tsubs are perforated by two identical windows of one configuration or another. Occasionally there are arbitrary contours of a triangular, square or generally frivolous shape:

Also, about half of the products have only one window, and some are completely solid:

Quite often, one of the windows or both are immediately sealed with a copper (”suaka”) or tin-lead (“savari”) seal, called “hitsu-ume” (Hitsu Ume). It is not entirely clear why, but this was done in cases where the old tsuba was mounted on a katana. At the same time, the kogai-ana became unnecessary, because the katana sheath was only occasionally equipped with a kogatana knife, and never a kogai:

By the way, this is an indirect confirmation of the true purpose of the kogai hairpin as a tool for untying the tight knots of armor lacing. Therefore, the tsuba, left over from the old tachi, always have a kogai-ana, but the katana was worn with a civilian dress, without armor - and the pin became unnecessary. Also, by the location of the windows relative to the center, we can judge what type of sword the tsuba was intended for. The fact is that the kogatana is always (!) Located from the inside, closer to the body. But the different way of wearing tachi and katana (blade down or up) involves changing the positions of the windows. Some prudent tsubako cut out two kogai-ana, making the tsuba universal, since the flat “kozuka” (kogatana handle) fits freely in an equally wide hole.

It should also be remembered that the front side of the tsuba is the one that faces the handle, so that oncoming people have the opportunity to admire the fine work. Accordingly, most images (if they are correctly executed) show us exactly the “face”. However, there are other opinions on this matter, so you should not take what has been said as a standard or truth that is applicable always and everywhere.
It is quite rare to find a tsuba that does not demonstrate a pronounced “seppa-dai” platform. This oval elevation follows the shape of the “sep-pa” washers that were worn on the shank both behind the tsuba and in front of it. The idea is simple - by selecting washers of different thicknesses, the assembler achieved a tight fit of all the parts so that they were pressed by the end of the handle. But since there is something available for decoration, this should be immediately realized - the butt of the seppa was usually minted or cut into thin lace. The surface of the site itself was not decorated in any way, but it was here that the manufacturer placed a narrow column of hieroglyphs explaining the name of the master, the name of the city or region, the customer's coordinates, the day, year, month, and so on. At the same time, a huge number of beautiful copies are outrageously anonymous, acquiring the status of “mu-mei” (“without a signature”). The windows of the r-hitsu usually only lightly touch the seppa-dai, but sometimes they cut deep into the depths:

Exactly in the middle of the tsuba, we see a wedge-shaped window “nakago-ana”, through which passed nakago - the shank of the sword. In order for the tsuba not to wobble on the blade, pieces of soft non-ferrous metal (brass, copper) are almost always driven into the lower and upper corners of the nakago-ana. Slightly sawing or flattening pliable fragments, the master ensured an individual fit of this tsuba to this sword. Such tabs were called “seki-gane” (Sekigane) or “kuchi-beni” (Kuchibeni).
If the tsuba did not have this, then the fitting was carried out by chasing the edge of the nakago-ana directly. There are instances literally mutilated by a series of alterations.

There is an extremely persistent misconception regarding the size and thickness of the tsuba, and this misconception is characteristic of just those who, by occupation, are required to know about the subject in almost every way. We are talking about the manufacturers of modern replicas of “Japanese” swords, giving out hundreds and thousands of implausible fantasies, only from the side resembling nihon something. And just the tsuba suffered from their hands the most.

So, the average size of a tsuba for large swords is 75-85 mm with a thickness of 3-4 mm. Of course, at all times there were exceptions to the rules, but these numbers are correct in 99% of cases. Accordingly, the wakizashi were equipped with 60-70 mm tsubas with the same thickness, and the tanto protection was almost symbolic, literally 40-50 mm. But there are plenty of different disk shapes, although they fit into several basic types.

Round (Maru-gata)

oval (Nagamaru-gata)

Oval tsuba serve as a kind of transitional form from round to quadrangular. Sometimes it is a pure circle, slightly compressed vertically (horizontal ovals were not and are not), sometimes it is a rounded square or rectangle (Nagegaku-gata). Depending on the amount of rounding, the instance is closer to either one or the other group:

quadrangular (Kaku-gata)

Modern cinematographers have supplied dexterous ninja with straight swords with a huge square tsuba, which has concave sides, like an ace of diamonds. In fact, rectangular or square tsuba have been popular in the samurai environment at all times, but the vast majority of them are rounded. Probably, it was these products that were loved by real ninjas, since they could really serve as a step if you leaned the sword against the wall. Let their size and thickness differ upwards (slightly), but they did not arouse suspicion among vigilant “spy hunters”. This category also includes trapezoidal tsuba:

mocha (Mokko-gata)

The lobed silhouette of such a disc could serve as a hallmark of all tsubs in general, since it is he who is strongly associated with a small Japanese miracle. It is even difficult to say which forms hold the palm. In fact, mochas are round and oval tsubas that have four “slices”, exactly like a melon, by analogy with which they were named. The cutting depth of the “petals” varies from almost imperceptible to very solid. Then the form becomes “iri-mocha” (“deep mocha”):

The last two specimens show us a rather rare decorative element - small paired “udenuki-ana” holes in the lower part of the disk. There is an opinion that they symbolize the sun and the moon, and for greater persuasiveness, their edges were sometimes surrounded by gold and silver piping.

Polygonal

This is not a very common form, and we only occasionally meet with oaks that have the appearance of a hexagon or an octagon. Indeed, they harmonize quite badly with the classic design of the Japanese sword, and the samurai, sensitive to such things, intuitively preferred something more natural. Diamond-shaped and cruciform silhouettes are completely rare:

aou (Aoi-gata)

It is a kind of “mocha”, formed by four characteristic “petals”, or it has symmetrical gaps in the shape of a “heart”. Such an element is known in Japan as "inome" ("boar's eye"). In general, the contour is similar to the leaf of the “aoi” plant, which is why the name came from:

Sitogi (Shitogi-gata)

This is the rarest and most unusual type of guard, which is not even a “tsuba” in the usual sense for us. A similar style was used exclusively in the mounting of precious ceremonial and ceremonial swords, a kind of executive exclusive. The name comes from an analogy with the shape of a sacrificial rice cake used in Shinto rites:

Arbitrary

This category includes products whose external design is formed by elements that the master arranged in accordance with his own imagination, without trying to rigidly fit them into one of the traditional forms. But, by and large, each such tsuba is either round, or oval, or some other, and minor protruding and depressed areas do not at all destroy the overall impression:

It should be emphasized that all the samples shown above are intended for mounting tachi, katana and wakizashi swords. But - depending on the size of the blade, the tsuba of the latter either almost do not differ from the standard, or are noticeably smaller, and are quite suitable for heavy tantos, although in reality the category of “knife” tsuba includes absolutely independent products:

It is impossible otherwise - the vanishingly small dimensions forced the artists to find extremely concise and expressive solutions. However, any of the given tsubs may well be used when mounting a small wakizashi. This category was called simply - “sho” (Sho), that is, “small”.

A very important detail, which is always taken into account when classifying tsuba, is the outer rim “mimi” (Mimi). Depending on the style, there are rims made flush with the plane of the disk, raised (dote-mimi) or narrowed (goishi). A thick bezel forged directly from the plate is called "uchikaeshi-mimi" (Uchikaeshi Mimi). According to the type of section, there are round (”maru”), square (”kaku”) or rounded (”ko-niku”) rims. Occasionally there are tsuba with an overlaid (“fuku-rin”) rim, made, as a rule, of soft metal - gold, silver, copper, brass.

Although today the main stock of surviving iron tsubas has an almost bare surface, once they were all covered with a layer of durable varnish, traces of which are present on the vast majority of specimens. Usually it is black or transparent varnish, but there are also colored varieties: red, golden, and so on. This is natural - in the rainy climate of Japan, defenseless iron would not last even a year.

Until the 16th century, most tsuba were heavy, thick forged products made of iron or non-ferrous metals, and, moreover, anonymous. The gunsmiths did not make them “to take away”, but simply completed the new sword with the corresponding tsuba. But rather quickly (by historical standards) the production of protective disks became a special kind of art, and each samurai could order a unique copy, in accordance with personal financial capabilities. In addition to such rarities, experienced tsubako accumulated a fair assortment of author's works, and the exacting warrior faced the problem of choice. As already mentioned, the “dai-sho” kits were equipped with paired tsubas and other mount details, which were created by the same hands.

From the point of view of the material, solid iron tsuba look more durable, but the openwork slotted work of the “sukashi” (Sukashi) did not weaken the structure, since not a homogeneous metal was used, but a multilayer forged package with high-carbon fragments. After the final processing, these inclusions, the so-called “tekkotsu” (Tekkotsu), clearly appeared on the edge of the plate in the form of light grains of various shapes. They are rightfully considered one of the fundamental classification features, just like watermarks on securities. Unfortunately, the figure (the thickness of the disk is slightly increased for clarity) gives us only a distant idea, and besides, there are quite a few forms of tekkotsu:

The use of pure red copper in early tsuba is not as ridiculous as it might seem at first glance. Being soft and pliable, this metal has its own characteristics. Firstly, after cold forging, the strength of the product increases many times, so much so that it even acquires some elasticity. And secondly, the unique viscosity of copper protects against a sharp blade almost better than average iron. Such a tsuba will be wrinkled, but not cut off, and the hands will remain intact.

In the future, a rare variety of bronze, the famous Shakudo alloy, which includes up to 70% gold, becomes increasingly popular as a material for tsuba, as well as other components. After a special treatment (presumably in vinegar), as well as from time to time, the surface took on a persistent, uniquely deep color, blue-black and warm at the same time, which cannot be obtained in any other way. Thanks to this, shakudo perfectly combines with other traditional alloys: the no less famous copper-silver “shibuichi” (Shibuichi) and copper-zinc-lead “sentoku” (Sentoku). The combination of sparkling cold and velvety warm tones gave rise to an amazing yin-yang harmony, which is generally characteristic of most Japanese, Chinese and Korean products.

Of course, the art of tsuba reached its peak during the Edo period. The formidable utility of military swords was replaced by sophisticated decor, and the Goto family, a concentrate of hereditary jewelers and metal artists, becomes the most prominent representative of this trend. The sophisticated, tasteful work fully met the needs of the samurai of the new formation (of course, representatives of the upper strata, since Goto were the official masters of the shogunate). A characteristic stylistic feature of their products is a high relief against a calm background and an abundance of gold. This winning manner pleased contemporaries. Many secondary schools immediately arose (for example, Ishiguro, Iwamoto), which filled the market with excellent tsubas, least of all resembling the simple and practical discs of the “epoch of the warring provinces”.

State policy of the late 16th and early 17th centuries restricted the import of foreign goods into Japan. Chinese and "southern barbarians" (Namban), merchants from Holland and Portugal were allowed only in the port of Nagasaki. As a result, a fascination with European customs, weapons and quirks arose among a number of craftsmen. For example, Yoshitsugi was one of many who began to develop a synthetic direction, combining European elements with Chinese dragon and floral lines and swirls, which eventually led to the namban style. The work used fragile fibrous iron with a through (land) and solid (nunome) pattern, mainly from intertwined dragons, plant and animal ornaments, chased rims and decorative rectangles. Throughout the 17th century, the predominance of the artistic principle was expressed in even greater decorativeness, and at the turn of the 18th century, development finally moved along the path of sophistication of technology, color and the use of precious metals. Unjustified priority is given to easy-to-work gold (Kin), silver (Gin), the mentioned shakudo and shibu-ichi. Decorating technology is also undergoing noticeable shifts. If the surface of the old iron tsuba fully reflected the purely Japanese understanding of beauty lurking in the deliberately rough traces of forging or in cutting “under the stone”, then the appearance of the successors is too chic. The virtuosity of the engraving, the depth and precision of the relief, the irreproachability of the multi-colored backgrounds and plans drown the living nature in themselves. This is not Shibui, not Zen, and not the simplicity of the tea ceremony, but dead and cold perfection.

Summing up, it can be argued that in reality the “golden age” of tsuba was the troubled and bloody times of Muromachi and Momoyama. It was then that the largest number of iron discs were made, later recognized as classics of samurai aesthetics (styles of Owari, Onin, etc.). Not luxury and brilliance, but harsh simplicity and functionality - these are the qualities worthy of a real tsuba, at one glance at which, in the silence of the museum corridors, you can hear the frantic neighing of horses and the dry clang of fatal blades!

A huge number of tsuba specimens that have survived to this day (both mounted on swords and “free”) have long been divided by experts into a number of style groups. Each region, each dynasty of craftsmen or school introduced unique features into the products, in accordance with which, we can now quite reliably attribute objects. The presence of a signature simplifies the classification, but even without it, the totality of many obvious or almost imperceptible details can tell the biography of the plate almost without distortion. The colored inserts provide a brief overview of the most significant and common styles, a kind of “tsuba reader”, by studying which you will easily navigate the seemingly chaotic world of these amazing things.

Consider the device of a Japanese sword using an example katanas.

katana- long samurai sword, sword length 90-120 cm, hilt length 25-30 cm or 3 arm circumferences, blade width 27-35 mm, deflection equal to or slightly more than the blade width. The handle is covered with stingray leather or shark skin. garda katana called tsuba and is usually round in shape.

The length of the sword blade is calculated as follows: to get the maximum length, you need to subtract 90 cm from your height. To also take into account issues of ease of handling the sword, another 8 cm is usually subtracted from the resulting value. For example, 175 - 90 = 85 cm, 85 - 8 = 77 cm. (my personal opinion is not scientific, below is information from another source).

If your height is not in the table, then for each additional centimeter of height you need to add 3 mm to the length of the blade, i.e. you can more accurately calculate the length of the blade (but this is only a recommendation, because throughout the existence of the sword, its length and technique of owning it have changed, here the fighter has the right to choose the length of the sword himself, depending on the combat situation).

frame buke-zukuri, or uchi-gata-na kosirae . Swords mounted in this style were worn tucked into the belt. There was a ledge on the scabbard kurikata, through which the cord passed sageo.

Frame details buke-zukuri

Kasira - the head of the hilt of swords mounted in the style buke-zukuri.

Kojiri - the tip of the scabbard of swords in the style buke-zukuri; may be absent, then the tip of the scabbard is simply rounded and lacquered in the same way as all the scabbards.

Koiguchi - "carp mouth"; entrance to the sheath (or kuchigane, if the mouth of the scabbard is covered by a metal ring).

Kurikata - notched protrusion one-sixth of the length of the sword below koiguchi on the front side of the scabbard omote through which the cord passes sageo.

Mekugi- a fastening pin passing through the hilt and shank of the sword.

menuki - ornament on the hilt of the sword.

Sageo - cord on sword scabbard.

Same- stingray skin, which was covered fart.

Saya - sheath.

Seppa - a pair of oval metal washers covering the shank on both sides of the guard.

Futi - clutch on the handle.

tsuba - guard.

Tsuka - handle.

Tsuka-ito - handle winding

The most famous type of style swords buke-zukuri- this is katana (daito) and wakizashi (shoto). Wakizashi was just a miniature copy katana. Together they formed daisho("large and small"). If all the details of the frame daisho were designed in the same style, then this pair was called daisho soroimono.

Scabbard (saya) swords are usually made from ho no ki(Magnolias) and consist of two halves. In cross section, they almost always have the shape of an elongated oval of the same shape and size as seppa(washers) located next to them, and remain the same throughout the entire length. The scabbard for the sword, as a rule, was covered with a very durable varnish. At daisho - pairs of swords worn by samurai - this lacquer is usually calm tones, as a rule, black, and all other decorations are designed in the same calm style. Bright flashy colors were preferred by the dandies, and bright red lacquer imported from China was on swords worn by samurai from the provinces of Satsuma and Hyuga, who were famous for their courage and great ardor.

The surface on which the lacquer is applied is either plain smooth, or it may have wide or narrow grooves running diagonally or transversely. The lacquered base itself can be either grainy or well-polished, one-color or decorated. nashiji(gold dust) guri-bori or in other styles, or even a striped two-tone. Quite often, there is also a varnishing type of stingray fish ( same-nuri). These bases can then receive any form of decoration, but for daisho sophisticated maki-e(loose pattern) does not suit Japanese taste. However, with regard to daggers, the master could allow free flight of fantasy, and inlaid metal ornaments are often found here. (kanamono).

The following six pieces of sword scabbards, mounted in style buke-zukuri, could have special decoration details:

Ring covering the entrance to the scabbard - koi guti("mouth of a carp") or kuchigane, if it is metallic;

uragawara - reinforcing bar running across the base of the slot for co-gatana;

Slot lining for co-gatana and kogai. Usually in polished black lacquer, polished natural horn, or soft buff;

kurikata(“chestnut shape”) - a protrusion with a slot, located at a distance of one sixth of the length of the sword below koi guti on the side omote, through which the cord passes sageo;

sori tsuno("returning horn"), or origane, - a small hook-shaped protrusion even lower on the same side, pointing towards the hilt. It serves to prevent the scabbard from slipping forward from the belt. It is quite rare and usually wakizashi, but his presence often speaks of good
blade;

kojiri - scabbard tip. It often does not happen, especially in wakizashi, and the tip of the scabbard is simply rounded and lacquered in the same way as all scabbards. In form, material and decoration, it very often corresponds to cashier.

All these parts (with the exception of the lining of the slots for co-gatana and kogai) are usually metallic, more or less equally decorated. But in discreet settings, they may be of polished black horn, in the simplest form and in the smallest size necessary for their purpose.

Sageo - it is a flat silk cord passed through kurikatu with which the sword was tied to the belt. Length sageo was from 60 to 150 cm, depending on the size of the weapon, and it could be removed before the battle and used as tasuki for tying the long sleeves of a civilian suit to give freedom of hand movements. Sageo They were also used to bind a captured enemy. Color sageo matches the color of the scabbard. If the latter are in good Japanese taste, discreet and strict, the same will be sageo. Have bright and dog three frames sageo corresponding.

Handle (tsuka) always made from two halves of wood glued together, preferably ho no ki(Magnolias). Between them there was a hole for the shank (nakago), called tsuka-guchi. The tree was usually covered with a single piece of white same- knotted stingray skin. The seam went down the center of the side Hurrah, and usually the piece was selected so that the central row of three or four larger knots was on top of the side omote.

Winding was applied on top tsuka-ito("hilt thread"), consisting of a strip of strong flat silk (less often leather or cotton) ribbon uchi-him about up to 0.6 cm wide. Quite rarely, instead of a flat ribbon, there is a cord wrapped in rows. Usually, tsuka-ito was black, occasionally soft brown, dark blue or green. Sometimes daimyō used katana with white winding; it was also a trait of a certain type tati. Occasionally, a leather cord and a whalebone are found. The center of the tape was placed close to the handle sleeve footy on the side omote, and the two ends were wrapped around the handle, respectively, on the right and left, and twisted twice at equal distances. As a result same turned out to be completely closed, except for a number of diamond-shaped gaps on both sides of the handle. After the tape was passed through the sides of the handle head cashier, it was fixed on both sides of the handle with a flat compact knot. Slightly below the center of the handle on the side omote and a little above him on the side Hurrah the winding partially covered and fixed two decorations in place menuki.

Handle wrap options tsuka and the wrapping technique resulting in the pattern shown at top center

Attaching the cord tsuka-ito on the cashier

There were many exceptions to this usual tsuka-maki(handle winding method). For example, on swords worn daimyō with formal attire called kamishimo, at the court of the shogun during the Edo period, black silk windings crossed over cashier, instead of going inside; cashier in this case it was of plain black horn. This style is known as maki-kake-no-kashira, and a sword with such a winding was called kamishimo-zashi.

Certain court swords, as well as most short swords and daggers, had their stingray skin hilts left unwrapped. In such cases cashier and both menuki had to be fastened with glue, hidden pins, decorative buttons, or other suitable method. This style is called hanashi menuki(free menuki). There are also many forms of unwound hilts, mostly on daggers whose hilts are covered with polished or carved wood, lacquer, rattan, or metal. Usually, if there was no stingray skin on the handle, the side joints between the halves of the handle were closed with strips of metal called kenuki-kanamono.

The shape of the handle consists of a narrow elliptical section and usually thins quite a bit from both ends towards the middle. Daggers with an unwound hilt have a side omote may have an oblique cut at a distance of 2.5 cm from cashier. In the case when the dagger is worn on the chest in clothes ( kwaiken), this feature gives a person the opportunity to immediately feel which side the blade is on.

Garda (tsuba) usually in the form of a disk. The only exceptions are the guards of ancient swords, which have the shape of a small cross and are called sieve-gi(shaped like a Shinto sacrificial rice cake, hence the name). Such guards are also found on some parade types. tati. Cup-shaped guards come across, but quite rarely.

Guards come in a variety of shapes and sizes, although the most common are round or oval with a diameter of 6 to 9 cm.

Guards are almost always made of metal, although on dress swords they may be patent leather, leather stretched over wood, or papier-mâché. Up until the 16th century. tsuba guards were usually made of iron. Simple in design, they served the purely utilitarian purpose of protecting the hand. Later, with the development of metallurgy, the tsuba also became a work of art. Guard decorations reached their peak during the peaceful Edo period. For their decoration, metals such as gold, silver, copper with various reddish patinas, as well as copper alloys began to be used: shakudo, shibuichi, sambo gin, rogin, karakane, nigurome, sentoku and pure brass shinchu. The use of various chemical compounds made it possible to give them a variety of colors. To these must be added interesting contrasting combinations of two or more alloys of different colors.

Guard details (tsuba)

Hira("flat body") - part of the guard between mimi and seppadai.

Mimi - bezel.

seppadai("position for pucks") - a place for pucks seppa. The oval part of the guard around the hole for the shank. There are two washers adjacent to this place ( seppa) between the guard and the blade and the guard and the hilt. When the guard is on the sword, seppadai completely hidden from view. Usually completely unremarkable, except for the signature, it is often a slightly convex regular oval.

Nakago-ana - shank hole. A hole in the center of the guard through which the tang of the sword band passes.

Udenuki-ana - lanyard holes. Some guards have two holes of different sizes. A lanyard was attached to them.

Sekigane - aggregate. A metal filler used to fit the hole for the shank to a specific strip of the sword and keep it in place. These holes are found on iron guards and indicate that this is an early guard. The placeholder is also used in ryo-hitsu.

Kogai hitsu-ana - hole for kogai. This opening is often in the shape of half a four-petalled flower.

Kozuka hitsu-ana - hole for kozu-ki. This hole is opposite kogai hitsu-ana, designed for handle co-gatana. The hole is often shaped like half a moon. Together kogai hitsu-ana and kozuka hitsu-ana called ryo-hitsu.

Handle sleeve (futi) and handle head (kasira). These two parts of the frame are usually considered together, as they are usually designed in the same way and made by the same craftsman.

Function footy(handle couplings) and cashier(handle head) consists in strengthening the handle at both ends. Term "cashira"(lit. "head") is short for the original name "tsuka gasira"(handle head), and footy is a general term for a boundary. Both things together are usually called futi-kashira.

Futi, as a rule, consists of a flat metal ring band up to 1.3 cm wide, which wraps around the handle next to the guard and is easy to remove. at the base footy there is an oval plate called tenjo-gane("ceiling metal"), usually copper, with a hole for the shank of the sword.

Kasira is a small cup usually with a flattened bottom, although it is also common cashier with a perfectly round bottom. On the footy the main part of the pattern is located on the side omote. On the cashier the pattern is located on the end of the handle so that it is visible when wearing the sword.

From each side cashier there is an oval slot - shitodome-ana, equipped with a retractable eyelet - shitodome("oatmeal eye") of gilded copper, just large enough to fit the cord of the hilt. On a hilt with a winding handle cashier no longer sticks. However, on an unwrapped handle, it is usually secured not only with glue, but also with two leaf-headed pins large enough to conceal shitodome-ana(the loop from which is removed).

Futi signed on the side omote outer surface tenjo-gane and sometimes on the visible part. On the cashier the signature, on the rare occasions when there is one, is on a small metal plate soldered on the inside or outside. It is also located at menuki.

menuki- This is a pair of small ornaments made of decorated metal, located on both sides of the handle. They serve not only as a decoration, but also for a tighter grip on the handle. They probably trace their origins to the decorated pin caps on ancient swords. Together with kogai and co-gatana (kozuka) they can form a single set, called mitokoro-mono("three places things"). A single style can extend to a complete set of metal parts for a sword - soroimono("uniform thing") or pairs of swords - daisho soroimono. Mitokoro-mono or soroimono the work of a famous metalworker - preferably one from Goto - was a favorite gift for daimyō and other dignitaries on solemn occasions.

Mekugi- this is a mounting pin that goes through the hilt and tang of the sword and prevents the strip of the sword from falling out of the hilt. It is usually made from bamboo, but often from dark horn (very rarely from ivory). Slightly tapered when wrapped around the handle mekugi enters on the side Hurrah in the center of one of the open diamonds same so that's on the side omote its narrower end is hidden by winding. But there are exceptions to this rule. In unwrapped dagger hilts mekugi can pass through an eye made of metal or ivory or through a metal band - do-gane("metal of the body"), covering the handle.

Metal mekugi is a striking feature of most unwrapped hilts. It consists of a thick copper tube with a decorative cap, often silver, into which a copper pin with the same cap is threaded or screwed on the other side. The threads on the screws are often left-handed, and one must be extremely careful when dismantling such weapons.

Washers (seppa)- This is a pair of oval metal washers covering the shank on both sides of the guard. They are almost always made of copper, plain, gilded, silver plated, or plated with gold or silver foil. Visible surfaces may be polished or covered with light strokes. Their edges are usually milled or decorated with holes. Some swords have two or three pairs, and tati in addition to these usual seppa often there is a much larger pair, called o-seppa(large washers). They cover a large part of the guard and are decorated with engraving, and the basis of the pattern is often an elegant Maltese cross. They say that seppa began to be used in the 12th century. Their purpose is to protect footy and guard from damage and give everything a finished look.

Coupling (habaki). Despite the fact that from the artistic side habaki least significant, it is absolutely essential, and it is found on all Japanese swords, daggers and spears. This thick metal sleeve, the inner side of which fits snugly to the last two to three centimeters of the blade and the first two to three centimeters of the shank ( nakago) (approximate figures for a medium-sized weapon), has several functions. Firstly, it tightly holds the sword in the scabbard, eliminating the friction of the blade and especially the hardened part of the blade on the inner surface of the scabbard. Secondly, it to some extent protects the blade from rust in this dangerous place, so part of the sword strip under habaki should be lightly oiled. But its most important function is that it transfers the recoil of the blow through the guard to the entire hilt, and not to a relatively weak restraining peg. mekugi bamboo or horn.

Khabaki usually made of copper, silver-plated or gold-plated, or plated with gold, silver, or alloy foil shakudo. The surface is either polished or covered with oblique strokes, which are called neko gaki("cat scratching"). If a thin foil coating is present, it may be incorporated into these neko gaki or decorated with a stamped pattern. Occasionally also found habaki of iron, precious metals, or even of ivory or wood, but only on swords mounted not for serious use. If the stripe of the sword is thinner than the average and thus requires habaki additional thickness, then can be used ni-zu-habaki- double habaki. It's just a regular sized habaki, reinforced with a separate but neatly fitted piece that adds two "cheeks" to reinforce the lower part (adjacent to the guard). By habaki you can often judge the quality of a blade. Niju-haba-ki and especially habaki adorned with family crest mon, usually belong to good swords.

Sword strip terminology

The strip of a sword, dagger, or any other bladed weapon consists of a blade and a tang.

Point (kisaki)- This is the most difficult part of the sword to forge and polish. The value of a sword is largely determined by the condition kisaki. Hardening line at the point ( bossy) may not be the same on different sides of the blade.

There are a great many types of hardening line on the point (as well as on the blade itself).

Sword point types ( kisaki) and hardening lines (bosi) are classified:

1. according to the shape of the blade:

- fukura-kareru- direct;
- fukura tsuku- curved;

2. by size:

-ko-kisaki- a small point. Characteristic of the tachi of the Heian period and the beginning of the Kamakura period;
- chu-kisaki- average. Widespread type for all swords from around 1232;
- o-kisaki- long;
- ikari-o-kisaki- long and curved;

3. along the hardening line (boshi):

- ko-maru- weak rounding;
- o-maru- strong rounding. The width of the hardened part is narrower than in ko-maru;
- jizo- in the form of the head of the deity Jizo;
- yaki-zume- non-returnable. As a rule, the quench line reaches the point and turns back to the shank. In this case, the return kaeri) missing;
- midare-komi- wavy;
- kaen- fiery;
- ichi-mai- complete. The whole point is hardened;
- kaeri-tsuyoshi- straight return line;
- kaeri fukashi- long return;
- kaeri-ashashi- short return.

Sword band

Komi, or mi,- blade.
Nakago- shank.
Tosin- stripe of the sword.

Sword strip terminology

Bosi - hardening line on the tip.

Yokote - the line separating the point and the blade.

Ji (ilihira-ji) - plane between blade and sinogi(its width is called niku).

Jihad - surface pattern hada.

Ji-tsuya - darker (compared to ha-tsuya) part of the blade (the rest of the blade, except for the hardened part).

Kasane - blade thickness, measured along the butt; happens moto kasaie and saki-kasane.

Kisaki - tip (sometimes this term means the entire area from yokote to the tip of the blade).

Ko-shinogi - edge of the blade on the tip.

Mizukage - fuzzy line on the plane dzi, usually occurring when re-hardening the blade.

Mihaba - blade width; happens moto hub and saki-haba.

Mitsu-kado - point where they meet yokote, sinogi and ko-shinogi.

monouti - the part of the blade that most strikes is the part of the blade about 15 cm long, located about 10 cm below yokote(data for a long sword, for short swords and daggers it is proportionally reduced).

Moto kasane - blade thickness mune-machi.

Moto hub - blade width between ha-mati and mune-machi.

Mune - butt of the blade.

Mune-machi - a small cut separating the shank from the blade on the side of the butt, the edge mune.

Mune-saki - the name of the butt near the tip;

May - inscriptions (on nakago and etc.).

Mekugi-ana - holes in nakago for menuki.

Nagasa - blade length (measured between mune-machi and point).

Nakago-jiri - extremity nakago.

Sabigiva - border between habaki moto and yasuri-me.

Saki-kasane - blade thickness yokote.

Saki-haba - blade width yokote.

Shinogi - blade edge.

shinogi-ji - blade plane between sinogi and mune.

Sori - blade curvature.

Sugata - blade shape.

Fukura - blade shape kisaki.

Ha(or ha-saki) - blade.

habaki moto - part of the sword strip that is under the clutch habaki.

Hada - lamination of steel; the result of the folding of steel during the forging process.

Ha-mati - a small cut separating the tang from the blade on the side of the blade, the edge Ha.

Jamon - line yakiba.

Hataraki - "activities", workings on the metal surface ( nioi, nii and etc.).

ha-tsuya - the lighter part of the blade compared to ji-tsuya; practically the same as yakiba.

Hee - USD

Horimono - blade engraving.

Yakiba - hardened part of the blade.

Yakihaba - width yakiba.

Yasuri-me - notches on the shank.

Edge of the blade (shinogi) absent on blades hira-zukuri. There are two types:

speaking (shinogi-takashi). The thickness of the blade between the stiffeners is much greater than that of the butt;

• smooth (shinogi-hikushi).

The plane between the edge and butt of the blade (shinogi-ji) is wide and narrow.

Dol (hee) originally made to increase the strength of the blade and to reduce its weight. Later it began to be considered as an ornament. Sometimes the fuller was made in order to restore the balance of a shortened sword or to hide the flaws in the blade (such fullers added later are called ato bi). There are 8 types of valleys, of which koshi-hi, tomabashi, shobu-hi, kuichigai-hi and naginata-hi- on short swords.

In addition, there are 4 forms of the fuller at the shank, of which kaki-toshi and kaki-nagashi commonly found on strips of swords made by smiths from the Old Sword Period ( koto).

Dol can cross yokote(type of hee-saki-agari) and stop a little before reaching yokote(type of hisaki-sagari).

Plane shinogi-ji, not cut out full, is called tiri. Dol may have tiri on both sides (type ryo-chiri) or only on one side (type kata-chiri).

Types of fullers on the sword strip

Bo-hee- wide dol.
Bo-hi-ni-tsure-hi- wide and narrow dol.
gomabashi- two short dashes.
Kaki-nagashi- going up to half of the shank.
Kaki-toshi- passing along the entire shank.
Kaku-dome- rectangular end.
Kosi-hee- short dollar
Kuitigai-hee- double irregular dol, connecting at the end.
Naginata-hi- short wide dol; characteristic of naginata, but also found on swords.
Shobu-hee- double dol, connecting at the end.
Futasuji-hi- two narrow valleys.
Maru-dome- rounded end.

Engraving (horimono). There are various types of engraving on the blades of Japanese swords. The most frequent plots: chopsticks ( goma-hashi), ritual sword ken, the Dragon ( kurikara) and inscriptions in Chinese or Japanese characters ( bonji).

Hataraki
Ji-nie- spots noe in dzi.
Kinsuji, inazuma and sunagashi- stripes below and above the line jamon.
Ko-nie- small dots noe above jamon.
utinoke- "Activity" in the form of a crescent.

Any story about historical edged weapons would be incomplete without a story about medieval Japanese swords. This unique weapon has faithfully served its masters for many centuries - ferocious samurai warriors. In recent decades, the katana sword seems to be experiencing a rebirth, interest in it is huge. The Japanese sword has already become an element of popular culture, Hollywood directors, creators of anime and computer games “love” the katana.

It was believed that the spirits of all its previous owners live in the sword, and the samurai is just the keeper of the blade, and he is obliged to pass it on to the next generations. The will of the samurai necessarily had a clause in which his swords were distributed among his sons. If a good sword had an unworthy or inept owner, then in this case they said: "The sword is crying."

Of no less interest today is the history of this weapon, the secrets of its manufacture and the fencing technique used by medieval Japanese warriors. However, before moving on to our story, a few words should be said about the very definition of the samurai sword and its classification.

Katana is a long Japanese sword, with a blade length of 61 to 73 cm, with a slight curve of the blade and one-sided sharpening. There are other types of Japanese swords, they mainly differ in their size and purpose. At the same time, the word "katana" in modern Japanese means any sword. If we talk about the European classification of edged weapons, then the katana is not a sword at all, it is a typical saber with one-sided sharpening and a curved blade. The shape of the Japanese sword is very similar to a sword. However, in the tradition of the Land of the Rising Sun, a sword is any type (well, almost any) of edged weapons that has a blade. Even a naginata, similar to a European medieval glaive, with a two-meter handle and a blade at the end, is still called a sword in Japan.

It is much easier for historians to study the Japanese sword than European or Middle Eastern historical edged weapons. And there are several reasons:

• The Japanese sword has been used in the relatively recent past. Katana (this weapon had a special name gun-to) was massively used during the Second World War;
• Unlike Europe, a large number of ancient Japanese swords have survived to this day. Weapons that are several centuries old are often in excellent condition;
• The production of swords according to traditional medieval technologies continues in Japan to this day. Today, about 300 blacksmiths are engaged in the manufacture of these weapons, all of them have special state licenses;
• The Japanese carefully preserved the basic techniques of the art of sword fighting.

Story

The Iron Age began in Japan relatively late, only by the 7th century did Japanese blacksmiths master the technology of making weapons from laminated steel. Until that moment, iron swords were imported into the country from China and Korea. The oldest Japanese swords were most often straight and had a double-edged sharpening.

Heian period (IX-XII century). During this period, the Japanese sword gets its traditional twist. At this time, the central state power weakened, and the country plunged into a series of endless internecine wars and entered a long period of self-isolation. A caste of samurai began to form - professional warriors. At the same time, the skill of Japanese blacksmiths-gunsmiths increased significantly.

Most of the fights took place on horseback, so the place of a straight sword was gradually taken by a long saber. Initially, it had a bend near the handle, later it shifted to an area spaced 1/3 from the end of the shank. It was during the Heian period that the appearance of the Japanese sword was finally formed, and the technology for its manufacture was worked out.

Kamakura period (XII-XIV century). The great improvement in armor that took place during this period led to changes in the shape of the sword. They were aimed at increasing the striking power of weapons. Its top has become more massive, the mass of blades has increased. Fencing with such a sword with one hand has become much more difficult, so they were mainly used in foot fights. This historical period is considered the "golden age" for the traditional Japanese sword; later, many blade manufacturing technologies were lost. Today blacksmiths are trying to restore them.

Muromachi period (XIV-XVI century). During this historical period, very long swords begin to appear, the dimensions of some of them exceeded two meters. Such giants are the exception rather than the rule, but the general trend was clear. A long period of constant wars required a large number of edged weapons, often due to a decrease in their quality. In addition, the general impoverishment of the population led to the fact that few could afford a truly high-quality and expensive sword. At this time, the Tatar furnaces are spreading, which makes it possible to increase the total amount of steel smelted. The tactics of fights are changing, now it is important for a fighter to get ahead of his opponent in delivering the first blow, so katana swords are becoming more and more popular. By the end of this period, the first firearms appear in Japan, which changes the tactics of battles.

Momoyama period (16th century). During this period, the Japanese sword becomes shorter, a pair of daisho comes into use, which later became classic: a katana long sword and a wakizashi short sword.

All of the above periods belong to the so-called Age of Old Swords. At the beginning of the 17th century, the era of new swords (shinto) begins. At this time, many years of civil strife ceased in Japan, and peace reigned. Therefore, the sword somewhat loses its combat value. The Japanese sword becomes an element of costume, a symbol of status. Weapons are beginning to be richly decorated, much more attention is paid to its appearance. However, at the same time, its fighting qualities are reduced.

After 1868, the era of modern swords begins. Weapons forged after this year are called gendai-to. In 1876, the carrying of swords was banned. This decision dealt a serious blow to the samurai warrior caste. A large number of blacksmiths involved in the manufacture of blades lost their jobs or were forced to retrain. It was not until the beginning of the last century that a campaign to return to traditional values ​​began.

The highest part for a samurai was to die in battle with a sword in his hands. In 1943, a plane with Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (the one who led the attack on Pearl Harbor) was shot down. When the charred body of the admiral was taken out from under the wreckage of the aircraft, they found a katana in the hands of a dead man, with which he met his death.

At the same time, swords began to be manufactured industrially for the armed forces. And although they outwardly resembled a combat samurai sword, these weapons no longer had anything to do with traditional blades made in earlier periods.

After the final defeat of the Japanese in World War II, the victors issued an order to destroy all traditional Japanese swords, but thanks to the intervention of historians, it was soon canceled. The production of swords using traditional technologies was resumed in 1954. A special organization "Society for the Preservation of Artistic Japanese Swords" was created, its main task was to preserve the traditions of making katana, as part of the cultural heritage of the Japanese nation. Currently, there is a multi-stage system for assessing the historical and cultural value of Japanese swords.

Japanese classification of swords

What other swords, besides the famous katana, exist (or existed in the past) in Japan. The classification of swords is rather complicated; in the Land of the Rising Sun, it belongs to scientific disciplines. What will be described below is just a brief overview that gives only a general idea of ​​the issue. Currently, the following types of Japanese swords are distinguished:

• Katana. The most famous type of Japanese sword. It has a blade length of 61 to 73 cm, with a fairly wide and thick curved blade. Outwardly, it is very similar to another Japanese sword - tachi, but differs from it in a smaller bend of the blade, in the way it is worn, and also (but not always) in length. The katana was not just a weapon, but also an invariable attribute of the samurai, part of his costume. Without this sword, the warrior simply did not leave the house. The katana could be worn behind a belt or on special strings. It was stored on a special horizontal stand, which was placed at the head of a warrior at night;
• Tati. This is a long Japanese sword. It has more curve than a katana. The length of the tati blade starts from 70 cm. In the past, this sword was usually used for equestrian combat and during parades. Stored on a vertical stand handle down in peacetime and handle up in war. Sometimes another one stands out from this variety of the Japanese sword - O-dachi. These blades differed in significant size (up to 2.25 m);
• Wakizashi. A short sword (blade 30-60 cm), which, together with a katana, forms the standard weapon of a samurai. The wakizashi could be used for fighting in tight spaces, and was also used in conjunction with a long sword in some fencing techniques. This weapon could be worn not only by samurai, but also by representatives of other classes;
• Tanto. A dagger or knife with a blade length of up to 30 cm. It was used to cut off heads, as well as to commit hara-kiri, and for other, more peaceful purposes;
• Tsurugi. A double-edged straight sword used in Japan until the 10th century. Often any ancient swords are called by this name;
• Ninja something or shinobi-gatana. This is the sword used by the famous Japanese medieval spies - ninja. In appearance, it practically did not differ from a katana, but was shorter. The scabbard of this sword was thicker, the elusive shinobi hid a whole spy arsenal in them. By the way, they didn’t carry ninjas behind their backs, because it was extremely inconvenient. The exceptions were when a warrior needed free hands, for example, if he decided to climb a wall;
• Naginata. This is a type of edged weapon, which was a slightly curved blade planted on a long wooden shaft. It resembled a medieval glaive, but the Japanese also refer to the naginata as a sword. Naginata fights are still held to this day;
• Gun something. Army sword of the last century. These weapons were manufactured industrially and sent in huge quantities to the army and navy;
• Bokken. Wooden practice sword. The Japanese treat it with no less respect than a real military weapon.

Japanese sword making

There are legends about the hardness and sharpness of Japanese swords, as well as about the blacksmithing art of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Gunsmiths occupied a high place in the social hierarchy of medieval Japan. Making a sword was considered a spiritual, almost mystical act, so they prepared for it accordingly.

Before starting the process, the master spent a lot of time in meditation, he prayed and fasted. It was not uncommon for blacksmiths to wear the robes of a Shinto priest or court ceremonial dress while working. Before the start of the forging process, the forge was carefully cleaned, amulets were hung at its entrance, designed to scare away evil spirits and attract good ones. At the time of work, the forge became a sacred place, only the blacksmith himself and his assistant could enter it. During this period, family members (except women) were forbidden to enter the workshop, while women were not allowed to enter the forge at all, fearing their evil eye.

During the making of the sword, the blacksmith ate food cooked on the sacred fire, and a strict taboo was imposed on animal food, strong drinks, as well as sexual contacts.

The Japanese received metal for the manufacture of edged weapons in Tatar furnaces, which can be called a local variety of an ordinary domnitsa.

Blades are usually made from two main parts: the sheath and the core. To make the shell of the sword, a package of iron and high-carbon steel is welded together. It is repeatedly folded and forged. The main task of the blacksmith at this stage is to achieve homogenization of steel and clean it from impurities.

For the core of the Japanese sword, mild steel is used, it is also repeatedly forged.

As a result, for the manufacture of a sword blank, the master receives two bars, made of durable high-carbon and mild steel. In the manufacture of katana from hard steel, a V-shaped profile is formed into which a bar of mild steel is inserted. It is somewhat shorter than the overall length of the sword and slightly short of the point. There is also a more complex technology for making a katana, it consists in forming a blade from four bars of steel: the tip and cutting edges of the weapon are made from the hardest steel, slightly less hard metal goes to the sides, and the core is made of soft iron. Sometimes the butt of a Japanese sword is made from a separate piece of metal. After welding parts of the blade, the master forms its cutting edges, as well as the point.

However, the "main feature" of Japanese blacksmiths-gunsmiths is the hardening of the sword. It is the special heat treatment technique that gives the katana its incomparable properties. It differs significantly from similar technologies that were used by blacksmiths in Europe. It should be recognized that in this matter the Japanese masters have advanced much further than their European counterparts.

Before hardening, the Japanese blade is coated with a special paste made from clay, ash, sand, stone dust. The exact composition of the paste was kept a closely guarded secret and passed down from father to son. An important nuance is that the paste is applied to the blade unevenly: a thin layer of substance was applied to the blade and tip, and much thicker layers were applied to the side edges and butt. After that, the blade was heated to a certain temperature and hardened in water. The sections of the blade covered with a thicker layer of paste cooled more slowly and turned out softer, and the cutting surfaces received the greatest hardness with such hardening.

If everything is done correctly, then a clear boundary appears on the blade between the hardened area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe blade and the rest. It's called ham. Another indicator of the quality of the blacksmith's work was the whitish shade of the butt of the blade, it is called utsubi.

Further refinement of the blade (polishing and grinding) is usually carried out by a special master, whose work is also highly valued. In general, more than ten people can be engaged in the manufacture and decoration of the blade, the process is very specialized.

After that, the sword must be tested; in ancient times, specially trained people were engaged in this. The tests were done on rolled mats and sometimes on cadavers. It was especially honorable to test a new sword on a living person: a criminal or a prisoner of war.

Only after testing, the blacksmith stamps his name on the shank, and the sword is considered ready. Work on mounting the handle and guards are considered auxiliary. The handle of the katana was usually pasted over with stingray skin and wrapped with silk or leather cord.

Fighting qualities of Japanese swords and their comparison with European swords

Today, the katana can be called the most popular sword in the world. It is difficult to name another type of edged weapons, around which there are so many myths and frank tales. The Japanese sword is called the pinnacle of blacksmithing in the history of mankind. However, this assertion can be disputed.

Studies carried out by specialists using the latest methods have shown that European swords (including those of the ancient period) were not much inferior to Japanese counterparts. The steel used by European blacksmiths to make weapons turned out to be as refined as the material of Japanese blades. They were welded from many layers of steel, had a selective hardening. In the study of European blades, modern Japanese craftsmen were involved, and they confirmed the high quality of medieval weapons.

The problem is that very few samples of European bladed weapons have come down to our time. Those swords that are found during archaeological excavations are usually in a deplorable state. There are especially revered European swords that have survived the centuries and are today in museums in good condition. But there are very few of them. In Japan, due to the special attitude to edged weapons, a huge number of ancient swords have survived to our time, and the condition of most of them can be called ideal.

A few words should be said about the strength and cutting characteristics of Japanese swords. Without a doubt, the traditional katana is an excellent weapon, the quintessence of the centuries-old experience of Japanese gunsmiths and warriors, but it is still not capable of cutting "iron like paper". Scenes from movies, games, and anime where a Japanese sword effortlessly cuts through rocks, plate armor, or other metal objects should be left up to writers and directors. Such abilities are beyond the capabilities of steel and contrary to the laws of physics.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

The traditional Japanese sword (nihon-to) attracts lovers of edged weapons not only with its exquisite shape and noble radiance of the blade, but also with a very intricate frame that surprised European connoisseurs with its originality. She emphasized and complemented the advantages of the blade, while performing both utilitarian and purely decorative functions.

The frame had to be comfortable, reliable and beautiful; correspond to the rank of the owner and the tastes of the era. It consisted of a fairly large number of parts; various materials were used for its manufacture: a scabbard and a hilt were cut from white magnolia wood; shark or stingray skin (so-called same), Japanese lacquer (urushi) of black, red or gold color, decorative silk or leather cords, as well as various metal details decorated with jewelry skill were widely used.

The number and name of such decorative metal plates depended on the type and size of the sword. As a rule, all Japanese swords have the following characteristic removable metal parts: habaki - a soft metal sleeve that separates the blade from the blade and prevents the blade from accidentally slipping out of the scabbard; futi (ring near the guard), kashira (`heel` of the hilt), menuki (small funny figures under the silk braid of the hilt).

Sword-tachi of the 16th century. with an iron guard in the form of a mocha with a characteristic cut-out silhouette of inome-bori

The scabbard also had the appropriate pads, usually made in the same style and manner as on the handle, but already non-removable. The sheaths of many swords (mostly swords of the uchigatana type, which were worn behind the belt with the blade up) had special grooves for a small kozuka knife, used for both domestic and combat purposes - throwing, piercing the joints of enemy armor, marking the corpses of defeated enemies and etc. Sometimes a kozuka knife was paired with a multi-purpose pointed kogai hairpin, also adapted for throwing or for penetrating under the protective shell plates.

However, the main decoration of the samurai sword was usually its tsuba (guard), which is usually a flat metal plate with a diameter of 5-8 cm and from 2 to 5-6 mm thick. In the center of the guard, a groove (nakago-ana) was sawn for the shank of the sword (nakago), on the sides of it there are often one or two more holes (hitsu-ana) in the form of an irregular oval - for a kozuka knife and a kogai hairpin. Between these holes on a small field (seppadai) on some tsuba one can find brief hieroglyphic signatures of the masters who created them. The signature of the famous master served as an additional decoration. Usually this signature was placed on the side of the guard that was closer to the handle and was closed with a thin copper gasket - seppa.

There were many schools of gunsmiths who specialized specifically in the forging of guards and other metal accessories; some of these schools are named after their founder. Among them, the most famous are the schools of Myotin, Umetada, Kaneye, Goto, Shoami, Soten, etc. Other famous schools were named the same as the provinces or cities where they were located: Nara, Higo, Choshu and Goshu, Kinai, Ito, Yanagawa, Hirado...

In different eras, there was a different fashion for different styles of decorative design. Thus, early tsuba (before the 15th century) were thin round or oval wrought iron plates, usually devoid of any decor. Tsuba XV - early XVI century. often had a strict and concise decor: dark gray, almost black, patina and a slotted image (sukashi-bori) of a samurai coat of arms, a hieroglyph, a Buddhist symbol, or even some kind of vegetable, such as a black radish.

Artistic guards of later eras amaze the imagination with their masterly use of a wide variety of materials and an abundance of techniques for processing them: engraving, notching, relief carving, appliqué, cloisonné, or combining them with cut-out silhouettes, straight or inverted.

Guards could have the shape of a circle, oval, rhombus, square, rounded cross (mocha-gata), chrysanthemum flower (kiku-gata), mallow flower (aoi-gata) or even an indefinite shape invented by the master himself. Tsuba were forged not only from iron, but also from copper, bronze, brass, silver and gold, as well as from special alloys, which, with appropriate processing, gave beautiful patinas of a wide variety of colors and shades.

The surface of the guard could be smooth or worked using mokume techniques, resembling a layered structure of wood; nanako - fine grain, literally - `fish caviar`; itosukashi - a thin thread-like pattern, karakusa - openwork engraving in the form of intertwining plants and flowers. As for the decorative motifs found on tsuba, it is simply impossible to list them all: animals (horses, `Chinese lions`, tigers, cats, dogs), birds (cranes, phoenixes, eagles, peacocks, crows, geese, cormorants), weapons and insects (crickets, praying mantises, dragonflies, mosquitoes, flies, spiders), various sea creatures, flowers and plants, natural phenomena and famous landscapes, samurai coats of arms and combat accessories, images of gods, demons, dragons, as well as heroes of the Japanese military and courtiers chronicles.

Each gunsmith who made accessories for swords tried to give his products a unique, individual look, attracting the eye and capturing the attention of the contemplator. That is why the ancient Japanese tsuba cause an indescribable passion of collectors around the world.

Japanese sword (jap. 日本刀 nihonto:) - bladed single-edged chopping and cutting weapon, made according to traditional Japanese technology from multi-layer steel with controlled carbon content. The name is also used for a single-edged sword with the characteristic shape of a slightly curved blade, which was the primary weapon of the samurai warrior.

According to experts, more than 2 million Japanese swords have been made in history, of which about 100 thousand copies are currently stored in Japan, and the largest collection is located in the USA and has more than 300 thousand blades (taken out of Japan after World War II).

Japanese technology for making iron swords began to develop from the 8th century and reached its highest perfection by the 13th century. For about a thousand years, the shape of the sword remained practically unchanged, slightly changing mainly in length and degree of bend in accordance with the development of close combat tactics. The sword, being one of the three ancient regalia of the Japanese emperor, also had ritual and magical significance in Japanese society.

Terminology

Literature often uses Japanese names to refer to varieties of the Japanese sword and its details. A short glossary of the most commonly used terms:

• Tati - a long sword (blade length from 61 cm) with a relatively large bend ( sorry), was intended mainly for equestrian combat. There is a type of tachi called odachi, meaning "large" tati 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, katanas are shown in the blade-up position, according to the manner in which they are worn. In ancient times, daggers were called katanas, but from the 16th century this name was transferred to swords uchigatana.
• 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 is 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. In later times it was superseded by the term ken for a straight sword.
• Naginata - an intermediate weapon between a sword and a spear: a curved blade up to 60 cm long, on a handle, the size of which could be from the ground to the waist to the height. Close in type to the glaive or palm.
• 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 are present as mass-produced for the army using a simplified factory technology. grayish(lit. "sword of the Showa period"), including, sin gunto (jap. 新軍刀 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 (jap. 新作刀 shin sakuto:, "newly 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 that appears after it has been hardened between the blade and the butt as a result of the formation of fine-grained crystalline structures in the metal.

Comparative table of Japanese swords

Type of	Length (nagasa), cm	Width (motohuba), cm	Deflection (sorry), cm	Thickness (kasane), mm	Notes
Tati	61-71	2,4-3,5	1,2-2,1	5-6,6	Appeared in the XI century. Tachi was worn on the belt with the blade down, paired with a tanto dagger. A variation of odachi could be worn on the back.
katana	61-73	2,8-3,1	0,4-1,9	6-8	Appeared in the XIV century. The katana was worn behind the belt with the blade up, paired with a wakizashi.
Wakizashi	32-60	2,1-3,2	0,2-1,7	4-7	Appeared in the XIV century. Wakizashi were worn with the blade up, paired with a katana or alone as a dagger.
Tanto	17-30	1.7-2.9	0-0.5	5-7	Tanto was worn paired with a tati sword or separately as a dagger.
All dimensions are given for the blade, excluding the shank. Width and thickness are indicated for the base of the blade, where it passes into the tang. Data taken for swords of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (1185-1573) according to catalogs. The length of tachi in the initial period of Kamakura and modern tachi (gendaito) reaches 83 cm.

History of the Japanese sword

Ancient swords: before the 9th century.

Straight iron Japanese swords of the 6th century. Below is a Chinese type sword with a ring pommel.

The first iron swords were brought to the Japanese islands in the 2nd half of the 3rd century by Chinese merchants from the mainland. This period of Japanese history is called Kofun (lit. "mounds", III-VI centuries). In the mound-type graves, swords of that period, albeit heavily damaged by rust, were preserved, divided by archaeologists into Japanese, Korean, and the most frequent Chinese samples. Chinese swords had a straight narrow single-edged blade with a large annular pommel on the shank. Japanese examples were shorter, with a wider straight double-edged blade and a massive pommel. In the Asuka period (538-710), with the help of Korean and Chinese blacksmiths in Japan, they began to produce their own iron, and by the 7th century they had mastered the technology of forging multilayer steel. Unlike previous examples, forged from a single iron strip, swords began to be made by forging from iron and steel plates.

At the turn of the 7th-8th centuries, Japanese swords had a bend. The legend connects the appearance of one of the first such swords with the name of the blacksmith Amakuni (English) from Yamato province. Amakuni allegedly forged the famous sword Kogarasu-Maru (Little Crow) in 703, and although there is no exact date, this sword is considered the oldest Japanese curved sword.

At the beginning of the VIII century, as a result of the strengthening of the power of the emperor in Japan, the Nara period (710-794) began. The production of weapons was placed under the control of a centralized state, blacksmiths were ordered to put signatures on their products. Purchased swords were stored in imperial warehouses, they were issued to soldiers for the duration of the war or their service. The development of the technology of local hardening of the cutting blade by applying a heat-resistant paste to the blade is noted. However, the nobility of the Nara period favored long straight and curved swords of Chinese and Korean origin, perhaps due to their luxurious jewelry finish. 44 swords were made in Korea Daito("great swords"), which the emperor over the following centuries handed over to a military leader or dignitary as a symbol of granted authority for the duration of the campaign.

Old Koto swords: IX-XVI centuries

Heian period: 9th-12th centuries

The history of the Japanese sword itself begins in the Heian period (794-1185). As a result of clan strife, Japan isolated itself from the outside world, the centralized power of the state weakened, real power passed from the emperor to large feudal lords. In the 10th century, the samurai class was finally formed, professional warriors who fought at that time mainly on horseback. The swords of this period are characterized by a long blade with a small tip.

Straight swords were replaced with curved ones, and if at first the bend was made in the handle area with an almost straight blade, then by the end of the period the maximum deflection shifted to the area of ​​1/3 of the total length from the end of the shank (“lumbar bend”). In accordance with the bend, the top of the sword is formed in a characteristic way, kissaki. Kissaki includes a point with an adjacent area separated from the body of the blade by a transverse straight edge. Blade edge in area kissaki takes on an arcuate appearance (early samples of kissaki had an inclined cut of the edge in the form of a straight line).

The classic section of the Japanese blade is shinogi-zukuri: edge (sharp side face - sinogi) stretches along the entire blade to the top. Thanks to the stiffening rib, the blade optimally combines strength and relatively low weight, and in order for the side edges of the blade to converge to the cutting edge of the blade at the sharpest possible angle, the rib sinogi shifted from the center of the blade to the butt. The section in the region of the butt looks like an obtuse angle. The greatest thickness ( kasane) blade reaches near the tang: 5.5-8.5 mm, typical kasane about 7 mm.

By the end of the Heian period, both Japanese sword manufacturing technology and its appearance had developed. Description of the sword-tati according to the certificate:

Blade with a rib, strongly tapering in length from the base to a small top kissaki; pronounced "lumbar bend"; blade length 80 cm; steel surface texture similar to wood sawing; wavy line of jamon along the blade; shank with the signature of the master.

In the 11th century, Japanese swords began to be highly valued and exported to China.

Kamakura period: XII-XIV centuries

sword manufacturing technology

Blacksmiths-gunsmiths

Blacksmiths had a high social status in Japanese society, many of them are known by name thanks to the lists. Lists of ancient blacksmiths begin with the name Amakuni from the province of Yamato, who lived, according to legend, at the beginning of the 8th century during the reign of Emperor Taiho (701-704).

In the old days (Koto sword period, circa 900-1596) there were about 120 blacksmithing schools, which over the centuries produced swords with characteristic stable features developed by the founding master of the school. In modern times (Shinto sword period, 1596-1868), 80 schools are known. There are about 1,000 outstanding blacksmith craftsmen, and in total over a thousand years of the history of the Japanese sword, more than 23 thousand gunsmiths were recorded, of which most (4 thousand) during the period of koto (old swords) lived in the province of Bizen (modern Okayama Prefecture ) .

Since the 10th century, craftsmen have engraved their name on the blade tang - mei, often supplementing the inscription with the date of manufacture and the name of their province. The earliest known dated sword was made by a craftsman named Yukimasa in 1159. The following fact testifies to respect for the masters: when obsolete long swords-tachi were shortened (to the length of a katana) by trimming the shank, the inscription with the name of the master was often transferred to a new shank.

steel smelting

In Japan, the erosion product of natural iron ore deposits is often found near riverbeds, mixed with silt and other sediments. The iron in this sand mixture is only about 1%. Iron sand was mined due to its greater density, washing out light impurities with a plentiful stream of water.

The early smelting technology was not perfect: ore sand was loaded into a small pit and melted on charcoal prepared from special types of wood to burn out harmful sulfur- and phosphorus-containing impurities in iron and saturate it with carbon. Due to the low temperature, it was not possible to completely separate the molten iron from impurities in the slag, the result was obtained in the form of sponge iron ingots ( tamahagane) at the bottom of the hole. More powerful and productive Tatar ovens ( tatara beeches), preserving in general the smelting method itself, appeared in the 15th century.

Ingots of iron were flattened into thin plates, cooled rapidly in water, and then broken into pieces the size of a coin. After that, the selection of pieces took place, pieces with large inclusions of slag were discarded, the rest were sorted according to the color and granular structure of the fault. This method allowed the blacksmith to select steel with a predictable carbon content ranging from 0.6 to 1.5%.

Further separation of slag residues in steel and a decrease in carbon content occurred in the process of forging - joining individual small pieces into a blank for a sword.

Blade forging

Section of a Japanese sword. Shown are two common structures with excellent combination in the direction of the steel layers. Left: Blade metal will show texture itame, on right - masame.

Pieces of steel with approximately the same carbon content were piled on a plate of the same metal, heated to 1300 ° C and welded together with hammer blows. After that, the blank was forged: after flattening the blank, it was folded in half, then again flattened and folded in the other direction. As a result of repeated forging, a multi-layer steel is obtained, finally cleaned of slags. With a 15-fold folding of the workpiece, almost 33 thousand layers of steel are formed - a typical Damascus density for Japanese swords.

The slag still remains a microscopic layer on the surface of the steel layer, forming a peculiar texture ( hada), resembling a pattern on the surface of wood.

To make a sword blank, a blacksmith forges at least two bars: from hard high-carbon steel ( kawagane) and softer low-carbon ( shingane). From the first, a U-shaped profile about 30 cm long is formed, inside which a bar is inserted shingane, not reaching the part that will become the top and which is made of the best and hardest steel kawagane. Then the blacksmith heats the block in a furnace at 700-1100 °C and welds the component parts by forging, after which he increases the length of the workpiece to the size of a sword by forging.

With a more complex technology, up to 4 bars are welded: from the hardest steel ( hagane) form the cutting edge and tip, 2 bars of less hard steel go to the sides, and a bar of relatively soft steel forms the core. The multi-layer structure of the blade can be even more complex with separate butt welding.

Forging forms the blade of the blade to a thickness of about 2.5 mm (near the cutting edge) and its edge. The upper tip is also straightened by forging, for which the end of the workpiece is cut diagonally. Then the long end (from the side of the blade) of the diagonal cut is forged to the short (butt), as a result of which the metal structure at the top provides increased strength in the strike zone of the sword, while maintaining hardness and thus the possibility of very sharp sharpening.

Blade hardening and polishing

The next important step in the manufacture of the sword is the heat treatment of the blade to harden the cutting edge, as a result of which the jamon pattern appears on the surface of the sword, which is specific to Japanese swords. Up to half of the blanks in the hands of the average blacksmith never become real swords as a result of failed tempering.

For heat treatment, the blade is covered with an uneven layer of heat-resistant paste - a mixture of clay, ash and stone powder. The master kept the exact composition of the paste a secret. The blade was covered with a thin layer, the thickest layer of paste was applied to the middle part of the blade, where hardening was undesirable. The liquid mixture was leveled and, after drying, scratched in a certain order in the area closer to the blade, due to which a pattern was prepared. jamon. The blade with dried paste is heated evenly along its length to approx. 770 ° C (controlled by the color of the hot metal), then immersed in a container of water with the blade down. Rapid cooling changes the structure of the metal near the blade, where the thickness of the metal and thermal protective paste is the smallest. The blade is then reheated to 160°C and cooled down again. This procedure helps to reduce the stresses in the metal that have arisen during hardening.

The hardened area of ​​the blade has an almost white tint compared to the rest of the blade's darker grey-bluish surface. The boundary between them is clearly visible in the form of a patterned line. jamon, which is interspersed with shiny crystals of martensite in iron. In ancient times, the jamon looked like a straight line along the blade, in the Kamakura period the line became wavy, with bizarre curls and transverse dashes. It is believed that in addition to the aesthetic appearance, the wavy heterogeneous line of the jamon allows the blade to better withstand shock loads, damping sharp stresses in the metal.

If the procedure is followed, as an indicator of the quality of hardening, the butt of the blade acquires a whitish tint, utsuri(lit. reflection). Utsuri recalls jamon, but its appearance is not a consequence of the formation of martensite, but an optical effect as a result of a slight change in the structure of the metal in this zone compared to the nearby body of the blade. Utsuri is not a mandatory attribute of a quality sword, but indicates a successful heat treatment for some technologies.

When the blade is heated during the hardening process to a temperature of more than 770 °, its surface becomes rich in shades and rich in pattern details. However, the strength of the sword may suffer. Only the blacksmiths of the Sagami province during the Kamakura period managed to combine the fighting qualities of the sword with the luxurious design of the metal surface; high-quality swords from other schools are distinguished by a rather strict style of blade design.

The final finishing of the sword is no longer carried out by a blacksmith, but by an artisan polisher, whose skill was also highly valued. Using a series of polishing stones of varying grits and water, the polisher would polish the blade to perfection, after which the smith would engrave his name and other details on the unpolished tang. The sword was considered ready, the remaining operations for attaching the hilt ( tsuki), guards ( tsuba), the application of jewelry belonged to the category of auxiliary procedures that did not require magical skill.

Blade after forging and hardening before polishing.

Blade of the 16th century. Slightly wavy pattern is clearly visible jamon and less pronounced utsuri near the butt.

fighting qualities

The fighting qualities of the best Japanese swords cannot be assessed. Due to their uniqueness and high price, testers do not have the opportunity to test and compare them with the best work of gunsmiths from other regions of the world. It is necessary to distinguish between the possibilities of the sword for different situations. For example, sharpening a sword for the greatest sharpness (for tricks with cutting handkerchiefs in the air) will be unsuitable for cutting through armor. In antiquity and the Middle Ages, legends were circulated about the capabilities of weapons that could not be demonstrated in modern times. Below are collected individual legends and facts on the capabilities of the Japanese sword.

Modern evaluation of Japanese swords

After the surrender of Japan in World War II, the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition issued an order to destroy all Japanese swords, but after the intervention of experts, in order to preserve historical relics of significant artistic value, the order was changed. The "Society for the Preservation of Artistic Japanese Swords" was created (jap. 日本美術刀剣保存協会 Nippon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, NBTHK, nippon bujutsu to: ken hozon kyo: kai), one of his tasks was an expert assessment of the historical value of the sword. In 1950, Japan passed the law "On Cultural Property", which, in particular, determined the procedure for preserving Japanese swords as part of the cultural heritage of the nation.

The sword evaluation system is multi-stage, starting with the assignment of the lowest category and ending with the award of the highest titles (the top two titles are within the competence of the Ministry of Culture of Japan):

• National Treasure ( kokuho). About 122 swords have the title, mostly tachi of the Kamakura period, katanas and wakizashi in this list less than two dozen.
• Important cultural asset. The title has about 880 swords.
• A very important sword.
• Important sword.
• A highly guarded sword.
• Protected sword.

In modern Japan, it is possible to keep a registered sword with only one of the above titles, otherwise the sword is subject to confiscation as a type of weapon (if not related to souvenirs). The actual quality of the sword is certified by the Society for the Preservation of Artistic Japanese Swords (NBTHK), which issues an expert opinion according to the established pattern.

Currently [ when?] in Japan, it is customary to evaluate the Japanese sword not so much by its combat parameters (strength, cutting ability), but by the criteria applicable to a work of art. A high-quality sword, while retaining the properties of an effective weapon, must bring aesthetic pleasure to the observer, have the perfection of form and harmony of artistic taste.

Notes

1. There are discussions in the literature about whether to call Japanese samurai-shaped swords produced using non-traditional Japanese technologies. The article uses the well-established term "sword", however, some believe the term "saber" is more correct to refer to a curved single-edged weapon (according to the current Russian GOST R 51215-98 (Cold weapons, terminology) "Japanese sword" refers to sabers - "contact blade cut - cutting and piercing-cutting weapon with a long curved single-edged blade")
2. Valery Khorev. Japanese sword. Ten centuries of perfection. Chapter 1. Pages of history. - Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2003. - S. 27. - ISBN 5-222-02406-7.