Posts tagged "katana"
What is Tsukuri-komi? Japanese has a word “tsukuri-komi” which refers to the structure and style of the sword blade. In a previous article about the sword’s appearance, I mentioned that the tachi had a strong back-bend whereas the uchigatana had...
The blade of the Japanese sword is made by heating the tamahagane (steel for making swords) to high temperature then hitting it flat with a mallet. They use a chisel to create the rift in the blades, fold it, then...
The sharp point of a Japanese katana is called the “kissaki”. It is sometimes also called the “boshi” - hat, but boshi can refer to the kissaki itself or the hamon (temper pattern) that spills onto the kissaki. Kissaki is...
What is Iaito? Iaito is an imitation sword mainly used in iaido, with the blade made of zinc alloy. There are various types of swords, from high-grade ones like the serious ones to lightweight ones for beginners. In this article...
The Iaito sword is a sword invented for practicing Iaido and uses an alloy sword blade instead of the blade of a real sword. The other parts of the sword are often that of a real sword, such as the...