The japanese sword is your premier gateway to the japanese sword world. The katana is a japanese sword used by samurai, an aristocratic warrior class in feudal japan. Musashi swords capture this timeless art form in each katana produced. Swords have been made from as early as the kofun period, though most people generally refer to the curved blades made after the heian period when speaking of japanese swords. Those marked with a are excellent books for those beginning the study of nihonto. The japanese sword and its fittings, from the collections of the. The japanese have been perfecting the art of sword making since the 1st century a. His swords were appreciated for their quality and sharpness. The prose is somewhat formal, and there is extensive use of terminology. We buy japanese swords all types of japanese edge weapons.
All listings follow the same basic format an introduction, the main product lines, information on how they are made, known issues and where to buy them as a minimum. The sword manufacturers we list below are some of the most well know, well respected sword makers that produce the vast majority of functional swords currently on the market. Well, that is a pretty subjective thing to try and answer. But to produce their best blades, the swords that are sought after by collectors today, the japanese sword makers used a much more intricate process. Editor well as shurikenjutsu, tantojutsu, hojojutsu, naginatajutsu and some kyudo. Whether it is a wwii era samurai sword or an older type of blade. Japanese swordsmithing is the labourintensive bladesmithing process developed in japan for forging traditionally made bladed weapons nihonto including katana, wakizashi, tanto, yari, naginata, nagamaki, tachi, uchigatana, nodachi, odachi, kodachi, and ya arrow japanese sword blades were often forged with different profiles, different blade thicknesses, and varying amounts of grind.
He was so famous that he received the honorable title of mitsunokami. Edged weapon makers from the 14th to the 20th centuries. This copper inlaid tsuba was made by a tsuba maker at daisen in the province of. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Everybody has their favorites among swords, differing in weight, looks, and sharpness. Investigating katana sword makers mark discussion in japanese swords and sword arts started by jokrg, nov 3, 2009. Hello, i wanted to know if you could give me a list of the top authentic japanese sword makers in the world today 1,000. Introduction japan entered the metal age in the yayoi period when bronze and iron objects were introduced from the continent and korean peninsula. This book is a must have book if you are interested in japanese swords. Japanese swords are truly the finest weapons that can be made, even in this world of modern weapons. This is a highly sacred code of honor that is innate to anyone of japanese ancestry and it allows craftsmen to imbue.
The project gutenberg ebook of japanese swords, by anonymous this ebook. Check with your book store or library and books in print for details of publisher, price, etc. If you are interested in acquiring modern nihonto, there are two basic methods. We would like to present you with an invaluable opportunity to see with your own eyes the process of swordmaking, a form of japanese art. The forgeries are normally perpetrated by an individual wanting to increase the value of the sword.
If you wish to know more about japanese swords, this is a fine place to start. But the big three we work with are kenjutsu, iaijutsu and jujiitsu. Japanese swords have been made for over a thousand years. Many people consider them one of the finest examples of artistry in steel. Major weapons including swords began to be made in bronze and iron. A japanese sword is one of several types of traditionally made swords from japan. Sword reference books guns, knives, swords, firearms.
There are millions of different combinations possible in various types of high quality steel. The signatures that may be faked are normally those of renouned sword makers. Here, we give you a brief description of the different types of swords that have been around. Thanks to the many people who have contributed to this site and to the study of japanese. Some of the books listed below are now outofprint and can only be found through specialty book stores. D, the 82nd emperor of japan was one of the best known sword makers. He worked with the traditional standard sword making styles of the time and improved upon them, leading to the start of the distinctive soshu style. Who are relatively the best niponto japanese sword. This limitedrun printing offers a western collectors perspective on the field of japanese sword collecting. Before we take a look at all the replicas of authentic japanese swords currently available these days, you might want to brush up on the history of samurai swords or spend a little time trying to wrap your head around the basic samurai sword terminology. New listing ww2 signed gunto japanese army officer military katana sword samurai nihonto. This content was uploaded by our users and we assume good faith they have the permission to share this book.
Japan, there are hundreds of books dealing with their makers, from. The project gutenberg ebook of japanese swords, by yamanaka. It is our responsibility as temporary owners of these artistic and historic artifacts to see that they pass onto future generations of collectors. Pattern welding was a technique used by swordmakers from around the world, including celts of the 6th century bce, vikings of the 11th century ce and the thcentury japanese samurai swords. This site is dedicated to the study, appreciation and preservation of japanese swords nihonto. After a short 2year apprentice with kiyomaro he struck it out on his own with. Japanese sword care and etiquette japanese swords are rightfully famous for their awesome cutting power.
Japanese swords and their rich individual histories have fascinated people for centuries. It is a must have book for collectors of ww2 japanese swords. Without going too much into history, its enough to say the priorities of making new japanese swords for sale have changed over time. Buy e swordsmiths of japan by markus sesko ebook online at lulu. Latest japanese sword catalogue direct pdf download. Using ancient forging techniques our swordsmiths combine the perfect amount of form and function into a wide range of samurai swords. Sword forum international was founded in june 1998 and has since served the international community as an information website, an educational organization and conservation society which promotes history and culture through the study of swords and swordsmanship. Find more information about the index, its description and methods of use here. Alternatively titled, some of the things you always wanted to know about japanese swords but didnt know who to ask, the book proceeds as a response to many questions asked of the author by persons new to the field. For the core, or interior, of the blade, they used a comparatively soft, laminated metal that would resist breaking. Bushiswords are probably the best custom japanese swords in the world. Swords of imperial japan 18681945 hardcover cyclopedia edition by. Japanese military antiques and collectibles identification and price guide welcome to the japanese wwii military identification and pricing reference guide.
The ability of the weapon to cut through iron armour to kill a foe has been well documented and few weapons have had such a high cultural status for such a long period of history. You can now create your own custom and unique katana or iaito. The term national treasure has been used in japan to denote cultural properties since 1897, although the definition and the criteria have changed since the introduction of the term. Check also the many online book dealers which sell both inprint and outofprint books on japanese swords. Goro nyudo masamune, the founder of the soshu tradition, was the son of the swordsmith yukimitsu, from awadaguchi, kyoto.
This is because blades, made in the glorious land of nippon, have something that no other weapon does. Kindle ebooks can be read on any device with the free kindle app. This barely scratches the surface of the interesting history of gendaito modern swords shinsakuto newlymade swords, and i will be giving some book suggestions below if you would like to learn more. Since the vast majority of authentic japanese swords made today are only displayed as art objects, those skilled makers who create truly beau. But pattern welding wasnt the secret to damascus steel. The cyclopedia edition is a greatly expanded revision of the 1996 sword book. Japanese swordmaking simple english wikipedia, the free.
The fine polish of the sword, especially, is very fragile. Japanese blade markings the blades of swords, knives and bayonets are often marked to indicate different type of information. There have been so many over the centuries that have caught the eye of mankind. The history, metallurgy and iconography of the samurai sword japanese swords. Examples of such are shown in the book the japanese sword by kanzan sato. Offered together are new introduction to the kantei of japanese swords and its. The swords and sword mountings in the list adhere to the current definition, and have been designated national treasures according to the law for the protection of cultural properties that came into effect on june. I am a native english speaker, based in tokyo, and i have a vast number of fully traditionally trained swordsmiths, polishers, scabbard makers, handle wrappers, fittings makers, lacquerers and habaki makers at my service. To study a blade and appreciate its points is a matter of considerable. In japan, there are hundreds of books dealing with their makers, from ancient.
The sixth example is to be found in wilkinsons book on edged weapons. Japanese samuari sword books and videos nihonto taikan. Without doubt the most famous of edged weapons few weapons have the mystic and reputation of japanese swords. It has a little about how it was made, but much more on what years were better, what makers were better. Goals the main purpose of the index is to provide a comprehensive list of japanese sword makers with sufficient information given to identify particular smith in japanese sword literature, look for further references and collect data about smiths work in a form of separate record. Japanese swords and armor, williams runs his own school in encinitas, california, and oversees a network of instructors and students who carry on his nami ryu system around the united states. Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. I found it dry and devoid of many of the interesting aspects of the samurai sword. Some of the forgeries may date back to the time when the master sword maker was alive. This page is sponsored by in an effort to provide the current and future militaria collector with free information. Richly illustrated throughout with more than 550 of the authors own painstaking oshigata illustrationssword tracings onto which details are penciled in by handthe connoisseurs book of japanese swords is easily the most informative and comprehensive guide to the blades of japanese swords ever to appear in english. It has a curved, singleedged blade that is slender and a square or circular guard. This is a very short book that is highly detailed in certain aspects.
There are many types of japanese swords that differ by size, shape, field of application and. Miyairi akihira school is a continuation of soshu tradition. Japanese swords are prized for their grace, efficiency, and excellent craftsmanship. Swordsmith index is intended to be a noncommercial resource to support nihonto studies and raise awareness of history and appreciation of genuine japanese swords. Japanese katanas handmade katanas, custom swords, full. It covers the making of a blade from tamahagane bloom iron through forging, polishing, habaki crafting, and ending with the making of a shirasaya storage scabbard. Here is a unique blend of collectors, scholars, sword makers, metallurgists, practitioners, artisans, blacksmiths, published authoris. Sword reference books new and used limited quantities african. About swordsmith index nihonto club japanese sword. Jim dawson this is the most comprehensive book on japanese swords of the imperial japan era. Lissenden, john philip 2002 the namban group of japanese sword guards.
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