There have been so many over the centuries that have caught the eye of mankind. This site is dedicated to the study, appreciation and preservation of japanese swords nihonto. The history, metallurgy and iconography of the samurai sword japanese swords. Miyairi akihira school is a continuation of soshu tradition. The sixth example is to be found in wilkinsons book on edged weapons. Musashi swords capture this timeless art form in each katana produced. Some of the books listed below are now outofprint and can only be found through specialty book stores. In japan, there are hundreds of books dealing with their makers, from ancient. First, the double edged sword emerged, followed by the single edged type which later became the predominant style among japanese swords. 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. To study a blade and appreciate its points is a matter of considerable. 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.
Without doubt the most famous of edged weapons few weapons have the mystic and reputation of japanese swords. 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. Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. A japanese sword is one of several types of traditionally made swords from japan. Japan, there are hundreds of books dealing with their makers, from. Well, that is a pretty subjective thing to try and answer. Thanks to the many people who have contributed to this site and to the study of japanese. Jim dawson this is the most comprehensive book on japanese swords of the imperial japan era. This is because blades, made in the glorious land of nippon, have something that no other weapon does. 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. This limitedrun printing offers a western collectors perspective on the field of japanese sword collecting. Latest japanese sword catalogue direct pdf download. Whether it is a wwii era samurai sword or an older type of blade.
Major weapons including swords began to be made in bronze and iron. Bushiswords are probably the best custom japanese swords in the world. 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. 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. Japanese military antiques and collectibles identification and price guide welcome to the japanese wwii military identification and pricing reference guide. If you wish to know more about japanese swords, this is a fine place to start. Japanese swords mongst the numberless articles of japanese attire, works of art or.
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. Kindle ebooks can be read on any device with the free kindle app. The japanese sword is your premier gateway to the japanese sword world. About swordsmith index nihonto club japanese sword. This is a very short book that is highly detailed in certain aspects. Lissenden, john philip 2002 the namban group of japanese sword guards. Find more information about the index, its description and methods of use here. The fine polish of the sword, especially, is very fragile.
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. You can now create your own custom and unique katana or iaito. 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. I found it dry and devoid of many of the interesting aspects of the samurai sword. The art of japanese sword making is a skill mastered by very few swordsmiths and passed down by each generation for over a millennia. Of course if you can speak japanese you can communicate directly with the smith, but.
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. The project gutenberg ebook of japanese swords, by yamanaka. 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. 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. I think it was the nihonto message board that had a forum that would help translate the inscription on blades. Offered together are new introduction to the kantei of japanese swords and its. This page is sponsored by in an effort to provide the current and future militaria collector with free information. 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. Japanese swords have been made for over a thousand years. Japanese blade markings the blades of swords, knives and bayonets are often marked to indicate different type of information. Japanese swordsmithing is the labourintensive bladesmithing process developed in japan for forging traditionally made bladed weapons nihonto including.
Many people consider them one of the finest examples of artistry in steel. Check with your book store or library and books in print for details of publisher, price, etc. The cyclopedia edition is a greatly expanded revision of the 1996 sword book. His swords were appreciated for their quality and sharpness. Japanese swords are prized for their grace, efficiency, and excellent craftsmanship. 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. For the core, or interior, of the blade, they used a comparatively soft, laminated metal that would resist breaking. Japanese swords and their rich individual histories have fascinated people for centuries. This copper inlaid tsuba was made by a tsuba maker at daisen in the province of. Some of the forgeries may date back to the time when the master sword maker was alive. 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.
Everybody has their favorites among swords, differing in weight, looks, and sharpness. 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. Using ancient forging techniques our swordsmiths combine the perfect amount of form and function into a wide range of samurai swords. Combat ready as in i could toss it to mushashi himself with no complaints. It has a curved, singleedged blade that is slender and a square or circular guard. He was so famous that he received the honorable title of mitsunokami. Japanese swords are truly the finest weapons that can be made, even in this world of modern weapons. There are many types of japanese swords that differ by size, shape, field of application and. Here, we give you a brief description of the different types of swords that have been around. This book is a must have book if you are interested in japanese swords.
Editor well as shurikenjutsu, tantojutsu, hojojutsu, naginatajutsu and some kyudo. Edged weapon makers from the 14th to the 20th centuries. D, the 82nd emperor of japan was one of the best known sword makers. Swordsmith index is intended to be a noncommercial resource to support nihonto studies and raise awareness of history and appreciation of genuine japanese swords. 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. Investigating katana sword makers mark discussion in japanese swords and sword arts started by jokrg, nov 3, 2009. Japanese katanas handmade katanas, custom swords, full.
Sword reference books guns, knives, swords, firearms. But the big three we work with are kenjutsu, iaijutsu and jujiitsu. After a short 2year apprentice with kiyomaro he struck it out on his own with. We buy japanese swords all types of japanese edge weapons. 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. The japanese sword and its fittings, from the collections of the. 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. There are millions of different combinations possible in various types of high quality steel. It is our responsibility as temporary owners of these artistic and historic artifacts to see that they pass onto future generations of collectors. Introduction japan entered the metal age in the yayoi period when bronze and iron objects were introduced from the continent and korean peninsula. Japanese swordmaking simple english wikipedia, the free.
The japanese have been perfecting the art of sword making since the 1st century a. It is a must have book for collectors of ww2 japanese swords. Japanese samuari sword books and videos nihonto taikan. It has a little about how it was made, but much more on what years were better, what makers were better. 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. New listing ww2 signed gunto japanese army officer military katana sword samurai nihonto. Since the vast majority of authentic japanese swords made today are only displayed as art objects, those skilled makers who create truly beau.
Those marked with a are excellent books for those beginning the study of nihonto. The prose is somewhat formal, and there is extensive use of terminology. The project gutenberg ebook of japanese swords, by anonymous this ebook. But pattern welding wasnt the secret to damascus steel. 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. This is a highly sacred code of honor that is innate to anyone of japanese ancestry and it allows craftsmen to imbue. Check also the many online book dealers which sell both inprint and outofprint books on japanese swords. The affordable antique japanese swords for sale on ebay represent the pinnacle of swordsmithing. If you are interested in acquiring modern nihonto, there are two basic methods. Here is a unique blend of collectors, scholars, sword makers, metallurgists, practitioners, artisans, blacksmiths, published authoris.
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