The immense fighting skills and capabilities of the Samurai warrior
speaks of the legend in Japan. The Japanese swords combine both
functional utilities and asthetics together. The power of sword was used
to depict the responsibility of the Samurai in the earlier times. The Japanese swords are designed keeping in mind thier unbreakability, rigidity and cutting power. A perfect blend of these features have given, the Japanese swords, a very unique character. The value of a Japanese sword is determined by type, style, condition, age, maker and many other factors. Many swords have characters on the tang that give information about the maker and year made. The blades of the sword are made up of a soft and durable iron core enveloped in a hard outer skin of steel. A highly tempered edge is formed by covering the rest of the blade with a special heat-resistant clay. The distinctive curve away from the edge, owes its origin to the need to draw the sword and strike as quickly as possible in a continuous motion. The Japanese swords are built with a strictly practical origin and elaborated far beyond the simple requirement of hard-wearing efficiency in slaughter.
Types of Japanese Swords
- The katana is most common one and refers to the style most people have seen.
- A daito is worn stuck through the obi (belt) with the edge up.
- A tachi is an older style, slightly longer and more curved, worn slung on cords with the edge down, usually used in a cavalry style.
- A nodachi is a bigger tachi, with a very long handle, worn slung over the back for battlefield application.
- A kodachi is a smaller tachi.
- A wakizashi is also a short sword, although of a newer style (kodachi is often used as a generic term for short sword, and so may also be used to refer to a wakizashi).
- A chokuto, or ken, is a very old style straight sword.
