The sword was, of course, designed to serve as a weapon. At the same time it is a cultural heritage bespeaking a long and varied history. The Japanese sword is one of its nation’s representative art forms. Conversely, if the sword is worn thrust through the obi with the cutting edge facing upward and the signature is facing outward, it will be a katana. Therefore, since a tachi is worn slung from the waist with the cutting edge downward, the signature will be on the side facing away from the wearer. Additionally, when the sword is being worn, the side of the tang that is facing away from the wearer (the obverse) is the side bearing the signature. The difference between a katana and a tachi is how they are worn and how they are signed. When we speak of length of a Japanese sword we are talking about the length of the cutting edge exclusive of the tang.Ī sword with a cutting edge of more than 24 inches is a katana or tachi. The word for Japanese sword in Japanese is nihontô. This holds especially true for Japanese swords.īefore we get into any specifics, let’s go over a few basic terms so that hopefully our presentation will make a little more sense to those of you who are not yet versed in sword nomenclature. Any study of Japanese history will quickly show that while the Japanese may not have necessarily been the innovator of an item or art form, they are unsurpassed in the ability to enhance and develop imported items to reflect their own ideas of beauty or practicability. Most experts agree that the first forged steel swords came to Japan in the same way as many other cultural forms, that is from China through the Korean peninsula and into Japan.
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