Hello ladies and gents today we are talking about one of the most legendary swords of all time yes my friends and readers as asked we are talking about...
Shintō (new swords 1596–1780)
THE KATANA
The is generally defined as the standard sized, moderately curved (as opposed to the older tachi featuring more curvature) Japanese sword with a blade length greater than 60 cm (23 1⁄2 inches). It is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard (tsuba) and long grip to accommodate two hands.
With a few exceptions, katana and tachi can be distinguished from each other, if signed, by the location of the signature (mei) on the tang (nakago). In general, the mei should be carved into the side of the nakago which would face outward when the sword was worn. Since a tachi was worn with the cutting edge down, and the katana was worn with the cutting edge up, the mei would be in opposite locations on the tang.
Western historians have said that katana were among the finest cutting weapons in world military history.
History
The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods:
Jōkotō (ancient swords, until around 900 CE)
Kotō (old swords from around 900–1596)
Shintō (new swords 1596–1780)
Shinshintō (newer swords 1781–1876)
Gendaitō (modern swords 1876–1945)
Shinsakutō (newly made swords 1953–present)
The first use of katana as a word to describe a long sword that was different from a tachi occurs as early as the Kamakura Period (1185–1333). These references to "uchigatana" and "tsubagatana" seem to indicate a different style of sword, possibly a less costly sword for lower-ranking warriors. The Mongol invasions of Japan facilitated a change in the designs of Japanese swords. Thin tachi and chokutō-style blades were often unable to cut through the boiled leather armour of the Mongols, with the blades often chipping or breaking off.
The evolution of the tachi into what would become the katana seems to have continued during the early Muromachi period (1337 to 1573). Starting around the year 1400, long swords signed with the katana-style mei were made. This was in response to samurai wearing their tachi in what is now called
"katana style" (cutting edge up).
Japanese swords are traditionally worn with the mei facing away from the wearer. When a tachi was worn in the style of a katana, with the cutting edge up, the tachi's signature would be facing the wrong way. The fact that swordsmiths started signing swords with a katana signature shows that some samurai of that time period had started wearing their swords in a different manner.
I hoped you liked this post and as always have a chilled day from the viking if you liked this post have a look Vol 1
https://thewhiteviking.blogspot.com/2018/09/new-series-weapons-of-war.html
"katana style" (cutting edge up).
Japanese swords are traditionally worn with the mei facing away from the wearer. When a tachi was worn in the style of a katana, with the cutting edge up, the tachi's signature would be facing the wrong way. The fact that swordsmiths started signing swords with a katana signature shows that some samurai of that time period had started wearing their swords in a different manner.
I hoped you liked this post and as always have a chilled day from the viking if you liked this post have a look Vol 1
https://thewhiteviking.blogspot.com/2018/09/new-series-weapons-of-war.html
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