Nakago Length

[Greg F]

Hello all, occasionally when i see blades that have been shortened the Nakago sometimes look extremely short compared to the blade length and ive been curious for a while about if there is a minimum length for blade function, balance and safety? All the best for the new year.

 

Greg

[kissakai]

Not my field but when I bought my katana from James NMB I specified an ubu blade - a beautiful acquisition

It was because I wanted to see the blade as the maker intended

One of the recomendations from the board is to view the whole blade to see if the proportions are pleasing to the eye

So I would suggest the nakago suites the blade so differing types have different nakago lengths - it just looks right

[Greg F]

Hi Grev i totally agree when a blade is ubu that the Nakago suits the blade.

I thought maybe someone will know if there is a minimum ratio of blade/nakago.

Nakago on a few old blades just look almost too short in terms of effective and safe function and balance.

All the best.

 

Greg

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Greg,

I don't know of a minimum ratio but perhaps the o-suriage blades with unusually short nakago were broken above the machi or at the mekugi-ana and the stubby nakago is a result of an attempt to preserve as much as possible of the length.

Grey

[Dave R]

 You can get an unusually short Nakago if the sword was intended for single handed use only.

http://www.sho-shin.com/katteuchi.html

[Caleb Mok]

Number 3 is a Shinshinto of nagasa 27-3/8" or 69.4cm, signed Eshu-ju Tomikuni (ubu tang).  Shortest tang i've seen but i haven't seen many -Caleb

[Ken-Hawaii]

As a sword-swinger, Dave has it right that an uchigatana doesn't need a lot of nakago to be used effectively, but about 9" is the minimum for a two-handed nakago.

 

Ken

 

[SAS]

I have big hands, so when I make a katana sized handle, 11 inches works well for me. The nakago of the sword is generally a couple of inches shorter.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Greg, I should have added in my last post that simply the way tsuka is grasped will also determine the appropriate length. Some ryuha have both hands touching, others have a definite space between the hands, & still others have the pinky of the left hand actually wrapped around the kashira. And of course, as Steve says, the size of the user's hands is a big factor, too.

 

One more thing is that I have one Muromachi sword where the nakago is significantly shorter than the tsuka, like by three or four inches, & my educated guess is that whoever owned it back then wanted a tsuka to fit his hands, but only had the katana-length blade with an o-suriage nakago. Not real good from a safety standpoint, but that evidently wasn't much of a consideration in Sengoku Jidai.

 

Ken

[Stephen]

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/21406-my-tsuka-is-longer-than-yours/?do=findComment&comment=217890

[Greg F]

Guys thank you all for your replies, all very much appreciated and helpful. All the best.

 

Greg