Romano

John, Jean, :D Ok! Now, At least this matter is solved. What do you think about the shapes? Futsu, funagata, kijimono etc, and the tips, kuri-jiri, hagari, kiri... were all of them common in Edo Period? Do you think there was a prefered shape in particular? I will assume the size 69,69cm for nagasa as the standard, do you agree? I have this doubts mainly because I am assembling a Banzashi katana, I would like to make something "historical". The next step is the koshirae... Thanks dear friends, you are helping me a lot.

John, by the answer. I have talked about the suriage because I have read on the article: "...That is also why many ko-to blades that had survived till the peaceful era were eventually shortened (via suriage) during this time to make them easier to carry/wear daily as in the standard duty specifications set by the Shogunate..." I agree with you that this lenght is enough to avoid the suriage. But, in some cases, it could be needed, according the author.

This executive order, "Dai-sho katana no Sunpo oyobi tohats futsumoh no Sei", looks to be obscure and difficult to find in complete form. I think this not something good to us, once this is one of most important documents in sword History. When someone begin to learn about swords, a fairly common mistake is to believe in precise classification rules. Along of the History there weren't rigid standartization rules. It is quite normal to find identical swords in shapes with different "names", and weapons totaly different with the same nomenclature. Most typologies are modern creations, as The Oakeshott Typology for medieval western swords and others. The document that we are talking about is a rule from the same period of that swords were made, it is something almost unique. Of course, we have good articles talking about the matter, as "Koshirae: Nihon Token Gaiso The Mountings of Japanese Swords" written by Guido Schiller, but I would like to know, once for all , what were the "official" characteristics of the swords of the samurais at service in Edo. :D

I was thinking if some kinds of nakago were more common. We have a lot of shapes... Of course, suriage nakagos would be common in Edo Periodo, once some of them needed to be cut off in order to have the size limit of the shogun rules. I would like to know more about the nakagos in Edo Period.

Here is the link of the article that I have talked about: http://www.buildingthepride.com/faculty ... length.htm

Very thanks, Markus. Now, I am realy in doubt. The article of S. Alexander Takeuchi "Common length of tsuka on nihon-to from a socio-historical perspective" says that the standard length was 2 shaku and 3 sun (69,69cm). According the author of your book, 2 shaku and 8 sun (84,84cm) was the limit. Of course, he says, on the end of the page, that the standard length was about 70cm (it is same information of the another author). But we do not know exactly which of these lenghts was on the "Dai-sho katana no Sunpo oyobi tohats futsumoh no Sei".

Very thanks, Jean. I was thinking it, the size of the blade without the nakago, because including the nakago it would be very short. Do you know if was there an "official" size to the nakago also? Does someone know? Thanks, dear friend.

Hello dear fellows I have used the search tool in order to find information about this subject, however, without success. It is possible to find articles about the matter, around the Internet, but, I did not find the complete text, just small citations about it. I have 2 questions: 1) Does someone know where to find the document: "Dai-sho katana no Sunpo oyobi tohats futsumoh no Sei" in English? 2) About the standard length of the katana blade in Edo Period. The size 2 shaku 3 sun (69,69 cm) is including the nakago or just the "blade in itself"? Thanks in advance, dear friends, by the help.

Hello dear friends!!! Very thank you, Jean and Adam! You have helped me a lot. Agree with you. It looks like a O-suriage blade. I don't know why they did it... So... I have only the location, I'll never know the period... But whatever... It is an original wakizashi, and I have paid a good value... :D Thank you a lot!!!

Hello dear Mark!!! :D Very thank you!!!!!!!!!!! You helped me a lot. This is a good point to start. Are you talking about the kanji that is drilled? That one near of the end of the nakago (in our right side in the pic)? I agree with you, the nakago looks to be cut. I don't know what makes someone to do that. I think this sword had, at least, three koshirae: the original one, in which the tsuka was mounted in the minor mekugiana; the second one, which the tsuka was mounted in the pair of mekugiana; and the last one, mounted in the tsuka that I have, which is mounted in the first mekugiana. By the documents that the seller has, I think this sword is in my country, at least, by decades. I think it is not Gendai, it must be older. Mainly it had at least three koshirae... I'll look for a province with "shu" in the name. Very thanks, again, dear friend!!! :D

Hello dear friends :D I've bought this wakizashi for good price, in an antiques shopping. However, I can't find this signature in Internet. I've searched in many web sites. As I do not know how to read kanji , I think only you can help me to identify it... I think the nakago was cut, to make it shorter... I see, also, two extra mekugiana, that I think were made sometime after the sword production... I'd like to know at least the period of production, as the nakago looks to be cut, the signature could be lost forever... I realy do not know if I have a regular gendai sword or a masamune :lol: Does anyone know this nakago signature (mei)? :D Very thanks in advance!!!! :D