Bugyotsuji

First of all, John's Nitohen Sankaku Yari. This makes sense to me, although I have never heard this expression before. It means a triangle of which two sides are equal. Secondly, the description of Hira and Sei above come out of the same Sasama's Japanese armor/armour and weaponry encyclopedia that I quoted earlier. It's an old book, but quite well regarded and I was pleased to find a copy of it last week for the book shelf. As to Yarimi, it could also be pronounced Soshin, perhaps, but -mi is difficult to render into English. It's the same -mi in Sashimi, and it means meat or body, a delicious slice, the best bit. Just another way of saying the Yari blade, Eric. Finally, in the English list quoted by Eric above, I think there is a slight problem not with the Japanese, but with the English explanation. Where it says 'A hira sankaku blade with three equal sides' by definition it is not a hira Sankaku any more as it doesn't have one large flat side. Perhaps the author in choosing to use Hira again was imagining that all three sides are flat, not curved or humped. (?)

Look for 'Hira/Hei Sankaku' 平三角= flat triangle, and 正三角Sei/Masa Sankaku = equilateral triangular cross-section.

Rich, you can see some shots of one down this page here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2554&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=1335 It has been away for a polish and I should be getting it back this evening.

This is a different yari, right? My guess is that with the bulge further forward, it would not be called a Sasa-ho tsukuri, but a 'Ryo-shinogi Choku yarimi' 両鎬直槍身　 Using 日本の甲冑武具事典　p402

Eric, Tsukuri means 'made' but more particularly 'the way it is fashioned', and in this case 'fashioned into the style of' sasa-ho.

Keith, I am glad it is not just me. (Had to go back and rewrite an earlier post which just didn't make sense when I reread it. Nuts...)

The tip of an arrow, ya, is termed a shiri = butt/rear/bottom or ne = root.

The word Ho (or after a prefix -Po) means a head or an ear on a crop, as well as blade. Another example of such naming that I would love to own is a 'Gin-nan-po', 'Gin-nan-ho' with a blade shaped like a Ginko nut. Interesting that spears are envisioned with the 'head' up, whereas arrows are considered to point down.

Ah, thanks for that Keith. Excellent information.

Will look forward to the photos then, Eric. In the meantime the phone rang with long-awaited news. (Not as long as some, though!) I reported here on 17 December 2010 the sending-off of the Chigo-zashi to the Togi-Shi. Well, it is now ready and I am to pick it up on Saturday at the Token meeting. I have just asked for a shira-saya, as an afterthought, but was told firmly that I should have mentioned that before having it polished, as the saya maker would be paranoid about getting any scratches on a newly-polished blade. The Koshirae is anyway quite suitable as it is, they tell me. The blade is held firmly inside the saya by the Habaki and the tip. I have semi-reluctantly agreed.

Bag lady? Bag man? What do you need me for? I am enjoying reading the posts here. The above photograph is unusual in that the presumably original Saya and then the Fukuro are both extant. I like it! Every so often bits and pieces appear and I like to acquire them. I have odd gun bags and sword covers and handle covers and lattice armor/armour boxes, but nothing complete like that. (If it is the original set?) I suppose with the extremes of climate in Japan, precious objects were wrapped in more and different materials in the hope that they would withstand whatever Nature could throw at them. We can see an extension of this Japanese penchant in the way that goods at department stores are still gift-wrapped to the gills.

Only just seen this thread, a day late. Many thanks for your unstinting guidance and help, Moriyama San.

Update on the Kuda-yari. Went round to see my friend after a six weeks' absence and asked about the yari which I had asked him to hold for me. Unfortunately he had forgotten our conversation and sold it to a famous collector who, seeing how unusual it was, had immediately snapped it up. Well, it saved me from using some pocket money, I suppose. :|

Well, here is one, but the wording clearly states that the Koshirae (apart from the Saya) is modern. http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/2010/1010_4015syousai.htm

Very pretty, Mark.

It's possible that having lost its Ishi-dzuki someone has hammered something onto it. Ishi-dzuki are quite hard to find and not cheap when you do find one.

One further point I forgot to mention. Spears are very hard to sell in Japan today. Few people have houses large enough to display them. When dealers will find genuine untouched Yari in a Kura for example, they may immediately consider cutting them down for a) ease of transport and b) sale, whether domestically or internationally. They will use the original fitments and replace them onto the shortened haft. Keith/Eric, are the two Ishi-dzuki above the same? (The one cut off, far right of the shot, and the one close-up with the leather thong.) If they are, then I retract my comment above about being modern. In the second pic it looks much better!

Lovely example of a Norimono. On display in a ... museum? Satsuma? (One word of warning to anyone bidding! The seller is in Fukushima and says that he cannot ship the goods until the freight system is up and running again, although he adds you could go there and collect it. Hope it's not a scam.)

Agreed with sanjuro's opinion above. The first looks like it has been reassembled, cobbled together somehow. The E looks cut down. The Saya looks genuine. The Ishi-tsuki is hard to see, but it looks modern to my eye. No idea what the second is supposed to be. As with a Kago-zutsu, (Kago gun) any weapon carried in a proper Norimono (Kago) would tend to have been of beautiful quality and decoration, as befitted a Daimyo, etc. Eg lacquered haft, etc.

Genuine 'Kago' yari are said to be quite rare. Reproductions do come up every so often. Many old yari were cut in half, radically shortened in the confusion at the end of Edo for ease of use indoors against sudden ambushes or intrusions. I have one at home. Such short yari are to be distinguished from Kago (palanquin) yari.

(I have been 'away' for 40 days, dipping in every so often, and got back last night. Watching The Tudors, highly recommended, on the plane and noticed Henry VIII holding a very knobbly-looking cannonball in Episode 3 or 4, but enough of that. ) Thanks everyone for pulling this thread back on track with some fascinating items added to your collections. Wonderful Naginata-bukuro too. Why the bulge, I wonder? To insert the hand? In the photo it looks as if other spears have taken shelter in there.

Henk-Jan, The spear tip looks as though it may have some water or fire damage, and the Nakago looks shortened. One reason for the popularity of small spearheads may be that the softest and easiest target was the eyes. Ashigaru were encouraged to thrust up under the Mabisashi towards the exposed face.

Many thanks for the terminology clarifications above. Guilty here. I have been using the words bronze and brass too loosely. In Japanese they generally refer to non-ferrous barrels as being made of "Houkin", (gunmetal, or tin bronze, suzu seidou). Henk-Jan, I like your new apparel! Very smart.

The first pic above, Justin, shows 'Western bullets' according to the tag. :lol:

At the Alamo they were surrounded, and as in sieges all over the world, probably needed to use anything available. The original meaning of 'cannon fodder'? In Okinawa balls made of coral for pole-arm fire weapons have been found. A blunderbuss could be fed with rusty nails. The ideal material for a ball however must be stone, iron or lead. Ship's cannon were often made of bronze (edited) so as not to throw out the compass. I wonder if they had special non-magnetic ball stored nearby?