definition help please

[paulb]

Dear All,

I am sure that I have seen sonmewhere either in a reference book or on a website a list of definitions of different catagories of showa-to. ie. hand made, hand finished, machine made etc. I have trawled my own limited reference books on modern swords but cant find it.

Can anyone point me in the right direction pleae?

thanks in advance

Paul b

[paulb]

Its Ok I found what I was looking for

thanks anyway

Regards

Paul

[Brian]

Paul,

I seem to remember that F&G Japanese Military and Civil Swords and Dirks had a good section on this?

If something else, care to share?

 

Regards,

Brian

[paulb]

Hi Brian

it was Fuller and Gregory "military swords of Japan" I was thinking of p77. I knew I'd seen it somewhere but couldnt remember where. Give me another 10 years and I wont remember where the bookcase is either!!

cheers

[Brian]

Paul,

Just went and checked. If you have it, the larger book by them has a much more detailed chapter on this, with a lot more info starting on page 213.

 

Regards,

Brian

[Mark C]

Hi All,

 

For those who are interested (hope I haven't broke any copyright by quoting)

 

From F & G

 

Machine made - Produced from single bars of steel, these blades are machine-hammered and polished or plated. No grain is present and any yakiba is false, being acid-etched. The whole blade may be tempered in oil.

 

Tai-Shu-Ko - Anti-rust steel or stainless steel blades made by the Tenshozan Company in Kamakura often have this inscribed on their tangs.Sold through the company's own retail outlet, they are associated with Showa-period Kai-gunto swords only. They are classified as machine-made.

 

Murato - This process was invented by Tsuneyoshi Murata around the turn of the twentieth century. The blade is basically a one-piece machine-made pattern. A yakiba was produced by tempering in oil but failed to produce any nie or nioi along the hamon. Some handwork was involved in tempering and polishing, resulting in a product classifiable as superior machine-made.

 

Mantetsu - These blades were forged by inserting a soft steel inner core into a pipe of Manchurian-made or western steel (often scrap railway lines). The characters are inscribed on the tang of Showa-period blades probably manufactured at the Mukden arsenal, Manchuria, and souh Manchurian arsenal (second Mukden arsenal constructed in 1939 and under the direct control of the Japanese Army from Tokyo). Manchurian blades are classifiable as superior machine-made.

 

Gendaito - These hand-forged blades have been made in the traditional manner since 1868. The best of modern sword blades, but purists nonetheless consider them inferior to Koto and Shinto examples because the yakiba is said to be weaker in comparison. Nioi and nie are produced by water tempering. A hada is also present.

 

Showato - All blades produced since 1926 should be properly termed Showato. Though often used for machine-made blades, it must encompass all types - including Showa period gendaito.

 

Regards

 

Mark C

[paulb]

Thanks Brian

on my way to look it up

regards

Paul