swordnoob Posted August 30, 2022 Report Posted August 30, 2022 I was randomly looking at nihonto marked as "for iai" on e-sword.jp while procrastinating instead of sleeping, and I came across this. https://www.e-sword.jp/katana/2210-1020.htm In the above and and this other example, the kissaki don't appear to terminate at a point in-line with the mune (I apologize if my terminology is incorrect) and instead look a bit rounded. Are the kissaki every so slightly chipped, or are they supposed to be like that? Quote
NewB Posted August 30, 2022 Report Posted August 30, 2022 Hello In my opinion the kissaki is one of the most important parts of a blade as most say the 'life' of the sword is in the first 7-8" from the tip. The kissaki on a recently polished blade has to be as the tip of a needle and sharp as a razor. Clearly in these photos the tip is out of its traditional shape either due to cutting or shoving into a strong object. Also, considering the small area, it is usually the hardest one to polish as far as effort and time consumption from the togishi and then their skill. I hope others share their opinions also but if you were to watch any online documentary about how togishi training you'd see that the biggest focus goes on the kissaki. Cheers J&U 2 Quote
swordnoob Posted August 30, 2022 Author Report Posted August 30, 2022 Thank you for your insight. I was leaning more towards this being damage to the kissaki but it was a lot more subtle than other examples I've seen, such as this https://sword-auction.com/en/product/13403/as07095-刀：越前国兼（以下切れ）/: Quote
Alex A Posted August 30, 2022 Report Posted August 30, 2022 Personally, prefer swords that dont have a really sharp point at the kissaki. They bend and break too easily, should you catch it on something by accident. It happens, especially with newbies. Quote
NewB Posted August 30, 2022 Report Posted August 30, 2022 2 hours ago, Alex A said: Personally, prefer swords that dont have a really sharp point at the kissaki. They bend and break too easily, should you catch it on something by accident. It happens, especially with newbies. I agree Alex. I was referring to how a blade should be presented in a traditional manner. It's great that you bring up 'how to handle a nihonto' (in a sense) so folks without experience are aware of how to ask about looking at one and how to handle it. Cheers J&U Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.