Sacred Steel: care and appreciation of the Japanese sword

Guns Magazine, May, 2005 by Jim Gardner

20th century blades in good condition will show only a reddish cast or very light rust. Any mei or yasurimei (distinctive file marks, a sort of secondary signature) will be clearly legible. Blades in good condition with dark, even black tangs with difficult to read mei are usually much older. A sword with a clean white tang, especially in naval mounts, is likely stainless steel.

An unsigned blade is not necessarily of low quality. Many older blades will have had the tang shortened to the extent that part (suriage) or all (o-suriagi) of the original mei is lost.

An impressed stamp on the blade tang is usually the mark of a lower quality blade. There are exceptions however. A star stamped into the tang shows the swordsmith was a Rikugun Jumei Tosho or Army-approved swordsmith. Such 'smiths made some if not all of their swords in the traditional fashion and were qualified to receive an allotment of tamahagane. Some very few swordsmiths also used a hot stamp at the end of their signature.

Unlike the mei, the date inscription (nengo) if present is relatively easy to read. For tips on deciphering this as well as additional great information, check out the references listed on page 55.

A possible shortcut to learning more about your sword is to tote it through the isles of the nearest sizeable gun show. In addition to hearing a lot of, "Hey fella, you sellin' that?" you may find a knowledgeable collector who'll take a few moments to examine your sword and render an appraisal.

RELATED ARTICLE: Dismantling the sword.

To truly learn the value of a sword, it must be dismounted and the nakago or tang inspected. To remove the tsuka, press out the tapered wooden meguki from its small diameter side. A pin punch will suffice for this, but the proper tool is included in a good sword-care kit. Be certain there is no additional pin or screw. By the way, don't try to disassemble an NCO sword with its cast-metal handle.

We try never to touch the blade with our hands, so with the blade sheathed, see if the tsuka will slip easily from the tang. Odds are it won't. In that case, withdraw the sword, hold it point up, and with your strong hand gripping the tsuka near the tsuba (if present), use your free hand to strike your wrist (A). Two or three soft blows will usually free the tsuka.

The very moment you feel it break free, carefully re-sheath the sword. The tsuka may now be removed, along with the tsuba and probably a number of seppa or spacers. Lay them out carefully so you can reassemble in the correct order.

Unlike firearms, slathering a sword blade with quantities of heavy oil or grease may do more harm than good. Proper care requires a simple sword care kit. It will contain a cloth ball filled with a fine powder (uchiko) for removal of old oil (B) and fingerprints; Japanese paper for wiping the blade and clove oil (an intoxicating scent!) to be applied very lightly before storage (C). A good kit (D) will also include a tool for removing and replacing the meguki.