If you’ve read the previous post on basic sword terminology and think it was piece of cake, then you’ll certainly be able to digest the Japanese katana challenge. I tried to look for a cool pic of Hiro Nakamura’s ‘Takezo Kensei’ katana but none was detailed enough to describe with. So the one below will have to do. Since this is a post on Japanese sword terminology, all the terms will be in Nihongo (in roman letters of course). Yatta!


Let’s begin with the blade. Kissaki is the blade point also known as the most difficult part of a katana to be forged and polished. Both sides of the Kissaki surface are at a different plane than the rest of the blade and converges to the sharp blade tip. Therefore it’s no surprise one of the main factors that determine the katana value is the quality and condition of the Kissaki. It’s worthy to note here that there are 2 lines separating the Kissaki from the rest of the blade - Koshinogi and Yokote which will be explained in the following section. These dividing lines and the Kissaki tip determine the 3 types of Kissaki – Chu-Kissaki (medium), O-Kissaki (long) and Ko-Kissaki (short) as shown in the pic below. Feeling dizzy already?

Next comes the shinogi, the ridge line along the length of the blade. There’s also the Koshinogi which is the shinogi in the shape of a sharp arc that stretches along the Kissaki.

Yokote is the dividing line that separates the Kissaki (blade point) surface and blade plane.

Hi or Bo-hi is the blade groove designed to prevent the sword from bending and to reduce its weight without compromising strength. It’s similar to the fuller in European swords.

Yakiba is the tempered line with a particular pattern stretching across the blade. It’s the result of the different heat treatment applied to the blade to make the edge harder. The Yakiba comes in many different patterns known as Hamon. There’s the straight Sugu, wavy Notare, zig-zag Gunome and many others.

Boshi is the tempered line that stretches into the Kissaki (blade point). The Boshi also has various design styles.

Mune is the back ridge of the blade. There are 3 different types of Mune according to the design – Ihori (standard 2 surfaces), Mitsu (3 surfaces) and Maru (rounded surface).

Ha is the sharp cutting edge of the blade.

Hada is the visible design of the grain on the sword steel. The shape of the grain is a direct result of the way the sword was folded when forging.

Tsuba is the cross-guard made of steel, copper, silver or some other durable metal to prevent the hand from sliding to the blade during thrusting action and also to protect the hand from enemy attacks. Nothing to do with Captain Tsubasa ;)

Tsuka is the hilt or handle made of wood and normally wrapped in ray skin.

Kashira is the pommel at the end of the hilt.

Saya is the scabbard or sheath usually made of wood to protect the blade. If you’re an anime fan, Saya was the heroine character in Blood+. Now you see the connection.

Sageo is the cord used to secure the sword to the obi (belt).

Kurikata is the knob on the scabbard through which the Sageo (cord) is passed through.

Kojiri is the ornament at the closed end of the scabbard.

Koiguchi is the opened end of the scabbard where the sword is sheathed and unsheathed from.

Phew! So there you have it, a short marathon on katana terminology. But don’t let loose yet. All the above are just some of the basics. There’s still a lot more to it like the Nakago (sword tangs), Nakago-jiri (tang tip), various blade shapes, etc. Keep posted for future updates on some of these advanced terms.

You’re adamant to start your own movie sword collection. Great! But wait, what type of swords are available on the net and which one should you choose? Well if you search online you’ll find various opinions on the categorization of swords since there’s no clear line that separates them. So to make things simple, there are generally 3 different types of swords in the market.

First is the decorative sword also frequently referred to as display sword (which I think is inaccurate since a genuine antique sword can still be a display sword in some collector’s secret underground vault). The name decorative sword clearly states its purpose – making your fireplace, study or games room look ultra-cool. Decorative swords are generally made from but not limited to stainless steel making them more corrosive-resistant than common carbon steel. Even though meant for display purposes, they do come sharpened.

Just a reminder, decorative swords are not to be used in sword duels or cutting parties. But if you insist, top-up your insurance coverage and get a paramedic team on standby. Most decorative swords (99.99%) will break under heavy-force and worst case possibly land you an “involuntary manslaughter” charge.

The second type of sword is the practice sword used in beginner and intermediate sword training exercise. They help students to learn basic sword techniques (offence and defence), sword handling and balanced footwork. Practice swords can be made from a variety of materials mainly wood, plastic, latex, foam, aluminium and even steel. They do not have sharp edges for safety reasons especially during sword duel exercises where students apply the learned skills to the test. You probably heard of sword cutting exercise in advanced training where actual sharp swords are used to cut bamboo, plastic containers and roll-bundled newspaper. Skilled and experienced professionals use functional sword for this purpose which is described in the next section.

The final type is the functional sword, the real thing - designed and forged to withstand the brute forces from cutting, stabbing and metal-to-metal bashing. A fully-functional sword is one great piece of engineering sometimes termed “battle-ready” cause it really is. High carbon steel is used to make the blade and the tang as one single piece. The tang is the part of the blade that extends into the hilt. A full-tang extends all the way to the hilt end typical of many European swords. A partial-tang is more favoured in Japanese katana. The guard, grip and pommel of a functional sword are also carefully designed and made of durable materials. If you plan on having a cutting party, a fully functional sword is the best piece to use. Well actually it’s a must. You are less likely to worry about the sword breaking, just keep your eye on where the sword is going and make sure you’re gripping it firmly. If you don’t have any previous training on handling a functional sword, go get one. Remember “involuntary manslaughter”?

Well there you have it, or maybe not quite. You may be asking so where does movie sword replica fall into? The answer – any one of the 3 above depending on the sword’s purpose. For example, if you’re looking for a cosplay sword replica, a decorative sword made from wood, plastic or foam is best. It’s also easier to make decorative and practice swords exactly like the movie's design. Functional swords however are a different story.

Most awesome designs seen on the movie screens are just that - designs. If a functional sword is forged exactly as seen, it may not behave like a true sword - the weight could be too much to handle, there’s heavy resistance to swinging or the whole sword vibrates violently upon contact. Not so functional or practical anymore. But there are some manufacturers who apply design enhancements to make the replicas as original and functional as possible.

So you decided to start a movie sword replica collection cause a room full of iconic swords make you look macho cool in front your friends and the girl next door (hell yeah!), that is until the girl next door starts throwing questions at you about sword features. There are many movie sword replica collectors who don’t know much about swords. Not to say a collector should have the PhD kind of knowledge, but just enough to appreciate and respect the make of a sword. Alright, it makes you look smart and sophisticated on top of avoiding embarassing situations.

So what should an enthusiastic collector know at least? Some basic sword terminology would be good to start with. For easier understanding, we have Anduril Sword of the King as our model. A typical sword is made up of 2 main parts – the blade and the hilt as labelled below.

Let’s begin with the blade section. At the tip end of the blade is the point, easy right? Then comes the central ridge which runs from the blade point to the fuller. Now the fuller is the groove that runs along the blade and there’s a widespread misunderstanding that the fuller is what many refer to as "blood groove”. It’s best if you know the actual facts from the beginning - the fuller’s function is not to lead off blood contrary to all the hype in sword-and-sorcery novels. The real structural function of the fuller is to strengthen and lighten the blade the same time. If you’re from an engineering background, you’d realize it has a similar concept to the I-beam structure used in construction. Spoils all the fantasy hoohahs right?

Next comes the sharp length of the blade called the edge and it’s designed for one purpose only - cutting. A sword can be single-edged or doubled-edged. The Anduril is a doubled-edged sword meaning both edges of the sword are sharp. A common Japanese katana is single-edged with one sharp edge and the other rebated (blunt). So far so good?

Now let’s continue with the hilt section. The part of the hilt that borders the blade is the cross-guard. It serves 2 purposes - the first is mainly to prevent the user’s hand from sliding to the blade during a thrusting strike, the second is also to protect the user’s hand but from an enemy’s sharp blade. The grip part of the hilt as its name implies, is where the hand grips firmly onto the sword. Finally at the end of the hilt comes the pommel. Sound familiar? In French, “pomme” means apple making it easy to remember, at least for those who know French.

So there you have it, a quick walkthrough on some of the basics of sword terminology. Please keep in mind that the terms posted above are by no means exhaustive. There are numerous sword designs out there each having unique features and parts not mentioned here (wait till you read about the Japanese katana terminology). So do come back to this blog to check out new posts on other sword replica designs.