JAPANESE SWORD BLADE TERMINOLOGY - Part 2

SWORD BLADE TERMINOLOGY
Part II - Sword Tangs (Nakago)

The graphics used on this page are adapted from ToShow 6,
a Japanese sword database program written by Peter McCollum,
and are used with his permission.

SHAPES OF SWORD TANGS

NAKAGO

There are a variety of shapes of Japanese sword tangs (nakago).
Some of the most common of shown below.

futsu

funagata

kijimomo

furisode

tanago

shiribari

SHAPES OF TANG TIPS
NAKAGO-JIRI

kurijiri

haagari

kiri

kengyo

iriyamagata

The "kurijiri" is a rounded tang tip; "haagari" is asymmetrcally round; the "kiri" is a square cut tip; "kengyo" is symmetrically pointed; "iriyamagate(katayama)" is asymmetrically pointed. Most tangs which are "suriage" (cut off or shortened) will have "kiri" nakago-jiri.

STYLES OF TANG FILE MARKS
YASURIME

sujikai

takanoha

kirisujikai

kiriyasu

kesho

katteagari

kattesagari

higaki

gyakutakanoha

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