AGARI  TACHI OR GITO – Toy-like ceremonial imitation sword.

AHIOTORU – Reheating the edge after a poor tempering job.

AI – Tempering.

AIKUCHI – Tanto up to 1 foot long mounted without tsuba (guard).         

    Same as Kusungobu (9.5 sun) tanto and yoroi-doshi sometimes mounted this way.

AITORI – Mild heating to neutralize strains after hardening the edge.

AIZUCHI – Hammer men-3 to each smith.

                 1. Tsuchigashira -   head man

                 2. Nakazuchi -         middle brother.

                 3. Otozuchi -            younger brother.

 

AKIHAGI no TSUYU – A dew-like spot on yakiba or hamon.

AMAKUNIGARA – Horimono carving of dragon wrapped around sword.                     

AMANURU KANE – Steel by Nio Kiyotsuna of Suwo province appears weak and has dark or whitish patches on the surface.

AOBIE – A short bamboo sword.

AOBUCHI – ( blue pool) Dark blue steel with whirlpool grain, from Soshu.

AOI – hollyhock, commonly used as a Mon

AOGOKORO – Bizen blades having characteristics of Bitchu Aoe blades.

AOSAN no MITSUKE – Straight temper lines by Bizen Sanenaga and Shogen Nagamitsu resembling those of Bitchu Aoe and Bingo Mihara smiths.

AOYAKI no KITAE – A white gold line along dark ji portion of blade.

ARA-NIE – coarse or large nie (Large nie crystals)

ARARE no MIDARE – A hamon typical of old Hoki Yasutsuna or Sanemori schools . Small irregular lines mixed here and there in the hamon.

ARASHIAGE – The rough finishing on a sword.

ARATOGI – Roughly sharpening a sword by the smith before tempering.

ARATOMATSU – Stone powder mixed with clay used in hardening.

ASAI-NOTARE – A shallow undulating hamon.

ASAGIDO – A grindstone formerly used for swords.

ASASHI – Shallow as in shallow back angle or shallow nie appearance.

ASHI – Leg or foot. Short lines extending from patterns of nie or nioi.

ASHI SADAMARU – A steady hamon pattern either straight or wavy.

ASHI-NAGA – Long ashi.

ASHIGITAE – A method of folding steel in the forging process.

ASHINAGA  CHOJI – Choji ( clove seed pattern) with long legs.

       (Ashinaga was a mythical person with very long legs.)

ASOBI   KOKORO – Mixed Yamashiro and Yoshioka Ichimonji choji patterns.

ASOBI   TAMA – Round gem-like hard spots along hamon of certain smiths.

ATOBI – Grooves in a sword carved later by other than the original smith. 

ATOBORI – Horimono carvings added later to decorate or to hide defects.

ATO MEI – signature added at a later date

AWASE-DO – Whetstone.

AWASE  HADA –  Joined lines seen on Bizen blades or on other blades that have been ground down to look like old blades.

AYASUGI –  A wavy grain made by gouging the steel with a round nose chisel, then hammering flat. Mostly by Gassan and Satsuma Naminohira smiths.

AZUKI   MIDARE – Temper line like a row of small beans.

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BAGAI-MONO – Blades made by lower than middle class sub-groups.

BAKUFU – Military government of the Shogun

BATTO – Drawing a sword for action.

BIZEN – Archaic province of Japan, modern day Okayama prefecture

BIZEN-TO – Swords produced in Bizen

BIZEN-ZORI – Deep curvature close to the tang area of the sword; also known as koshi-zori

BOHI – Wide groove almost fitting shinogi surface.

BOHI SOYEBI – Wide groove beside a narrow groove.

BOKKEN – Wooden sword for practicing sword kata

BOKU-TO – Imitation sword of wood carried by a doctor.

BONJI  – Priest characters. Sanscrit invocations to the Gods.

BOSHI – Shape of temper line at the kissaki (point).

BOSHI   AGARU – Loss of boshi by broken point or other causes.

BOSHIGATA – Very smooth small round boshi of Yamashiro style.

BOSHISAKI – The very tip of the boshi temper line.

BOTAN   BA – A peony flower pattern in the hamon about 6 inches below the point in blades by Chikuzen Sa.

BOTAN-UTSURI – Peony flower shape reflections appearing in Bizen blades around 1250 to 1330.

BO-UTSURI – Stick-like faint rainbow reflections on surface.

BU – Japanese measurement (approx 0.1 inch)

BUDACHI – Common name for all army swords.

BUGEI – Military arts – use of sword, etc.

BUEITO – Military sword. Mostly old ceremonial tachi types.

BU JIN – "People of the Samurai Spirit." A philosophy of honor, respect, and contemplation of life's mysteries developed in both women and men, and the people who lived by the samurai code.

BUKE – Military men, Samurai.

BUNDO-BA – Scale weights pattern hamon. 

BUNKACHO-CHOKAN-SHO – The agency for Cultural Affairs Chairman Award given at the annual swordsmiths' exhibition

BUN  no  KITAE – Back half of blade surface is faintly white. Appears on many shobu-zukuri daggers. Characteristic of Bingo smiths.

BUSHIDO – A code of ethics and moral principles for Samurai. The first works were by Yamaga Soko (1622-85) in Bukyo (The Warrior Creed) and Shido (The Warrior's Way).

BUSHI – Another term for samurai - the warrior class

BUWO   TACHI – Sword type of about 750 AD  for a Chinese style dance.

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CHABANA    MIDARE – Choji with tops rounded like tea flower petals.

CHIBURI – The act of slinging blood off the blade before re-scabbarding.

CHIGAU     MIDARE – Oblique hamon of Bitchu blades.

CHIGUSA – Steel of .7 to .8% carbon. Produced in Harima.

CHIISA KATANA – A general term for all swords shorter than the katana but also used to indicate a length between wakizashi and standard katana, but also used to indicate a length between wakizashi and standard katana.

CHIJI KOMASAME – Undulating fine straight grain of Suwo Nio smiths.

CHIJI MIDARE – Wrinkled irregular hamon by Miike & Kongobyoe groups.

CHIKEI – A clear gray short thin curved line along the surface grain appearing to be below the surface. Similar to kinsuji or inazuma.

CHIKUTO – A bamboo sword. Also, a bamboo fencing sword. In olden times a bamboo knife was used to cut the umbilical cord of new-born babies.

CHIRI – The narrow surface on either side of a groove. Kata-chiri- one side surface; roy-chiri – double edge surface.

CHIISA KATANA – short katana

CHOJI – Clove seed shape folds in hamon. Many varieties.

CHOJI-MIDARE – Clove shapes mixed with irregular patterns in hamon.

CHOJI  KAGE – Clove pattern with shiny sports that seem like shadows.

CHOJI OIL – Oil for the care of swords

CHOKUTO – Prehistoric straight single edge sword found in burial mounds.

CHU – medium

CHU-HANDACHI – Medium length tachi.

CHU-KISSAKI – medium sized point (kissaki)

CHU-SUGUBA – Medium width straight hamon.( Follows curve of sword.)

 

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DABIRA-HIRO – Wide broad-sword.

DABIRA-SEBA – Narrow board-sword.

DAI – great or large

DAI-MEI – student smith signing his teacher's name

DAIJIRI – Boshi turn-back that resembles a gun butt

DAIMYO – feudal lord

DAISHO –  (Large-small) A matched pair of swords or fittings for same.

DAITO –  Long sword (over 24 inches)

DAI TSUKE –  Appraised values of swords.

         In the Ashikaga period values were given in oban – large gold pieces. In Tempo (1630) the books used koban- small gold pieces – 1/10 oban. Later in yen worth from US $.50 to.35 just before the war. Post –war values are in units of 10,000 yen worth $28.00 but these are set by dealers and are purely fictitious to help sell swords.

DAMBIRA or Danpira, or Dabira – Very wide blade.

DANDANBA – Alternate 3” lengths of komidare and large choji.

DATTO – Not wearing a sword.

DE-AI-ZASHI – A low rated sword for every day wear. (Tsunezashi)

DENAORI – Re-tempered blades.

DENCHU-ZASHI – Sword for palace wear.

DENGAKU  YAKI – Use of a large fan instead of bellows to burn the charcoal in tempering by Yokoyama Kozuke Daijo Sukesada.

DO – The way.; The mid-section target in Kendo (stomach).

DOGANE – A metal band around a sword handle.

DOKEN   &   HOKO – Cooper swords and daggers of the bronze age.

DORAN   or    TORAN – High wave patterns of hamon.

DOYO     no      JUKA – Double choji patterns of varying size along sword.

 

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EBIRA   KATANA – Extra long sword carried on the back. (Seoi katana)

EBOSHIGATA – Boshi pattern that looks like court head gear.

 

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FUCHI – collar on hilt

FUCHI-KASHIRA – set of hilt collar (fuchi) and butt cap (kashira)

FUHA – Tiny cracks in yakiba – characteristic of Awa Kaibu  Group

FUKI-OROSHI – A kind of smelted iron- same as Oroshi- tetsu.

FUKURA –  The cutting edge of the blade kissaki (point). Several shapes:

      FUKURA-KAKU       – Sharply curved point.

      FUKURA-KARERU – Straight edge point.

      FUKURA-SUGU      –  Nearly straight edge point.

      FUKURA-TSUKU    –  Curved edge point.

FUKURA    KOKORO – Boshi line characteristic of Yamato smiths.

FUKURE    wo    FUSERU – Smoothing small swellings on blade surface.

FUKURE – Flaw; usually a blister in the steel

FUKURIN – Rim cover of a tsuba

FUKURO    CHOJI –  Bag shape choji similar to tadpole shape.

FUNAGATA –  Ship bottom shaped nakago (tang).

FUNBARI – Blade becoming noticeably wider near the base notch.

FURISODE – A tang shape with the end deeply curved toward the back side which resembles a kimono sleeve.

FURMICHI – Irregular thickness of choji outline by Bizen Mitsutada.

FUSHIBA – Pointed knot-like breaks in a straight hamon on Mino blades.

FUTAEBA – Double hamon on Bitchu and Bingo blades or re-tempered.

FUTAE    BOSHI – Double hamon in point including turn-back. Appears only on blades by Sadamune, Higo Kuniyoshi & Fujishima Tomoshige.

FUTAMATA  YARI – A two pronged spear.

FUTASUJI   BI – Pair of identical grooves. Same as Nihon bi.

FUTAYE-BA – Double line of nie and nioi.

FUTATOKORO    MONO – Matched set of kozuka and kogai on a sword.

FUTATSU-BA – Paired choji on blades of Katayama Ichimonji Group.

FUTOKORO    KATANA – Tanto worn inside clothing. No tsuba, round end.

FUTO     YASURI – Coarse file marks.

FUTSU    MUNE – Roof shape back ridge. Same as Ihorimune.

 

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GAKU-MEI – Signature from original tang inserted in shortened (o-suriage) tang.

GASSAN     HADA – Grain made by gouging with round chisel then flatten.

GENDAITO – Traditionally forged sword blades by modern smiths before WWII

GENNOBA   TETSU – Steel of .3 to .4% carbon. Same Jami tetsu.

GIJOTO – Ceremonial court swords with various styles of mountings which indicate the rank of the wearer. See books on koshirae.

GINBI    KEN – Ken shape sword with grooves.

GINKEN – Common iron sword with silver plated fittings used as a gift.

GIMEI – A false signature on a blade. Usually a copy of a famous smith to increase the sword's value.

GIN – Silver

GIN   no    HA – Silvery lines one to three inches long appearing along a straight temper line or on the surface of blades by Kagemitsu.

GINSUJI –  A slivery color kinsuji line in the yakiba.

GITO –  General term for ceremonial swords, mostly used to accompany money gifts. Same as agari-tachi, painted wood with gilt decorations.

GIO    no    KURIKARA –  Horimono of dragon twining around sword.

GISAKU    HO – Faked or forged blades.

GOBAN-KAJI –  24 famous smiths selected to serve and instruct Emperor Gotoba,  1184-1210. Six more served him in exile on Oki Island.

GOKADEN – The Five Schools of the Koto period

GOKENBA –  Peaked groups of 3 or 5 zigzags by Mino Seki no Magoroku.

GOMAE   KITAE  –  Five layer forging. Done by Bizen and Soshu schools.

GOMABASHI – Chopstick grooves with claw underneath.

GOMEIKEN  –  Five most famous swords . They are as follows:

1.      Mikazuki Munechika by Sanjo kokaji Munechika

2.      Onimaru Kunitsuna by Yamashiro Awataguchi Kunitsuna

3.      Odenta by Miike Tenta Mitsuyo

4.      Dojikiri Yasutsuna by Hoki no Yasutsuna

5.      Juzumaru by Bitchu no Tsunetsugu

GOSHO-YAKI  no TACHI – Blades forged by Goban-kajis Tsuguiye and Tsugunobu, and tempered by Emperor Gotoba. Same as Kiku   no   Gosaku.

GONOME-MIDARE –  Irregularly undulating hamon

GUNOME – undulating hamon

GUNTO – army or military sword mountings

GUNTO  – Machine made blade in army or military sword mountings

GYAKU – Reversed or angled back. ( In hamon patterns.)

GYAKU- ASHI – Reversed slanted ashi in hamon.

GYAKU- CHOJI – Slanted choji patterns in hamon.

GYAKU  TAKANOHA –  Reversed takanoha file marks

GYOKEN   OKIYO – Position of Emperor’s sword on his left.

 

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HA –  Cutting edge of a sword.

HA AGARI KURIJIRI  – Irregular U shape tang end.

HABAKI – Collar around blade above the tang to fit the blade securely into scabbard.

HABAKI-MOTO – About 3” of blade adjacent to the habaki. ( Koshi) Also called temoto  “near the hand” portion of blade.

HABAKI-SHITA – Portion of blade covered by the habaki.

HABIKI – An iron club used by a policeman. Same as Jite.

HA-BUCHI –  Border line between ji and yakiba.

HACHIWARA – A short defensive rod called helmet breaker.

HADA – Grain in steel, pattern of folding the steel

HADAKA   TOMO   TSURUGI –  General name for a thousand sword blades without mountings made in the time of Emperor Nintoku , 313 AD.

HAGANE  –  Steel.

HAGARAMI –  A flaw.

HAGI   no     MIDARE – A Soshu School temper line.

HAGI    no     TSUYU – Nie crystals shining like dewdrops reflecting colors.

HAGIRE – Edge cracks in the hamon (fatal flaw)

HAIKEN  –   To wear sword.    Same as HAITO

HAKAGE  –  Reflection-like patterns among choji on blades of Nagamitsu.

HAKASE  –   A sword being worn.

HAKE KOKORO  – Faded unclear boshi with nie like faint brush marks.

HAKI TACHI –  Tachi for everyday use. Length to suit the wearer.

HAKIZOE KODACHI  -  Short tachi worn with a long one.

HAKIZOE TACHI –  A second tachi when two are worn.

HAKKAKE or HAKIKAKE – Effect like brushed lines along hamon.

HAKKAKERU  –  Swept –up effect on boshi lines. Same as Hakkake.

HAKO BA  –  Box shape hamon. Bizen & Kaga schools.

HAKOGAKARITARU-MIDARE – Very irregular hako, Mihara Group.

HAKO-MIDARE – uneven box shaped hamon

HAKO MUNE –   Square back to sword.

HAKUJIN –  A naked blade.  

HAMACHI – Edge notch where blade joins tang. A stop for the habaki.

HAMIDASHI – Tanto or dagger with a small guard (tsuba)

HAMAGURI –  Blade so thick as to resemble a clam shell outline.

HAMAGURI BA –  Thick all along the edge.

HAMIDASHI –  Tanto with small guard.

HAMIDASHI-MIDARE – Irregular hamon tops extending into ji surface.

HAMADATSU– Also called Kwaiken. A small woman's knife, usually fully tempered, used for protection and Jigai.

HAM-MITSU-KADO – Junction of yokote and shinogi lines at point.

HAMON – Temper pattern along blade edge

HANDACHI –  Tachi mountings used on a katana or wakizashi

HAN-GETSU –  Half-moon temper patterns in the yakiba surface.

HANKENSAKI – Boshi line pointed like ken. Bitchu smiths.

HANABA –  Notches on hamon making irregular patterns.

HANAREBA – Temper patterns on ji surface away from yakiba.

HANARURU  NIE   no   FUJI   no  HANA  –  Wisteria flower shapes of nie above or below the hamon.

HANA YAKIBA  –  Irregular hamon patterns of Yamashiro Nobukuni blades.

HA no KAGE –  A darker shadow  or reflection of a choji pattern.

HA no SORORI –  A Mino hamon of groups of large and of small patterns.

HANTACHI –  Semi-tachi mountings on a katana. Same as Handachi.

HANZASHI  KOZUKA – Small kozuka to fit a small tanto.

HARAKIRI – Suicide by belly cutting. Same as seppuku.

HASU-YAKIBA –  Oblique hamon. Katayama Ichimonji Group.

HATARAKI – activities or workings within the hamon or temperline

HA-TSUYA – Edge luster, light color of yakiba- a stone for bringing out the proper color of the edge. (Paper thin finishing stones.)

HAZAKAI – Boundary line between yakiba and ji.

HAZEYAKA – Brightly shining surface nie crystals.

HAZURE – Strays here and there along suguba hamon of Yamato blades.

HAZUYA – Finger stones used to show the hamon and hada

HEIJO TACHI – Military swords. Same as Buei-to.

HEI   NAKAGO – Straight tang with wide triangular end.

HESHI-TETSU HO – A method of making sword steel from the lumps of iron produced smelting iron sand.

HEYAZASHI –  Sword carried in clothing.

HI   or   KESSO  – Grooves cut in a sword.

HIGAKI YASURIME –  Certain file marks on the tang.

HIKAGE –  Dark patterns on blade surface similar to choji utsuri.

HIJIKI HADA  – Dark sea-weed shape patterns on blade surface.

HIJIRI   KATANA  –  Short tanto with handle of reddish hard wood.

HIKI   HADA  –  Leather scabbard cover.

HIMO  KATANA – A short dagger. Same as Hishu and Himo kogatana.

HIMURA – Unevenly chiseled groove caused by poor work or much polishing.

HI no KAKITOME –  Groove stopped near the base of a blade.

HIRA – Flat surface of a blade.

HIRA  no  MITSUKE –  Wide thick blades of Awa Kaibu Group.

HIRA   MUNE –  Flat back.

HIRA YAMAGATA –  Same as Kurijiri. Chestnut shape tang end.

HIRAZAYA   TACHI  –   A tachi not worn but placed in Imperial carriage.

HIRAZUKURI –  Flat surface blade without shinogi ridges.

HIRO SUGUBA –  Wide straight yakiba. ( Follows curvature of blade.)

HIRO-SUGUHA – Wide, straight temper line (hamon)

HISAKI-AGARU – Groove that reaches the point.

HISAKI-SAGARU –  Groove that does not reach the point.

HISHU – Short dagger . Same as Tosa. Also called HISHU-GATANA.

HITATSURA –  Full temper pattern- scattered all over the blade.

HITOYE    HABAKI  – One piece habaki,   Niju—or wari – 2 piece habaki.

HITSU    or   HITSU ANA – One or two holes in a sword guard through which kozuka and / or kogai are inserted into pockets in the scabbard.  Possibly hitsu may also mean the handle of a kozuka.

HIZUKURI -  Final stage of forging in which the drawn out steel is shaped into the proper sword cross-section.

HO –  Kozuka blade.

HOCHO   TETSU – Soft steel of .1 to .3% carbon.

HOJI-MONO  – Blade re-tempered  by a different smith at a later time.

HOKEN  – Ken shaped temple sword.

HOKKOKU    HADA – A faint whitish reflection covering the back surface of some blades by smiths of Echizen, Etchu, and Echigo provinces.

HOKKOKU-MIDARE  –  A zigzag hamon mixed with pointed patterns.

HONAMI   –  Name of the family of official appraisers.

HONAMI   MEI – Honami appraisal signatures in red or gold blades.

HONAMI   TOGI – Secret polishing method used by the Honami polishers.

HON  KITAE  or   SEKI    TETSU    HO –  Initial forging for steel blocks to be combined into sword laminations.

HON-DZUKURI     or    SHINOGI-DZUKURI  –  Normal blade with shinogi.

HONSANMAI     GITAE – A three blade lamination forging.

HORI DO SAKU – Horimono was made by the same person that made the sword

HORIMONO  – Carving on blades.

HORIMONOSHI –  A professional carving artist.

HOSO    KOGATANA -  An ancient slim knife used by seal hunters. (Hososabi)

HOSOMI  – A slender blade. Also called HOSOMI ZUKURI   no  TACHI

HOSO     SUGUBA – Narrow straight yakiba. Same as Ito-suguba.

HOTSURE  – Strays along a hamon

HOTSURE    HADA – Disorderly mixture of straight & wood grain . Mino.

HOYAKEMONO –  Blade slightly damaged by fire.  Characteristics:

1. Temper line dim and blurred.
2. Surface appearance glassy.

3. Nie grains scattered on surface.
4. Hamon disappears here and there
5. Faded reflections on surface.
6. Yakiba white but indistinct edge.

HOSHI  – Stars. Bright nie crystals in yakiba or hamon. Bitchu smiths.

HOSHI    no   YUBASHIRI    –   Yubashiri spots that look like stars.

HOSO-DACHI  –  Slim decorative ceremonial tachi not for actual use.

HOSOJI  –  A narrow pointed boshi tip.   Bizen and Soshu schools.

HOSO   SABI   –  Slim dagger mentioned in ancient books.

HYOTAN BA  –  Hamon of gourd shape irregular patterns.

 

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I     or    I-SAKU  –  Hobby make.

IBUSE   –  Big round boshi on tachi of northern Japan.

ICHIMAE  BOSHI  –  The whole point tempered.

ICHI – One or first

ICHIMAE   GITAE –  Blades forged for one piece of steel . Higo Dotanuki.

ICHIMAI – one-piece sword construction

ICHIMAI BOSHI – point area (kissaki) that is fully tempered

ICHIMONJI   –   Name of groups that signed just Ichi. (# 1 man!)

ICHIMONJI   KAERI    or    ICHIMAI    KAERI  –  Horizontal return.

IHORI-MUNE   –  Angle of back of sword – low or high.

IKARI     KISSAKI – Large curve on point.

IKUBI  –   Neck of wild boar . Almost no neck on kissaki.

IMONO   TSURU – Thick nie hamon line like sweet potato vine.

INAZUMA  –  Lightening shape marks in yakiba or hada (a type of activity in the hamon).

IRO  – Color of hada and yakiba almost the same with hamon blurred. Bingo.

IROKOGATA –  Hamon like a row of fish scales.

IRO  no   OSHIE  –  Clear sky-blue color of Yamashiro blades.

ISEKI   BOSHI   –  Boshi line stops at back edge or comes close to edge.

ISHIKE  –  Stone-like impurities left in a blade.

ISSHAKU   SANZUN –  Dagger 1 shaku 3 sun long.

ITAME – wood grained hada

ITAME  HADA  NAGARU  –  Ends  of wood grain patterns stream out.

ITO – silk or cotton hilt wrapping

ITOCHIKAKI –  Dim nioi in suguba hamon.

ITOGOKORO –  Bitchu hamon like a twisted thread.

I-no-ME   BA –  Wild boar eve design in hamon by Hiromitsu.

ITOKEBA  –  Twisted thread hamon with shiny nie here and there.

ITOMAKI NO TACHI – tachi with top of saya wrapped with ito

ITO  no   SADAME –  Narrow suguba with thread-like nioi.

ITO   no    WAKACHI –  Very narrow straight line on some Yamato blades.

ITO SUGU – Thin, thread like hamon

ITO    SUGUBA   or    HOSO   SUGUBA  –   Narrow straight yakiba.

ITO    wo    HIKU  –  Nioi line kile shiny silk thread.

ITSUTSU     no    HADA  – The five steel grain patterns:

1.   Matsukawa  –  Pine tree bark grain. 

2. Mokume – wood burl grain.

3. Nogi hada – small tips of millet grain.

4. Kumo – clouds – white  cloud-like mixed with blue.

     5. Nashiji hada – sliced pear surface grain.

ITSUTSU    no     IRO – Five colors in judging steel:

1.      Black –  a dark muddy color.

2.      Asagiiro – darker than sky blue.

3.      Sky blue.

4.      Whitish blue color.

5.      Crystal clear blue color.

ITSUTSU    no    KANE –  Five points in judging steel:

1.      Soft steel – most common.

2.      Tenacious steel – forged soft steel.

3.      Well tempered steel – number 2 well tempered.

4.      Tough and hard steel – good for cutting edge.

5.      Well purified steel.

IZUHA – Steel from Izuha – .8 to 1% carbon content.

 

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JAMI –  Steel with .3 to .4% carbon.

JI – sword surface between the shinogi and the hamon

JI-GANE -– surface steel

JIARE – Surface of a tired blade polished too many times.

JIBA –  Small tempered spots projecting into surface from hamon.

JIFU – Small whitish grain shapes like letters c, o, s, in the surface of Bizen blades.

JIFU    no    MAKIKOMI –  Coiled whitish stripe-like hamon patterns.

JIGAI  –  Suicide by cutting the throat.

JIGANE –  Sword steels:

1.      Hocho tetsu – impure soft iron.

2.      Oroshi tetsu – lumps of iron from the smelting process.

3.      Sen oroshi tetsu – cast iron, white or gray.

4.      Hagane oroshi tetsu – a lump melted from sand iron ore.

5.      Mizuheshi tetsu – melted lump chilled by cold water and forged some.

6.      Namban tetsu – imported iron. Sword steels were made by mixing these.

JIGOSHI –  Strong hada pattern.

JI-HADA – Surface texture – course or fine of various patterns of hada.

JI  HAN - GETSU –   Half moon patterns in ji.

JI   IRO  –  Colors of blade surface.

JIJAKUSHI  –  Faint pattern on ji.

JI  KONETSUCHI –  A clay-like texture in Higo Enju blades.

JINDACHI –  Same as tachi – a long slung sword.

JI-NIE –  The frosty look of surface nie.

JI  no  TSUYU  –  Gem-like spots shining like dew on Bizen Moriiye blades.

JIN  TACHI – A very long sword. Same as Jindachi.

JINTO –  A tachi for fighting. A war sword.

JIN  WAKIZASHI –  Medium length sword worn with a tachi.

JISHO   no  HADA – Fine grain like nashiji on early Bitchu blades.

JI-TSUYA –  Dark colors luster on ji surface.

JITTE – Defensive rod with hook on the side carried by police.

JIYAKI –  Partially double hamon on Soshu blades.

JIZO BOSHI – Boshi shaped like a priest's head

JIZO  GASHIRA –  Boshi line resembling the shaven head of priest Jizo.

JIZOGATA –  Same as last. Most Mino blades have this.

JIZO  HADA –  Fine grain with round clear dark spots. Bitchu blades.

JUKA –  Reheated or re-tempered blade.

JUKABA –  Large choji hamon of Kunisuke or Yoshimichi.

JUKA   CHOJI  – Double choji pattern.

JUKA   no   SAKAASHI –  Ashi of juka choji slanting toward point.

JUMONJI   no   KITAE –  A cross-like pattern 6” below the point.

JUMONJI YARI – a spear with doubled-edged cross blades

JUSAN       no    MITSUKE  –  Thirteen points on blade appraisal:

1.      Surface grains – straight; burl; wood; plain.

2.      Shapes – long ; medium ; short, points large; medium; small.

3.      Curvature – even ; curved near base; curved near point.

4.      Temper lines – small, medium, large irregular; large, medium ,small waves; wide, medium, narrow straight yakiba.

5.      Boshi shapes – no turn-back; circle; flame; brushed; full temper.

6.      Boshi turn-back – deep, medium, short.

7.      Shape of back – roof shape; double; round.

8.      Color of blade surface- blue; white; black.

9.      Nie – course ; medium; fine.

10.  Nioi – shallow ; deep; firm;

11.  Color of tempered surface – white, black.

12.  Ridge ( shinogi) – high ridge; wide shinogi surface; narrow surface.

13.  Carvings – deep; shallow.

JUTETSU – The Ten Brilliant Pupils of Masamune: Rai Kunimitsu, Hasebe Kunishige, Kanemitsu, Shizu Kaneuji, Go Yoshihiro, Norishige, Naotsuna, Chogi (Nagayoshi), Sa and Kinju (Kaneshige).

JUTOE –  Officers in charge of Imperial Palace Guards in 760 AD. 

JUYO KODOGU – "important sword mountings"; a rank given by the N.B.T.H.K.

JUYO TOKEN – highly important origami (certificate) for sword by N.B.T.H.K.

JUYO TOKEN TO ZUFU – Annual publications of the N.B.T.H.K. in which a rubbing of the tang is printed and text is given for all blades and fittings which received Juyo ratings that year.

JUZU – Hamon like rosary beads

JUZUBA –  Buddhist beads – a form of gonome hamon.

 

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KABUTO – helmet

KABUTO-GANE – tachi style pommel cap

KABUTO- WARI – Helmet breaker – square pointed rod 12 “ long with hook. Kusunoki Masashige had one made by Masamune, hence all modern copies are inscribed in honor of Masamune.

KADOBA – Same as hako-midare, a box like hamon pattern.

KAEN – Flame shape boshi pattern.

KAERI – Boshi turn-back

KAERBUKO – Polliwog shape – almost the same as choji.

KAGEHI –  Small groove beside a regular groove on a blade.

KAI   GUNTO –  Naval sword produced during WW II.

KAI     MIHARA –  Blades of Bingo Mihara School with full temper pattern.

KAI      SHINOGI – Meaning not clear, perhaps clam shell shape point.

KAI       SHINOGI    TACHI – Tachi with thick round point.

KAESHIZUNO – A hook shaped fitting used to lock the scabbard to the obi while drawing

KAJI  –  Swordsmith; NIHON  KAJI  – Japanese swordsmith

KAJIBI – Grooves cut by the same smith who made the blade.

KAKARI – Part of hamon frayed and run up toward the back of the blade.

KAKIHADA – Fake sword. Acid imitation of yakiba and surface grain.

KAKIHAN –  Swordsmiths or tsuba makers below signature.

KAKI      NAGASHI –  End of groove pointed.

KAKI-TOSHI  –  Groove continuing to end of tang.

KAKU-DOME – Square end of groove.

KAKU-MUNE –  Square back ridge of sword.

KAMAKURA-MONO – Kamakura things – A general term for blades made by Shintogo Kunimitsu, Yukimitsu, Masamune, Sadamine Group in Sagami province.

KAMASU  KADO  or  KAMASU-ZUKURI – Large point with straight edge.

KAMIKAZE – divine wind, the providential typhoons which destroyed the Mongol fleet when they tried to invade Japan.

KAMISHIMO-ZASHI – Daisho swords in conservative black mountings.

KAMURI  JIZO  – Boshi point slants toward edge and fades out.

KAMURI   OTOSHI  – Narrowed back for most of the length of the sword.

KANASUJI –  Chikei lines near the cutting edge.

KANA  TOKU  – Anvil.

KANJI  –  Japanese characters

KAN  no HA – A straight hamon continues straight to a little above yokote before curving with point, almost touching edge at that place.

KANMURI-OTOSHI –Back ridge beveled like a naginata

KANTEI –  Study and appraisal of swords.

KANSEI no HA –  An irregular temper line that looks stern and has nie crystals in yakib