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Shopping for a Custom
Japanese-Style Sword
A beginner's guide to the options in
selecting a battleworthy katana
by Adrian Ko
As our January article "Is My Sword Real" indicates, many of the
mass-produced stainless steel swords (as low as US$80 and as high as
US$580) from Spain, Taiwan, etc. are made purely as decorative swords and
not to historical or traditional battlefield specifications and
tolerances. Many corners are cut in materials and designs to achieve
swords that have the "look" (albeit from a distance) of Japanese swords,
but not the performance characteristics necessary to merit the sword as a
martial arts weapon.
The difference between a decorative sword, a production sword and a custom
martial arts sword is the nature and intended use of the bladed
instrument. While the serious martial artist not only embraces the poetic
and artistic aspects of the sword, he/she trains with it as a serious
weapon for combat, and thus the sword must be custom tailored to not only
his/her specifications and body proportions but must also be made within
the boundaries specified by his sword art.
So how does one go about purchasing a real Japanese style sword? There
are several things to consider and to define before making a purchasing
decision:
What is the purpose of the
sword? Is it intended to be decorative yet be as
real as possible, or will it be serving as a martial arts weapon? If the
latter, will it be used merely for solo-practice (kata),
test-cutting (tameshigiri) or live-sparring? If used for
test-cutting, what materials will it be used on? (e.g. green bamboo, straw
mats, etc.) A sword should be able to survive the uses you put it to.
What style of martial art are you currently
studying? This is what many custom bladesmiths will
ask you. It is a very important question because a sword must be
proportioned to your body and balanced and weighted to compliment your
wielding and your martial arts style in order to maximize the
effectiveness of the sword. Serious martial artists have swords tailored
to them (for purposes of length, balance, curvature, drawability, etc.),
rather than purchasing a generic sword that may end up being
ill-proportioned or incorrectly balanced in accordance to their intended
use.
Do you know what style of sword you
want?
This is quite a topic in itself because the process can be difficult -
even overwhelming - for a newcomer, especially because Japanese vocabulary
may be involved (we will cover Japanese sword specifications as a
follow-up to this article in our Fall issue). You, the user, have the
option to choose from various styles from schools of bladesmithing
traditions, time periods, and bladesmiths. An understanding of the anatomy
of the sword is valuable; knowing which aspects of a sword should or
should not be defined is another. This is where you define the physical
attributes - even details such as amount of curvature, location of
curature apex, cross sectional geometry, and distal taper to name a few
(giving incorrect measurements can affect the resultant use of the blade
but its effectiveness and longevity).
How you figure all this out comes from both experience in the practice of
your art and having been exposed to many period swords. While most
martial artists will have a very good idea of perhaps some of the
performance criteria that they expect from a sword, many simply have not
had the exposure to historical swords to allow them to map their
requirements onto a physical design. Fortunately, many bladesmiths have
developed a style that they standardize on, which with minor
customizations, will satisfy a variety of applications that a sword may be
put through.
With that said and established, here are a few ways to purchase real
swords. Modern production swords will not be covered here, as they are
not necessarily marketed as martial arts grade, nor do they fall in line
with the serious martial artist's requirement that the sword be custom
tailored to their specifications.
Shopping Among Antique
Swords
Due to television and other influences, some may feel that the older the
sword they acquire, the better the weapon. For martial arts use, purchase
of an antique weapon is not recommended for various reasons.
Firstly, old swords that are in an affordable price range tend to have
problems - major rust and corrosion, forging flaws, and other things that
can detrimentally affect the structural integrity of a sword. At various
points in history, many swords were effectively mass-produced to meet
demand and are thus of considerably lesser quality than the singular
hand-made custom swords - and a beginner's inability to discern such
blades from others can be a tremendous purchasing challenge.
Yet another
reason is that some antique blades have been so polished down (for
purposes of restoration over the generations) that the soft core steel is
exposed (or about to be exposed) at which point such a blade has little
value as a weapon and is thus "retired" from service! Antique
katana should always be respected for their intrinsic and historic
value because a lack of respect means depriving future generations from
enjoying these relics (the Samurai saw himself as merely a temporary
custodian of the blade, like one link in a long chain).
To keep things simple, antique swords can be placed in two categories:
World War II Era Swords -
Gunto Although antique pre-WWII Japanese swords have
become very expensive, gunto (i.e. mass-produced military swords)
are still plentiful and available to beginning collectors. They are often
found in varying conditions at gun shows and antique stores, and depending
on their quality, an intact sword in good condition generally runs about
US$400 or so (though many jack up the prices to $600-800). Many of these
are not necessarily differentially hardened (with a harder edge, softer
body, and a true temper line). In fact, due to wartime demand, shortcuts
such as full hardening (same hardness everywhere - also known as "through
hardening") and cosmetic false temper lines are common on many WWII
swords. If you decide to go this route, be sure to find something rust
free with no cracks nor belt-sander/buffer scratch marks (as the heat
build-up from this incorrect form of rust removal can affect the temper of
the blade and impair its performance).
Most mass-produced military swords are between 24-26" in blade length, to
fit the average height of Japanese soldiers of the time. Some martial
artists use these as affordable practice swords and remount them in newer
furnishings (scabbard, handle, etc.) The only thing you cannot customize
is the blade's length and some martial artists may find these blades too
short for them. For others, having a shorter blade is better than a
longer blade because their sword arts teach that a longer blade may impede
upon your ability to draw your sword properly. If you are unsure whether
the average military sword length is suitable, check with your instructor
before purchasing.
These World War II swords are referred to as gunto. They are
generally ground from steel bars or even hand-forged from steel billets.
Gunto are generally not folded (forge-welded). They are also generally
quenched in oil, but not necessarily clay-coated to facilitate
differential heat treating for the harder edge and softer body - hence the
absence of the hamon (temper line).
Some gunto are in the US$1,000-3,000 range because they are forge
folded and properly clay coated and heat treated. These are individually
made blades that have more value than the mass produced ones. Other
swords may contain family heirloom blades while others were custom made
for sons to go off to war. If you are new to Japanese sword collecting,
it is advisable to research this area so as to spend your money more
wisely. You would be surprised how many "general's swords" there are,
which probably outnumber the actual number of generals in the military of
the day! (Be wary of such claims when authoritative papers confirming
their origin and ownership are not present).
It should be noted that mass-produced gunto are regarded as having
no value in Japan. In fact they are categorized as "military
goods" and are not treated with the same respect as traditional Japanese
swords ("nihon-to").
Pre-World War II
Swords These are given various names depending on
what "sword period" they were made in. However, they are given the term
"nihon-to" which refers to a traditionally made Japanese sword.
Age is not necessarily the only thing that makes one sword more expensive
than the other. Some collectors favor one school of tradition's style
over the other. For example, Bizen tradition swords are widely
sought after because of certain aesthetic qualities. Some smiths are more
desirable to collectors than others; everyone wants a Masamune but can't
afford to sell their house for it! As stated earlier, antique swords
outside of World War II era swords are generally not the way to go
as martial arts weapons. Historical relics should be preserved.
And, finally, beware of flaws in the sword. Some are cosmetic and do not
affect usability. However, some are both detrimental to the blade and the
user. Cracks and chips in the edge are points of vulnerability - unless
such a sword is polished back until the damage is gone, the blade can
break at these points under stress. However, if the damage runs the width
of the hardened edge, even if you polish the sword back before the damage
begins, there may be no hardened edge left. The sword is therefore
useless. On occasion I have found sword where the original tip is no
longer existent. The sword has been ground back and a new tip
reformed, but it will not have a proper temper line and hardened edge
contouring the edge, and thus such a sword is useless.
Shopping For Custom
Swords
Purchasing a modern-made custom sword is for most people the wisest and
safest way to go. For one, you are not potentially endangering a
historical relic. Also, some older swords may have certain weaknesses due
to either time, use, condition, or method of manufacture.
There are two sources of custom swords: inside of Japan and outside of
Japan.
Japanese smiths are required to adhere strictly to traditions for purposes
of maintaining the Japanese sword ("nihon-to") as a cultural symbol
and to maintain the traditional methods of bladesmithing as a national
heritage. Some are more beautiful and better-performing than others. In
general, the higher the smith is ranked at the yearly bladesmithing
competitions, the more esteem he has and, consequently, he can request a
higher price for his work. Even though the blades of smiths of lesser
ranking did not rate well in the "beauty contests", they can still serve
as usable swords to varying degrees of performance. Many such "lesser
swords" are sold outside Japan for US$3,000-$8,000 (depending on quality,
name-recognition of smith, and dealer markup) while the better known
smiths command prices from $20,000-$100,000 up. Locating a Japanese
smith directly for a better price can be extremely difficult. Many smiths
do not speak English, and few have left Japan.
Swords made outside of Japan by non-Japanese smiths do not have these
restrictions. Among these range swords that are poor approximations of
Japanese swords to attractive high-performance swords that benefit from
modern metallurgy and heat treating science - as well as pricing
competitive with that of Japanese smiths (who, due to governmental
regulation, are only allowed to make a small handfull of swords each month
to ensure quality is not loss to high production). Swords made by
non-Japanese smiths can be made very close to tradition (either in
appearance or method of manufacture) such that even Japanese collectors,
curators and appraisers have been fooled.
Let's examine these two categories:
Custom
Shinsakuto Japanese swords made between the end of WWII
and today - by Japanese smiths in Japan out of traditional materials and a
traditional process - are known as shinsakuto (i.e. "newly-made
swords"). Smiths making shinsakuto may range from a lowly unknown
smith cranking out mediocre blades to world-famous smiths like Yoshindo
Yoshihara. However, in collector circles, "shinsakuto" is usually only
used in reference to higher quality swords which qualify as "art swords".
As mentioned before, the prices of swords depend on the smith's ranking
in the yearly swordmaking contests. Contest-winners and
Mukansa-level smiths can charge a large premium for their swords.
Most average (non-contest winners) shinsakuto run in the US$6,000-9,000
range. While some feel that based on their prices they must be better
than traditional-style swords made by North American smiths in the
US$3,000 range, word has it that these shinsakuto are in actuality
heavily marked up and in actuality cost a lot less in Japan!
Another term you will find is shinken ("live/real sword") which is
generally the term for a martial arts grade sword made by a modern-day
smith in Japan. The difference between shinken and
shinsakuto is that a shinken is basically a
shinsakuto that more or less failed the beauty contest requirements
of the smith. Perhaps the hamon (temper line) didn't come out
quite right, or the curvature wasn't perfect for the style or tradition
the smith was aiming to recreate. A beginning collector may not be
attuned to these nuances. A shinken is a fully usable weapon.
Those collecting shinken for purposes of resale later may find
selling them to more knowledgeable buyers difficult because of these
nuances.
Shinken also refers to swords made for martial arts requirements -
swords in geometries optimized for cutting, in reduced weight for
kata use, etc. Such swords are generally sold for less because of
their minor aesthetic imperfections, but beware as the terms
shinken and shinsakuto tend to be used interchangeably by
dealers.
Some shinsakuto/shinken can be custom ordered and tailored
while some are already made and in stock at a dealer.
Custom Japanese-Style
Swords This
category is generally made by North American smiths to create
traditional-style swords. Because they are not bound by cultural
traditions like smiths in Japan, they can employ various techniques and
use different materials to create affordable and yet beautiful
high-performance swords.
Not all North Americans bladesmiths are capable of equalling or even
approximating the character and quality of the Japanese sword. The best
thing to do is to find a custom bladesmith who specializes in
Japanese-style swords (they are termed "Japanese-style" because they are
technically not Japanese - i.e. not made by a Japanese bladesmith, not
made in Japan, not made out of Japanese iron sand, and not made as a
Japanese national cultural symbol). Determine if the bladesmith is
following the spirit of traditional Japanese bladesmithing as much as
possible. They should approximate, equal, or - if possible - surpass the
aesthetics and performance of traditional swords. They should be made
with authentic geometries, shapes, dimensions, real temper-line, etc. and
fully mounted in tasteful fittings and furniture.
Pricing generally starts at around US$1,400 and can go as high as
$14,000 depending on how complex, elaborate or exotic you want the
blade or complete sword. While a $1,400 blade may not have, say, forge
welded grain patterns (hada) on its sides, these are merely
cosmetic elements; the blade will suit a martial artist perfectly who may
not require the same degree of aesthetic factors collectors seek.
Experienced North American smiths have the benefit of using modern
metallurgies of steel as well as modern heat treating techniques to
achieve higher degrees of performance. Skilled smiths can achieve similar
beauty to that of the ancient Japanese masters. And if you find the right
smiths, they can give even shinsakuto a run for the
money!
Conclusion
The purpose of this article is to concentrate more on the options
available to a beginning collector rather than to make recommendations
towards certain businesses in acquiring the aforementioned swords.
Purchasing an antique is generally not recommended for a martial arts
sword. Antique swords can be daunting to a new collector who
without proper information, study and training can find it a daunting task
to ascertain and discern the value and condition of a period sword.
A fully mounted World War II gunto blade is an inexpensive means
to get started, though not truly customizable.
A modern-made blade is perhaps not only the safest way (in light of the
aforementioned situations) for a starting-out collector to have a blade
custom-tailored to his/her specifications but also the most affordable
way. While some may prefer the works of Japanese smiths, the work of some
non-Japanese smiths can equal or even surpass equivalent
shinsakuto makers and at the same time be more cost effective.
As this is a beginner's guide, I would recommend that you expose yourself
to books, photographs, illustrations, museum pieces, etc. to develop an
eye and feel for what you want. Attend Japanese Sword Shows, as this will
allow you to handle many swords to find what's good for you. And,
ultimately, find a custom bladesmith you can communicate with - especially
one that can communicate at your level of experience, but it is
advisable to do research prior to approaching a custom smith so that the
conversation is not one of dumbfounded silence!
In older times, the sword was a product of synergistic communication
between swordsmith and swordsman. It is therefore advisable to continue
this tradition and purchase from a smith you have the best chance of
communicating your needs and requirements with, because while the next
sword you are about to purchase may be an art sword, the sword is also a
weapon - it may perhaps one day preserve a life. Your decision should be
made with all responsibility, wisdom and care.
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