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How Can You Tell a Good Sword from a Bad One?

Let's first discuss what we mean by a bad sword. What I'm describing here is a good sword for use in tameshigiri, or test-cutting. I'm not talking about so-called "wall-hangers" swords that are designed for display only. I'm talking about practical swords, that can actually be used to cut. Additionally, I'm not attempting to differentiate traditionally made Japanese swords (which may or may not be appropriate for tameshigiri) from non-traditionally made swords. That's a separate subject. The first thing a good sword must do is cut well. Without chipping. Without breaking. A friend of mine bought a Chinese import, took it out of the box, cut a piece of bamboo...and immediately chipped the blade. This is completely unacceptable. It demonstrates that the blade had been improperly heat treated. Many blades made by production forges in Asia are like this. One might be excellent and the next, awful. Problem is, you don't know unt il you test it. So you may have to turn to other clues that indicate shoddy manufacture. Blade geometry. It's not unusual for poorly made blades to have incorrect blade geometry. The shinogi the section of the blade from the ridge-line to the spine of the blade sh ould comprise roughly 30% of the blade. I've frequently seen blades where the shinogi is much larger than this. Sometimes almost half the blade. This indicates that the blade is made by somebody who hasn't studied Japanese blades very carefully. It's not only non-traditional, but it messes up the geometry of the blade, widening the angle of the cutting edge and thereby impeding its capacity to cut properly. Other geometry flaws include: blades with shinogis which taper improperly along their length. A correct shinogi should taper evenly from the tip to the tang in perfect proportion to the taper of the blade. It shouldn 't widen or thin in the middle or at the ends. Additionally the lines where the bevels meet should be crisp and easily visible. If they are soft and blurred, it's a sign that the blade was polished incorrectly or that someone has used a power buffer on it, wiping out the crispness of the lines. Incorrect tips. The kissaki, or tip, of the Japanese sword, should be slightl y curved. It should not be circular and it should never be straight. I've seen both of these flaws on che ap imports. Either of these flaws is a sign that the smith hasn't bothered to study Japanese swords carefully. Fake hamons. The hamon often incorrectly called the "temperline" is the signature of the Japanese sword. It is caused by a complicated heat treating method which results in a hard edge and a soft spine. If the hamon doesn't have a habuchi (the misty, whitish line where the hamon meets the softer steel) or is composed of regular little buffing scratches, it's a fake. This kind of sword is a wall-hanger and should never be used in any way. Another sign of cheap manufacture is an extremely regular hamon. Sometimes this can be found on perfectly adequate imports, however, so in and of itself it's not an absolute sign of shoddy manufacture. Unfinished tangs. Good smiths take the time to finish the tang of a properly made

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12/15/2008 10:41 PM

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ABOUT WALTER

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Japanese-style blade by filing a pattern into the tang. If the tang has not been filed this way, it's a strong sign that the smith has not put much care into the manufacture of the blade. Fittings. The fittings on cheap imports also give you a clue as to the quality of the blade. Any sign of plastic means you should run screaming in the opposite direction. Beyond that, though...if the saya has obviously been spray-painted, if the tsuba (guard) wiggles a nd clanks when you handle the blade, if the handle wrap is loose or has the shiny appearance of polyester, if the diamonds in the handle wrap are conspicuously uneven, if the habaki (the retaining collar around the neck of the blade) is loose, if the metal fittings appear to have been cheaply cast and poorly patinated all of these are indicators of inferior manufacture. For a variety of reasons, you might find any one of these flaws on a decently made blade. But when you see several of them at once...you have to start questioning the overall quality of the blade. So we've talked about what makes a bad blade. How about the signs of a good blade? In no particular order... First, an active, irregular, exciting hamon is almost never found on crappy blades. It takes artistry, skill and time to make an active hamon. Foreign production houses ain't got the time or the inclination. (That said, there are decent swords made by Asian production smiths. They will have boring, soulless hamons...but that doesn't mean they won't cut. ) The geometry o f good blades is crisp, even, and traditional. Cheap blades are simply less pleasing to the eye. When viewed down its length, there should be no conspicuous wiggles in the surface of the steel or bends in the blade. Additionally, a decent blade will generally though not always! be well mounted. The fittings should be restrained, not garish. (Lots of dragons twisting all over the place is always a bad sign!) The fittings should also be well executed and fit firmly, without wiggling or rattling. The handle wrap should be tight and even, with no strange gaps showing. The lacquer on the saya should be clear, even and unmarred. If it's new, the habaki should fit tightly into the mouth of the saya. (As they wear, they will inevitably loosen up, however.) Finally, there's price. By and large, you get what you pay for. Anything that only costs a couple of hund red dollars is not gonna be so great. Sword making is outlandishly labor-intensive. Even with the low wages paid to Chinese workers, you just can't sell a decent blade for dirt without cutting corners. Finally, let's talk about buying on eBay. There are a million ways to get scammed on eBay. Good blades do get sold on eBay, however. There just aren't many of them. If you see a blade that hasn't been bid on, or that's going for only a couple of hundred dollars (or less), odds are it's because people who know good swords aren't bidding for it. Anything being sold by a mainland Chinese seller under the claim of being a "real samurai sword" or a "Japanese sword captured during WWII" is 100% guaranteed to be a fake. Not 98%. Not 99%. 100%. One last issue: I know people who buy what you might call "back yard beaters" swords they intend to treat unkindl y. They reason that there's no disadvantage to buying a cheap sword and then using it to chop up cinder blocks and two-by-fours until they destroy it. I thin k this is a bad idea. I've seen blades like that snap in half without injuring anybody. But my life's too precious to tempt fate that way. A flying sword tip can literally kill you. Thanks but no thanks. The best solution to learning about buying blades is to study properly made swords. T here are plenty of books and web sites out there with images of well-made Japanese and Japanese-style swords. Study them. You'll begin to develop an eye for what is good quality and what is not, for what is correct geometry and what is not. And finally, as always, I recommend getting proper training in sword handling. Getting guidance from a trained, legitimate martial artist is the best way to learn about swords. Joining groups like the Japan Sword Society and attending shows such as the Florida Token-Kai show in Tampa or the sword shows in Chicago and San Francisco are also useful. If you're interested in purchasing an existing blade from the gallery or ordering a custom piece, click the ORDER INFORMATION button.

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12/15/2008 10:41 PM