*Puts on glasses and wears a suit* Oh wait I already do that, listen up class!

I am Chioky Sensei and your in sword making class and todays lesson is the anatomy of the sword, more precisely katan as. So I have drawn a katana with its saya as clear as possible. Then I have nam ed all the different parts of a katana in japanese with english. However there i s still many more parts to the katana, but this is a simple version knowing the parts that are most improtant. This will be on the test next week so study hard class! *walks out of classroom* Kashira The very bottom of the sword is the hilt on the end of the handle of the katana. It is meant to keep the tsukamaki together however it is meant for deco ration more then practicality. Tsukamaki This is what the handles katana is wrapped in. It is either leather or silk cord and It should be wound very tightly and neatly. If it is poorly wrapp ed then it will unravel quickly and must be replaced over time. Tsuka This is the entire handle of the katana itself. It's made of a strong wood and Its function is to provide both impact absorption and shock tolerance. The tsuka is suppose to be detachable from the tang. Tsuba This is the handguard which is ussually circle in shape which seperates th e tsuka from the blade. This is one part of the sword where artistic freedom is at its highest potential. Habaki This is the metal collar that encircles the base of the blade just above the tsuba. It serves a dual purpose: to lock the tsuba into place, and also to s ecure the sword in its scabbard. Shinogi This is the ridge of the sword where the grinded blade portion ends, and the sword becomes thick. On one side the blade will be flat and on the other si de will be sloped the center line is the Shinogi. Ha The overall sharp edge of the sword. This is the part of the sword where you will spend the most of the time swordmaking to sharpen the blade to a fine sharp point with precision. Mune This is the flat, non-sharp back or "spine" of the sword. The mune is almos t never sharpened and The flattened mune is also functional in deflecting enemy sword blows in battle. Boshi This is the edge pattern on the curved portion of the tip of the blade. No t to be confused with the kissaki, its use is decorative only. Remember this is not the tip of the blade only when it curves. Same This is the ray skin (stingray skin) that covers the handle of the sword an d lays underneath the cord wrap (tsukamaki). Ray skin is the traditional materia l used in Japanese sword making to provide grip. Sageo This is the cord made of silk or cotton that is used to tie a sword's scab bard (saya) to the obi of a samurai. However, it is usually kept bound to the sa ya and never actually tied to the obi for everyday use. Kurigata This is the knob on the side of the saya which the (sageo) would be tie d onto, which then would tie onto the obi of the samurai. It is built so to allo w enough space for a suitable knot.

Saya This is the scabbard where the sword "lives" when not in use. It's usually made of two halves of custom-carved wood sealed together to form a snug fit arou nd that particular blade. The wood is usually highly laquored and sometimes high ly decorated. Hamon This is the wavy blade pattern of the sharpened portion of the sword. It i s a visual effect caused by the tempering process, when trying to create a desir ed transition between the soft and hard metals. Kissaki This is the very tip, or point area of the sword. It's often confused wi th the Boshi becuase that is the curved end of the blade where as the kissaki is the ver tip of the blade. Kojira This is the very end of the saya that must hold the tip of the blade, whi le it is living inside the saya. It is ussually more shaped to be flat then to b e rounded in the construction of the saya. Koiguichi This is the very start of the saya that the blade must slide through i nto the saya. This is the crucial part where the koiguichi must correctly slide onto the habaki of the katana.