The above diagram shows all the major Japanese sword blade parts so you may better understand the descriptions of the products listed on our site.

   The buke-zukuri style of sword mounting is the most common type seen today on antique Japanese swords. It is also called the uchigatana or katana style. A set of swords consisting of a long sword (daito) and a short sword (shoto) which are mounted in identical koshirae are referred to as a daisho. Daisho or daito could only be worn by samurai or higher rank, whereas the short sword (shoto or wakizashi) could be worn by merchants, tradesmen and craftsmen. This accounts for the increased value of daito (katana or tachi) versus shoto and for the greater numbers of shoto (wakizashi) found today. Swords in buke-zukuri mountings are worn edge up with the saya thrust through the obi (waist band).

   There are a variety of shapes of Japanese sword tangs (nakago). Thaitsuki Japanese Swords use the Funagata tang style because it provides more support to the blade. The Funagata tang increases the strength of the blade to support the continues use of cutting and training.


Richard Stein's Japanese Sword Index for everything you've ever wanted to know about Japanese Swords.