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Wazamono (Japanese: 業 （ わざ ） 物 （ もの ）) is a Japanese term that, in a literal sense, refers to an instrument that plays as it should; in the context of Japanese swords and sword collecting, wazamono denotes any sword with a sharp edge that has been tested to cut well, usually by professional sword appraisers via the art of tameshigiri (test cutting).
Diagram showing the parts of a nihontō blade in transliterated Japanese. This is the glossary of Japanese swords, including major terms the casual reader might find useful in understanding articles on Japanese swords. Within definitions, words set in boldface are defined elsewhere in the glossary.
Legends say Minamoto no Yorimitsu killed the monster Shuten-dōji with this sword. [2] Sometimes it is called "the yokozuna of all Japanese swords" because of its perfection; it is of great historical value as one of the oldest extant katana-type weapons, the quality and the artistic value of the blade is exquisite, it has been kept in good ...
However, to maintain the quality of Japanese swords, the Japanese government limits the number of Japanese swords a swordsmith can make in a year to 24 (up to 2 swords per month). Therefore, many of the swords called "Japanese sword" distributed around the world today are made in China, and the manufacturing process and quality are not authorized.
All of the Islamic world during the 16th to 18th century, including the Ottoman Empire and Persia were influenced by the "scimitar" type of single-edged curved sword. Via the Mameluke sword this also gave rise to the European cavalry sabre. Terms for the "scimitar" curved sword: Kilij (Turkish) Pulwar (Afghanistan) Shamshir (Persia) Talwar ...
Enormous tachi called seoi-tachi (shouldering swords), nodachi (field swords) and ōdachi with blades 120–150 cm (47–59 in) long were forged. [ nb 3 ] [ 31 ] The high demand for swords during feudal civil wars after 1467 ( Sengoku period ) resulted in mass production and low quality swords as swordsmiths no longer refined their own steel ...
The term wakizashi did not originally specify swords of any official blade length [10] and was an abbreviation of wakizashi no katana ("sword thrust at one's side"); the term was applied to companion swords of all sizes. [11] Antique Japanese daishō, the traditional pairing of two Japanese swords which were the symbol of the samurai, showing ...
The kanabō was also a mythical weapon, often used in tales by oni, who reputedly possessed superhuman strength. [7] [8] This is alluded to by the Japanese saying "like giving a kanabō to an oni " —meaning to give an extra advantage to someone who already has the advantage (i.e. the strong made stronger).