Antique Japanese Swords

Samurai Spirit: Buying Antique Japanese Swords

The katana, or samurai sword, is a work of art as well as a weapon. Whether you're a martial artist studying swordsmanship or a collector looking to add a true jewel to your wall, you can't go wrong with an antique katana. The affordable antique Japanese swords for sale on eBay represent the pinnacle of swordsmithing.

Without going too much into history, it's enough to say the priorities of making new Japanese swords for sale have changed over time. Historically, medieval Japan was a warlike place. You can divide katana styles into several periods.

• Koto - These were swords made during Japan's period of civil war (1467-1615). These swords were strictly weapons.
• Shinto - These were swords made during most of the Edo period (1615-1780). You often see elaborate mountings and etchings, or horimono, on the blades.
• Shin-Shinto - These were swords made during the end of the Meiji period (1780-1876). These are less ornate than Edo-period swords.
• Gendaito - These were swords made from Meiji until the end of World War II (1876-1945). You won't see traditional hilt wrappings on these mass-produced items. Most hilts consist of a single piece of leather.

When looking at pictures of samurai swords for sale, you can get a rough idea of their quality and method of forging just by looking at the blades. Look closely at the darker part of the blade near the edge. The swordsmith coats the katana with clay prior to quenching it during forging. This clay makes the sword take on its characteristic curve because of the difference in heat between the spine and the edge of the blade. On hand-forged swords, the temper line, or hamon, should look wavy and almost take on a three-dimensional appearance. Mass-produced katana have acid-etched temper lines.

Look at the hilt of a samurai sword for sale. You should see one or two bamboo pegs going through it. These pegs go through the tang of the sword and keep the hilt attached. World War II-era swords often had a loop by which they attached to an officer's belt, and the scabbard, or saya, was steel or aluminum.

The heart of the katana is the blade. The fittings, called koshirae, were made separately. You could have an old blade with newer fittings, and it wouldn't diminish the value or effectiveness of the sword. Most of the fittings of used and pre-owned Japanese swords are made of wood and brass. Here's a list of a few of them:

• Scabbard (saya): This is made of lacquered wood. A special scabbard called a shirasaya was used for long-term storage.
• Hilt (tsuka): This is made of two pieces of wood that were glued together and wound with ray skin and cotton wrappings.
• Handguard (tsuba): Made of iron or brass, this is among the most artistic elements of the sword.