How To Do
Hen Doku I Yaku
Change Poison to Medicine
We have attempted to answer some of the more frequent questions which have been asked over time. The information provided has been collected from a wide variety of sources and we hope that it helps.
Questions Pertaining to Swords:
Q. How do I select a sword that is suitable foe me??
A. Sword selection guidelines based on size.
Q. Is there a general glossary of Japanese sword terms??
A. Japanese Sword Glossary
Q. Is there a visual glossary of the Japanese Sword??
A. VISUAL JAPANESE SWORD BLADE
Q. What is the terminology used in describing a Japanese Sword Blade??
A. SWORD BLADE TERMINOLOGY
Q. What flaws in a Japanese sword should I be aware of???
A. JAPANESE SWORD FLAWS
Q. How do I recognize a good Japanese Sword??
A. How to Recognize a Good Sword
Q. How do I read the Mei (signiture) on a Japanese Sword Tang??
A. TIPS ON READING SWORD SIGNATURES
Q. What are the major historic provinces which produced Japanese Swords??
A. JAPANESE PROVINCES KANJI
Q. What are the common factory logos (kanji) for production Military swords??
A. JAPANESE SWORD COMPANY LOGOS
Q. What is the history of Japanese Sword Making??
A. History of Japanese Swords
Q. How is a Japanese Sword Made??
A. The making of a sword
Q. How do I recognize the Japanese Military swords??
A. JAPANESE MILITARY SWORDS
Q. Is there a good general form for collecting information on Japanese Swords??
A. Japanese Sword Inventory Sheet
Q. What is differentially clay tempered mean??
A. Yake-ire and the use of Tsuchi
Questions Pertaining to Sword Mountings:
Q. What are the mountings of a Japanese Sword??
A. Japanese Sword Mountings
Q. What is the historical background of the Japanese Sword mountings??
A. A Brief History of the Development of Koshirae
Q. Where can I find information on Tsubas??
A. Tsuba (Art of the Japanese Sword)
Questions Pertaining to Sword Maintenance:
Q. I have bought a traditional sword cleaning kit, how do I use it??
A. Care and Maintenance of your new Japanese Sword (simplified)
JAPANESE SWORD CARE GUIDE (traditional)
Q. How do I sharpen my new Sword??
A. Sword Sharpening
Q. Where can I find information on Sword Polishing??
A. A Hybrid approach to sword polishing
Q. Where can I find more information on Sword Restoration??
A. Gai-Jins guide to sword restoration.
Other Questions:
Q. How do I tie a sageo on my saya??
A. sageo TYING TECHNIQUES
Q. How Are Mekugi Rods Made??
A. The Making of Mekugi
Q. Where can I buy Tameshigiri supplies??
A. Mugen Dachi Tatami Omote for Tameshigiri
Q. What types of clothing were worn by the Samurai??
A. A History of Japanese Clothing
Q. What are some of the Various Martial Arts Forms/Styles???
A. A GLOSSARY OF THE MARTIAL ARTS
Q. Where can I find information on Chinese swords??
A. CHINESE SWORD HISTORY
Q. Where can I find information of the types and use of Shuriken??
A. Secrets of the Shuriken, the Art of Blade Throwing
If you haven’t found it here or require more in depth research we recommend you visit Richard Stein’s website at:
The Japanese Sword Index