Regarding appreciation of Japanese swords
Let’s touch on the appreciation of Japanese swords today.
In order to appreciate Japanese swords (Kansyo), you have to learn how
to care for them. Shirasaya. Or even if you are in Koshirae, first
give a bow to the sword and take care of it. Since Japanese swords are
very sharp blades, please put the necessary care tools on the side and
put a blanket on the tatami mat to clean them. Please see the
reference image https://www.aoijapan.com/others/treatment/
In the past, Japanese swords have been cleaned with clove oil, Mino
paper, dusting powder, and (Uchigumori polishing storn powder). In the
bucket, turbid Uchigumori polishing stone water collects and is
filtered with a tight cloth. Dry it to make fine Uchigumori tiny
powder. The powder is used as Uhiko in a round shape wrapped around a
cloth, which everyone often sees. This is to remove the old oil
applied to the blade by mixing oil and powder and lightly rubbing the
rubbed paper of Mino paper against the blade. This method has probably
been used from the Heian period to the present. However, clove oil and
camellia oil are of vegetable origin, so they are viscous and stick to
the blade. Sometimes the oil adheres to the shirasaya part and adheres
to the saya, causing oil stains. The inside of the pod will turn black
again. We use the simplest method for maintenance, so please refer to
it.
1. First, fold a good quality teshu and sprinkle it with a liquid of
benzine or 100% alcohol.
Wipe it straight from the back to the tip of the Japanese sword Munemachi.
The oil can be completely removed in one go.
2. From the upper part of Nakago, point the blade at the bare light
bulb (the room should be dark) and watch it as if the light bulb
shines on it. You can clearly see hamon and utsuri on the surface of
sword.
3. Hataraki of inside of the hamon If you look closely, you can see
hataraki such as sunagashi, kinsuji, koashi (small leg), and Yo.
Please take a closer look inside the Bo-shi and appreciate its
condition. Please take a close look at hakikake, hamon morphology,
hataraki, defects, etc.
4. Next, let’s take a closer look at jigane from your hand to kissaki.
At that time, we will appreciate shinogi ji. As a tendency, shinogi ji
in the Kamakura period should be able to see koitame, itame, and
mokume hada. Shinto when masame is strong. As the number of shinshinto
increases and the times go up, the number of masame hada tends to
decrease.
5. Machine oil using absorbent cotton or commercially available cotton
after viewing the front and back.
Soak the cotton with sewing machine oil and apply the oil.
Furthermore, lightly remove the attached oil with a chish. Machine oil
spreads over the whole sword, so the oil will stick to it with a silky
feel. Make the sword parallel to shirasaya, put the kissaki of the
sword on the white sheath at the entrance, and slide it into
shirasaya. If you do not make them parallel, the kissaki of the sword
will stick inside the saya, so please be careful. When you’re done,
hold the sword in saya with both hands and thank you. Gently put the
shirasaya in the sword bag and gently widen the band on the top of the
sword bag and fold it slowly. The koshirae also requires careful care.
Of course, the care is different for each person. I think you should
do it in the way that is best for you.
My care method was my idea and I haven’t had any problems yet.
It’s easy to clean and it’s surprisingly easy to get rid of oil. On
the other hand, the conventional method cannot completely remove the
oil and must be wiped many times, and the sword that has undergone the
best polishing has somehow become blurred with the conventional
method. I feel it. This is just my opinion, but after years of
maintenance, countless small flaws that are invisible to the eye are
generated from Mino paper and uchiko powder, and uchiko is found in
the itame, masame, mokume, and oohada parts. I think that the powder
and oil will soak into the jigane and harden with the oil.
Instead of Mino paper, some people use eyeglass care cloths sold at
eyeglass stores, deer leather, or scientific fibers.
I recommend the method of cleaning with fresh (clean) petroleum-based
machine oil or sewing machine oil when the sword oil is removed with
100% benzine or alcohol. Why do you oil the blade? I think that’s
because it doesn’t rust the sword. However, on New Year’s Day and
special occasions, I think it is necessary to take care of it in the
way that the past japanese swords have taken care of.
Gently and relaxedly head toward the japanese sword, squeeze the Mino
paper over and over again, wipe the whole sword with a piece of paper
that has lost its waist, and enjoy the sword in a single point without
cloudiness and spend some time thinking calmly. I think it is also
necessary to have it. We hope that the japanese sword will be
preserved forever. In any case, there is only maintenance to prevent
rust. Please take good care of it from now on and keep it for 10000
and 2000 years. Why are so many famous japanese swords extant?
This is because there are many samurai in Daimyo families who
constantly take care of the okoshimono kakari, that is, the japanese
swords, so as not to rust them. Therefore, there are many famous
swords in the bad climate of Japan. Even if the times change, we will
cherish the sword left by our ancestors and pass it on to the future.
Japanese swords are made by swordsmithes while struggling to make good
quality tamahagane, and the swords are made by several swordsmithes.
Steel is made and the hard part becomes hamon. After further
polishing, when hamon was visible, the stem was further polished with
the creator’s inscription to create a stalk, and the final polishing
was applied again. Everyone is very nervous
They pray and produce excellent works. The sword and wakizashi wear
out as they are used and rusted with the times. The same is true for
human society. Please pour your love into those works even with
sharpened swords and wakizashi. I also own the inscription of tanto’s
kanetsune. The blade has a wonderful utsuri, but it has a lot of flaws
and is not very monetary, but I cherish it. I’m talking about putting
it on my stomach when I die. Please keep it in a safe place as long as
you get any item.