The most user-friendly, full-color sword book, Volume 2!
This book thoroughly explains everything from the characteristics of the Five Schools of Swordsmithing to masterpieces of the Shinto period, types of uchigatana mountings, and the designs of sword fittings, all with abundant visuals.
"Famous Swords and Famous Generals" features detailed explanations of 31 swords with double-page spreads and enlarged photographs. Of course, it includes the most detailed data available anywhere, including mountings (overall length, handle length, pommel length, scabbard length) and blades (blade length, curvature, base width, tip width, tang length).
"The Five Schools of Swordsmithing" introduces the history, style, development, and main swordsmiths of each school—Yamato, Mino, Soshu, Bizen, and Yamashiro—while thoroughly comparing the steel and hamon (temper pattern).
"Shinto and Shinshinto" selects 10 masterpieces based on their respective characteristics.
"Sword Fittings" features beautifully crafted mountings with detailed data on tsuba (sword guards), menuki (ornaments), kozuka (small knives), and kogai (hairpins).
This book features a detailed reconstruction of the magnificent sword unearthed from the Fujinoki Kofun tomb, along with practical information on how to wear, draw, and sheathe a Japanese sword, and even demonstrates how to test-cut helmets and tatami mats.
It also includes a list of museums, art galleries, and treasure houses across Japan where you can actually view swords, as well as a biographical dictionary of swordsmiths from the Shinto and Shinshinto periods.
The extra-wide fold-out at the beginning of the book features a life-size reproduction of Hosokawa Tadaoki's famous sword and its mounting.
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