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      Once the sword is fully in the scabbard, Yoshindo pushes on the hilt to ensure that it meets the scabbard completely and the sword is securely seated.

      To oil the blade, put a few drops of oil on a piece of cotton cloth, and then run the cloth over the surface of the blade to leave a thin protective layer of oil. In oiling the blade, use the same method as before: wrap the cloth around the blade from the back unsharpened surface, and wipe from the base of the blade toward the point.

      The final step in viewing is to return the blade to its scabbard. Replace the habaki by sliding it over the tang of the blade until it rests against the notch at the base of the cutting edge. Then return the tang to its wooden hilt. Holding the blade with the point straight up, gently tap the base of the hilt with the palm of the hand to ensure that the tang is securely in the hilt. Then insert the bamboo mekugi into the hole in the tang and push it firmly into place.

      (Note that if the blade is not set properly in the hilt, the mekugi will not fit all the way through the hole in the tang and into the corresponding hole in the wooden hilt.) After the blade is in the hilt, and the mekugi is in place, return the blade to its scabbard.

      Holding the blade in the right hand with the edge facing upward, carefully insert the point of the sword into the mouth of the scabbard. Slowly push the blade into the scabbard, sliding it along its un-sharpened back surface. When the blade is fully sheathed, gently push the base of the hilt until the surfaces of the hilt and the scabbard contact each other. Once the sword is properly seated in its scabbard, the scabbard is usually placed in its protective bag. Fold the top of the bag over the end of the hilt and secure the bag by winding the attached tie around the sword hilt.

      ADDITIONAL FEATURES TO EXAMINE

      Yoshindo examines the tang of a sword. The signature, if any, and other information will be inscribed on the tang. The color of the tang, along with the rust and the file marks on the surface, can all provide information about the sword.

      Once the blade has been removed from the hilt, additional details can be examined. For example, the condition and shape of the tang are important. The color, surface, rust, shape, decorative file marks, and any written inscription on the tang should be examined. If a sword is signed, the signature or other information will be inscribed on the tang.

      The polished blade of the sword should always be protected from direct contact with bare skin. Here, Yoshindo rests the blade on a clean sheet of paper. The tang of the sword may be held in the bare hand.

      Examining the point of the sword. The shape and condition of the point, as well as the size and condition of the hardened cutting edge on the point (the boshi), are important in evaluating a sword.

      The point of the sword is also an important area to examine. Pay particular attention to the shape and condition of the boshi—the hamon on the point — as well as that of the point itself.

      The tang can be handled with no precautions, but any contact between bare skin and the polished blade should be avoided. A piece of paper or fabric is always placed between the hand and the blade to avoid direct contact with the polished surface. It is important to avoid touching the polished portion of the sword with bare skin because moisture or salt from the skin can easily and rapidly cause visible corrosion on the blade’s surface. Anyone looking at a sword should always use clean paper or tissue to prevent direct contact between the polished surface and bare skin.

      When it is necessary for one person to hand a bare blade to someone else, the blade is held point-up, with the edge aimed at the person holding it. The tang should be grasped near its top and bottom, leaving room for the other person to grip the central portion of the tang and receive it safely.

      COMMON PROBLEMS

      Although it is usually a simple process to remove the blade from its scabbard and hilt, some problems do arise. For instance, it can be difficult to remove the the hilt or the habaki (blade collar). However, there are routine methods of dealing with these problems.

      To remove a tight tang from the hilt, a special tool called a “tsuka-nuki” is used. Here, Yoshindo is holding a tsuka-nuki and a wooden mallet in his right hand.

      Yoshindo has tapped the tsuka-nuki with the hammer, moving the tang partly out of the hilt. It can now be grasped and removed from the hilt completely.

      The tsuka-nuki tool and the wooden hammer or mallet used to loosen a tight hilt or tight habaki.

      The wooden mallet is used to tap on the tsuka-nuki, which extends up along the polished blade to protect it. Several gentle blows will loosen the tang enough to remove it from the hilt.

      Sometimes a habaki is wedged very tightly on the tang of the sword and cannot be removed. In this situation, the bare tang is held in one hand while its base is tapped with a wooden hammer or mallet (using a steel hammer could bend or damage the tang). Several strikes with the mallet will usually loosen the habaki.

      If the tang is set in the wooden hilt very tightly, it will be hard to remove. In this case, a Japanese tool called a “tsuka-nuki” is used to remove the sword from the hilt. This tool is a special punch that is shaped to fit over the wooden hilt, with a flat place where it can be struck with a hammer. It also has a high projection on one side to prevent the hammer from hitting the blade. With the blade held fairly upright at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees from vertical, strike the tsuka-nuki with a wooden mallet. The impact from the mallet will loosen the tang, driving it a short distance out of the hilt. Once it has begun to move, it is easy to grasp the top of the tang and remove it from the hilt.

      Another common problem is that the habaki fits too tightly on the tang and will not slide off readily. In this case, holding the bare tang of the sword below the habaki, with the blade almost parallel to the ground, gently strike the end of the tang with a wooden hammer (a metal hammer should never be used to hit any part of the sword, as it can deform or damage the metal). After a few gentle strikes with the wooden hammer, the habaki will become loose and begin to move down the tang. At this point, it can be removed by sliding it off the sword.

      This warrior, girded for battle, wears a long tachi sword slung from his belt with the cutting edge down. From an Edo-period kakejiku (scroll). Private collection.

SWORD TERMINOLOGY

      The Japanese people have long appreciated the Japanese sword both as a functional essential weapon and as an object of art. Along with methods of handling and maintaining swords, a wealth of specific Japanese-language terms used to describe a sword’s features has developed over the course of history. There are no exact equivalents for many of these terms in English. The terms that follow are unique to Japanese.

      1. The hamon is a visible, patterned band of hardened steel along the edge of the sword. It is this feature that gives the Japanese sword its superior cutting ability.

      2. The term “sugata” refers to the shape

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