Included in this category are books about forging as well as the history of the Japanese sword. Many of these books are invaluable to a Japanese sword collector.
The Art of Japanese Sword Polishing is the first book in English to examine in great detail the polisher's techniques, for which they may apprentice for as long as ten years. It illustrates the methods, materials, and tools used for this process. But the book's true aim is to bring to readers an appreciation of the beauty of a well-crafted Japanese sword.
The 8,100 swords manufactured in the grounds of the Yasukuni Shrine between 1933 and 1945 are an exceptional legacy, as artifacts that preserved not only time-honored forging methods but the aesthetic and spiritual traditions of the samurai warrior.
Well over a thousand years old, the tradition of swordmaking Japan is one of the most highly regarded metal crafts in the world. When all sword manufacture was prohibited in Japan for seven years after World War II, the age-old techniques were in danger of being lost forever. Today, in the hands of a new generation of practitioners, the craft is making a startling comeback.
Hardcover, 167 Pages
The story of the world's most famous edged weapons and how the 12th century smiths could produce blades of such technical perfection they can not now be duplicated and rival in value the greatest works of art in the world. Clear concise details of the construction, well illustrated with drawings and photos. Includes a short article on Tanegashima, the Japanese matchlock that was in use up to 1870. Softcover.
This book is the first attempt by a Western scholar trained in both bugei and Japanese studies and historical methodology to discuss this major subject of classical bugei, a major and compelling component of Japanese culture. It presents a case study of the Kashima Shinryu, one of the oldest of the extinct samurai training organizations, and was written in close collaboration with its current headmaster, Seki Humitake...
Author-Kokan Nagayama-Translated by Kenji Mishina, Hardcover -348 pages. A must have book containing extensive chapters on: 1.The History of the Japanese Sword 2.Sword and Appraisal Terminology 3.The Workmanship of the Leading Swordsmiths 4.Guide to Japanese Sword Appreciation
The Japanese sword combines unbreakability, rigidity, and lethal cutting power, and it is in the resolution of these conflicting practical requirements that it emerges as a triumph of the forger's art.
Hardcover, 250 pages, over 100 photographs. Unparalleled in its deadly cutting power, strength, and enduring elegance, the Japanese sword is a triumph of both technical merit and mythical appeal. Tamio Tsuchiko, noted sword expert, journalist, and editor, explores the world of gendaito, visiting its practitioners and sharing views, ideas, experiences, theories and reflections from those at the forefront of modern sword craftsmanship.
This book has long been considered the symbol of the spirit of old Japan. It has been said to be the embodiment of the samurai's code, the expression of his steel discipline, unswerving devotion, and peerless skill. It is, in addition, one of the most outstanding examples of Japan's tradition of highly skilled craftsmanship. The samurai sword is indeed a beautiful work of art as well as a formidable weapon. This volume is a complete handbook of the samurai sword. The informative text deals with the origins and development of the sword, its historical background, the various types of swords, their parts, styles and differences in construction, the art of the swordsmith, the famous schools, and the care and maintenance of the sword. Hardcover.
