Everything about Tant totally explained
A is a common
Japanese single or, occasionally, double edged
knife or
dagger with a blade length between 15 and 30 cm (6-12 inches). The tantō was designed primarily as a
stabbing instrument, but the edge can be used to
slash as well. Tantō first began to appear in the
Heian period, however these blades lacked any artistic quality and were purely
weapons. In the early
Kamakura period high-quality artful tantō began to appear, and the famous
Yoshimitsu (the greatest tantō maker in Japanese history) began his forging. Tantō production increased greatly around the
Muromachi period and then dropped off in the
Shintō period ("new sword" period), consequently Shintō period tantō are quite rare. They regained popularity in the Shin-Shintō Period ("new-new sword" period) and production increased.
Tantō are generally forged in
hira-zukuri, meaning that their sides have no ridge line and are nearly flat, unlike the
shinogi-zukuri structure of a
katana. Some tantō have particularly thick cross-sections for armor-piercing duty, and are called 'yoroidoshi'.
Tantō were mostly carried by
samurai; commoners didn't generally carry them. Women sometimes carried a small tantō called a
kaiken in their
obi for self defense.
It was sometimes worn as the
shōtō in place of a
wakizashi in a
daisho, especially on the battlefield. Before the
16th century it was common for a samurai to carry a
tachi and a tantō as opposed to a
katana and a
wakizashi.
Tantō with a blunt wooden or blunt plastic blade exist and are used to practice safely. Also, versions with a blunt metal blade exist and are used in more advanced training or demonstrations.
Martial arts practicing techniques with tantō include:
History of Tantos in Japan
Heian to Muromachi
The tantō was invented partway through the
Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon. With the beginning of the
Kamakura period, tantō were forged to be more aesthetically pleasing, and
hira and
uchi-sori tantō were the most popular styles. Near the middle of the Kamakura period, more tantō artisans were seen, increasing the abundance of the weapon, and the
kanmuri-otoshi style became prevalent in the cities of
Kyoto and Yamato. Because of the style introduced by the
tachi in the late Kamakura period, tantō began to be forged longer and wider. The introduction of the Hachiman faith became visible in the carvings in the tantō hilts around this time. The
hamon (swordsmithing) is similar to that of the
tachi, except for the absence of
choji-midare, which is
nioi and
utsuri.
Gunomi-midare and
suguha are found to have taken its place. In Nambokucho, the tantō were forged to be up to forty centimeters as opposed to the normal one
shaku (about thirty centimeters) length. The tantō blades became thinner between the
uri and the
omote, and widen between the
ha and
mune. At this point in time, there were two styles of
hamon that were prevalent: the older style, which was subtle and artistic, and the newer, more ostentatious style. With the beginning of the Muromachi period, constant fighting caused the mass production of blades, meaning that with higher demand, lower-quality blades were manufactured. Blades that were custom-forged still were of exceptional quality, but the average blade suffered greatly. As the end of the period neared, the average blade narrowed and the sori became shallow.
Momoyama to Early Edo Age
Approximately two hundred fifty years of peace accompanied the unification of Japan, in which there was little need for blades. With weapon smiths given this time, both the katana and
wakizashi were invented, taking the place of the tantō and
tachi as the most-used pair of weapons, and the number of tantō forged was severely decreased. The only tantō produced during this period of peace were copies of others from earlier eras.
Late Edo Age
There were still few tantō being forged during this period, and the ones that were forged reflected the work of the Kamakura, Nambokucho, or Muromachi eras. Suishinshi Masahide was a main contributor towards the forging of tantō during this age.
Meiji to present
Many tantō were forged before
World War II, due to the restoration of the Emperor to power. Members of the Imperial Court began wearing the set of
tachi and tantō once more, and the number of tantō in existence increased dramatically. However, later on, a restriction on sword forging caused the number of tantō being produced to plummet very low. Presently, in America, it isn't difficult to obtain a tantō.
Types of Tantō
Tantō occupy two main categories:
Suguta Tantō
Shinogi: This isn't a true tantō, for it's usually created when a longer sword has been broken or cut. Tanto are seldom made in this form.
Ken: This is also not truly a tantō, though it's often used and thought of as one. Ken were often used for Buddhist rituals, and could be made from yari (Japanese spearheads) that were broken or cut shorter. They were often given as offerings from sword smiths when they visited a temple. The hilt of the ken tantō may be found made with a vajra (double thunderbolt related to Buddhism).
Kanmuri-otoshi: These tantō had a single edge and a flat back. They had a shingoni that extended to the tip of the blade and a groove running halfway up the blade. It was very similar to the unokubi style tantō.
Kubikiri: Kubikiri were rare tantō with the sharpened blade on the inside curve rather than the outside. One interesting fact about kubikiri is that they've no point, making them difficult to use in battle and enshrouding the weapon in mystery. Kubikiri can be roughly translated to “head cutter”, for one myth relating to the blade centralizes around the idea that they were carried by assistants into battle in order to remove the heads of the fallen enemies as trophies to show off during the triumphant return from battle. There are other speculations existing about the kubikiri’s possible uses. Perhaps they were used by doctors or carried by high-ranking officials as a badge is worn today. They could also have been used for cutting charcoal or incense, or used as an artistic tool for pruning bonsai trees.
Shobu: The shobu is a commonly found blade type that's very similar to the shinogi. It is sometimes found with a groove running halfway up the blade.
Kogarasamaru: The kogarasamaru is a very rare blade type that appears to be a branch of the shinogi blade type. The front third of the blade is double-edged.
Kissaki-moroha: The kissaki-moroha is an extremely long o-kissaki. This means that it's much longer than the one shaku length of the average tantō.
Unokubi: The unokubi is a semi-rare tantō that contains a single sharpened edge and a flat back. There is normally a short, wide groove extending to the midway point on the blade.
Hira: The hira is a tantō form with no shinogi and a mune. It is extremely common due to the simplicity of its design.
Hochogata: The hochogata is a tantō form that's commonly described as a short, wide, hira. The hochogata was one of the tantō forms that Masamune (an ancient sword smith whose name has become legend) favored.
Katakiriha: The katakiriha is a tantō form that has one side that's completely flat, while the other side is flat for a time, but turns at an angle to create a chisel-shaped blade with the first side.
Moroha: The moroha is a rare, double bladed tantō type that has a diamond-shaped cross-section. The blade tapers to a point and contains a shinogi that runs to the point.
Koshirae Tantō
Aikuchi: The aikuchi is a tantō form where the fuchi is on level with the mouth of the saya. There is no tsuba on this form of tantō. Aikuchi normally have unwrapped tsuka, and many forms of aikuchi have kashira that are made from animal horns.
Hamidashi: The hamidashi is an average tantō style that contains a small tsuba.
Kwaiken: The kwaiken is a generally short tantō that's commonly carried in aikuchi or shirasaya mounts. More women carry kwaiken than men do.
"Kamikaze" tantō: The "kamikaze" tantō is no more than a shirasaya tantō that's normally carried in horn mountings.
Other
Fan Tantō: The fan tantō is a common tantō, normally with a low-quality blade that could be concealed within a fan-shaped mounting. Many people used them so that they could be armed with a weapon while appearing harmless. Many fan tantō were forged during the 19th and 20th centuries to rip off tourists.
Yari Tantō: Japanese spearheads were often altered so that it became possible to mount them as tantō. Yari tantō were carried by women for self-defense, and by samurai to pierce armor. Unlike most blades, yari tantō had triangular cross-sections.
Hachiwara: Hachiwara are not truly tantō, because rather than being blades, they're iron bars, normally twelve to fifteen inches long, with a sharp hook protruding out of the end. They have been called “helmet breakers” and “sword breakers”. Their mounts were typically made of carved wood or carved cinnabar lacquer.
Sources
Bare URL: http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/unji.htm
Bare URL: http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/tanto.htmFurther Information
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