With the increasing popularity of Anime, Manga, and Movies like The Last Samurai, Japanese weapons are getting a lot more popular. Especially the swords. You see Katana's, Tanto's and Masumane popping up everywhere. The popularity makes them now a mass product, and everyone assumes you own one of those weapons because they are 'cool'. What I hate most about the hype are two things:

1) most of the weapons you see in the shops these days are poor quality. The balance is poor, the handles are to loosely attached, the edge has burrs and the wrapping comes of after a while.

2) you get a lot of people who think themselves experts on swords. Watching a movie, and owning a sword doesn’t make you an expert. On the contrary. It makes you dangerous. Too many accidents have happened because a grown up fool who thought he knew something went swinging with a sword.

I hope that I can do a little bit about nr. 2 with this tutorial. Too often do I hear people speak about swords and use the wrong names to indicate parts. I put in everything I know, in English, and in Japanese.

As someone commented, how does knowing this make you a better swordsman? Well, by knowing what you are talking about, you are making a first step in getting to know the weapon. Its essential that you know every part of a sword before you can perfect its use. Sure, it doesnt make you a master swordsman, but you have to take that first step.

Hope this helps.

Correction! It isnt Tusba, but Tsuba...

More info, thanks to centaur101:

Kissaki - sword point
Hassaki - Blade
Saya - Scabbard
Sageo - scabbard sash
Menuki - small ornament found wrapped in handle
Tsukamaki - handle wraping (usually japanese cotton)
mekugi-ana - bamboo pins holding handle to blade


(thanks to a good friend of mine for making the image)