Tanto knives are the military heritage of the samurai. Making tanto Japanese knife tanto do it yourself drawings

Code: SUK-TAN-10/13 (TBD13-8)

Dimensions:

Blade length: 204 mm
Shank length: 81mm
The total length of the blade, including the handle and storage frame ( saya) - 330 mm
The total length of the blade, including the hilt and front frame ( koshirae) - 410 mm
Blade width at the widest point - 231 mm
Blade thickness at the thickest point - 6.5 mm

Blade weight - 140 g
Total weight of the blade including handle and storage sheath ( saya) - 335 g
Blade curvature - 0.04 cm

Values \u200b\u200bof the signature on the shank: on the front side - Sukesada (祐 定), on back side no signature.

A type hada (hardening pattern on the blade steel surface): mokumeand masame.

On the ceremonial frame koshirae depicts the seals of famous artists made in the technique maki-e, which makes the design of this decoration unique. Artists put such seals on their works in order to certify their authenticity.

This tanto in style aikuchi refers to the period Edo (1600-1868 ) when the Land of the Rising Sun was ruled shoguns dynasties Tokugawa.

On a blade 20.4 cm long with the signature ( may) 祐定 Sukesada the time of its manufacture is not indicated; however, can be attributed to the period shinto("New swords") and tentatively dated XVII - XVIII centuries... As for the signature, the name 祐 定 Sukesadacan be called "branded". The signature of 祐 定 Sukesada was used by a very significant number of blacksmiths (at least 150) who were active in different historical periods. Most of blacksmiths who used the name "Sukesada" lived in the province of Bizen, in the village of Osafune. Apparently, this blade is the work of one of the "late" Sukesada, the descendants of Yokoyama Toshio Sukesada. This blacksmith was lucky to survive the flood of the Yoshii River and the accompanying landslide of the Yokoyama Mountain, which destroyed the village of Osafune in 1591 along with the blacksmiths and their families who lived there. The descendants of Toshio Sukesada formed several lines of hereditary blacksmiths, who also signed their works "Sukesada"; 14 generations of this family are known, active until the beginning of the twentieth century. Estimated time of manufacture of this blade: the Edo period, possibly the second half of the 17th - mid-18th century. (?).

This blade is quite consistent with the style of tradition Bizen-den: forging pattern ( china) on the lateral surface ( jihada) - mokume and masame ("wood saw cut" pattern with long longitudinal wavy fibers and characteristic "eyes" resembling traces of knots); hardening line ( jamon) - a combination of patterns choji("Clove seeds") - and gome (wavy line) The blades are covered with black varnish ( kuro-urushi) painted with gold, red and silver lacquer, with gold foil applique and thin mother-of-pearl plates ( aogai). The decorative motif is a variety of cartouches made in the form of seals demonstrating various forms (images of ancient Chinese incense burners, gourds, gourds, circles, rounded squares, etc.), symbols and techniques, with stylized well-wishing inscriptions in the archaic ancient Chinese style, made in cinnabar , with gold or black varnishes using the technique of relief painting.

Similar images of seals with archaic inscriptions are associated with the so-called. culture of "educated people" - scribes, experts in ancient Chinese poetry and literature, Confucian philosophy, etc.

The wood handle is made in the style hanashi-menuki (i.e. without braiding with cords) and pasted over with a beautiful grainy same(stingray or shark skin).

Tantodespite its quite considerable age, it is distinguished by a very good state of preservation; at the same time it has the corresponding signs of a very long existence: a natural patina of gray-brown color has formed on the shank, the lacquer painting of the scabbard has characteristic abrasions - traces of the existence of an object that retains the "fragrance" of a long gone era.

With which you have to work, you can try to make a knife - tanto.

It should be said right away that the length of the knife ranges from 24 to 26 cm. Therefore, you must prepare a block of wood 260x40x20 mm in size. The thickness of the bar can be from 16mm.

The warping of the tree does not affect such a length of wood. This observation is true if you chose dry wood. Wet can dry out.

On this block, from the side, draw a sketch of the future knife according to the template.

In this file you will find a full-size sketch of the knife 1:1 that can be printed and used as a template for tanto making. It looks like this:

Then draw a center line on top, which you draw along all four sides. Make all subsequent marks from it. This allows you to draw symmetrical lines regardless of the original curvature of the wood block.

　Pay attention to the proportions of the blade and handle!

With a knife length of 26 cm, the length of the handle is 11 cm.

With a knife length of 25 cm, the length of the handle is 10.5 cm.

With a knife length of 24 cm, the length of the handle is 10 cm.

But of course you can choose "your" size.

On the side, make small marks with a pencil:

From the very edge of the knife - 7mm. and from this mark - 10mm.

Make these marks along the entire length of the knife at a distance of approximately 20-30mm.

From the end of the handle, from the outer edges, make 7mm marks.

From the line of the beginning of the handle, make marks:

　1. - from the top edge - 7 and 10mm.

　2. - from the bottom edge - 7mm.

　Apply the following markings on top:

Near the tip, from the main centerline, on both sides of it, make marks of 4.5mm.

From the start line of the handle, on either side of the centerline, mark 5.5mm.

Near the end of the knife, on both sides of the center line, make 5mm marks.

　Do the same below:

Near the point, from the center line, make two marks:

1. - 1mm.

2. - 4mm.

From the start line of the handle, on either side of the center line, also make two marks

1. - 2.5 - 3mm.

2. - 5.5mm.

At the end of the knife, on both sides of the center line, mark 5mm.

This completes the initial marking and curly sawing begins.)

But seriously, you should take a sharpened cutter or knife and cut off excess wood along the lines of the marking.

Begin cutting carefully, observing the direction of the grain. Depending on this, cut strictly in the direction of the grain.

You should get something like this:

　View from the side of the tip:

Now we need to shape the knife blade.

To do this, you need to make the following markings on the side of the knife:

From the edge of the future 7mm blade, at some distance between each other, draw marks with a pencil, which you connect in one line.

View from the side of the tip:

Now we form the very edge of the knife:

On the side, draw a line from the edge of the knife 20 mm.

From the end of the tip, draw parallel lines of 3.5 mm. from the center line.

The next step is the final shaping of the knife edge. To do this, on the resulting workpiece from the edge of the tip, draw a parallel line of the tip with a width of 8 mm. From this line towards the center end line, cut off the excess wood.

It should look like this:

As a result, you should have a knife of the following type:

The knife is almost ready. It remains only to process the sharp edges of the knife.

To do this, fixing the knife with a clamp to the table (or with a vice, but always through a spacer - a piece of hardboard or thick cardboard), process the edges with a file - with light movements !!!

DO NOT TOUCH the top of the blade!

Cut only the handle to round and the blade to remove the bulging edges. After that, polish the knife with sandpaper.

Everything! This ends the making of the knife!

All that remains is the final treatment: polishing, staining, protective coating, etc.

Method of attaching tanto for processing

Ito Matsumoto 02-08-2012 21:18

So...
Senri Norihasa tanto replica.
Hiro-zukuri, makuri-gitae structure (soft core wrapped in hard steel).
Tosin 320 mm (full length of the blade)
Kami (blade) 252/25/6 mm.
Sori deflection 0 mm.
Futsu-gata nakago with kuri-jiri base, yasuri-me kesho notch (a kind of ceremonial).
Butt mune-hikushi.
Jamon notare.
Jihada ITAME.

Ito Matsumoto 02-08-2012 21:25

Regarding Japanese names.
In previous works, I gave explanations to all the names, if anyone is interested, you can take a look, for reference. Or look a little at Japanese terminology, again if you're interested.

TANTO IN ONE DAY ...
It took 8 hours to make this blade from and to.

Ito Matsumoto 02-08-2012 21:27

First, we recruit tateganes from pieces of pre-prepared steel (steel with 0.8% C is saturated with nitrogen and carbon). We fix the pieces by electric welding.
We weld the package. Add (1 addition \u003d the number of layers doubles) the package 16 times. And we get about 40,000 layers.
We stretch the bag and get a rectangular bar. We cut this block lengthwise (make a depression) and insert a piece of iron (steel 20) there.
We weld. We forge a blank - a strip of sugukha, a blade will be formed from it.

Now only hand-forged. We forge the blade.

EVERYTHING...
This tanto required time from 10 am to 6 pm.

Kiisa 02-08-2012 21:33

Impressive blade!

But the question is, how do the Japanese define the quality of the blade? Here, I sanded / disassembled two moose with a hunting knife - very good. And for the Japanese, how many adversaries do you need to lime to make the blade good?

------------------
Albion delenda est. "BR"

Shalim 02-08-2012 22:22

quote: We heat to the desired temperature and immerse in water.

Denis, hello. Everything is great. Current to what is the desired temperature? I understand that everything is in the forge by eye, I myself do it like that. Do you heat for hardening like ordinary carbon? Or is there a trick?
And one more question. What are you covering? I tried "KARAT", but when immersed in water or oil, the coating flies off.

sd pskov 02-08-2012 22:36

very cool and interesting, and it's clear now)

dnk 02-08-2012 22:38

I am an advocate of Sir Don Fogh's sanding technique: sandpaper and lapping.

and after sandpaper? Or is that all on it?

Ito Matsumoto 02-08-2012 22:40

The temperature depends on the steel. The coating is a common high temperature oven sealant. It also depends on the geometry of the blade, the degree of shrinkage of the steel - how much more it will drag, the thickness of the coating layer ... There are many nuances. It is long and tedious to describe everything here ... It’s easier to explain it in person. Perhaps I can get out to Moscow at the beginning of September - business appears there, but it would be better to agree in advance - too many people want to meet ...
Let's get back to business ...

Shalim 02-08-2012 22:42

quote: Let's get back to business ...

OK. I'll throw off the phone in a personal.

Ito Matsumoto 02-08-2012 22:44

quote: and after sandpaper? Or is that all on it?

All ... And everyone knows that. My sanding ends with a maximum of 2500 sandpaper - then themselves - if anyone wishes. Or you can immediately agree and the grinding will be done by professionals ... The beauty, of course, cannot be revealed in my way, but ...
By the way, at the suggestion ...

dnk 02-08-2012 22:47

quote: Originally posted by Ito Matsumoto:

How about osoraku-zukuri-tanto with a total size of 300-330 mm. What should be the grinding stage.

How practical))))
Okay, do as you used to, and then I'll continue.

Ito Matsumoto 03-08-2012 05:42

Va-78 03-08-2012 12:21

The wedge is very good.
A couple of points: for a length of ~ 25cm, you can safely put 8mm. at the base;
and give the wedge a normal polish, at least on a piece, in order to see clearly what happened with the temper, i.e. what elements are distinguishable.

dnk 03-08-2012 12:48

quote: A couple of points: for a length of ~ 25cm, you can safely put 8mm

You can safely bet on shorter ones. Next week, if all goes well, I'll show you some Japanese tanto blades. If their owner permits.)) Tanto blades 4 mm thick and thinner in mune-machi are the result of several re-polishing. Except for the wide blades.

riff 03-08-2012 13:08

quote: adversaries need to lime so that the blade is recognized as good?

It's enough for the mother-in-law to chop into sixty-four slices!

dnk 03-08-2012 13:22

quote: Originally posted by Kiisa:

But the question is, how do the Japanese define the quality of the blade?

Tests, if we talk about historical weapons. Up to tests on corpses. Life and battle. They fought a lot before the Edo period. The beauty of khada and yakiba with ham, which spoke of the quality of the blade.

Stingy 03-08-2012 13:38

Very like! Like the previous ones ...

Va-78 03-08-2012 13:41

quote: You can safely bet on shorter ones.

yes, but here I am looking from a practical / fencing point of view. When wielding a large tanto against a katana, if we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to strike at the wrists (kote-giri / kote-uchi), then we are forced to work more selectively with the distance to reach the tsuki. Those. the variability in the use of the sword is reduced. Well, in parries, a bit of mass will not hurt.
and on shorter ones (15-19 cm) this thickness is just "nice".

Va-78 03-08-2012 13:44

By the way - such blades as the last few - it is no longer a shame to sign them. If you want, of course. The main thing is not to screw up the signature.)

Va-78 03-08-2012 14:13

i also thought: well, Ito-kun is now riveting blades. The blades are good, I think the people who are interested will sniff out - and who will sculpt frames for them all? Though unpretentious, correct shirasaya are at least needed.
Those. perhaps it is worth looking for reasonable cooperation. I really do not know who does this without brutal show-off.

dnk 03-08-2012 14:22

The blade is not an XO.
Dressed Blade - XO. In addition to those who have a certificate of CC (cultural value), the conclusion of the ECC is a household or with an obscene absence of a cutting edge.
Well, admit it, who does XO?))

Va-78 03-08-2012 15:12

quote: Dressed Blade - XO.

Well, if strictly "academically", then shirasaya is not "frame" but "pencil case, box".
Well, no one canceled the general guests - you can dress in aiguti and not coldly, choosing the proportions.

dnk 03-08-2012 15:16

I recently (two days ago) showed a naked blade to a police officer - I heard - HO!
I also told him about the guests.
It is not necessary academically, practically. Or to score on everything, at your own peril and risk, but personally I am law-abiding.
There are corresponding articles for any product, if you don't want problems - fill out the papers.

Va-78 03-08-2012 15:42

quote: i personally am law-abiding

Also, in principle, I do not do XO, but what the law allows - excuse me, move as they say. SM's illiteracy is not a reason for me.
If he really bakes, you can go and get a piece of paper. Corruption, of course, but here from the category of "shopade".

quote: It is not necessary academically, practically.

But in practice, it is still necessary to convey to the experts the bright idea of \u200b\u200bthe irrelevance of blades! Genuine shirasai to XO.
After all, there are dynamic tests that clearly show that two boards glued with rice glue are not suitable for repeated powerful blade strikes.
or play on the bend. But you never know ...

dnk 03-08-2012 16:01

And people don't want shirasai, but kosirae.

Ito Matsumoto 03-08-2012 20:26

All the latest tanto blades are one customer. Further polishing and clothing will be carried out at his place.
I will sign - but for now I practice to write correctly and clearly. Learning English still all right, but now also Japanese ... it's a little stressful. The brain does not yet perceive the flow of information properly, it has not gained momentum.

Va-78 05-08-2012 13:37

quote: All the latest tanto blades are one customer.

damn ... By the way, it could be warned.

quote: And yet, for order and understanding: hav mach +/-.

dnk 05-08-2012 14:33

quote: It is ugly to scold such things - such as how to make money.
No matter that there is nothing to scold here - in principle, it is ugly. ((

I absolutely disagree.
I posted it - be ready for criticism. Here you just need to separate criticism from criticism. Criticism is constructive, reasoned, competent - for the benefit of everyone. But, there are people who perceive her painfully, and this is understandable, everyone has pride)).
Critics - you can safely ignore)).

Earning money by a person who is persistently practicing will not pass)).

Ito Matsumoto 05-08-2012 18:36

If I was afraid of criticism, I would not post it here ...
My earnings do not break from this criticism ...
Maybe after 10 years of persistent practice I will be able to do something more intelligible and correct. Although my interests are not limited to Japan itself.

Any old bolt will work as a blank for the knife. Preheat it in a forge and form a blade on the anvil with hammer blows (more details in other sections of the site)

Sharpen the blade on the grinding wheel

Coat the blade with refractory clay to keep the blade clean. Heat the blade red-hot and dip in a container of water or machine oil for hardening

As a result, you get such a blade with a powerful shank. Now it can be polished and sanded

Start making the handle and sheath of hardwood. You will also need copper or brass pads

Adjust parts

General view of the handle with copper pads

General view of a knife with a sheath

Japanese blade technology video:

The ability to handle cold weapons has always been appreciated among any peoples. The skill of their creation was valued no less. But, perhaps, only in Japan, blades were made in compliance with religious rituals. The tanto knife, which is a samurai weapon, was considered a short sword and was created by craftsmen in compliance with all traditions and postulates of the faith. This blade had a strictly defined shape, various patterns were applied to it in the process of creation. It was believed that they are the embodiment of the prayers of the masters. Thanks to this, the Japanese tanto knife, like the samurai sword, kattanu, was called the repository of "kami" (divine). When making it, a blacksmith was required to honestly fulfill his duties and observe religiosity. History of creation and purpose According to the understanding of the samurai of the Japanese schools, the katana, tanto and wakizashi are one and the same blade, only of different lengths. That is, its European name "knife" or "dagger" is incorrect. The tanto knife first appeared in the Heian era.

During the Kamakura period, these short swords received their further development, their production was of very high quality, they had an artistic design. Subsequently, the popularity decreased so much that they stopped ordering them altogether. Following the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate, the Meiji emperors revived the ancient art of tanto making. Traditionally, the Japanese tanto knife was used by samurai to finish off their enemies or ritual suicide. However, doctors and merchants were also allowed to wear it. They could only use them to protect their lives or property. It should be said that traditions prescribed a specific goal for each weapon, each sword or knife could only perform certain actions. What is a tanto knife The name consists of two words "tan" and "that", which means "short sword". The knife is a one-sided blade with a length of 25 to 40 centimeters. Sometimes it is double-edged. Manufactured without stiffening rib. Instances with the presence of such were called moroha - zukuri, triangular blades - eroidoshi. Traditionally, the tanto knife was made of sponge iron and had a removable handle that was attached to the shank. A mekugi pin was used for fastening. Also, the knife had a round detachable guard - tsuba. These knives are characterized by the presence of a line dividing the metal - ham. This knife, made of wood, was also used for training in martial arts.

Can you make a tanto yourself? Many are able to independently make edged weapons. Often it turns out to be much better than the samples that are produced in factories. Making a tanto knife with your own hands, it is unlikely that you will be able to recreate the original. First of all, if only for the reason that you need to own blacksmithing skills. Moreover, the Japanese craftsmen who make swords and other edged weapons passed on secrets from generation to generation, without disclosing them to others under any circumstances. Hence the conclusion - it will not work to achieve the same quality of metal. Even today, only about 300 craftsmen who have received a license have the right to produce a Japanese tanto knife in their homeland. If you really want to have such a blade, there are two ways out. The first is to make a tanto knife out of wood with your own hands. With the right sharpening and selected material, this is a very formidable weapon, although not belonging to the cold class. If there is any doubt about this, it is worth reading the book by David Morrell "The Fifth Profession". The fight with wooden swords is well described there. The second way out is to buy a tanto-style knife. There are plenty of manufacturers of such blades today, which one to choose depends on the financial capabilities of the buyer. The value of tanto for Japan These blades, like any edged weapon created in Japan, are considered a national treasure. Every knife made by a licensed master is subject to mandatory certification. If ancient tantos are found, they are studied and certified. But those knives that were made of serial steel during the Second World War must be destroyed. That is, only tanto can be recognized as the property of the nation. self made... In the imperial family, the knife is used for the wedding ceremony.