65| The Sword Observation Process

This chapter shows the handling and viewing process of the sword examination.

1. Wear white gloves or hold a handkerchief in each hand.

 

2. Bow lightly.  Hold the Tsuka (hilt) with your right hand and the Saya (scabbard) with your left hand.  Pull the Saya out.  Doing this, the back of the Saya faces the floor, and the Ha faces up.  The Mune should be resting on the inside of the Saya.  Pull the blade carefully.  Do not let the Ha touch the inner wall of the Saya to avoid accidentally getting scratches.

 

3. Set down the Saya on the left of the sword.  Prepare the sword tool.

 

4. Using the sword tool, push the Mekugi (peg) out of the Tsuka.

 

5.  Pull and place the Tsuka and put Mekugi in the hole of the Tsuka so that you won’t lose it.

 

6.    Pull the Habaki (metal piece just above the Tsuka, a gold piece in the picture left) and set them down on the right.

  

 

7. Hold the Nakago with your right hand. With Washi (Japanese rice paper), or handkerchief or tissue paper, support under the blade with your left hand.

 

8. Using the light reflection on the blade’s surface, look at Jigane, Hamon, Boshi, and Mei, etc. To see Hamon, Jigane, and Boshi well, move the sword up, down, or sideways or rotate it to reflect the light in the right position.

9. When you finish looking at the sword, bow lightly and reassemble it by reversing the process.