Tachi


A tachi was a type of traditionally made Japanese sword worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. Tachi and katana generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when sheathed, the latter depending on the location of the mei, or signature, on the tang. The tachi style of swords preceded the development of the katana, which was not mentioned by name until near the end of the twelfth century; tachi are known to have been made in the Kotō period, ranging from 900 to 1596.

History and description

The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods:
Authentic tachi were forged during the Kotō period, before 1596. The tachi preceded the katana; the latter was not mentioned by name to indicate a blade distinct from a tachi until near the end of the twelfth century. With a few exceptions, katana and tachi can be distinguished from each other if signed by the location of the signature on the tang. In general the signature should be carved into the side of the tang that would face outward when the sword was worn on the wielder's left waist. Since a tachi was worn cutting edge down, and the katana was worn cutting edge up the mei would be in opposite locations on the tang of both types of swords.
An authentic tachi that was manufactured in the correct time period had an average cutting edge length of 70–80 cm and compared to a katana was generally lighter in proportion to its length, had a greater taper from hilt to point, was more curved and had a smaller point area.
Unlike the traditional manner of wearing the katana, the tachi was worn hung from the belt with the cutting-edge down, and was most effective when used by cavalry. Deviations from the average length of tachi have the prefixes ko- for "short" and ō- for "great, large" attached. For instance, tachi that were shōtō and closer in size to a wakizashi were called kodachi. The longest tachi in existence is more than in total length with a blade, but believed to be ceremonial. In the late 1500s and early 1600s many old surviving tachi blades were converted into katana by having their original tangs cut, which meant the signatures were removed from the swords.
For a sword to be worn in "tachi style" it needed to be mounted in a tachi koshirae. The tachi koshirae had two hangers which allowed the sword to be worn in a horizontal position with the cutting edge down. A sword not mounted in a tachi koshirae could be worn tachi style by use of a koshiate, a leather device which would allow any sword to be worn in the tachi style.

Use

According to author Karl F. Friday, before the 13th century there are no written references or drawings etc. that show swords of any kind were actually used while on horseback.
The uchigatana was derived from the tachi and was the predecessor to the katana as the battlesword of feudal Japan's bushi, and as it evolved into the later design, the tachi and the uchigatana were often differentiated from each other only by how they were worn, the fittings for the blades, and the location of the signature.
The Mongol invasions of Japan facilitated a change in the designs of Japanese swords. It turned out that the tachi that samurai had used until then had a thick and heavy blade, which was inconvenient to fight against a large number of enemies in close combat. Also, because Tachi until then had been made with emphasis on hardness and lacked flexibility, it was easy to break or chip the blade, and it turned out to be difficult to regrind when the blade was chipped. In response to this, a new method of manufacturing Japanese swords was developed, and an innovative sword of the Sōshū school was born. The swordsmiths at the Sōshū school combined hard and soft steel to make blades, and by optimizing the temperature and timing of heating and cooling the blades, they realized stronger blades. The sword of the Sōshū school is thin and light, but flexible and sturdy, and it has a gentle curve and a sharp point, so it has an increased penetrating ability. The most famous swordsmith in the Sōshū school is Masamune.
In later Japanese feudal history, during the Sengoku and Edo periods, certain high-ranking warriors of what became the ruling class would wear their sword tachi-style, rather than with the scabbard thrust through the belt with the edge upward.
With the rising of statism in Shōwa Japan, the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy implemented swords called shin and kaiguntō, which were worn tachi style.

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