koshirae

Japanese sword mountings and fittings.

Hilt and blade components

• Tsuka (柄): sword handle.

** Kashira (頭): end cap (pommel) on the end of the tsuka.
*** Shitodome (鵐目): small metal collars in the kashira and/or kurigata.
** Samegawa (鮫皮): ray or shark skin used to cover the bare wooden handle.
*** Same-hada (鮫肌): literally the pattern of the ray skin (of samegawa).
** Tsukamaki (柄巻): way (pattern) of wrapping tsuka-ito around the tsuka ("see reference":https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/9966/#:~:text=柄巻の種類).
*** Tsuka-ito (柄糸): leather straps or woven cord used in the tsukamaki.
** Mekugi (目釘): peg(s) for securing the handle to the blade.
*** Mekugi-ana (目釘穴): hole(s) for the mekugi.
** Menuki (目貫): decorative metal fittings for the tsuka (generally underneath the tsukamaki; "see reference":https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/35070/).
** Fuchi (縁): hilt collar between the tsuka and the tsuba.

• Tsuba (鐔 or 鍔): sword guard.

** Seppa (切羽): washers or spacers above and below the tsuba to tighten the fittings.

• Habaki (鎺): blade collar.

Scabbard components

• Saya (鞘): sword scabbard.

** Koiguchi (鯉口): mouth of the saya or its fitting.
** Kurigata (栗形): saya fitting for attaching the sageo.
*** Sageo (下げ緒): cord used for tying the saya to the obi.
** Kaeritsuno (返角): hook-shaped fitting used to lock the saya to the obi while drawing.
** Kojiri (鐺): end cap on the end of the scabbard.

• Kogai (笄): spike for hair and knot arrangements carried in a pocket of the saya, often paired with kozuka ("see reference":https://www.touken-world.jp/wp/wp-content/themes/wp-templ/three-things/image/top/img-three-things-explanation.jpg).
• Kozuka (小柄): decorated utility knife carried in a pocket of the saya, often paired with kogai ("see reference":https://www.touken-world.jp/wp/wp-content/themes/wp-templ/three-things/image/top/img-three-things-explanation.jpg).

External links

• "Touken World (JP): Koshirae part names":https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/10388/
• "Wikipedia: Koshirae":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_sword_mountings
• "Wikipedia: Koshirae components (image)":https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Katana_%28common_shema%29.png