LINKS
Japanese Blade Styles
There is always a little confusion about the Japanese names for the different blade styles. I do basically three different styles. They are Hira Zukuri, Shobu Zukuri, and occasionally Shinoge zukuri The following link will take you to an excellent site by some fine folks in Japan. You can learn the different styles there as well as moving around on their site for great information and pictures of antique blades.
The terms Katana, wakizashi, and tanto simply refer to the three sizes of blades that were owned and/or carried by Samurai. The term Kwaiken or kaiken refers to a knife generally carried hidden in the clothes or carried “concealed”
Check it out. .
