List of Wazamono
Encyclopedia
This list of Wazamono is a list of 228 swordsmiths of katana
and other weapons released in 1805 by Yamada Asaemon in the book .
It lists 12 , 21 , 50 , 80 regular , and 65 with mixed level swordsmiths.
Because this list is a complete list by the samurai
whose job was testing a katana, it had been and is still used as a benchmark
for a katana. However, this list has also been used by those who sell fake katana. None of the great Koto Period smiths (900 to 1596 AD) were tested. These swords include blades by Sōshū Masamune
, Sōshū Sadamune, Bizen Nagamitsu and Ise Muramasa
, amongst others, and were considered to be too valuable as historical art objects to risk damage by testing. These blades have traditionally been considered to be amongst the finest blades ever made.
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
and other weapons released in 1805 by Yamada Asaemon in the book .
It lists 12 , 21 , 50 , 80 regular , and 65 with mixed level swordsmiths.
Because this list is a complete list by the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
whose job was testing a katana, it had been and is still used as a benchmark
Specification (technical standard)
A specification is an explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, or service. Should a material, product or service fail to meet one or more of the applicable specifications, it may be referred to as being out of specification;the abbreviation OOS may also be used...
for a katana. However, this list has also been used by those who sell fake katana. None of the great Koto Period smiths (900 to 1596 AD) were tested. These swords include blades by Sōshū Masamune
Masamune
, also known as , is widely recognized as Japan's greatest swordsmith. As no exact dates are known for Masamune's life, he has reached an almost legendary status. It is generally agreed that he made most of his swords in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, 1288–1328. He created swords, known as...
, Sōshū Sadamune, Bizen Nagamitsu and Ise Muramasa
Muramasa
Muramasa Sengo was a famous swordsmith who founded the Muramasa school and lived during the Muromachi period in Japan...
, amongst others, and were considered to be too valuable as historical art objects to risk damage by testing. These blades have traditionally been considered to be amongst the finest blades ever made.