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Appreciation ・ Intermediate
An intermediate quiz on jihada (steel surface texture: itame, masame, mokume) and the names and roles of koshirae components: saya, tsuka, tsuba, fuchi, kashira, menuki, and habaki. Check the /appreciation jihada and koshirae diagrams.
Jihada is the steel surface texture (skin pattern) visible on the blade body, created by repeated folding and forging (tamahagane steel). It appears as itame, masame, or mokume patterns. The hamon-to-mune distance, calligraphic mei style, and saya lacquer are all different aspects of sword appreciation. See the jihada diagram at /appreciation.
Itame (plank-grain) jihada shows a flowing, irregular wood-plank grain-like pattern. Straight parallel lines describe masame, swirling concentric rings describe mokume, and V-shaped chevrons describe ayasugi. The top-left on the /appreciation jihada diagram shows itame.
Masame jihada features straight, orderly parallel grain lines running longitudinally along the blade — the layers of folded steel aligned in a clean linear pattern. Swirling burl is mokume, flowing irregular grain is itame, and a nearly invisible texture describes a different characteristic. See the top-right on the /appreciation jihada diagram for masame.
The habaki (blade collar) fits snugly over the blade just above the machi (notch), securing the blade in both the saya (scabbard) and tsuka (hilt). Menuki are decorative ornaments embedded in the hilt wrap, fuchi is the collar at the front of the tsuka, and kashira is the cap at the rear end. See 'habaki' on the /appreciation koshirae diagram.
The kashira (pommel cap) covers the rear end of the tsuka (hilt), equivalent to a pommel cap. The fuchi is the collar fitting at the front end of the tsuka (near the tsuba side), the tsuba is the hand guard, and the menuki are decorative ornaments embedded in the hilt wrap. See 'kashira' on the /appreciation koshirae diagram.
Menuki are decorative metal ornaments embedded beneath the hilt wrapping (tsuka-ito) of the tsuka, serving both an aesthetic role and helping grip. The fitting protecting the saya tip is the kojiri, the tsuba is a separate component, and engraving on the habaki is a distinct element. See 'menuki' on the /appreciation koshirae diagram.
The fuchi is the collar fitting at the front (tsuba-facing) end of the tsuka. Kashira caps the rear end, menuki are ornaments in the hilt wrap, and habaki fits around the blade body. These are four distinct components. Verify their positions relative to each other on the /appreciation koshirae diagram.