Samurai Sword: A Handbook

The samurai sword: a symbol of the spirit of old Japan, it embodies the samurai's steel discipline, unswerving devotion and peerless skill. With its creation, a feat of craftsmanship passed down by generations of artisans, the samurai sword is generally considered to be superior even to the famed blades of Western Damascus and Toledo.

The Samurai Sword Handbook is a precise exploration of the samurai sword designed for sword collectors as well as anyone intrigued by these ancient blades. Detailing the origins and development of the samurai sword, its historical background, styles, famous schools and differences in construction, this revised edition of the classic reference outlines methods of identifying and researching the sword, as well as caring for it properly. This must-have for sword lovers is sure to be a bestseller.

Topics of this Samurai book include:

• Japanese History and the Samurai Sword
• Types of swords
• Parts of the sword
• Blade shape, construction, and grain
• The making of the sword
• Inscriptions and their readings
• Care and maintenance
• Appraisal and value
• Relative point values

John M. Yumoto is perhaps the foremost authority on the samurai sword outside of Japan. A native of California, he began his study of Japanese swordcraft during his early childhood in Japan. While in Japan he studied under a number of masters from different schools and learned the art of sword polishing and of identification and evaluation. He has held membership in a number of sword clubs and at present is an active member of the Japan Society for the Preservation of the Samurai Sword and the Northern California Sword Club. He has also been requested to serve as an advisor to the Japanese Sword Society of the United States, presently being organized.