Japanese Sword Mountings - Components

Components

• Fuchi (縁?):The fuchi is a hilt collar between the tsuka and the tsuba.
• Habaki (鎺?):The habaki is a wedge shaped metal collar used to keep the sword from falling out of the saya and to support the fittings below; fitted at the ha-machi and mune-machi which precede the nakago.
• Kaeshizuno (返し角?) - a hook shaped fitting used to lock the saya to the obi while drawing.
• Kashira (頭?):The kashira is a butt cap (or pommel) on the end of the tsuka.
• Kōgai (笄?):The kōgai is a spike for hair arranging carried sometimes as part of Katana-Koshirae in another pocket.
• Koiguchi (鯉口?):The koiguchi is the mouth of the saya or its fitting; traditionally made of buffalo horn.
• Kojiri (鐺?):The kojiri is the end of the saya or the protective fitting at the end of the saya; also traditionally made of buffalo horn.
• Kozuka (小柄?):The kozuka is a decorative handle fitting for the kogatana; a small utility knife fit into a pocket on the saya.
• Kuri-kata (栗形?):The kuri-kata is a knob on the side of the saya for attaching the sageo.
• Mekugi (目釘?):The mekugi is a small peg for securing the tsuka to the nakago.
• Menuki (目貫?):The menuki are ornaments on the tsuka (generally under the tsuka-ito); to fit into the palm for grip and originally meant to hide the mekugi.
• Mekugi-ana (茎穴?):The mekugi-ana are the holes in the tsuka and nakago for the mekugi.
• Sageo (下げ緒?):The sageo is the cord used to tie saya to the belt/obi when worn.
• Same-hada (鮫肌?) - literally the pattern of the ray skin.
• Same-kawa (samegawa) (鮫皮?):same-kawa is the ray or shark skin wrapping of the tsuka (handle/hilt).
• Saya (鞘?):The saya is a wooden scabbard for the blade; traditionally done in lacquered wood.
• Seppa (切羽?):The seppa are washers above and below the tsuba to tighten the fittings.
• Shitodome (鵐目?) - an accent on the kurikata for aesthetic purposes; often done in gold-ish metal in modern reproductions.
• Tsuba (鍔 or 鐔?):The tsuba is a hand guard.
• Tsuka (柄?):The tsuka is the hilt or handle; made of wood and wrapped in samegawa.
• Tsuka-maki (柄巻?) - the art of wrapping the tsuka, including the most common hineri maki and katate maki (battle wrap).
• Tsuka-ito (柄糸?):Tsuka-ito the wrap of the tsuka, traditionally silk but today most often in cotton and sometimes leather.
• Wari-bashi (割箸?) - metal chop-sticks fit in a pocket on the saya.