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Bud_Wiser
18th April 2003, 13:42
whats the average blade of tanto?

samuel-t
19th April 2003, 23:40
Average? Don't know that one. But to be considered a tanto it has to have a blade of no more 30 centimeters. From 30 to 60 centimeters it is a shoto (wakizashi), and above 60 it is a daito.

/Samuel

coin
2nd May 2003, 08:58
Are those 30cm divisions related to the unit "shaku"?
I.e. up to 1 shaku in length is a tanto, between 1 and 2 shaku in length is a shoto, and everything above 2 shaku is a daito?
Or is shaku only applied to staffs?

Kennesten
2nd May 2003, 21:18
Originally posted by coin
Are those 30cm divisions related to the unit "shaku"?
I.e. up to 1 shaku in length is a tanto, between 1 and 2 shaku in length is a shoto, and everything above 2 shaku is a daito?
Or is shaku only applied to staffs?

Sword length is usually described with the shaku-sun-bu system, especially in Japan -- that's what is meant when someone says he has a 2-5-0 sword (2 shaku, 5 sun, 0 bu).

1 shaku = 10 sun = c. 30cm
1 sun = 10 bu = c. 3cm
1 bu = c. 3mm

(sorry if I'm repeating stuff you already know!) It's also the increments between different sword lengths offered by most iaito manufacturers, i.e. you can get a 2-4-0 or a 2-4-5, but usually not a 2-4-3 (at that point the difference is negligible).

Nicholas Lauridsen

hyaku
6th May 2003, 00:29
To confuse everyone. I have a 1.3 tanto My sword smith describes it as a wakizashi blade in a tanto mount. It qualifies? Well its registered.

Hyakutake Colin

P.s. Dont forget RIN

Shaku, Sun, Bu, Rin

coin
6th May 2003, 00:48
What a cliff hanger. :eek:
But what is a Rin? .. I mean, there could be no possible use of a measurement 1/10 of a Bu regarding weapons, could there?

A quick google search gave me the answer though. It is indeed one tenth of a Bu.
I'm curious to see a case where it's used.. :)