Types of hamon of the Japanese sword
As a result of the yakiire the blade hardens becoming able to withstand the cut. When you look at the blade against the light, the ji becomes black and white and the line between the two is bright and easily distinguishable. The shape of this line is known as hamon, and is strongly influenced by tsuchioki (also tsuchidori), the application of a clay patina. Before being tempered the blade is completely sprinkled with a clay mixture, with a finer layer on the ha than the rest of the blade. Methods and forms of application are different for each school. The hamon is mainly classified into suguha (straight), note (wavy) and gunome (dune-shaped). In a simplified way we can say that all hamon except suguha are midareba (irregular); this term can be divided into ko midare (small midare), or midare (large midare) and saka midare (tending to midare). There are also hamon resulting from the crossing of several types. The various hamon are subject to the aesthetic tendencies of each era and show characteristics typical of a period, a province or a school. The hamon is also a great indicator of the smith's mastery.
Suguha: This design became popular from the eighth century and many famous blades, including those of Awataguchi and the Rai school, carry this hamon. The suguha can be classified, according to the thickness, in hiro suguha (wide), chu suguha (medium), hoso suguha (narrow) (it should be borne in mind that the term width refers in the discussions not only to the hamon but also to the ha as difficult to separate the two) and when extremely tight in ito suguha. Usually, however, it is not a simple straight line, but a hamon based on suguha but with various activities inside.
Note: Gently wavy Hamon. Tani, which in Japanese means "valley" is the term used to describe the lower part of the undulation, while the terms o to notice and ko to notice respectively describe a wide or narrow noting. In many cases, other types of hamon are mixed with noticing, taking the name of noticing midare.
Gunome: A series of waves made up of semi-circles of similar size. According to their size, this hamon is classified as either gunome (wide) or ko gunome (narrow). When mixed with midareba it is called gunome midare. There are also other types of gunome, which take their name from their respective forms.
Kataochi gunome: Created by Osafune Kagemitsu and continued by Kanemitsu, the top of this gunome follows a straight line that slopes from the top towards the "valley". Also known as gokogiriba (sawtooth).
Togari gunome: Gunome whose tops are pointed and tidy, is found in Sue Seki blades and related schools.
Sabon sugi: Gunome three cedars. A variety of gunome togari whose shape resembles the silhouetted of three cedars. Originally from Kanemoto II.
Gunome choji: Gunome in which each undulation takes the shape of the carnation (choji).
Juka choji: Multiple, overlapping and usually prosperous midare choji.
O busa choji: Choji midare largo.
Hako midare: Box-shaped, with an irregular design.
Yahazu midare: In the shape of a fish tail, with an irregular design.
Uma no ha midare: In the shape of a horse's tooth, with an irregular design.
Fukushiki gunome: Multiple gunome mixed with regular gunome.
Choji midare: The top of the undulation is rounded, while the bottom is narrow, carnation-shaped. This hamon has multiple variations, such as ko choji midare (small, carnation-shaped), or choji midare (large, carnation-shaped), juka choji midare (with bag-shaped carnation), kawazuko choji midare ( tadpole) and saka choji midare (protruding choji midare). Midare choji is found not only on Bizen blades, but also in those of the Aoe and Yamashiro schools. In the Shinto period this hamon is found in the works of the Ishido school and in the Shinshinto works in the Hizen swords and in those of the Suishinshi school. Kunisuke II created a particular variety of choji known as kobushigata choji (fist-shaped).
Koshi no hiraita midare: Similar to noting, its valleys are softer than the peaks. It is often found mixed with choji or gunome at the top of the blade, mainly on Bizen blades from the Muromachi period.
Hitatsura: Gunome midare or notice midare with tobiyaki (hardened areas outside the hamon) distributed throughout the blade. Initially created by the smiths of Soshu (Sagami province) of the Nanbokucho period, it ended up being used throughout the country.
Toran midare: A splendid hamon that resembles large rising waves. Initially created by Echizen no Kami Sukehiro, it was later adopted by some smiths from Osaka (Settsu province) and was re-proposed again in some works of the Shinshinto era. Occasionally a round shaped tempered area, separated from the main hamon, tama (jewel), appears within the ji.
Sudare ba: Sudare means "bamboo strip". Sweating ba is based on suguha or weak scoring and the pattern inside the hamon is reminiscent of sweating. Tanba no Kami Yoshimichi first created this hamon, which was later maintained by his successors.
Kikusui: Kiku means "chrysanthemum" and sui means "water". Kikusui brings back a floating chrysanthemum in the current.
Yoshino: Yoshino is a place famous for observing cherry blossoms and the term indirectly refers to cherry blossoms. This hamon represents the cherry blossoms on the Yoshino River.
Tatsuta: Tatsuta is a place famous for observing maple leaves and this hamon represents a maple leaf on the Tatsuta River.
Fujimi saigyo: “The monk Saigyo observing Mount Fuji”. This hamon represents Mount Fuji and a bamboo hat, which resembles a wandering monk.
