Clay Tempered Full Tang Shinken (真剣) | Shadowcrest Oda Mokko Katana: TangGu (湯谷) Sanmai Blade (三枚造) + TangGu (湯谷) Genmon Koshirae (玄紋拵)

This katana, named Shadowcrest（紋影）, is mounted in Genmon Koshirae（玄紋拵）. The tsuba and fuchi-kashira are decorated with Oda Mokko mon（織田木瓜紋 / Nobunaga Family Crest）, a melon-flower emblem of the Oda clan. These fittings are made of brass（真鍮 / Shinchū）with a blackened finish（煮黒仕上げ / Nigurushi Shiage）. The tsuba is a maru-gata（丸形）guard with a nanako-ji（魚子地）texture and carved Oda Mokko motifs. The fuchi and kashira have the same texture and crest. The blade is forged in Sanmai（三枚構造）construction with a hardened steel core and softer outer layers. It is clay tempered（覆土焼入れ / Fukutsuchi Yakiire）with a Notare-style hamon（のたれ刃文）along the edge. The surface shows masame-hada（柾目肌）grain. The saya（鞘）is finished in ugin-nuri（烏金塗）, a black lacquer with reddish-brown tones. The koiguchi（鞘口）, kurigata（栗形）, and kojiri（鞘尻）are reinforced with buffalo horn（牛角）. A deep burgundy sageo（下緒）is tied in a traditional style. The tsuka（柄）is wrapped in brown ito using hishigami（菱紙）over white samegawa（本鮫皮）with diamond patterns. White copper（白銅）menuki are placed under the wrap.

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TangGu (湯谷) Sanmai Blade

This blade is hand-forged (Tezukuri / 手作り), Sanmai-zukuri（三枚造）construction, with a hard edge forge-welded between two softer outer layers.

Blade Forging Details

• Blade Name: TangGu Traditionally Forged Sanmai Blade (三枚造)
• Forging Method: This blade is forged in the Sanmai-zukuri（三枚造）style, with a hard steel core forge-welded between two layers of softer outer steel. It is differentially hardened using clay tempering（覆土焼入れ）, producing a hardened edge and a softer spine. This process also creates a visible hamon（刃文）
• Materials: Hand-forged steel using traditional methods
• Purpose: Suitable for Kenjutsu and Tameshigiri (test cutting) practice, collection, and display. Unsharpened blades are available for Iaido upon request.

Blade Specifications

• Blade Length (Nagasa刃長): Approx 71 cm
• Handle Length (Tsuka 柄長): Approx. 24 cm
• Width at Base (Motohaba 元幅): Approx. 32 mm
• Thickness at Base (Motokasane 元重): Approx. 6 mm
• Width at Tip (Sakihaba 先幅): Approx. 24 mm
• Thickness at Tip (Sakikasane先重): Approx. 4 mm
• Kissaki Length (Tip 切先長): Approx. 35 mm
• Mekugi-ana (Peg Hole 目釘穴): 1

Blade Characteristics

• Shape: Shinogi-zukuri (ridged blade 鎬造), Iori-mune (flat ridged spine 庵棟), Chū-kissaki (Medium-sized tip 中切先)

• Forging Pattern (Hada 鍛肌): The blade shows masame-hada（柾目肌）with long, straight grain lines. Variations in the grain include itame-hada（板目肌）and transitional textures, created through layered forging in the sanmai-zukuri（三枚構造）style.
• Temper Line (Hamon 刃文): The blade shows a Notare-style hamon（のたれ刃文）formed through clay tempering（覆土焼入れ / Fukutsuchi Yakiire）. The hamon runs along the edge with masame-hada（柾目肌）beneath.

Special Features and Workmanship

Hi (Groove) Engraving

• Type: Shinken Hi (真剣樋) with Marutome Tome (丸留め止め).
• Processing Range: Extends to the tip, fully polished inside the groove

Polishing Work

• TangGu Polishing Levels:
  • Advanced Polish
  • Sashikomi Polish

Fittings and Mountings

Blade Fittings

• Tsuba (Handguard 鍔): Maru-gata（丸形）tsuba made of brass（真鍮 / Shinchū）with blackened finish（煮黒仕上げ / Nigurushi Shiage）. The surface has a nanako-ji（魚子地）texture with carved Oda Mokko mon（織田木瓜紋）.
• Fuchi-Kashira (縁頭): Brass（真鍮 / Shinchū）with blackened finish（煮黒仕上げ / Nigurushi Shiage）, decorated with Oda Mokko mon（織田木瓜紋）on nanako-ji（魚子地）background.
• Menuki (目貫): Arrow motif（矢 / Ya）menuki placed under the tsuka-ito（柄糸）.
• Habaki (鎺): Red copper（赤銅 / Akagane）habaki, polished.
• Samegawa (Ray Skin 柄鮫): Aged natural white ray skin（本鮫皮 / 古風仕上げ Kofū Shiage）under the tsuka wrap.
• Handle Wrapping (柄巻): Brown silk (or cotton) tsuka-ito wrapped using hishigami（菱紙）in diamond pattern.

Saya and Accessories

• Saya (Scabbard 鞘): Traditional-style saya (拵風鞘), reinforced with water buffalo horn at the koiguchi (mouth), kojiri (end), and kurigata (cord knob).
• Saya Lacquer (鞘塗): The saya is finished in urushi-style black lacquer with reddish-brown mottling（烏金塗 / U-gin Nuri）.
• Sageo (Cord 下緒): Japanese-made Deep burgundy sageo tied in a traditional style.

Measurements

• Blade Weight: Approx. 0.6 kg
• Sword Weight (without Saya): Approx. 0.95 kg
• Total Weight: Approx. 1.2 kg
• Overall Length: Approx. 102 mm

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