Willis M. Hawley

Lending

Reference

This study is to supply a list of schools or smiths associated with certain forms of hamon. Basic patterns and their names are covered in my Japanese Swordsmiths volume two though we find that different authors sometimes describe the same pattern quite differently. So a picture of the design is more satisfactory than mere description.

The first hurdle for the collector of Japanese swords is the reading of the inscription on the tang to determine who made it. This is a guide to do that.