Reading the Nakago — What Inscriptions and File Marks Reveal

The nakago (tang) is the portion of the blade housed in the handle — the sword's most important information source.

Mei (inscription): The smith's signature. Omote-mei shows the smith's name; ura-mei may include the production date or patron's name.

Yasurime (file marks): The direction of file marks on the nakago. These indicate school and smith habits, serving as crucial authentication evidence. Main types: kiri, katte-sagari, sujikai, higaki.

Sabi-iro (patina): Old nakago develop natural black rust. The depth and texture of this patina help estimate the sword's age. Artificial patination is detected during appraisal.

Suriage (shortening): The process of shortening a long blade. This may remove the original signature, but it's historical alteration, not forgery.

Reading the nakago correctly is fundamental to appraisal. We welcome questions about interpreting nakago at our shop.