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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Educate me. What does a menuku mean?
- Thread starter fulloflead
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A menuki in various themes can carry different meanings, if you wish for it to.
Traditionally they were originally a palm swell on the handle of tachi, or Japanese swords (worn edge down, carried on horseback) and smaller kodachi (short tachi, short swords). When the katana was developed for infantry use (worn edge-up), they maintained the positions of the menuki relative to carry, rather than relative to wielding, so now the menuki were on the side opposite the palm. They were always ornamental in nature, but with the functional side removed, aesthetics became the principle concept of menuki (though there are swords with gyaku-menuki, reversed in position so it acts as a palm swell again)
I think for the most part, people recognize the concept of menuki on modern knives as a nice decoration that compliments cord-wrapping nicely. Its practical value, other than possibly as a palm-swell, is negligible, so pick a motif you like aesthetically or that you attach personal meaning to. I like them
Traditionally they were originally a palm swell on the handle of tachi, or Japanese swords (worn edge down, carried on horseback) and smaller kodachi (short tachi, short swords). When the katana was developed for infantry use (worn edge-up), they maintained the positions of the menuki relative to carry, rather than relative to wielding, so now the menuki were on the side opposite the palm. They were always ornamental in nature, but with the functional side removed, aesthetics became the principle concept of menuki (though there are swords with gyaku-menuki, reversed in position so it acts as a palm swell again)
I think for the most part, people recognize the concept of menuki on modern knives as a nice decoration that compliments cord-wrapping nicely. Its practical value, other than possibly as a palm-swell, is negligible, so pick a motif you like aesthetically or that you attach personal meaning to. I like them
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Absolutely fascinating!
So, the icons themselves don't have a specific meaning?
So the mean-looking ones don't mean, "war" or "death" or something like that and the friendly-looking ones don't mean, "health" or "luck" or anything symbolic like that? (Unless you want it to.)
They're just arbitrary decorations in themselves created by the maker and the many faces they take don't have any specific meaning?
Do you think the knife maker might sometimes have a specific meaning in mind for his/her menukis?
Maybe I should ask Snoody too, just to get his take on it, since he seems to like to use them?
So, the icons themselves don't have a specific meaning?
So the mean-looking ones don't mean, "war" or "death" or something like that and the friendly-looking ones don't mean, "health" or "luck" or anything symbolic like that? (Unless you want it to.)
They're just arbitrary decorations in themselves created by the maker and the many faces they take don't have any specific meaning?
Do you think the knife maker might sometimes have a specific meaning in mind for his/her menukis?
Maybe I should ask Snoody too, just to get his take on it, since he seems to like to use them?
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You are definitely correct about that. I have seen some makers use very old menuki from japan. Some that I have seen are made from gold. They can be quite beautiful. They are definitely more ornamentation than anything functional, but when used as a palm swell can aid in better gripping the sword/knife.
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fulloflead,
the choice of menuki, both design and materials, is not arbitrary for the Japanese. These things must be chosen very carefully, according to functional requirements and a very rich, old, and well adhered to aesthetic code, if you will. WHen someone like Snody puts a menuki on the handle of his blade, it probably was chosen for its meaning. It would be great to send him an e-mail and ask how he chooses his menuki for his blades.
Typically on Japanese swords there are several "points of ornamentation". The color and decoration of the saya (scabbard), the tsuba (guard), the way the tsuka (handle) is wrapped, the menuki, the fuchi and kashira (end caps for handle), the seppa (washers), and on, and on. A katana with Mount Fuji menuki, a crab designed tsuba, bright red saya, copper seppa, a brass fuchi with a dragon design on it and an iron kashira with dogs on it would look interesting to many newbies to japanese swords, but ti really would be fugly! The colors don't match, the designs are all over the place, the materials don't even blend well together, etc. I can't think of any good fittings books off hand (Robert?) but go to your libraries and check out every book you can that has japanese blades in them. A lot of unviersities have books on Japanese art which have blades in them too, so check all sources! The more you read, the more you'll be fascinated and the more you'll want to learn. Also, send to Fred Lohman for his catalog. There are all kinds of great sword fittings in it too look at.
the choice of menuki, both design and materials, is not arbitrary for the Japanese. These things must be chosen very carefully, according to functional requirements and a very rich, old, and well adhered to aesthetic code, if you will. WHen someone like Snody puts a menuki on the handle of his blade, it probably was chosen for its meaning. It would be great to send him an e-mail and ask how he chooses his menuki for his blades.
Typically on Japanese swords there are several "points of ornamentation". The color and decoration of the saya (scabbard), the tsuba (guard), the way the tsuka (handle) is wrapped, the menuki, the fuchi and kashira (end caps for handle), the seppa (washers), and on, and on. A katana with Mount Fuji menuki, a crab designed tsuba, bright red saya, copper seppa, a brass fuchi with a dragon design on it and an iron kashira with dogs on it would look interesting to many newbies to japanese swords, but ti really would be fugly! The colors don't match, the designs are all over the place, the materials don't even blend well together, etc. I can't think of any good fittings books off hand (Robert?) but go to your libraries and check out every book you can that has japanese blades in them. A lot of unviersities have books on Japanese art which have blades in them too, so check all sources! The more you read, the more you'll be fascinated and the more you'll want to learn. Also, send to Fred Lohman for his catalog. There are all kinds of great sword fittings in it too look at.