horseclover/Sword info

Lycosa

Lycosa

Joined
Aug 24, 2007
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Hi Horseclover- What do you know about the so-called Ninja-to sword?
Or, any other authority on swords, please chime in.
Thank you.
rolf
 
Whoa Nelly,

I am probably the last to profess a superior knowledge of Japanese swords but the modern Ninja-to might best be regarded fantasy. Nor am I well versed in Japanese martial arts, with only a little judo in the early 1960s.

Cheers

GC
 
Hollywood hype on the ninja-to as well as most ninja lore. Ninja were basically mercenaries. They were skilled soldiers, like the samurai, but didn't follow and code or rules. They used the same swords as anyone else ( maybe a bit shorter for ease of concealment). No magic, invisibility, or mystic swords.
 
I have never seen a straight ninja like sword from all the antiques I've come across.
 
What I've read about the Ninja is basically this:

They were mercenaries who lived in the mountainous Iga and Koga (and there was a third area) regions of Japan, whose services were purchased from the various constantly-warring lords. They had a life philosophy based on blunt practicality, character, and the "complete development" of a person that accounted for their legendary inventiveness in fighting, spying and assassination. However, their ways didn't mesh with the Samurai's hierarchy society, and when Japan was finally united under one Shogun, the Ninja's existence was seen as a threat to the unification, and the small areas from which the Ninja came were surrounded by a great army of Samurai. Iga and Koga were crushed into oblivion by the new Shogun (was it Oda Nobunaga, or one of his successors?) From there the Ninja ways faded into legend, but the fantastical tales of their exploits and weapon gadgetry eventually got swept into popular fame.

I read somewhere that the small Ninja swords might have been cut out of a large polearm blades.

There were straight swords in ancient Japan, the chokuto, but I think they were a lot different than a Ninja sword was supposed to be.
 
Although I make no claims about being an authority on swords I would point out that

1) Unless ninja-to (man do I hate that affectation) vanish as completely as their supposed owners did they must be amazingly rare. I've seen exactly what thing that might qualify in a museum and it is highly likely that it was not an antique.
2) Not having the sword curve during heat treat would be a royal pain in the behind... and what would be the purpose?
3) Ninja would have to be blithering idiots to go to all the trouble to be sneaky and stealthy and then own a sword that would instantly identify them as a ninja when out with friends for drinks.
 
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