Yari - Japanese style spear.

[Shaw Blades]

Yes, another Stuart Branson post! Great work. Love seeing it all.

 

[Lorien]

For all those hog hunters, I would imagine something like this would be very effective.

sure beats the hell out of a rambo knife tied to the end of a stick:thumbup:

 

[JAlexander]

That's a heck of a thing.

 

[boshi74]

spectacular job !!!!

 

[SBranson]

Thanks again!!

 

[David Stifle]

I like your simple construction. Rather than messing around with a socket, you simply made a long tang then fitted it into the shaft.

Your spear looks spectacular, Stuart. Well done!

 

[Patrice Lemée]

I love it Stuart. Looks intimidating indeed.
Makes me want to try my hand at a Naginata.

 

[Mike Quesenberry]

Outstanding!!!!!

 

[SBranson]

I like your simple construction. Rather than messing around with a socket, you simply made a long tang then fitted it into the shaft.

Your spear looks spectacular, Stuart. Well done!

Thanks. I went with that style because that's how a yari is constructed.
The haft would traditionally be made of bamboo so it would naturally accept a tang.
I did the burn in method so it's very well seated.

The rest of the styling was due to the commission. I would like to try one that is more traditional particularly a Kago Yari. These were short spears with full length hidden tangs that were used by daimyo a while riding in palanquins.

 

[SBranson]

... I hear you Patrice. A naginata is definitely on my list.

 

[NihontoEd]

Stuart,
Again, your yari came out very nice, it is what is called a "Sankaku" yari. There were various shapes and styles including a "socket" yari. Most were mounted in a hardwood pole as yours is. The pole was cut and/or broached to accept the nakago, then fitted with a metal collar and rings called semegane, along with generally two mekugi pins. Sometimes they were wrapped tightly with hemp cord and lacquered over. Most yari were on poles considerable longer than yours and as well the nakago were much longer in order to absorb the force generated at the end of a long pole, which was tremendous.

 

[SBranson]

Thanks for the lesson. I've seen many that were mounted in bamboo and my iaido Sensei studies sojustsu and mentioned I should use bamboo.
I didn't realize that they used 2 mekugi pins though.
The length too was to keep it "within reason" for someone not studying the traditional art.

Interesting about the socketed yari as I haven't come across one.. I will keep an eye out for those.

 

[armourer2]

Fantastic looking piece!

Patrick

 

[NihontoEd]

I think for what you had in mind the length was perfect. The longer traditional yari may have been better suited to the open battlefield, but could you imagine trying to use one in a wooden or overgrown area, seems it would be near impossible. If I had one today i would want it like yours, about walking stick length with a spear at the end. I have never used a yari for tameshigire but I have used a naginata, and the power generated at the end of that pole is awesome.

along with generally two mekugi pins

My bad, bit of a typo, didn't finish that sentence it should have read, "along with generally two mekugi pins on the longer ones". There are many with only one mekugi pin.

That's odd, not to say I have seen them all, but I personally have never seen a yari mounted in bamboo. I have seen them wrapped in a lacquered bamboo much like rattan.


I have owned a few, as well as toured most major museums and temples in Japan. I own the book, NIHON NO MEISO, Yari, K. Numata, 1964 and though I have not looked through it recently, I can not remember an example shown mounted in bamboo. I may have to pull it from my shelf and take another look.

Here are a few photos of yari which you might enjoy as well as get some ideas from for future projects. I have owned sue or omi no yari, fukuro or socket yari, Te yari (sometimes called kago), jumonji yari, sankaku yari, ryo-shinogi or yonkaku yari, kikuchi yari, sasaho yari, naginata, nagamaki, naginta naoshi, etc..






Well, that's the photo limit for one post. If you care to see more, let me know and i will upload some others. I could do a whole post limit on naginata variants.

 

[SBranson]

I guess I just assumed that they used bamboo as it would seem a natural choice as they used them for the "ya" or arrows. I think the semegane might have thrown me off as I re-look at some of the photos I had looked at before. Hmmm..

Thanks very much for the photos. Your knowledge and experience is immeasurably greater than mine. I have learned from photos and the internet. I haven't had the chance to even see a nihonto.
This one is just wild. It would be a real challenge to build but what a piece!! It would fit right in with the modern tactical grind scene even...

 

[David Stifle]

I've been on a spear kick lately myself, just finished my first attempt to make a European style socket spear, with limited success. picture below, at least I know that I did wrong and my next attempt will, I believe, be successful. The socket represents a true challenge. Stuart, do you think the yari constuction is stronger than a traditional socket spear? Both seem to have pro's and con's.

 

[David Stifle]

I guess I just assumed that they used bamboo as it would seem a natural choice as they used them for the "ya" or arrows. I think the semegane might have thrown me off as I re-look at some of the photos I had looked at before. Hmmm..

Thanks very much for the photos. Your knowledge and experience is immeasurably greater than mine. I have learned from photos and the internet. I haven't had the chance to even see a nihonto.
This one is just wild. It would be a real challenge to build but what a piece!! It would fit right in with the modern tactical grind scene even...

Wow! That's really something!

 

[NihontoEd]

The one you like is a Jumanji yari. I suspect they would be a bitch to make. They must be a bitch to polish as well as you can't hardly get anyone polish them and if you do your pocketbook will cry.

I have some additional photos of the socket yari shown above, but none that I think will assist you much as far as showing the construction methods of the socket itself.

Yes, I can see where one might think bamboo would be used for yari poles as they do with Yanone or arrows. It basically boils down to physics. An arrow needs to be light yet strong and bamboo is both, whereas a polearm be it yari or naginata must be able to withstand tremendous torque. Bamboo being hollow and easily split simply would not last. The only one I have now with a full length original pole is a jumonji yari which sits atop an 8ft. Oak pole with a one inch diameter. (the one in the rattan example).

Most that you see today from Japan have had the pole cut down for ease of shipping. I recently shipped two Kusagarami from Japan and had fits with the owner, as i was adamant that they be left their original length.

Here are a few more, from top: Te or hand yari(42" overall), Kikuchi yari(cut down tang to make tanto), Nagamaki, Naginata Naoshi, Naginata.

 

[spyken]

I need one of these. Always wanted a traditional yari, after seeing them in the museums in Japan.

 

[Bigfattyt]

Wow, in a word!