Iaito Full Custom

The blade length is measured in the Japanese traditional unit called Shaku. One Shaku equals 30.3 cm, or roughly 1 feet (0.994 Ft.). Its sub-unit is the "Sun". There are ten "Sun" in one "Shaku", so 5 Sun can also be written 0.5 Shaku. Note that the length of a blade does not include the Habaki (see pictures), but is measured in a straight line from the tip (Kissaki) to what is called the Munemachi (base of the blade), hidden under and partly covered by the Habaki. For reasons related to the alloy strength, light and standard blades are available for lengths up to 2.45 Shaku and thick/heavy blades are available for lengths up to 2.70 Shaku.

The blade length depends on your height, the length of your arms and the school you practice. The size table below is the official recommendation of the Japanese Iaido Federation. Women are advised to use a blade one size shorter than men of the same height. For people who are not specialists of Iaido (Aikidoists for example), we also recommend using a blade a size shorter than the recommendation, because it will make the sword drawing/sheathing easier.

Please also make sure to consult your teacher to check that the size table below is applicable to your school.

The Hamon is a visual effect created on the blade by the hardening process.
In the case of real blades made of steel, clay is applied on the blade prior to the cooling process, and the difference in hardness between the edge and the rest of the blade results in this line called "Hamon". It outlines the transition between the region of harder martensitic steel at the blade's edge and the softer pearlitic steel at the center and back of the sword. This difference in hardness is the goal of the whole process; the appearance is purely a side effect but the Hamon became a very important artistic feature that defines the level of mastery of the swordsmith. Iaito being made from an alloy, the Hamon is printed by depolishing the blade using specific patterns and Jisei's craftsmen do their best to reproduce the most famous Hamon.

The Suguha, Midare, Notare and Gunome Hamon are standardized Hamon. They are a kind of mix between the most common type of existing Hamon. All other models are fairly faithfull reproductions of Hamon existing on antique blades. Hamon are named either by the name of the Samurai who possessed the sword (for famous swords) or the name of the swordsmith (for the most famous swordsmith). Their price depends on the quantity of work needed to reproduce them.

The groove, called “Hi” or “Bohi” in Japanese, has several purposes; it can make the blade lighter and more flexible or help to drain the blood for instance, but some options are simply aesthetic (like Marudome). There are two kinds of options. One kind concerns the groove itself (standard, deep or no groove). These options are not available on lightweight blades. The other kind concerns the finish (Kakinagashi, 5 Bun Dome and Shinken hi). Of course, there are no finish available when the option is "without groove".

• Standard groove: the most classical groove.
• Deep groove: deeper groove than standard. It is useful to get a lighter blade and move the balance towards the Tsuka. It might also make the sound louder during cuts. Impossible to craft in the case of lightweight blades. The deep groove removes around 50 g from the blade's weight.
• Double groove (full custom Iaito only): consists in two shallow and thin grooves instead of one. The final weight of the blade is slightly superior to a standard groove (when combined with the finish options below, the cost of the finish is applied twice, once per groove). The standard finish for the bottom of the blade (Hi-dome) is Kakinagashi. "Standard Hi-dome" cannot be selected.
• Without groove: this option makes the blade heavier. Removing the groove increases the total weight by about 50 g on standard blades, and up to 150 g on heavy blades. The whistling sound disappears almost completely.

• Hi Dome: Standard: the groove has an ogival shape and stops approximately 4 cm from the Habaki.
• Hi Dome: Kakinagashi: the groove goes on under the Habaki. It makes the blade even lighter and moves the balance of the blade further towards the Tsuka.
• Hi Dome: 5 Bun Dome: the groove is moved closer to the Habaki (1.5 to 2 cm). It makes the blade slightly lighter and moves the balance of the blade towards the Tsuka.
• Hi Dome: Marudome: The groove is manually carved in a round shape on the Habaki end, similarly to most Shinken blades. This option is purely aesthetic.
• Hi Saki: Shinken: this kind of finish looks like the grooves that can be found on Shinken. The tips of the grooves where it connects with the Kissaki (tip of the blade) are manually and delicately crafted so that both merge very naturally in the form of a triangle (standard groove have an ogival shape). This option is particularly good-looking.

This service is a handmade engraving at the bottom of the blade. The engraving is made by a master artisan independent from the main workshop, which explains the cost.

• The engraving comes between the Habaki and the groove.
• It is possible to engrave on either side, Omote or Ura, or both sides at the same time.
  - Omote: the side that faces the outside (visible to others) when the sword is in its Saya at your hip.
  - Ura: the side that faces the inside (not visible to others) when the sword is in its Saya at your hip.
• The maximum of letters without modifying the groove is 2 letters per side.
• Over 2 letters, an additional fee of 15,000 YEN corresponding to a full custom modified grooved is included in the price. The groove will be shortened to leave enough space for additional letters.
• It is possible to engrave in English and Japanese only. Other languages would be considered as logo engraving (see below for this option).

Please use the "instruction" field to type the details of your engraving. Specify which letters go to which side. You can also attach an image. Engravings are done manually by an expert craftsman. It can take more than an hour for each character. Only text can be engraved with this service.

If you do not have a clear understanding of your engraving request, please contact us prior to placing your order.

For "logo/design" engraving, please contact us prior to placing your order. Undiscussed logo/design demands or demands for other languages than English or Japanese will be ignored.

The Tsuba is the guard for the sword and has the function to protect the hand from the opponent's blade but also from having one's hand sliding onto the blade during Tsuki (thrust) techniques.
It though has two more qualities: aesthetic and balance adjustment. During the Edo period, the Tsuba turned progressively into a decorative ornament, often generously worked, giving every sword a personal and special touch.

The Tsuba can present one or two holes on the sides that were used to draw the Kogatana (small knife) or Kogai (hair spike) that were fitted inside the sides of the Saya. The Tsuba used to be made by entire dynasties of craftsmen who only specialized in that particular field, almost vanished in the present time.

The average weight of a standard Tsuba is 100 g.
A heavy Tsuba (> 100 g) will tend to shift the balance downwards the handle, making the Iaito easier to handle whereas a light Tsuba (< 100 g) will push the balance towards the Kissaki, the tip of the blade. The latter is recommended if you decide to focus on cutting training. You will find below some photos of all our Tsuba but also details on size, material, and weight.

Please note that the pictures above only display the front side of the Tsuba. You can find pictures of the backside on each standalone Tsuba product page.

The habaki is the piece of metal circling the base of the blade. It has the two main purposes, locking the tsuba in place, maintaining the sword in the Saya.
Unlike Shinken Habaki, that can be incredibly expensive, Iaito Habaki are standardized and gently forced in place. This means that it is not recommended to remove/change the Habaki on a Iaito blade.
Habaki are made of brass and available in two different design, standard and Shonai (antique design) and 3 different finishes, black (oxidized), gold plated and silver plated. Note that due to the oxidation process, it is not possible to blacken the Shonai design.

The seppa are washers used in front and behind the tsuba to tighten the fittings, made of copper. They are mandatory to keep the Tsuba in place securely.
They are available in black (oxidized), gold plated and silver plated.

The Tsuka, or handle, is made of Japanese magnolia wood. On a Shinken, the Same is a piece of shark skin wrapped around the wood to reinforce the Tsuka structure. However, to make the cost reasonable, Tsuka on Iaito only feature smaller pieces of shark skin that are embedded in the wood on each side, the purpose being only aesthetic.

The length of the Tsuka is measured including the Fuchi and Kashira. Depending on the kind of Tsukaito (cotton, silk, leather), the length of the Tsuka can be adapted slightly to get a fine result.
In most schools, the length of the Tsuka should be enough to put one hand of the practitioner three-time (that is, there should be a space equivalent to one hand between your hands when you hold the sword).
The length of the Tsuka will also be rather important regarding the balance of the Iaito. If you want to keep a standard balance, we recommend that you follow the indications below.

There are 3 major Tsuka shapes: standard with a a slight curvature, Ryugo with a form of hourglass (squeezed at the center) and straight without any curvature.
The Ryugo shape is characteristic of Tsuka mounted with large Fuchi/Kashira and for which the user wants to keep a relatively thin Tsuka despite the Fuchi/Kashira size.
The straight shape is more common on relatively straight swords and may be of interest in some old Koryu schools.

The Tsukaito has two main purposes: it serves as a grip and it holds the Tsuka tightly together. A tightly wrapped Tsuka is extremely important for security.

Cotton allows better absorption of the sweat but is less durable than silk and leather. It is the standard option on most Iaito.
Silk feels a little harder and may not be recommended for beginners but has a significantly longer lifespan.
Leather does not absorbs sweat but offers an excellent grip and is the most durable material. Leather is available in standard and suede version (napped finish). The latter has a slightly better grip, it keeps dye better and is therefore available in more colors than standard leather; it is, however, slightly less durable.

Please be aware that since those materials are made traditionally, colors can slightly vary depending on the batch.
In general, the Tsukaito is of the same color as the Sageo to keep the fitting harmonious, but this is not mandatory and you can select two different colors if you like.

The Tsukamaki is how the tsukaito (cord) is wrapped on the Tsuka. Hinerimaki is the standard wrapping, known by all practitioners.
Ikkanmaki is a very specific wrapping that makes the center of the Tsuka flat. This is a popular wrapping in Iai schools with an important number of single-handed techniques/moves.
In order to secure the Menuki correctly, the cord goes over the Menuki on each side (which may significantly hide the Menuki on the smaller ones).  Please note that we do not recommend this wrap for intensive practice as it is less durable than the standard Hinerimaki wrap.
Finally, the Gangimaki style, sometimes also called "Katatemaki" is more suited for decoration than practice because of the risks of the Menuki falling. 

The Samekawa or "sharkskin" is the part under the Tsukaito. Despite being called a "samekawa", and because shark hunting isn't really a thing nowadays, stingray skin is used instead. Its main purpose is to keep the Tsukaito in place and to reinforce the Tsuka structure. The same is sanded and polished in order to produce a durable high-quality type of leather.
On live blades (Shinken) mount, the Same is a "maki same", wrapper around the Tsuka wood. However, for cost reasons, Iaito Tsuka are made with two rectangular pieces of same embedded in the Tsuka. This is called Tanzaku-same.

Tanzaku-same exists in two different qualities. The standard one, which is a piece of lower grade skin, and the high-quality one, which is a piece of higher grade skin that contains an "Oyatsubu" (Navel Knot). Since there's only one navel knot (which is actually located on the spine of the stingray) per stingray skin, this is the most prized and expensive part of the skin.

The Hara-awasegise, or Makisame, is a large piece of stingray skin wrapper around the Tsuka. It makes the Tsuka slightly bigger, but more importantly, very strongly reinforce the Tsuka structure and offers a much better grip to the Tsukaito for maximum durability. The Makisame option is made the exact same way Shinken same are made.

The same color is usually white, sometimes black, and more rarely wine-reddish (Anshu).
The Anshu Togidashi option is a classic Anshu (red) finished same that is topped with black lacquer, then polished in order to remove some of the red and black lacquer from the surface. It gives a white/red contrast.
For the Jidai option, the beige color comes from a natural dye that is obtained by mixing different plants. The color evolves with time, giving more personality to the same.
The Anshu Togidashi and Jidai options are not made at the Jisei workshop but outsourced to a specialized craftsman.

Please note that we also provide a plastic same option for customers concerned about animal protection. The plastic same is only available in white and in black.

The Fuchi is a hilt collar between the tsuka and the tsuba. It serves as a reinforcement for the Tsuka (handle). The tang of the sword goes into the tsuka through the opening in the fuchi.
The Kashira is a pommel on the end of the tsuka, which serves, similarly to the Fuchi, as reinforcement for the Tsuka (handle). It usually features a hole that is used to secure the tsukaito (wrapping).

The shape of the Tsuka is mainly influenced by the size of the Fuchi and Kashira. Even if you selected the Tsuka shape adjustment above, we recommend selecting large a Fuchi/Kashira set to obtain a thick Tsuka, or of course, a small Fuchi/Kashira set for a thin Tsuka.

Please note that some Fuchi/Kashira are not available with light or heavy blades, depending on their dimensions. They are deactivated in the option list above, depending on your blade weight choice.

The Menuki are ornaments on the tsuka to fit into the palm for grip and originally meant to distract the eyes from the mekugi (peg). It is generally placed under the wrapping, but may also appear over the wrapping, especially with a Ikkan-maki or Hira-maki wrapping style. Several thousands of designs have been created over the centuries. It is considered as jewelry and as such, inspired many craftsmen.

The Menuki are usually placed upon the left (omote) side and down on the right (ura) side. We also offer two other possibilities: center both Menuki (on each side), or reverse position (also called Sakasa Menuki) which will place the Menuki on your palms rather than under your fingers.