weapon identification

[Uesugi]

This may be a stupid question or it may have already been asked. If it is so my most humble apologies. Can any one tell me what the weapon in this photo is? Judging from the pic it's a pole weapon with a katana basically attached to the top of it. Any one know the correct name and or period correctness? www.pbase.com/joanseeuw/jidai_matsuri_2004&page=4. Pic is in the second row, second from the right.

[kazuyama]

That would be a naginata, a very period weapon. It came in different styles from the Heian era to the Muromachi era with length I believe.

[arashi]

Could be a naginata, but looking at that pic makes me think more of a nagamaki. Naginata usually have longer handles from what I have seen.

[worldantiques]

Looks more like a nagamaki to me due the the sword like blade as opposed to the more curved and shorter naginata blade. Naginatas on a short pole still look like a naginata, at least the ones I have seen.

[Uesugi]

I didn't know that naginatas and nagamakis came on shorter poles. All the ones i've seen have been taller than the weilder.

[worldantiques]

Over time as naginatas were not needed in battle the really long poles were either cut down or discarded in favor of short or at least shorter poles which made them more manageable. From what I have read they were used for household defense, parades and display etc..many more were cut down and turned into swords....an 8ft+ pole with a blade at the end it is really hard to manage! Its the same thing for spears, you almost never see an original pole as they are to long to move, most have been cut down or remounted on smaller poles.

[kazuyama]

Nice display and example!
I thought nagamaki while at work last night, always get the ideas well after posting. I could be wrong, but I believe the blades of the naginata were longer in the Heian era and would match the one in the photo. I easily could be wrong, but with some luck maybe someone can prove I'm right. If not, I get to learn something from it.

[worldantiques]

Dec 22, 2010 16:19:45 GMT -5 kazuyama said:

Nice display and example!
I thought nagamaki while at work last night, always get the ideas well after posting. I could be wrong, but I believe the blades of the naginata were longer in the Heian era and would match the one in the photo. I easily could be wrong, but with some luck maybe someone can prove I'm right. If not, I get to learn something from it.

You could be right as the nagamaki I have seen have a shorter pole then the item in question. Unfortunately there are not many original examples left to see.

[tengumoon]

I would call the weapon in question (original question) a nagimaki (tho on my screen it is second row second from the left!)

However often a nagimaki would have a wrapped (tsukamaki) handle (tsuka) like your average katana (tho not always). I still say nagimaki due to the blade style - more katanalike.
I couldnt see any other images of the same fellow and weapon.
(tho there was a gorgeous female samurai and naginata img1681)

Naginata blades are often thicker and straighter with the curved tip as shown by "american samurai"s example above i nthe shirasaya

It was often said that nagimaki had a handle as long as the blade but not always the case either

as to pole lengths - it really depends on the user and the reason for use.
battlefield polearms tended to be longer.
the longer poles are not hard to use, they just require practice and a good understanding of balance and body movement

Blades and handle lengths changed over time for many reasons... example the Tokugawa edict on length and colour of katanas

However it is also true that many blades were remounted or reworked (shortened etc etc) over time

[Please Delete]

I would go with nagamaki. Sword-like blade, long, wrapped handle (you can see the start of the wrapping). I'm not certain about the period, but you find them in the Kamakura period, as I recall.

-Ii