The Kissaki - The Parts of a Japanese Katana Sword

The Kissaki is the tip of the Japanese blade. This is also where you will find the Boshi which is the hardened edge section of the tip and the Yokote which is the dividing line where the surfaces change between the blade and the tip. The size of the Kissaki is up to the blade maker but generally fall in Ko, Chu or O sizes which is small 3 cm, medium 4-6 cm and large 7-8cm. The Kissaki-Chu is the most common and will be found on the majority of production swords. There are also numerous shapes the kissaki can be. An example of them is the Ikubi or “boars neck”. This is a short tip where the blade is wider than the tip to the yokote. The Ikari has a tip that sweeps upward and the Kamsu which which is named after a fish. This is also what we refer to as a tanto tip commonly used for ninjato or shinobigatana.