About the Chibi-Shinken

What are Chibi-Shinken?

These "Chibi-Shinken" are miniature swords that are meant to replicate nihon-to (Japanese swords), they are not a actual swords, they are not meant for cutting anything more then paper (which isn't recommended), they're best for display. Every sword comes with a katana-kake (sword stand), if you order a daisho (matching long sword and short sword) then i'll provide a stand that supports both.

My Chibi-Shinken

My Chibi-Shinken are made in the same way that my menuki are (besides for the Shirasaya). Learn more about my menuki. However i only offer them in shirasaya (resting case), or with only a habaki (collar on the blade) if you'd prefer, sometimes i'll make full koshirae and have them up for sale on the Chibi-Shinken Inventory page, but i won't do any for the commissions, the price of a single Chibi-Shinken will never exceed $50, this is actually a package which includes; The Chibi-Shinken bare blade, removable brass habaki, removable (un-mountable) shirasaya, and a katana-kake (sword stand).

Lengths, sizes, shapes, etc.

Length: I can do the following lengths, about 1 inch is tanto (dagger/knife) size, 2 inches is about shoto (short sword) size, and 3 inches and above is daito (long sword) size (these are full sword lengths including the hilt). I'll try to find a source for longer nails to make nodachi in the near future.

Sizes: These are thin compared to my menuki, the thickness will never exceed 2 cm, and will usually be around 1 cm. The width will usually be thinner then the menuki as well, and will never exceed 6 cm.

Shapes: I can do many different shapes and styles, as long as they fall under the historical examples of nihon-to, the shape of a Japanese sword is known as the sugata. Here's a list of the more common types of sugata; Shinogi-zukuri, Shobu-zukuri, Hira-zukuri, Moroha-zukuri, Uno-kubi-zukuri, etc. There are also many different shapes for the nakago (tang). I'll list the shapes of nakago i can create; Futsu, Funagata, Kijimomo, Furisode, Tanago, and Shiribari. There are also different shapes for the nakago-jiri (tang tip). I'll list the shapes of nakago-jiri i can create; Kuri, Haagari, Kiri, Kengyo, and Iriyamagata. (This is the same as the menuki)

Hamon: I can do the basic types of hamon, but with the process i use to create them, it makes the more complicated types near impossible. I will list the types of hamon i'm capable of doing; Sugu, Gunome, Notare, Toran, Togari, and Hako. (This is the same as the menuki)

Yasurime: I can create the following types of yasurime (file marks on the tang); Sujikai, Taka no ha, Gyaku-Taka no ha, Kiri sujikai, Kiri, Kesho, Katte-Agari, Katte-Sagari, and Higaki. (This is the same as the menuki)

As for the hataraki (activities in the hamon) and the hada (grain pattern in the blade), i'm not able to do much with, those details only come from true hamon (the hamon on these little guys are merely filed on) and from fold-forgeing the steel (i don't fold the nails), so it would be impossible to have any such activites in these blades. (This is the same as the menuki)

Ok, now that you've read through this you can get one made.