Kumo no Tachi Wakizashi (雲の太刀) – Tachi of the Clouds

Kumo no Tachi (雲の太刀): the Tachi of the Clouds

The tachi is the sword that samurai wore suspended from the belt, before the adoption of the katana thrust through the obi. Clouds (kumo) are an omnipresent motif in Japanese art, the realm of dragons and celestial deities.

This wakizashi brings both together: a tachi-inspired mounting with its suspending scabbard, and a decoration of clouds and dragons that covers the handle, the scabbard and the silver fittings.

A mirror-polished 1045 steel blade with a wide bo-hi

The blade is crafted in 1045 steel, a robust and widely used carbon steel that is easy to maintain. It features a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a chū-kissaki tip and a wide bo-hi.

It is dark mirror-polished, with a brightening along the edge. This notare-style line is a decorative hamon.

Silver cloud-adorned fittings

The mounting takes its inspiration from the tachi, with a hamidashi guard: a small, round (maru-gata) guard in grey patinated iron, adorned with relief scrollwork and clouds (takabori) and a substantial rounded rim. A gilt brass seppa accompanies it.

The fuchi in silver-tone alloy is chiselled with clouds and scrollwork, and the silver kashira features a rounded cap chiselled with clouds. The handle is not wrapped: it is solid wood covered in black faux leather with relief dragons. The ichimai habaki in gilt copper is sculpted with waves.

A scabbard of dragons and a silver ashi

The saya is solid wood, adorned along its full length with a relief decoration of dragons and clouds. It is fitted with an ashi with bélières in chiselled silver-tone metal, allowing it to be suspended in the manner of a tachi. The kojiri in silver-tone alloy is chiselled with clouds, and the koiguchi features a matching silver collar.

Dimensions and handling of the wakizashi

With a blade of 51 cm and an overall length of 78 cm, the Kumo no Tachi carries the proportions of a wakizashi. Its 23 cm handle, with its well-defined relief texturing, offers a secure one-handed grip. At 1 kg, it remains easy to manoeuvre. It measures 80 cm in its scabbard, and its ashi also allows it to be presented suspended.