Talk:Characters/@comment-207.161.165.73-20150313045812/@comment-31.33.217.53-20150325203644

In fact, it seems many Naginata and Nagamaki were shortened in wakizashi koshirae in the Shintô period of Nihontô History. At that time, japanese were pretty reckless with blades and they didn't realised how precious those blades were and how horrible it was to destroy the signature of the smiths. That's why there is few Nodachi, Naginata and Nagamaki left. Tachi were also Suriage to make katana koshirae.

Why they were doing that ? Because of the way the fighting techniques and warfare in general evolved. Also, in Edo-jidai, the Daishô composed of Katana + Wakizashi became the official uniform of samurai class, and these laws were strongly enforced, even though soometime, some samurai would wear a Katana and a Tantô, like Sakamoto Ryôma. But the authorities didn't cared if you wore a Naginata-naoshi or a Tachi suriage instead of brand new blades.

That's also why "TRUE" Daishô set in the sense of twin blades with a same refined artful "Daishô Koshirae", are verry rare and precious, most samurai would take whatever they had to make a pair. Darcy Brockbank had two on them on his web site, but the last one, a work by Omori Mitsutoki, is empty, it's only the koshirae set without blades.

http://www.sho-shin.com/yoshkag.html

Here is a beautiful Naginata-naoshi by Osafune Yoshikage, with superb kurikara Horimono.