Talk:Characters/@comment-175.143.20.205-20150531142127/@comment-31.33.217.53-20150531203454

Many swordsmiths (especialy skilled ones) forged more Tantô than Katana, because they are easier, less costly and take less time. And at the same time, it allows the katana-kaji to train his smithing skills. Keith Nobuhira Austin (a great man, the only westerner who became a true Japanese swordsmith and recognized for his work) was known to make a lot of Tantô, and as a Perfectionist. Muramasa also made far more Tantô than Daitô, Shôtô and Yari.

Thus, Tantô have low rarity.

As for the Tenka Goken (5 Swords of Tianxia)...

Japanese culture enjoys making such groups, especially in Edo era. But Tenka Goken are an older thing, dating from the Kotô era of Nihontô, considered it's Golden Age. Though they predates it, it seems the term was coined in the Kamakura era, who also happened to be the golden age for samurai, the better era to live in as a Samurai, Bushi and Mono-no-fu. Tenka Goken were considered the best Tachi for various reasons : quality of the workmanship, name of Smith, fame in general, overall Sugata, former wielders... magic powers...

There are a lot of famous Swords in Japan, even at that time they had a lot of rivals. Ko-Bizen Tomonari (Uguisumaru's maker) for exemple, considered having reached Perfection in Sugata (in other words, he almost invented the katana design, along with Amakuni, and all the Nihontô wo came after him are "merely" variations of his work) and having inspired Soshu Masamune himself, as funder of the Bizen-den he had tremendous influence over Nihontô history. His blades' cost is actually higher than those of Masamune, and even if the blade is badly damaged, Nihontô connaisseurs and lovers still desire them, like "fuck it, it's Ko-Bizen, dude !!!!". Tomonari's blades fought in the Genpei war in the hands of Genji Monogatari heroes such as Yoshitsune. Bizen Tomonari was a Giant, a living legend, if he didn't lived Japanese History would have been different.

But none of his nihontô are among the Tenka Goken (The 5 swords of Tianxia) or Tenka Sanso (The 3 Spears of Tianxia).

In other words, the Tenka Goken are the Kings of Japanese Swords. The epitome of Nihontô. In the eyes of the great samurais of Kamakura era, they were everything a sword should be.

Orezu (do not break), Magarazu (do not bend), Yoku Kireru (cut verry well and smoothly). They are beautiful. They are legends. Their makers are skilled and famous. They accomplished prowess in battle. They have magical, spiritual powers. You could even say some of them saved Japan (Dojigiri slayed Shuten Dôji, one of the 3 Daiyôkai of Japan, Juzumaru helped repelling the mongols invasion in the hands of Nichiren...).

Even Sengoku Basara's anime staff composed of impudent wrenches, instead of showing a deformed Ōtenta Mitsuyo, they represented the real one in a respectful and realistic way and praised it's majestic Sugata : Kings naturally command respect, and so they knew there place instinctively.

(well, actually, they greatly deformed Tonbokiri while making lord Honda Tadakatsu into a mecha... lol)