(=> Actual examples of producing koshirae)
 
Tachi Koshirae

=> Tachi koshirae

Han-dachi (Han-tachi) koshirae
It is half and half between tachi and katana. The primary style of it is put into the waist sash cutting edge downward. It looks like a tachi that replace hangers with kurikata. This style rarely appears in sword history.

The normal style of han-dachi is cutting edge upward, opposite to tachi koshirae. It looks just a katana with tachi fittings.

Another han-dachi style mount. It still has hungers, but it is put into the waist cutting edge upward. 18-19th century.

 
Katana (or Uchigatana) Koshirae


 
Sometimes the slots for kogai and kozuka are omitted.

=> sword mount 1
 
Wakizashi koshirae
Usually, the kozuka slot and the round bottom of scabbard are necessary. It is not just a short Katana mount. This type means a secondary sword which paired with the longer main sword.


=> Making a Wakizashi koshirae
 
Dai-Sho koshirae
It is a pair with Katana and Wakizashi. The swords have to mounted in a united design.

=> Making a Dai-Sho koshirae
 

Exceptional mounts for long sword

Katana koshirae for southpaw(?)
Rarely we can find a katana koshirae with kurikata on the reverse side. It is almost same to normal katana koshirae except for the place of kurikata. Such a koshirae might put cutting edge downward or specially designed for southpaw swordsman.

Toppei koshirae
This kind of mount appeared in the days that samurai age was ending.
In 19th century, the western army style was introduced into Japan. Some lords changed their army to the western style. They designed a special sword mount to accord with the new form. Kurikata is replaced with a metal ring on the back, and the end of scabbard shaped narrow. Such sword was put into the leather ring equipment on gun belt. Then such styled mount became a fashion in the period.



Parts of a kind of koshirae, for tanto blades or small wakizashi blades.



 
Aikuchi koshirae
This type means no tsuba.
It is normally for short blades like a tanto, and rarely for long blades like a katana.


 
Kaiken koshirae 
Usually this is an amulet sword for ladies, but sometimes it can be used by men as secret dagger.
This type has no kozuka slot. Because it is not put on waist, but on lady's breast or in clothes. The kurikata can be omitted.



(=> Kaiken)
 
 
This is the base work of a scabbard, before the lacquer work.


 
The black parts are horn of buffalo.