How to Disassemble a Katana Sword

By Dremdsword August 16th, 2024 1151 views

Disassembling a katana isn't difficult, however, it does require precision, and it is advisable to follow safety instructions, and to have a set of necessary tools.

What Tools Do You Need
If you want to make (de)assembling and cleaning your katana easier, get a sword maintenance kit. This kit usually includes a cleaning cloth, a Mekuginuki peg hammer (used to take off the hilt rivets called menuki), special polishing powder, and finally blade oil. All the tools are stored in a small wooden box, which keeps all the tools together in one place. In addition to the maintenance kit, you can also get special textile gloves with rubber coating to protect your hands from injury? Protective anti-slip gloves come in handy especially when you are working with a sharp blade for the first time.
Step-By-Step Instructions: How to Disassemble (and Assemble) a Katana?

Step-By-Step Instructions: How to Disassemble (and Assemble) a Katana?

How to Disassemble Your Katana?
1. First, remove the rivets/pegs ( mekugi) that connect the handle to the blade, using a Mekuginuki peg hammer.

There are two ways to remove the rivets:
Push with the peg hammer (with its handle) on the narrower end of the peg (it is shaped like a cone) and try to push the rivet out with pressure.
If that does not work, remove the pin from the head of the peg hammer, and using the pin, tap the Mekugi out of the hilt. Use gentle taps with the hammer on the pin while doing it. Once part of the peg is out, just pull the peg out with your hand.
Remove Mekugi

2. Hold the sword vertically, with the tip (kissaki) upwards and the blade edge (ha) facing away from you. Grasp the hilt ( tsuka) firmly with your right hand and then tap that hand downwards with the other hand. This will make the hilt come loose from the blade ( nakago).
Remove Tsuka

3. Now you can put the katana down on a piece of cloth on the table and carefully remove all the parts and fittings ( tsuka, seppa, tsuba, habaki) from the blade. Put all of them in one place.

Remove Fittings

The disassembly is now finished. Once you are done with the maintenance, assemble your katana again, following the same steps (see above) in reverse order.

If you prefer a demonstration video, here is one for you below. It describes the whole process and gives you some additional tips.

Japanese Sword Components - Tsuba (Guard)

About Polishing the Japanese Samurai Sword

Sign In

How to Disassemble a Katana Sword