Hamon

Since Japanese Swords are made from folded steel, the fold lines, or weld lines, are visible. These fold lines, called Hada, vary depending on the way the blade was folded, the number of times folded and the direction of the fold. There are many variations of the hada pattern and only the standard examples are presented here. All of these can have small and large variations, stretched variations and mixed variations. The references will show and define more patterns.

Suguha

This is a straight pattern with little or no variation from a parallel line to the edge.

Suguha with Ashi

There are sections of Nei or nioi that make small thin spike shapes from the Hamon towards the edge.

Notare

A gentle rolling wave pattern.

Gunome

A repetitive semi circle pattern.

Midare

An irregular pattern

Gunome-midare

An irregular pattern with some repeating waves.

Sanbon-suji

A very repetitive pattern of three Gunome.

Choji

A pattern where the valleys are rounded and the spike tends to narrow.