Lit. 'Tea Flowers'

A distinctive hamon of Hojoji School which resembles tea flowers with rounded, double-petal heads.

A hamon consisting of choji shapes. The upper part of the midare is roundish, and the lower part constricted and narrow.

Variations:

ko-choji midare - small, clove-shaped, irregular pattern.
o-choji midare - large, clove-shaped, irregular pattern.
juka-choji midare - bag-shaped choji.
kawazuko choji midare - tadpole-shaped choji.
saka choji midare - slanting choji midare.

A way to preserve mei (signature) on the tang when shortening it (see o-suriage) by cutting it off the original position and reattaching it to the altered nakago.

Series of waves which look like semicircles of equal or similar size. Depending on its size, this pattern can be referred to as:

• ko-gunome (small)
• o-gunome (large)

A tempered cutting edge of a blade.

Similar to sunagashi, but with thinner lines resembling brush strokes.

An example of hakikake can be seen here: Hataraki @ NihontoCraft.com.

Box shaped hamon.

A distinct temper line between areas of softer (ji) and harder (ha) steel along the edge of the blade.

See Hamon Types for more details about types of hamon.

Gunome midare or notare midare with tobiyaki spread across the width of the blade. Originated by Soshu swordsmiths during the Nanbokucho period. Then it could be seen on blades forged throughout the country.

Activity in the hamon similar to kinsuji, but resembling lightning. Inazuma runs out from the hamon into the ji and then back into hamon. Kinsuji is found only inside the hamon. 

An example of inazuma can be seen here: Hataraki @ NihontoCraft.com.

The Tokugawa Shogunate standardized the size of swords in Japan during the Edo period to what is commonly called jōsun length. For katana jōsun is 2 shaku 3 sun 5 bu (71.21cm), for tantō - 8 sun 5 bu (25.76cm).

Tantō longer than jōsun are called sunnobi-tantō 寸延び短刀, and less than jōsun sunzumari-tantō 寸詰まり短刀. There was no standard length for wakizashi, but those over 1 shaku 8 Sun (54.5 cm) are called ō-wakizashi 大脇指. Tachi 太刀 of more than 3 Shaku (90.9 cm) are referred to as ōdachi 大太刀, whereas tachi under 2 shaku (60.6 cm) are called Kodachi 小太刀.

Source

Blades longer than 60 cm are called katana. They are worn thrust through the belt, with the cutting edge facing upward. The katana superseded tachi beginning in the Muromachi period. One distinctive style, produced in late Muromachi, is known as uchigatana. It as it's deeply curved in the upper part of the blade and is wielded with one hand.

Choji midare pattern with the peaks which resemble tadpoles.

It can be seen in the works of Osafune Mitsutada.

'Sword-shaped'. Shape of the nakagojiri with two straight lines coming to a point in the center at around 90 degree angle.

It is often seen among works of Masamune and his school, and Shinto swords made in Soshu tradition.

'Chrysanthemum in the water'. This peculiar type of hamon made in Shinto times by smiths like Kawachi no kami Kunisuke and his followers.

The fan-shaped part of the blade above the yokote and the ko-shinogi. It may be whitened by polish. It's size is described as 'large' or 'small'.

The part of the shinogi that runs from the yokote to the tip in the kissaki.

Lines of hamon, which are not completely aligned, creating a gap or a break in hamon. It's common in Yamato-den blades.

An example of kuichigaiba can be seen here: Hataraki @ NihontoCraft.com.

The notches dividing the blade proper from the tang. The notch on the blade side is called hamachi; that on the mune side is known as the munemachi.

Irregular. See midareba, choji midare.

The width of a blade measured from the mune to the cutting edge. See also: moto-haba, saki-haba.

A tempered spot or line found on the mune.

The tang of the sword; that part of the blade, below the machi, which is inserted into the hilt (tsuka). It is finished by hammering or filing, and often bears a carved signature. The hilt is attached by means of a peg (mekugi) inserted through a special hole (mekugi ana) in the nakago.

Depending on the condition of nakago the following terms can be applied:

ubu (生) - for original, unshortened nakago
suriage (磨上) - for mildly shortened nakago
o-suriage (大磨上) - for greatly shortened nakago

'Rat's feet'. Small numerous ashi.