Yoroi Toshi (Armour Dagger)

A kind of dagger for cutting through armour; it was much used in olden time, and it is wise to carry it even in present. The ancient standard of length was 9.5 sun, but this is a little too long: 7.5 sun is a better length. In olden time people carried it by fastening it with a cord to the tsurumaki-no-kojiri, as illustrated. At present we carry it on the right side, with the hilt to the front and edge upwards, and we call it metezashi (right side wear).