TANG HENG DAO 唐橫刀 (618-907 AD)
Tang Hend Dao 唐橫刀
Tang Heng Dao is a single handed straight dao featuring a scabbard with two-point suspension system influenced by the Sassanian swords. The two-point suspension system enables the dao to be worn in a more or less horizontal (Heng 橫) position. Tang Heng Dao was used for combat on foot as well as on horseback. Heng Dao was compact, light weight, and was the standard regulation side arm for conscripts, elite troops, commanding officers and imperial guards.
Heng dao was expensive to make and each piece worth about one month's salary of a junior level government official. As an expensive military resource, Heng Dao was forbidden to be used as funeral goods. As a result, there were very few unearthed specimens found today. Fortunately, Heng Dao was pursued by the Japanese delegates and sent back to Japan as treasures for the royal court and those few rare Heng Dao samples are preserved in Nara today.
Specifications (approx.)
Sword only weight: approx. 860 g (1 lb. 15 oz)
Blade Length: 70.5 cm (27.75")
Handle Length: 21.5 cm (8.46")
Total Length: 93 cm (36.6")
Length of upper edge at tip 10.2 cm (4")
POB from hand guard 11 cm (4.33")
Gradual tapering
Width at hand guard: 3 cm (1.1")
Width at 10.2 cm from tip: 2.33 cm (0.92")
Width at 4 cm from tip: 2.14 cm (0.84")
Thickness at hand guard: 7.41 mm
Thickness at 10.2 cm from tip: 4.68 mm
Thickness at 4 cm the tip: 4 mm
Blade cross section profile: triangular wedge shape
Blade length wide profile: straight blade, pointed tip with upper edge
Commander Grade
Labor intensive classic forging.
Folded pattern steel (1065 & T9) wraps resilient A3 steel core.
Clay clade differential tempering for hard edge.
Straight Hamon. Cut mature bamboo with ease. Pierce wooden boards.
Polish to a sharp and hard cutting edge.
Ironwood scabbard (Handroanthus serratifolius) .
Elite Grade
T10 Tungsten-Vanadium High Speed Tool Steel.
Element %
Carbon 0.95-1.04
Silicon <=0.35
Manganese <=0.40
Phosphorus <=0.035
Sulfur <=0.030
Tungsten <= 0.30
Vanadium <= 0.02
Chromium <=0.25
Nickel <=0.20
Copper <=0.25
Molybdenum <= 0.20
Clay tempered differential heat treatment in clay furnace.
The traditional clay clad differential heat treatment will bring out a beautiful straight Hamon and hard cutting edge around HRC 56 with a resilient spine with HRC around 40-45.
Cut bamboo with ease. Pierce wooden boards.
Polish to a sharp and hard cutting edge.
Ironwood scabbard (Handroanthus serratifolius) .
Warrior Grade
GB 60Si2MnA High Carbon Manganese Spring Steel
(Compare to AISI/SAE 5160 spring steel)
Element % 60Si2MnA AISI/SAE 5160
Carbon 0.56-0.64 0.56-0.61
Silicon 1.60-2.00 0.15-0.35
Manganese 0.60-0.90 0.75-1.00
Phosphorus <=0.030 <=0.035
Sulfur <=0.030 <=0.040
Chromium <=0.35 0.70-0.90
Nickel <=0.35 <=0.25
Through tempered oil quenched mono steel blade,
Hardness 54-55 HRC.
Cut bamboo with ease. Pierce wooden boards.
Polish to a sharp cutting edge.
Wenge scabbard (Millettia laurentii) .
Decorative tassels shown on the video not included.
Fittings
Blackened Iron fittings, 1:1 model after a Tang Dynasty set.
Fit and finish
We perfected the fit and finish of our swords and the assembly is meticulously performed by our senior craft masters. It takes one whole working day for a craftsman to assemble our swordsd
An ergonomic detail - Teardrop shaped cross section of the hilt and scabbard
ELITE GRADE DIFFERENTAL TEMPERED TANG HENG DAO
WARRIOR GRADE MANGANESE SPRING STEEL TANG HENG DAO
TWO-POINT SUSPENSION SYSTEM influenced by SASANIAN SWORD
Leather waist belt with one short and one long vertical suspension straps that tie to the P shape fittings on the scabbard.
This 2 point suspension system allow the sword to hung at 45 degree or more and was first adopted in China during the Northern Dynasties. Since then it was used throughout the Sui and Tang Dynasties until today
A SONG OF WAR CHARIOTS
Excerpts from “A Song of War Chariots”
by Du Fu (712 - 770 AD)
The war‑chariots rattle,
The war‑horses whinny.
Each man of you has a bow and a quiver at his belt.
Father, mother, son, wife, stare at you going,
Till dust shall have buried the bridge beyond Ch’ang‑an.
They run with you, crying, they tug at your sleeves,
And the sound of their sorrow goes up to the clouds;
… We remember others at fifteen sent north to guard the river
And at forty sent west to cultivate the camp‑farms.
The mayor wound their turbans for them when they started out.
With their turbaned hair white now, they are still at the border,
At the border where the blood of men spills like the sea —
And still the heart of Emperor Wu is beating for war.
兵車行
杜甫 (712 - 770 AD)
車轔轔，
馬蕭蕭，
行人弓箭各在腰。
爺娘妻子走相送，
塵埃不見咸陽橋。
牽衣頓足攔道哭，
哭聲直上干雲霄。
道旁過者問行人，
行人但云點行頻。
或從十五北防河，
便至四十西營田。
去時里正與裹頭，
歸來頭白還戍邊。
邊庭流血成海水，
武皇開邊意未已。
TANG HENG DAO PRESERVED IN The Shōsō-in (正倉院) NARA, JAPAN
