Kodachi

Kodachi(Tiểu thái đao, こだち)
Kodachi(Tiểu thái đao, こだち)
	Kodachi "Hachiya Nagamitsu" 13th century, Tokyo National Museum
Type	Smallsword
Place of origin	Japan
Service history
Used by	Samurai,Onna-musha
Production history
Produced	Kamakura period(1185–1333) to present.
Specifications
Mass	280 g (9.9 oz) and more
Length	85 cm (33 in)
Blade length	40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 in) (shorter than 2 shaku)
Bladetype	Curved, single-edged
Hilttype	Metal, wood, ray skin (same), silk, cotton
Scabbard/sheath	Lacquered wood

Akodachi(Tiểu thái đao, こだち),literally translating into "small or shorttachi(sword) ", is one of the traditionally madeJapanese swords(nihontō) used by thesamuraiclass of feudal Japan. Kodachi are from the earlyKamakura period(1185–1333) and are in the shape of a tachi. Kodachi are mounted in tachi style, but with a length of less than 60 cm (24 in).^[1]They are often confused withwakizashi,due to their length and handling techniques. However, their construction is what sets the two apart, as kodachi are a set length while wakizashi are forged to complement the wielder's height or the length of theirkatana.^[2]As a result, the kodachi was too short to be called a sword properly but was also too long to be considered a dagger, thus it is widely considered a primary short sword, unlike thetantōor the wakizashi which would act as a secondary weapon that was used alongside a longer bladed sword.

The exact use of the kodachi is unknown; it may have been a companion sword to normal sized tachi or it may have been a sword for an adolescent. Kodachi appear to have been produced only in a certain time period by specific schools of swordmakers.^[1]