Many weapons throughout history have been associated with stealth or concealment. Hidden knives and daggers, tiny or disguised firearms and other similar concepts have filled the role of allowing a person to carry a weapon while appearing unarmed. An especially impressive example of this is the Japanese sword cane.
Swords are not a weapon usually paired with the concept of secrecy. And it certainly makes sense – a sword tends to be a larger weapon with the majority of its length being made up of a metal blade. It’s hard to mistake it for anything but what it is.
However, the Japanese sword cane marks an exception to this rule. The weapon solves the issue of creating a concealed sword by hiding the sword in plain sight, disguised as a walking stick or cane. As such, sword canes are unique in the world of swords, and are especially fascinating to many collectors.
The history of sword canes stretches back over multiple cultures and many centuries but is especially centered on the nation of Japan. And it was Japanese sword canes that the ninjaNINJA 忍者 "stalking/hiding person" learn more... famously included as part of his sinister arsenals.
The History of Non-Japanese Sword Cane
In Western culture, the sword cane or sword stick reached the height of its popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries. As the practice of noblemen carrying swords began to become less socially acceptable, the sword stick became a solution for noblemen who wished to remain armed in secret.
During this time, sword canes evolved in a number of ways. There were swords concealed in parasols for women. Others were hidden in canes concealing other implements, and even reservoirs for alcohol. In short, the sword cane was as much a fashionable fad in Western culture as a deadly weapon in many cases.
While the sword stick had its day in the West, the first and most significant instance of the concept was in Japan, where the Japanese sword cane had existed since feudal times, far predating their European cousins.
Shikomizue: The Classic Japanese Sword Cane
The Japanese term shikomizueSHIKOMIZUE 仕込み杖 "placing inside a cane" learn more... refers to sword canes popular at various times during feudal Japan, lasting into the late 19th century. Technically speaking, the word shikomizue refers not to a specific type of sword, but rather to the method of mounting of a blade. Shikomizue signified a blade mounted within a cane-like scabbard that would fool the casual observer into believing the wielder was in fact carrying a cane.
The shikomizue had the general features of most sword canes: It consisted of a straight blade mounted into a hilt with no crossguard, concealed within a scabbard modeled to look like a walking stick or cane. The shikomizue could be drawn and deployed to surprise the wielder’s target or enemy and used like any Japanese straight sword featuring a single cutting edge and a point.
Shikomizue and the Suppression of Swords in Feudal Japan
One of the major factors making shikomizue popular in feudal Japan were the periodic crackdowns on weapon possession by Japanese rulers. When certain classes of people weren’t allowed to openly carry arms, the shikomizue was one of the few alternatives.
The legendary daimyoDAIMYO 大名 "feudal lord" learn more... Oda Nobunaga, who very nearly managed to unify Japan during the 1500s, was one of the first Japanese rulers to attempt to restrict the right of his subjects to carry weapons. Specifically, Nobunaga instituted a rule that only samuraiSAMURAI 侍 "warrior serving a lord" learn more... were able to carry swords on their person. All other classes of people were forbidden to own or carry swords.
Over the centuries, various rulers restricted the ownership and right to bear swords, and the shikomizue was the weapon many people turned to in order to get around these restrictions. As such, the shikomizue remained a staple in Japanese swordcraft for over 500 years.
In the Meiji era, which began in the mid 1800s, even Japanese samurai swords began to be outlawed in public. While samurai warriors continued to be allowed to own their swords, many of which were heirlooms passed down over centuries, only government officials were allowed to carry swords in public.
To a samurai class for whom the sword was a central part of their identity, these restrictions were met with resistance. And one of the common ways for samurai to flout those rules was turning to the shikomizue.
Shikomizue and the Ninja
While shikomizue were owned and used by Japanese citizens from samurai to simple tradesmen and farmers, they are probably most associated in popular imagination with the ninja.
A ninja, or a shinobiSHINOBI 忍 "ninja [literally stalking or hiding]" learn more..., filled an interesting niche within feudal Japanese society. In that era of Japan, the samurai was the primary warfighter, but was in some ways constrained by a particular and strict code of honor.
Actions like sabotage, assassination, guerrilla warfare and espionage are all extremely useful war tactics which were viewed as contrary to the ideal form of a samurai. To be clear, this is not to say that samurai never engaged in activities like these. The realities of war and conflict meant that samurai frequently violated the tenets of the ideal samurai. But all in all, they were not the best choice when such activities were required.
Enter the ninja. Ninja were mercenary warriors who were trained specifically in the arts of stealth, misdirection, concealment and the sneak attack. Ninja were able to perform so-called dishonorable (but necessary) acts like assassinations and spying that would be regarded as debasing the honor of a samurai.
So, you can plainly see how the Japanese sword cane would be a weapon ideally suited to the ninja. The ability to get close to a potential assassination target while appearing to be unarmed, or to travel into potential enemy territory with a concealed weapon, would be invaluable to a ninja.
The shikomizue was even more perfect for ninja when combined with the ninja’s penchant for disguise in performing their duties. Ninja would often present themselves so that they’d appear as something other than a potential threat. They might dress up as a priest or laborer, a woman or a beggar. The general concept would be to disguise themselves as someone who would be viewed as harmless and easy to ignore.
One of the best potential disguises along these lines was that of an elderly person. And many elderly people of the time used walking sticks or canes. The Japanese sword cane was the ideal weapon for a ninja dressed as an elderly man or woman. The sword is hidden in plain sight, just like the ninja warrior.
The shikomizue was such a good fit for the ninja that the weapon often times became an all-in-one travel kit for a ninja. An oversized scabbard would hold not just the sword blade but also other weapons or methods of incapacitating a foe. In his sneaky scabbard he might conceal blinding powders and poisons. Hidden within a shikomizue could be an entire ninja arsenal.
Attributes of the Japanese Sword Cane
First of all, it’s useful to look at the Japanese sword cane in comparison to sword canes and sword sticks in the western model.
Japanese sword canes have the richer history, spanning back many centuries before Western sword canes were widely being used. Another area where shikomizue differ from Western sword canes is in the material of the hilt and scabbard. Many shikomizue would use bamboo or wood appropriate for walking sticks in Japan, while Western sword sticks would use woods typically found as canes and walking sticks in Europe.
Given that the sword stick attempts to blend in with unobtrusive ‘normal’ canes, the shikomizue does not appear to be a flashy or ornamental sword from the outside. Some Western sword canes would eschew the minimalist design of the shikomizue and opt for elaborate walking stick facades. But this would be unusual for a Japanese sword cane.
Sword Cane vs. Traditional Blade
A Japanese sword cane has its strengths and weaknesses when compared with a more traditional blade like a Japanese katana. While in some cases a shikomizue would be the best choice, there are certainly areas where the shikomizue significantly underperforms a katanaKATANA 刀 "sword" learn more....
The obvious strength of a shikomizue is the element of surprise and secrecy. You can bring a shikomizue places you can’t bring a more traditional sword. (Everyone knows you’re armed and dangerous when you’re carrying a katana!) The shikomizue allows you to attack with little to no warning, potentially ending a fight before it even begins.
But this secrecy comes at a price. In a ‘fair fight’, the shikomizue is inferior to a traditional sword in several respects. The first is the lack of crossguard on the hilt. A blade or other weapon will slide down the blade of a shikomizue and damage the hand of its wielder.
Another area where the shikomizue is lacking compared to a traditional katana is the strength of the blade. Some shikomizue are created as pure stealth weapons with narrow, thin blades that would snap or fracture at any hard contact. This isn’t true of all shikomizue – some are crafted with more robust blades. However, all shikomizue are straight blades. They must be to conceal as walking sticks. The curved katana blade is crafted to be much stronger, so even a thicker shikomizue is more likely to break during swordplay than a more traditional blade.
The strengths and weaknesses of the shikomizue lead naturally to understanding how it would be used. In a traditional sword fight or battle in which stealth is no object, a traditional blade is favored. If the object is get the drop on an opponent, the Japanese sword cane is often times the best choice.
The Japanese Sword Cane for Today’s Collector
Impressively, Japanese sword canes are still being produced for collectors, historians and sword aficionados who appreciate the history of Japan. Modern productions of the shikomizue can range from meticulously historical renditions of the sword to more decorative and ornate creations.
The shikomizue is somewhat of an oddity within the sword universe, and like most oddities it’s distinctive and has a fascinating history. The shikomizue came into existence and evolved as a result of the singular history of Japan, and it stands as an example of one of the most unique swords in history.