What is Zanguri in Japanese Katana terminology?

Zanguri or ざんぐり in Japanese, refers to a type of ground iron (jigane) of a Japanese sword. The term ""Zanguri"" is used to describe a state where the ground iron is not finely packed, and the forging skin (Kitae Hada) is prominently visible, giving it a rough appearance.

This pattern is often seen in the works of the swordsmith Horikawa Kunihiro (堀川国広) and his school, the Horikawa Ichimon (堀川一門), who were active during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Therefore, the term ""Zanguri"" is mainly used when describing the works of Horikawa Kunihiro and his school. It should be noted that the term ""Zanguri"" was not used before World War II, and it is said to have been used to describe the ground iron of Horikawa's works after the war.

In the terminology of Japanese swords, the expression ""Hada-tachi Zanguri"" is used to describe a well-forged ground iron where the Itame Hada (wood grain skin) is prominently visible. This expression is almost always used when describing the works of Horikawa Kunihiro.