※ Please be sure to read the profile for important matters regarding transactions before purchasing. Thank you for viewing. This is a mekugi (peg) for a Japanese sword. The material of the mekugi for Japanese swords is preferably made of bamboo (more than 3 years old smoked bamboo). The reason is that with a bamboo mekugi, even if the sword is handled incorrectly, the impact is absorbed by the mekugi breaking, preventing cracks or chipping in the blade. This is also scientifically due to the fact that smoked bamboo has appropriate elasticity, and even if the mekugi breaks, the bamboo fibers remain, preventing the blade from flying out. This is a set of mekugi (3 pieces) made of smoked bamboo. They are thick mekugi, with a head of about 6mm and a length of about 5cm. ※ Note: Some have heads less than 6mm and some more than 6mm, so they are not exactly 6mm! I think they can be used for both shirasaya (plain wooden scabbard) and koshirae (sword mounting). However, since each shirasaya and koshirae has a different size, some adjustments may be necessary to fit them perfectly. But from my experience, replacing or adjusting the mekugi often improves the looseness of the shirasaya and koshirae. Since ancient times, making mekugi has been said to be a skill of the samurai. Because it is a natural material, there are items with darker and lighter colors. I will select thick ones from the many available and ship them (in a set of 5).