※ 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 susudake - smoked bamboo). The reason for this 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 proven, as susudake has appropriate elasticity, and even if the mekugi breaks, the bamboo fibers remain, preventing the blade from flying out. This is a set of 5 mekugi made of susudake. They are thick mekugi, with a head of approximately 5mm and a length of approximately 4.5cm. ※ Note: Some heads are less than 5mm and some are more than 5mm, so they are not exactly 5mm!! I think they can be used for both shirasaya (plain wooden scabbard) and koshirae (sword mounting). However, since each shirasaya and koshirae has different sizes, some adjustments may be necessary to fit 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 considered a skill of the samurai. Due to the natural material, the color varies from dark to light. I will select thick ones from the many available and ship them (set of 5).