This Taisho Class Kiritsuke Iyozane Okegawa Do is a lamellae style armor of the 16th century commonly used by high ranking samurai and Daimyo during the late Sengoku era. The Taisho class design are fully handcrafted and detailed with the finest of materials. It opens under the right arm like other armors of its time. It features kiritsuke iyozane, which simulated wide scale plates along a “sane-ita”, or “ita-zane” plate design.  Sugake Odoshi style lacing, referred to as “‘simple hang,”. This helped make this Tosei (modern) style of do to resemble the more traditional “hon iyo-zane”, which was crafted with individual wide scale plates laced together.  This tosei design had the same look as the more traditional design but at half the cost, was more robust on the battlefield and easier to maintain.  

History: The full name for this particular traditional do, or breastplate, is “Kiritsuke-Iyozane Sugake Odoshi Gendai Okegawa Ni-Mai-Do”. This particular Ni-mai, or two piece style of do, is more complicated to craft then the standard ito-mono okegawa do with riveted lamelle, making it more costly, thus common amongst higher ranking samurai.  The overall simplicity in design, comfort and easy maintenance made it very reliable in battle.

Features:  Taisho Class

• Traditional Kiritsuke Iyozane Okegawa design
• Full sized and fully functional.
• Various paint, mon, art silk odoshi, accessory, customization and sizing options available.   
• Optional kawa koshi tsuke (removable gasen / kusazuri). Removable Tate-Eri.

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Ordering Tips: Iron Mountain Armory recommends that you order one size larger AND one size shorter than the size required, as the armor is close fitting.  The armor can close into itself if too big, but will be a little uncomfortable if fitted too tall. If you’re planning on wearing a yoroi hitatar or a kikko gane do under your armor, we suggest adding 10 cm to your chest size when ordering.  Like other Okegawa Do it features a pin hinge under the left armpit, which can be removed to make it a traditional Ni-Mai Do, after which you can attach a through the hinge.

To see the class differences, please view Kachi Vs. Gashira.

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References:  “Samurai Armour: Volume I: The Japanese Cuirass” by Trevor Absolon  /  “Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868″ by Kazutoshi Harada, Metropolitan Museum of Art