Hilt alongside his blade typology. Oakeshott pommel types are enumerated with capital letters A–Z, with subtypes indicated by numerals. The grip is the handle of the sword. It was usually of wood or metal, and often covered with shagreen (untanned tough leather or shark skin). Shark skin proved to be the most durable in temperate climates but deteriorated in hot climates, and consequently rubber became popular in the latter half of the 19th century. Alternatively, many sword types opt for ray skin instead, referred to in katana construction as the "same". Whatever material covered the grip, it was usually both glued
The Shagreen Bone The Shagreen Bone The Shagreen Bone (, ) Op. 37-38 (1990) is a full-length ballet in three acts and an opera "entr’acte" in one act by Yuri Khanon, to a libretto by the composer based on Balzac’s 1831 novel "The Shagreen Skin". The ballet (Op.37) and the "entr’acte" (Op.38) were written in 1990 on commission from the Mikhaylovsky Theatre in Leningrad. The libretto is based entirely on the dialogues between the two characters – Pauline and Raphael. In 1992, an avant-garde film-opera "The Shagreen Bone" was shot at the Saint Petersburg Documentary Film Studio, with Yuri Khanon in the main