What is a Samurai Sword?

Traditionally, the name Katana is used to describe a Nihionto, or Japanese made sword, which were employed by the Samurai in feudal Japan. The Katana sword is instantly recognisable to most people, having featured heavily in popular culture for several decades. The distinct curved, single-edged blade with a guard and long grip is unique within the sword world and is strongly linked to legendary blades and superior craftsmanship.

Katana evolved from the straight-edged tachi sword imported from China. It’s theorised that the Mongol invasion prompted a redesign and improvement of the tachi. Simply put, the existing straight tachi swords could not impart sufficient damage to the Mongol leather armour, resulting in the swords chipping and breaking. To cope with the armour penetrating requirements, the curved cutting edge tachi started to emerge and quickly gained favour amongst Samurai.

We can at least partially attribute the rise in popularity of this sword due to the changes that happened in close quarters combat in warfare. A fast draw and strike could ultimately lead to the fight being over in a couple of seconds, and the samurai sword facilitated this form of combat by being worn on the waist with the edge up. This allowed for the blade to be drawn and used to strike the enemy in a single fluid movement. In comparison, the tachi, which the samurai sword replaced, would traditionally be worn suspended from the belt and with the edge facing down.

The katana is now synonymous with samurai swords, and with good reason, it was the primary weapon favoured by the Samurai for hundreds of years and could only legally be worn by samurai. Any lesser caste found with a sword would face instant execution.

Samurai swords would often be worn in a pairing called a daisho, which roughly translates as little big. The samurai sword is the big sword while a wakizashi or a tanto would be the smaller sidekick. It was extremely rare for samurai to wield two swords at the same time. Miyamoto Musashi developed a technique of fighting with two swords, the method was named Niten Ichi or two heavens as one.

Maintenance and Storage of Samurai Swords

Our swords are capable of providing a lifetime of use if correctly cared for and maintained. The sword should stored in its sheath with the edge facing upward in order to preserve the edge. As with most steel items, it is very important that the blade be well oiled, cleaned, and polished after each use. The salt and sweat from hands can cause rust, so it’s imperative that they be cleaned off.

If storing the sword for a long period of time, the sword should be regularly inspected, aired, and oiled as required in order to preserve the blade and handle

Samurai Sword Made by Chinese traditional master smith:

Our traditional hand forged functional battle ready authentic Katana (Samurai Swords) are exceptionally high quality products which made in the style of traditional Japanese Nihonto.

All of our authentic beautiful swords are full tang and are constructed from high quality 1060 or 1095 carbon steel, ensuring a strong flexible blade capable of taking and retaining an edge and will last a lifetime of use if cared for correctly.

The Swords we offer are perfect for expert and amateur users alike and are an ideal sword for martial arts practise which requires a live blade, for example, iado, battodo, or kenjutsu.

You may be tempted by cheap katanas for sale, but they are a liability and can cause serious damage to you or others due to increased likelihood of breakage.

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