The katana, the sword of the samurai, Japan’s warrior class of feudal times, embodies a powerful convergence of artistry, craftsmanship and functionality. More than just a weapon of destruction, the katana is a symbol of the samurai’s courage and honor.

The process for forging a katana, called tame-buki, required great skill. Among other things, the blade needed to not only not break or bend, but also cut as sharply as possible, and must do so while being impervious to both shock and heat. In addition, the forging must take place within a tight temperature range to ensure that the steel is strong and durable.

In order to accomplish these goals, the smiths made use of the Tatara-buki method, an original Japanese technique that relied on local iron ore, instead of the imported raw material usually used in other steelmaking processes. The resulting high-quality steel, known as Tamahagane, is both strong and flexible.

Compared to the straight swords of other countries at the time, such as the tsurugi (ken) or jokoto tachi, which were designed for thrusting and hacking, the katana had a more curved blade for cutting. This curved shape and the samurai’s technique of drawing it with the right hand over the left, which was called ten-uchi, allowed the katana to slice through even thick armor and bodies.

The word ‘katana’ refers to a sword with a blade length (direct distance between the kissaki, or tip of the blade and the mune-machi, notch on the back) of 60cm or more. A sword shorter than 60cm is referred to as wakizashi. Click here