There are many types of Japanese samurai swords, depending on size and tradition. You can see the dedication the Japanese have when you look at the way they present themselves in their martial arts and sword manufacturing. They go by the principle of shuchu ryoko or “focus all your energy to one point” as the martial arts master Shioda Gozo had said. Indeed, the Japanese have mastered the craft of zoro katana sword making.
The samurai sword’s real name is actually the katana. It is a long and curved sword with a sharp blade on one side. The samurai would wield the sword with both hands on the long handle. It is a sword the has long been known to be designed of exceptional quality. It is also well known for the incredibly sharp blade.
Japanese Sword Variation Available
Weapons that are called Japanese swords are readily available on the market, but if you are looking for the real deal that a samurai would use in battle you need to get a katana. Others that may look similar due to also having the long thin curved blade are the tachi, nodachi, odachi and kodachi.
Things you should see in real Japanese Samurai Swords
Is the sword an authentic piece is always the first question. Authentic Japanese swords or shinken are extremely rare, so if you want to get an authentic piece you’ll have to save your money. To get one of these swords takes some doing because the Japanese sword association only allows 25 of these beautiful pieces to be created each year. If the high cost doesn’t stop you from getting one you’ll then have to find one of the 250 sword makers that are in Japan to create one for you. They will provide you with documentation to confirm the swords authenticity. On the other hand you could get a Japanese sword maker from outside of Japan to build you one for a lot cheaper, but it would not be authentic though it may be of just as good a quality. Or you may simply go out and buy a replica if all you want it for is a decorative purpose.
Which Way Was it Built?
For a highly skilled sword smith to create true Japanese samurai swords they have to go through a real long process. The Japanese steel is called tamahagane. There is a mixture of two types of steel both low and high carbon. During manufacture, the blade undergoes a complicated heating process. After that it goes through a three week process of polishing and sharpening. All the time they have to be very careful not to injure themselves. You will also have to be very careful when storing and maintaining a real samurai sword. If it’s not done correctly you can easily damage the blade beyond repair.
