BUY KATANAS IN OUR MEDIEVAL ZETAN STORE
In our Medieval store you can buy all the decorative and functional katanas that you like the most. The katana from The Last Samurai, Demon Slayer, One Piece , Bleach , Kill Bill, The walking Dead and many more.
DECORATIVE JAPANESE KATANAS
A katana is a class of Japanese sword used by samurai in feudal Japan. Its blade is curved and its handle is characterized by being much longer than the traditional sword. The essential difference that it has with respect to other swords is its curved blade, which gives it more cutting power than a straight sword. Also, being thinner makes it weigh less and therefore easier to use. Having a very long handle forces you to use both hands in combat to use it. The katana can be a very effective weapon when used by a skilled samurai. For all that has been said, the katana is divided into 3 different parts: the curved blade, the long handle and the scabbard, which is where the katana is carried in a period of inactivity.
ORIGIN OF THE KATANA
The katana has been used for more than a thousand years, and is still used by samurai today. There are several theories about the origin of the katana , and it has a halo of mystery. One theory suggests its origin in a Chinese sword that was known as a dao . Others believe that the katana comes from the Indian saber. And others consider it independently developed in Japan. Since its appearance, it became a very famous weapon in the country of the rising sun, not only among samurai and martial arts practitioners, but also among the common people. It is something distinctive of Japanese culture, being considered one of the deadliest swords.
THE MOST FAMOUS SAMURAIS
The samurai were warriors from feudal Japan who habitually used the katana . Some of them became famous for their swordsmanship. Some famous katana masters were: Miyamoto Musashi who is said to have never lost a fight. It is worth highlighting his deadly two-handed swordplay. Yoshimitsu was a 14th century samurai general. It is said of him that a single swing from his katana was enough to kill his opponent. Takeda Shingen , a samurai, was an important warlord and was renowned for his effective way of leading his troops in battle. Nakamura Mitsuru , lived in the 20th century and was highly regarded as one of the greatest samurai of all time.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF KATANAS THAT EXIST?
There are many different styles of katana , each with their own quirks. The most common style is the tachi . The tachi is longer and more curved than the katana . The tachi is mainly worn by the cavalry. Its handling is easier to use on horseback than the katana . The wakizashi , shorter than the katana . The wakizashi is used as a reserve sword. The tanto is a small sword carried with the blade up. The Japanese tanto is also often used as a reserve sword, or as a women's and children's sword. The designs of the different styles of katanas are determined by the tasks for which each katana is intended , such as:
Bokken ; which is a katana made of wood that is used for training.
Naginata ; another variety of Japanese weapon used by warrior monks, foot soldiers and samurai.
said ; a kind of blunt dagger with a sharp tip.
Shirasaya ; Cover without decoration and katana blade that are used to be stored when it is not going to be used for a long period of time.
HOW A KATANA IS FORGED
The art of forging a katana is a complex process that requires a lot of time. The first step is to create is the sheet. A piece of steel is heated to a very high temperature. When it reaches that high temperature it is time to give it the desired shape. Next step is to add the grip and scabbard. Finally, the sword is sharpened and polished. This is a process that, as we said before, takes many hours. If it is well made, it is appreciated as one of the most beautiful swords in the world. Since it is essentially the manufacturing process that points to the Japanese sword, along with traditional examples of swords, experts also examine different blades of weapons, such as daggers, spears ( yari ) and halberds ( naginata and nagamaki ). All of them can be classified as “ katanas ”.
Despite the different styles of each craftsman, knowledge of the nihon-to chronology provides us with the details of the various swords. Jokoto : Beginning of the Heian Period (794 – 1099 AD). Very old swords, before the evolution of Japanese swords. They have straight leaves, sometimes with two edges. We can only find them in temples or museums. There are very few copies. Collection Tsuba of Sensei Jorge Kishikawa . Koto: End of the Heian Period (1100) to the Momoyama Period (1600). They are ancient swords. We can already see the evolution of metallurgy and manufacture of swords. In these swords we can already see the characteristics of Japanese swords. The forge begins to develop to allow the manufacture of these swords. The oldest are Tachi (long, highly curved swords). Around 1573 is when the Katana appears , the most popular of the Japanese sword, with the edge upturned. Little by little the Katana replaced the Tachi as the Japanese sword. Shinto : Edo period (1600) to the reign of Emperor Tenmei (1781). They are already the new swords, they are almost only katanas and wakisashis . In this period the samurai barely managed to carry swords and in Japan a period of peace reigned , the swords made in this period were carried by the elite. At the same time that the manufacturing process reaches its peak, the opposite fact occurs that production decreases. Shin Shinto : From the Edo period, from 1781 to the Meiji Period (1867). The new swords of this new period differ little from the Shinto , however, their price was increasingly high and they were hardly sold, so the market was almost non-existent. Tsuba of the Meiji period - Collection of Sensei Jorge Kishikawa . Gendaito : Meiji period (1867) until World War II (about 1940). A decree that prohibits samurai from carrying swords results in the end of the Shin shinto . The manufacture of swords is significantly reduced and few smiths continue in the market, a market that had already been suffering from the restrictions of the previous era is becoming increasingly limited. Showato : In the Second War the manufacture in mass of swords takes place to supply to the armed forces. These swords are of low quality and cannot be classified as katana . Much of it was destroyed by the Japanese government itself. There are few swords, although they were individually forged for officers, presenting the same details as traditional swords. They are classified as military. by specialists. These swords and katanas are tempered and even signed. Shinsakuto : After World War II, the events of the death of several smiths, as well as Japan's sanction of making weapons, a sanction derived from the sanctions imposed by the war winners, almost ended the art of making weapons. katanas . In 1953 the forging of nihon-to began again . But not as weapons, rather they were classified as artistic manifestations. I call them. shinsakuto . to name modern swords. Considered unique artistic objects, they present the same characteristics and martial abilities of the ancient nihon -tos.
