Throughout the extensive period spanning from the Heian to the Meiji era in Japan, notable transformations occurred in culture and society, including the development and evolution of samurai weapons and attire. This era witnessed the transition from a predominantly feudal and militarized society to a more modern and centralized one, Read more
Short resume of History and Style of Samurai Armors Exploring the History and Style of Samurai Armors Dive into the fascinating world of samurai armors and uncover the rich history and unique styles that defined the legendary warriors of Japan! Evolution from Ancient Origins: Samurai armors trace their origins back Read more
Netsuke depicting a deer in ivory, 19th century. Netsuke are small sculptures that were invented in the 17th century in Japan to serve a practical function (the two Japanese characters ne+tsuke mean “root” and “to fix”). Traditional Japanese clothing of the time did not have pockets, so most men needed Read more
It is clear that there are as many collectors as there are tastes, and the Japanese saying “Jūnin toiro” (ten people, ten colors) would be the equivalent of “to each his own” in Spanish. Some collectors are particularly meticulous about aspects of the blade, such as the hamon or jihada. Read more
Yamada Asaemon was the title held by the heads of the Japanese Yamada family, who served the shogunate as sword inspectors and executioners during the Edo period. As early as the 16th century, individuals were renowned for their tameshigiri technique, such as General Tani Moriyoshi (谷 衛 好) and his Read more
Tameshigiri: The art of cutting with Katana Cutting capacity is intrinsic to the katanas because it is their Reason to be. If the katana was merely decorative it would never have existed. They were made to kill and therein (live or die by the sword) lies much of their charm. Although Read more
Hamon is the pattern we see on the edge of the blade of any Nihonto and is not merely aesthetic, but is due to the differential clay tempering that is applied to the weapons in the forging process. Japanese katanas are unique in a way because of the forging process, where apart from the materials the system is extremely laborious.
The term Nihonto is used to refer to authentic Japanese weapons made with handcrafted manufacturing processes by specialised craftsmen using specific materials such as Tamahagane steel, a special steel with a low carbon content (around 1 -1.5 %).
If you are here, chances are that you want to have an authentic Japanese katana and you may not know exactly how to do it.