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Japanese Tanto

June 26th, 2010 admin No comments

Japanese Tanto

40 Inch Blue Japanese Katana Sword w Dragon Tsuba and Scabbard Review

This 40 inch Blue Japanese Katana Sword w Dragon Tsuba and Scabbard is a truly wonderful replica of the samurai swords popularized in many Japanese samurai movies exported to the West in the 50s 60s and 70s. These are the best recognized Japanese sword through literature and film due to its association with its owner: a member of the Japanese warrior class called the Samurai.

Who Were the Samurai?

The ancestors of this 40 Inch Japanese Katana Sword w Dragon Tsuba and Scabbard were found around the waists of Samurai warriors who were the only members of Japanese society allowed to wear katana. Any peasants found in possession of a katana by a member of the warrior caste would be executed on the spot.

In contrast to the ways that katana are seen wielded in battle in all those samurai movies, it was actually the weapon of last resort.The katana was believed to have a mystical link to a warrior soul and was only drawn in the most necessary circumstances when honor was at stake. It was often accompanied by a smaller sword called a wakizashi (12 to 20 inches) or a dagger known as a tanto (6 to 12 inches). The combination of the two weapons was referred to as daisho - the long and the short. The katana will was used for cutting whereas the Short Sword or dagger was used for stabbing.

The Art of Katana

The practice of swordsmanship using the katana is known as kenjitsu, or samurai sword art. Highly skilled practitioners could wield two of their weapons at the same time. One of the most famous of these was a legendary swordsman and the author of Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645).

He created a two-sword technique that he named niten'ichi which means "Two Heavens as One." With this technique, Musashi perfected use of the katana and wakizashi at the same time. Much like one-on-one battles of honor that were commonplace amongst the gentry of Europe at this time, Musashi participated in more than 60 duels in his lifetime never losing.

Shaping a Sharp Blade

This katana is a sword with a long, slightly curved blade with a chisel-like point. It is what is referred to as a "back sword" since it is single edged - its back edge is unsharpened. The sword is used for slashing as well as thrusting. It is the sword that is portrayed as the weapon of choice for beheading defeated enemies depicted in many movies.

Beautiful Art

Many katanas are beautifully adorned with decorated tsubas, the sword hand guard. The product described here - 40 Inch Blue Japanese Katana Sword w Dragon Tsuba and Scabbard - has a beautifully etched dragon theme on its tsuba along with a 10.5 inch blue-colored handle of imitation fish skin. The overall sword blade measures in at 27 inches. This is a truly remarkable weapon that anyone would be proud to display and own.

About the Author

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