Damascus Katana Sword with Rosewood Saya and Brass Fittings

This is the katana shape in pattern welded Damascus, single edged and curving to the point, the layers etched so they follow that curve. It is forged by hand in High Point, North Carolina over a high carbon core. The blade is 28 inches, the piece is 40 inches overall, and the saya is oiled rosewood with brass at the mouth and tip. It goes to people who collect and display.

Specification

The blade

The steel is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and then etched, which brings the light and dark layers up. On a blade of this length the pattern has room to move, and it runs the full 28 inches and follows the curve rather than sitting in straight bands. No two blades come out of the etch with the same figure. The core underneath is carbon steel, and that is the honest trade here. The blade darkens over time and it will rust if it is left wet.

The fittings

The guard is the tsuba, the disc between blade and handle, here a round one in brass with a pierced wave pattern. At the base of the blade sits a brass habaki, the collar that seats the blade in the mouth of the saya. The tang runs the length of the handle, held by a mekugi, a bamboo peg pushed through from the side. That peg is all that holds it on, so the handle can be taken off for cleaning.

The handle

The handle is the tsuka, 10.5 inches of it. White rayskin goes on first, then deep red cord is wrapped over it and criss crossed so diamonds of the rayskin show through the wrap. The red against the white is what most buyers notice first. A brass end cap closes the butt and picks up the brass elsewhere. Every wrap is pulled by hand, so the diamonds sit differently each time.

The scabbard

The scabbard is a saya, and on the Japanese pattern it is made of wood. This one is rosewood, oiled rather than lacquered, so the grain and the red brown color of the wood stay visible. Polished brass fittings sit at the mouth and the tip, where a saya takes the most handling. A deep red silk sageo is tied at the throat, and the piece hangs by that cord on a stand. Rosewood is a natural material, so the grain and the depth of color vary from piece to piece.

Who it suits

This is the one people buy when they want the pattern to be what you see from across the room.

• Collectors who want a pattern welded blade at full length
• Buyers who prefer brass and wood over black and iron
• Anyone furnishing a study or a display case
• People buying a milestone gift that gets handed down

What comes in the box

• The Damascus katana
• The oiled rosewood saya with brass fittings
• The deep red silk sageo cord
• A care card

Every piece is different

Each blade is forged, ground, etched and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two patterns repeat. The figure in the steel, the grain of the rosewood and the set of the cord diamonds will differ from the photographs.

Looking after it

Wipe the blade dry and never put it away wet. Damascus has carbon under the pattern, so it darkens over time and that gray patina is normal. Put a light coat of oil on before storage. Do not leave the blade inside the saya for months, since wood holds moisture. The handle comes off at the peg for cleaning under it. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per piece, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits on a blade or along the handle. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Clean line art engraves cleanly, photographs do not. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is Damascus steel? It is steel pattern welded in layers and etched, so the light and dark bands show.

What is a sageo? It is the silk cord tied at the throat of the saya.

Can the handle be taken off? Yes, the bamboo peg pushes out and the handle slides off the tang.

Will Damascus rust? It can, since the core is carbon, so dry it and oil it before storage.

Will my piece look exactly like the photo? No, the pattern and the grain come out differently every time.

Is it legal to own? Sword and long blade laws vary by state, city and country, so check your local rules before ordering.

For the same length in clay tempered 1095 see the 1095 katana with a black saya, and for the short blade in the same steel see the Damascus tanto with a rosewood saya. More sits in Damascus swords, in katana swords, and in Damascus steel.