Damascus Tanto Knife, Raindrop Pattern with Rosewood Saya

Drawn and laid beside its saya, the scabbard, this one belongs to a different family than the blades around it. The blade is 11 inches of Damascus over a high carbon core, and the point is a flat angled face rather than a sweep. The saya is oiled rosewood with the grain left open. Short, and severe next to a katana.

Specification

The blade

The steel is pattern welded Damascus with a high carbon core inside it. Dimples are ground into the stacked billet, it is forged flat again, and the etch opens those layers as rings. The pattern is decoration and nothing more. The bevel is etched to the edge. There is almost no curve in the body, and the kissaki, the point section, is why. It is ground as flat faces meeting at a hard corner rather than an arc. Carbon steel darkens as it ages, and it spots if put away wet.

The handle

The tsuka, the handle, is black cotton ito, the cord wrap, over white rayskin. Rayskin is bumpy, so the wrap beds into it and the handle does not turn in your hand. Through the tsuka goes the mekugi, a bamboo peg. That peg holds the blade in, which means the handle comes off for cleaning. The tsuba, the guard, is a small oval in brass, low to suit a short blade. At the base of the steel is the habaki, the brass collar.

The saya

The saya is wood. Oiled rosewood with the grain showing rather than buried under lacquer, so the dark streaks run the length of it. Oil gives rosewood a depth lacquer covers over, though a scuff also stays where you put it. At the throat is the sageo, the cord tied there, in black. It is held by friction where the habaki meets the mouth of the saya. No strap, no catch.

Who it suits

This one gets bought for the shape. It is made to be looked at, not to be worked with.

• Collectors who want an angular point beside curved blades
• Buyers who like a pattern to study close up
• Anyone setting a short piece on a stand
• People with less wall than a katana needs

What comes in the box

• The Damascus tanto
• The rosewood saya with its sageo
• A care card
• No stand is included, so pick one for a 16 inch piece

Every piece is different

No two billets etch alike. The dimples land where the hand puts them, so the rings come out crowded along one flat and open along the other. Rosewood goes its own way as well, near black in one board and warmer red in the next. Yours will not match the photograph.

Looking after it

Wipe it down with a soft cloth after handling, because fingerprints sit on etched steel and stay there. Keep a light film of oil on the blade. No abrasive polish, ever, since it flattens the pattern you paid for. Keep it out of a damp room, and if it has been somewhere damp, leave it out of the saya until both are dry. More is on our care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per piece. It goes on the saya rather than the blade, since rosewood takes a mark well. Around 30 characters fits, so a name and a date. We send a proof image before the laser runs. It adds 3 to 5 business days, and is free on orders of 10 or more. More on the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

Why is the point shaped like that? The kissaki is ground as flat faces meeting at a corner rather than swept round.

Does the tip catch the light differently? It does. Flat faces hold light in a block and let it go all at once as it turns.

How is the raindrop pattern made? Dimples go into the layered billet, it is forged flat, and the etch brings the layers up as rings. There is no hamon, the line clay tempering leaves where the hard edge meets the softer body, because this blade was not clay tempered.

Will it rust? It can. There is carbon steel under the pattern. Dry it, oil it, and never store it damp.

Can I own one? Laws on owning and carrying a sword differ by state, city and country, so check your local rules before you buy, and we cannot advise on that.

How long does delivery take? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

The Damascus wakizashi with the pale ash saya carries the same steel in a ladder pattern, with more blade to it. The katana with the deep curve and red lacquer saya sits at the other end of the shape. Every katana and Japanese sword is in one place, the etched pieces under Damascus swords, the rest under historical blades.