{"product_id":"damascus-tanto-raindrop-rosewood-saya","title":"Damascus Tanto Knife, Raindrop Pattern with Rosewood Saya","description":"\u003cp\u003eDrawn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e11 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDamascus, high carbon core\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEtched raindrop pattern, bevel etched to the edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTsuba\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSmall oval brass\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHabaki\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBrass collar\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTsuka\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlack cotton ito over white rayskin, bamboo mekugi peg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSaya\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWood, oiled rosewood with the grain showing\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSageo\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlack cord\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMade in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eForged and finished by hand in High Point, North Carolina.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWarranty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifetime warranty against defects.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe saya\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis one gets bought for the shape. It is made to be looked at, not to be worked with.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors who want an angular point beside curved blades\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who like a pattern to study close up\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone setting a short piece on a stand\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople with less wall than a katana needs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Damascus tanto\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe rosewood saya with its sageo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo stand is included, so pick one for a 16 inch piece\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe 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 \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003ecare and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaser 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 \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is the point shaped like that?\u003c\/strong\u003e The kissaki is ground as flat faces meeting at a corner rather than swept round.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the tip catch the light differently?\u003c\/strong\u003e It does. Flat faces hold light in a block and let it go all at once as it turns.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow is the raindrop pattern made?\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. There is carbon steel under the pattern. Dry it, oil it, and never store it damp.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I own one?\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does delivery take?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-wakizashi-ash-saya\"\u003eDamascus wakizashi with the pale ash saya\u003c\/a\u003e carries the same steel in a ladder pattern, with more blade to it. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-katana-red-lacquer-saya\"\u003ekatana with the deep curve and red lacquer saya\u003c\/a\u003e sits at the other end of the shape. Every \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/katana-swords\"\u003ekatana and Japanese sword\u003c\/a\u003e is in one place, the etched pieces under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-swords\"\u003eDamascus swords\u003c\/a\u003e, the rest under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/historical-blades\"\u003ehistorical blades\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44145124016246,"sku":"VEF-TAN-DAM-1606","price":229.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/tanto-01-damascus-rosewood-saya_ab9a8e48-4e6f-4f23-ba28-e8e3c4faec8a.jpg?v=1788843877","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-tanto-raindrop-rosewood-saya","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}