Hand Forged Katana, 1095 Carbon Steel with Clay Tempered Blade and Black Saya

The katana is the long curved blade of the Japanese pattern, single edged and curving to the point. This one is forged by hand in High Point, North Carolina from 1095 high carbon steel and clay tempered, so a soft wavy line shows along the polished edge. The blade is 28 inches, the piece is 40.5 inches overall, and the saya is black lacquered wood. People buy it to display, to collect and to hand down.

Specification

The blade

The steel is 1095 high carbon, chosen because it takes a fine polish and answers to a clay tempered heat treat. Clay is laid along the spine before the quench, so spine and edge cool at different rates. Once polished, a soft line shows where the two meet. That line is called the hamon, and it is the mark the process leaves behind, following the edge the full 28 inches. The trade with 1095 is the carbon in it, so the blade darkens with use and will rust if left wet.

The fittings

The guard is the tsuba, the disc between blade and handle, here in iron with a dark finish and a pierced 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, 11 inches of it. White rayskin goes on first, then black cord is wrapped over the top and criss crossed so diamonds of the rayskin show through the wrap. The wrap is pulled tight by hand and it gives the handle its texture. A plain black end cap closes the butt. Because the cord is worked by hand, the diamonds sit differently on every piece.

The scabbard

The scabbard is a saya, and on the Japanese pattern it is made of wood. This one is lacquered gloss black, with a horn mouth piece at the throat, so the wood at the opening is protected. A dark blue silk sageo is tied at the throat, and the piece hangs by that cord on a stand. The saya is fitted to this blade, so the habaki seats in the mouth. Wood moves with the seasons, so a saya that feels snug in winter may feel easier in summer.

Who it suits

This is a piece people set on a stand where they can see it, and the clay tempered line is usually why they choose it.

• Collectors who want a hamon on a hand forged blade
• Buyers building a Japanese pattern set
• Anyone furnishing a study or a display case
• People buying a milestone gift that gets handed down

What comes in the box

• The 1095 clay tempered katana
• The black lacquered wooden saya
• The dark blue silk sageo cord
• A care card

Every piece is different

Each blade is forged, ground, heat treated and polished by hand, so runs stay small and nothing comes out twice the same. The hamon, the tone of the lacquer 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. Carbon steel darkens over time and that gray patina is normal, since it protects the steel. 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 here 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 a hamon? It is the line that shows along the edge of a polished blade after a clay tempered quench.

What is a saya? The saya is the scabbard, made of wood on this pattern.

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

Will 1095 rust? It can, so dry it after handling and oil it lightly before storage.

Will my piece look exactly like the photo? No, the hamon and the cord wrap 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 shorter companion in the same steel, see the 1095 wakizashi, and in a pattern welded blade there is the Damascus katana with a rosewood saya. More sits in katana swords, in high carbon 1095, and in hand forged swords.