{"product_id":"hand-forged-katana-black-lacquer-saya","title":"Hand Forged Katana, Clay Tempered with Black Lacquer Saya","description":"\u003cp\u003eDrawn and laid beside its saya, the wood scabbard, this one reads as two lines. The first is the edge, even along 28 inches of 1095 high carbon, clay tempered, in hand rubbed satin. The second drifts above it, pale and wandering. That is the hamon, the mark left where the hard edge meets the softer body. The saya is wood under deep gloss black lacquer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e28 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e40 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e11 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1095 high carbon, clay tempered\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand rubbed satin with a visible hamon\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTsuba\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRound iron, plain pierced pattern\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, deep gloss black lacquer\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSageo\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDark blue 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\u003e1095 high carbon is plain steel that takes clay tempering well. Clay is laid on the blade in a pattern before the fire, thick up the body and thin along the edge, so the two cool at different rates in the quench. The hamon is what that leaves. It follows where the clay sat, not a drawing, so the line belongs to this blade alone. The hand rubbed satin holds it. The curve is gentle and carries into the kissaki, the point section. Carbon steel darkens with age and spots if left wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe tsuka, the handle, is 11 inches of black cotton ito, the cord wrap, over white rayskin. The rayskin is the pebbled hide underneath and it stops the wrap creeping under a hand. Through the tsuka goes the mekugi, a bamboo peg. It holds the blade in, so the handle comes off for cleaning once you push it out. The tsuba, the guard, is round iron with a plain pierced pattern. The habaki, the brass collar, sits at the base of the blade.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe saya\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe saya is wood. Lacquer goes over it, deep gloss black, built in coats and polished back until the grain has gone. Nothing here is leather, because leather on a saya is what buyers notice first. The sageo, the cord tied at the throat of the saya, is dark blue. The blade stays put because the habaki wedges into the mouth of the wood. That friction is the whole of it. No strap.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis one is for people who like looking at the line. It is made to be seen, on a stand or a wall, not used.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors who came for the hamon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone furnishing a wall with something made by hand\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who want clay tempering, not an etched pattern\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who wipe a blade down and put it away\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 28 inch katana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe wood saya with its dark blue sageo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo stand is included, so choose one that suits your wall\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery blade is clayed by hand, so every hamon runs its own course. Two swords out of the same week will not carry the same line, and it will not sit at the same height. The lacquer cures its own way as well. The photograph here is one of them, not yours.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe it with a soft cloth after handling, because fingerprints sit on satin and stay. A light film of oil on the steel is enough. Nothing abrasive and no metal polish, since the hamon sits in the surface. Keep it out of a damp room, and if it has been stored damp, leave the blade out of the saya until both are dry. More in our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care 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 and it goes on the saya, not on the blade. Around 30 characters fits, a name and a date or one short line. We send a proof image back and nothing runs until you say yes. Engraving adds 3 to 5 business days. Orders of 10 or more are engraved free. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the hamon?\u003c\/strong\u003e The line clay tempering leaves. The clay makes the edge and the body cool at different rates, and the boundary shows in the polish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I choose the hamon shape?\u003c\/strong\u003e No. Clay goes on by hand and the fire settles the rest. We take the line we get.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill this steel rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. 1095 is carbon steel. Wipe it dry and keep light oil on it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the handle come off?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes. Push the bamboo mekugi out and the tsuka lifts away.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it legal for me to own?\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 shipping take?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the same line on something shorter, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/wakizashi-sword-clay-tempered-brown-saya\"\u003eclay tempered wakizashi\u003c\/a\u003e carries one on a 20 inch blade. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-katana-red-lacquer-saya\"\u003edeep curve katana with the red lacquer saya\u003c\/a\u003e goes the other way. It sits with the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/katana-swords\"\u003ekatana and Japanese swords\u003c\/a\u003e, next to our other \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hand-forged-swords\"\u003ehand forged swords\u003c\/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/historical-blades\"\u003ehistorical blades\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44145061429366,"sku":"VEF-KAT-HC-1601","price":429.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/katana-01-carbon-black-lacquer-saya_604f28d7-8629-4670-92a6-fca5b22c26ea.jpg?v=1788843533","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/hand-forged-katana-black-lacquer-saya","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}