{"product_id":"hand-forged-katana-red-lacquer-saya","title":"Hand Forged Katana, Deep Curve with Red Lacquer Saya","description":"\u003cp\u003eDrawn and laid beside its saya, the scabbard, this one shows the bend before anything else. The blade is 27.5 inches of 1095 high carbon steel, and the curve carries most of that length instead of gathering near the point. The saya is deep gloss red lacquer, cut to the same arc. Two curves on a flat table, one of them very red.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e27.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e39.5 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\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand rubbed satin, no pattern and no hamon\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTsuba\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRound iron pierced with a wave design\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\u003eDeep green 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 red lacquer\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 1095 high carbon, rubbed by hand to a satin finish. No pattern in it, and no hamon, which is the wavy line along a clay tempered blade where the hard edge meets the softer body. This one was not clay tempered, so the flat stays plain. The curve is the reason it exists. It bends further through the middle than the other two we forge, so the arc is long, not tight, and the kissaki, the point section, closes it. Carbon steel darkens and will spot if left wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe tsuka, the handle, is 11 inches wrapped in deep green cotton ito, the cord wrap, folded in alternating turns. Under it is rayskin, and that is what stops the wrap sliding. A bamboo peg called the mekugi runs through it. It holds the blade in, and because it pushes out, the handle comes off for cleaning. The tsuba, the guard, is round iron pierced with a wave design, and the habaki, a brass collar, sits at the base of the blade.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe saya\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe saya is wood. Hollowed to this blade, then built up in deep gloss red lacquer until it reads as one color. A deeper curve makes that harder, because the channel inside has to follow the arc the whole way or the blade drags. The sageo, the cord at the throat, is black. Nothing straps the sword in. It is held by friction where the habaki meets the mouth of the saya.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePeople come to this one for the shape. A deep curve reads across a room and draws a long line on a stand. Nobody should be cutting with it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors who own a straighter blade already\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone hanging a sword where the curve shows\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who want the red saya seen first\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople buying a display piece as a gift\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe katana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe wood saya with the black sageo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo stand is included, so order one separately\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLacquer goes on in coats and gets rubbed down between them, so depth varies saya to saya. The curve is set at the quench. Two blades off the same bar will not land at the same arc. The ito is pulled by hand, so the folds sit where the hands put them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the blade with a soft cloth and leave a light film of oil on it. No abrasive polish, because the satin is hand rubbed and a compound cuts through it. Keep the sword out of a damp room. If it has been stored somewhere humid, take it out of the saya and let both dry apart, since wood holds damp against steel. More on 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 rather than the blade. Around 30 characters fits, so a name, or a name and a date. We send a proof image before the laser runs. It adds 3 to 5 business days. Order 10 or more and the engraving is free. The \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e has the rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is this one curved more than your other katana?\u003c\/strong\u003e It was forged and quenched that way. The clay tempered piece comes out shallower, and this one bends further through the middle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the curve change how it sits in the hand?\u003c\/strong\u003e The balance moves back toward the tsuka, and it changes how the sword hangs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is there no hamon on it?\u003c\/strong\u003e A hamon comes from clay tempering, and this one was not clay tempered. The satin runs plain.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. Carbon steel does. Dry it, oil it, and never put it away damp.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it legal 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 delivery take?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you want a shallower arc and the line clay tempering leaves, look at the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-katana-black-lacquer-saya\"\u003ekatana with the black lacquer saya\u003c\/a\u003e. For something short with a pattern in the steel, there is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-tanto-raindrop-rosewood-saya\"\u003eDamascus tanto with the rosewood saya\u003c\/a\u003e. The long ones live in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/katana-swords\"\u003ekatana and Japanese swords\u003c\/a\u003e. The rest of our forge work is in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hand-forged-swords\"\u003ehand forged swords\u003c\/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/all-knives\"\u003eevery blade we make\u003c\/a\u003e sits in one place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44145084203126,"sku":"VEF-KAT-HC-1603","price":369.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/katana-03-carbon-red-lacquer-saya_6e6e6448-c2f2-4c4c-a349-b500ac53eaeb.jpg?v=1788843670","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/hand-forged-katana-red-lacquer-saya","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}