Hand Forged Katana, Deep Curve with Red Lacquer Saya

Drawn 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.

Specification

The blade

The 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.

The handle

The 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.

The saya

The 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.

Who it suits

People 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.

• Collectors who own a straighter blade already
• Anyone hanging a sword where the curve shows
• Buyers who want the red saya seen first
• People buying a display piece as a gift

What comes in the box

• The katana
• The wood saya with the black sageo
• A care card
• No stand is included, so order one separately

Every piece is different

Lacquer 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.

Looking after it

Wipe 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 knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser 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 engraving page has the rest.

Questions buyers ask

Why is this one curved more than your other katana? It was forged and quenched that way. The clay tempered piece comes out shallower, and this one bends further through the middle.

Does the curve change how it sits in the hand? The balance moves back toward the tsuka, and it changes how the sword hangs.

Why is there no hamon on it? A hamon comes from clay tempering, and this one was not clay tempered. The satin runs plain.

Will it rust? It can. Carbon steel does. Dry it, oil it, and never put it away damp.

Is it legal to own? 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.

If you want a shallower arc and the line clay tempering leaves, look at the katana with the black lacquer saya. For something short with a pattern in the steel, there is the Damascus tanto with the rosewood saya. The long ones live in katana and Japanese swords. The rest of our forge work is in hand forged swords, and every blade we make sits in one place.