Wakizashi Sword, Hand Forged and Clay Tempered, 20 Inch Blade

Drawn and set beside its saya, the scabbard, this one looks smaller than people expect. The blade is 20 inches of 1095 high carbon, clay tempered, with a pale line above the edge where the clay stopped. The saya is wood under a matte dark brown lacquer that takes light softly. On a table the pair covers about a forearm and a little more.

Specification

The blade

The steel is 1095 high carbon. Clay tempering means clay is laid on the blade in a pattern before it is heated and quenched, so the edge and the body cool at different rates. What that leaves is the hamon, the wavy line where the hard edge meets the softer body. The finish is hand rubbed satin, which shows the line. The curve is shallow and carries into the kissaki, the point section, where the light changes. Carbon steel darkens with age, and it spots if you put it away wet.

The handle

The tsuka, the handle, is 8 inches. Enough for one hand, and for two if your hands are not large. Dark brown cotton ito, the cord wrap, runs over white rayskin, the pebbled skin that stops the cord creeping. Through it goes the mekugi, a bamboo peg, which holds the blade in. Push it out and the tsuka lifts off for cleaning. The tsuba, the guard, is square iron, and the habaki, a brass collar, sits at the base of the blade.

The saya

The saya is wood. Plain wood under lacquer, not leather, and anyone who knows the category checks that first. The lacquer is matte rather than gloss, so it does not carry fingerprints. A black sageo, the cord tied at the throat of the saya, comes tied on. Nothing straps the sword in. It is held by friction at the habaki, and that fit is close while the wood is still new.

Who it suits

The short one is usually somebody's first. It asks for less shelf than the long one. This is made to be looked at, on a stand or a wall, not swung at anything.

• Collectors starting short
• People with a shelf rather than a wall
• Anyone who wants the clay line up close
• Buyers who already own the long one

What comes in the box

• The wakizashi
• The wood saya with the sageo tied on
• A care card
• No stand is included, so order one separately

Every piece is different

Clay is laid on by hand and never lands the same way twice, so the line on yours will wander where ours wandered that day. Lacquer is built up in coats that cure a little differently. Rayskin is grown, not printed, so the pebbling under the wrap varies. Yours will not match the photograph.

Looking after it

Wipe the blade with a soft cloth after you handle it, because fingerprints hold moisture and moisture is what marks carbon steel. Put a light film of oil on afterwards. No abrasive polish, since it takes the satin off. Keep the sword out of damp rooms. If it has been stored somewhere damp, leave the blade out of the saya until the wood has dried. More on our care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per piece. It goes on the saya rather than the blade, because the blade finish is the point of the clay work. Around 30 characters fits. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days to the order. Free on orders of 10 or more. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

How much shorter is this than a katana? Twenty inches of blade, 29 overall. A katana is longer by most of a forearm, and you feel it when you lift both.

Will it fit a small shelf? At 29 inches overall it sits on a bookshelf where a katana will not. Allow a little extra for a stand.

What is the wavy line along the edge? That is the hamon, left where the clay stopped and the steel cooled at two speeds. It records the process, nothing else.

Will it rust? Left wet, yes. Carbon steel darkens with age, which is normal, and spots if neglected, which is not.

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 shipping take? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

For this length with a pattern welded blade, see the Damascus wakizashi with a pale ash saya. If you would rather go long, the clay tempered katana with a black lacquer saya is the same idea drawn out. The rest sit in katana and Japanese swords, the same work in hand forged swords, and this shape again in historical blades.