Hand-Forged Samurai Swords

In 1876, the Samurai were banned from carrying their swords. This attempt to end a thousand year tradition was not received well by the proud warrior class and the "stick katana" was born. Innocuous walking canes now concealed the revered blades, but the katana lived on.

It has been said that in simplicity lies great beauty, an axiom stunningly validated by the Golden Oriole Katana and Wakizashi. The story told by the stunning tsuba is of a mantis stealthily stalking the cricket, unaware that he is himself being stalked by the Golden Oriole.

Each piece in the Great Wave (Tsunami) Series is stylized with the renowned Tomoe motif. The tsuba, fuchi, & kashira are made of black iron and marked with the Tomoe crest (mon). The blades are hand-forged from T10 high-carbon steel and are differentially tempered using traditional claying methods.

Miyamoto Musashi, arguably the most famous swordmaster in Japanese history, fought more than 60 duels before retiring and writing his famous treatise on swordplay, the "Book of Five Rings". Musashi was well above average height and his Daito (long sword) was made to match his size.

Each piece in the Shinto daisho has a hand-forged 1065 high-carbon steel blade that is differentially tempered using the traditional claying method. Both pieces are mounted in black with tsuka-ito in premium black Japanese cotton.

For those wishing to build a custom Samurai sword on a Hanwei blade, we offer in Shirasaya the blade used in the Shinto Katana, which has met the cutting demands of users worldwide. Also available on Special Order only are the Tiger Blades in Shirasaya (with and without a bo-hi).

In Japan the traditional method of serving tea is a celebrated art form in itself. This highly ritualized ceremony is an involved process, the most elaborate of which can last hours and is reserved for the most distinguished of guests. Our Tea Culture Daisho captures the essence of this important tradition.

The “Three Wise Monkeys” is a popular symbol of the “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” proverb popular in many cultures around the world. The proverb itself is thought to have originated in China and was brought to Japan by a Buddhist monk, while the association with three monkeys appears to be a Japanese play on words.

Each piece in the Wind & Thunder Set has a hand-forged 1065 high-carbon steel blade (nagasa) and is differentially tempered using a traditional claying method. The blades in the set feature a large o-kissaki. The Wind & Thunder Set is fitted with the black iron Raiden tsuba and Tomoe mon motif fuchi and kashira.