Japanese Swords come in many flavors: the long sword, or katana; the short sword, or wakizashi; the knife, or tanto; and the extra long sword, or the nodachi. Although closely associated with a katana, Japanese samurais in fact used many other types of weapons - including bows and spears. The samurai usually carried a matching pair of japanese swords - the katana sword and the shorter wakizashi sword (part of a modern-day samurai sword set), which never left the samurai's side, even while indoors. Our Japanese sword collection features the finest blades available on the market today.
It was only in the Kamakura period (1184-1332 AD) that the Japanese sword began to be used in battle. At that time, the tachi was widely used by warriors on horseback, its curved blade making it easier for them to strike from above. Although cheaper replicas of the tachi are made today, a real tachi is considered an antique Japanese sword.
During the Edo period (1599-1867 AD), a new sword gained prominence over the tachi as the primary samurai weapon of choice for ground combat - the Japanese katana sword. The katana sword is considered to be a direct descendant of the tachi. However, contrary to the tachi, which was worn with the blade facing down, katana swords were worn with the cutting edge facing upwards, allowing the samurai to swiftly draw and attack in one single move. This quickly became a favored weapon of the samurai, as ground and indoor battles became more frequent.
The Edo period was a relatively peaceful one. Ironically, as the samurai warrior class saw its decline during that time, their myths and legends gained prominence - effectively sealing the katana as the soul of the samurai. Japanese swords became a status symbol, and were increasingly worn by civilians. The Edo period saw some of the most intricate Japanese sword designs ever made.
