Samurai sword sets consist of three types of blades: a katana, a wakizashi and a tanto. A samurai sword stand for the swords to rest on is also included. These days, samurai sword sets are popular as home or office decor, and designs range from minimal to ornate. Quality also varies for each product. Some sets are are factory made and do not have folded steel blades or the soft core steel and hard skin steel. Authentic, functional handmade samurai swords take longer to manufacture and are hand forged by licensed smiths. Naturally, these are pricier. However, if you want a samurai sword set for decoration purposes only, then it wouldn’t be necessary to spend too much money in order to acquire a decent set. Relatively inexpensive, non-functional swords can look just as great!
Even if you won’t be using your swords for combat, you still might want to learn more about each type and how they were used by the samurai, if you don’t know already. The katana is the longest piece in a samurai sword set, measuring 30 to 40 inches in length. It was mainly used for cutting and was worn with the edge facing up. Renowned for its cutting ability and sharpness, it was the primary sword of the samurai warrior class and remains a popular sword type among collectors and martial arts practitioners to this day. The katana is often referred to as the soul of the samurai.
The wakizashi is the middle blade, at 12 to 24 inches long. It was generally thinner than the katana and had less “meat”, thus it cut softer targets more aggressively. It is said to be with a samurai at all times, from the moment he woke up to the time he went to sleep. A samurai had to leave his katana outside when entering a building, but his wakizashi always remained with him. The wakizashi was to a japanese samurai what a pistol was to a soldier. It was used as a backup blade and for performing seppuku.
The smallest blade in a samurai sword set is the tanto, a knife or dagger that measures 6 to 12 inches long. It was mainly a stabbing weapon, but it was also effective for slashing. Like the wakizashi, it was used to commit seppuku as well. Tanto were mostly carried by samurais and not so much by ordinary citizens, though sometimes women carried them for self-defense.
A samurai sword set needs to be maintained well to be kept in good shape. If you use your swords, they should be cleaned after each use, as the natural oils from our hands can promote rust. Even if you don’t use your swords, they need to be cleaned every three weeks. Never try to sharpen your blades yourself; this should be left to a professional. Never use abrasive or chemical cleaners either, as these can ruin your swords. Always only use a proper sword cleaning kit.
