Wakizashi swords are commonly associated with samurai, but they were also favored by the merchants and craftsmen of feudal Japan. In contemporary times, these blades are collected by enthusiasts, and modern reproductions are widely available for everyone to own. For both novice and seasoned collectors, we carry a diverse selection of wakizashi, sourced from the top forges in the industry today such as CAS Hanwei and United Cutlery.
The samurai used the wakizashi sword as their backup weapon and carried it with the katana, but these high quality replicas will do just fine on their own. We carry several wakizashi swords that are fully hand forged or fully handmade. Many are battle ready and ideal for practice. Blades are either sharpened or blunt, and made from carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. With such intricate details and quality workmanship, our wakizashi will surely please even the most discerning sword enthusiasts and martial arts practitioners.
The wakizashi sword may not be as appreciated as its longer companion, the katana; however, it was one of the most important weapons for the samurai class. It was the warrior’s backup blade and “inside sword”, used for indoor combat because the low ceilings of feudal Japan would make fighting with the katana extremely difficult. Aside from being one of the samurai swords, the wakizashi was also worn by merchants and craftsmen who were forbidden by law from carrying a katana.
There were actually more wakizashi swords produced than katana. Swordsmiths made them in great quantities and sold them to samurai, foot soldiers, and civilians. The techniques employed in crafting a wakizashi sword were the same as those in making a katana or a tachi. Sometimes, naginata were cut down and reshaped to be turned into wakizashi. These are called naginata-naoshi.
The koshirae (mounting) of wakizashi swords are not different from longer Japanese swords. The saya (scabbard) may have pockets for holding a kogai (hair arranger), waribashi (chopsticks), and a kozuka (small utility knife). Some wakizashi were adorned with horimono (engravings) and bonji (scripts), presumably to cater to the flamboyant tastes of non-samurai. Samurai, on the other hand, preferred simplicity.
A samurai was never without his wakizashi sword, which was used as a backup weapon in case his primary blade, the katana, was damaged or lost. In addition, if a warrior were entering a building and had to leave his katana outside, the wakizashi would be brought along with him. At night, it would be under his pillow as he slept.
The wakizashi sword was also used to commit seppuku. Originally reserved only for samurai, this ritual suicide was performed voluntarily to avoid falling into the hands of enemies, or as a form of capital punishment for individuals who have brought shame to themselves, e.g. disappointing one’s master. For male samurai, it was common to cut one’s own abdomen then have a close friend or trusted ally decapitate him. A female samurai would cut her own throat. The main purpose of seppuku was to protect or restore one’s honor as a warrior.
When worn together, the katana and wakizashi samurai swords were collectively referred to as daisho, literally “big and small”. In the past, only samurai were allowed to carry these two Japanese swords; hence, the daisho was a symbol of status for the warrior class. Sometimes, the tanto (dagger or knife) replaced the wakizashi sword in a daisho.
