Samurai Katanas

When one thinks about the Japanese Samurai, one of the first images that comes to mind is the magnificent swords used by these ancient warriors, known as the Katana. In the ancient Samurai Religion, the Katana was only to be owned and used by a Samurai warrior. Peasants who were found to possess one would be killed instantly.
The first Japanese swords were actually from China and Korea. By the 5th century, the Japanese were forging their own swords, though they had a straight blade (which are now know as ninja swords), rather than the infamous curved blade of the Katana. It wasn’t until the Samurai went from fighting on foot, to fighting from horseback, that the design took on it’s more famous form.
The curved design of the Katana not only made it easier to use while riding a horse, but made it a much better weapon. It could now be used for slicing and for thrusting. However, the Samurai believed that the Katana was such a special weapon that it was only to be used in extreme situations. They believed that the Katana was an extension of their souls, and therefore, should only be wielded as a last option.
There are still hundreds of original Japanese Katanas still in existence. However, with modern technologies, there are many more replicas. You can see a wide range of replicas on this samurai swords page. The Katana is as highly regarded today as it was a thousand years ago, and is still seen as a weapon of masters.

If you watch many Japanese movies or animated shows, you probably already know who the Samurai are. With their razor sharp and deadly swords, they exhibit precision and skill unmatched by other swordsmen of the world. Every movement done with the sword is a dance, a form of art, with symbolic meanings that run deep within the veins of Japanese history. Katanas through the ages is yet another interesting article that describes the journey of the Katana along time.

Nihonto is the Japanese term for sword, and the word translates to “Japanese Sword” in English. Throughout Japanese history, there have been many citations of the skillful weaponry their armies possessed, but nothing like the bladed weapons such as the swords. If it takes a masterful Samurai to wield a Nihonto, it takes an even more skilled sword smith to create it. At the present time, very few Japanese smiths can create Nihontos just like they were centuries ago.

Here is a few historical tidbits on these marveled and feared weapons of Japan. It was in the 8^th century where the first records of swords were created under the Heian Period. Most of the influences of sword making trickled to Japan from the Chinese, who were at this time under the reign of the Tang Dynasty. The earliest swords in Japan were called Chokuto.

The process of sword making was developed and attributed to a man named Amakuni, who lived in the Yamato Province around the 7^th century. According to sources, Amakuni was the stuff of legend, as he was credited for creating the first single edged sword called the Tachi, with the blade about 80 to 90 centimeters long.

The Nihonto for the Japanese warrior is a symbol of honor and of valor. As the centuries progressed, there have been many variations of the Nihonto, with added engravings and carvings as part of the forging process. The Nihonto was said to be a highly efficient weapon, which can be used on horseback or on foot. The blades have been tried and tested over centuries of feudal wars and battles. Given the right training and skill, any swordsman can be ultra deadly with a Nihonto in his hands.

The modern times did not cause a decline in the popularity of the Nihonto. Moreover, there are now recent variations of the weapons, and they are now classified into different groups depending on the size of the blade and its use. See this set of samurai swords with a Katana and a Wakazashi At present, there are schools in Japan that preserve and teach the art of the Samurai along with other martial arts.