Top 3 Samurai Swords: Katana, Wakizashi, and Tanto!

In 1877, the Meiji Era came to an end with the arrival of a new emperor in Japan. This was a process that took place in many regions of the world. Most countries that went through this era were very ambitious and had to modernize their production of goods so that they could be competitive in the international markets. For Japan, this meant that things like samurai swords had to either disappear or become something else.

As a result, the country started using its skills in sword-making for different uses and created what are now known as Japanese-style knives and swords. The Japanese-style knives are considered more functional than samurai sabers since they are smaller and have new grips among other changes; this also made them lighter and easier to handle.

What are Samurai Swords?

Samurai swords are usually depicted as Japanese swords with a straight, single-edged blade and a circular or triangular handguard called "tsuba" on the end of the handle. They were typically made of high-carbon steel that could be well-tempered to take an extremely sharp edge, making them very effective weapons for combat.

In size and use, samurai swords are similar in design to European longswords but longer. The length is within one inch of the height of the wielder's arm from the elbow to the wrist when his side holds it; this corresponds roughly to a longsword length of around 50 inches (127 cm). However, the size is usually longer than that due to curvature at the spine of about 6 inches (15 cm) from the blade's center.

The blade width is 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) wider at the middle and tapers to approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide at the tip. The straightness of these swords depends on what time period they are from mainly; there was a time when swords were shorter, broader, and more flexible samurai blades were produced originally by smiths with knowledge in prehistoric times, who used techniques like water-forging.

Three Main Samurai Swords

The three main swords used by samurai warriors were the wakizashi, the katana, and the tanto. These three swords had different roles to play in a fight within a time period separated by centuries.

Katana:

The katana was an excellent example sword that was made of plain carbon steel that had been folded over and hammered into shape many times. The blade of this sword had a strange twist near its guard (the area where the handle meets the blade) which is thought to have reduced hand shock from shirake knives during combat situations. This feature allowed for more quick strikes with less risk of injury.

The katana was also considered the main sword a samurai warrior would use to commit seppuku. This form of suicide was one of the most common forms of death in the samurai society. The top portion of this type of sword (the tsuka) is also known as a first-hilted sword while the bottom half (the kashira) is known as a second-hilted sword.

Tanto:

Tanto, on the other hand, were short samurai swords used by both men and women for close combat encounters. They were generally about 15 inches long and had straight blades with an average width near 1 inch. These swords were used by many people in the samurai society and even made their way into use by their enemies.

Some tanto blades were intricately decorated with engravings of flowers, geishas, landscapes, or animal designs. This style of decoration is called horimono. Another term for this type of sword is a dagger or tantou.

Wakizashi:

The wakizashi was a standard sword for samurai warriors that was about half the size of a katana. It was used in situations where the full-sized katana would have been too unwieldy or when it was necessary to carry both the wakizashi and the katana together at all times due to protocol or law.

The hilt of this sword is typically single-handled and can be attached to a belt. The tsuba (also referred to as the kashira) was a standard form of hand guard for wakizashi and katana swords which was common for warriors who needed to have both hands free during combat.

Modern-day Samurai Swords!

The modern-day popularity of Samurai swords is a very common thing now. Today, it is not only popular to own one since they are used as fashion accessories or souvenirs but the trend has been picked up by the masses and many people are buying them in great numbers. The question remains why would such an expensive item be purchased among a group that usually has higher savings rates than others in society?

The answer lies in two places: history and culture. One aspect which makes these swords interesting is that they were designed for real combat; this makes them extremely popular with people who want to relive history like samurai or even those below fighting age who want to learn about what it was like for their predecessors. Another aspect is that they were produced in such a way as to make them last a very long time.