Samurai Swords
Samurai Swords are swords which were owned by a Samurai or are made to the specifications that the Samurai swords were made to.
There are 3 main types of traditional Samurai sword.
Katana
A Katana 刀 or かたな Sword was the longest of the Samurai Swords with a length greater than 24" which had a slightly curved blade with its Yakiba (sword edge) razor sharp, used since the Ashikaga period (1333-1474). It was one of the weapons used by the Bushi class, especially by the Samurai, which used it together with a shorter sword called a Wakizashi.
The two swords together are called Daisho (long and short), and were used by Samurai of all ranks, which reflected the social power and personal honour of the Samurai. The Katana Sword was worn in the obi on the left hand side with its cutting edge facing upwards.
Wakizashi
The Wakizashi 脇差 or Kodachi 小太刀, also known as Shoto 松濤, (Japanese medium length sword) and is one of the swords used by a Samurai warrior.
The Wakizashi are used with one hand and were often worn as a companion sword with a katana 刀 (Japanese long sword). The Wakizashi had the longest sword blade which was allowed to be taken into an Imperial court and was often accompanied by a Tanto タント (Japanese short sword) at such times.
A Wakizashi was typically never longer than two shaku (2 feet) in length, and was counted more of a defensive weapon outdoors due to its shorter overall blade length. It was preferred as an indoors weapon, where its shorter length made it easier to wield in close quarters during combat.
Tanto
A tantō 短刀 or Tanto in English, is a Japanese short sword with a blade length of less than 1 foot or a 1 shaku, making it shorter than either a Wakizashi or Katana. A tanto can also be correctly described as a dagger. The Tanto was designed primarily as a stabbing weapon, but the edge could also be used for slashing, seeing as they were usually razor sharp. The most common Tanto design was a single edged blade, though double edged tantō do exist.
Tanto are most famous for their use during the act of seppuku, more commonly known as "hara-kiri" (in the western hemisphere), where the person committing seppuku used the Tanto to slice open their own stomach during the ritual suicide.
Historically, they were often worn along side of a tachi or katana, though they were mostly used in a ceremonial fashion rather than as a main weapon. Still, this did not diminish the effectiveness of a tanto during battle, where they were used for close up battle or as a last resort if the warrior had been disarmed of his main swords.
Most of the Samurai Swords found on this site will be swords which are made to the specifications that the original Samurai swords were made to. You will come across real Samurai Swords here now and then that were owned by real Samurai Warriors, though the prices they fetch can be quite considerable.
Authentic Samurai Swords are normally worth a lot more money seeing as they are original Samurai Swords and have a rich history behind them, having only originally been obtained either from the battle field or made available from a family member selling off a family heirloom during hard financial times.