A katana is a samurai sword-like sword with a curved blade sharpened on one side and a straight wooden handle. It was worn and kept in a wooden scabbard, usually made of magnolia.
The size of the weapon is 95-105 cm, the blade is 60.6-75.7 cm, so it is classified as a cold weapon. The cutting part is usually made of repeatedly folded steel or sometimes several types of steel, it is both strong and sharp, and keeps sharpening for a long time. The katana was used in fights of honor, holding with both hands, but a grip is also possible with one hand.
The cost of an old gun now reaches several thousand dollars, replicas from China can be bought for $100 -1000.
The main characteristics of the katana.
Katana has the features indicated in the table.
(The width of the blade and the thickness of the “butt” is not “TO” but “FROM”)
What is a katana
Katana is a Japanese melee weapon that belongs to the category of swords, although it looks like a saber or a saber. It has been known since the 15th century, it was owned by samurai. The tool has a long, slightly curved blade, consisting of several layers of steel of different hardness, a short handle in comparison with it. The katana was intended for inflicting cutting blows, but with skillful possession it was also possible to stab the enemy.
Weapon length
The length of the katana with the handle, that is, the full length, is 95-105 cm. The blade should be 60.6-75.7 cm, but on average this figure is 70-75 cm. That is, tools of this type with shorter blades are much more common. less often. Such a difference in the size of traditional weapons is due to the fact that they were personal and made in accordance with the dimensions of the owner.
Dimensions
In addition to the length of the blade and the total, the following dimensions of the katana are important:
- the width of the working part, which is approximately 3 cm;
- butt thickness – from 0.5 cm.
These are the dimensions of the katana in centimeters, but in Japan the length of the sword was determined in its own units of measurement, and it had to be from 2 shaku.
There were no clearer criteria in manufacturing, especially when it came to the length of the handle. It was determined by the size of the hand of the owner of the weapon and was supposed to be 3.5 of his fist.
Katana weight
The weight of the katana varies from 1 kg to 1.9 kg. It depends, of course, on its size, but also on the method of forging, the features and the number of different types of steel used. The nuances of the decor of the handle are also important. It should have cast decorations that increase the weight of the weapon. But it cannot fall out of the standard boundaries, otherwise it will be impossible to use the katana in the proper way.
What does it look like
The katana looks like a powerful sword with a slightly curved long blade and a straight handle. From the chopping part, the latter is separated by protection for the hand – guard.
The blade of the weapon is slightly beveled and rises up at the tip. In addition, the handle is decorated with decorative metal elements, covered with stingray or shark skin, and a silk ribbon is fixed over it in several turns. All this helps to more securely hold a heavy weapon in your hand.
Structure
The structure of the katana according to the regulations looks like this:
- Ha – the cutting edge of the blade;
- Nakago – the base of the cutting edge;
- Mekugi – Nakago bamboo fasteners in the handle;
- Habaki – a fixing device for the blade so that it does not move;
- Tsuka – handle;
- Kasira – the head part of the handle;
- Monouchi – the striking surface of the weapon upon impact;
- Mune – the unsharpened end of the blade;
- Shinogi – the edge of the blade;
- Tsuba is a guard.
- Saya – scabbard;
- Koi guchi – the place of entry into the scabbard;
- Sageo – rope.
These are the main parts of the katana. The scabbard is also an integral part of the samurai weapon, as it was worn on the belt not naked, but hidden in them. Saya allowed the sword to be kept sharp and protected from rust.
The secondary “components” of the katana are:
- Ada – drawings formed during rolling;
- Jamon – hardening border;
- Ji-ada – blade;
- Hamati – the edge of the cutting edge of the blade;
- Kissaki – the edge of the blade;
- Ko-shinogi – the edge on the tip;
- Boti – the boundary of hardening at the tip of the blade;
- Ecote – dividing line of the point;
- Mune machi – the edge of the blunt tip of the blade (Mune);
- Shinogi-ji – the flat surface of the blade;
- Nakago-jiri – the final section of the cutting edge (Nakago);
- Mei – inscriptions on the base of the cutting edge (Nakago);
- Yasuri-me – notches on Nakago;
- Nagaza – the size of the blade;
- Sori – deflection of the blade;
- Yaki-ha – hardened part of the blade;
- Menuki – ornament on the handle;
- Same-hada – fish skin, tight-fitting handle;
- Kurikata – rope loop (Sageo);
- Shitotome – a hole through which a rope loop (Kurikata) is threaded;
- Futi – handle clutch;
- Sepa – pucks;
- Tsuka-ito – silk cord wrapped around the handle;
- Kojiri is the end point of the scabbard.
The katana blade has a one-sided sharpening, its line is distinguished by a smooth bend. It should be razor-finished, taper to a point, or be uniform along its entire length.
In the first case, the masters achieved the following indicators:
- the middle part (from 2 cm from the guard to the middle of the blade) was sharpened to 40-45 degrees;
- the upper part (from the middle to the point) was processed to 39 degrees.
And the maximum thickness of the butt of the blade is 5 mm. This combination of blunt and sharpened edge sizes
A katana is a samurai sword-like sword with a curved blade sharpened on one side and a straight wooden handle. It was worn and kept in a wooden scabbard, usually made of magnolia.
The size of the weapon is 95-105 cm, the blade is 60.6-75.7 cm, so it is classified as a cold weapon. The cutting part is usually made of repeatedly folded steel or sometimes several types of steel, it is both strong and sharp, and keeps sharpening for a long time. The katana was used in fights of honor, holding with both hands, but a grip is also possible with one hand.
The cost of an old gun now reaches several thousand dollars, replicas from China can be bought for $100 -1000.
The main characteristics of the katana.
Katana has the features indicated in the table.
(The width of the blade and the thickness of the “butt” is not “TO” but “FROM”)
What is a katana
Katana is a Japanese melee weapon that belongs to the category of swords, although it looks like a saber or a saber. It has been known since the 15th century, it was owned by samurai. The tool has a long, slightly curved blade, consisting of several layers of steel of different hardness, a short handle in comparison with it. The katana was intended for inflicting cutting blows, but with skillful possession it was also possible to stab the enemy.
Weapon length
The length of the katana with the handle, that is, the full length, is 95-105 cm. The blade should be 60.6-75.7 cm, but on average this figure is 70-75 cm. That is, tools of this type with shorter blades are much more common. less often. Such a difference in the size of traditional weapons is due to the fact that they were personal and made in accordance with the dimensions of the owner.
Dimensions
In addition to the length of the blade and the total, the following dimensions of the katana are important:
the width of the working part, which is approximately 3 cm;
butt thickness – from 0.5 cm.
These are the dimensions of the katana in centimeters, but in Japan the length of the sword was determined in its own units of measurement, and it had to be from 2 shaku.
There were no clearer criteria in manufacturing, especially when it came to the length of the handle. It was determined by the size of the hand of the owner of the weapon and was supposed to be 3.5 of his fist.
Katana weight
The weight of the katana varies from 1 kg to 1.9 kg. It depends, of course, on its size, but also on the method of forging, the features and the number of different types of steel used. The nuances of the decor of the handle are also important. It should have cast decorations that increase the weight of the weapon. But it cannot fall out of the standard boundaries, otherwise it will be impossible to use the katana in the proper way.
What does it look like
The katana looks like a powerful sword with a slightly curved long blade and a straight handle. From the chopping part, the latter is separated by protection for the hand – guard.
The blade of the weapon is slightly beveled and rises up at the tip. In addition, the handle is decorated with decorative metal elements, covered with stingray or shark skin, and a silk ribbon is fixed over it in several turns. All this helps to more securely hold a heavy weapon in your hand.
Structure
The structure of the katana according to the regulations looks like this:
- Ha – the cutting edge of the blade;
- Nakago – the base of the cutting edge;
- Mekugi – Nakago bamboo fasteners in the handle;
- Habaki – a fixing device for the blade so that it does not move;
- Tsuka – handle;
- Kasira – the head part of the handle;
- Monouchi – the striking surface of the weapon upon impact;
- Mune – the unsharpened end of the blade;
- Shinogi – the edge of the blade;
- Tsuba is a guard.
- Saya – scabbard;
- Koi guchi – the place of entry into the scabbard;
- Sageo – rope.
These are the main parts of the katana. The scabbard is also an integral part of the samurai weapon, as it was worn on the belt not naked, but hidden in them. Saya allowed the sword to be kept sharp and protected from rust.
The secondary “components” of the katana are:
- Ada – drawings formed during rolling;
- Jamon – hardening border;
- Ji-ada – blade;
- Hamati – the edge of the cutting edge of the blade;
- Kissaki – the edge of the blade;
- Ko-shinogi – the edge on the tip;
- Boti – the boundary of hardening at the tip of the blade;
- Ecote – dividing line of the point;
- Mune machi – the edge of the blunt tip of the blade (Mune);
- Shinogi-ji – the flat surface of the blade;
- Nakago-jiri – the final section of the cutting edge (Nakago);
- Mei – inscriptions on the base of the cutting edge (Nakago);
- Yasuri-me – notches on Nakago;
- Nagaza – the size of the blade;
- Sori – deflection of the blade;
- Yaki-ha – hardened part of the blade;
- Menuki – ornament on the handle;
- Same-hada – fish skin, tight-fitting handle;
- Kurikata – rope loop (Sageo);
- Shitotome – a hole through which a rope loop (Kurikata) is threaded;
- Futi – handle clutch;
- Sepa – pucks;
- Tsuka-ito – silk cord wrapped around the handle;
- Kojiri is the end point of the scabbard.
The katana blade has a one-sided sharpening, its line is distinguished by a smooth bend. It should be razor-finished, taper to a point, or be uniform along its entire length.
In the first case, the masters achieved the following indicators:
- the middle part (from 2 cm from the guard to the middle of the blade) was sharpened to 40-45 degrees;
- the upper part (from the middle to the point) was processed to 39 degrees.
And the maximum thickness of the butt of the blade is 5 mm. This combination of blunt and sharpened edge sizes.
