Variations of Samurai Swords
Samurai swords used to be weapons of warfare, but now are used as collector’s items and swords for martial artists to use during demonstrations and competitions. The renowned high quality has in no way been lost and even today all the makers of Samurai swords pay attention to detail, materials and claying methods in order to make pieces. Even replicas of swords that are for display only are well made and have a realistic look, even though they cannot be used as real sword would be. Finding Samurai swords to purchase is not difficult as it is often a category of its own on many online stores that sell weapons or swords.
The katana is the long Samurai sword and is very well known around the world. However, there is also the wakizashi which is a medium sized sword and the tanto which is a short sword. Many Samurai swords are sold in sets with all three sizes and put on a rack, which makes a great item for any collection or to be put on display by martial arts or sword enthusiasts. Those interested in the history of Japan should also add some Samurai swords to their collection since these weapons were used extensively for more than a thousand years and the Samurai were a major class of the country during those centuries. Samurai swords were also a major part of many martial arts disciplines that originated in Japan, such as Kendo, Aikido or Jiu Jitsu. All of these disciplines today require knowledge and skill of handling swords in order to advance in the black belt rankings.
Since Samurai swords are light, strong and balanced they are also perfect to train with, even for beginners since they in now way are cumbersome to hold and don’t take away flexibility or speed. If you want to use the sword for training or any other physical purpose, then the piece must specifically be battle ready or fully functional. This is important because the blade is made of high carbon steels and not stainless steel, which breaks easily upon impact. This can cause injury and results in the loss of a good display sword.