A good number of sword enthusiasts will tell you that
no culture produced finer swords than the
Japanese, whose weapons were both some of the most effective swords ever
produced, and some of the most visually stunning pieces to ever grace the
world. Much of the history of Japanese
swords revolves around the lore of the samurai, which is every bit as
fascinating as the weapons that we still get to enjoy to this day.

As you’ll see, each of these gorgeous weapons is
deserving of a spot in your collection.

The Swords of the Samurai

Many of us romanticize the ancient samurai prototype,
who was calm, cool and collected, and equipped with profoundly beautiful,
handcrafted swords. The Samurai belonged
to the elite class of Japanese society and were treated with respect often
associated with members of the aristocracy.

The samurai always carried two swords: a traditional
samurai sword and a katana. These swords
were carried in the belt, and enormous care went into seeking out the finest
craftsman to produce them. It was far
from uncommon for a sword to take months before it found the hands of the
samurai, and the swords were prized possessions, symbolizing status, wealth,
and abilities.

Samurais vs. Ninjas

While samurais were members of the upper class, ninjas
were lower-class warriors who were essentially mercenaries. Most of us are familiar with the differences
in dress between the samurais and the ninjas of Japanese history. Samurais typically wore elaborate kimonos,
which served as yet another status symbol, boasting beautifully woven colors
and textures that caught the eye. Their
use of weapons was encouraged by society, and so being conspicuous was never an
issue.

Ninjas, on the other hand, were not treated with
respect by society. They wore tight
black clothing in order to do their work unnoticed. To this day, these two opposing images are
still alive in our imaginations.

Samurai Swords (Katanas)

The katana was a massive achievement in samurai
culture, and changed the way in which Japanese weapons were produced
forever. Aside from its practical
usefulness, the method of making one is pretty awe-inspiring. To this day, it’s widely considered the
finest sword to ever be invented.

The katana utilizes advanced craftsmanship techniques
that add to its aesthetic beauty as well as its phenomenal strength. Prior to its development, samurais were using
swords with straight blades. Then came
along the katana, and Japanese history has not been the same ever since.

The process of creating a katana is highly involved,
and only done by the most expert blacksmiths.
First is the casting process, which uses fine iron sand converted into
carbon through intensive oxygen removal.
This creates a highly durable blade, and requires a slow heating of the
steel.

From there, the extremely tedious folding process
begins, which is performed by hand. When
the metal is hot enough to manipulate, it’s hammered until it’s very thin, and
then cooled with water. Next, the metal
is folded over itself. This process is
repeated at least 13 times.

After that, a unique tempering process is employed
which strengthens the blade profusely while ensuring maximum flexibility. Then, finally, the metal is polished and the
blade is complete.

Now, let’s get into the individual weapons. First, we have a traditional samurai katana sword. This is one of two swords carried by a
samurai. A traditional samurai katana sword
was about three feet long, with a curved edge.
The name “katana” refers to any sword with this type of edge. The sword was used for distance fighting, and
was renowned for its ability to cut through armor.

Other Katana Swords

Then, we have the secondary katana swords that were
worn alongside the traditional katana. The
most commonly used secondary katana sword was the wakizashi, and is far shorter
in length. Then, there’s the tanto which
is essentially a dagger, and was largely ornamental due to how infrequently it
had to be used compared to longer swords.

The nodachi sword was much taller and larger than the
standard katana sword, and was really only used by foot soldiers due to its
heaviness and impracticality in terms of wearing it. It was not used for fighting in small spaces,
but rather striking from a distance.

Finally, there’s the tachi, which is the predecessor
to the katana. It also boasts a curved
blade design, and was primarily used for combat on horseback.

Ninja Swords

Now, let’s get into ninja swords. The most commonly used ninja sword was the
ninjato, which is still easily recognizable today. It’s a long and thin blade, and unlike the
more refined katana, does not have a curved edge, being completely straight. The ninjato is typically two feet in length,
but could be customized to be shorter or taller depending on the ninja’s
stature and preferences.

Another thing to point out is that the ninjato was not
produced using the same high level of craftsmanship as a katana. For one thing, ninjas simply could not afford
such a finely crafted blade. Secondly,
katanas were status symbols as much as they were weapons, while ninjatos are
solely about functionality and durability.
Therefore, traditionally speaking, ninjatos were not made with the finest
metal materials.

Not only was a ninjato an effective weapon against
fighters, but ninjas also used them for all kinds of purposes, including
climbing, cutting materials like cloth and wood, and digging into the
ground. These weapons arguably saw more
frequent usage than the katanas worn primarily by the elite in society, and so
ninjas tended to go through them more often.

Which One is Better from a Collector’s Standpoint?

We try to avoid making objective statements regarding
the comparative value of two different types of swords. But, it’s hard to deny that a katana is a
more impressive object to own than a ninjato in terms of craftsmanship. Still, any serious sword enthusiast, and
especially one who is fascinated by Japanese feudal culture, will undoubtedly
want to have as many of these weapons in their collection as possible, seeing
each one as an equally valuable piece of cultural history.

All of the swords used by ninjas and samurais have
fascinating stories behind them and serve their own unique purposes. At Sword ‘N’ Armory, we have a generous array
of all kinds of Japanese swords made with the finest materials and techniques
around today.