Weapons of History - the Katana

The Katana has become a stereotype of the Japanese sword. Since the most historically visible Japanese warriors, the Samurai, carried the Katana into battle as their primary hand-to-hand weapon, this sword has become etched into the minds of sword enthusiasts and fans of the fantasy genre alike. The under-appreciated beauty of the Katana is that it is yet another example of how blade design and technology combined with new tactics function in tandem to increase the overall effectiveness of the warrior.

Evidence suggests that swords have been used as weapons in Japan since the dawn of it's recorded history. Archaeological digs have discovered straight swords, imports from China and Korea, were in Japan as early as 2000 BC. These earliest swords were straight bladed designs with handles suitable to weilding with one hand. The fighting style used with such blades tended to be a hack and thrust approach. As the elite swordsmen in Japan commonly fought from horseback, these swords became very long as technology improved to allow the longer blades without sacrificing strength and flexibility.

The first major change in the direction of the Katana was the discovery that a curved blade allows both a faster draw and a better angle for cutting than a straight blade. Due to the popularity of the curved design, great effort was put into developing blade production technology for these swords that would allow such curved blades to match the strength and durability of the straight swords. These precursers to the Katana were called Tachi. They were still designed as a horseman's weapon, being far too long to draw and wield effectively on foot.

The complicated process of forging these new curved blades was a secret held close by skilled artisans. The most famous blade artists could command their price, such was the emphasis on the quality of their work. To make a blade, the blacksmith would first forge many small bits of steel into a single block of steel. This block of steel was then beaten flat, folded, then beaten flat again. The result of this process was a blank of low-carbon steel that was extremely flexible, but not very strong. This lack of strength would cause a blade made entirely through this process to lose it's edge quickly in battle. The solution to this problem was the addition of a strip of high-carbon steel welded to the blank to serve as the sword's edge. Once the blade was forged completely, it was then tempered. The way this was done was to coat the blade with clay, leaving only the edge exposed, then dunking the blade in a wash. This resulted in a blade whose edge was extra-hard, but protected the rest of the blade from hardening in the quick cooling, thus preserving that flexibility that prevented broken blades.

The final evolution from the Tachi to the the Katana was due to the fact that more and more warriors were finding themselves fighting on foot, rather than horseback. To meet the needs of these new warriors, blade artists designed the Katana. It is shorter than the Tachi, and has a much less extreme curvature. This new blade has weathered the test of time and is still the design of choice among students of Japanese martial arts today.

BladeMaster Steve is a staff writer at HeavenlySwords.com, your online retailer and importer of high quality fantasy swords. For great deals on swords visit them today!