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Japanese Red and Gold Tantō with Violet Blade – 1045 Steel
Availability: 6 in stock
SKU: TAN-002The tantō (短刀) is a short, single-edged Japanese dagger that samurai carried as a secondary weapon, complementing the katana or wakizashi, and also as an everyday or status symbol outside of combat. This piece is crafted from 1045 steel, a modern, single-piece steel that allows for reliable tempering and a firm, long-lasting edge. Its most striking feature is the iridescent violet finish of the blade, a modern colouring technique—unrelated to traditional Japanese forging, which always aimed for a bare steel blade—designed to give the piece a unique visual identity within a collection. The scabbard, lacquered in red with a golden crack pattern reminiscent of lightning, follows the same idea of a striking contrast between colour and tradition.
Identification
- Type of piece
- Tantō (短刀) - Japanese short-bladed dagger
- Model
- Red and Gold Tantō with Violet Blade - 1045 Steel
- Historical period depicted
- Edo period inspiration (江戸時代, 1603-1868), modern one-piece steel
Blade (Ha)
- Steel type
- 1045 carbon steel, forged in one piece, with a violet finish
- Overall length
- 34 cm
- Blade length
- 21 cm (長さ, nagasa)
- Blade width
- 2.5 cm
- Spine thickness
- 5 mm
- Tip type (kissaki)
- Tantō-type point, straight and sharp
- Hamon type
- Suguha (直刃), concealed by the violet finish of the blade
- Hardening method
- Differential hardening (焼き入れ, yaki-ire) on 1045 steel
- Blade finish
- Polished with iridescent violet tint
- Edge condition
- Sharpened, with a real edge (刃, ha)
Grip (Tsuka)
- Tsuka length
- 10 cm (柄, tsuka)
- Core material
- Magnolia wood (朴の木, honoki)
- Samegawa (rayskin)
- Black synthetic samegawa (鮫皮)
- Tsuka-ito (wrap cord)
- Black cord, diamond-wrapped with white and gold inlays (柄糸)
- Menuki (ornaments under the wrap)
- Discreet, integrated under the wrap (目貫)
- Fuchi and kashira
- Fuchi (縁) and kashira (頭) in black with silver details
Guard and mounting (Koshirae)
- Tsuba (guard)
- Round, openwork with a floral motif in black and gold (鍔)
- Tsuba material
- Openwork darkened iron with gold details
- Habaki
- Gilded brass (鎺)
- Seppa (spacers)
- Gilded brass (切羽)
- Mekugi (peg)
- Black lacquered bamboo (目釘)
Scabbard (Saya)
- Scabbard material
- Lacquered wood (鞘)
- Colour and finish
- Red, with a golden lightning/crack pattern
- Sageo (scabbard cord)
- Long black cord (下緒)
- Koiguchi (scabbard mouth)
- Black lacquered, integrated with the saya (鯉口)
General information
- Predominant colour
- Red, black and gold
- Materials
- 1045 carbon steel, lacquered wood, iron, brass, textile cord
- Total weight
- 350 g
- Blade weight
- 220 g
- Balance point
- 3 cm above the tsuba (鍔)
- Recommended use
- Collecting, decoration
- Practitioner level
- Intermediate (blade with a real edge, requires careful handling)
This dagger is forged from a single piece of 1045 carbon steel, which is heated and cooled differentially to temper the edge. The blade then undergoes a colouring treatment that gives it its characteristic iridescent violet hue, instead of the usual metallic polish. The handle (柄, tsuka) is wrapped with a black cord in a diamond pattern, revealing small white and gold pieces interspersed as decoration. The guard (鍔, tsuba), pierced with a black and gold floral motif, and the remaining metal parts are assembled before the whole is attached to the scabbard (鞘, saya) made of red lacquered wood with a gold crack pattern, closed with a long black cord (下緒, sageo).
- Tantō (短刀) forged from a single piece of 1045 carbon steel.
- Sharpened blade, with a real edge (刃, ha) and an iridescent violet finish.
- Black tsuka-ito (柄糸), diamond-wrapped, with white and gold inlays.
- Openwork tsuba (鍔) with floral motif in black and gold.
- Saya (鞘) lacquered in red, with a pattern of golden cracks/lightning.
- Long black cord (下緒, sageo) for carrying or displaying the piece.
- Compact dagger format, ideal as a complementary collector's piece.
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