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Japanese Red Shihōzume Katana with Laminated Steel Blade – Warrior Demon Guard
4,0 (1)Availability: 15 in stock
SKU: KAT-012During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when the samurai consolidated their power as the ruling class and swords had to withstand increasingly brutal combat, Japanese swordsmiths devised ways to combine different types of steel into a single blade: a construction called shihōzume, in which separate pieces for the edge, core, and sides are assembled, seeking a balance between hardness and flexibility. The figure of the warrior demon (oni, 鬼) that decorates the guard of this piece also has historical roots: in Japanese tradition, oni were both feared and protective spirits, and their image has been used for centuries on armour and sword mounts as a warning against the enemy.
In addition to this historical basis, the manufacturer has created its own legend for this piece: it is said that this katana bore the name Akuma no Kage (悪魔の影, "the Demon's Shadow"), and that a cursed blacksmith sealed the spirit of an oni within its guard, granting it free will; the small weapons engraved around it represent the warriors who fell before its edge, now silent guardians of the sword. This is a fictional tale intended as part of the product's identity, not a documented historical fact.
Identification
- Type of piece
- Katana (刀) - Japanese long sword
- Model
- Red Shihōzume Katana - Warrior Demon Guard
- Historical period depicted
- Kamakura period inspiration (鎌倉時代, 1185-1333), shihōzume technique
Blade (Ha)
- Steel type
- Shihōzume steel (四方詰め), three different steels combined
- Overall length
- 106 cm
- Blade length
- 76 cm (長さ, nagasa)
- Blade width
- 3 cm
- Spine thickness
- 6 mm
- Tip type (kissaki)
- Chu-kissaki (中切先)
- Hamon type
- Suguha (直刃), subtle and straight temper line
- Hardening method
- Differential hardening (焼き入れ, yaki-ire), bright polished finish
- Blade finish
- High-gloss finish, elegant curve
- Edge condition
- Sharpened, with a real edge (刃, ha), balance between strength and cutting
Grip (Tsuka)
- Tsuka length
- 28 cm (柄, tsuka)
- Core material
- Magnolia wood (朴の木, honoki)
- Samegawa (rayskin)
- Ivory-coloured synthetic samegawa (鮫皮)
- Tsuka-ito (wrap cord)
- Deep red cord, diamond-wrapped (柄糸)
- Menuki (ornaments under the wrap)
- Discreet, integrated under the wrap (目貫)
- Fuchi and kashira
- Fuchi (縁) in gilded brass, black kashira (頭)
Guard and mounting (Koshirae)
- Tsuba (guard)
- Round, with relief of oni (鬼) warrior and miniature weapons (鍔)
- Tsuba material
- Darkened iron with brass 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
- Gloss black
- Sageo (scabbard cord)
- Matching red cord (下緒)
- Koiguchi (scabbard mouth)
- Black lacquered, integrated with the saya (鯉口)
General information
- Predominant colour
- Black and red
- Materials
- Shihōzume steel, lacquered wood, iron, brass, textile cord
- Total weight
- 750 g
- Blade weight
- 500 g
- Balance point
- 7 cm above the tsuba (鍔)
- Recommended use
- Collecting, decoration; narrative collector's piece
- Practitioner level
- Intermediate (blade with a real edge, requires experienced handling)
This katana is crafted by combining three different types of steel using the shihōzume method: a harder steel for the edge and softer steels for the core and sides, bonded and forged together to ensure a sharp blade without brittleness. It is then polished to achieve the glossy finish and elegant curve seen on the blade, with a subtle, straight temper line along the edge. The hilt (柄, tsuka) is covered in ivory-coloured synthetic ray skin and wrapped with a braided red cord that reveals a diamond pattern underneath. The guard (鍔, tsuba), decorated in relief, and the other metal fittings—the collar next to the blade (鎺, habaki) and the pommel (頭, kashira)—are assembled individually before being attached to the black lacquered wooden scabbard (鞘, saya) with its matching cord (下緒, sageo). The piece is delivered in a presentation case.
- Katana (刀) forged with the shihōzume (四方詰め) technique, combining three different steels.
- Curved blade with a glossy finish and a subtle, straight, suguha-type hamon (刃文).
- Real, functional edge, with a good balance between toughness and cutting ability.
- Deep red tsuka-ito (柄糸), diamond-wrapped over ivory samegawa (鮫皮).
- Tsuba (鍔) decorated in relief with an oni (鬼) warrior and miniature weapons.
- Saya (鞘) of black lacquered wood, with matching cord (下緒, sageo).
- Includes the legend of the Akuma no Kage (悪魔の影), a story created especially for this piece.
- Comes in a presentation case.
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MUY BONITA
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