| The first samurai swords we're actually straight | | | | 24inches, generally used for outdoor combat. 2: |
| bladed, single edged weapons imported from | | | | Wakizashi: Around a third shorter than the Katana |
| Korea and China known as chokuto, which were | | | | at between 12 and 24 inches, this was worn in |
| later replaced with the curved blade variety at | | | | indoor establishments by samurai for its obvious |
| the end of the 8th Century. The name of the | | | | better manouverability indoors. 3: Tanto: A small |
| curved blade swords which replaced them was | | | | knife used in much the same manner as a |
| Tachi. The reason for this transformation was | | | | Wakizashi. |
| samurai found that a curved sword could be | | | | As part of the samurai sword making process a |
| drawn from the scabbard more swiftly and | | | | sword tester took the new blade and cut through |
| provided a far more effective cutting angle. | | | | the bodies of corpses or condemned criminals. |
| The point of a samurai sword is called a Kissaki. | | | | They started by cutting through the small bones |
| This is the hardest part of the sword to polish | | | | of the body and moved up to the large bones. |
| and forge and to hand create a quality one would | | | | Test results were often recorded on the nakago |
| require an extremely skilful artisan. The value of a | | | | (the metal piece attaching the sword blade to the |
| sword is determined largely by the quality of the | | | | handle). |
| point. | | | | Shogun is the name of the most powerful |
| Samurai would use wooden swords (Bokken) for | | | | samurai, and they would wear two samurai |
| practice for safety reasons as well as for | | | | swords. A Katana and a Wakizashi. They had a |
| preserving their real swords from unnecessary | | | | license to dismember anybody who offended |
| damage. | | | | them. |
| The samurai would give names to their swords as | | | | Early samurai would fight on horseback, and |
| they believe in the sword lived their warrior spirit. | | | | they're weaponry in addition to samurai swords |
| There are three main types of samurai sword. 1: | | | | was bows and arrows. |
| Katana: The longest type of sword, over | | | | |