History of the Samurai Sword

The Samurai sword would be more properlyclose quarter combat as well as defence. Their
defined as any Japanese sword wielded bydemand for these high quality weapons produced
Samurai or Bushi, as they were known innext generation swords of unrivalled perfection,
Japanese history; however modern films andas they had to be flexible enough to withstand
television shows have incorrectly portrayed themdirect impact without breaking, but also had to be
to be only the well known katana, and very rarelyhard enough to retain their sharpened edge.
use the proper terminology or classifications ofOnly the most experienced Japanese sword
true samurai swords.smiths were able to develop the forging and
To uncover the history of the samurai sword weheat-treating methods that resulted in swords
have to revisit the past during the period of thethat had both of these properties, which were
Middle Ages when the use of steel instead ofeventually named the katana. Even the katana
bronze for bladed weapons vastly improved,itself varied greatly in style during the course of
single edged swords became more popularthe history of the samurai sword. In the late 14th
throughout Asia, and the production of theand early 15th centuries they tended to be two
Japanese Tachi and Uchigatana began. Japaneseand a half feet long, but by the early 16th
Swords, or Nihonto are the traditional bladedcentury the length was adjusted to two feet with
weapons used during all of Japanese history. Thea circular or squared tsuba hand guard and a
Tachi was mainly used by cavalry with the cuttingwrapped grip that could accommodate two hands.
edge faced down and the curvature closer to theThese Katana Swords were often accompanied
sword hilt. The Uchigatana was mainly used byby the similarly made but smaller swords
foot soldiers and worn edge up from the belt withWakizashi or Shoto, and the two weapons
the curvature closer the sword point. With thetogether represented the social power and
evolution of military and feudal society duringpersonal honour of the wielding Samurai.
these times, an entirely new class of warriorAfter many periods of war throughout Japanese
emerged. They were the masters of the art ofhistory the art of sword making deteriorated and
war and evolved from being simply employed asit was not until the Shinshinto Era that sword
protective guards serving powerful leaders, into asmiths returned to the forging of superior quality
completely dominant class of there own, theblades after rediscovering several lost techniques.
Samurai.As quickly as the Era began however the Meiji
This led to the establishment of a feudalisticRestoration was passed which banned the
military that then established the Ways of thepossession of all Samurai Swords as arms except
Bushido, dominating the Japanese social structureto a certain privileged class. As a result the
for the next 700 years. Their primary role asancient master sword smiths began to conceal
military knights included total and absolutetheir forged blades in simple walking sticks so that
allegiance for whom they were pledged to fightthe soul of the samurai would live on, and the art
and if need be, die defending, which resulted in theof superior sword making would survive and not
need for a superior single bladed weapon to use inbe lost.