Samurai Swords: The Rise of the Iconic Japanese Swords

Very few swords have been made the subject of literature, movies, and modern pop culture; the Japanese swords i.e. the katanas and Samurai swords have out shined all. The Samurai swords and katanas are famous and worldwide popular for quite a number of reasons.

For instance, if you are a lover of the Samurai swords, you might know the fact that it takes a hell of the time to manufacture the swords; it is common for the swordsmiths to spend weeks, even months on the production of one single Samurai sword. Not to mention the fact that the blades of real Samurai swords are made of the greatest and finest quality.

If you are aware of the ancient Japanese history, you know that a mystical connection has always been believed to exist between the sword wielders and their samurai swords. This mystical connection has been made much popular through the modern culture of cosplay and anime series that further emphasize the existence of the mystical factors.

In ancient Japan, only the Samurai were permitted to rightfully own and wield their respective Samurai swords; if a peasant or ordinary Japanese citizen was ever caught holding a katana or Samurai sword, they were killed at the spot. Ironically, in many of such cases, the poor souls were killed with the same katana or Samurai swords they had gotten a hold onto.

What's the Bond between a Samurai and His Katanas:-
The Samurais carried other weapons besides their samurai swords as well, such as a fan, spear, or a bow. The Ninjas had no access to the Samurai swords either; therefore, their katanas and swords were of shorter along with being of no excellent quality as the Samurai swords.

This factor is not known to many, the katanas were acknowledged as the essential extension of the Samurai himself. However, the Samurai swords were merely the last resort to be used when other weapons failed to perform efficiently. In fact, it was believed that the katana of a Samurai was essentially linked to his soul; therefore, a dire circumstance would demand the samurai swords t be withdrawn. These were used for noble purposes, such as saving the nobility of one's family, fighting for the honor of the state.

At some instances, the samurai swords were used for the performance of the lower mundane tasks as well i.e. the beheading of a farmer who was caught carrying a samurai sword. The historical analysis of the ancient Japanese culture reflects that the Samurais paired up their katanas or Samurai swords with a smaller weapon as well, such as a dagger or a shorter-sized sword.

The small sword is also known as the "Wakizashi" with its length ranging between 12 to 24 inches. Sometimes the samurais paired their samurai swords with a dagger known as "tanto" with its length ranging between 6 and 12 inches. The pairing of the katana sword with a Wakizashi was referred to as a "daisho" which translates a "big and little".

The longer blades of the Samurai swords i.e. the katanas were used for cutting; whereas, the smaller/shorter blade i.e. the daggers (tanto) were used for stabbing purposes. If the samurai was highly skilled at swords fighting along with being a well-seasoned sword expert, he could even wield and maneuver both blades at the same time with ease and comfort.

Miyamoto Musashi, a well-known master of swords possessed the ability to wield a wakizashi and his samurai sword, the katana at one and the same time. He referred to this art as "niten'ichi"; Musashi took part in approximately 60 swords duels and always left the fight as the undefeatable winner. Needless to mention the fact that mastering one sword is quite a marvel; without a doubt, it is incredible to possess the skill of fighting with both hands with two different samurai swords.

The designs of the katana swords are ideal for slashing and stabbing. The long curved blades of the samurai swords have one sharp side; whereas, the back of the swords is unsharpened. The chisel-like tip allows the slashing as well as the stabbing of the victims. Due to their curved blades, the samurai swords are better slashing blades than their straight-edged counterparts.