Some are great examples of a particular period in Japanese sword history and representative of a particular school or region in which they were produced. They may be forged by a famous swordsmith who distinguished himself. Real katana swords also have historical importance. Many fake katanas and replicas only have acid-etched hamon to increase their visual appeal. It also shows the jihada, the forging pattern visible on the blade surface as a result of repeatedly hammering out and folding the steel. Real katana has an artistic value as its blade features a genuine hamon or temperline pattern due to differential hardening. However, the process and use of oroshigane declined. Some katana swords mention oroshigane in the swordsmith’s signature or mei. A swordsmith would control the carbon content and other factors for the oroshigane to achieve the quality needed for sword steel. The oroshigane consisted of various bits of iron, steel, or cast iron re-smelted in the smith’s own forge. In the past, some traditional swordsmiths also used steel produced in ways other than from the tatara. Fake katanas and replicas are often not made from tamahagane and traditional production methods. Some swordsmiths operate their own tatara furnaces and produce their own tamahagane while others utilize readily available tamahagane despite its high cost. Real Japanese katana is traditionally made from tamahagane, a type of steel produced from the tatara smelter using satetsu-iron ore in sand form. These swords have cultural and historical significance, must be registered, and require an ownership permit. To maintain the quality of Japanese swords, the government only allows each swordsmith to produce a maximum of two long swords-either a katana or tachi-or three shorter blades like wakizashi or tanto per month. Katana swords not crafted by licensed swordsmiths are fakes and therefore confiscated and destroyed as they are considered mere weapons. To become a qualified swordsmith, one must have 5 to 7 years of training. In Japan, swordsmiths have licenses and legally practice their craft both as a business and as a matter of cultural preservation. Here are the factors that make a katana real: Crafted by a Licensed Japanese Swordsmith To identify a fake katana, it is necessary to look at the unique features of a real katana. A real katana is hand forged by a licensed Japanese swordsmith and has an artistic value. The Japanese term nihonto is the word for Japanese sword and refers to blades made from tamahagane using traditional production methods. Fakes and replicas are both not real, but the former is often passed off as genuine to deceive buyers while the latter replicates the look of the original for a fraction of the price.įor those starting a sword collection, we’ve compiled a guide to help you distinguish the difference between a real and fake katana and how to choose replica swords of good quality. However, be wary of several fake katanas floating around on the market that claim to be the real thing when they are not. Many martial artists and collectors opt for katana replicas which are more affordable than the real samurai sword.
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