Frequently Asked Questions

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A katana is a japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. 

The katana is generally defined as the standard-sized, moderately curved Japanese sword with a blade length greater than 23.86 inches. It is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands.

Western historians have said that the katana was among the finest cutting weapons in world military history. 

Having a regular cleaning routine in place is key to maintaining your katana. 

You can purchase a traditional sword cleaning kit that will have everything you need. There are three steps: removing oil, polishing the blade, and oiling the blade. 

Using a sheet of rice paper from the kit or soft cotton cloth, remove any oil that is still on the blade from the previous maintenance. Take the powder ball and tap it lightly against the blade about every two inches or so along its length. Take a fresh piece of rice paper and rub the powder over the blade to polish it. Do this until both sides of the blade have been polished and the powder completely removed. Take the bottle of oil and apply a few drops along the length of the blade on each side. Use a fresh piece of rice paper to spread the oil evenly on the blade.

The most iconic and well known of all the Samurai swords; the katana is distinguished by its long blade and handle that is made to accommodate two hands and strike from a large distance. It has a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard. The katana has a set of dimensions that separate it from other samurai swords. A traditional katana will measure 3 to 4 feet in total length, with the hilt taking up one-fourth of the total and a characteristic curvature of more or less than 1 inch. 

The wakizashi is similar to the katana but shorter in length. The average Wakizashi is about 50 cm long and was usually worn together with the katana by the Samurai of feudal Japan. When worn together the pair of swords was called Daish, which translates to large and small. This sword acted like a side weapon and was worn by the Samurai at all times. 

The Tanto, although not technically qualifying in the category of swords, is the traditional Japanese dagger. It can have a single or double edge. It acts like a wakizashi and is worn at all times. The main purpose of a tanto is to be used as a stabbing instrument but having a pretty sharp edge, it can be used to slice and cut. The Tanto has become more ornate over the years and towards the end of the Samurai era, they were mostly used as decorative pieces, and still are mostly used in decorations to this date.  

A full tang katana is the sword where the tang extends to almost the whole length of the handle, which makes the blade and the handle the same piece of metal. This gives to the sword certain rigidity and makes it a very solid piece to enjoy.

Full Tang katanas are handmade swords. They can be made of various stainless-steel types according to the Carbon Concentration. The forging is the essential part of the production because it allows the samurai sword to be solid and relatively light. Commonly, the piece of metal is repeatedly heated by fire and hammered while the metal is being folded. The mounting of the different parts is a very delicate operation that has its origins deep in the Japanese civilization. Samurai are used to cherish their Katanas as their trusted partners, and they handle them with love and care. 

Clay tempered katana are swords made according to a particular process of blade reinforcement. During the forging, there are steps to go through involving several steps and some compounds mixture, used by the entire swords forger, yet each has its own formula. The compound mixture is none but Clay recipe that each forger has a secret ingredients list. Clay tempering is supposed to be an art more than a sword works. Clay tempered katanas are said to be more resistant and durable. Clay treatment must be operated by professionals to be efficient. Also, each steel type is supposed to be responsive to different clay compositions. 

Traditionally, Carbon Steel is obtained by firing up a particular type of charcoal within a Clay Tub for approximately 72 hours. Iron powder should be added at determined amounts to associate appropriate quantity of Carbon. At the end, the obtained Steel is Stainless; its solidity depends on the amount of Carbon that associates to Iron. The steel obtained is referred to by four digits number which designates Carbon by the two first digits and the percentage of Carbon within the steel. Thus, 1045 Carbon steel refers to Carbon steel material that contains 0.45% Carbon fraction. It is called Medium Carbon Steel as well because that carbon concentration is the minimal required for the Steel to be used for industrial purposes; there are lower concentrations of carbon, but the materials are not suited for industrial use. 1045 Carbon Steel is suited for making katanas because it is cheaper than the other materials used for this industry. It is softer and easily forged. The proper application of the hardening techniques and the Clay treatment, certainly produce amazing steel that can be forged in real pieces of arts.

1060 Carbon Steel is a high carbon steel. The number 1060 refers to a material made of an alloy of Iron with a Carbon tenor of about 0.60%. Other elements can be found mixed to this alloy, but their tenors are not very significant. 1060 Carbon Steel Is harder than 1045 Carbon Steel; this property makes this steel harder to forge. The high Caron tenor makes the 1060 Steel more durable, but it is not high enough to compromise its pliability. The swords made of 1060 Carbon Steel keep their edges sharp longer and they are more expensive. It is the favorite steel material of famous swords companies.

1060 Carbon Steel katanas inherit the durability and the hardness of the steel material. 1060 Carbon Steel Katanas require more effort to produce. The edge is durable, and the sharpness lasts longer. It is more resistant to corrosion and oxidation and therefore requires less maintenance processing than the 1045 Katanas. Though, it is very important to clean the blade and polish it after every extensive use to ensure the durability and the sharpness, and to keep the edge healthy. 1060 Carbon Steel Katanas are expected to be heavier than those made of 1045 Carbon Steel, because of the steel properties. These Katanas create curves while being forged. This is the property of high and medium Carbon Steels: they keep a certain softness which makes them to develop ideal curves  during the clay tempering processes and folding operation. The differential hardening and the folding operations, which are meant to harden the blade can increase the weight of the piece; this situation is handled by an aesthetically implanted blood groove that help eliminate the extra weight but keep the resulting spine from the differential Clay Tempering process.

1060 Carbon Steel Katanas have the medium rank between 1045 and 1095 Carbon Steel Katanas. It appears that they are appreciated for their durability, their hardness and for their affordable price if compared to properties. The easiness of forging reduces dramatically the price of the 11060 swords and makes them very popular.

1060 carbon steel katana is customizable from the forging to the mounting processes. You can chose the Hamon type, the sharpness of the edge, the hardening type and even the forging process. 1060 Carbon steel is hard steel but it is susceptible to hand forging, special press mechanical devices and to milling by dedicated machinery. Opting for 1060 Carbon Steel material is to choose low price material that can be forged into resistant and valuable pieces.

1095 Carbon steel is carbon steel that contains 0.95% of Carbon. Actually, it is called very high carbon steel. This carbon percentage results in hard steel, which is hardly forged by hands. The heat treatment must be conducted delicately because the carbon tends to leak at a certain temperature and if improperly heat treated.

?Heat treatment is to be operated very carefully because it is a delicate operation: improper treatment can result in loss of the carbon fraction and therefore the non-obtaining of the martensite, which can result in the loss of the whole material. The 1095 Carbon Steel comes to be softer than the Stainless Steel, yet it is easier to handle, durable, and more resistant. But among the Carbon Steels, 1095 is the hardest and perhaps the best choice for making swords intended to last longer while being roughly and frequently used.

The Carbon element makes the obtained steel relatively resistant to oxidation even if it has no chromium to be considered stainless. Although, the acquired durability which excels the durability of the Stainless Steel, makes Carbon Steel more preferred for making Swords.

1095 carbon steel katana inherits the hardness and the toughness of the Carbon Steel material. The Swords are intended to regular use and very frequent Dojo cuts. For outdoor displays and shows, 1095 Carbon Steel katanas are more suitable than the 1060 and 1045 Carbon steel Katanas; the last one is already preferred when it is about decorative use. The hardness of the Steel makes the forging process into sword a tough operation and increases the price value of the resulting piece, if handmade. This characteristic induces excellent durability for the 1095 Carbon steel Swords. The durability and the Edge Sharpness are reinforced by the Differential hardening process. It is important to notice that Clay tempered 1095 carbon steel katana are resistant to corrosion and are more resistant to oxidation; they are perhaps stainless. These swords are easier to sharpen and they do not need to have a thick layer of what the swordsmen call ‘meat’; the edge keep its sharpness for long time.

The hardness of the 1095 Carbon Steel katana is inherited from the Steel material used for the forgery. Actually, forging Katanas fusing 1095 Carbon Steel appears to be harder than forging swords from others Carbon Steel types. Thus, the price of a 1095 Carbon Steel Katana tends to be higher.

Although 1095 Katanas are tougher than the others Carbon steel Swords they are still susceptible to abrasion and to corrosion if they are not properly cleaned and carefully maintained. Thus, applying cleaning process and using the recommended oil and tools to proceed may augments the durability of the edges and keep the 1095 Carbon Steel katanas properties for long time.

The toughness of the blade, which allows it to be the favorite choice for frequent functional use, may require particular pieces to mount on the blade to form the final Katana. Already, the Carbon steel type has imposed the forging process.

1095 Carbon Steel Katana are full tang katanas because of the hardness of the material and its resistance to shocks which require a tough handle mounted on a tang that is solid enough. Differential Clay Tempering results in a hardening the edge and keeping the spine softer, this operation may increase the durability of the edge and enhances the resistance to corrosion, therefore the edge will support the frequent dojo cut and outdoor display.

No, we do not make any custom fittings or special designed saya for now. 

Due to the nature of the products we sell, you MUST be 21 years of age to order from TrueKatana.com.

Yes, all the swords we offer on the TrueKatana.com are Full Tang.

All of our swords are design in Japan and made in Longquan, China. Which is known as one of the best place in the world to product swords, it has more than 2600+ years of history, it is a family sword city. Some orders are ship from China and some ship from US.

T10 steel katanas are classified among the finest and most durable modern Samurai Swords, this type of steel is referred to as tool steel. The t10 katana blades is going through the traditional processes of forging, heat treatment, water quenching, and clay tempering. Yet they have particular properties that the other swords do not have. Considering that other steel is going through all the traditional process there are still some differences that can be seen between various katana swords, each one inherit its properties from the steel material they are made of.

T10 Steel or equally called High Speed Steel because it is considered as a material that excels the Steel, and therefore one of the reason it is commonly used now days to make samurai swords.

The T10 Steel Katanas are more appreciated than swords made of others Steel types, and it is one of the top choices among sword collectors.

5160 Spring Steel contains basically 0.6% of Carbon; that gives it the major characteristics of 1060 Carbon Steel. It is an alloy of Chromium with a small percentage of Silicon. Actually, Chromium is present at 0.7% and Silicon at 0.2%. The Chromium percentage is not enough to make the Spring Steel stainless, but it is enough to make the 5160 more resistant and more durable than the 1060 Carbon steel.

This Spring Steel type is very tough and commonly used to make very solid parts of machinery. It is characterized by a very high tensile strength. 5160 Spring Steel has the property of keeping the edge’s shapes as they are for a long time even if they are exposed to great corrosive and abrasive efforts. The Carbon tenor within this Chromium alloy should make the heat treatment a delicate process. Actually, heat treatment does not influence so much the chemical composition but it influences and modifies the physical properties. Thus, the final properties acquired by the 5160 Spring Steel are a function of the applied heat treatment. This Heat treatment resistance is the result of the several elements that form the alloy.

5160 Spring Steel is appreciated for making Swords. Actually, many swords makers and smiths prefer that material though it is hard to forge. 5160 Spring Steel katanas are real pieces of art. The little amount of Silicone that contains the 5160 Spring Steel is enough to allow the production of very tough Swords.  

5160 Spring Steel Katanas are really hard and are suited for very frequent Tatami roll; they are also referred for regular backyard cutting. As all Spring Steel, these swords inherit the resistance to bending efforts and can regain their initial shapes after being bent. The hardness of the material is one factor that makes forging Katanas for sale from 5160 Spring Steel hard and delicate process. It is recommended that the process is conducted at temperatures near 2200 F (1024 C) and above 1600 F (871 C)

The hardness of the 5160 spring steel katana can be increased by properly heating and quenching the blade in oil. This operation has to be conducted by professionals especially when it is done in the traditional way.

The Edge is really very sharp and can keep its sharpness for a long time even after repetitive and tough sessions of cutting and exposure to relatively hard material. Due to the extreme resistance to shocks, the edge does not need to be hardened and 5160 Spring Steel Katanas are usually mono steel swords. If there is a need to distinguish a particular Hamon, the swordsmith can use some other Steel Type to fold with the initial material and create the desired Hamon aspect.

The pieces to mount on the blade to form the final 5160 Spring Steel Katanas are to choose carefully; they need to be resistant to shocks and can support a blade with excellent tensile yield, shock absorption and with excellent hardness. The resistance of the blade to metal fatigue implicates that the pieces to mount have to be made of durable and well-designed material. Mainly, Tsuba and Tsuka have to be very resistant and can overcome frequent hard shocks resulting from cut sessions. The blade is preferably to be Full Tang to counterbalance the high tensile strength of the blade.

Clay tempering process and quenching sessions has no major effects on the creation of the famous curve of the blade. Due to the extreme hardness of the Spring Steel and the difficulty to recover any mistake while forging, it is better to define the curve before proceeding to harden the blade and before Clay tempering it. Differential hardening does increase the durability of the edge and keeps the spine softer.

The four Digits number used to reference this particular Spring Steel refer to the major elements used to produce this alloy.  It contains 2% of Silicon and about 0.9% of Manganese. The material that results from this combination is very resistant to corrosion and abrasion. Silicon element give the material the highest metal fatigue resistance with a high tensile strength: objects made of 9260 Spring Steel, especially 9260 Spring steel Katanas, are characterized by a high resilience to lateral bending and they are able to get their original shape back even after being exposed to an extreme bending effort (bending to 90). The material is hard and is expected to be hardly forged by hands to make swords.

Compared to its nearest similar Carbon Steel type, the 1060 Carbon Steel, 9260 Spring steel is resistant to heat treatment and it is able to preserve its attributes under extreme heat-treatment conditions. It is important to signal that for Carbon Steel, the heat treatment is the stress phase that would result or not in good and usable material.

Besides bending resilience, Silicon gives the Spring Steel material the characteristics of being hard and tough. Here again, compared to the Carbon Steel with same Carbon concentration, 9260 Spring Steel has a very high shock absorption capacity; this property is appreciated in the 9260 Spring Steel Katanas. Due to this characteristic, it is obvious that 9260 is very hard to forge by hand. Processing the material at high temperature is the only way to make it responsive to forging operation, the material being already resistant to heat treatment and there is no major fear that it loses the carbon fraction.

The excellent durability, the high resilience to bending efforts and the hardness of hand forging of the 9260 Spring Steel make it a very expensive material. With several sub types, this material is a god choice to pick when it is about making katanas for sale.  Actually, sword smiths use 9260 TH, 9260 Hybrid, 9260 Lam and 9260 DH. These sub types share the high resilience and the excellent heat treatment ability. The hardness of the Steel is one factor that encourages swords man to opt for it because it ensures the durability of the sharp edge and the low need for extensive care. Therefore, 9260 spring steel katana is expected to be hard to forge sword that lasts for long.

9260 Spring katana inherits lots of the material properties. The samurai sword made of this type of steel is very resistant to abrasion and highly resistant to corrosion. It is hard to obtain by hand forging and therefore very expensive. The use of this particular type of material implicates additional information especially about the way it is intended to be used: if the user plans to use the Sword for cutting, it is better to make the sword relatively longer than normal, if the user intends to use the sword and to strike it on the blade sides, then it is better to make a thicker sword.

The first thing that needs to be taken into consideration is display versus functional. Are you looking for a sword to practice or just as a decorative item to wear or display? Once you decide to what purpose you will be using your sword, then, take a look at the different variety of designs and ornamentation that can be found and choose the one that fits your personality, style and budget.

Tsuba is the handguard on a katana and it sits between the blade collar or habaki, which is at the top of the blade, and the handle or tsuka. It comes in many shapes and designs from basic to highly ornamental.

Hamon is the wavy line running down the blade. It’s the visual divide between the harder and softer metal of the blade. A katanas blade needs to have a harder edge for retention and a softer spine for flexibility. This is achieved by having the two parts of the blade cooling at different speeds during the forging process.

Samurai warriors typically carried two swords as part of their dress. The katana was their primary weapon for battle and the wakizashi was used for close quarters combat. This sword is built exactly like the katana, however, it is shorter in length a companion sword.

The purpose of using oil to maintain the blade is to form an oil film on the surface of the blade to isolate the oxygen in the air and prevent the daily storage from oxidizing and rusting the blade.

Legally katana are lumped in the same category as knives and governed by state rather than federal laws and local laws, though as with knives, a collector must be over 21 years old OR have their parents implicit permission to buy or own a Katana.

What is the difference between an economical entry-level katana and a high-level katana? It would be easiest to say you get what you pay for. There are many different things that directly affect the cost of a katana: The sword Smith, The Tempering Process, The Level of Polish, The Type of Polish, The Details of the Hamon, The Edge Creation, Blade Shaping, The Material of Blade, Handle , Samegawa, Tsuka, Mekugi Pins, Furniture, Saya and Saya Cap, Furniture Production Method, Furniture Finish, Furniture Pieces Included / Excluded, Furniture Final Fit, Saya Fit and Profile, Saya Ornaments, Produced Location.

Payment

We accept payments via PayPal or credit card. Even if you do not have a PayPal account, you can still pay through their service with your debit or credit card.

No, only one promo code can be used per transaction.

Yes, we do. Please subscribe to our Newsletter, to get a discount code up to 30%. We also have some private events to our subscribers.

Orders

If you need to cancel your order, please contact us within 12 hours of placing your order. This is because we aim to dispatch all orders within 12 to 48 business hours after receiving the order. If you contact us after it has been shipped, we are not able to recall the order. But you can always return it to our US warehouse after you receive your package, thank you.

Once you place an order with us, we send an confirmation email to your email. If you do not receive it, it may went to your spam folder. Please check it, thank you.

Most of our swords has some stock available, so we can process order within 1-2 business days. If the sword you ordered, we don’t have it in stock, our craftsman will handmade by order, that why the processing time will be a little bit longer. If we can not process your order within 1-2 business days, we will send your a notification email to you. Let you know the estimate handmade time for your order, if you do not receive the email, please check your spam folder. Thank you.

We are a handmade swords workshop that started in 2001, designing and selling sword products to the world over 17 years. In 2016, we established a company in California and sold our authentic samurai swords, Chinese swords, anime & game replica swords in the main e-commerce marketplaces.

We have a full range of Japanese style Samurai katana swords and Chinese swords. We are more than 1000+ swords available for our customers. We have been offering high quality Japanese Style Katana, Wakizashi, tanto internationally with wholesale and retail price. All the swords are fully handmade and functional.

Sorry, we do not have a price list. Please click to each item to check the price & description. Please let us know which items you are interested in batch order, we will let you know the wholesale price base on your need.

Return & Replacement

Please see our return policy here: https://katanashops.com/refund_returns/

We have a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on all of our items. If you are not completely satisfied with any item from TrueKatana.com or if the item is damaged or defective you may return it for a replacement or refund. Please contact our customer service at takumaforge@gmail.com.

For some reason you are not completely satisfied with an item(s) you have ordered from us, you may return it (within 30 calendar days after your tracking number has been marked as “delivered”).

For more detail regarding your return, please see the return policy here: https://katanashops.com/refund_returns/

Yes, we will send a replacement sword to you in this case.

For more detail regarding your replacement, please see the return policy here: 

Refund and Returns Policy

Shipping

For most of the orders, our processing time is 1-2 business days.

For some high-performance swords may require longer handmade processing time, depending on the difficulty of the craft.

We use SF Express, UPS, USPS, FedEx for most of our shipments. 

We ship to Hawaii only, we do not ship to Puerto Rico and other US Territories.

If we have an email address on file, you will receive order confirmations and shipping confirmations with the tracking number. If not, you can contact our Customer Service Department via email: takumaforge@gmail.com to check the status of your order.

Currently, we support ship our products to US, Canada, German, France, Australia, and New Zealand. Please check with your local law and customs, if it’s legal to purchase swords, we can ship to you. Please contact us at customerservice@truekatana.com for details.

Once we shipped out your order, you should be received it within 3-15 business days depend on your destination.

Our products are shipped securely in form-fitted Styrofoam that matches the shape of the sword so it won’t have any room to rattle around, even when abused during the shipping transition. The foam encasing is wrapped tightly with plenty of packing tape which keeps it waterproof. 

Collecting swords and other edged weapons is popular among hobbyists. But over time, any sword’s edge will begin getting dull and require a sharpening. This seems like an intimidating job, but it just takes some practice. With a metal file, a sharpening stone, and some oil, you can keep your blade looking like new. However, it you don’t have any experience with sharpen the blade, we don’t recommend our customer to sharpen the blade by self. You may hurt yourself. Please bring the sword to your local store to do so.

This situation will be happen if the first order we ship and lost, so we will ship a replacement and inform you the new tracking number.

Usually within 1 business days, the website will be update the tracking info once shipping carrier picked up the orders. Sometimes the driver of the shipping carrier does not scan all the packages in our warehouse when pick up the orders, that may cause delay. But don’t worry, if your tracking do not see any update after 2 business days, please contact our customer service team at takumaforge@gmail.com for support, we will help resolve your issue.

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