Forging
The blade takes shape beneath the hammer. Each layer of steel is folded and re-welded under heat to create a core that is both strong and flexible.
Hand-forged from high-quality carbon steel for exceptional durability. Full tang construction. Wooden display stand included with your order. Damascus steel blade.
Original price was: $299.$229Current price is: $229.
free shipping -23%Every piece is unique, hand-forged
Hotaru, fireflies, are the centerpiece of a Japanese summer ritual: hotarugari, the “firefly hunt,” during which families gather along streams at dusk to watch green sparks dancing over the water. The experience has been described in classical literature since the Tale of Genji. The Katana Hotaru evokes that quality of intermittent luminescence.
The Damascus steel blade (nagasa approximately 70 cm, 58–60 HRC hardness) displays a scattered-dot pattern evoking the luminous sparks of fireflies drifting over a nighttime stream. Traditional hand-polished finish.
The fittings embrace the chiaroscuro of summer nights: black ito over dark samegawa, a dark-alloy tsuba with a small luminous-dot motif (stylized fireflies), a saya lacquered in deep black with fluorescent-green dots distributed like a swarm, and lime-green sageo. Burnished silver habaki.
A piece for admirers of Heian literature, a display piece for rooms with very low lighting where the saya’s luminous dots can catch the eye, and a gift for anyone who has experienced the magic of Japan’s summer firefly season. A katana that brings a June night indoors.
| Blade | Damascus steel |
|---|---|
| Construction | full tang |
| Forging | by hand |
| Edge | sharpened, battle-ready |
| Habaki | brass |
| Tsuba | copper |
| Tsuka | synthetic ray skin |
| Sageo and Ito | cotton |
| Total length | 105 cm (41.3 in) |
| Blade length | 72 cm (28.3 in) |
| Blade width | 3,2 cm (1.3 in) |
| Blade thickness | 0,7 cm (0.3 in) |
| Handle length | 30 cm (11.8 in) |
Time-honored craft. Masterful gesture. A one-of-a-kind, hand-forged piece built to last.
The blade takes shape beneath the hammer. Each layer of steel is folded and re-welded under heat to create a core that is both strong and flexible.
The steel is brought to high temperature, then quenched rapidly: this fast cooling hardens the edge and reveals the hamon, the wavy line that runs along the blade.
The smith hand-polishes the blade with natural stones of increasing grit, revealing its luster, its edge, and the soul of the steel.
Each blade is crafted by master artisans according to traditional forging techniques.
Acciai al carbonio o Damasco ad alta tenuta, scelti per la loro resistenza e la tenuta del filo.
We guarantee our welds and assemblies for life.
Our team replies within 24 hours, by email or chat.
You have 30 days from delivery to return your order. Full refund, no questions asked, as soon as the piece reaches us in its original packaging. Return shipping is on us for any defect found, and a flat fee for a simple change of mind. Our goal: that you fall completely in love with your blade.