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.
$240
free shippingEvery piece is unique, hand-forged
The tsugumi is a small migratory bird that arrives every autumn from continental Asia to winter in Japanese fields and woodlands. A discreet singer, favored by haiku poets for its melancholic voice on misty days. The Katana Tsugumi carries this name with the same quiet delicacy.
The blade in 1060 carbon steel (hardness 58-60 HRC, nagasa of approximately 70 cm) is enriched by an authentic hamon produced by differential hardening: the temper line traces an undulating profile reminiscent of a flock in low flight, seen against a gray November sky.
The fittings draw on the bird’s understated plumage: tobacco-brown ito over samegawa, patinated iron tsuba with a stylized feather motif in negative, dark-brown lacquered saya with beige specks (imitating the thrush’s dappled plumage), sand-colored sageo. Burnished copper habaki.
A piece for birdwatching enthusiasts, for decorating an ornithologist’s or naturalist’s study, a gift for haiku practitioners (Issa, Buson, and Shiki all wrote verses about the tsugumi), or a display piece for collectors who prefer neutral-toned replicas. A katana with the sobriety of a winter song.
| Type | Japanese katana (uchigatana) |
|---|---|
| Blade | carbon steel 1060 (≈ 56-58 HRC) |
| Forging | by hand, traditional quench-hardening |
| Nagasa (blade length) | ≈ 73 cm (≈ 28.7 in) |
| Total length | ≈ 104 cm (≈ 40.9 in) |
| Weight | ≈ 1 kg (≈ 2.2 lb) |
| Tsuka (handle) | hand-wrapped (cotton tsuka-ito) |
| Tsuba (guard) | chiseled alloy on both sides |
| Saya (scabbard) | lacquered wood with matching sageo |
| Mekugi (peg) | traditional bamboo |
| Habaki | hand-finished brass |
| Hamon | authentic (differential clay tempering) |
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.