One of the first things that come to mind when one thinks of a Samurai is weaponry; Samurai used a variety of weapons to hone their skills. Most of these weapons have a special Japanese flair to them, which makes them special, and perhaps more powerful than other blades.

Japanese Swords:

Swords have existed in Japan for its entire history. After 2,000 BC the Japanese Learned the art of craftsmanship, they were able to make their own swords! Swords were very much “In demand” in Japan, due to the fact that conflicts were almost constant. In fact statistics show that there must have been about 1 ½ million swords existing before World War II. Warriors so honored their swords, that they even named them! The earliest swords were straight swords, but after a while, many started to see the importance of curved swords because warriors found that curved swords delivered a much more effective cutting angle.

Samurai had the privilege of caring two swords at a time, and were allowed to use them on any commander who offended them. In general, they wielded a long and a short sword. Samurai did not wield these yes of swords however when they were training. They used instead wooded bokken so that they did not run the risk of harming themselves in practice, and also so that they did not wear out their weapons.

Types of Swords:

Katana: By far the longest sword available. This is a curved single edged sword that was used in great deal by Samurai’s. Samurai’s made the Katana infamous, and they turned it into a lightning fast weapon of shear power. Usually the Katana was paired with the Wakizachi and together they became the daisho (literally means large and small).

Wakizashi: a very traditional Japanese sword. This may essentially be thought of as a smaller version of the Katana. This weapon came in handy oftentimes when the Katana was too big of a sword to get the job done. Oftentimes, this weapon was used as a backup to behead the victims of the wielder.

Tanto

This sword is the smallest of the three. It is a dagger, and was designed for stabbing. This weapon is usually single edged although it is sometimes double edged. Oftentimes woman would also carry this dagger for self protection. The Tanto also sometimes took the place of the Wakizashi in daisho.

Another form of the Tanto: the kubikiri As you can see the tanto is a straight dagger, however this version had a curved blade. There were several possible uses for this weapon, and the main one can be inferred from the title, which means Head cutter. They may also have been used to cut charcoal.

Additionally, there are several different forms of these three basic swords, the one above is just one example.

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