Real Samurai Swords Of Past & Present

Real samurai swords are swords which have been handmade by fully trained and licensed swordsmiths.  In swordmaking, like anything else, there are those who are exceptionally skilled and revered and those whose talent is less noted, however all swordsmiths in Japan have undertaken many years of apprenticeship training in order to become licensed to create swords — therefore all should be competent enough to create blades of reasonable quality.

There are also limitations to the amount of blades which a swordsmith can produce in a month.  This is not merely down to the time it takes to create a quality blade, but a law imposed by the Japanese government.  Therefore, do not expect to be able to purchase a quality blade for cheap.  Also, many Smith’s — particularly those who are well known — either have long waiting lists or sell directly to dealers and collectors.

A real samurai sword — while these days created only for ornamental purposes — are created to the exact specifications which made them famous and feared worldwide to begin with: to be the most efficient instrument of death it can possibly be.  And even though the era of the samurai has gone and the samurai sword is no longer to be used to maim and kill, any swordsmith worth his salt will not forge a blade which isn’t still made to be the most efficient killing device it can possibly be.  This is, in large part, what continues to make the artisanship of Japanese swordmaking one of the most respected and mysterious crafts in the world.  It has everything: the millenia of tradition and history, the myths, the legends, and the excitement and the danger of the final product.  It embodies the spirit of a brutal, war-torn, yet beautifully honourable era in Japanese history which shall never again return.

I’m sure, therefore, you can appreciate real samurai swords are much more than just sharp pieces of metal.  They are a window to proud and ancient tradition which continues to this day, despite all odds.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 8th, 2008 at 2:20 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Real Samurai Swords Of Past & Present”

  1. Bret Price Says:
    February 25th, 2009 at 10:00 pm

    I have an old sword that was found in 30 years ago in a moving chest
    in Los Angeles.
    it has not been touched by me or anyonesince the early 80’s.
    how do i find out if it has historical significance.

    Thanks,
    Bret

  2. Admin Says:
    February 26th, 2009 at 7:50 am

    Hi Bret,

    Such things will need to be ascertained by an expert in swords. An astute antique dealer may be able to verify some details - including a period - but a true sword expert will be able to give you much more detail - including value.

    I highly recommend you look in your local area Yellow Pages for sword dealers and take it in. I do not recommend that you post it for fear of it becoming damaged.

    Congratulations on your find, and I hope it turns out to be at least interesting, and as a bonus, valuable.

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