The Iron Tiger Mitsudomoe Katana is named after the the symbolic form of its tsuba; the Mitsudomoe is a key symbol of Shintoism and its three elements are said to represent Man, Earth and Sky. This symbol has an early association with the Shinto war god Hachiman and was thus regarded as an emblematic symbol for the Samurai and his spirit.
The blade is crafted from differentially-hardened and sharpened T10 steel. The tempering of the blade has left it with a very visible, wave-like hamon along its edge. The tip of the blade has a geometric yokote and Chu-Kissaki tip.
The blade was lightened by giving it a long and substantial bo-hi groove in the spine; this gives the spine of the blade a profile similar to an I-beam and it succeeds in reducing overall weight while sacrificing little durability. Though the blade loses some of the driving power in a cut without the additional mass, it gains a notable degree of agility. As an aside, the groove disturbs the flow of air over the blade as it moves, making it easy to create an audible whoosh as the blade slices the air – this is called the Sword Wind, the Tachikaze. A trained ear can use the pitch of this sound to know the alignment of his blade as he strikes.
The tsuba, fuchi and kashira fittings are humble, elegant iron and the wooden tsuka grip is inset with panels of blackened rayskin. It is finished with a tightly knotted wrap of brown silk tsuka-ito cord; the interwoven menuki are brass.
The saya scabbard is carved from wood and is completed with a finish of textured brown lacquer. A matching brown sageo is fitted to the scabbard. Included is a black cloth sword bag.
Ethan Nevins –
Fantastic dojo cutter! The fit and finish on this sword is awesome for the price point. All the fittings and the ito are tight and flush; I also ran a magnet by the blackened metal fittings and they do in fact seem to be iron. The saya fits perfect with no rattling at all. Finally, the blade is sharpened to a hair popping edge and it’s hamon is very attractive; furthermore, it effortlessly sails through traditional targets and handles incredibly well. Thank you, Kult of Athena! I will shop here again.
Matthew L. –
One of the best I have to say this blade is perfect. Everything is tight. The blade sits nice in the saya and all the fittings are tight. The blade has a decent balance and a well defined diamond tip. The T10 steel makes this thing very strong at kept a very sharp edge even after cutting bamboo. The hanle has a nice shape. The handle is a little wide but will work for large to small hands due to how well the blade is balanced. For a little over 300$ you can’t go wrong for a practice or decorational sword.
Devin O. –
Proper Sword I bought this sword as a first time sword (real sword, not display or replica). I have to say I probably should have gone with a cheaper sword as my first, but buying this sword gave me absolutely no regret in relation to its quality and performance. I have accidentally hit/nicked numerous objects while practicing with it and thought that I had damaged it before examining it, but found nothing every time. Definitely well made, tight fittings/wrap, sharp as a sword should be (scary sharp). Overall I would have to say this sword is a pleasure to just look at let alone use, and would recommend this sword to anyone.
Michael Barr (verified owner) –
I’m pretty impressed with what you get for under $400. The fit on everything is very tight, no saya rattle at all and the hamon really stands out on the T-10. The ito is a little loose so that could be better but it’s still a good deal for the price. Very light and lively blade too. Can’t wait to do some cutting with it.
Burnok (verified owner) –
I really love it!!! It looks exactly like in the picture. The fittings are tight and the blade is beautiful! Fast shipping and the customer service is good!
B. Fraase (verified owner) –
Phenomenal shipping! Placed order on Thursday and had the sword in my hands on Saturday evening. Sword is just as advertised. Completely satisfied.