BattleBlades – Nagi-gatana

 A wild and powerful hybrid; the BattleBlades Nagi-gatana is a magnificent weapon that melds the famed Naginata polearm with the iconic Katana. The Naginata, is a Japanese pole arm with devastatingly effective curved single edged blade. It was carried by Samurai and Buddhist warrior monks in feudal Japan. Whilst having a lot of similar elements and parts with traditional katana, the reach and pure cutting power of Naginata was astonishing. BattleBlades took the best parts of both and made a two handed sword with the curvature of a Naginata sword but the elegance of a katana – the Nagi-gatana.

Combining the elegance and unique beauty of the finest traditional japanese katana with the range of motion and raw power of Naginata wasn’t the easiest task to accomplish. The nagasa is slightly shorter compared to usually seen katana’s blade, but with wider motohaba and wider blade toward the tip. It has a shorter tsuka than in a Naginata but a wider blade than in a katana. The curved blade provides a long cutting surface without increasing the overall length of the weapon. The Nagi-gatana has the mass needed to power it through cleaving strokes, yet it is also swift to use and well balanced, as the Unokubi-Zukuri shape reduces the heftiness of the blade. The weight combined with curved blade ensures maximum cutting power. The blade is forged from T10 steel and well-tempered with an aggressive and vibrantly visible genuine clay tempered hamon. A double bo-hi both dignifies the blade geometry and reduces unneeded weight to ensure that the sword has a favorable point of balance and excellent handling characteristics.

The extra long tsuka, inspired by Naginata, was designed not only to balance the weapon, but also to provide maximum torque for cutting. The tsuka has genuine samegawa rayskin under the Hinerimaki-wrapped silk Ito and it is embellished with highly detailed fuchi and kashira as well as an antiqued brass tsuba. Custom made brass habaki and glaive polearm menuki add the finishing touches on the outstanding koshirae.

The Nagi-gatana’s is paired with a fully custom made polished hardwood saya which is paired with gold flecked black silk Sageo and buffalo horn kurigata and koiguchi. The stunning saya is made and fitted by hand to its exact sword, meaning that no other sword, not even of another BattleBlades Nagi-gatana will fit, if it’s not its custom saya. The sword comes with an embroidered BattleBlades silk sword bag and a manufacturers production certificate.