The Shinto Kami of elemental fire, volcanoes and the flames of the forge – Kagutsuchi is an inspiration for this fiery, straight-bladed Katana. Don’t be fooled, though its has a straight blade it can cut and slice quite ferociously! (see video section for proof). The blade of forged T10 high carbon steel is ablaze with a flame-like hamon of traditionally clay-tempered steel along its edge. The blade is lightened with a bo-hi groove which sacrifices little in durability for a great gain in agility. The straight blade of this Katana lends itself well to thrusting and cutting in equal measure and its enlarged O-Kissaki tip imbues it with even greater puncturing power when used in a thrust. The blade edge has “Niku” in its form to give the edge resilience against edge damage and a high quality mirror polish to bring out the beauty of the steel and hamon completes the blade.
The tsuba, fuchi and kashira are crafted from durable, blackened steel to ensure that they are not fragile like the zinc-alloy fittings used on many other Katana. The hardwood tsuka grip is fitted with panels of genuine rayskin which is bound in tight black cotton ito cord. The sword is matched with a well-carved saya scabbard which is finished with a textured black lacquer which is more resistant to scuffs and scratches than the smooth, high-gloss lacquer used on many other Katana. Vibrant red lacquered rattan is embedded into the scabbard and it is finished with a red-flecked sageo cord. A cloth sword bag is included.
In the video section for this sword you can see some very impressive cutting done by Youtuber Akidoka – including some impressive and clean cuts on double-rolled tatami!
Please Note: Like many other production Katana, some small or light scuffs or scratches may be present on the blade.
Aikidoka –
This is the first straight bladed katana that I have cut with and I am impressed! The edge geometry is phenomenal, allowing very clean cuts even through thick double mat targets. The tsuka is very comfortable to grip and I think the overall sword and saya design looks great. Well done, Balaur Arms!
Brad M. (verified owner) –
Initially very pleasantly surprised on first arrival, very aesthetically pleasing to my eye. However my example has some issues.
Habaki is smashed into the blade, tearing the brass. The handle itself has some looseness right out of the bag – you can feel the nakago wiggling inside the handle, and the first 2.5/3” of blade past the habaki had been rolled totally flat – granted, it’s not exactly the ideal area to use for cutting, but it was disappointing to find considering the rest of the cutting edge was indeed very sharp.
I had cut two empty plastic soda bottles before becoming concerned about the play and put it back into the bag.