Dragon King – Pine Crane Wakizashi

The Pine Crane Wakizashi melds two strong symbols of Japanese culture for honor, loyalty, authority, divine protection and long-lived wisdom into a single sword. It makes a fine blade on its own or as a completed daisho set with the Pine Crane Katana.

The blade is forged from T10 high carbon steel and was differentially tempered in the traditional manner to produce a hardened edge, visibly seen along a flowing hamon. The habaki and seppa mountings are silvered and the tsuba, fuchi and kashira hilt fittings are vibrantly detailed bronzed fittings – the top of the Crane’s head is detailed in brass on the tsuba. The wooden tsuka grip is bound in knotted black tsuka-ito cord; the grip panels are genuine rayskin and a pair of silvered crane menuki are fitted beneath the folds of the wrap.

The saya scabbard is wood with a dark brown textured lacquer coating paired with a striped black finish at its throat. A copper flecked sageo cord in a charcoal hue finishes the scabbard. A cloth sword bag is included. There is a thumbnail link on this page to the matching Pine Crane Katana.

Regal and endowed with the wisdom of a millennia are both the Crane and Pine in Japan and thus they have both been artfully melded into the symbology of this Katana. The Red Crown Crane holds a magnanimous perch in Japanese culture. Traditionally believed to live a thousand years the Crane stands well above the other birds in both stature and reverence and thus it is a symbol for wizened authority; One word from the Crane is a Japanese idiom for a final judgement on a matter that is not to be challenged. A strong symbol of honor and loyalty, the Crane mates for life.

In Shinto the Pine Tree is often planted near the front gates to a shrine or temple, for it is believed that the Pines can invite the spirits of heavenly-descended gods to dwell within them. For this the Pines are thought be imbued with longevity, power and ancient wisdom.

Crane and Pine stylistically entwined; this Katana give it deep roots to Japanese cultural symbolism for duty, honorable authority and heavenly wisdom. All matters of great spiritual import to the soul of the Samurai.