The soul of a samurai is mirrored in the duality of the sea itself; serenely calm and meditative waters can turn tempestuous and the fullness of its power founders the greatest of vessels and sweeps away the sturdiest of structures leaving nothing but sodden, splintered timbers and broken, impudent ambition in its wake. When the samurai is stirred to action it is only the foolish and the insane who would brazenly stand in defiance of the oncoming storm of steel melded wholly with warrior spirit.
A mirror of the sea itself the blade of this katana has a wave-like hamon denoting the boundaries of hard and softer steel created when it was differentially-tempered. In addition to this the blade has ripple-like patterning throughout which was created by folding the steel when it was formed into a blade. A long and deep bo-hi groove ensures that this katana is a swift striking blade which is quick and very responsive in the hands.
The tsuba, fuchi and kashira are supremely detailed and full of deeply embossed imagery and it is in the eye of the beholder as to whether the depict the gently swirling waters of a wave-kissed lagoon or a roiling tsunami. These silvered components are matched with a silvered habaki and seppa. The hardwood grip is inlaid with genuine rayskin and tightly bound in tsuka ito cord. Gold and silvered menuki wave menuki are fitted beneath these tight folds.
The saya scabbard of wood is finished with glossy, dark blue lacquer which is fittingly matched with fittings of carved and well-polished buffalo horn. A blue and white sageo cord is pictured and completes the saya. Included with the sword is a cloth sword bag. Please note that the sageo cord may also be navy blue, depending on the most recent shipment.
A matching Wakizashi for this sword is also available to allow for the creation of a matched daisho set.
Please Note: The last photo shows this sword paired with its companion sword which is also available from Dragon King. This additional sword is not included.
Adam W (verified owner) –
Just got this sword a week ago, and picked it based on its specs more than its appearance (though it looks beautiful!)
It met my expectations as far as fitment and handling, it is a great sword for kata as well as tameshigiri , very great all around. I was a little disappointed that the sageo did not come as shown, it was just a plain navy blue one, not the blue/white one as shown. This happened with a Hanwei Lion Dog as well, it’s not huge problem but CAS Iberia seems to do that I guess? These are both CAS products. Another nitpick is the habaki could be tighter in the saya, yes I can “just shim it” but that is a pain, but it’s to be expected at this point. Rarely is the fit great on these mass production swords. It was as sharp as it should be, polish was ok, could’ve been better to show off the hada more with the folded steel, that’s more just me sharing for those that may care as I’m not upset about it.
Absolutely a joy to handle though, so 5 stars just for that and the fitment. A side note it looks great next to their Tatsumaki katana, both are fun swords to train with and very similar design.
mikegokee (verified owner) –
Absolutely stunning and extremely comfortable to handle/cut with. I’ve had it for a month or so now, and I haven’t yet found anything that I’m dissatisfied with other than the sageo being a solid blue one instead of blue/white as the previous reviewer mentioned.
Melody H –
Bought this years ago, I’m not a katana expert but decided to get this one because it fit everything that I could want from a sword. the fit in the says (scabbard) was a little tight but was fixed with a little sanding. Also, the same comment with the silk cord not being the same pretty blue/white one in the photo was disappointing. Really pretty, well-made sword, with excellent casting quality.
David W –
Hi Melody – we noticed the change in the cord and have updated the sites with comments in the product description – sometimes details such as these are changed without notification – but we try to keep up and will be updating this model’s photos as soon as we can keep one in stock.
James P. (verified owner) –
This sword is very sharp.
The inside of the scabbard is wood with pencil markings which is not ideal.
Other than that, this sword is very enjoyable with a quality finish.
William G K –
Dragon King is not owned or a product of CAS Iberia. CAS distributes many different brands like Paul Chen Hanwei, Citadel and Dragon King the same way Kult of Athena sells many different brands of swords and weapons but does not own those brands. Mathew Jensen did a great review on the Sea Wave Katana recently if you would to see it in action and pushed to its limit. I love everything about this sword and looking forward to buying the Sea Wave Wakizashi to have a nice Daisho set. Folded 9260 and T-10 steel make this blade very strong and cut well.
Gregor 44WK –
Gregor 44 I wanted this blade for years but $1,399.00 MSRP at Hanwei was not the great lower price at Kult of Athena. The deep blue saya matches the ito and sageo really well. The deep sea wave theme continues with the crisp and well-defined fittings as they grab your eye and help you grip the sword. Folded T10 and 9260 steel give the blade a swift and balanced feel as I drew and cut my targets. I think this is best for more experienced swordsmen since it may be less forgiving if your technique is still being perfected. I watched a poor review done by an amateur swordsman in the forest swinging the blade like a baseball bat or axe as both of his feet flew off the ground. He kept doing wild swings and cuts not paying attention to his technique or stance and more interested in showing off for YouTube. That review was not accurate since this is a really well-made blade that is a gorgeous and functional work of art made for serious sword practitioners and collectors.