One of the oldest known Japanese forms of sword dates from the Kofun era 3rd and 4th centuries. The style, called Kashima no tachi, was created at the Kashima Shrine. Before 987, examples of Japanese swords are straight chokuto or jokoto and others with unusual shapes. In the Heian period, 8th to 11th centuries, sword-making developed through techniques brought from Siberia and Hokkaido, territory of the Ainu people. The Ainu used warabite-to swords and these influenced the katana. According to legend, the Japanese sword was invented by a smith named Amakuni Yasutsuna 700 AD, along with the folded steel process. In reality the folded steel process and single edge swords had been brought over from China and Korea through trade. Swords forged between 987 and 1597 are called koto, old swords and these are considered the pinnacle of Japanese swordcraft. Early models had uneven curves with the deepest part of the curve at the hilt. As eras changed the center of the curve tended to move up the blade.
Our version of the Hidden Crane Katana has an overall length of 40 inches with a 27 inch hand polished stainless steel blade and is accompanied with a color matching and leather accented Japanese Imperial wrapped sageo cord saya scabbard. The full metal cast tsuba handguard conceals the hidden crane and the tsuka handle is finished in a traditional Japanese ito wrap accented with black colored menuki over a natural wood finish.
