Overall Length: 41 in

Blade Length: 29 in

Handle Length: 10 in

Scabbard Handle: 30 in

Blade Width: 1.27 in

Blade Thickness: 0.27 in

Wight: 3 lb

The tachi blade first appeared during the Koto period. At that time, these samurai swords were usually between seventy and eighty-two centimeters in size, making them a little larger than what we are accustomed to seeing in katanas.

This was because it was necessary for the Japanese horsemen to have the greatest possible range, but without the sword being too long to lose its balance when used, which could be fatal in the middle of a battle.

During this time, the cavalry was one of the fundamental pillars of the Japanese army (enhanced by the knowledge gained from the Emishi). Back then, samurai used to fight mainly on horseback with straight swords and bows.

The Tachi was created with just this in mind, in order to create an even more powerful weapon. A weapon that harnessed all the power a horse was capable of generating.

And when it emerged, it proved destructive on the battlefield.

Its curved shape allowed the full force of the high speeds that could be reached on horseback to be concentrated in the middle of the sword.

All this momentum concentrated in a smaller area translated into powerful attacks like those never seen before in Japanese history.

It didn’t take long for it to become a famous sword.

These Tachi used by mounted samurai were considerably lighter than one might expect when looking at them. Lighter even than a conventional katana, considering its size.

By this time it had become customary for a blacksmith, such as an artist, to sign his creation.

Thus it is possible to identify, for example, that the oldest Tachi was forged by Namihira Yukimasa, which was made in the year 1159.

Out in the Kakamura era (1184 – 1333) emerged the power of the samurai class. During this time, Kakamura had been transformed, under the leadership of Minamoto no Yorimoto, into the capital of the country, becoming a hub of both technological and cultural innovation.

Soon, all kinds of sword makers began to gather in Kakamura, the most famous of which was Masamune himself, creator of swords so good that they were said to have mystical powers.

The importance that the samurai class had gained made Kakamura a mecca for these swords during this time. Not only was the design of the Tachi perfected, but also its style changed considerably, becoming more attractive, luxurious, and efficient.

This period is known as the golden age of the nihonto (Japanese sword), and was led by the famous Tachi.

During this period, the dimensions of the Tachi were also experimented with, creating two variants of the sword.

On the one hand, there were the kodachi, which can be translated as “small sword” or “small tachi”. These possessed the same characteristics of the Tachi, including its striking design, but were usually less than 60 cm long.

It is believed that these swords could have been used as a complement to the Tachi (in a similar way to how the katana and wakizashi are used). It is also believed that they could have been swords for teenagers, as they used to be produced in sword-making schools.

On the other hand, there is the odachi/nodachi, also known as the “field sword”. This is a larger Tachi, with a length of about 91 cm. They used to be carried with a strap on the back, as they were too heavy and large to be carried on the belt.

It is known that the odachi traditionally had two functions. Firstly, it was used as an infantry sword, mainly as a weapon against cavalry. Its specialty was descending cuts, as these made better use of the weight of the sword.

Secondly, the odachi was also used as a ceremonial weapon. Many of these colossal swords were used in prayer before a war, and others were displayed in religious places, treating them as mythical swords.

This sword, however, lost its popularity when the new shogunate law forbade the carrying of swords that passed a certain length.

Although the tachi is a weapon with a huge history behind it and with its own uses, its resemblance to the world famous katana makes it logical that people sometimes ask: What is the difference between a katana and a tachi?

1. The Katana has (or used to have) a shorter blade

One of the main innovations of the katana was to make it shorter, so it was easier to wield and concentrate all the force of its strike in a smaller area.

Its size made the katana a more versatile weapon, allowing also to fight in more closed spaces and being also very effective without the need to be on horseback.

In addition, it also allowed the possibility of drawing it and hitting with it at the same time. This was a revolutionary feature, especially for that time, and opened the way for the advent of martial arts that were based exclusively on this possibility.

2. The Tachi is considerably more curved than the Katana

The tachi had been created at a time when cavalry was the center of battle. Its enormously curved shape was a reflection of this way of thinking, as it allowed for much better use of the momentum generated on horseback.

When the objective was no longer to harness the momentum of the horse but to focus on creating a strong sword capable of piercing armor, the katana was created.

The possibility of using the katana on horseback was not given up, but the sword was made more versatile, so that it could also be used by infantrymen. This resulted in a greater concentration of weight for stronger strikes and a lesser curvature, allowing also the possibility of stabbing.

Thus, the tachi has a deeper curvature than the katana.

3. The Tachi used to be lighter and thinner than the Katana

This is another of the historical differences that separated these two swords.

The tachi used to be longer than the katana, but its body was thinner, resulting in a correspondingly lighter weight.

The katana, on the other hand, concentrates a greater weight on a smaller blade. This allows it to gain firmness when used in close combat, allowing it to deflect blows more easily and accumulate greater momentum without the need to describe large movements when wielding it.

Today it is difficult to see a difference in weight between a tachi and a katana. In the past, however, this was a major factor in distinguishing the two swords.

4. The Tachi points to the ground, the Katana points to the sky

This is another significant difference between the katana and the tachi.

On the one hand, the tachi is traditionally used with the blade pointing downwards. This was in ancient times common to all Japanese swords, and the tachi was no exception.

The katana, on the other hand, is used with the blade pointing upwards. Not because it seeks to be different, but because it makes much better use of its ability to be drawn and strike at the same time.

Therefore, if a sword is meant to be carried pointing downwards it is probably a tachi. If it is pointed at the sky then it is probably a Katana – ignoring, of course, other swords such as Wakizashi, Nodachi, Tanto, and so on.

5. The Tachi and the Katana have different signatures

When a blacksmith finishes his creation, it is common for him to sign the tang of the sword so that everyone can know that it is his creation.

Thanks to the signature on the tang of the sword, we can see today that many of the swords in Japanese history belonged to famous blacksmiths, such as Masamune or Muramasa.

When it comes to signatures, there is a major difference between the tachi and the Katana.

The signatures on the tang of the tachi are made so that they can be clearly read when the edge of the sword is pointed downwards.

When it comes to Katanas, on the other hand, the signature must be legible only when the edge of the sword is pointing to the sky.

This is one of the surest ways of knowing whether a sword is a Katana or a tachi, especially nowadays when the difference between these two swords is becoming increasingly blurred.

Tachi vs Katana

There was different emphasis on the way that these swords were used. The tachi sword was also used to be worn together with an Auxiliary sword as a backup or close range personal arm.

The tachi swords was created before the Katana. and until the arrival of the Katana, Tachi was a preferred choice by many Samurai. It would be safe to say that those who belong to the upper class favor the use of this sword.

The biggest difference between these two is that the Katana was used for combat on foot while this sword was used by cavalry mounted on horses during combat.

Mostly The Katana has a shorter tsuka with some exemptions. Kissaki for the Katana was longer to enhance the cut and pierce ability against armor. However, the Tachi sword kissaki is generally small to fit between the gaps of armor, and the blade is has more curve than the traditional Katana.

The uchigatana was derived from the tachi and was the predecessor to the katana as the battle-blade of feudal Japan's bushi (warrior class), and as it evolved into the later design, the tachi and the uchigatana were often differentiated from each other only by how they were worn, the fittings for the blades, and the location of the signature (mei).

As a result of the first Mongol invasion (1274) tachi started to be made thicker and wider. In later Japanese feudal history, during the Sengoku and Edo periods, certain high-ranking warriors of what became the ruling class would wear their sword tachi-style (edge-downward), rather than with the saya (scabbard) thrust through the belt with the edge upward.

With the rising of militarism during the Shōwa era, the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy implemented swords called Shin guntō and Kai guntō which were worn tachi style (cutting edge down).