The Japanese Wakizashi sword was an auxiliary sword used by the Samurai and worn along side with the Katana, wearing them together is a sign that the person is a Samurai, called Daisho. The Samurai Wakizashi is a backup sword, a great balanced sword that can be wielded either with one or two hands, also can be used in a tight place if a Samurai lost his Katana in the battle. We make matching Wakizashis and Katanas. All our Wakizashis are created for real use, using full tang construction to make a very strong, flexible blade. Make handsome display pieces for your home or office, it is also the best gift for your families and friends.
Battle Ready WakizashiShirasaya WakizashiAbsolutely perfect! I love the balance and look of it, just beautiful!
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Handmade Bleach Kurosaki Ichigo Bankai Tensa Zangetsu Anime Katana Swords |
I love the sword, great quality for the price. Definitely would have given 5 stars but some of the black rubbed off immediately with the oil that came on the blade.
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Handmade Japanese Sword 1095 Carbon Steel With Black Scabbard |
Love the Tanto. Nicely packaged. The blade is sharp and I like the way the blade was preserved in shipping with a light oil. Very happy with my purchase and will buy again.
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Handmade Japanese Samurai Tanto Sword High Manganese Steel |
This is the third katana I've ordered from True Katana, and it did not disappoint. The blade is beautiful! We actually made a mistake on our order and I emailed them right after I placed the order. I was a little nervous because they just provided an email address, and not a phone number, but they replied promptly and corrected the mistake for me. The whole process was very easy and hassle free. Thanks for a beautiful product and great customer service!
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Handmade Japanese Katana Sword With Blue Blade And Silver Scabbard |
The quality is pretty unreal for a $90 sword. Heavier and sturdier than I thought and I love it. I’ll definitely be shopping here again.
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Handmade Japanese Katana Sword With Black Scabbard |
My husband loves it its beautiful exactly like the Photo and I have it hanging in my living room
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Handmade Ninjato Ninja Sword With Purple Straight Blade |
Pretty nice and actually really really sharp, really clean katana and i love it a lot! i really do think they are well made and you should buy one! :D
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Handmade Japanese Katana Sword With Red Scabbard And Copper Tsuba |
Besides some issues I had with the habaki and Tsuba being loose Its a wonderful blade. Not razor sharp but sharp enough to give me a nasty cut with some poor handling.
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Handmade Japanese Katana Sword 1045 Carbon Steel |
Good katana not as sharp as I would have liked it but overall nice look and not to heavy so easy to swing around.
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Handmade Japanese Katana Sword T10 Folded Clay Tempered Steel With Black Scabbard |
Mine came in pretty difficult to unsheathe, but other than that it is a beautiful yet simple sword.
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Handmade Japanese Shirasaya Katana Sword T10 Carbon Steel Real Hamon Without Tsuba |
Overall Length: 28 in
Blade Length: 16 in
Handle Length: 6 in
Scabbard Handle: 21 in
Blade Width: 1.27 in
Blade Thickness: 0.27 in
Weight: 1.8 lb
The wakizashi has a long and rich history dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.
The wakizashi sword is one of the most important weapons of the samurai warrior. It was the backup sword that was paired with the Katana. By law, only members of the Samurai caste were allowed to carry both swords as a daisho.
Similar to the Katana, the Wakizashi is a classic nihonto with a curved blade and single edge. It was crafted around the same period as the katana, and was used by the Samurai and the Chonin class.
The Wakizashi in Daisho
During the feudal period of Japan, the samurai warriors often wore two swords. This set was called the Daisho which consisted of the katana and the Wakizashi.
No commoner was allowed to carry the pair since it was a sign that the wielder was a samurai. Anyone who disobeyed this rule would be punished severely.
Utilization of the Wakizashi
When a samurai entered a castle as a guest, he would not bring his katana with him. Instead, he would leave this to a page or a servant; this would be placed on a katana-kake or a rack.
If the weapon rested on the katana-kake, the katana’s tsuka faced left so the sword had to be removed using the samurai’s left hand. After, the sword was passed to the right hand then placed at the samurai’s right, making it difficult to draw to lessen the suspicion of others.
Unlike the katana, the wakizashi was worn at all times. It was considered as the samurai’s sidearm, just like the pistol of a modern soldier. From day to night, the samurai wore the wakizashi; even in sleep, he would keep this next to him or place this under his pillow.
The Wakizashi for Beheading
When beheading an opponent to take their heads as trophies, victorious samurai warriors preferred using their wakizashi instead of their main sword.
During these instances, the executioner would either be alone or with their comrades. They would capture their immobilized opponent and remove his helmet, then behead him with the wakizashi. With a shorter blade, decapitating an enemy single-handedly would be easier. Also, using the katana for this would heighten the risks of damaging its blade.
The Wakizashi for Swordsmanship
The Wakizashi may not have been as popular as the katana, yet it was still a favored piece. It has a significant value in the history and culture of the Japanese. Although it is not used as a weapon in this day and age, it is still utilized for swordsmanship for martial arts such as iaido, kenjutsu, and kendo.
The Samurai used the wakizashi as an auxiliary sword. They always wore this sword and never left this behind for various reasons.
First, they used it for indoor or close-range combat. Since the Wakizashi was smaller than the Katana, it was easier to use in enclosed areas.
It’s a backup weapon that they used when the katana was at a disadvantage. It was useful, especially when their primary sword got lost or severely damaged.
The Samurai also used the Wakizashi for decapitating their defeated opponent. Although it happened occasionally, the Samurai did not normally decapitate their opponents in the heat of a battle.
Instead, they held their victims down to show their victory in the duel.
The reason why they used the backup sword for this purpose was to prevent the Katana from acquiring more damage.
Swords were at higher risk of getting broken when beheading a person wearing armor. Since the Katana was their primary weapon, they had to keep it protected as much as possible.
Another purpose of the Wakizashi is for performing Seppuku or ritual suicide. In the West, people refer to this nihonto as the Honor Blade since the Samurai committed Seppuku to regain their honor.
Although the Samurai mostly used the Wakizashi, the Samurai also used other blades like the tanto for these ritual suicides.
Lastly, the Wakizashi was for self-defense. As mentioned earlier, a Samurai never left their Wakizashi behind. Even when sleeping, they kept it under their pillow for easy drawing when necessary.
Although it’s not as popular as the Katana, it’s one of the famous Nihonto in history. It has a significant value to the Japanese culture, like every other Japanese sword.
The Wakizashi had other uses aside from being an auxiliary weapon that is effective in close-range battles.
The sword was also used for beheading defeated enemies. One of its more known uses was for the ritual suicide called Seppuku.
The term Wakizashi was an abbreviation of the term “wakizashi no katana” or sword thrusting on the side. This was a term used for companion swords of varying sizes, but not until 1638 of Edo period. This was when Japan’s rulers attempted to regulate the different types of social groups and swords.
Over the years, a variety of procedures for forging the wakizashi have been developed. The first swords were made using low-carbon steel. When swordsmithing techniques have improved, high-carbon steel and Tamahagane has been developed; thus increasing the wakizashi’s toughness and durability.
The book, “The Japanese Sword”, by Kanzan Sato states that there wasn’t really any need for the Wakizashi. However, it may have gained prominence over the tanto due to being more suitable for indoor battles. Sato mentions the custom of leaving a Katana by the castle’s door or palace upon entering, while keeping the Wakizashi by the samurai’s side.
Though carrying the Katana was limited to the Samurai class, the Ko-Wakizashi and Wakizashi of legal length could be wielded by the chonin. This class included merchants, and was often carried during travels to protect themselves from bandits.
The daisho is a concept that began even before the Katana and the Wakizashi. Originally, the first daisho was made of the tachi together with a Tanto.
As time passed, the daisho pair consisted of the uchigatana and shorter Tanto. With the advent of the katana, the wakizashi replaced the tanto as the preferred short sword of the samurai warriors.
The wakizashi is similar to the katana but shorter in length. The average Wakizashi is about 50 cm long and was usually worn together with the katana by the Samurai of feudal Japan. When worn together the pair of swords was called Daish, which translates to large and small. This sword acted like a side weapon and was worn by the Samurai at all times.