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Sakabato Sword

The Sakabatō is designed as a simple katana with its blade forged on the opposite side than normal, making it a sword ill-fit for killing. Features of the blad...
The Sakabatō is designed as a simple katana with its blade forged on the opposite side than normal, making it a sword ill-fit for killing. Features of the blade have it depicted as a shinto era katana, and its hamon in an extremely rare recreated hitatsura notare midare on both sides of the blade, making it hard to differentiate the cutting edge from afar. Its fittings are humble and simple, but vary upon depictions throughout. Forged as a holy sword, the last of Arai Shakkū's blades were made in offering to honor the new peace that the Meiji Era would bring, and for him and its wielder, the end of his career of creating weapons for violence and death, and for Kenshin, the end of his days as a hitokiri, and the promise to never take another human life again.
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Sakabato Sword

The Sakabatō is designed as a simple katana with its blade forged on the opposite side than normal, making it a sword ill-fit for killing. Features of the blade have it depicted as a shinto era katana, and its hamon in an extremely rare recreated hitatsura notare midare on both sides of the blade, making it hard to differentiate the cutting edge from afar. Its fittings are humble and simple, but vary upon depictions throughout.

Forged as a holy sword, the last of Arai Shakkū's blades were made in offering to honor the new peace that the Meiji Era would bring, and for him and its wielder, the end of his career of creating weapons for violence and death, and for Kenshin, the end of his days as a hitokiri, and the promise to never take another human life again.

Showing 0 to 60 of 2 results

Customer Reviews

Amare Jordan Maryland, United States
Mar 09, 2023 06:58

Worth the buy. Very sharp, sturdy, and heavy. Awesome craftsmanship. Would buy another sword from them.

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword With Black Blade And Scabbard Handmade Japanese Katana Sword With Black Blade And Scabbard
Briyana Baskerville New York, United States
Feb 05, 2023 12:10

got this as a valentine’s day gift for my boyfriend. i haven’t given it to him yet but ik he’ll love it. the quality is amazing and the katana is beautiful

One Piece  Roronoa Zoro Yubashiri Katana Samurai Sword Replica With Black Scabbard One Piece Roronoa Zoro Yubashiri Katana Samurai Sword Replica With Black Scabbard
Nuno , Canada
Jan 30, 2023 12:05

I really like the craftsmanship on these swords so far. This is the 2nd one I ordered since Xmas . Still have the plastic on blade until I can display them properly with others I have .
Sturdy and sharp and luv the detail. There will be more to come from this site, prices are competitive . Thanks

Handmade Japanese Ninjato Ninja Sword With Dragon Scabbard Handmade Japanese Ninjato Ninja Sword With Dragon Scabbard
Regina Pargo Michigan, United States
Jan 18, 2023 12:21

This was a Christmas present and they loved it! The craftsmanship is impeccable. It is such a beautiful piece of art; we will definitely purchase another.

Handmade Japanese Ninjato Sword With Monkey King Scabbard Handmade Japanese Ninjato Sword With Monkey King Scabbard
Sienna Kinkade Utah, United States
Jan 12, 2023 22:36

Sword was amazing. I was scared that I was getting scammed at first because it took about a month to arrive and the shipping updates didn’t change often, but love the sword :)

One Piece  Roronoa Zoro Wado Ichimonji Real Katana Samurai Sword Replica With White Scabbard One Piece Roronoa Zoro Wado Ichimonji Real Katana Samurai Sword Replica With White Scabbard
Tyler Tackett Ohio, United States
Jan 12, 2023 12:06

It's Great! I love the sword, much lighter than I expected

Handmade Japanese Samurai Sword Spring Steel With Black Blade And Strap Handmade Japanese Samurai Sword Spring Steel With Black Blade And Strap
Michael Reiser Illinois, United States
Jan 03, 2023 05:59

The Tanto knife we purchased came in perfect condition and my son was/is thrilled!

Thank you

Handmade Japanese Tanto Sword Damascus Steel Real Hamon Handmade Japanese Tanto Sword Damascus Steel Real Hamon
April Coldwell West Virgi, United States
Dec 25, 2022 05:53

I got this for my son for Christmas he loves it so much. It is exactly what he wanted. Thank you so much

Handmade Japanese Katana Sword With Blood Red Blade And Scabbard Handmade Japanese Katana Sword With Blood Red Blade And Scabbard
Brandon Neisler Georgia, United States
Dec 21, 2022 15:01

It’s a really nice sword with excellent craftsmanship it’s also pretty sharp

Handmade Chokuto Ninjato Straight Sword High Manganese Steel With Blue Lightning Blade Handmade Chokuto Ninjato Straight Sword High Manganese Steel With Blue Lightning Blade
Thomas Wiggins New Mexico, United States
Dec 13, 2022 19:28

It is fantastic not much I can complain about. Though there are a few things I do wish, I wish the blade was black like how it is in one piece and the only other thing is when the package arrived and I unboxed it there was a small scratch on the scabbard of the katana. Other than that 8.7/10 would 100% recommend!

One Piece  Roronoa Zoro Shusui Katana Samurai Sword Replica With Black Scabbard One Piece Roronoa Zoro Shusui Katana Samurai Sword Replica With Black Scabbard

Sakabato

The sakabatō (reverse-edged sword) is a type of strange katana sword which has an upside down blade - the sharpened (edge) and unsharpened (back) sides of the blade are transposed.


The sakabatō seems to be a weapon of peace. On the normal katana, the outward curved side of the blade is sharpened, while the inward curved side of the blade is blunt. In contrast, the sakabatō is designed as a simple katana with its blade forged on the opposite side than normal, making it a sword ill-fit for killing. The sharpened edge is the inward curved, longer side of the blade, making it hard to differentiate the cutting edge from afar. It generally knocks the wielder's enemies "senseless" rather than killing them, which is used normally would only inflict blunt force trauma which can't cut or kill. The only way for the sakabatō to cut is to rotate the hilt by 180 degrees within the hand, thus holding the sword backwards. Its fittings are humble and simple, but vary upon depictions throughout.


This reverse bladed sword is used by a fictional character- Himura Kenshin who wields a sakabato to uphold his vow never to kill, yet still protect his friends with his sword. Sakabatou may not be able to kill you, but he can still beat the shit out of you.

History of Sakabatō

The Sakabatō (Reverse-Blade Sword) is the last of the strange swords forged by master swordsmith Arai Shakkū and the main weapon used by Himura Kenshin in the series.


However, unlike all his previous known works, whose designs all contain elements that make them tools not of combat, but of gruesome death, the Sakabatō is designed as a simple katana with its blade forged on the opposite side than normal, making it a sword ill-fit for killing. Features of the blade have it depicted as a shinto era katana, and its hamon in an extremely rare recreated hitatsura notare midare on both sides of the blade, making it hard to differentiate the cutting edge from afar. Its fittings are humble and simple, but vary upon depictions throughout.


Forged as a holy sword, the last of Arai Shakkū's blades were made in offering to honor the new peace that the Meiji Era would bring, and for him and its wielder, the end of his career of creating weapons for violence and death, and for Kenshin, the end of his days as a hitokiri, and the promise to never take another human life again.


Like with all manufacture of holy swords, two copies of the Sakabatō were made, a kageuchi (Shadow Performer) and a shinuchi (Star Performer), as was the custom. However, each copy eventually makes its way into the hands of Himura Kenshin.


Sakabatō Kageuchi


Given to Himura by Arai Shakkū immediately after the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, Sakabatō Kageuchi served as the rurouni's trusted sword for ten years afterward. Its hilt is without decoration and set in a simple, oval handguard and the sword itself is worn in a black steel sheath. The sword was broken in May of 1878 when Kenshin dueled Seta Sōjirō in Shingetsu Village.


Despite only being the kageuchi or shadow of the true sakabatō, this sword possessed superior quality than a normal Japanese sword, having easily broken one used by Saitō.


Sakabatō Shinuchi


While the kageuchi was given away, the Sakabatō Shinuchi was prepared for and given to the Hakusan Shrine in Kyoto as the temple's holy sword. Of stronger forge than Kageuchi, the shinuchi was hilted and sheathed in a shirasaya mount for storage and adorned with paper charms. After Himura took possession of Sakabatō Shinuchi with the permission of Shakkū's son Arai Seikū, using it against Sawagejō Chō of the Juppongatana, the wooden hilt is unable to withstand being used for Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū: Ryūkansen Tsumuji and crumbles, revealing a hidden engraving. On the steel inside the hilt, Shakkū had engraved a short poem reading "Slashing myself, I have trained countless blades. My son reviles, but for my grandson, I bleed." After transferring shinuchi into kageuchi's old hilt and a new steel sheath, it becomes Kenshin's new sakabatō until 1882 when he passes it on to Myōjin Yahiko as a genpuku gift. In the non-canon OVA Samurai X: Reflection, Yahiko in turn passes the sword on to as his own genpuku gift.


As a testament of its quality, when this sword clashed with Sojiro's Kikuichimonji Norimune, which was far superior to the Nagasoni Kotetsu which snapped the Kageuchi Sakabatō, on an even battoujutsu, it wasn't even scratched while landing a crack on Sojiro's sword.


In the Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc, Yahiko gave the sakabato back to Kenshin. Kenshin then takes and uses the sword while in Hokkaido.