What is a shikomizue and how does it relate to the black ninjato?
Updated Feb 2026
A shikomizue is a concealment sword in the Japanese sword tradition - a blade hidden within a cane or walking stick, designed to look like an ordinary walking implement while housing a functional blade. The shikomizue concept is associated with the broader ninja and covert traditions in Japanese sword culture, and in the black ninjato category, shikomizue pieces represent the most extreme expression of the straight-blade concealment aesthetic. The bamboo-style ninjato in the collection takes a related approach with a straight blade in a bamboo-textured scabbard. Both forms reference the historical tradition of the straight blade as a concealment weapon, and both create distinctive display collectibles whose disguised-sword design language is immediately legible to collectors familiar with the Japanese concealment sword tradition. As display pieces, shikomizue and bamboo-style ninjato create visual interest through the contrast between the mundane outer appearance of the housing and the full-tang carbon steel sword within.