Damascus Steel Katana with Snake Tsuba - Black-Red Lacquer Saya, Chrome Hamon Blade

The blade on this katana is forged from damascus steel, producing the distinctive layered surface pattern visible along the flat. A chrome-toned hamon line traces the edge geometry, reflecting the hand-finished treatment applied during forging. The full tang construction ensures the steel runs continuously from tip through handle core - a structural standard in traditional Japanese sword construction.

The tsuka is built on a hardwood base wrapped with real white samegawa (ray-skin), then bound in black cord using a traditional diamond-pattern wrap. The contrast between the pale ray-skin showing through the gaps and the dark cord gives the handle its characteristic textured grip feel.

The tsuba is where this piece draws immediate attention. Cast in gold-tone metal with a geometric open-lattice body, it features a hand-carved snake in cream and copper tones coiled across the guard face - detailed with scaled texture and a distinct head relief. This level of carved detail places it firmly in the hand-carved tsuba tradition. Explore more pieces in this style through our Damascus Katana collection.

The hardwood lacquer saya is finished in gloss black with a scattered red speckle pattern across its full length - visible clearly in the product images as a bold, irregular spatter rather than a printed design. A black sageo cord is knotted at the kurikata fitting with a clean two-loop tie. The saya opening is reinforced with a black kojiri and koiguchi for blade retention and edge protection.

At 41 inches overall and 3 lbs, this katana is sized proportionally for display mounting or koshirae study. The package ships at 4 lbs in a 43 x 4 x 4 inch box. For collectors interested in related forged steel work, our Bronze Pattern Steel Japanese Samurai Swords collection offers comparable craftsmanship in a different steel aesthetic. Sword stand not included.