Pattern steel - the form of layered steel most associated with Damascus forging - is produced by welding alternating layers of high and low carbon steel, then folding and re-welding repeatedly until the grain becomes visible across the surface. The flow lines that emerge are the literal record of that layering: each visible line represents a boundary between a high-carbon and low-carbon layer, etched to contrast by acid or polish during finishing. On a katana blade, that surface becomes the aesthetic counterpart to the tamahagane jihada - both are forge-work made visible in the steel, but from different construction methods.
This handforged pattern steel blade runs 28.3 inches with a 9.5-inch full-tang nakago, 37.8 inches overall. The Damascus grain pattern extends across the flat, the layered steel's characteristic flow lines running from spine to edge. Clay tempering produces the hamon - the differential-hardening line along the cutting edge - which runs through and integrates with the Damascus surface, its boundary defined by the quench process rather than the folding pattern.
The specifications match the other blades in this series: 1.26-inch width, 0.75-inch sori, 1.76 lbs. The nakago carries its black-rust patina intact. For the custom builder, pattern steel introduces a surface aesthetic that tamahagane and T10 approach differently: the Damascus grain is more immediately legible, its flow lines readable at a distance, while tamahagane jihada rewards closer inspection.
This blade sits at the most accessible price point in the series while still delivering a real hamon and folded steel construction. Browse the full katana blade collection for side-by-side comparison of all three steel types. Full tang, no pre-drilled holes. Free shipping, 30-day money-back guarantee.
- 28.3-inch pattern steel blade with visible Damascus flow-line grain across the flat - layered forging made visual.
- Real folded hamon along the cutting edge - clay-tempering applied to multi-layer folded steel.
- Jihada grain from folding integrates with the Damascus pattern for a textured, layered surface aesthetic.
- 9.5-inch full-tang nakago with black-rust patina; 37.8 inches overall, 1.76 lbs, 0.75-inch sori.
- 1.26-inch blade width - standard katana geometry in layered pattern steel.
- No pre-drilled holes on the tang - buyer drills mekugi-ana to their own tsuka dimensions.
Specification
| Item Number | TK-JP-G10468 |
| Primary Color | Steel |
| Primary Material | Damascus Steel |
