Sanmai Steel Katana with Gold Dragon Tsuba - Black Lacquer Saya, Black-White Ito, 28.74" Blade

The blade is built from manganese Sanmai steel - a trilaminar construction that places a hard steel core between protective outer layers, delivering both edge retention and resilience. At 28.74 inches and hardened to 62 HRC, the blade carries a hand-finished edge and a natural hamon that traces the boundary between the hardened edge and the softer body, a defining visual mark of traditional Japanese forging. The chrome finish gives the surface a clean, mirror-like polish that makes the hamon line read clearly from tip to habaki.

The tsuka runs 10.62 inches and opens with genuine white rayskin (samegawa) underneath, providing a textured, grippy base that has been used on Japanese sword handles for centuries. Over that, black cotton ito is wrapped in the traditional diamond pattern, creating alternating windows that reveal the white samegawa beneath. The result is a sharp black-and-white contrast that looks precise and purposeful rather than decorative.

The gold-tone alloy tsuba is the most visually striking component of this build. Cast in an openwork dragon design, the guard features a raised, intricately detailed dragon coiling around the oval frame - the gold coloring adds warmth and visibility to the carving. A habaki collar in a contrasting silver tone sits between the tsuba and blade, keeping the fitment tight and clean.

The saya is made from hardwood finished in a deep matte black lacquer, running 29.92 inches to fully house the blade. Real horn is used at both the koiguchi (mouth) and kojiri (end cap), adding durability at the two highest-wear points. A braided black-and-gold sageo is tied at the kurikata, its two-tone cord complementing the gold tsuba and black ito across the full length of the piece. For collectors interested in exploring complementary Japanese sword forms, the Samurai Wakizashi collection pairs naturally with this build.

Overall length reaches 40.55 inches with a total weight of 2.8 lb, keeping the piece well-proportioned for display on a wall mount or stand. The koshirae-style fittings - from the rayskin handle to the lacquered hardwood saya - are assembled to traditional proportions. If you are building a broader display, the Great Katana collection offers additional full-size pieces in comparable construction tiers.