Damascus Steel Katana with Natural Hardwood Saya - Clay Tempered T10 Blade, Real Rayskin, Gold Tsuba

The blade on this katana is forged from T10 Damascus steel and clay tempered before quenching, a process that creates the visible hamon line running the length of the 27.5-inch edge. The differential hardening brings the spine to a more resilient flex while the edge reaches 60 HRC - a balance between rigidity and toughness that defines traditional Japanese blade geometry. The layered Damascus surface carries its own banding pattern that emerges clearly after hand polishing.

At the handle, white real rayskin is fitted beneath a tight black cord wrap in the traditional diamond-lozenge pattern. The samegawa nodes push up through the wrap to anchor each crossing point, preventing rotation during handling. The tsuka measures 10.2 inches - long enough for a two-handed grip - and terminates in a blackened kashira that ties the overall dark handle palette together cleanly.

The saya is cut from hardwood and left in its natural warm brown tone with a matte finish, showing the wood grain openly rather than obscuring it under lacquer. The visual warmth of the brown saya sets a deliberate contrast against the black sageo cord and the bright polished blade, a pairing that reads as both rustic and refined. The saya length of 30.3 inches fits the blade with close tolerance.

The gold-toned alloy tsuba is one of the most distinctive elements of this piece. Its silhouette follows a rounded petal form with open-work cutouts across the face. A raised copper relief at center depicts a bird in flight against a swirl motif, finished with a circular tomoe accent - imagery drawn from classical Japanese heraldry. The gold rim outlines the guard perimeter and separates the dark carved field cleanly.

At 40.5 inches overall and 2.91 lb, this katana presents well on a horizontal stand or mounted display. The full tang construction runs the blade steel through the entire tsuka length, secured with a mekugi pin - standard for pieces intended for handling rather than wall-only display. Every component from the hamon line to the rayskin wrap reflects hand-finishing at the construction stage.