Folded Melaleuca Steel Tanto with Teal Cord Handle & Lightning-Pattern Black-White Saya

The blade on this tanto is forged from folded melaleuca steel, a layered construction process that produces the flowing wave-grain pattern visible along the flat and toward the edge. At 21.65 inches overall with a 1.259-inch width, the chrome-finished blade carries a clean geometry well-suited to the short, direct profile of the tanto form. Explore more options in our Folded Steel Tanto collection.

The tsuka is built around genuine white samegawa - ray skin that adds grip texture beneath the teal ito cord wrapping. The cord is wound in the traditional diamond-spacing pattern, with the white samegawa diamond peeking through at each interval. Brown horn fittings at the kashira and habaki anchor both ends, and the overall handle construction keeps the 1.54 lb weight well distributed.

At the blade-to-handle transition, a gold-tone tsuba commands attention. The guard features open geometric lattice cutwork - honeycomb-like voids across the surface - edged with talon-style projections and finished with black inlay accent bands near the habaki collar. The gold tone coordinates with the brown horn fittings to create a warm metallic contrast against the teal cord.

The saya is hardwood lacquered by hand with a lightning-motif design: jagged white lines branch across a black ground with flashes of teal green visible at the lower section - visually dynamic and clearly referencing the storm-lightning theme. Real horn koiguchi and kojiri fittings secure the mouth and tip of the scabbard, while the teal sageo cord ties off at the kurikata with a layered knot that echoes the handle wrap color.

At 21.65 inches overall and 1.54 lb, this Short Tanto delivers a complete koshirae assembly - folded steel blade, samegawa handle, gold geometric tsuba, and lightning lacquer saya - handmade throughout and finished as a cohesive collector piece.