The katana and the wakizashi are the two main swords carried by a Samurai. However, if you are reading this you most likely already knew that. If you did not then it would interest you to know that during this article, you can find out why the Samurai carried those two swords. We will also look at the modern trend surrounding the Samurai swords today. We will also find out whether it is possible to have one today. “If it is possible to have a Samurai sword today, can I have one made specifically for me?” Keep reading to find out.
The katana or the tachi is the main weapon of the Samurai. It is the Samurai`s “long sword”. This is the official combat weapon of the Samurai. A rather intriguing fun fact is that the sharpest sword today is said to be a katana. It is known as the Masamune Katana. Unfortunately, only a few are available worldwide.
The wakizashi, on the other hand, is the Samurai` smaller sidearm. It could be used in events when the primary long sword is lost. It could also be used during close quarter combat where the long sword would not be ideal. However, the wakizashi has other traditional symbolic uses to the Samurai. The most noteworthy one is that it is the weapon employed during the seppuku suicide ritual.
The Japanese samurai’s two swords are jointly referred to as the daisho. This translates to “big small”. This is because the primary sword is bigger while the secondary one is just a smaller version of the primary sword. Note that the katana and wakizashi combination is the most common or ideal one. However, it is not the only available combination in the formation of the daisho. Another fun fact is that the katana is not an “original Samurai sword” design. It was designed as the straighter form of the tachi. But today, both terms are used interchangeably.
You might wonder about certain portrayed images of the Samurai where the daisho comprises twin swords of equal length. This was more of a “fashion statement”. This is because only the richer samurai could afford to have two swords of equal length. These equal length swords became a fashion trend for the rich in time. The more traditional or the not-so-rich samurai just had swords of varying lengths.
Now, today samurai swords (https://www.samuraiswordsmith.com/ ) are still very much available. Although the majority of the original ones are preserved in museums as important historical artefacts. However, some are owned by individuals who appreciate the aesthetic values of the swords.
It would also interest you to know that even today, there are still traditional samurai swordsmiths around. These professionals employ some of the original crafting techniques used by earlier swordsmiths of samurai swords. For those of you wondering about the question in the first paragraph, the answer is yes. These swordsmiths can customise swords to fit whatever requirements you might have. That is if you are interested in owning your very own samurai sword.
