The katana is Japan’s best-known sword, a curved, single-edged blade associated with the samurai. Developed from the earlier tachi, it is worn edge-up through the belt, allowing very rapid drawing and cutting in one motion. Its form and use were shaped by medieval warfare and later refined in peaceful times into an art object and status symbol.
Traditional katana are forged from tamahagane steel, made from iron sand and repeatedly folded to balance hardness and toughness. The blade’s curve and the visible hamon line are created during differential quenching with a specially applied clay coating. Production is highly specialized: smiths, polishers, scabbard-makers, and metalworkers collaborate so each finished katana represents the work of multiple craftsmen.