Recommended Katana Sellers

[Stuarto]

Hello friends, I am looking for suggestions on where I can purchase a good quality katana. I would prefer the katana to be a functional, battle-ready sword and would be willing to spend a decent amount for a quality blade. I am not looking for simple decorative sword. I have visited and browsed a few sites, but was hoping some of you all with your expertise would be able to assist. Thanks

 

[Flying Crane]

Hello friends, I am looking for suggestions on where I can purchase a good quality katana. I would prefer the katana to be a functional, battle-ready sword and would be willing to spend a decent amount for a quality blade. I am not looking for simple decorative sword. I have visited and browsed a few sites, but was hoping some of you all with your expertise would be able to assist. Thanks

A quality katana, hand-made by a skilled and worthy smith can cost several thousand dollars and up.

A “katana clone” as I call them, looks like a katana, may be mass-produced or may be partially or wholly made by hand, might be “battle worthy” but might also raise some serious questions about that point, and might cost between a couple hundred dollars and a couple thousand, depending on who made it and how much was done by hand.

So what is your price range?

I don’t otherwise have an answer, but if you can give some more info you might get some suggestions.

Musashi is a brand from China that makes clones costing a couple hundred to maybe $1500. I have one, I don’t use it because I don’t have training with katana so it is just part of my collection. To my eye it seems robust and could be “battle worthy” but I don’t know the ins-and-outs to make an accurate determination. It is also possible that even if it is appropriately robust with quality materials and decent workmanship, its balance and handling are out of whack, which is something that someone with training would be able to determine. These kinds of things have a lot of unknowns that are impossible to gauge for someone without that training. If the zombie apocalypse happened tomorrow and it was all I had available, by all means I would take it with me. But given the option, I have other pieces that I would choose first.

 

[Stuarto]

A quality katana, hand-made by a skilled and worthy smith can cost several thousand dollars and up.

A “katana clone” as I call them, looks like a katana, may be mass-produced or may be partially or wholly made by hand, might be “battle worthy” but might also raise some serious questions about that point, and might cost between a couple hundred dollars and a couple thousand, depending on who made it and how much was done by hand.

So what is your price range?

I don’t otherwise have an answer, but if you can give some more info you might get some suggestions.

Musashi is a brand from China that makes clones costing a couple hundred to maybe $1500. I have one, I don’t use it because I don’t have training with katana so it is just part of my collection. To my eye it seems robust and could be “battle worthy” but I don’t know the ins-and-outs to make an accurate determination. It is also possible that even if it is appropriately robust with quality materials and decent workmanship, its balance and handling are out of whack, which is something that someone with training would be able to determine. These kinds of things have a lot of unknowns that are impossible to gauge for someone without that training. If the zombie apocalypse happened tomorrow and it was all I had available, by all means I would take it with me. But given the option, I have other pieces that I would choose first.

Thank you for the very informative reply. I have heard that authentic katana swords can cost thousands. Realistically, spending thousands of dollars on a hand-crafted katana is out of my range. I would however be willing to spend upwards of $1000 but wouldn't exceed two grand.

If that could get me a decent katana but not top of the line, I would be happy. Having it battle-ready in case of the zombie apocalypse would be good What do you suggest, Musashi?

 

[drop bear]

I would just go with a cold steel or something. That way you get good enough for smashing bottles in the back yard. But not so expensive that if you did something dumb and broke it you would be out a bunch of cash.

 

[Flying Crane]

Thank you for the very informative reply. I have heard that authentic katana swords can cost thousands. Realistically, spending thousands of dollars on a hand-crafted katana is out of my range. I would however be willing to spend upwards of $1000 but wouldn't exceed two grand.

If that could get me a decent katana but not top of the line, I would be happy. Having it battle-ready in case of the zombie apocalypse would be good What do you suggest, Musashi?

Strictly speaking, I cannot recommend the Musashi brand because of the unknown issues I mentioned above. It is entirely possible that it is a reliably functional piece at an entry-level price. Or it could have problems that I am not in a position to identify without a more knowledgeable person helping to examine it. I just cannot say, so I won’t recommend it.

I bought mine in San Francisco’s Chinatown maybe fifteen years ago, for maybe $300-400. It is definitely much superior to the wall-hanger junk that gets sold for $35, but just where it sits on the continuum is something I cannot say with any reliability

Maybe look into Paul Chen/Hanwei Forge. They are a Chinese firm that makes Chinese swords as well as Katana clones. I cannot vouche for their quality, but I think I have seen some legitimate students of the katana say that they bought their first functional piece from them, price might have been around $2k.

I should ask: are you in a position to get instruction in the use? If so, the Sifu should give you guidance on where to acquire an acceptable piece. If not, I cannot recommend playing with a sword on your own and trying to “figure it out.” You can get seriously hurt in the blink of an eye, and you will never be able to teach yourself legitimate good quality swordsmanship. You need guidance.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I would just go with a cold steel or something. That way you get good enough for smashing bottles in the back yard. But not so expensive that if you did something dumb and broke it you would be out a bunch of cash.

This. Cold Steel Makes good blades. They don't use historically accurate construction methods, but so what? They're functional.

 

[BrendanF]

There are a vast range of different companies and smiths that make Japanese style swords. They fall broadly into a few different groups. I will ignore decorative, 'wallhanger' types for obvious reasons.

The cheapest options are the various Chinese companies that mass-produce swords. Mostly based in Longquan, these vary in price and quality but are usually regarded as relatively cheap but mostly good value blades. Blade quality from these companies is often surprisingly high, the cost being cut when it comes to the fittings - most notably the tsuka/handle.

Hanbon Forge is a very popular example: Katana Swords

Hanbon is considered a typical example of the Longquan producers.

Huawei is usually regarded as one of the better Chinese companies - Katana

Note that Huawei are notorious for taking a long time to produce an ordered sword - I've heard of people waiting 6 months to a year. Huawei swords are very well regarded among the cheaper Chinese producers however.

There are many others in this category.

There are also higher end production swordmaking companies. These will likely cost far more than $1,000 though. Evolution/Motohara are one of the better regarded examples - Evolution Blades – Motohara

A friend of mine recently got a sword from Motohara. It cost I think around $6-7,000, and is quite nice.

Some companies like Tozando will arrange for a Japanese smith to forge a nihonto for you - this will be made from tamahagane, and the blade alone will cost anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000. Then you will need to arrange for it to be polished and mounted.

There are western smiths who will forge a blade for you - typically from modern 10 series steels like 1084, 1095 or L6. Similarly you will need to then have it polished and mounted. Howard Clark is a highly regarded smith in this group.

Most of the above will be modern steel blades - made from anything from 10xx series, to W2, T10, 5160, 9210, sgt or even D2.

These are all good steels for swordmaking, if well heat treated. Some companies will offer pattern-welded (damascus) or san mai, kobuse construction. Again, if well done these processes can produce an aesthetically pleasing blade. They do not in any way confer any functional benefit over modern monosteel construction however, and if poorly done can provide a risk of weld failure or inclusion/cold shut - which is a problem that may remain hidden/unseen.

I hope that helps.

 

[JowGaWolf]

This. Cold Steel Makes good blades. They don't use historically accurate construction methods, but so what? They're functional.

Their blades definitely won't snap or shatter. They cut. Cutting edges come Razor sharp then dull into a harder edge that loses the Razor edge but still cuts with a more functional edge. A little sharpening is all that it takes. Best thing is that there are few negative reviews about cold steel funtion.

 

[BrendanF]

While I don't disagree that cold steel produce decent blades, I have to say that I really dislike them. The last one I handled I describe as a 'sharpened crowbar'.

 

[JowGaWolf]

While I don't disagree that cold steel produce decent blades, I have to say that I really dislike them. The last one I handled I describe as a 'sharpened crowbar'.

If you mean the weight was like a crowbar then that sounds about right tight for what to expect out of functional sword. They will not feel light like the performance swords that we see in competition. The cutting Wright of a sword may also feel strange. Mine feels a little tip heavy but that weight makes sense when running through my sword form techniques. In short knowing where the weight of a function sword should be is going to be crucial.

In the video he says the sword is heavy, but the reality is probably closer to the reality that he's not strong enough for that sword weight. When you look at traditional martial arts there will be conditioning and strength building exercises for using the sword. But most people do not train these exercises. I tried to find a youtube video of these techniques but I couldn't find it. The training I was looking for would make the sword feel light.

I'll take a page from Drop Bear's. Start looking at blades for competition cutting Cutting Katana

 

[BrendanF]

If you mean the weight was like a crowbar then that sounds about right tight for what to expect out of functional sword. They will not feel light like the performance swords that we see in competition. The cutting Wright of a sword may also feel strange. Mine feels a little tip heavy but that weight makes sense when running through my sword form techniques. In short knowing where the weight of a function sword should be is going to be crucial.

Yes, that is what I mean. I'm very familiar with the varied weights and balance of different Japanese swords - I've been studying traditional Japanese sword arts for many years. I'm also quite familiar with the different dimensions, geometries and capabilities of a variety of blades. I have been a bladesmith (just a hobbyist - I don't consider myself a skilled one) for some years also.

In the video he says the sword is heavy, but the reality is probably closer to the reality that he's not strong enough for that sword weight. When you look at traditional martial arts there will be conditioning and strength building exercises for using the sword. But most people do not train these exercises. I tried to find a youtube video of these techniques but I couldn't find it. The training I was looking for would make the sword feel light.

I'm quite strong - I'm 6'4, and about 240lbs in your terms. I was a fairly high level athlete growing up, and have been training strength and conditioning consistently for about 25 years. Not many Japanese sword arts have sword-specific 'strength training' exercises.. other than perhaps Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage ryu's iconic suburito training. Regular strength training is far superior by way of building foundational strength for sword use.

When I say it is a sharpened crowbar, I'm comparing it to high level Japanese swords, both nihonto and otherwise.

I'll take a page from Drop Bear's. Start looking at blades for competition cutting Cutting Katana

You are of course welcome to do as you wish - I put CAS iberia in the same box as cold steel. Certainly functional, decent blades. But horrible geometry and dimensions - resulting in terrible balance and feel.

'Competition cutting' swords are so named for a reason - the smith/manufacturer has created a blade specifically designed to cut through as much as possible. Usually these are hira zukuri, very wide and very thin - more razor than functional sword. If all you're interested in is cutting wara, definitely something useful for that task.

 

[Stuarto]

There are a vast range of different companies and smiths that make Japanese style swords. They fall broadly into a few different groups. I will ignore decorative, 'wallhanger' types for obvious reasons.

The cheapest options are the various Chinese companies that mass-produce swords. Mostly based in Longquan, these vary in price and quality but are usually regarded as relatively cheap but mostly good value blades. Blade quality from these companies is often surprisingly high, the cost being cut when it comes to the fittings - most notably the tsuka/handle.

Hanbon Forge is a very popular example: Katana Swords

Hanbon is considered a typical example of the Longquan producers.

Huawei is usually regarded as one of the better Chinese companies - Katana

Note that Huawei are notorious for taking a long time to produce an ordered sword - I've heard of people waiting 6 months to a year. Huawei swords are very well regarded among the cheaper Chinese producers however.

There are many others in this category.

There are also higher end production swordmaking companies. These will likely cost far more than $1,000 though. Evolution/Motohara are one of the better regarded examples - Evolution Blades – Motohara

A friend of mine recently got a sword from Motohara. It cost I think around $6-7,000, and is quite nice.

Some companies like Tozando will arrange for a Japanese smith to forge a nihonto for you - this will be made from tamahagane, and the blade alone will cost anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000. Then you will need to arrange for it to be polished and mounted.

There are western smiths who will forge a blade for you - typically from modern 10 series steels like 1084, 1095 or L6. Similarly you will need to then have it polished and mounted. Howard Clark is a highly regarded smith in this group.

Most of the above will be modern steel blades - made from anything from 10xx series, to W2, T10, 5160, 9210, sgt or even D2.

These are all good steels for swordmaking, if well heat treated. Some companies will offer pattern-welded (damascus) or san mai, kobuse construction. Again, if well done these processes can produce an aesthetically pleasing blade. They do not in any way confer any functional benefit over modern monosteel construction however, and if poorly done can provide a risk of weld failure or inclusion/cold shut - which is a problem that may remain hidden/unseen.

I hope that helps.

Thanks for the great information. I am checking out Huawei now. 1095 seems to be a pretty common steel in sword building. What steel do you recommend or prefer?

 

[BrendanF]

Thanks for the great information. I am checking out Huawei now. 1095 seems to be a pretty common steel in sword building. What steel do you recommend or prefer?

You're very welcome. Steels and metallurgy is an incredibly deep topic - many lengthy books have been written on the topic. By that I just mean it's a deep rabbit hole to go down. But I can give an introduction that I hope will be helpful. Apologies in advance if anything below is at all overly simplistic or basic, I don't mean to be condescending at all, just trying to start at the start.

Firstly, I must emphatically say that the quality of the heat treatment is FAR more important than the type of steel, if we're talking about modern high carbon steels.

With that out of the way, some basics: steel is simply iron + carbon. Carbon is the element which allows steel to be quenched to form a structure hard enough to hold a decent edge. 10xx series steels like 1095 are often called 'simple' high carbon steels - they are (mostly) just iron + carbon. 1095 is iron + 0.095% carbon 1075 is iron + 0.075% carbon etc. Some, such as 1084 have some other alloys (manganese) included, but you can basically think of 10xx series steels as iron + a percentage of carbon.

In order to hold an edge, a carbon steel is heated to a critical temperature, then cooled quickly. Most people have seen in a movie where a blade is brought to a glowing heat, then thrust into water. Water is actually a pretty terrible quenchant - most smiths quench carbon steels in a specific oil, where the viscosity of the oil is tuned to cool the steel at the appropriate rate.

The process of quenching a blade - hopefully - forms a structure in the steel which is harder than it's soft (annealed) state. In simple carbon steels this structure is usually martensite. The hamon, for example, delineates the transition from the martensitic edge, and the pearlitic/ferritic spine of a Japanese sword. The steel is however the same steel, just in a different structural form.

10xx series steels are fantastic steels. If heat treated appropriately, a 1095 blade should in theory form a harder edge than say a 1060 blade - the slightly higher carbon levels allowing for the additional hardness. The differential hardening process used in making Japanese swords, where the 'clay' on the spine forms a heat sink (ie holds heat in while the exposed edge cools faster) leaves a 'softer', tougher spine (the pearlitic/ferritic structure), which is more likely to bend/take a set, than shatter/snap.

Once quenched to harden, the blade will be tempered - which is essentially heating it back up a little, to relax some of the stresses/brittleness which forms in quenching. Most smiths have shattered a hardened blade by dropping it prior to the tempering process. So tempering is basically 'undoing' some of the quenching process, to trade some hardness for toughness.

Hopefully that give you an idea of the heat treatment process - the blade is hardened, but then needs to be tempered to make it tougher. Making it tougher by necessity makes it a little softer. This is emblematic of the bladesmithing conundrum - everything is a trade-off.

This trade-off repeats itself with steel types. The addition of chromium to steel aids with corrosion resistance: stainless steels typically have above 1% chromium. In longer blades however, stainless steels are almost always too brittle to resist impact - which is why stainless wallhangers are dangerous (likely to shatter). D2 is often called a 'semi-stainless' steel, because it's chromium levels are approaching stainless territory. If well heat treated, it can make a VERY hard blade, but is still tough enough for longer blades. It won't however make the prettiest hamon.

W1, W2 and T10 are shallow hardening tool steels which make gorgeous hamon - that's why they're often used to make Japanese swords. The 'W' in the name is intended to indicate that they can be water (brine) quenched.. though it's far better to use a fast oil. They are incredible steels for Japanese swords.

'Spring steels' like 5160, 9120 or 80crv2 have some manganese, chromium and vanadium alloys which make them incredibly tough - hence the name. They can be hardened enough to hold a good edge, but remain springy/tough, and are therefore exceptional sword steels. Again however, they won't produce a nice hamon - the alloy levels interfere with that.

Howard Clark is famous in the smithing world for using L6 tool steel to create incredibly tough Japanese swords - they have a bainitic spine, while retaining the martensitic edge. Again though, not as pretty as a simple high carbon steel or shallow hardening tool steel.

Like I said before, everything is a trade-off. All of the above are fantastic steels for long blades, if heat treated properly. However the more exotic or difficult the steel and heat treat, the more expensive it will be. Whatever wizardry Howard Clark performs on his L6 blades doesn't come cheap. While a 10xx, W2/T10 or spring steel blade from Hanbon forge or Huawei will be far more reasonably priced.. and may be a little prettier.

Ultimately, these differences is steels should be of little concern to the end user. Unless you're cutting hard targets regularly, the distinction between a simple carbon Japanese sword and a fancy L6 or other steel blade will not impact on you. Particularly when discussing the above vendors, the difference in fittings, and fit and finish will be far more noticeable and meaningful to a committed JSA practitioner.

I could go on about this stuff forever, but I hope that's given a helpful insight into my views - which are not those of a super-duper expert or anything - I would highly recommend further research if you're interested. Walter Sorrels is another american smith who specialises in Japanese blades, and has a bunch of informative videos on youtube, perhaps starting there is a good idea, if anyone is so inclined.

 

[JowGaWolf]

the difference in fittings, and fit and finish will be far more noticeable and meaningful to a committed JSA practitioner

This is where I've found most of my disappointments when it comes to swords. I've seen more complaints about the fittings than the blade at least for Chinese swords.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

You're very welcome. Steels and metallurgy is an incredibly deep topic - many lengthy books have been written on the topic. By that I just mean it's a deep rabbit hole to go down. But I can give an introduction that I hope will be helpful. Apologies in advance if anything below is at all overly simplistic or basic, I don't mean to be condescending at all, just trying to start at the start.

Firstly, I must emphatically say that the quality of the heat treatment is FAR more important than the type of steel, if we're talking about modern high carbon steels.

With that out of the way, some basics: steel is simply iron + carbon. Carbon is the element which allows steel to be quenched to form a structure hard enough to hold a decent edge. 10xx series steels like 1095 are often called 'simple' high carbon steels - they are (mostly) just iron + carbon. 1095 is iron + 0.095% carbon 1075 is iron + 0.075% carbon etc. Some, such as 1084 have some other alloys (manganese) included, but you can basically think of 10xx series steels as iron + a percentage of carbon.

In order to hold an edge, a carbon steel is heated to a critical temperature, then cooled quickly. Most people have seen in a movie where a blade is brought to a glowing heat, then thrust into water. Water is actually a pretty terrible quenchant - most smiths quench carbon steels in a specific oil, where the viscosity of the oil is tuned to cool the steel at the appropriate rate.

The process of quenching a blade - hopefully - forms a structure in the steel which is harder than it's soft (annealed) state. In simple carbon steels this structure is usually martensite. The hamon, for example, delineates the transition from the martensitic edge, and the pearlitic/ferritic spine of a Japanese sword. The steel is however the same steel, just in a different structural form.

10xx series steels are fantastic steels. If heat treated appropriately, a 1095 blade should in theory form a harder edge than say a 1060 blade - the slightly higher carbon levels allowing for the additional hardness. The differential hardening process used in making Japanese swords, where the 'clay' on the spine forms a heat sink (ie holds heat in while the exposed edge cools faster) leaves a 'softer', tougher spine (the pearlitic/ferritic structure), which is more likely to bend/take a set, than shatter/snap.

Once quenched to harden, the blade will be tempered - which is essentially heating it back up a little, to relax some of the stresses/brittleness which forms in quenching. Most smiths have shattered a hardened blade by dropping it prior to the tempering process. So tempering is basically 'undoing' some of the quenching process, to trade some hardness for toughness.

Hopefully that give you an idea of the heat treatment process - the blade is hardened, but then needs to be tempered to make it tougher. Making it tougher by necessity makes it a little softer. This is emblematic of the bladesmithing conundrum - everything is a trade-off.

This trade-off repeats itself with steel types. The addition of chromium to steel aids with corrosion resistance: stainless steels typically have above 1% chromium. In longer blades however, stainless steels are almost always too brittle to resist impact - which is why stainless wallhangers are dangerous (likely to shatter). D2 is often called a 'semi-stainless' steel, because it's chromium levels are approaching stainless territory. If well heat treated, it can make a VERY hard blade, but is still tough enough for longer blades. It won't however make the prettiest hamon.

W1, W2 and T10 are shallow hardening tool steels which make gorgeous hamon - that's why they're often used to make Japanese swords. The 'W' in the name is intended to indicate that they can be water (brine) quenched.. though it's far better to use a fast oil. They are incredible steels for Japanese swords.

'Spring steels' like 5160, 9120 or 80crv2 have some manganese, chromium and vanadium alloys which make them incredibly tough - hence the name. They can be hardened enough to hold a good edge, but remain springy/tough, and are therefore exceptional sword steels. Again however, they won't produce a nice hamon - the alloy levels interfere with that.

Howard Clark is famous in the smithing world for using L6 tool steel to create incredibly tough Japanese swords - they have a bainitic spine, while retaining the martensitic edge. Again though, not as pretty as a simple high carbon steel or shallow hardening tool steel.

Like I said before, everything is a trade-off. All of the above are fantastic steels for long blades, if heat treated properly. However the more exotic or difficult the steel and heat treat, the more expensive it will be. Whatever wizardry Howard Clark performs on his L6 blades doesn't come cheap. While a 10xx, W2/T10 or spring steel blade from Hanbon forge or Huawei will be far more reasonably priced.. and may be a little prettier.

Ultimately, these differences is steels should be of little concern to the end user. Unless you're cutting hard targets regularly, the distinction between a simple carbon Japanese sword and a fancy L6 or other steel blade will not impact on you. Particularly when discussing the above vendors, the difference in fittings, and fit and finish will be far more noticeable and meaningful to a committed JSA practitioner.

I could go on about this stuff forever, but I hope that's given a helpful insight into my views - which are not those of a super-duper expert or anything - I would highly recommend further research if you're interested. Walter Sorrels is another american smith who specialises in Japanese blades, and has a bunch of informative videos on youtube, perhaps starting there is a good idea, if anyone is so inclined.

Wow really nice informative post! Thank you.

 

[Stuarto]

There are a vast range of different companies and smiths that make Japanese style swords. They fall broadly into a few different groups. I will ignore decorative, 'wallhanger' types for obvious reasons.

The cheapest options are the various Chinese companies that mass-produce swords. Mostly based in Longquan, these vary in price and quality but are usually regarded as relatively cheap but mostly good value blades. Blade quality from these companies is often surprisingly high, the cost being cut when it comes to the fittings - most notably the tsuka/handle.

Hanbon Forge is a very popular example: Katana Swords

Hanbon is considered a typical example of the Longquan producers.

Huawei is usually regarded as one of the better Chinese companies - Katana

Note that Huawei are notorious for taking a long time to produce an ordered sword - I've heard of people waiting 6 months to a year. Huawei swords are very well regarded among the cheaper Chinese producers however.

There are many others in this category.

There are also higher end production swordmaking companies. These will likely cost far more than $1,000 though. Evolution/Motohara are one of the better regarded examples - Evolution Blades – Motohara

A friend of mine recently got a sword from Motohara. It cost I think around $6-7,000, and is quite nice.

Some companies like Tozando will arrange for a Japanese smith to forge a nihonto for you - this will be made from tamahagane, and the blade alone will cost anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000. Then you will need to arrange for it to be polished and mounted.

There are western smiths who will forge a blade for you - typically from modern 10 series steels like 1084, 1095 or L6. Similarly you will need to then have it polished and mounted. Howard Clark is a highly regarded smith in this group.

Most of the above will be modern steel blades - made from anything from 10xx series, to W2, T10, 5160, 9210, sgt or even D2.

These are all good steels for swordmaking, if well heat treated. Some companies will offer pattern-welded (damascus) or san mai, kobuse construction. Again, if well done these processes can produce an aesthetically pleasing blade. They do not in any way confer any functional benefit over modern monosteel construction however, and if poorly done can provide a risk of weld failure or inclusion/cold shut - which is a problem that may remain hidden/unseen.

I hope that helps.

Thanks for the great information. I am checking out Huawei now. 1095 seems to be a pretty common steel in sword building. What steel do you recommend or prefer

You're very welcome. Steels and metallurgy is an incredibly deep topic - many lengthy books have been written on the topic. By that I just mean it's a deep rabbit hole to go down. But I can give an introduction that I hope will be helpful. Apologies in advance if anything below is at all overly simplistic or basic, I don't mean to be condescending at all, just trying to start at the start.

Firstly, I must emphatically say that the quality of the heat treatment is FAR more important than the type of steel, if we're talking about modern high carbon steels.

With that out of the way, some basics: steel is simply iron + carbon. Carbon is the element which allows steel to be quenched to form a structure hard enough to hold a decent edge. 10xx series steels like 1095 are often called 'simple' high carbon steels - they are (mostly) just iron + carbon. 1095 is iron + 0.095% carbon 1075 is iron + 0.075% carbon etc. Some, such as 1084 have some other alloys (manganese) included, but you can basically think of 10xx series steels as iron + a percentage of carbon.

In order to hold an edge, a carbon steel is heated to a critical temperature, then cooled quickly. Most people have seen in a movie where a blade is brought to a glowing heat, then thrust into water. Water is actually a pretty terrible quenchant - most smiths quench carbon steels in a specific oil, where the viscosity of the oil is tuned to cool the steel at the appropriate rate.

The process of quenching a blade - hopefully - forms a structure in the steel which is harder than it's soft (annealed) state. In simple carbon steels this structure is usually martensite. The hamon, for example, delineates the transition from the martensitic edge, and the pearlitic/ferritic spine of a Japanese sword. The steel is however the same steel, just in a different structural form.

10xx series steels are fantastic steels. If heat treated appropriately, a 1095 blade should in theory form a harder edge than say a 1060 blade - the slightly higher carbon levels allowing for the additional hardness. The differential hardening process used in making Japanese swords, where the 'clay' on the spine forms a heat sink (ie holds heat in while the exposed edge cools faster) leaves a 'softer', tougher spine (the pearlitic/ferritic structure), which is more likely to bend/take a set, than shatter/snap.

Once quenched to harden, the blade will be tempered - which is essentially heating it back up a little, to relax some of the stresses/brittleness which forms in quenching. Most smiths have shattered a hardened blade by dropping it prior to the tempering process. So tempering is basically 'undoing' some of the quenching process, to trade some hardness for toughness.

Hopefully that give you an idea of the heat treatment process - the blade is hardened, but then needs to be tempered to make it tougher. Making it tougher by necessity makes it a little softer. This is emblematic of the bladesmithing conundrum - everything is a trade-off.

This trade-off repeats itself with steel types. The addition of chromium to steel aids with corrosion resistance: stainless steels typically have above 1% chromium. In longer blades however, stainless steels are almost always too brittle to resist impact - which is why stainless wallhangers are dangerous (likely to shatter). D2 is often called a 'semi-stainless' steel, because it's chromium levels are approaching stainless territory. If well heat treated, it can make a VERY hard blade, but is still tough enough for longer blades. It won't however make the prettiest hamon.

W1, W2 and T10 are shallow hardening tool steels which make gorgeous hamon - that's why they're often used to make Japanese swords. The 'W' in the name is intended to indicate that they can be water (brine) quenched.. though it's far better to use a fast oil. They are incredible steels for Japanese swords.

'Spring steels' like 5160, 9120 or 80crv2 have some manganese, chromium and vanadium alloys which make them incredibly tough - hence the name. They can be hardened enough to hold a good edge, but remain springy/tough, and are therefore exceptional sword steels. Again however, they won't produce a nice hamon - the alloy levels interfere with that.

Howard Clark is famous in the smithing world for using L6 tool steel to create incredibly tough Japanese swords - they have a bainitic spine, while retaining the martensitic edge. Again though, not as pretty as a simple high carbon steel or shallow hardening tool steel.

Like I said before, everything is a trade-off. All of the above are fantastic steels for long blades, if heat treated properly. However the more exotic or difficult the steel and heat treat, the more expensive it will be. Whatever wizardry Howard Clark performs on his L6 blades doesn't come cheap. While a 10xx, W2/T10 or spring steel blade from Hanbon forge or Huawei will be far more reasonably priced.. and may be a little prettier.

Ultimately, these differences is steels should be of little concern to the end user. Unless you're cutting hard targets regularly, the distinction between a simple carbon Japanese sword and a fancy L6 or other steel blade will not impact on you. Particularly when discussing the above vendors, the difference in fittings, and fit and finish will be far more noticeable and meaningful to a committed JSA practitioner.

I could go on about this stuff forever, but I hope that's given a helpful insight into my views - which are not those of a super-duper expert or anything - I would highly recommend further research if you're interested. Walter Sorrels is another american smith who specialises in Japanese blades, and has a bunch of informative videos on youtube, perhaps starting there is a good idea, if anyone is so inclined.

Again, thanks for the great information. It sounds like you work with metals. Are you a swordsmith? You have some great knowledge that a lot of people don't know. I would probably go with 1095 or maybe Damascus? I intend to look more into it. Either way, very educational post!

 

[BrendanF]

This is where I've found most of my disappointments when it comes to swords. I've seen more complaints about the fittings than the blade at least for Chinese swords.

Absolutely. Given the quality of blade most producers provide, for me the fittings and balance are the critical elements I'm looking for.

Wow really nice informative post! Thank you.

Again, thanks for the great information. It sounds like you work with metals. Are you a swordsmith? You have some great knowledge that a lot of people don't know. I would probably go with 1095 or maybe Damascus? I intend to look more into it. Either way, very educational post!

No problem at all.

I'm not a swordsmith. I have been bladesmithing for a while, but I'm not making sword length blades.. yet. I'll have a go at that soon - I have a bunch of W2 waiting to go, just need to make a quench tank large enough.

 

[Stuarto]

Absolutely. Given the quality of blade most producers provide, for me the fittings and balance are the critical elements I'm looking for.



No problem at all.

I'm not a swordsmith. I have been bladesmithing for a while, but I'm not making sword length blades.. yet. I'll have a go at that soon - I have a bunch of W2 waiting to go, just need to make a quench tank large enough.

Do you make a lot of knives and daggers, and do you sell?

 

[BrendanF]

Do you make a lot of knives and daggers, and do you sell?

I make knives, I've not made any daggers. No, I don't consider my work anywhere near good enough to sell to someone. I just do it as a hobby.

 

[Stuarto]

I make knives, I've not made any daggers. No, I don't consider my work anywhere near good enough to sell to someone. I just do it as a hobby.

That's a great hobby though, I would love to see some of your work if you are ever up to share some pictures. Every man should have a good knife in my opinion. For me, I would rather buy from someone who does it by hand. I know of one smith in the area that builds knives and swords in his barn. He has some impressive work!