Japanese Wakizashi Swords

For a hardened samurai the wakizashi sword was irreplaceable. Like a well trained pet, the wakizashi sword would follow his master everywhere as it could be worn at all times and in all places, unlike the katana which had to be handed over to a servant when entering a house or building.

On the field of battle, highly skilled samurai would unleash the wakizashi in conjunction with the katana (daisho) to inflict serious damage, and when the two swords combined the samurai could yield a radius of action of 2 to 7 feet! The wakizashi sword required less force to use and was far more maneuverable than the katana plus the wakizashi excelled at cutting through weak points of the human body.

As in life, the wakizashi sword would also follow his master to death as it would be used to perform seppuku, a suicide ritual performed because of lost honor. The blade would be thrust in his masters torso cutting opening vertically and thus, a honorable death for the samurai.

Those looking for authentic historical examples of a samurai sword are much more likely to find wakizashi swords, partly because those who were forbidden to wear a katana (merchants, traders) carried a wakizashi sword.

SamuraiBlades.com carries a full line of wakizashi swords ranging in price from $138 to $1200!