Japanese Blade Guide

The array of different Japanese blades can be a bit overwhelming, particularly if you are new to martial arts or if your looking for a display piece as a gift.

So at SamuraiBlades.com, we've taken the guesswork out of it by compiling this Japanese blade guide which we hope you find useful.

	Regular Katana Blade Katana blades are typically 27" to 30" in length with a regular length handle. Used in Iaido practice, the Katana blade is the longest length that also allows the blade to be drawn from the waist quickly.
	Iatio Katana Blade The Iaito Katana blade are the same as a regular Katana blade with the distinction that the cutting edge of the blade as been blunted to allow for form practice in martial arts such as Iaido and Kendo.
	Ko-Katana Blade Ko-Katana blades feature a shorter blade than a regular Katana but they still have a regular handle length. The shorter blade makes it perfect for use in tight quarters and allows faster drawing. Very popular in Karate dojo's.
	O-Katana Blade The "O" stands for "Large", which means an O-Katana blade are longer than a regular Katana blade. Drawing the O-Katana blade normally requires twisting at the waist or pulling the scabbard.
	Wakizashi Blade Wakizashi blades range from 17" to 23" in length which made them popular as a secondary weapon with Samurai. The shorter handle meant they could be used single handed.
	Shirasaya The Shirasaya is raw wooden blade holder intended for long term storage of a blade of any length, for transport or display. The raw wood is very porous which allows the blade to breath, however the wood is very susceptible to dirt and contaminants.