Shadow Dancer Premium Iaito Sword | Handmade Training Sword (Blunt/Unsharpened)

An iaito is a practice sword designed specifically for iaido, replicating the look and feel of a real katana but with an unsharpened blade to allow practitioners to safely refine their techniques.

This Shadow Dancer iaito features a shinogi-zukuri blade forged from alloy steel. Because it’s not intended for cutting or impact, the blade is not heat treated and instead displays an artificial suguha hamon (straight temper line) for aesthetic appeal.

To make it lighter and better balanced for repetitive practice, the blade includes a bohi (groove), and is securely mounted to the tsuka with a mekugi (peg).

The handle is crafted in the Haichi style, covered in white samegawa (rayskin) and wrapped with kapok ito imported from Japan. Beneath the tight tsuka-maki wrap lie hishigami—small folded paper triangles that help preserve the diamond pattern and improve grip.

It is fitted with an iron tsuba, blackened brass fuchi, kashira, and menuki, and completed with brass seppa and habaki. The unsharpened blade rests in a black lacquered saya, adorned with horn fittings at the koiguchi, kurigata, and kojiri.

A pair of brass shitodome reinforce the Japanese artificial silk sageo, preventing it from fraying during use.