Hanwei 47 Ronin Katana – The Revenge of Asano

The Akō incident or revenge of the 47 Ronin is a historical event that occurred in 1703. This band of ronin avenged the death of their master, Asana Naganori who was compelled to perform seppuku for insulting a court official by the name of Kira Yoshinaka. After planning and waiting for a year, the ronin avenged their master by killing Kira. Due to huge public support, all the authorities could do was to order them to commit seppuku, resulting in an honorable death despite having committed murder. A story that is the epitome of the Bushido code, it highlights the values of loyalty, honor, sacrifice, and persistence.

Hanwei's Ronin Katana is inspired this historical event. Featuring a full tang shinogi zukuri blade forged from K120C Steel, a type of powder steel loved for its homogeneity and even distribution of carbon content. Differentially treated and clay tempered, the blade is highly durable, holds an excellent edge, and showcases a beautiful midareba hamon that adds to the overall aesthetics of the sword. The blade also has a bohi that helps to lighten the overall sword while improving its point of balance, allowing for quick and agile strikes.

Paying tribute to the ronins, the blackened iron naga maru gata (oval) tsuba depicts a ronin holding a sword, set for battle. The other side of the tsuba shows a group of warriors standing ready. Other fittings for this katana includes the fuchi, and kashira, along with gold colored habaki, seppa, and menuki. The tsuka is first covered with white same and wrapped with black tsuka ito. The katana comes sheathed in a black saya with a black sageo.