Hanwei Praying Mantis Katana – L6/Bainite Steel

In Japanese culture, the praying mantis has both a positive and negative meaning. While it is seen as a symbol of courage and fearlessness, it could also be associated with power, cruelty, and being cunning. However, one look at Hanwei's Praying Mantis Katana will allay any concerns as it is a exquisite piece with a color scheme that radiates positive energy.

This katana's blade is forged from L6 bainite steel, a material that is challenging to work with, resulting it being used only by skilled wordsmiths. After heat treatment and clay tempering, the blade becomes exceptionally resilient, durable, and has great impact resistance. For this reason, L6 blades are typically seen only in high end performance swords.

Hanwei's mastery of this process begins with using L6 tool steel billets which are forged, shaped, and heat treated to achieve the Bainite and Martensite structures before the final polishing step.

The shobu zukuri style means that the blade is similar to a shinogi zukuri, but without a yokote and the shinogi ji drops off towards the mune. The full tang blade also has a bo-hi that helps to reduce the overall weight of the sword, improve its point of balance, and amplifies the Tachi-Kaze, the sound of the sword.

This masterpiece is equipped with a mokko gata (lobed shape) tsuba, fuchi, and kashira with dark copper and golden accents. As expected, the tsuba features a praying mantis lying in wait for its prey, reflecting the prowess of the katana. Contrasting the gold and copper accents, the tsuka is inlaid with white same held in place by subdued green silk ito. These color combinations accentuate each other, giving the katana an elegant yet formidable appearance. The overall design of this sword is completed with a deep brown lacquered saya that further brings out the beauty of the katana.