Sanskrit Tamahagane Katana

Like blades of old, Shadow Dancer's Sanskrit Tamahagane Katana by Zsey is a distinguished and regal looking piece. Sanskrit characters are one of the most popular sword engravings in Japanese swords. The most popular bonji features guardian saints or Bodhisattvas patronized and worshipped by the samurai.

This katana's shinogi zukuri (curved with yokote and shinogi close to the mune) blade is forged from tamahagane steel created by firing iron sands in a clay kiln to create steel blooms which are then folded to refine it. The blade is then differentially heat treated to produce a hardened edge while the spine remains flexible. This process also results in a beautiful gunome (wavy or semicircular waves) hamon accentuated through Sashikomi A++ polishing.

As its name suggests, the cupronickel fittings such as the mokko gata (lobed shape) tsuba, fuchi, and kashira with Sanskrit engraved on it. Other koshirae include a cupronickel menuki along with copper seppa and habaki.

A mekugi secures the blade to the wooden handmade Haichi style tsuka. A black Japanese silk tsuka ito tightly holds the white samegawa with large emperor nodes and high quality hishigami in place. This masterpiece comes sheathed in an oil lacquered black saya fitted with buffalo horn kurigata, kojiri, and koiguchi, along with cupronickel shitodome and brown Japanese silk sageo.