What Sizes Are Available For Japanese Swords?

LENGTH AND SHAPE

If you are thinking of collecting Japanese swords, you should know that there are different lengths and weights for different types of Japanese swords! By understanding this, you will be able to find the perfect Japanese sword for your collection to fully enjoy the history and depth of Japanese swords. In this article, we would like to introduce the length and weight of Japanese swords. 

Japanese swords are classified according to their length and shape. First, let us explain how they are classified.

CHOKUTO(STRAIGHT SWORDS)

A straight sword is a sword with no curve in the blade. It was mainly used until the middle of the Heian period (794-1185) and is also called a "daito.”

 

TACHI SWORDS

Tachi swords tend to have a deep curve, a wide tsubamoto (base of the blade), and gradually become thinner toward the kisaki (tip of the blade). It was widely used from the late Heian period to the Warring States period. Today, a tachi is defined as a sword over 60 cm in length.

 

O-DACHI (LONG TACHI)

Among swords classified as tachi, those with longer blades of 90 cm or more in length are called o-dachi (or nodachi).

KATANA

Katana is a type of sword developed in the Muromachi period (1333-1573) and is classified as uchigatana if the blade length is longer than 60 cm. Most of the swords generally regarded as Japanese swords today are katana.

 

Wakizashi

A wakizashi is a sword with a blade of between 30 cm and 60 cm in length. 

 

TANTO (DAGGER)

A tanto is shorter than a wakizashi, with a blade length of less than 30 cm.

 

NAGAMAKI

A nagamaki is a long sword with a handle that is almost the same length as the blade, from 180 cm to 210 cm.

NAGINATA

Like the nagamaki, the naginata has a long handle and a strong bow on the blade.