The tsuka-ito can be woven from very inexpensive fabrics or twine to the most luxurious Japanese cottons and silks. This is done to prevent slippage of the tsuka-ito (handle wrapping).
PARTS OF A KATANA SKIN
The ray skin is referred to as “samegawa” translating to shark's skin however ray skin is what is typically used. The wood handle is either wrapped in ray skin or channeled for rayskin inserts. The tsuka has been constructed many different ways but the traditional tsuka will be made from wood and custom fit to the blades tang and held by 1-2 mekugi pins. Thanks for reading this article.The Tsuka is the katana's handle.
In case you have one make sure to write the weight of the katana in your comment, too. Let me hear in the comments if you own a katana as well. The most important ones are the steel type, the used parts as well as the length of the katana. There are several factors that influence the weight of a katana. The scabbard increases the mass by around 200 grams (0.45 lbs). The average weight of a katana ranges from 900 g to 1400 g (2 lbs to 3.1 lbs). Post with a quick conclusion on the main points we covered. Including the scabbard results in a total weight of 1180 grams (2.6 lbs). So without a saya my katana weighs around 1000 grams (2.2 lbs). Unlike most katanas mine does not have a Bo-Hi. There is one more important detail I have to mention. So, a 9260 blade would be 10% heavier than a 1095 steel blade. While 1095 steel has a density of 7.85 g/cm³, 9260 steel has a density of around 8.7 g/cm³. Here is a short comparison between 1095 high carbon steel and 9260 spring steel. Thus, the total length of my katana is 101 cm (39.8 in).įurthermore, the blade is forged from 1095 steel. The tsuka (handle) adds another 30 cm (11.8 in) on top of that. The length of the blade is ~71 cm (28 in). Weight of my Katanasįirst of all, here are the technical details.
I always tell these guys that katana aren’t particularly heavy, but for their blade size, the European equivalents were around 200 g (0.45 lbs) lighter. That makes me argue with them from timeĪs mentioned before the average katana weighs around 1.2 kg (2.65 lbs). Swords were forged from a way different steel called pig iron. On the contrary to European swords, katanas have a wayĭouble-handed sword with the blade length of a European single-handed sword. Have a similar blade length than medieval one-handed swords, they should have the Weight Comparison: Katana vs Medievalĭifference between a medieval sword and a katana. Whereof 70 cm (27.5 in) is the length of the blade. On average a katana is 100 cm (39 in) long. Last, but not least is the length of the sword. Additionally, a katana with a Bo-Hi is not nearly as heavy. Some katanas have a smaller and lighter tsuba (guard) for example. There are many different materials that can be used for the various components. There are many different steel types, which (significantly) influence the mass of a katana.Īnother component that greatly influences the weight of the katana are the parts used for building it. Of utmost importance for the weight of the sword is the steel used for the blade. Katana depends on many different factors. The scabbard adds another 100-200 grams (0.22 to 0.45 lbs) on top of that. On average a katana weighs 1.2 kg (2.65 lbs). The mass of a katana without saya (scabbard) ranges between 900 g and 1400 g (2 lbs to 3.1 lbs). The weight of the katana differs from sword to sword.