The Tiger and Rose Katana is a beautiful collector's item. It has an extensive history of ancient samurai heritage embedded in each facet of its design, which is refreshing to see.
And it's not just for looks. This sword is battle-ready and sharpened with folds of Damascus steel, layered by hand and untreated by any chemical solutions. It boasts an elite Kobuse Lamination process as well, in which a high carbon steel jacket envelops a medium carbon steel core. That process is one of the things that makes it an authentica replica of an Edo period sword.
But that's enough of the technicalities... time to get into those looks!
You'll find numerous engravings on the blade in traditional Japanese characters and pictograms. On the obverse side (if you're right-handed) is a dragon, and on the reverse is a pictograph of a sword above kanji letters.
The tsuba is crafted from both copper and brass. Here's where the tiger and the rose come into play, since a tiger is molded on top of the tsuba and the rose is molded underneath. Attached to the handle are two bright copper menuki shaped like tigers as well.
As if the sword isn't enough to get you to "ooh" and "aah" already, it also comes with a beautiful lined box, woven silk sword bag, and a certificate of authenticity. It's also not a bad deal, price wise.
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September 16th, 2008 at 11:10 am
What a beauty! Thanks for sharing. I’m most impressed with the procedure to create the blade.