Usage

The katana's unique design and in particular its sharpness necessitate quite a few specialized precautions to handle it. Failure to observe these precautions can easily lead to damage to the weapon or severe injury.

Combat

See also: Battōjutsu, Iaidō, Iaijutsu, Kenjutsu, and Shinkendo

Storage and maintenance

If mishandled in its storage or maintenance, the katana may become irreparably damaged. It is extremely important that the blade remain well-oiled and polished, as the natural moisture residue from the hands of the user will rapidly cause the blade to rust if not cleaned off. Similarly, when stored for longer periods, it is important that the katana be inspected frequently and aired out if necessary in order to prevent rust or mold from forming (mold may feed off the salts in the oil used to polish the katana).^[7]

Ownership and trade in the United Kingdom

As of April 2008, the British government added swords with a curved blade of 50 cm (20 in) or over in length ("and for the purposes of this sub-paragraph, the length of the blade shall be the straight line distance from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade") to the Offensive Weapons Order.^[8] This ban was a response to reports that Samurai swords were used in more than 80 attacks and 4 killings over the 4 preceding years.^[9] Those who violate the ban would be jailed up to six months and charged a fine of £5,000. Martial arts practitioners, historical re-enactors and people currently possessing such swords may still own them. The sword can also be legal provided it was made in Japan before 1954, or was made using traditional sword making methods. It is also legal to buy if it can be classed as a 'martial artist's weapon' ^[10]. This ban currently applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

See also

• Tatara (furnace)
• Japanese swords

Similar Japanese swords

• Tachi/Nodachi/Ōdachi, often called by the pseudo-Japanese term daikatana and mistakenly labeled as a katana.
• Kodachi, often called by the pseudo-Japanese term chisakatana or kogatana and mistakenly labeled as a katana.
• Wakizashi, the short blade usually worn along with the katana.

Myths and Fiction

Due to their long history and mystique, Katanas are often depicted as weapons of unparalleled power, often bordering on the physically impossible. Katanas are often depicted as being inherently "superior" to all other weapons possessing such qualities as being impossibly light, nigh-unbreakable and able to cut through nearly anything. By contrast, traditional European weapons are often depicted as clumsy, crude and unweildly by comparison despite all historical and modern evidence to the contrary.

Main article: Japanese swords in fiction

Further reading

• Kapp, Leon (1987). The Craft of the Japanese Sword. Kodansha Intl. Ltd..
• Perrin, Noel (1979). Giving Up the Gun: Japan's Reversion to the Sword, 1543-1879. Boston: David R. Godine.
• Robinson, H. Russell (1969). Japanese Arms and Armor. New York: Crown Publishers Inc..
• Sinclaire, Clive. Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior.
• Takeuchi, S. Alexander (September, 2005). "Common Length of Tsuka on Nihon-to from a Socio-Historical Perspective". http://www2.una.edu/Takeuchi/DrT_Jpn_Culture_files/Nihon_to_files/tsuka_length.htm. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
• Yumoto, John M (1958). The Samurai Sword: A Handbook. Boston: Tuttle Publishing.