Sakura Koshirae Katana (L6 Steel)

The Sakura Koshirae Katana from Shadow Dancer is a beautiful and elegant piece with its contrasting saya and tsuka. Its shinogi zukuri (curved claw with shinogi and yokote close to the mune) blade is forged from steel, clay tempered, and Kesho (cosmetic) polished to reveal a striking suguha (straight) hamon.

Aptly named, this katana is equipped with cupronickel tsuba, fuchi, and kashira with sakura bloom motifs. It also features a copper habaki, silver plated brass seppa, and blackened brass menuki. The blade is secured to the Haichi style tsuka with one mekugi. It is then inlaid with white samegawa and wrapped in golden brown kapok ito from Japan.

The blade is sheathed in a glossy black saya with horn koiguchi, kurigata, and kojiri. The cupronickel shitodome is mounted on the kurigata opening to prevent the thickened sageo from fraying.