The Samurai Sword Blog

The Apocalypse has come and gone, and all that's left now are poppy fields and kung fu fighters! So far, that's the premise of AMC's In the Badlands, which airs on Sunday nights.  "The wars were so long ago nobody even remembers. Darkness and fear ruled until the time of the barons, seven men and women who forged order out of chaos. People flocked to them for protection. That protection became servitude. They banished guns and trained armies of lethal fighters they called Clippers. …

China has been making swords for thousands of years, and to this day, sword ownership in China is something successful businessmen and families aspire to. Famous smiths can command prices in excess of $100,000USD for a single jian or dao rivaling, and in many instances, eclipsing their Japanese katana making rivals.Becoming a master smith follows the same path it has for countless generations. Apprentice to a master, study, learn, get better, and gain recognition through testing. Master smiths i …

The Book of Five RingsIf you collect katanas long enough you're eventually going to hear of him. One of the most famous and revered swordsman who ever lived, Miyamoto Musashi has inspired countless martial artists for centuries through his writings and the legends that surround his life. You've probably heard the name before now, whether referenced as a historical figure or as a character in one of the dozens of films, manga, and video games he is featured in. In addition, there are multip …

Chinese forges and factories crank out millions of samurai swords every year. They use several hooks to get unsuspecting buyers to purchase their lower quality katana. Among them, certificates of authenticity, fake hamon, and silk covered display boxes. Believe it or not, Ronin actually loses out on sales because we refuse to print up worthless certificates of authenticity. My personal opinion is that the money should go into the sword, and not the box the sword goes in.In this post, I am going …

In part four of the "how samurai swords for sale on ebay get made" series, I am going to focus on saya making. I know the owners of several of the factories making saya, and took pictures in a few different ones. Factory is a pretty lose term, as these places have 3-4 employees. As was shown in part one, the dealers will actually wrap the saya themselves. First up is a look at some of the Ronin dojo pro saya getting made. The brown horn is already attached, and they are about to be taped up …