If we define a real sword as being handmade, with a real hamon temper line, extremely sharp, well-balanced, with a high-quality nomenclature and capable of cutting like a lightsaber then you can find prices under $5000. However, let's define what we mean by “genuine”. But if you want an authentic Katana with Tamahagane steel, then you will have to save money. However, you can find replicas in Japan between 100 and $1000 € which are of very good quality. Every master smith therefore has a production limit on swords, and this is one of the reasons why genuine Japanese made Katana is so expensive. The production of real swords is strictly regulated, Japan has some of the strictest laws on weapons ownership in the world. Real Katana vs “Fake” KatanaĪs for the debate between real and fake Katana, some purists claim that the only real Nihonto Katana made in Japan cost more than $5000. The result of this procedure produces a blade with a strong edge while the whole blade remains flexible. It will then be heated to about 750 degrees Celsius and then soaked in water to cool the edge more quickly. The practice consists of covering the blade with a layer of clay.Ī thick layer is needed on the spine and a thin layer on the edge.

The concept of a soft back and a hard edge comes into play in clay and differential tempering. The blade must also be surrounded by a soft envelope. The general principle of the procedure is therefore to produce a blade with a hard edge. All these methods have one thing in common: they consist of fusing steel parts of different harnesses.įusion produces a blade that is able to retain an edge without breaking. These include the simplest form, the Kobuse, the Sanmai and the Shoshu Kitae for the more complicated ones. This process produced Tamahagane, the famous traditional Katana steel.įorging contributes to the vital physical aspects of a Katana, and there are different ways of doing this. It took 72 hours to complete the purification technique, and they did this in a specially designed furnace, the Tatara.

But thanks to the innovative skills of the sword smiths, they used various impure iron plates, which they then purified with a flame. In ancient Japan, the quality of iron ore was not very good. Yet, despite the reduction in the number of folds, it is still possible to create an impressive number of layers, often reaching over 32,000 layers. Note that the method of bending a Katana does not require a thousand times, as one might think. These include bending, rolling and differential hardening, which are difficult tasks requiring extensive and appropriate expertise to create a perfect Katana. Technically, these classic, traditionally forged Katana swords are characterized by unique and lengthy production processes. Often these cost around 10,000 to $25,000 and sometime even more.īasically, Katanas are expensive, and when it comes to an authentic samurai Katana, things get even more expensive.Ĭompared to Chinese productions, prices generally vary between 1,000 and $4,500 for an object considered “reasonably traditional”. An authentic handmade katana in Japan is called a nihonto.

Fake katana vs real katana