Five Types of Deadly Japanese Swords

We sell a lot of swords, but how can you know which is the right one for you? Let us show you with a handy list.

1. Ninja Sword

Also called ninjato, ninjaken, and shinobigatana, the ninja sword gets its name from being the chosen weapon of ninja in feudal Japan. The key feature of these swords is that they have a single-edged blade that is relatively straight and short. Classic ninjato like the Ninja Combat Sword have a square hand guard, but many of our ninja swords, such as the Emerald Edge Ninja Sword, have no hand guard.

Ninja swords make for great costume accessories (even if they are deadly).

2. Double Edged Sword

We've got a bunch of double-edged swords but you probably didn't know what the common name for them is. They're just swords, right? In Japan, double-edged swords were called tsurugi or ken and resembled the double-edged jian from China. Presumably, they have twice the slicing power of single-edged swords. Like the ninjato, double-edged swords like the Red Blade Kunai Sword have a straight blade.

3. Katana

If you're looking for a curved blade, try a katana. The katana is one of the most popular Japanese swords. This classic samurai sword has a curved blade, often between 25 and 30 inches, and was wielded by samurai for centuries in Japan. Because the era of samurai is over, samurai swords like the katana are used mostly for decorative purposes, though many of them, such as the Crimson Warrior Hand Forged Katana, are battle-ready with incredibly sharp blades.

Despite what anyone tells you, Leonardo of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fame doesn't actually wield a pair of katanas. He's a ninja and fights with ninjato.

4. Wakizashi

Another type of samurai sword, wakizashi are similar to the katana in material and style, though they have shorter blades between 10 and 25 inches. These swords aren't as popular today, but were also wielded by samurai, along with tantos, which are even shorter than this and often resemble daggers.

Wakizashi were useful to the samurai for fighting up-close, especially indoors. You can see a wakizashi sword in the Red Dragon Samurai Sword Set, which also includes a katana and tanto. Like katanas, wakizashi swords are mostly used nowadays for decorative or ceremonial purposes.

5. Nodachi

Nodachi are super long. Since the 1600s, odachi have been used in ceremonies more than actual fighting. It's not even clear why or how Samurai used these absurdly long swords in battle. The Extra Long Nodachi Sword has a blade that's over 50 inches, making this samurai sword as long as the average man is tall.

And that's the list. Let us know in the comment section below which weapon you like best.