Lotus Citadel Katana - Limited Edition II
This is the second in the series of Limited Edition katana from
Citadel Knives and Swords. Each sword is signed by the smith on the
nakago with the sword number, limited to 100 swords before the model is
retired.
Click here to read about how these high quality samurai swords are made.
This katana is made in the same manner as the more costly Citadel katana (see
Ocean and Bamboo)
but with a focus on cutting practice this sword's fittings have been
simplified to their purest form. The blade is solid, with no bo-hi or
fuller to provide a slightly higher weight and forward balance. However
Citadel sharply tapers the blade geometry from the shinogi or central
ridge to the mune or back of the blade. This allows for a thicker blade
with more niku or apple-seed geometry behind the edge while maintaining
proper balance. This means the robust blade can stand up to traditional
target cutting of harder targets, usually fresh green bamboo, without
worry of chipping the edge.
The fittings are hand cut and shaped from pure iron, an extremely
tough material that takes a deep black patina and needs minimal
maintenance. Iron will bend under tremendous shock instead of break, a
feature any samurai would appreciate. The Lotus design of the tsuba is
in an older, simpler style (kyo sukashi, maru gata) that reflects the
nature of the sword.
The tsuka or handle and scabbard are hand carved to fit each
individual sword ensuring a proper fit. The ito or handle wrap is of
black natural silk imported from Japan. It is tightly wrapped around the
full same-gawa or ray skin wrap with the proper hishigami or paper
triangles present to ensure a long life of use. The saya is lacquered to
a semi-gloss finish with buffalo horn mounts (koiguchi, kurikata and
kojiri).
This is an exceptional sword for practitioners of tameshigiri that want a unique sword.
Collect the set; a samurai wore two swords, the matching Wakizashi is also available to complete your collection.