length: 42 3/4"
blade: 29 1/2"
blade width: 1 3/16" above hibaki
blade width: 1" near tip
grip and pommel: 13"
tsuba: 3 1/2" x 3"
balance point: 4 1/2" from tsuba
weight (sword): 2 lb 9.5 oz
weight (sword and scabbard): 3 lb 4.5 oz

The Unokubi Zukuri (cormorant's neck) blade design is patterned after the shape of naginata (polearm) blades. Notable for the strongly relieved shinogi-ji and diamond-shaped kissaki, the Unokubi Zukuri design provides excellent balance in a strong cutting blade.

Blade: Forged from 5160 high-carbon steel, differentially tempered and marquenched to an edge hardness of 57HRc.

Tang (nakago): Full length, double pegged.

Ferrule (habaki): Brass

Handle (tsuka): Wood core, genuine rayskin (Same), special non-stretch sueded wrap (tsuka-ito) for firm grip and wear resistance. Raptor feathers hilt ornament (menuki).

Guard (tsuba): Traditional blackened iron, Raptor motif.

Fittings (fuchi/kashira): Blackened steel, Raptor motif.

Scabbard (saya): Wood, non-fingerprinting textured lacquer finish.

The Raptor series is Paul Chen / Hanwei's line of test-cutting focused katanas. The blades are forged 5160 high-carbon steel heat treated to produce very high resilience and greater tolerance of misdirected cuts than a conventionally tempered blade. The edge geometry is configured to facilitate the cutting of both soft and semi-hard materials without chipping, allowing the cutter a wide choice of targets. Tatami mats are, of course, the test-cutting (tameshigiri) target of choice, but the raptor series blades are equally suited to tameshigiri on soda bottles, pool noodles, flying pizza boxes, heavy cardboard, and other cutting targets that are more easily available to the modern practitioner.

Price: $330