Japanese rattan saya katana
Measurements
First off, let's not get real excited about the blade - it's a reproduction
blade with etched-on hamon that some gringo tourista attempted to sharpen.
Now that that admission is out of the way, check out the fittings and
mountings: early 1950's work, right after the MacArthurian admonitions that
the Japanese don't make anything even remotely resembeling a weapon wore
off, and the local smiths and scabbard makers and fitting-er's all breathed
a collective sigh of relief, yelled "yahoo!", and went back to work. The
theme for the fuchi, kashirae, menuki, and tsuba are wetlands creatures:
dragonflies, swallows, and water dragons. The hilt and scabbard are wrapped
in rattan strips, and the overall effect is quite good looking. This makes a
great display piece as is, or the parts'n'pieces would make a great mounting
set for a more worthy blade.
length: 39 1/2"
blade: 29"
blade width: 1 1/4"
grip: 10"
weight: 2 lbs 3 oz
