The Tetsuren Journal

A katana needs a little regular attention to stay in perfect condition. Here are the essential steps for protecting the blade and handle.

From the Hon'ami family to the seven whetstones, discover how a Japanese sword blade is polished to reveal its hidden beauty.

An introduction to the main types of Japanese sword, from the early straight sword and the tachi to the wakizashi, tanto and naginata.

The naginata is a long-shafted Japanese polearm with a curved blade. Discover its origins, how it was made and its place in martial arts today.

The wakizashi is the shorter companion to the katana. Discover how to recognise it, why samurai wore it and where it came from.

Straight or slightly curved, the ninjato became closely associated with the samurai. Here is why it was so widely used.

The bokken and the shinken look alike, but one is a wooden training sword and the other has a real blade. Here is how they differ.

Korean and Japanese swords share a single edge, a curved blade and a similar handle. Here is how their history connects and where they differ.

The kaiken is a small traditional Japanese sword. Discover its length, its history with the samurai and how it differs from the tanto.