Musashi Functional Katana  SBCH-PER-MUSASHI        Cas-Hanwei Performance Series Hand Forged Katana • Reproduction of Miyamoto Musashi's Actual Sword • Hand Forged and Differentially Tempered • Fully Functional (Except for Iaito Drawing Version) • Beautifully Designed, Made for Martial Artists • Premium Quality Steel and Fittings Please select the Blade Style that you would like to purchase. For more information about each blade style, please see the chart to the left, or read the Blade Style Descriptions below. Elite (Performance Cutting Katana) - $759 XL Light (Competition Grade, Fullered Katana) - $779 XL (Competition Grade Katana)- $769 Iaito 27" Blade (Stainless, for Drawing Practice) - $429 Iaito 28" Blade (Stainless, for Drawing Practice) - $429 Iaito 29" Blade (Stainless, for Drawing Practice) - $429 FREE SHIPPING! These swords are extremely sharp, cutting katanas. You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase them. This page includes four different varieties of the Musashi Katana: the Elite, the XL, The XL Light, and the Iaito. All four blades feaure the same fittings and design, but each version has a different blade cross section and the Iaito version is made from tempered stainless steel (designed for Iaito drawing practice). These swords are high end items and usually ship in 3-5 days. How can you not like a guy that gets drunk the night before a duel, forgets his sword, then, while hung over, uses a boat oar to defeat one of the deadliest swordsmen in Japan? Yes, we're speaking of the wacky (but dangerous) Miyamoto Musashi, perhaps the greatest swordsman to ever live. Musashi redefined Japanese swordsmanship, fighting in more than 60 duels in his lifetime and inventing a two-sword fighting style that martial artists today still have trouble copying. He wrote a world-famous treatise on swordsmanship called "The Book of Five Rings" which is a must read for any martial artist. Musashi's primary sword has been reproduced here by Cas-Hanwei, down to the finest details. The blade is made from a beautiful hand-forged, differentially tempered and fully functional high-carbon steel (except for the Iaito practice version, which is tempered stainless steel). The Tsuba (guard) is an exact copy of the one used by Musashi, a pair of black, joined iron rings. The tsuka-ito (handle wrap) is of leather, over a genuine rayskin. What more is there to say? Lots, that's what! Let's talk a little more about the blade. We mentioned it was differentially tempered, and most of you probably know what that means, but for the benefit of those who don't (and those all-important Google bots) let's talk a little more about that. Differential tempering is a process where the back (non-cutting edge) of the sword is painted in clay before the blade is heated. By doing this, the unpainted front (cutting edge) is actually heated to a higher temperature. This means the cutting edge is much harder than the dull side. Why is this important? Because the cutting edge needs to be hard to hold an edge, but if the whole sword is hard, it becomes to brittle and breaks easily. So, with a soft springy back and a rock-hard edge, you've got a weapon that can cut through even the toughest targets without risk of breaking. Incidentally, this differential temper is what gives the samurai swords the distinctive "Hamon" line. If you're looking for a fully functional, historically accurate, tough Katana at a decent price range, then the Musashi Katana is your huckleberry. Buy it and you also get a FREE sword maintenance and polishing kit. The Musashi, like all of Hanwei's Performance Series katanas, can be purchased in one of four different blade styles. To confuse things a little more, the Iaito blade style can be purchased in one of three different lengths. We describe the cutting styles below and in the diagram at left. Elite Frequent Cutting / Advanced Drawing Practice The Elite Katana Blades embody the classical design elements of the most prolific sword design in history. With their strong Shinogi Zukuri shape that accentuates the differential heat treatment, these blades are traditionally proportioned to appeal to the collector but they will also perform well in general cutting of hard or soft targets. XL Heavy Competitive Cutting Designed strictly for competitive cutting, the XL Katana blades incorporate the geometry, strength, weight and profile needed for successful cuts on substantial targets. Featuring differential heat treatment and a narrow edge angle, these wide blades will reward good technique with clean cuts and excellent durability. XL Light Competitive Cutting / Lighter Weight The XL Light blades feature the same geometry as those of the XL but incorporate deeply cut grooves (bo-hi) to reduce the weight of the blade while retaining most of it’s strength and cutting ability. This weight reduction makes for a quicker sword, well adapted for multiple cuts in lighter targets. Iaito Frequent Drawing Practice These unedged training blades provide for safe drawing for the beginning practitioner of the 450 year old art of Iaido. Forged from stainless steel the tempered blades are not only maintenance-free but more importantly provide the correct weight and balance needed for the rigors of repetitve drawing and sword motion practice. Each blade has a deeply cut groove (bo-hi) to provide audible feedback when swung properly. Also excellent for collectors.