The katana, or samurai sword, is the most advanced form of Japanese edged weapons, the production of which has been honed for centuries. The history of the katana begins around the 12th-13th century. Wearing a large sword was allowed only to samurai warriors and aristocrats. Katana was an indispensable attribute of the Japanese aristocracy until the 19th century, but after the Meiji revolution, it lost this status, and officials began to wear European-style swords.
The Japanese wakizashi sword is a samurai short (30-60 cm) curved sword, sharpened on one side. Wakizashi, according to tradition, is worn in tandem with a katana and forms a “daisho” set with it (translated from Japanese means: “big and small”, or “long and short”). The length of the handle is equal to two fists. In appearance, it strongly resembles a katana, but its dimensions and the curve of the blade are smaller. Often the wakizashi and katana swords were made by one master, the swords had high-quality design and one style. If the swords were made by different masters, then they could no longer be called “daisho”.
For Japan, tanto is one of the elements of culture, a great heritage. This is a Japanese knife with a slight curvature of the blade and a traditionally beveled edge. Historically, the tanto is a lightweight and versatile samurai combat knife, also called a samurai dagger.
