Tora means tiger — and this katana carries the animal’s two natures in steel: the patient stillness before the strike, and the explosive speed of it. Built for serious practitioners and demanding collectors, it pairs a powerful T10 blade with fittings that put the tiger front and centre, from the gilded tsuba to the balance in the hand.
Forging & Steel
The blade is forged from high-carbon T10 tool steel and given a complex flame-pattern hamon — a temper line that rises and falls like fire along the edge, the visible signature of carefully controlled differential hardening. That treatment leaves the cutting edge hard and keen while the spine stays tough, so the sword cuts cleanly and absorbs shock through tatami practice. It is the kind of clay-tempered work that gives each blade an individual flame.
Mounting & Fittings
The tsuba is gilded carved copper, its surface worked into prowling tigers, while the saya is engraved magnolia wood — light yet strong, and warm against the gilt. The tsuka is wrapped in genuine stingray leather (shagreen) with a copper menuki kit and two bamboo mekugi over a true full-tang blade, giving a secure, balanced grip.
Specifications
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Blade steel | T10 steel with complex flame-pattern hamon |
| Tsuba | Gilded carved copper with tigers |
| Saya | Engraved magnolia wood |
| Tsuka | Genuine stingray leather |
| Menuki | Copper menuki kit |
| Mekugi | 2 bamboo mekugi |
Dimensions
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Total length | 103 cm |
| Blade length | 72 cm |
| Handle length | 25 cm |
| Blade width | 3.2 cm |
| Blade thickness | 0.7 cm |
| Weight | 1.4 kg |
Is it battle-ready?
Yes. Tora is a sharpened, full-tang T10 blade with a real flame hamon — a functional cutting katana for the serious practitioner, not a wall piece. Its gilded tiger furniture also makes it a centrepiece on a stand. For more master-grade T10 work, compare the Hitatsura-hamon Katana Edo and the three-steel Katana Enyou in our katana range.
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