Kuro means black — the colour of the smith’s fire before the steel glows, the dark a blade comes from. This katana keeps that seriousness in every part: a through-hardened high-carbon blade built for the committed beginner who wants a real practice cutter, not a wall-hanger dressed up as one.
Forging & Steel
The blade is 1095 high-carbon steel, forged Maru-style — through-hardened, a single homogeneous temper from edge to spine. That construction gives a very hard, very sharp blade with no laminated seams, the honest workhorse configuration favoured by practitioners who train hard. It is built to cut and to keep cutting, recommended for serious beginners after a quality blade. The trade-off of a Maru blade is its simplicity: nothing fancy to fail, just one clean piece of hard steel that takes a fierce edge.
Fittings
The furniture is solid and practical. The tsuba is finely carved solid brass, the saya is lacquered magnolia wood — naturally resistant to moisture and corrosion — and the tsuka is solid wood with a shagreen wrap for a grip that stays secure under load. It is a no-nonsense mounting that puts its budget into the blade and the function rather than decoration.
Specifications
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Blade steel | 1095 steel (Maru forge) |
| Blade colour | Gray |
| Tsuba | Finely carved solid brass |
| Saya | Lacquered magnolia wood |
| Tsuka | Solid wood with shagreen |
Dimensions
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Total length | 103 cm |
| Blade length | 71 cm |
| Handle length | 26 cm |
| Blade thickness | 0.75 cm |
| Blade width | 3.2 cm |
Is it battle-ready?
Yes. The Maru-forged 1095 high-carbon blade is very hard and very sharp — a genuine cutting katana built for real practice. It is both beautiful and functional, recommended for serious beginners stepping up to a quality cutter. Browse the full katana collection, the T10 Katana Inazuma, or the refined Katana Ōku.
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