Tonbo means dragonfly — in old Japan, the warrior’s emblem, the insect that only flies forward and never retreats. This master-grade katana wears it proudly: the copper tsuba captures a dragonfly mid-flight, and the whole sword carries that forward-driving spirit from the first draw to the last cut.
Forging & Steel
The blade is folded Damascus steel, worked until an intricate wave pattern flows through the metal — grain no stamped steel can imitate. Through it runs a distinct hamon, the temper line that marks the hardness of the edge against the resilience of the spine. That combination is what makes the Tonbo cut with precision and earns it a place with serious martial-arts practitioners as readily as with collectors. At 1.7 kg it has real presence in the hand, with the mass to drive a clean cut through tatami.
Fittings
The furniture matches the blade’s ambition. The sculpted copper tsuba is reinforced with silver and depicts the dragonfly’s flight; the saya is solid ebony wood, dense and dark; and the tsuka is wrapped in genuine stingray leather for a grip that locks under load. Every component is chosen to read as a coherent, master-grade whole rather than a collection of upgrades bolted onto a budget blade.
Specifications
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Blade steel | Damascus steel with hamon |
| Blade colour | Gray |
| Tsuba | Carved copper with silver |
| Saya | Solid ebony wood |
| Tsuka | Stingray leather |
Dimensions
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Total length | 105 cm |
| Blade length | 73 cm |
| Handle length | 28 cm |
| Blade width | 3.2 cm |
| Blade thickness | 0.75 cm |
| Weight | 1.7 kg |
Is it battle-ready?
Yes. The folded Damascus blade with its distinct hamon is hard, sharp and built for precise cutting — a genuine functional katana aimed at experienced practitioners and discerning collectors alike. It is among the finest pieces in the range. Browse the full katana collection, the Damascus Katana Shizen, or the master-grade Ninjato Miyamoto.
Verified owner
The katana matches the photos perfectly, and the gift box I chose is gorgeous, so I’m happy with my purchase. That said, I do think the wrapping on the tsuba isn’t quite tight enough. And the jury’s still out on how durable the blade steel turns out to be. Other than that, nothing to complain about.
Simply perfect, very good quality katana
I was hoping for a katana that could actually cut, and after a bit of sharpening it sliced through a sheet of paper as easily as a box cutter. The wood on the sword is beautiful and everything arrived perfectly packed.
I also want to point out, for anyone worried, that every question I asked got answered straight away by phone or email within a few hours, whether about shipping (which went perfectly, despite a small customs charge of£10 that seems pretty low for an item like this).
It’s rare that my expectations are fully met, and in this case they were exceeded.
I’ll definitely be buying a top-tier one next year!
I’m genuinely thrilled! Incredible value for money, by far the best place to buy katanas online in this range! You can feel the passion behind it and that’s fantastic?! The packaging is remarkable, top notch at protecting the sword and the saya in transit (which is fast, by the way).
It’s a real pleasure to spend money with a company like this. I highly recommend them.
The katana is magnificent, and the box that comes with it matches it beautifully. The engraving is flawless.
I’m genuinely glad I went for this one, it’s a lovely piece of craftsmanship. It’s my first!
The shop really stands behind its customers.
Thank you so much for being there while I was waiting and second-guessing myself, you were available and reassuring throughout.
You have my complete trust and I have to praise how reliable you are.
I wish your business every success and of course I’ll be recommending this site to anyone passionate about katanas and other relics of medieval Japan.
See you soon for another order 😉