Ryu means dragon — and a dragon coils in the grain of this short sword. The Ryu is a wakizashi, the katana’s companion blade, traditionally worn as the second sword of the daisho pairing. Here the Damascus steel is finished a deep red, the folded layers catching the colour like fire down a serpent’s spine.
Forging & Steel
The blade is folded red Damascus, welded through many layers for that flowing dragon-grain. Sharpened and full-tang, it is a genuine short blade rather than a letter-opener — the red riding the folded layers themselves, so the dragon theme is built into the steel and not laid over it. For a short companion blade at the entry tier, it is dressed in fittings that punch well above their price.
Mount & Fittings
A carved copper tsuba sets the tone, the lacquered ebony saya carries a bull-horn kurigata, and the handle is wrapped in white shagreen leather over a copper menuki set, pegged through the tang with bamboo mekugi. The ebony scabbard and genuine shagreen are materials usually reserved for higher tiers — on an entry-level wakizashi they make the Ryu feel like a blade that has reached above its price for its dress.
Specifications
| Blade steel | Red Damascus steel (folded) |
|---|---|
| Tsuba | Carved copper |
| Saya | Lacquered ebony wood with bull-horn kurigata |
| Tsuka | White shagreen leather, copper menuki set, bamboo mekugi |
Dimensions
| Total length | 78 cm |
|---|---|
| Blade length | 52 cm |
| Handle length | 23 cm |
| Blade width | 3.2 cm |
| Blade thickness | 0.7 cm |
| Weight | 1 kg |
Is it battle-ready?
Yes. The Ryu is a sharpened, full-tang folded Damascus wakizashi pegged with bamboo mekugi — a genuine short blade, not a letter-opener. Pair it with a full-length katana to build a daisho, or compare it against the master-grade Wakizashi Kiku and the T10 Wakizashi Kaiyō.
Verified owner
Lovely craftsmanship, the blade itself is a thing of beauty. I’d definitely recommend this shop
Very well run shop. Perfect service, polite and respectful. The products are put together with real care.