Jadeholt Hand Forged Damascus Chinese Jian Sword | 35 Inch Overall with 27 Inch Blade | Martial Arts Collector Gift | RK-1302

Chinese arms are traditionally divided into two families. The dao is the single edged saber, the weapon of the soldier, and the jian is the straight double edged sword, called the gentleman of weapons because it was carried by scholars, officials and generals rather than issued to the ranks. A jian is the harder of the two to use and the harder of the two to make. Both edges have to be ground true, the blade has to stay stiff enough to thrust while staying light enough to change direction instantly, and the balance has to sit close to the hand. Bronze jian were being cast in China more than two and a half thousand years ago, and the shape has barely changed since it moved into steel.

This one is built from forge welded Damascus. The billet is 1095 and 15N20 stacked, welded, drawn and folded, then forged into a straight double edged blade with a broad shallow fuller and hardened to 58 to 60 HRC. Everything is made by hand in Memphis, Tennessee. The hilt is a wrapped grip with plain steel fittings, and the sword ships in a black scabbard. Shipping inside the United States is free.

Specifications

Why a jian is built differently from a saber

A single edged blade can be thick along the spine because only one side has to come to an edge. That thickness carries the stiffness. A double edged blade has no spine to hide weight in, so it has to find its rigidity from the shape of its cross section instead, which is why almost every jian has either a diamond section or a fuller running down the middle. The fuller on this blade does the same job as the one on a European arming sword. It removes steel from the neutral axis where it contributes almost nothing to stiffness, so the blade gets lighter without getting floppy.

The other consequence of two edges is that the sword has no fixed orientation. You can cut with either side without turning your wrist, which is why jian technique is full of changes of line that would be impossible with a saber. It also means the grip has to be close to round rather than flattened, and you have to develop a feel for where the edges are rather than being told by the shape of the handle. That is a large part of why the jian earned its reputation as the difficult weapon.

Why Damascus and not stainless

Two steels are used at this forge. Plain blades are 1095 high carbon steel at 54 to 58 HRC. Damascus blades like this one are 1095 and 15N20 forge welded and taken to 58 to 60 HRC. Nothing else is used, and there are no proprietary mystery alloys.

1095 and 15N20 are paired because they weld to each other cleanly and react differently to acid. In the etch the 1095 goes dark and the nickel bearing 15N20 stays bright, which is what makes the layers visible. The nickel also toughens the billet, letting us run a Damascus blade harder than a plain one. Stainless steel is impossible here on every count. Its chromium blocks a sound forge weld, it will not take a contrasting etch, and in a long thin double edged blade its carbides make fracture a real possibility. The honest cost of carbon steel is rust, and a wipe of oil handles it. See Damascus versus stainless.

The wrapped grip

The grip is a wooden core with a dark wrap over it, eight inches long, close to round in section and slightly waisted so the hand finds the same place every time. Steel fittings close it at both ends. A wrapped grip is the traditional answer on Chinese swords for two reasons. It gives a surface that stays secure in a damp hand, and it lets the maker adjust the diameter to the owner by changing the thickness of the underlay rather than recutting the wood.

If there is exposed wood at the collar or pommel, treat it like any hardwood fitting. Keep it out of direct sun and dry heat and give it a little oil once or twice a year. Our wooden handle care guide covers the routine.

Engraving, runes and your own design

Use the rune converter on this page to turn a name, a date or a short phrase into Elder Futhark and we will cut it into the steel or the handle. If you would rather have a Viking pattern than a rune line, choose your own design in the engraving option above the add to cart button and tell us whether it goes on the blade or the handle. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. On a jian the flat beside the fuller is the natural place for a cut line, and the fresh cut reads bright against the etched pattern. See the engraving page.

Care and sharpening

Keep a light film of oil on the blade at all times and wipe it after handling, paying attention to the fuller where dust collects. Do not use abrasive polish, wire wool or a rust eraser on the flats, because they will lift the etch and flatten the pattern for good. Our steel care page explains the safe way to deal with spotting.

Two edges means twice the sharpening, and the important thing is symmetry. Work one edge in sections on a medium stone, counting your passes, then do exactly the same on the other, refine both on a fine stone and strop the burr off. Slow down at the point where the edges meet, because that is where a tip gets rounded. Method and grits are on sharpening with a whetstone.

Forged in Memphis

The billet is welded and drawn out here in Memphis, Tennessee, and the blade is forged, fullered, ground, hardened, straightened, etched and hilted in the same shop. The scabbard is made here as well. Nothing is drop shipped from an importer catalogue and nothing is bought in finished. Because the billet has to be built before the blade can be started, and because a double edged blade takes twice the grinding, a made to order jian needs four to five weeks. In stock swords ship in two to three business days.

A note on handmade variation

This sword is hand forged. It is not machine made and it is not bulk produced, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. No two Damascus billets fold identically, so the banding and swirl on your blade are yours alone, and the wrap tension, the tone of the fittings and the exact taper of the point will vary as well because everything is worked by hand. The dimensions, the steel, the layer count and the build are the same every time. The character is not.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Damascus pattern forge welded or applied?

Forge welded. The billet is 1095 and 15N20 welded and folded, so the pattern runs through the whole thickness of the blade rather than sitting on the surface.

Is the sword sharp on both edges?

Yes. Both edges arrive sharp, which is the point of a jian. Ask in the order notes if you want it supplied blunt for display or stage use.

Can I use it for cutting practice?

Yes, within reason. It is full tang and hardened through, so mats and bottles are fine. A jian is a thrusting and cutting sword rather than a chopper, so avoid heavy timber, and avoid steel to steel contact.

Can I have runes or a pattern engraved on it?

Yes. Use the rune converter above for Elder Futhark or choose your own design in the engraving option. Cut lines show clearly against the etched Damascus.

What is the difference between a jian and a dao?

A jian is straight and double edged. A dao is single edged and usually curved. The jian is lighter in the hand and more versatile in line, the dao is simpler to learn and cuts harder.

How long does it take to arrive?

Shipping is free inside the United States and stock pieces arrive five to seven business days after dispatch. Made to order Damascus takes four to five weeks first.

What is in the box

• One hand forged 1095 and 15N20 Damascus Chinese sword, 35 inches overall
• One black scabbard with steel fittings
• Care card written specifically for etched Damascus
• Your Elder Futhark rune line or chosen pattern, if engraving was ordered
• Forged and finished in Memphis, Tennessee

Explore the range

See the other jian and dao Chinese swords, the Damascus swords, the full sword range and the messers, or read the guides.