Emberfold Hand Forged Damascus Katana | 40 Inch Overall with 27 Inch Blade | Black Ito Wrapped Tsuka and Lacquered Saya | Collector Sword Gift | RK-1756

The Emberfold is a full length katana with a pattern welded Damascus blade. The steel is 1095 and 15N20 folded and drawn out until the layers run the length of the blade in long flowing bands, then etched so the two alloys separate into bright and dark. The mounts are traditional in form: a round iron tsuba, a cream habaki collar at the base of the blade, a tsuka wrapped in black ito over ray skin, and a lacquered black saya.

The curve in a Japanese blade is not hammered in. It arrives in the quench. The edge is thinner than the spine, so when the hot blade goes into the water the edge cools and contracts first and the spine follows a moment later, and the blade bends itself away from the edge and then partly back. Smiths forge a katana almost straight and let the water put the sori in. Every Emberfold is forged, folded, ground, heat treated and mounted in our shop in Memphis, Tennessee.

Specifications

What you are looking at in the pattern

The bands running down this blade are real layer boundaries, not an etched print. Two steels go into the billet. 1095 is a plain high carbon steel and etches dark. 15N20 carries about two percent nickel, resists the acid, and stays bright. Fold the stack, weld it under the hammer, draw it out and fold again, and the two alloys stretch into ribbons. Grinding the bevel cuts through those ribbons at an angle, which is why the pattern flows along the edge rather than sitting flat like wallpaper.

This is a Damascus blade rather than a clay hardened one, and the two are different things that shops routinely confuse. A clay hardened blade carries a hamon, a hard bright temper line following the edge, produced by insulating the spine before the quench. A Damascus blade carries a layer pattern across the whole flat, produced by welding two steels together. The Emberfold has the second, not the first. If you want a visible hamon rather than a layer pattern, look at our plain 1095 Japanese blades instead.

The steel and the heat treat

The billet is 1095 and 15N20, hardened to 58 to 60 HRC. That is harder than we take a European sword, and it suits this geometry. A katana blade is thick at the spine, deeply tapered to the edge, and used with a draw cut rather than a chop, so the edge is supported by a great deal of steel behind it and can be run harder without chipping out.

Neither of these alloys is stainless. Nickel in 15N20 improves toughness and gives the pattern its contrast, and it does nothing for corrosion resistance. Fingerprints left on an etched Damascus flat show up faster than they do on a polished one, because the acid etched surface is microscopically rough and holds skin oil in the recesses. Oil the blade every time you handle it and this is a non issue.

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, the leather or the wood. 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 where it goes. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. On the Emberfold the nakago, the tang under the wrap, is the traditional place for a maker mark and it takes a short rune line without touching the visible blade. A line on the flat is also possible, though it will interrupt the Damascus pattern, and we will tell you honestly how it will look before we cut it. See the engraving page.

Handling and balance

Balance sits about five inches ahead of the tsuba. A katana is meant to feel slightly point heavy, because the cut is a draw and the weight ahead of the hand is what pulls the edge through. The long tsuka is not there to be gripped in the middle. The right hand goes just below the tsuba and the left hand at the very end of the wrap, and the two hands work against each other like the ends of a lever. Most of the power comes from the left hand pulling down, not the right hand pushing.

The blade arrives sharp and it cuts. It is suited to collection, to display and to cutting practice on soft targets by someone who has been taught how. It is not a blunt trainer, and it should never be used in contact practice against another person or another blade. Keep the mekugi peg checked before every use: it is bamboo, it is meant to be the sacrificial part, and a loose peg is the one failure that matters on a Japanese mounted blade.

Care

Traditional practice exists for a reason. After handling, wipe the blade down along its length with a soft cloth, never across the edge. Apply a thin film of camellia oil or a light mineral oil with a clean cloth. Do not store the katana in the saya long term in a humid room, because lacquered wood traps moisture against etched steel and that is where rust starts. Never touch the bare blade with fingers if you can help it, and if you do, wipe and oil it straight away. The ito wrap should be kept dry and away from direct sun, which fades black cotton faster than anything. More detail is on our steel care page.

Forged in Memphis

Billet welded, folded, drawn, ground, heat treated, etched, polished and mounted in our shop in Memphis, Tennessee. The saya is made and lacquered here to fit this blade. Nothing about this sword comes out of an importer catalogue. Damascus takes longer than plain steel because the billet has to be welded and folded before any shaping starts, so allow one to two weeks for processing and a few days more for engraving. Shipping inside the United States is free, and the lifetime warranty against defects in forging, grind, heat treat and fittings runs with no end date and no receipt needed.

A note on handmade variation

Every Damascus blade is made by hand and not machine produced in bulk, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. The pattern is the direct fingerprint of how that particular billet was folded and drawn, and it is impossible to repeat exactly. Layer spacing, the tightness of the bands near the tip, the depth of the etch and the exact tone of the ito wrap all vary. The length, the steels, the hardness and the build are the same every time. The pattern is not, and that is the whole reason to own a folded blade.

Frequently asked questions

Is it sharp when it arrives

Yes, it comes with a working edge. If you want it blunted for display, say so in the order notes and we will roll the edge before it ships at no extra cost.

Is this a real hamon

No, and we will not pretend it is. The line you can see is a Damascus layer pattern from two steels welded together, not a clay hardened temper line. They look different and they are made in different ways, and it matters to anyone who knows Japanese blades.

Can I use it for tameshigiri

It is a sharp forged blade with a full length tang and it will cut soft targets, but only with training. It is not a sparring weapon and should never be used in contact practice against another person or another blade.

Will the pattern wear off

No. The pattern goes all the way through the steel because it is made of the steel. Polishing the blade hard would reduce the etch contrast, and a light re etch brings it straight back.

Is the saya included

Yes. The lacquered black saya shown in the photograph is made to this blade and comes with it, along with a matching koiguchi fit so the sword seats with a click rather than rattling.

How long before it ships

One to two weeks of processing, and a little longer than a plain steel blade because the billet has to be welded and folded first. Engraving adds a few days. Shipping in the United States is free and returns are accepted within seven days.

What is in the box

• Emberfold Damascus katana in folded 1095 and 15N20
• Lacquered black saya fitted to this blade
• Black ito wrapped tsuka over ray skin with a bamboo mekugi peg
• Care sheet with oiling and storage instructions
• Lifetime warranty against defects in forging, grind, heat treat and fittings
• Forged and finished in Memphis, Tennessee

Explore the range

See the rest of the katana and Japanese swords, our Damascus swords, the full range of swords, and the guides.