What makes the ninja sword so desired to captivate the imagination. Perhaps it is the rugged and practical beauty of this ninja sword. Straight in it's lines, practical in it's appearance, the ninja sword is a beautiful weapon that when displayed, brings to a room a sense of mystery. Used on occasion by the ninja, the ninja sword was used for unique roles in a war. The ninja were the special–forces of the Japanese army or of a king. Trained for the utmost stealth, they were the assassins, the saboteurs; the scouts. As such long unwieldy swords were of little use to the ninja. The ninja sword was designed for quick draws from the sheath to overcome an opponent with a longer sword. This crucial moment was enough to have the edge and give the ninja victory in close combat.

The ninja sword is a bright short blade, with a long handle, and tended to have a straighter edge than the more popular katana. There were two reasons for these differences. The first as has already been mentioned was the ability for the quick attack, aided by the long handle, which helped give the impression that the blade was longer than it actually was. The combination of a short blade and long deceiving handle allowed the ninja to use the ninja sword in quick strike situations. Second the handle was longer to give a sense that the blade was longer. The blade was laso elongated to be able to use the blade in situations that required traversing an object such as a wall, much like a pole–vaulter.

The ninja sword is a weapon of quiet elegance and purposed practicality. It's intended use from ages long past, have made this a weapon that emanates the strength and grace of the ninja. The ninja sword is beautiful and truly an object that is not merely an object but an invitation to feel the sense of history and honor from whence this sword was used. One must see this truly remarkable object to appreciate it's graceful lines, and defined shape. Display this particular blade as part of a collection, or a single eye–catching object that draws the attention of all who enter into a room.

The oldest swords on record in Japan were sent to a queen from China in roughly 250a.d. At this period a great number of the swords came from China made of Iron. Along about the 5th century is when steel swords were finally created.

The technology to create steel from Iron involves carbon material during the smelting process. It is this additional material that creates an iron alloy or – steel. This alloy then allows the metal to be harder (addition of carbon), but not so hard that it becomes brittle, and will therefore still maintain its' malleability from the Iron. The hardness is required to hold an edge during the sharpening process, while the iron softness allows the blade to withstand metal to metal contact during battle situations without shattering the blade as would happen with extremely rigid metal.

In the beginning Japanese swords were straight. A straight blade was very common and practical for the foot soldier. Once the calvary was introduced and fighting on horseback became an effective way to wage a war between about 800 – 1200ad, curved swords became common and the sword of practical choice. These initial long curved swords were called Tachi. Future swords were given different names and these names were given primarily due to the length of curvature of the sword. Nevertheless, Japanese swords have always typically been made with a single sharpened edge, however in the beginning of the sword making process, their did exist double–edged swords.

After 1200ad the Minomoto clan had defeated the enemy clan and came into power. It was about this time that the Samurai class came to prominence. The capitol setup by the ruling clan became a magnet for swordsmiths from all over the country, and swords making came into a greater prominence.

In 1274 and 1281 the Mongol invasions caused the future modifications of the swords being built due to the tips breaking. This kind of damage was not reparable and therefore caused changes in the way swords were made.

Then in 1334 a battle between the North and the South began between emperors Godaiko and Komyo. This struggle for power continued for several a centuries. During this time however, the need for swords increased and as often happens the sword making became a manufacturing process rather than a quality process and so the sword quality suffered. It was also during this time that the foot soldier was the primary source of military power, which caused the need for shorter swords which became the Katana. These shorter swords were easier to maneuver in hand–to–hand combat and were more in line with the combat tactics of the time.

In the mid 1500s the gun was introduced by the Portuguese and thereby changed the face of warfare forever. Obu Nabunaga used these new weapons in a decisive battle that utterly destroyed a clan known for their skill and bravery. Although these new guns were not as accurate, they were certainly effective. The battle field now belonged to groups of men armed with guns. Accordingly, the armor changed to accomadate this new weapon and became heavy to protect from the bullets. Swords were still used at that time and so these too also needed to be modified. The swords in this era became longer and heavier to slash through the thick armor.

The long centuries of war came to an end. The country was now unified under the authority of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who adopted a feudal system. Since a relative peace had been established, the Samurai class found themselves in a state of proverbial limbo – there was no war to fight. And so the Samurai warrior schools were setup to teach new recruits the ways of the Samurai and maintain the ability to fight. There were many schools at this time.

In 1868, emperor Meji took control and the period of modernization began up until the present day. This new system denied the rights of the Samurai among the most notable were the priviledge of wearing the daisho – the two sword combination typically worn to distinguish the Samurai class. During these times, the ability and knowledge to make Samurai swords was nearly lost, but recovered in the early 50's. Today the art of making Japanese swords is exactly that, an art. People all over the world want to collect and display these works of art because they convey so much; beauty, grace, style, discipline, and a connection to a past that was our own, once upon a time.

Blade construction varied over the years based on the material and technology used. In the early years of metallurgy, blades were short. The length was limited by the material used until such time as smithing technologies improved to increase the tensile strength of the material. Bronze was first turned into blades due to the lower smelting temperature and produced a better blade. Iron was next, which although softer, had ore material that was more readily available and therefore used to outfit entire armies.

Later the construction of the blade was altered yet further by introducing 'fullers'. The 'fuller' was a ridge that ran down the center of the blade. This left a groove like structure that eliminated metal material and therefore made the blade lighter, but was able to maintain its' strength, much like a steel I–beam used in construction.

The 'ricasso' was a short area of the blade immediately above the hilt on the blade side of the 'cross guard' which was not sharpened at all. This area was gripped by the finger for better tip control. Some blades did not have the 'ricasso'. In some other instances however, the 'ricasso' was large enough for a hand to fit around it and was therefore wrapped in leather. The purpose was to allow the other hand to be used to better manipulate the blade, especially dealing with large swords such as the enormous German Zweihänder.

The 'tang' is the part of the blade that extends into the hilt under the grip. This is also the part of the blade to mark the manufacturers' information. The 'tang' can be created as part of the blade, referred to as a 'full' tang. A 'full–tang' is preferable and was normally how blades were created anciently. This style of tang was necessary for durability in battle.

In some modern instances, to minimize manufacturing time and create a blade for display rather than actual use or authentic creation, a separate rod of steel or iron is welded to the blade and then the hilt is formed or fitted around it. This type of tang is referred to as the 'rat tailed' tang. This type of tang is structurally weaker and will most likely break off at the welding point if the Sword were to be put into action.

The curvature of the blade maintained an important feature of the sword. The curved radius of the blade was purposed to create a sawing effect on the battlefield, rather than simply delivering a heavy cut. By employing this feature the efficiency of the blade was improved and thereby reduced the amount of effort required to do the needed damage.

The curvature radius was altered and based on the country of origin. The middle eastern regions had a curvatures of radius closer to the hilt than those of their European counterparts, which accommodated the different battle techniques. The radius curvature was designed to be effective at the length that the warrior would use the weapon. So a longer curvature further away from the wielder, would be intended to be used at a longer distance.